When trying to soundtrack my summer, I’ve decided that there is no one-size-fits-all salve to setting the perfect mood. While there is always a certain sunny optimism to the season, we contain too many multitudes to always want the exact same type of song for 3 months. So, in case you needed a spiritual guide for whatever occasion you may have, I am proffering my suggestions for the various vibes. Here is my manual for your summer music in the case study of a packed summer day.
Pool Party
Here, we have what I consider to be your classic summer music. Songs for the pool are, put simply, pop music. Songs with no emotional nuance, reservation, or worries about the future or past. These are bona fide pop songs about living in the moment because the moment is filled with unadulterated joy. Here are my picks to soundtrack a feel-good, sun-soaked pool party.
Hammock
I personally won’t make it if a day is only end-to-end fun in the sun. When you’re sweaty, sun-kissed, and need a beat to chill, nothing does the trick like a hammock. You can’t beat a steady sway in the shade of two trees with a slow descend into blissful unconsciousness. If you want a soundtrack besides the leaves in the breeze and the chirping birds, I’ve included calmest, most mellow good-time songs to score your siesta.
Barbecue
To me, outdoor grilling is a very specific vibe. And that vibe is “Dad.” If dads aren’t there, there are at least dads-at-heart. When our spiritual dads are manning the Weber, flipping meats in their “kiss the chef” apron, they are gonna have musical needs. Dads are potentially the highest-maintenance customers for music audience–they know what they like, they aren’t open minded, and they’re too old to tolerate anything that’s too esoteric. Dads need songs that hue nostalgic, whether the songs are old themselves or are reminiscent of the good ol’ days. This means rock and roll, soul, country. Dads need a certain amount of restraint–no noisy distorted guitar solo bridges and no experimental psychedelic detours. Finally, Dads need a certain escapist vacation in their music–no morose, reflective lyricism that will make dad introspect on (or worse, contradict) his values or philosophies. They’re safe, they’re fun, they’re tried and true. Here is a playlist that everyone can agree on so you aren’t listening to Lynard Skynard, Def Leppard, or CCR again this cookout.
Dive Bar Jukebox
The day has waned–it’s now a warm summer night, and you’re hitting the local watering hole. You’ve got black denim on, you’re drinking Miller High Life ponies, and you’re looking for eligible candidates to bum a cig off of. You head to the jukebox, floor sticking to your soles each step, because you want to hear Bangers. The only problem is, you have an audience–and they look pretty cool and difficult to impress. You don’t want to antagonize these irreverent 20-somethings by accidentally playing something lame. But it’s your night too! What is going to keep the fun summer vibes going for you, but is cool enough for all the inked imbibers in the house? Worry no more. Below is a list of high energy hits that have sludge and grunge. They’re pop songs, really, but with a veneer of anti-establishment so that the bar will have a blast (secretly).
Night Driving
This playlist has the potential to be the most specific to me (i.e., a dud for you), but I thought I’d offer the chance for you to decide for yourself. When the endless summer day is winds down, you have the long, late night drive home from wherever the fun was. It’s still warm, of course, so the windows are staying down. The mood for this, to me, is something of a tightrope walk. It’s upbeat, but with a tinge of melancholy. There’s a residual glow from the fun, but the fun is over. It’s happy, but not in an exuberant way–rather, it’s an optimistic reflection on good times past or things to look forward too. It’s up-beat, but controlled and atmospheric, perhaps. Here is a playlist of songs that to me will soundtrack the end of a perfect day.
Ryan and Garrett 