BWC Mixes: Summertime

Ah, summer. After 8 months of gloom and rain, when the sun finally peeks over the eternally snow-capped peak of Mt. Hood and lowers slowly down the thick trunks of oaks in Laurelhurst, or the glass walls of the US Bancorp tower, Portlanders breathe a deep sigh of relief.

I’m convinced that summers in Portland are the best in the world. Maybe it’s the mild heat, or the quenched vegetation or the fact that our rainy, bitter weather makes the sun that much more sweet. As much as we love our dreary winters, as much as we love sipping coffee as rain whips down the windows, it’s when the sun hits that we realize why we love this city.

Every year around this time, I dust off my summer mix, change some of the tracks, and give it a spin. I thought I’d give you, our readers, a taste.

Summer mixes are hazy propositions. What defines a summer song? Sunny melodies are key, 60’s beach pop for instance. Lyrical imagery plays a part. Sometimes, and this the case with a few of the following songs, the key to great summer song is intangible…something about the track just takes you to rolled down windows and attempting sleep with the fan on. I’ll try and explain my choices the best I can.

Also, this mix is available on iTunes under iMixes. Search for “BWC summer” and you should find it alright.

1. “The King of Carrot Flowers, Part 1”, Neutral Milk Hotel.

Overall, just a good introductory song. I like the youth of the song, the odd story: “And your mom would stick a fork right into Daddy’s shoulder/And Dad would throw the garbage all across the floor”. Despite the darkness, there is a charming naiveté, a sweetness in the face of horror. This is part of summer, to ignore what is sad for a few slim months and live life well.

2. “Fly From Heaven”, Toad the Wet Sprocket.

We all have songs from the past that take us to time and place, and Dulcinea’s opening track takes me to my first car, my first summer out of high school. Toad the Wet Sprocket hail from Santa Barbara, and I’m not sure that anyone else in the world would understand sunny weather better than the denizens of that city.

3. “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”, Beach Boys.

What is a summer mix without the grandfathers of surf rock? This song also touches on youth and a first romance. Pay attention to the key change six seconds in, covered superbly by a drumbeat. Also, can you think of a better song that extols the virtues of celibacy?

4. “The Beginner”, Miranda Lee Richards.

“I don’t know where I’m going/But I got no reason to fear/I’m gonna roll with the changes/I’m gonna play it by ear” Richards croons with sexy urgency. I always look for excuses to listen to this song, and it fits best in late July. When strings slide in toward the last minute of this track, the song takes on another level, and while the subject is simple, it’s still inspiring.

5. “Float On”, Modest Mouse.

From its jangled guitar riff to it’s bumped bass beat, “Float On” is an undeniable summertime anthem. It’s even got a group chant midway through. This, along with my final track, is one of those songs that is tied so intrinsically to the summer months that I can’t imagine a mix without them.

6. “This Year”, The Mountain Goats.

Reviewing these songs, I’m realizing a common thread beyond melody or sun. “This Year”, like many others on this list, is about being young. John Darnielle sings of being seventeen, buzzed on scotch and playing video games, “And then Kathy showed up and we hung out/Trading swigs from the bottle all bitter and clean/Locking eyes, holding hands, twin high maintenance machines.” Later, he drives home and faces his parents.

There is, after all, the memory that summer meant less responsibility when we were younger.

7. “Play the Hits”, Hal.

More 60’s-style pop from a modern band. Hal conjures images of infectious oldies radio with this sugary ditty. It’s a simple song, but try not to dance along from the very first listen.

8. “My Heart Is the Bums on the Street”, Marah.

Philadelphia’s musical sons weave some of their most brilliant lyrics around rumbling horns, another in a long line of love songs written to their city. “My heart is a barrel of fire that blows burning ashes and a telephone wire/My heart is the avenue wind rattling streets signs with a delicate din”. This song also made Nick Hornby’s summertime listening mix.

9. “Deep Red Bells”, Neko Case.

This song was a mainstay on my winter mix before I noticed this line, “It looks a lot like engine oil/And tastes like being poor and small/And popsicles in summer”. It works either time of year, but fits on this list as a slower oasis with darker content (“Deep Red Bells” is one of Case’s many murder ballads).

It’s also a nice precursor to Case’s later masterpiece, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood.

10. “That’s Just What You Are”, Aimee Mann.

Aimee Mann’s uncanny ability to write a catchy melody is never more on display than it is with the simple “That’s Just What You Are”. A Saturday afternoon drive and this song on your stereo will keep your head bobbing and remind you of just how brilliant Aimee Mann is.

11. “Working Girls (Sunlight Shines)”, Pernice Brothers.

Joe Pernice has always excelled at weaving dark subject matter it with Beach Boy baroque pop. You might be able to tell what this song is about by the title. Pernice’s refrain, with it’s intermittent machine gun drum as Pernice sighs “Sunlight shines” over and over, is sublime.

12. “The Way We Get By”, Spoon.

Back to our youthful theme, Britt Daniel taps his piano and sings of cruising the Texas night, breaking into mobile homes, smoking, and getting by. Daniel deftly uses his words, their rhythm amplifying their meaning.

13. “Doo Wop (That Thing)”, Lauryn Hill.

Remember the split-screen “Doo Wop (That Thing)” music video, set in the New York City summers of ‘67 and ‘98? Remember how this song was a deservedly massive hit? Now go listen to it at least three times in a row.

On top of being a marvelous pop song, Hill manages to lay out stunning verse on sexuality and gender roles. Probably some of the smartest social commentary ever put on tape.

For your convenience, I’ll link to the music video. Please ignore the pictures at the beginning…I’m not sure why they’re there (especially considering the song).

14. “Nightswimming”, R.E.M.

Finally, what summer mix would be complete without the ultimate summer song. I don’t think I need to explain “Nightswimming”, which is one of the greatest songs of all time regardless of the time of year. If you haven’t gone night swimming and listened to this song, you’ve missed out big time. Big time.

Go and do it tonight. It’s summer after all, and it won’t be around forever.