Matthew Berlyant: August 5, 2007

A playlist for summer

Since we’ve been dealing with scorching heat here in Philadelphia over the last week or so, here’s an appropriately-themed playlist.

1. Of Montreal “Oslo in the Summertime”

   From their excellent breakthrough album The Sunlandic Twins, this is perhaps my favorite song on the album. Dig the story of KEVIN BARNES’ observations about his wife and bandmate NINA’s hometown, all set to an instantly memorable and hummable melody that won’t leave your head for hours.

2. The Undertones – “Here Comes the Summer”

   From their first album, this RAMONES-like blast features an intro that could have been appropriated from the Irish tourism industry.

   Of course, the irony is that The Undertones hailed from Derry in Northern Ireland, a place not exactly known for its warm summer climate. This could possibly explain the longing and escapism found here, however.

3. The Chills – “Double Summer”

   One of the finest songs in the entire Chills catalog, this insanely catchy song comes from their underrated 1992 album Soft Bomb.

4. Marshall Crenshaw – “Starlit Summer Sky” (demo)

   A bonus track on the excellent 2000 Rhino reissue of his incredible, self-titled debut, I regard it as one of the finest songs that Crenshaw has written in his 25-year career. Many years later, he would re-record it with the title changed to “Starless Summer Sky”. That version comes from his 1996 album Miracle of Science, which happens to the first studio album of his that didn’t come out on a major label.

5. Jens Lekman – “A Sweet Summer’s Night on Hammer Hill’

   From his excellent 2006 singles compilation Oh You’re So Silent Jens (named after a line in the song “Black Cab”), this is the more upbeat song of the two “Hammer Hill” songs included. The other, named “Another Sweet Summer’s Night on Hammer Hill” (appropriately enough), is instead a harrowing tale of childhood cruelty. This song, however, celebrates the sights, sounds and thrills of a summer night out in the street with other kindred spirits, music blaring from neighbors’ windows to herald the arrival of the short (in Sweden) season.

6. Love – “Bummer in the Summer”

   From their landmark 1967 album Forever Changes, this is one of the more straightforward songs on the record, sounding less like THE LEFT BANKE or orchestral pop in general than something influenced heavily by mid ‘60s BOB DYLAN. As such, it’s easy to imagine this song on their self-titled debut, though it fits in on Forever Changes here, adding some brevity to the mood there.

7. Joe Jackson – “Summer in the City”

   A fairly straightforward cover of THE LOVIN’ SPOONFUL classic, this is, appropriately enough, the opening track on Jackson’s 2000 live album of the same name.

8. The Plasmatics – “Summer Nite”

   Although known more for their ferocity, non-comprising attitude and outrageous theatrics (chainsawing TVs and blowing up cars was common practice at their shows), this is about the closest The Plastmatics ever came to sentimentality. It’s from their second album Beyond the Valley of 1984, my favorite album of theirs.

9. Death Cab for Cutie – “Summer Skin”

   Featuring innovative production by guitarist CHRIS WALLA and a great bass line courtesy of NICK HARMER, this isn’t one of the immedate standouts on their 2005 album Plans. Nevertheless, it’s a real grower, like much of that rest of that album.

10. The Beach Boys – “All Summer Long”

    You didn’t really think that I would compile a summer playlist without a Beach Boys song, did you? Well in any case, this is the title track of the album that also featured “I Get Around,” “Wendy” and “Little Honda”, among others.