It’s June. It’s Summer. I love Summer; a warm day at the beach with toes in the sand and salt on the skin sounds excellent.
Although, days like that will be quite rare since I’ve moved hours away from coastal conditions. A hot day spent in and out of the pool, perhaps with a frosty beverage of some sort in tow, also sounds glorious. Warm nights and cool mornings… I can certainly adjust to the desert summer.
Except getting into a hot car. That’s the worst.
As I’ve been easing into to my new life, finding my new normals, and generally making myself at home, I have required some tunes. I’ve been craving things I have not heard in a long time. I’ve been looking for new songs, new moods and new playlists to match my new surroundings. As you’ve probably guessed, I’m excited to share them with you.
But first, I want to try an experiment of sorts.
I have been spending a lot of time learning the art of creating art with words via AI image generator, Midjourney. AI image generation is more difficult than I’d imagined. At least when I have something specific in mind. If I’m just using minimal prompts to experiment with a completely open mind, it is much easier.
I am barely crawling to the top of the beginners barrel, and the images within this post probably support that claim. AI is weird. It gets the general idea but doesn’t understand the nuances. It can be pretty entertaining to see what it comes up with.
Since I hope to generate all the images that accompany my writing, I’ve decided I’ll post as I learn. The results can be pretty amusing and I’ll be experimenting and refining anyhow, so why not?
All of this blabbering on is to introduce the idea that I'm trying to formulate an explanation of the vibe each of the summer playlists exudes and then using that to create the accompanying image. It’s a fun little experiment; I hope you'll find it as amusing as I do!
I am also hoping it’ll be useful. If you like the picture that was generated, you might like the playlist that inspired it? Who knows? Stranger things have happened.
Anyway, I suppose it’s time to move on to the real reason we are here: the playlists! My first playlist / image pair is warm and comfortable, almost soothing but still fresh and gently random.
A LITTLE LUCK
This is a feel good playlist. This is comfort food for my ears; I am putting this on when the fam comes over for a summer BBQ. I’d reckon the smell of burgers pairs well with these tunes.
But a backyard Barbecue is not the only event that might compliment this musical bear hug for the ears. A beach day, a daytrip, a slip ‘n’ slide, washing the car, eating a popsicle, catnapping on a hammock? Here’s the perfect soundtrack for all of those fabulous summer pastimes and more.
I’m going through a minor Wings phase, so they open the mix with a classic. There are lots of covers to freshen up the oldies and some newer stuff that I’ve had a hankering to hear, like Spiderwebs by Okey Dokey and Zella Day. I hadn’t heard Summertime by The Sundays in forever and it’s sounding great. The version of Sharon Van Etten’s Seventeen with Norah Jones is so fresh and cool.
It’s not all ice cream and puppy dogs, but even the darker tracks, like Armagideon Time by The Clash, still match the warm palette. If you delight in off the beaten path bands like XTC, you’re covered. If you like mainstream royalty like Taylor Swift, you’re good too. Hope you have a chance to check it out and make some new summer memories.
In My Feelings
A moody, haphazard little playlist that was built around the Lana Del Rey songs that have been speaking to me lately. Sometimes there are just a handful of songs I'm craving and tossing them all in one place helps satiate that craving. I’ve been hearing this a lot, guessing many of these tracks will be in my top 100 this year.
My on-repeat-obsessive highlights at the moment are the title track, Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F), (New Love) Cassette, Carolina, To Die Today, Drive, The Chills, Unlucky Friend, 1972, and Peppers. I’m totally digging the Art School Girlfriend cover of Prince’s I Would Die 4 U. (I never realized it was such a dark, creepy song.) I am captivated by the tempo changes in Black Bathing Suit. For me, right now, this playlist is a candy store for the ears.
Love You This Summer
A great playlist for those sultry summer nights; it’s pretty relaxed, unpredictable and a little sexy. The playlist balances warm and cool nicely; it’s the perfect stream of music to ride a soft, refreshing breeze. I recommend pairing with a drink and someone that you enjoy quiet conversations and watching the stars with.
If you happen to listen to one of these playlists, I’d be quite curious to know if you feel the image accompanying it was reminiscent of it’s vibe. Did it convey what you experienced when listening on any level? Was it helpful to you when selecting which to listen to?
And of course, please feel free to share any tracks, albums or playlists that, for you, ooze with summertime vibes. Inquiring music enthusiasts want to know!
Thanks for sharing!