slayshTank

Since it’s now July and I have yet to consolidate any of this season’s releases into some sort of cohesive biographic doctrine of exactly what has been going on this summer in the world of music, I figured I’d go ahead and throw together some of my choice cuts so far.

If this list is an indication of anything, it’s that indie rock’s weirdly unfaltering fascination with summertime nostalgia and beach combing is as strong and aesthetically appropriate as ever. Perhaps the youth are escaping a foreboding job market, imminent economic collapse, and massive environmental disaster by writing songs about swimming in the ocean and playing ukuleles. Seems appropriate.

But despite indie rock’s slow and steady migration towards twee-pop and New Wave, straightforward rock is still very much a part of the musical landscape, harboring names and burgeoning acts like Dum Dum Girls, and the spectacular “Brothers” by blues-rock icons the Black Keys. (I thought the album had great packaging.) I also threw in “Ring Ring”, the most vulnerable and understated track from the New York hard-rock duo Sleigh Bells. If you’re used to their barrage of chainsaw guitars and clipped electronic beats, “Ring Ring” will be a pleasant surprise. There’s a little hip-hop in there as well.

Last but not least, I threw in “Fire and Ice” from Ryan Adams’ fully realized heavy metal, science-fiction concept album about intergalactic war and destruction, Orion. My roommates and I have been spinning it endlessly. For some reason, Adams’ eccentricities bring a smile to my face, and hopefully it does yours as well.

Wavves: Convertable Balloon
Washed Out: Feel It All Around
The Cool Kids: Good Afternoon
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffitti: Bright Lit Blue Skies
The Drums: Best Friend
The So-So Gatsby’s: James Dean
Magic Bullets: Not Just a Long Face
Dum Dum Girls: Bhang, Bhang, I’m A Burnout
The Black Keys: Everlasting Light
M.I.A.: It Takes a Muscle
The Roots: The Day (Feat. Blu, Phonte, Patty Crash)
Sleigh Bells: Ring Ring
Ryan Adams: Fire and Ice