Back in the 1980s and 90s I spent hours in front of my tape deck, pressing record and composing the perfect soundtrack to the season: Summer road trips, cook-outs, and afternoons at the beach. The Northeast holds a unique relationship with the summer. It promises three to four months of sun and much cherished warmth; concerts in the parks, rooftop movies, sprinklers in playgrounds. Things tend to slow down, work is less hectic, and we go outside to play for a bit. We welcome it with open arms, but our opinion changes somewhere in the middle. Like a guest over-staying his welcome, we become aware of its flaws—fatigued by the swelter, the heat, and the persistent odors. But we hang on through those last weeks until it bids us adieu and we pull out our jackets and get back to business.
“Palisades Park”
Freddy Cannon (1962)
How perfect is this song? It holds all of the promise of summer in a nutshell. The carousel-like opening just begs a trip to an amusement park. The singer takes a walk in the dark with all the optimism of the summer in his heart, after all “that’s where the girls are.” I can’t get to Coney Island fast enough.
“Rockaway Beach”
The Ramones (1977)
An ode to your favorite weekend retreat. As Joey Ramone describes, the concrete is hot and the bus ride does feel too slow. It’s time to get out to the water and this breezy song is the anthem to get you there. The beauty of most Ramones songs is that the repetition makes for easy learning, put this on your iPod and you’ll be singing along in no time.
“Summer of Love”
The B-52s (1986)
Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson buzz around downtown with orange popsicles and lemonade. Even the rain doesn’t spoil their spirit. It’s time to throw on a brightly colored dress and pick up a refreshing beverage. Leave the umbrella at home.
“Cruel Summer”
Bananarama (1983)
In the video, three of the cutest (and most inept) auto-mechanics frolic in the streets of DUMBO until a kindly, bearded trucker drives them off to a roof-top dance party (presumably to Williamsburg if his facial hair is any indication).
“Too Darn Hot”
Erasure (1990)
For the 1990 benefit album, the techno pop duo offered this interpretation of Cole Porter’s song from Kiss Me Kate. It just proves the clever timelessness of the song-writer’s lyrics. Andy Summers would like to “coo with my baby tonight, pitch the woo with my baby tonight,” but “Mister Pants for romance is not.”
“Brazilian Girls”
Tourist Trap (2006)
Everyone needs a good summer samba. This is the updated New York version. Percussive and fun, it shares the good and the bad as making the experience whole.
“Ice Cream”
Battles feat. Matias Aguayo (2012)
Frenetic and catchy at the same time, this song is the sonic marriage of a NYC-based experimental band and Chilean techno master. No matter that the song’s lyrics aren’t in English, you will still be singing along. Never has a song about ice confection been so infectious.
“Don’t Play No Game I Can’t Win”
The Beastie Boys feat. Santigold (2011)
This is exactly what the summer sounds like in Brooklyn. The dance hall beats capture the sounds of cook-outs gone into the late night, cars driving by with windows down, and somehow the sound of sirens. It’s aggressive and moving, like a busy sidewalk. What’s more Brooklyn than The Beastie Boys?
“Even When the Water’s Cold”
!!! (2013)
There’s something so distinctly New York about this song by Brooklyn band !!! (pronounced Chk Chk Chk). It’s a danceable ditty for the end of a hot evening with its refrain, “I’ll swim even when the water’s cold, that’s one thing that I know.” It feels gritty, almost seventies, and definitely urban.
“Water Fountain”
tUnE-yArDs (2014)
This is my song for summer of 2014. It’s the audio version of hopscotch. It’s another light, simple tune. You want to sing along, clap your hands, and dance at the same time. The lyrics make absolutely no sense, and for me that’s just fine.
If you like the songs and want to hear more, tune into to my radio show 3-6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24 on wxci.org
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