by Lauren Tischler

Summer; everyone’s favorite season. If you are immersed in tasteful conversation with a friend or loved one, there is a large chance that nearby ears will catch speak of summer album releases, and perhaps familiar phrases
like “Lollapalooza.” That’s right, the musical pleasures of summer are right around the corner. With album releases expected from Hot Hot Heat (Future Breeds), LCD Soundsystem (This is Happening), and Marina and the Diamonds (The Family Jewels), summer 2010 has the potential to be extremely friendly to music fans. As well as Chicago’s biggest music festival, all you Californians are probably already excited for the annual and prestigious Coachella. This year, the festival boasts big names like MGMT, Grizzly Bear, Jay-Z, and even ’80s superstars DEVO (and yes, from a show I experienced a few months ago, they will still be rocking the white jumpsuits in their old age.) But as effectively as festivals do their job in bringing indie bands out of their club-scene closet, 2010 holds some wonderful summer tours for us.

Folk gods Blitzen Trapper announced a 15-stop tour earlier this month, while Europeans will be blessed with the presence of the Dirty Projectors in early July. Alas, music is not the only sensory treat of the season. For all of you who dread sitting in a dark theater with unfamiliar faces, summer marks the opening of your local Drive-In Theater (if you still have one). This year, you can bathe in the sun before enjoying awaited films such as Michael Cera’s latest appearance in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, where he plays the same awkward, closeted sex fiend we all love so dearly, plus a few sucker punches and comic book-inspired visuals. I recommend taking your time to see The Living Wake as well, a quirkier, almost upbeat version of 2007’s Wristcutters, which breaks the fourth wall quite a bit and stars Adventureland’s Jesse Eisenberg.

So with all of this and much more to look forward to, I took the opportunity to make my first submission to Obscure Sound as a contributing writer. What I put forth is a playlist full of sunny sounds that I hope will fire you up for this summer. With music from artists both old and new, known and unknown, I handpicked the tracks that led me most to reminisce of sunscreen, late night bonfires, and sand-covered skin. The playlist consists of reggae roots from Slightly Stoopid, sunny synth leads from Phoenix, light love ballads from the Maccabees and the Temper Trap, and of course catchy head boppers provided by Rilo Kiley, the Arctic Monkeys, and much more. From the bottom of my summer-filled heart, I invite you to adopt this playlist as the anthem of your much deserved summer. Enjoy.

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Rilo Kiley – Breakin’ Up

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Phoenix – Summer Days

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Slightly Stoopid – Nobody Knows

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The Maccabees – First Love

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Stereophonics – Pick a Part That’s New

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Arctic Monkeys – Mardy Bum

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Little Joy – Brand New Start

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Tokyo Police Club – Breakneck Speed

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Norwegian Recycling – Sorry For I Mashed You

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Voxtrot – The Start of Something

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Tegan and Sara – Take Me Anywhere

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They Might Be Giants – Don’t Let’s Start

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