Jun. 25, 2009
The mercury is boiling in the thermometer today, the water from the tap just can't get cold enough to quench a dusty thirst and it's the kind of day where just walking down to the corner store for an orange Push-Up is enough to get a river of sweat flowing. It's almost too hot for the jamz!! Yeah, I know....I never thought those words would be written here, but it's true. So let's go digging through the archives for some laid-back summer songs that will help us stay cool as the temps blow their tops.
Kitty Craft's lo-fi dance grooves are perfect for lazy summer afternoons when lovers are holding hands and the sun reflects off the dandelions just so, and it looks just like the cover of a Claudine Longet album from 1967. Main kitty Pamela Valfer pretty much vanished after crafting two lovely albums (1998's Beats and Breaks from the Flower Patch and 2000's Catskills) but she left behind some bewitching bedroom hip-hop pop. Let's spin a couple:"Half Court Press" (from Beats and Breaks)
"At the Charity Stripe" (from Catskills)
The pairing of Nobody and the Mystic Chords of Memory was an inspired move by the parties involved. The hazy textures and slow as molasses beats Nobody favors blend perfectly with the wispy, delicate voices and intimate tunes played and sung by the Mystic Chords. 2006's Tree Colored See is a record a lot of people slept on but it's really something of a hidden gem and the feeling of ecstatic inertia the album revels in is perfect for a day when moving six inches to grab a glass of lemonade feels like walking across the desert. Here's the best song on the album, followed by the dreamiest:"Feet Upon the Sand"
"Broaden a New Sound"
When the heat gets too bad, it's good to imagine that some rain might come along and mercifully bring an end to the sun's oppression, maybe even cool things off a bit. Here's a couple tracks that might at least help you keep that hope alive.
Johhny Rivers - "Summer Rain"
Jan & Dean - "Like a Summer Rain"
Doctor Buzzard's Original Savannah Band - Sunshower
Barry White - "Walking in the Rain (With the One I Love)"
The Primitives - "Summer Rain"
Ahh, didn't that feel nice? Good luck beating the heat!