My Top Five Summer Albums

Admittedly, all of these records sound good at any time of year but they always remind me of the summer time 🙂

1) Weezer: The Blue Album (1994)

Teenage boy angst at its glorious best.  Garage rock is synonymous with summertime in my mind.  I played this record to death when I was fourteen when I wanted Rivers Cuomo to marry me (actually, I still do).  I could easily have chosen ‘The Green Album’ for this list as well but the Blue Album is more consistent and has definitely stood the test of time eighteen years after it was first released.  Geeks of the world, unite.

2) Best Coast: Crazy For You (2010)

Teenage girl angst at its glorious best.  Everything about Best Coast from the band’s name, the cover of their debut album and all twelve tracks ooze California sun.  Nostalgic, lazy and sunny, there aren’t exactly any major variations between each 2 minute song but why fix something when it ain’t broke?

3) The Beach Boys: Sunflower (1970)

Although the Beach Boys’s earlier records might have been the obvious choice for this list, I have a soft spot for one of their later albums, ‘Sunflower’ released in 1970.  In my opinion, ‘All I Wanna Do’ is one of the best songs the Beach Boys have ever written.  The production on this record has a beautifully hazy sun-drenched quality, particularly  ‘Cool Cool Water’.  Shame about the slightly lame cover really.

4) Mylo: Destroy Rock and Roll (2004)

From ambient electronica to club anthems, ‘Destroy Rock and Roll’ references every notable act in dance music from Royksopp to Daft Punk.  Inventive and refreshing, the Pitchfork review says: “Mylo is like a dance-music Ramones: What he does isn’t very complicated. Technically, he’s not even very good at it. But that’s all just part of the treat.”  A record to be played in the car with the rooftop down.

5) The Bees: Sunshine Hit Me (2003)

Nothing else sounds quite like this eclectic mix of breezy, laid-back tunes with an assortment of influences including reggae, funk and ambient electronica.  ‘Angryman’ in particular is infectiously catchy and cannot fail to lighten your mood.  A happy, feel-good album which makes me wish I was sitting on a deckchair on a beach somewhere.