You might’ve heard that it rains in Oregon sometimes. Which is why, when summer finally hits, we all flock outside like ants to that particularly delicious bit of sugar, taking advantage of the blue skies, Vitamin D and awesome outdoor activities that the sunny season has to offer.
In the spirit of this fine summer, we’ve put together a list of songs, broken down into categories that are commonly associated when telling your story of the season.
Beach Vibes
It’s all about fun in the sun with “Harriette” by Rio Grands. Even the first 10 seconds are bound to bring spray and surf to mind. With a deep, rolling drum line and bright distorted electric guitar riff that sounds straight off of a California beach circa 1961. The “ba ba ba’s” that kick in at 0:35 only add that feeling of cheeriness, aided by the lively saxophone solos interspersed throughout.
Underwater Vibes
“Into the Well” by Mree is a calm, ethereal track that easily captures the floating, atmospheric quality of water. A cyclical melody on the acoustic guitar floats in gentle waves under slow, hazy electric guitar. High notes of toy piano offers a feeling of delicate wonder, and a drum machine beat enters around 1:30, adding a glitchy beat that brings a slight intensity to the overall mood.
Energetic Vibes
The Little Indians waste no time in creating rowdy, fun energy. Kicking off their track “Bravo” with a simple yet bold guitar riff, a basic snare beat and upbeat handclaps, singer Augustine Rampolla comes in around 0:17 with a strutting confidence, backed by rhythm guitar and a driving, fuzzy bass. The song is cute in a garage-y kind of way, maintaining a steady arc of bouncy playfulness until it starts to fade out around 2:27. There, it descends into faint “oohs,” kick drums and handclaps that finally let you take in a calming breath.
Nostalgic Vibes
Radiation City is kickin’ it old school in their addictive track “Foreign Bodies.” Dripping with an infectious retro feeling, this song features soulful vocals and three part harmonies galore, with billows of swirling synth and playful flourishes on the electric guitar. A drum beat and thudding bass hold the song steady while a hazy filter gives everything else a distinctive echo-ey feeling.
Nature Vibes
We’ve already made a list of awesome outdoor adventure songs, but just to add on to that, we have the dynamic and orchestral “Reason and Rationality” by Lee Brooks. featuring rapidly scissoring strings, the upbeat song captures a kind of gentle excitement while warm, light piano and electric guitar supports behind. Following a slowly ascending arc, the track takes off around 2:04 with big drums and melodica, offering an emotional and inspiring journey that should bring to mind a similar sweeping epicness to time spent outside.
– Kaitie Todd