Summer summer summer time!
Ah, yes. It’s that time of year again. Everyone is happy-go-lucky because it’s summer! Well, unless you’re working 40-100 hour weeks, and then you might want to take a permanent vacation. And even though it’s halfway over, let’s pretend for a moment that time is on our side, our house backs up to the beach and work the next day isn’t nagging on our brains.
Here is a compilation of some little diddys that need to be downloaded:
1. The Seed (2.0) – The Roots feat. Cody Chesnutt
Off of their Phrenology album, released in 2002, this little gem by The Roots will have you dancin’ in the club, in the backyard, at the bars or in the comfort of your own living room. A great beat combined with funk and rap rhythms team up with arrestingly real lyrics (“And I don’t bitch and whine if I don’t get my way/I only wanna fertilize another behind my lover’s back”) and a smooth chorus to mesh it all together. The best thing about this song? The opening beat brings the forthcoming lyrics as somewhat of a shock to the listener – the song tricks the listener to thinking it’s a happy feel-good anthem. It seems to do that though regardless of the lyrics.
2. Rich Girl, Hall and Oates
Play this song at your favorite bar and you’re bound to a receive a round-of-applause and coerce a huge sing-a-long. It seems harmless enough, but this short two and a half minute jam will get you from innocently singing the lyrics to irrationally yelling them down the road at three in the morning.
3. When I Grow Up – The Pussycat Dolls
Debuted at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, this song, hands-down, will be the “female anthem” of the summer. Which can tend to be overbearing considering the amount of airtime this song will strike up, so enjoy it before the overplaying begins. Strikingly relatable to our pop culture overloaded society (“When I grow up/I wanna be famous/I wanna be a star/I wanna be in movies…”), rest assured that you’ll be hearing this song as every 20-somethings ring tone sometime soon.
4. Grace Kelly – Mika
Different from everything else on the market, Mika enchants his listeners with high vibrato and the charming accent of his voice. Turn it on when you’re feeling down and you’ll be smiling in no time.
5. Labels or Love – Fergie, How Deep is Your Love – The Bird and The Bee
Both tracks are off the soundtrack for the highly received summer blockbuster Sex and the City and they don’t disappoint. A remix of the show’s theme, Fergie vamp’s up a track that all independent women want to call their own. Very confident and non-chalant, this tune reminds women that they don’t need men – labels will do just fine (“I shop for purses while love walks out the door/Don’t cry, buy a bag and get over it”).
A beautiful cover of The BeeGees classic, How Deep is Your Love is beautiful and euphoric. The Bird and The Bee do a great job of conjuring up emotion with this track. The vocals are haunting, yet the song is romantic in itself. A very pretty download indeed!
6. Big Shot, Billy Joel
A living legend, this is necessary at any piano bar. No other explanation is needed!
7. Reelin in the Years, Steely Dan
Turn this up when you’re driving down the open highway. Roll down the windows and enjoy! Also great for a bar-b-que.
8. I’m Not Over, Carolina Liar
Carolina Liar debuted on The Hills to a great audience reception. MTV is known for launching hit songs off of their not-so-credible reality TV circuit, so getting exposure to several million teenagers and college students on Monday nights was the best thing Carolina Liar could have done for their career. The song is real and has a great beat – a great formula, as always.
9. Take You Down, Chris Brown
Mmmm. Pure sex. This song is PURE SEX. I’m not even kidding. Within the first three seconds of hearing it, you start playing out some kind of sexual scenario in your head, whether it be with Chris or your fantasy man. The confidence of this song makes it attractive. I played it on repeat for a week straight and still can’t get enough.
10. Last Name, Carrie Underwood
This song is amusing. Carrie seems like a precious, unpretentious young crooner. She’s cute and everyone adores her. So having her sing a song about getting ridiculously drunk enough to leave the bar with a guy (who drives a pinto none-the-less) and then plunge into a Britney Spears-esque marriage is pretty unbelievable. But she belts out the song the only way Carrie can and it’s a song I could only hope to kareoke someday.
11. Bossy, Lindsay Lohan
Before you dismiss this song entirely, try to pretend you’re not fueling Lindsay’s alcohol and drug addition by downloading it and really listen to the beat. I hated to admit it at first but the song is damn catchy. I’d recommend playing it on your way to the clubs. Or in the clubs. Whatever!
12. If I Never See Your Face Again, Maroon 5 and Rihanna
Their whole album is pretty great, but I really like the duet with Miss RiRi. Even though the video freaks me out… considering she is 19 and Adam is around the likes of 27 or 28. Regardless, it’s fun to listen to.
13. Robyn, Handle Me Remix
You know those songs you make up videos to in your head? No? Okay. Well if by chance I ever did that… this would be a song I’d do it to. You remember Robyn from our middle school days with “Show me Love,” and this time around she produced and made the entire album herself. It paid off and now she’s an international phenomenon. This song basically tells this guy that he might be hot shit, but she’s hotter. And I love that! She’s sassy. I’m sassy. Hence why I love it! I also really like her cover of “Cobrastyle” and her original songs: “Be Mine (LOVE IT)” and “With Every Heartbeat.”
That’ll do for now. Updates possibly later on.
