Sometimes You Gotta Try a New Ice Cream Flavor (Album review + a summer playlist)

First off, let me start this post by saying I enjoyed Arctic Monkeys’ latest release, Suck It And See. I wouldn’t go as far to say that it was their best album, but it had a nice sound to it and I enjoyed “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair”, “Library Pictures”, and “Black Treacle” the most.  I think The Monkeys first started to really change things up stylistically with 2009’s Humbug, and while I prefer Humbug to SIAS, I still recommend giving their new album a listen. :) Like always, our favorite Sheffield boys produce a great music effort.

My 1-10 rating: 7 out of 10

Other songs to check out: “Reckless Serenade”, “Love is a Laserquest”, “All My Own Stunts”

Now, for the real reason behind this post. I’ve been doing conditioning for cross country these past few weeks, and it has been HOT. Heck, even when I’m not running, it’s hot. I’ve turned on the fan, now drank plenty of water, and even had some ice cream to try and cool off, but I know by now that music is the ultimate way to make me feel better. So I’ve scoured the Internet and my own personal song collections to make a satisfying summer mix of 30 songs that includes classic rock, contemporary alternative/indie stuff, and—yes—even one or two pop and country songs. Don’t knock it until you try it though, and once you listen, you may start to feel cool as a cucumber despite the sizzling heat, especially on those long and boring road trips. Enjoy!

Note: Though a lot of them are about summer, there are also songs I threw in there because they’re upbeat and fun, or chill and laid-back.

1.       “Dusk and Summer” –Dashboard Confessional

2.        “A-Punk”—Vampire Weekend

3.       “Summer of ‘98”—The Secret Handshake

4.       “California”—Phantom Planet

5.       “Summer Nights”—Van Halen

6.       “Holiday”—Green Day

7.       “Walkin’ on Sunshine”—Katrina and the Waves

8.       “Ocean Avenue”—Yellowcard

9.       “Summertime”—Kenny Chesney

10.   “Summer Nights”—Rascal Flatts

11.   “Soak up the Sun”—Sheryl Crow

12.   “I Can Talk”—Two Door Cinema Club

13.   “End Love”—OK Go

14.   “Florida”—Modest Mouse

15.   “No, Not Now”—Hot Hot Heat

16.   “Wine in the Afternoon”—Franz Ferdinand

17.   “Bambi”—Tokyo Police Club

18.   “Teddy Picker”—Arctic Monkeys

19.   “Summertime Blues”—The Who

20.   “Summer Skin”—Death Cab For Cutie

21.   “Dani California”—Red Hot Chili Peppers

22.   “Sunny Afternoon”—The Kinks

23.   “Horchata”—Vampire Weekend

24.   “Lovers In Japan”—Coldplay

25.   “The Great Escape”—Boys Like Girls

26.   “Summer Angel" — Minus the Bear

27.   “The Beach”—All Time Low

28.   “Summer Love”—Justin Timberlake

29.   “Hey Ya!”—Outkast

30.   “Rebellion (Lies)”—Arcade Fire

So sorry I couldn't compile all the songs into an online playlist like my winter playlist, but I had too many songs to work with this time. Hopefully all can be found online so you can make your own mix yourself!

Album Review: Angles by The Strokes

School's been keeping me busy so it's been hard to update the blog...but the long-awaited new album from The Strokes came out a few days ago and I had to talk about it on here! Since I'm perpetually broke, I listened to the album online, and have come to enjoy it. It's definitely a step away from classic Strokes--albums such as the debut Is This It and second album Room On Fire. However, the funky new feel of Angles is exactly what makes things work.
 
This year, artists such as Radiohead and Arctic Monkeys are shifting their usual music style with new albums (Radiohead's The King of Limbs, released last month to mixed critical reviews, and Arctic Monkeys's Suck It And See set to release in June and already showing its unique sound with the song "Brick By Brick", posted to Youtube three weeks ago and recieving plenty of buzz). The Strokes, an iconic New York indie rock band formed in the late 90s, is just another band breaking away from their traditional mold here in 2011. Many have criticied that Angles doesn't have the feel of a traditional album by The Strokes, but I disagree. With a retro chic, 80s-sounding tune like "Macchu Picchu" starting off the album, you can't go wrong...many people on Youtube (and even non-Youtubers like myself) have admitted to putting the addictive first track on repeat. A song named after Peruvian ruins never sounded so good, huh?

Another noteworthy track on the new album is "Call Me Back", a tune about the problems of whether feelings in a relationship are mutual and the fear of confronting the fact because they want to avoid rejection, a feeling some of us know all too well. The chords in the background are mellow and enjoyable, and arguably another very good track.


Though some people may not say this is the best work from our favorite New York boys, I like Angles just fine. True, it doesn't rank up there with previous albums quite yet, but after a few listens it may grow on you. In its own way, Angles is a pretty solid album, and evidence that changing up like a chameleon doesn't always lead to a disatrous sound.


My 1-10 rating: 8 and a half stars

Other songs to check out: "Under Cover of Darkness", "Life is Simpler in the Moonlight", "Gratisfaction"