Forget the political arguments and bickering for just a moment - let's chill out and enjoy the weather for a moment! Summer is pretty much in full swing and I don't know about you, but I've been feeling the vibes. After writing a teary-eyed dedication to the late legend Chris Cornell last time, a figured we should take a nice change of pace and build you all the ultimate Summer playlist!
"Monte Vista" by The Delta Saints
Nothing says Summer is here like some feel-good alternative! I discovered this album through my recommended albums on Apple Music during finals week and I have to say I was impressed. This experimental delve into alternative has this strange Summer-like vibe that remains constant throughout the record's 37 minute run time, and is a great soundtrack for any seasonal hang outs!
"Automatic" by Don Broco
Some super nostalgic alt-rock for your troubles! Don Broco are a fairly new act just signed to Sharptone Records, and have already caught quite the audience. If you listen to alternative music religiously, you most definitely haven't heard anything like this.
"Carried Away" EP by Eat Your Heart Out
Freshly signed to Fearless Records and hot off the release of their debut EP, Eat Your Heart Out have captured an audience of old Paramore and Tonight Alive fans. Their unique step into the pop-punk world has deeper meanings layered within, but it's somewhat light-hearted arrangements lend it perfectly to a pre-concert drive.
"Emperor of Sand" by Mastodon
What can I say about the new Mastodon album other than it's a blissfully enjoyable metal record? Dipping it's fingers into the concept record space, "Emperor of Sand" brings us on a desert journey worthy of our head-bangs and praise. Feel like moshing out this Summer? Look no further.
"In Your Absence EP" by Senses Fail
Feeling the blues this Summer (the pun wasn't intentional but it's staying there)? The latest project by scene-favorites Senses Fail is a great soundtrack for all of the feels. The fully acoustic "In Your Absence EP" is the perfect record for those rainy days where you wish you could be enjoying the world with the ones you love.
"The Broken" by Youth in Revolt
For fans of bands like Pierce The Veil that need a new obsession - the up-and-coming Youth In Revolt is your band! Freshly signed to my friends in Outerloop Records, their new record "The Broken" seems to have taken the mantle of Sleeping With Sirens' acclaimed "Let's Cheers To This" and put it's own spin on the heavy pop-punk genre (if you can call it a genre). From my favorite somber acoustic ballad, "Brisbane," to the anthemic title track "The Broken," this record definitely has a place not only in your record collection but also in your light-hearted Summer playlist.
"Outgrown Things EP" by Movements
Feeling like some grunge but you're sick of knowing all the words to "Nevermind?" Check out Movements! Their debut EP delivers a pop-punk foundation with all of that wonderful blunt '90s grunge edge. For those existential, breezy days where you find yourself staring up at the sky - this record is a must-listen.
"Boom Boom Room (Side A)" by Palaye Royale
I'm not lying when I say that the Summer makes me super nostalgic. For those days when I put on a pair of sunglasses and want that "rock n' roll" vibe, Palaye Royale's "Boom Boom Room (Side A)" is almost always my first choice. The fashion-rock band have found a way to bring their listeners back a few decades to the days when rock n' roll dominated the airwaves and there wasn't a care in the world. Don't sleep on this awesome nostalgia trip!
"Fail You Again" by Can't Swim
Another record perfect for those days where a well-placed thunderstorm screws your Summer plans, "Fail You Again" is wonderful 2000s-esque emo record with all of the anthems and ballads a veteran fan of the genre could ask for. Can't Swim are a fairly new act, and if this debut album is evidence of what is to come from them - Can't Swim may just be going places. Check it out!
"Paradise" by Broadside
Seeming to have been written as a Summer record - pop-punk upstarts Broadside have definitely captured all of our Summer blues and vibes (and the record hasn't even come out yet). I don't usually put upcoming records on here, but the first three singles on this record just scream Summer drives with the windows down. The feel-good "Paradise" comes out in just two weeks - get excited!
