Digging in the archives, the music correspondent of Culturality found a dozen albums of different genres and eras with one thing in common: for them nice to spend summer days.
Young American idiot invented his own genre – “slacker rock”, literally – “slacker-rock”. His songs really well razdelno wandering around the hot streets, or better yet, relax in the shade of a tree with a jar of something cold. Relaxed manner combined with skilful guitar playing and wonderful melodies, the move sinks into the head, and the light retro-RAID only colors the music. All in all, this place could be any of the three albums of Poppy, but we especially love this, and the fifth room with him – ode to lousy cigarettes Viceroy – and at a real masterpiece.
Destroyer – “Kaputt”
Looking at the name of the artist and album, you can decide that this is something very militaristic and cruel. The reality is quite different: canadian Dan Bejar recorded the brilliant album “sophisti pop”. The gentle sound of this album consists of a delicate rhythm section, the saxophone dialogues with the pipe and insinuating voice, blurts lines like “you even can not imagine how the wind speaks with sea”. The best in the history of mankind record for long night walks by the sea – experience for yourself.
Broken Social Scene – “Broken Social Scene”
Canadian indie-team, numbering at times up to thirty people, recorded during his career, four albums, the best of them – the third. This mad, mind blowing indie-rock with violins, trumpets, loud guitars, shouting and clapping carries a powerful charge of solar energy; the whole album is like a long and hot summer day full of events.
Frank Ocean – “Channel Orange”
This young man from California grew up and matured in the company of notorious Gopnik from contemporary culture – we are talking about the group Odd Future led by Tyler (who is the Creator). But his music has little in common with their wild postmodern rap, which is glorious this group: Frank ocean sings of sensual soul music mixed with modern alternative R’n’b, and his voice is one of the wonders of our days (no wonder ocean’s regularly invited to sing such monsters of hip-hop like Kanye West and Jay-Z). “Channel Orange” is a luxurious one-hour record: there’s no glamour, no fuss, but full of warmth mixed with melancholy beauty mixed with frailty. This, of course, American beauty: a summer in the suburbs, where the rich kids under the scorching Californian sun languishing the fact that they have nothing more to want. But to experience the album, not necessarily to live in California, “Channel Orange” may very well distract from the routine and help you feel alive.
Lana Del Rey – “Born to Die: Paradise edition”
Another entry in the genre of “American beauty”: the debut album of one of the main pop singers of our time. These slow songs, sung languidly purring voice, as if designed to sound summer nights by adding the heat of love. “Born to Die” is a musical myth about America, which was not, but we all know the films of Lynch, the clips from the old MTV, the paintings of Edward hopper: highways, motels, roadside cafe in the rays of the setting sun, night chocolates. This completely fictional world, and Lana is a fictional singer, producer project, calculated to the last detail. But, as the poet wrote, “I delude myself happy”. By the way, we recommend you to pay attention on the extended edition of her debut album: if on a basic disk many transient things and inappropriate flirting with hip-hop, eight b-sides – entirely gold and masterpieces.
Queens of the Stone Age – “Songs for the Deaf”
“My God is the sun,” sings the red-haired fellow Josh Homme on his last album “…like clockwork”. However, we knew this back in 2002 when his band bashed their magnum opus – an ambitious rock record “Songs for the Deaf”. “Queen of the stone age” play a Stoner – kind of hard rock, mixed with South American Blues and hard drugs. In the hands of Josh, the Om and his gang, this would seem silly and irrelevant music genre suddenly becomes amazing, weird, pretty smart and endlessly energetic music. “Songs for the deaf” is a primeval power, combined with great melodies and mysterious lyrics. The album is like a huge truck on a hot summer day rushing at full speed on the highway and raising a cloud of dust. Pedal to the floor, full speed ahead.
Nina Simone – “Pastel Blues”
The great jazz singer Nina Simone can be easily included on any album and even better to listen to the whole discography at once and spend it all summer. However, if we choose, our choice falls on “Pastel Blues”, because it was a place of languid midnight songs, and cheerful jazz. But the main thing the listener will have at the end: the penultimate room is stark and bitter ballad “Strange fruit”, sung by one only piano, and behind it – the explosive and epic “Sinnerman” for more than ten minutes, which is always dancing like last time.