Summer Tunes

Summer is finally upon us. Up here in Minnesota, we've had a long, hard winter with a spring that barely showed itself. But today there was finally humidity in the air and while that may not seem like a good thing for long, today it felt like the promise of summer and its warm temperatures.

So, to celebrate, I thought I would share a short list of my quintessential summer tunes.

1. "With Arms Outstretched" Rilo Kiley
One of the lines from the chorus screams summer to me: "now some days, they last longer than others but this day by the lake went too fast." I really enjoy the song as a whole lyrically. It makes me think of days where you just drive because you can or of summer flings that arise out of the spirit of summer. All in all, this is my number one summer song.

2. "First Time High (of Chicago Accoustic Version)" Of Montreal
I don't usually like this band, but this accoustic version has been a favorite of mine, especially during summer. This song makes me think of all the spontaneity, adventure, and playfulness that summer brings. It also captures the feeling of having a summertime crush. This is definitely my number two summer song.

These two songs will forever be my summer songs. Some other great tunes for summer include:

3. "You" Gold Panda:
 
Great for driving down the freeway with the windows open on a warm summer night.

4. "Daisy" Karine Polwart:

I love listening to this on mornings when I've actually gotten up early to go to garage sales.

5. "Fools" The Dodos:

An energetic song about being laid back, which is the paradox that is often my summer: energetic laziness.

What kinds of songs make it to your summer playlists? Please share some of your favorites!