Cram Some Summer In Your Ear

Hey, K-1017 Faithful, as the summer turns to the knob to swelter, and you're spending more time in the car, staring at your unmowed yard through the back window or chilling by your neighbor's pool till they get home and catch you, I thought you might need a few new items to add to the music soundtracking this summer of lazy. READ ON! 

You can imagine this band playing on a Saturday night, just as the sun is setting, the big soulful voice of lead singer Rachael Price, full throated, gorgeous, flying through the air as the band's healthy mix of soul and jazz and mellow rock takes the heat off what remains of your summer day. It's real, unpretentious and all warm and human around the edges. It's great summer stuff that goes down smooth.  And you should put some in your ear.

Here's something the opposite of smooth. For a women whose lyrics are as insightful and personal as this young Australian's are, the music is far from folky. It's spikey, garagey, raw, ruff and tumble and weekend throwdown sweaty. There's nothing slick and superficial going on here. This is the music you want playing as you head out of your dumpy town on a Friday night, tearing up the highway, headed for the lights of the city and big damn fun. Check out Courtney Barnett "Pedestrian At Best."

That's a kid from Fort Worth up there. He's twenty five. He's channeling the soul of Sam Cooke on his debut record, on his way to big things. The album has a gorgeous, open sound, perfect for soundtracking that Sunday afternoon you're gonna spend lazing on a pool floatie, forgetting everything, your heartbreak from last night lost in a haze of soul and whatever that is your sipping outta that flask.

And here's who probably did all the heartbreaking. The estranged daughter of Rob Schneider. She's the trouble you're looking for. The album is excellent and already cheating with five other records in your collection.

And, finally, as the party winds down, and the summer evening stretches off into the vast reaches of early morning, you need to class things up, go old school, sip something that fizzes as you sit out back and watch the fireflies. Have a swell summer, folks. And put something great all up in your earholes.

Aaaaand, while you are down here on the bottom, check this out: