Are you sick of listening to screeching synthesizers, auto-tuned vocals, and obnoxious bass drops? I know I am. Quite frankly, they were fun for maybe a week back in June. It’s over—it’s played out. You need some real music, my friend. I’m here to help.
I come bearing a playlist of lo-fi, summery tunes to allow you to escape your EDM hell. No longer will you see flashing lights, lasers, crowds of people dressed up in random animal suits, or even people in no clothes, for that matter. Your new crew is a bunch of grungy hipsters in flannels and torn jeans that refuse to gaze away from their dirty shoes (I’ll let you decide if that’s a good thing or not).
Not only are these tracks summer-stained, they’re all sung by women. Why? Because women rock, that’s why.
“Heartbeat (Take It Away)” by Dum Dum Girls, off of their album, Only In Dreams.
Lo-fi is generally characterized by a lot of fuzz. Sometimes you can’t make out what the vocalist is even saying, but not in “Heartbeat (Take It Away)” by Dum Dum Girls. It’s distinctly Dee Dee Ramone’s (Kirsten Gundred) voice, dreamy and full of soul. She perfectly conveys the song’s title into the tone of her voice; it’s pained and begs you, the listener, to ease her heartbeat pain.
Come on, help a girl out.
“Gold and Stone” by Eternal Summers, off of their record, Gold and Stone.
Eternal Summers will always hold a special place in my heart. Not only because they’re stellar, but because the lead singer, Nicole Yun, is showing us Asian-American women that we, too, can be in a rock band (representation is EXTREMELY important, guys!)
The guitar is reminiscent of ocean waves crashing onto the beach, so dig your toes into the figurative sand and take in the sun. Let Yun’s heavenly voice carry you away to even sunnier strands.
Shoegaze your life away, my friends.
“Better Off Without You” by Summer Camp, off of their album, Welcome to Condale.
Let’s be real, we’ve all been in the position Elizabeth Sankley croons about in the first twenty seconds of “Better Off Without You.” She’s unabashedly upfront with her ex-lover when she sings, “Stop calling me late at night / To talk about what’s wrong / I don’t care anymore.”
What’s really cool about this song is how the beginning starts like an old-school radio broadcast. It’s almost as if Sankley is broadcasting all of her frustrations to the world. In addition, the guitar is incredibly subtle, but when it comes back into your auditory range, it hits you in all the right places. The drums are a constant feature of the track—mimicking the pounding headache Sankley must have from her ex-lover’s late night phone calls.
“F*ck Her Tears” by Times New Viking, off of their record, Dancer Equired.
Remember when I said that lo-fi is characterized by vocals so fuzzy you can barely make out what they’re saying? That trait is featured dominantly in “Fuck Her Tears.” The fuzz, however, paired with the song’s title, only adds to the theme of frustration found in the sound. The vocals and guitar combine perfectly to equate an anger that could only vocalize itself into the phrase “fuck her tears.”
Screech your way into the abyss while listening to this song; headbang your way to the beach. You’ll be screaming the chorus “Fuck her tears!” down the highway with the car’s top down.
Because what’s a song with attitude without swear words?
“Archie, Marry Me” by Alvvays, off of their eponymous debut.
Toronto rockers Alvvays somehow transmuted cold, snowy Canadian winters into sun-stained guitars and clear, celestial vocals. I’m glad they did because this track is banging.
It’s a much more emotionally exposed track than the seemingly-emotionless “Fuck Her Tears.” She pleads with the unknown Archie to marry her repeatedly. It makes for a song that’s easy to learn and sing along to. The guitars beg you to stare down at your shoes and sway with all the other hipsters.
And hey! hey! a switch of gender roles? A woman asking a man to marry her? Awesome.
“Wasting Time” by Reading Rainbow, off of their record, Prism Eyes.
Unfortunately, the band has no connection with the television show, Reading Rainbow. I thought I should make that clear from the beginning—you won’t be inspired to read literature here, only lyrics to decipher whatever they’re lo-fily moaning about.
Put on your best dance shoes, the drums have given you an easy beat to pick up on and dance to. What better way to waste time then to dance the summer away?
Bad joke—I’m so sorry.
“Fine Without You” by Best Coast, off of their album, California Nights.
The album title tells you exactly where this song is going to take you away you. Can you smell the bonfires on the beach whilst Best Coast plays on a stage whose horizon is the sea?
Cosentino’s vocals are significantly more aggressive than on Crazy For You, but for good reason. “Fine Without You” gives advice from a vocalist who understands the pain the listener is potentially undergoing (“I know it’s hard to understand / You’ve got to let it go / The situation’s out of your hands”) and we all know sometimes we need that painful wake up call. However, the song takes a twist at the end when she concludes, “I’m not fine without you.”
Honesty is the best policy, isn’t it?
“Take It As It Comes” by Vivian Girls, off of their record, Share The Joy.
Cassie Ramone (real name: Cassie Grzymkowski) apparently is “always right” as revealed by Vivian Girls’ track, “Take It As It Comes.” The lo-fi guitar and dreamy vocals make it seem as if this song is occurring in someone’s bedroom, increasing the reality factor of this song by three hundred (give or take.)
More importantly, the conversation breaks in the song adds to the reality factor. We’ve all had this conversation before, haven’t we? Let Cassie Ramone, nicely, beat it into your head: “You’ve got to think with your head, girl / Not with your heart / If you ever want a love so true / Oh, girl / Take my advice / Take it as it comes.”
“Fake Wedding” by Xray Eyeballs, off of their album, Not Nothing.
If you’re not jumping up and down to this song, shaking your hair wildly, you’re simply not listening to this song appropriately. I mean, listen to that aggressive bass! It is relentless—not caring whether or not you can handle it. The vocals moan and groan throughout the quick two minute and nine second track, expressing an inexplicable agitation, but it feels so right.
If you just want to feel angry and kick some sand at the beach, this is the track to do it to.
“Viv Without The N” by Tennis, off of their record, Ritual In Repeat.
Because kicking sand at the beach is likely to make you a lot of enemies, I’ve chosen to conclude this playlist with a song that will relax you and have you back to dipping your toes into the ice cold ocean water.
Crystal clear like the blue waters in front of you (or the blue waters in your head), Alaina Moore’s vocals are the textbook definition of wonderful. The guitar doesn’t fight with her gentle voice and vice versa—it’s a perfect blend to cool you down from the summer heat.
Sing along with Moore’s “ha, ha, ha’s” (they’re very infectious) and enjoy the rest of your summer.
[spotify id=”spotify:user:122980118:playlist:1QUnVPYKqugponrIhzkwAE” width=”300″ height=”380″ /]
