Hi! Are you ready for another episode of The Summer Jam 3: Electric Boogaloo? No matter what your answer actually was, you better be, because here we are, and we are very happy to have Matt Solis (of recent Blood Music signees URSA and progressive black/death metal act Cormorant) with us today. You can find his personal selection of summer jams below. Please enjoy!
Matt Solis
‘I’m not much of a hot weather guy, but that’s not really an issue in the Bay Area – we get heatwaves, but for the most part, it’s pretty enjoyable during this time of year. For me, summer is about hanging out near water, riding my bike and spending more time outdoors, all of which can be greatly enhanced by some killer tunes.‘
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Green River
This is just super solid dad rock that makes me want to chill supremely hard. “Bad Moon Rising” and “Lodi” are all-time classics, and the title track is ideal for driving around with the windows rolled down, scanning the road for mystical hitchhikers.
Pinback – Blue Screen Life
Pinback have a lot of great records, but this one has always been my favorite. Airy indie rock with killer hooks and accessible progressive elements. “Penelope” is definitely one of my summer anthems.
Kyuss – Welcome to Sky Valley
This is another great driving record—instead of thinking about how I’m behind the wheel of a shitty Saturn Aura, I can pretend I’m piloting a souped-up chopper in the middle of the desert. “Gardenia” has always been particularly tasty.
Sleep – Holy Mountain
Man, what do I even need to say? Remove your shirt, crack a beer, spark a joint and let this record take you away on a viscous cloud of green smoke.
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV
This is on my list solely because of “When the Levee Breaks”, one of the greatest driving songs of all time. Don’t get me wrong, the rest of the songs are total classics that I’ll listen to any day of the week, but if we’re talking about summer, I need the nasty groove of IV’s closing track.
ASG – Blood Drive
I was really into this record in the summer of 2013, so I always associate it with sunny days and backyard hangouts. I love ASG’s sound – they have that super heavy Torche-style guitar tone, and all their hooks are really anthemic and powerful.
The Black Angels – Passover
This is definitely one of the ‘coolest’ sounding albums I’ve ever heard. As soon as “Young Men Dead” starts with that reverb-soaked guitar line, I feel like reaching for my sunglasses, lighting up a cigarette (I don’t even smoke) and hitting the open road.
Snoop Dogg – Doggystyle
You could probably interchange this with Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, but I like the songs on this album a little better. The early ’90s West Coast g-funk style of hip hop will always be great for summertime listening, and Snoop’s debut is undoubtedly one of the genre’s premier titles. Classic songs from front to back.
Temples – Sun Structures
This record surprised the shit out of me when I first heard it. A lot of indie rock bands go for that Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd worship thing, but Temples are one of the few I’ve heard that really embody that sound and take it somewhere new.
Explosions in the Sky – The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place
One summer, I listened to this album while tripping on mushrooms underneath a huge conifer tree. Needless to say, it will always belong on this list.
And with that, this week’s episode of The Summer Jam 3: Electric Boogaloo is over! Thanks go to Matt for sending over his very enjoyable picks. His new band URSA signed to Blood Music not too long ago, and they should have their début record out soon. Make sure to follow them on Facebook! Also, you can check out Cormorant‘s music here. Be sure to tune back in next week for another delectable list of recommended summer listens!
