Let’s discuss any and all music here. You’ve got a new artist who’s rocking your boat that you want to talk about? Post a video! Found out about that unearthed Coltrane album that has the jazz freak in you losing your mind? Lay it out for us! Do you have a theory about what your favorite band might do for their next album? Let’s hear it! Anything and everything music-related goes here.

This week’s discussion prompt: Summer Jams

What songs or albums do you like to play in the summer? Are they specifically associated with the summer and/or hot weather, or is there just something about them that is evocative of the season for you?

(We’ve covered this topic before, but I’m feeling kind of basic this week and it’s a no-brainer to do a discussion about summer songs in the summer…with apologies to any of our friends who happen to live in the Southern hemisphere.)

In my case, the first two songs that come to mind are “In the Summer” by the Fastbacks and “Summer Fun” by the Barracudas, which came back-to-back on one of the early mix tapes I compiled from songs taped off of CBC radio late at night (in this case, Nightlines with David Wisdom):

The two songs complement each other perfectly, covering the same theme and being somewhat similar musically (poppy punk rock and punky surf rock, respectively). But the best part is that the Barracudas song actually opens with an excerpt from a 1960s spoof advertisement for a car called the Plymouth Barracuda, in which one of the characters refers to the car as a “fastback”. This neat little coincidence makes it sound as if the songs were intended to be on a split single together.

As always, any and all music-related topics are welcome. Have fun, and rock out wih yr guac out!