Special Issue: Summer Playlist(s)
Two playlists, two summer vibes!
Welcome back to Band Practice for a special playlist issue. If you’ve been a reader for a while, you know that on Wednesdays we wear pink, and in summer you get two playlists. (OK, you don’t have to wear pink, but consider it.) Why, you ask? Because in the summer there is a part of me that embraces the sunshine, road trips, BBQs, and outdoor fun and there’s a part of me that hates the heat and wants to retreat from everything and chill the fuck out. We have already had two 90° days in Portland, OR, which are two more than I can handle. I would honestly prefer to skip from June to September (sorry summer birthday people, I’ll make it up to you), but if we’re going to get through it, we might as well enjoy it with two excellent soundtracks: one to blast in the sunshine while we enjoy it in its fullest, and one to cool off when it gets to be too much.
As per usual, these playlists are made with the love and care of old-school mix tapes. They are meticulously curated and obsessively crafted; mixed harmonically and ordered intentionally with many easter eggs and connections throughout. (Let me know if you find any.) That being said, feel free to shuffle them after your first listen. The songs are all so good, they deserve to be listened to in a myriad of configurations.
The “Summer Playlist” is perfect for driving, road trips, backyard parties, etc. The chill playlist, which I have historically dubbed “Cool Shade for Hot Summers” is for hammocks, lounging, and the chillest of dinner parties. Or, let’s say, the Summer Playlist would be what you listen to on the drive to go camping, and the Cool Shade playlist is what you listen to when you get there, reclining by a lake or some such. (But listen in your headphones! Don’t be one of those people who brings a Bluetooth speaker to the wilderness.)
The Summer Playlist is unapologetically full of pop as well as R&B, alternative, country, rap, electronic, and Beyoncé. It brings the heat fit for a summer of fun, love, and, importantly, lust. [Peach emoji, eggplant emoji, etc.] It is front-loaded with several big hits and then eases into a mix of songs you may not have heard and songs you probably have. (If you have heard them all, let me know so we can be friends.) They are almost all 2024 releases.
If all of that makes you say, “Ew, no thanks,” then the Cool Shade playlist is for you. It is mostly folk, soul, downtempo, and worldwide jazz, bringing 100% chill vibes. It is also mostly 2024 releases that are close to my heart, with a few choice throwbacks. It is a “clean” playlist except for a very PG use of the word sexy. The Summer Playlist is…not. Gird your loins for explicit lyrics there.
So, choose your fighter or, hopefully, enjoy them both if you have multiple summer modalities like me. As always, I have included annotations for the playlists highlighting some of my favorite songs. Enjoy and stay cool! Or…heat it up, you saucy minx! Links to the Spotify and Apple Music versions are below.
Summer Playlist
Apple Music Link
Cool Shade for Hot Summers
Apple Music link
I make special playlists every season (along with the ones featured in each issue), so be sure to subscribe if you want to stay in the loop.
The annotated playlists
Beebe’s Summer Playlist
Sabrina Carpenter — “Espresso”
There’s a chance when including such a sensational song that it will feel played out, but this remains one of my favorite bops of this year. In case you’re puzzled by the odd phrasing in the chorus, “Say you can't sleep, baby, I know / That's that me espresso,” which sounds like a stutter, I gotchu. I reached out to my dear friend Kristi Dahlstrom—a poet and former English teacher to help diagram the sentence. (You can find her beautiful book of poetry about life in the margins of motherhood here.) As you can see below, “that” and “me” modify espresso. Ergo, it is “Sabrina’s” brand of espresso that is keeping whomever she’s singing to up at night. Make sense? Glad we cleared that up. Thanks, Kristi!
Selena Gomez — “Love On”
This song hasn’t had as much play as “Espresso” but it should. It is full of charming wordplay and warm sunny vibes. “I'm a rollercoaster ride, baby, jump on”??? C’mon! Love it. And there’s the ridiculous rhyming scheme in one of the verses that I can’t get over:
Why we conversin' over this steak tartare when we could be
Somewhere other than here
Makin' out in the back of a car
Or in the back of a bar?
Or we could make a memoir, yeah
On the back wall of the last stall
In the bathroom at The Bazaar
The phrasing is what really makes it. *chef’s kiss*
Karol G — “CONTIGO”
Recognize the melody in the chorus? No, it’s not a cover, it’s an interpolation of Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love”—borrowed note for note.
Beyoncé & Post Malone - “Levii’s Jeans”
This song ushers in the b-side of the playlist, which is possibly better than the first half. If you feel like the playlist keeps getting better and better as you listen, I’ve done my job right. Although every song is a treasure!
Chappell Roan — “Good Luck, Babe!”
This song is everywhere, but if I’m the first to introduce you to this masterpiece, you’re welcome. Chappell Roan is not just a rising star, she’s shooting beyond this humble earth’s orbit. It is my biggest regret that I didn’t write about her album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess last year (I still might). In this song, she gives her best “Kate Bush if she were a pop star bursting with raw sexuality.” I don’t know how many times I’ve looped it this year. There is really only one way to react to it. (I hate to say I told you so.)
Empress Of & Rina Sawayama — “Kiss Me”
I promise it will take you but once through the chorus to get you singing along. I could be in the worst, most depressed mood, and I would still sing and dance to it. (Notice that Rina Sawayama is also featured on “saving flowers,” bending one of my strictly held “one track per artist” rule. She’s worth it.)
Ariana Grande & Mariah Carey — “yes, and? (Remix)”
One of the biggest hits of the year—now with more whistle tones! I knew this was going to close out the playlist and ordered its last section (starting with “Bruises Off The Peach”) accordingly to build toward it. A little crossfade in your Apple Music settings will help with the final transition.
Cool Shade For Hot Summers
Waxahatchee — “Right Back To It” (feat. MJ Lenderman)
This is one of my very favorite songs of the year. It is such an endearing and unconventional love song. Some friends of mine learned the guitar and banjo parts for this song and we sing/play it for our monthly sing-a-longs (aren’t we cute?). Hearing the harmonies sung live is goosebump-inducing.
Kaia Kater — The Witch (feat. Aoife O’Donovan)
Tell me if you get Radiohead vibes at the beginning of the song. A bait and switch!
Lafayette Afro Rock Band — “Ozan Koukle”
I have no recollection of where I found this song, but it feels so timeless. It was first recorded in 1978 but feels like it could have been made today. It’s the loudest and funkiest the playlist gets (and I almost didn’t include it because of that), but I think the funk is welcome. Never fight the funk.
Kacey Musgraves — “Jade Green”
It is my goal to see how many playlists I can get Kacey Musgraves on this year (this makes two). Her music is for every and all seasons. I love what is happening percussively in this song. Just fantastic arrangement and production all around.
T Bone Burnett — “Waiting For You (feat. Lucius)”
I also don’t know how I found this (sometimes songs just ~arrive~ in my music library), but I’m so glad I did. It is also up there in my favorites from this year, and I am just remembering that I need to go back and listen to the full album. I think the next track, “Whiskey” follows it beautifully. MFEO.
Baby Rose, BADBADNOTGOOD — “One Last Dance”
An affecting song from an EP that is totally worth your while. Similar to Jessica Pratt, Baby Rose has a voice that feels like it’s from another time and another planet. I need to dive into her catalog. If you like what you hear, you should, too.
Coming up next…
In the next issue of the newsletter, I will be focusing on a June album that I loooooove and cannot possibly get out of my brain. Any guesses? You’ll have to read to find out. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it.
I love hearing what you have to say! If you have feelings about this playlist, questions for me, album recommendations, or any other thoughts, send them my way by leaving a comment or replying to this email. You can also reach me at bandpracticenewsletter@gmail.com
Someone pointed out that the Apple Music link for the Cool Shade playlist was misdirected to Spotify. I have fixed the issue and you should be able to click on it from the website or Substack app. You can also find it here: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/cool-shade-for-hot-summers-2024/pl.u-BNA6yAJCV9LN9
Excited to listen to these while I do homework rn :)))