Summer Jams: '14

The days are already shrinking. Hints of orange and yellow already peek out from the trees. BACK TO SCHOOL sales plague department stores. (*sigh*) That's right, folks - summer is coming to an end. I know that technically it ends in late September or something, but whatever: kids are heading back to the classroom (or are at least starting to worry about it), and what's done is done. Summer is all about good times, and to me, fun music is a quintessential summer staple. I'm a music guy, so without further ado, here are the 16 tunes I enjoyed ad nauseam for the past couple months. As far as genres go, I run the gambit, so please try to keep an open mind. (I chose the number 16 in particular to encourage all of you to BURN A CD of these tracks. 16 always feels like the perfect number of songs for a mix. Why? No idea. Just does.)

- "Back to the Shack" by Weezer: However good or bad their new album may turn out to be, it's undeniable how awesome this single is. It's one of the best pop-rock songs of the summer thanks to a solid hook and a wave of screeching guitars (frontman Rivers Cuomo even shreds it up with a Sonic Youth-style solo). It just refuses to stop rockin'. Perfect for singing loud and proud in the shower.  

- "Beatdown in the Key of Happy" by Four Year Strong: With this tune, Four Year Strong gives us a pop-punk classic. Guitars chug and bop in equal measure, vocals ring with youthful defiance, drums are frenetic - everything is fast and fun. It feels like a shot of sugar straight to the heart, like the blood in your veins has been replaced by Mountain Dew. Perfect while cannonballing into a lake.
- "Brighter Days" by Saint Raymond: This is one of those smile-inducing, gotta-move-your-body songs that you'll be powerless to resist. A cheery, in-the-pocket momentum persists from beginning to end, while the melody beams with a radio-friendly bounce. Perfect for a road trip. 

- "Busy Earnin'" by Jungle: It's always nice to hear a tune that reminds you of The Groove. You know, that thing that pop has forgotten about lately? The Funk! The Soul! This song has it all, and you'll bob your head the entire time. It sounds like George Clinton and Adam Levine had a music baby. Perfect while partying with your buddies. 

- "Cardiac Arrest" by Bad Suns: Armed with a deep rooted, unstoppable rhythm and a memorable melody, you'll be hard pressed to find a song as playfully chillaxed as this one. The band's musicality is top-notch, and I'm particularly fond of the lively vocals and thundering percussion. Perfect while lounging in the sun with your headphones on. 

- "Earthquake Weather" by Beck: This song is the epitome of cool. Listen through the first chorus and you'll agree. Laid-back instrumentation lays a groovy framework for an alluring hook. The funky organ is simply divine. Perfect while driving with the windows down and the volume up. 

- "The Great Unknown" by Jukebox the Ghost: A flirtatious piano, soulful vocals, and pump-your-fist lyrics...who could want more? It's throwback 2000's pop delivered with a contemporary vibe that is indescribably irresistible. Perfect for an early morning jog while the sun rises at your back. 

- "Hard Wind" by The Wild Feathers: Although country music and I haven't always been the best of friends (nothing personal, just not my bag), there's something immeasurably appealing about this song's country-fried, Southern rock haze. I love the hard-edged guitar solo and the ballsy bridge that follows. Perfect for a mid-afternoon cookout.
- "Heaven Knows" by The Pretty Reckless: You'd either have to be comatose or dead not to enjoy this song. The classic headbanging chorus, built as epic and strong as a skyscraper, will be impossible to un-stick from your brain. The female lead singer is glorious - her vocals are fiery with passion. Perfect for playing air guitar in your bedroom with the door closed. 

- "Heydays" by Great Lakes Myth Society: These are some of the best lyrics I know - poetic, poignant, pure. A pair of resonant guitars sing out a slippery duet, while the bass and drums entwine with haunting brilliance. I think this song sounds like home (Great Lakes and all - I am from Michigan). Perfect while watching the sun set over the water. 

- "Jungle (Remix)" by X Ambassadors & Jamie N. Commons (feat. Jay-Z): I hate to say it, but I'm a firm believer that Jay-Z makes any song cooler. Put him on a track that already makes you nod your head, stomp your feet, and clap your hands? My friend, now you've got a perfect summer jam. It's gnarly, and I don't mean that in a 90's surfer hang-ten kind of way - it sounds like it was scraped off the bottom of somebody's shoe, and I mean that as a compliment. Listen, you'll understand. Perfect while walking through the city. 

- "Mic Check" by Rage Against the Machine: One of my all-time favorite bands with a song from one of my most cherished albums, "Mic Check" is quintessential Rage: subversive lyrics delivered with spitfire flow, a heavy groove, and (of course) a raise-your-eyebrows guitar solo. Please go out on a limb and try this mesmerizing hip-hop odyssey. Perfect while working out at the gym. 

- "The Monster" by Eminem (feat. Rihanna): 2013's The Marshall Mathers LP 2 gave audiences some of the most engaging, most intriguing hip-hop of the new decade. With "The Monster," Eminem teamed up with soulful songstress Rihanna for the archetypal radio rap song - a larger than life hook, quirky synthed-out instrumentation, and rhythmic variety for the verses. Eminem is, debatably, the best rap technician around today. This song is an excellent example of this. Perfect while catching fireflies at dusk.
- "My Sweet Summer" by Dirty Heads: It's infectious, it's energetic, and it's totally enjoyable. This is a summer song if ever there was one - digestible, enjoyable, and deliciously Top 40. The synthesizer will echo in your head indefinitely, and the easygoing pop-hop style (that's pop + hip-hop, for those not in the know) is great. Perfect while hanging out on the beach. 

- "Pharrell Mashup" by Pomplamoose: By taking two of the best pop tunes in recent memory ("Happy" and "Get Lucky" - both of which originally involved Pharrell Williams), toe-tapping duo Pomplamoose crafted a bubbly, upbeat song. The two melodies overlap perfectly, working fluidly together in one fantastic arrangement. I'm a sucker for mashups already, but this one might just take the cake. Perfect for whistling along. 

- "Problem" by Ariana Grande (feat. Iggy Azalea): Holy crap, this song is awesome. The overblown sax riff and stratospheric vocals make the thing sound like an underground dance tune from the early 90's, but the slick production cements it to today. Bonus: Iggy Azalea has a verse, which is always good. Perfect for belting it out alone in the car.

I sincerely hope you give all of these terrific songs a listen. After all, it's August now, which means summer is slipping away even quicker...