Top 10: Summertime Jams

Here are my Top 10 Summertime Jams that will fo' sure get you grooving.

Whether you're journeying to the beach in a car with your buds, or just chilling in the garden by yourself, these tracks are guaranteed to get you dancing! So grab a cold drink and enjoy the vibes.

10. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Hump De Bump

This is one of the funkiest tracks from these legends. That trumpet!

9. Bombay Bicycle Club – Always Like This

That riff was the depiction of Summer ’09 for me and probably many others, too.

8. Metronomy – Corinne

That melody behind the chorus is immense; definitely one of my favourites from 'The English Riviera'.

7. Yaaks – HRHRHYTHM

An underground track from an underground band; sadly they only lasted a couple of years. I imagine a Summer night when listening to this BIG tune.

6. Foals – Olympic Airways

How could I not include a Foals track? Honestly, Summer is personified in this track. Such a chill tune!

5. Two Door Cinema Club – Something Good Can Work

This is probably on everybody's Summer jam list already, and has good reason to be, too!

4. Jamie xx – Far Nearer

This young chap has been tearing up the bass from the ’09. The steel pans really adds that extra Summer feel in this track.

3. Owiny Sigoma Band – Harpoon Land

These guys solidly fuse African beats with groovy guitar riffs. So many vibes!

2. SBTRKT – Pharaohs

This masked hero is doing it right with this massive festival hit.

1. MGMT – Electric Feel

Now this one should have been expected really. Who doesn't love this song?! What a classic. Enjoy!

If you're not ready for the sun after listening to those groovy sounds, then I guess you live in Antarctica. Breezy breezy.

Top 5: Album Covers

Here are my top 5 album covers that stand out for different reasons, varying from the utter contentious to the most effortless.

 

Placing at number 5 is Foals’début album – ‘Antidotes’ (2008). The simplistic animated, sketch-type image of what might be a portrayal of lead singer, Yannis, seems to blend in with the unusual pastel yellow coloured background. We are drawn to the contrasting colours in the subject’s mouth, which could both denote that Foals have a lot to say and that the album is quite fantastic!

Number 4 is home to Marilyn Manson’s third album –‘Mechanical Animals’ (1998). This album cover is one of many controversial covers to hail from Manson. Being no stranger to obscenity, it comes as no surprise when we see an androgynous Manson sneaking on this cover. There’s no wonder why it caused such raucous criticism, it seems like Manson feeds off of it. Just give it a few years and she…I mean HE, will be back with another divisive album, and album cover.

The 3rd spot goes to ‘xx’ (2009), the older of only two children as of yet, by The XX. This trio (once a quartet) stands as fierce competitors for not only the most beautifully simplistic creation of music… but also album covers. With just a white ‘x’ on a black background, this triplet not only showcase their classic ‘black-and-white’ look, but also that minimalism is the way forward!

Baby-faced Panic! at the Disco hail at 2nd position with their eponymous album – ‘A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out’ (2001)… Some track titles are actually much lengthier than this title! The mismatched bodies not only emphasise the burlesque feel, but also such topics as: sanctity of marriage, adultery, alcoholism and prostitution that surround many of the lyrics in this ambitious album.

Taking the top spot at number 1 is Nirvana’s second and most prestigious album - ‘Nevermind’ (1991). With this cover depicting a naked boy toddler – yes, including the male genitalia, there’s no surprise why it caused quite the controversy. Never had there been a bigger scandal upon the release of an album cover and Kobain was no short of a witty comment - ‘if you’re offended by this, you must be a closet pedophile’. Well said.