“Kid” by The Revivalists
Megan Gerold | Entertainment Editor
During the hot summer of Austin, Texas, “Kid” by the Revivalists was my solace. While the Revivalists have been making music since I was born, the release of “Kid” on June 2 of this year has reminded me of the best parts of ‘stomp and yell’ music. The song’s upbeat drums with Noah Kahan and the Lumineers’ qualities transport me away from the 100+ degree days of Texas to memories of listening to this song while walking in the chilly air on my trip to Seattle. The loud and optimistic melody is a true highlight of the brightening song, but the reassurances of good tucked away into the story of the lyrics are what remind me to focus on things other than the bad in the world. While the entire song automatically gets my foot tapping, the lyrical repetition of “living for the spirit” is one I can’t get out of my head. Whether it was a ride to scorching soccer practice or a late-night trip to get ice cream, “Kid” was a staple in my car, lighting up my day with its perpetual reminder to remember change happens and life sucks, but there is always the opportunity to “get that darkness out your head.”
“Kick It to Me” by Sammy Rae & The Friends
Katie Busby | Entertainment Editor
As the voice on the New York subway rang through my ears announcing my stop, I grew more and more excited. After getting off the subway, I walked through Central Park, so full of life, among New Yorkers with their friends, families, and pets. This summer, I attended a Summerstage (Central Park summer concert series) show of Sammy Rae & The Friends. The band’s gospel-inspired mix of jazz, pop, and rock, has always enthralled me, as well as the wide range of instruments and powerful vocals that make their sound very unique. “Kick It to Me” was not particularly one of the songs I went to the concert hoping to hear, but after the concert it occupied my thoughts for the rest of my trip. The optimism exhibited in the song, the jazzy sax, and upbeat lyrics lodged themself in my brain, quickly making it one of my most listened songs of the summer. Not only is this song melodically beautiful, but something about it never fails to make me smile when it pops into my head. I may not relate directly to the situation, but when she says “I ain’t been singing the blues nearly as much”, I have a little more hope for the future. That hope carried me through my last summer before continuing on to my future at college, possibly in New York.
“The Less I Know the Better” by Tame Impala
Amelia Coleman | Graphics Editor
“The Less I Know the Better” by Tame Impala was my song of the summer. It seems that every summer I get really into Tame Impala again because the best songs for rotting in your room tend to be the groovy semi-psychedelic ones. This song is about a guy who learns his crush is with another man and wishes that he never found out so it wouldn’t dominate his mind. This song really defines summers for me in the sense that I don’t really enjoy summers: I always have too much time to think, and when I have too much time to think my mind sometimes wanders to sad and depressing places that I would prefer not to go to. The period from June to August always devolves into me romanticizing my extreme boredom while I sit in my room doing absolutely nothing. The song really holds true because at the end of summer, I have thought too much and know too much about the fun things my friends are doing without me, so I really feel that “the less I know the better.”
“45” by Bleachers
LiLi Xiong | Managing Editor
“45”, written by Jack Antonoff, paints the picture of two 45 records spinning out of time, which was a state of mind that consumed my summer. The gentle guitar that slowly revs up in intensity as the song goes on, paired with the anthemic chorus, made for the perfect soundtrack to my summer. I went home to Taiwan for the first time since COVID-19, and I spent my time there visiting the landmarks of my old life: the gym I first started playing basketball in, the only restaurants that could perfect my comfort foods, and the barely-there sidewalks that guided me to school. But even surrounded by the places that had shaped who I was, I still found myself repeating after Antonoff, “Am I the worst compass I could know?”. “45” encapsulates the complex feelings of returning to a hometown — both the love of and loyalty to that place, but also the pangs of realization that most of the changes you’ve observed around you happened within yourself. And while the message is a little depressing, “45” is still an upbeat love song that could be blasted on summer night drives. The song, and the lyrics “I’m torn exactly into two pieces / One who wants you and one who’s gone dark” put a feeling I found to be indescribable into words.
