Editor's Letter: Sounds of the Season

Why summer deserves celebratory songs.

If you're like me, the soundtrack to your life changes with the seasons. I'm the type of SAD-stricken moper who sludges through the winter months sighing, listening to a lot of Nirvana and Joy Division, and looking out the window to see if I should dress for rain, snow, a light drizzle, hail, slush, clouds, or just not leave the house. Then the sky starts getting lighter and bluer, walking outside stops ruining my hair and making my dog stink, the switch from hot toddies in a heated room to cold beers on patios in the sun can be made, and outdoor concerts become feasible.

In a city like Seattle, getting through winter can be like war, and the coming of summer is a happy and hallowed event, one that deserves celebratory music. That doesn't mean you have to box up all your dark and heavy records once June hits: The music you really love is going to sound good year-round, like the black-clad bands that Eric Grandy profiles in this month's "Summer Goths" cover story. There will still be summer nights when I'll put on Bleach. But there's something to be said about a summer anthem, a song that lightens your heart and makes you feel as easy and relaxed as a long day in July. There are summer-appropriate songs I come back to every year, from George Harrison's "Awaiting on You All" to Neon Indian's "Deadbeat Summer." This year I've got a bunch of new ones to add to my playlist, good and bubbly songs like Pure Bathing Culture's "Lucky One," Kimbra's "Cameo Lover," Oberhofer's "Cruisin' FDR," and Beat Connection's latest, "The Palace Garden, 4am." The best of these songs will last through the fall, and maybe even be able to perk me up every now and then come winter. 


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