For those of us who don’t live by the coast, as the summer keeps escalating we find ourselves looking for alternative ways to beat the heat. Whether that be a day at the lake, cranking the AC, sitting in-front of a box fan, or driving down roads with the windows rolled down, we refuse to let the summer heat get the best of us. As I dream of the salty water that burns your throat and hot sand scalding the bottom of your feet, I’ve hand-crafted a playlist to help put you in that mindset on these humid, sweaty days.
Like most music these days, indie-beach is a sub-genre of a sub-genre, categorized by distinctive candy-coated guitar licks, power-chords, simple drums, and easy-going lyrics and mood about heartbreak and the perfect wave. The playlist features only the “finest” indie-beach artists and songs. I’ve scoured Spotify to find staple artists such as the female forerunners of the genre: Best Coast, Dum Dum Girls, and Vivian Girls. The playlist also features many underrated artists such as Yuck, The Memories, King Khan and the BBQ show, and many many more including the word “beach” in their names.Your two hours of sunburn begin with a little Mac DeMarco and intentionally ends with a little more Mac. In recent years Mac’s popularity has taken the Indie-Beach sound to the masses and never lost the quality that he is known for creating. For that reason (and the fact that I am a hugeeeee fan), he is heavily represented in the playlist. The playlist also features the fathers of Beach Goth, The Growlers. The California-based band have taken the indie-beach sound to places it’s never quite seen before. The earlier sound was all about taking it back to that bubblegum sound of the 60’s but the Growlers have adopted the beach sound while incorporated the wild west and many Latin influences in some of their more under the radar songs.
“Their [The Growlers} sound is indisputable and will leave you with a salty taste in your mouth. The band has fittingly trademarked the name “Beach-Goth” as their genre, and I could not agree more. Their melancholy and prudent lyrics rush over you like, well like, a tidal wave, as cliché as it sounds. Yet, the harsh lyrics are often times masked by their “saltwater-taffy”-esque riffs. They tend to remind us more about the sunburns that come along with long exposures to the sun, rather than the golden-colored skin that so many “Beachy” artists did before them” –Interview with The Growlers
It would be a sin to create an Indie-Beach playlist and to not include such influential artists as these. Stay up-to-date with the playlist by following so you never miss a moment of sand in your sandwich or that cute boy who never calls you back.
https://play.spotify.com/user/12153770846/playlist/75eII5w5yOx6mmHS6rzBJ8
If you need a little more cooling-down inspiration go ahead and check out these rad music videos by Best Coast!
Best Coast – When I’m With You
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN1XzxOQWrA]
Best Coast – Crazy For You
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCqjFxUMU6Q]
For more on Mac Demarco and The Growlers, click here.
