When I told my dad I was starting this column, he said “How are you gonna make a new playlist every week when the only surf rock that exists is the Beach Boys??”, so I guess I’ll just be getting as close to surf rock as I can without overloading you with “Surfin’ USA”. Get your weekly dose of summer right here with seven killer surf rock songs every Sunday. Some songs will be old, some will be new, but all will remind me of jeeping in the summer with my friends instead of getting hypothermia in my toes as I walk to class in a freaking blizzard. Listen to all the featured songs ~below~ as you read this riveting article.
Archie, Marry Me - Alvvays
Of course I absolutely had to start this column off with some Alvvays (don’t be a dummy, it’s pronounced “always”). I am totally, 100%, completely obsessed with Molly Rankin, and Archie, Marry me is probably in my top five favorite songs of all time. I even tried to dye my hair like Molly once, but ended up looking like a piece of tofu rather than a rocker. Archie, Marry Me is a contagious song. I promise you, if you listen to it now for the first time, it will continue to go through your head for the next month. And you will like it. If you have heard this song before, congratulations, you have officially blessed your eardrums. For you I recommend checking out the music video. It’s a pastel dream and wickedly visually appealing.
If You Know That I’m Lonely - FUR
This song was pretty recently released on September 6th, and I checked my Spotify history to find out that it’s my most listened to song for the month of October. So obviously I love this song and you’re gonna have to love it too. It’s one of those songs that sounds super happy, but when you listen to the lyrics it’s actually a bit depressing. So just focus on the guitar, upbeat drums, and ooh la la’s rather than thinking about how lonely you are. FUR currently only has three songs on Spotify, so if you like “If You Know That I’m Lonely”, you should definitely give those other two babies a listen. They are called “Trying” and “Not Enough”. (“Not Enough” is a crucial addition to my night driving playlist. Dreamy.)
Candy Wrappers - Summer Salt
The guitar intro to “Candy Wrappers” is everything. Close your eyes and you’ll swear you’re in freaking Hawaii or something. I recently became obsessed with Summer Salt. They have a lot of good material, especially on the So Polite EP which was released in early 2017. I’m going to be completely honest with you, the part where they say “candy, candy, candy, candy wrappers” is a little annoying to me, but the rest of the song is so damn good that I just had to add this to the playlist. Summer Salt also has some wicked merch on their website including these amazing red heart shaped sunglasses that I’m pretty sure I have to have in my life.
Saltwater - Geowulf
I was watching TV the other day and this song came on for a Corona commercial?? I screamed. Congrats Corona, you’re doing all the things. Geowulf also currently only has about five songs on Spotify, and “Saltwater” is by far the hit. It seems like a lot of good stuff is coming out of Australia right now, which seems random to me, but I’ll embrace it. Saltwater is more of a chill song, and it’s good to listen to while doing homework. I really like the sound of the lead singer’s voice, and I saw on their Facebook page that they should be releasing new music soon so yay.
What a Pleasure - Beach Fossils
I was just stalking Beach Fossils on Spotify, and one of their largest followings is in Istanbul which made me cackle idk. “What a Pleasure” comes from 2011 Beach Fossils album What a Pleasure. This song is quite a bit more somber than the rest of the playlist, but is still a jam. I normally listen to Beach Fossils when I need something quality in the background, but don’t want to pay attention to it too much. This isn’t an insult, study music is needed too yo.
Twilight Driving - Methyl Ethyl
Ever wanted to hear a song about trying not to hit a kangaroo while driving through Australia at night? Well here you go!!! All your dreams have now been fulfilled. I first learned about this song while looking through the new music radar in Rolling Stone magazine a few years ago and have been hooked ever since. This song appears on their first full length LP titled Oh Inhumane Spectacle. I havn’t given the rest of the album a listen, but considering how much I love “Twilight Driving” I think I might just have to do that.
Let Her Go - Mac Demarco
Is it basic to end this first column with Mac Demarco? Well too bad, I don’t care. “Let Her Go” gives me serious beach vibes within the first the first couple seconds and definitely is in my top three Mac Demarco songs. I listened to this song every waking moment when I first found it, and totally burnt myself out on it, but I’m starting to get over myself and listen again (in moderation). “Let Her Go” is the fourth track on the Salad Days album. I always play this song in the car for my mom and every time she goes “Oh I like this one!”, so if it is Lori approved you’ll definitely want to give it a listen below if you haven't already.
https://open.spotify.com/user/g7jhwspkssrmxxcgcat9gq956/playlist/6vhc4NXRxpUH33P49UiEt6
