Summer in Ede

Some songs immediately invoke a feeling of summer. Whether it's because of the instruments that are used (for me a guitar is more summer than a piano, which is clearly more winter), the sound, the name or lyrics, unconscious association or a link to a specific summer. Songs that take me back to the summer walks on the moors of my hometown, to the burning sun on my bare shoulders, the sandy roads, the magnificent trees and the summer rain.

There are whole albums that are forever linked to summers, be it specific summers or just The Summer. For me these are Pete Yorn's Musicforthemorningafter, Aimee Mann's Lost in Space, Ed Harcourt's Here Be Monsters and You Forgot it in People by (strangely enough, because their sound isn't especially summer-y) Broken (not Buena Vista!) Social Scene (not Club!).

But what are the five songs that I listen to when I close my eyes and ignore the cold, the dark grey clouds and the rain against the window?

Howie Beck - We Waited (mp3)
this one's easy; banjo's are only played in very warm places (and if they’re not they should be!)

Tiger Lou - Sell Out (video)
A gituar-driven perfect pop song that nests itself in your head for days.

Broken Social Scene - Looks Just Like The Sun (mp3)
Imagine yourself walking past some trees, hearing the crickets and seeing the air above the street dance. I know I do.

Pete Yorn - June (mp3)
This song could've been called december and it would still make me think of summer.

The Field - A Paw in my Face (mp3)
This one is pretty recent but proved to be an instant classic. Summer all the way.