Music meme: Summer songs

Kim (blackswampgirl) over at A Study in Contrasts tagged me with this music meme last week:

List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your spring. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they’re listening to.

With the string of 90-degree days we’re in the midst of, I’m pushing this ahead a season and calling these the songs I’m listening to now that summer is really here. Get out of the heat and listen to some music:

1. The Swimming Song – Loudon Wainwright III

This time of the year, I try to recapture the thrill I felt as a kid when school wound down and summer kicked in. What adventures will this summer bring? Judging by the number of covers on YouTube, this song strikes a chord with many. Below is the first version I heard by Kate & Anna McGarrigle. I like Lucy Kaplansky‘s version. Here’s Loudon’s original.

Kate and Anna no longer available. Here’s Loudin instead.

2. Mussolini vs. Stalin – Gogol Bordello

This short enigmatic nursery-rhyme of a song evokes summer, with its imagery of barbeque and trot-line fishing. The frogs sound like the ones in the wetland outside my door tonight. Plus I picture Eugene Hutz on a sweltering evening strumming this lazily on a dacha porch with a bottle of Stoli by his side. His raucous gypsy punk in my earbuds keep me mowing on a hot day. But Gogol Bordello’s acoustic songs are vastly underrated.
Mussolini was a-shavin’ whistlin’ tarantella,
Stalin was keeping eye on barbeque.
When their fish line bell started to jingle,
Mussolini caught a-nothin’, Stalin caught two.

3. Me Gustas Tu – Manu Chao

Manu Chao’s Latin stylings (that’s not exactly right) feel right when it’s hot. Or in winter when I’m cold and want to feel hot. See also this live show at Prospect Park Bandshell, Brooklyn, summer 2006. Judging from the sweat on these guys, it was hot there, too.

4. Changes – Seu Jorge

Always in the rotation on the mp3 player. I first became aware of this Brazilian guitarist when I watched Bill Murray play Steve Zissou in The Life Aquatic. Jorge punctuates the movie with acoustic versions of early David Bowie songs sung in Portugese. They work. The wave sounds in the background of most of these sing summer. See also Lady Stardust, Life On Mars, Queen Bitch, Rebel Rebel.

5. Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival

Our local gem of a festival features the most diverse lineup of just about any summer music festival in the country. I haven’t actually attended in years. But it’s comforting to know it’s just down the road, and I’ll spend a few evenings this summer searching out YouTubes and MySpace pages for all the acts. I’m partial to the string bands, especially The Horseflies. (Check out cuts from their new CD at their MySpace page. Release party 6 p.m. Thursday on The Commons.)

6. Can’t Make It Here Anymore – James McMurtry

Not seasonal music, but timely music. I never read any of his dad Larry’s books. (But the flick The Last Picture Show adapted from Larry’s novel introduced me at a tender young age to Hank Williams and Cybil Shepherd.) James uses far fewer words to paint his pictures.

Angry acoustic version.

Angry rockin’ version.

7. Life During Wartime/Naive Melody (This Must Be The Place) – Talking Heads

Artists are supposed to show us what’s possible as well as warn us of the possible. God bless David Byrne.) These are both from the best concert flick ever, Stop Making Sense (A visual as well as audio delight.) I’ve also included links to the same songs from Byrne’s 2002 during the Lazy Eyeball tour backed by a full band and the Tosca Strings.

Life During Wartime
The sound of gunfire, off in the distance
I’m getting used to it now

Tosca Strings version.

Naive melody (This must be the place)
Never for money
Always for love
Cover up + say goodnight . . . say goodnight

Tosca Strings version

Tag, you’re it:

Remember, this is an opportunity, not an obligation. Do a post. Leave a comment. No need to include links, or audio or video. Just let us know what you’re listening to.

• Kathleen at Tangled Branches, who made the mistake of telling me once that she visited Ellis Hollow for the music. ;-7
• Jim at Federal Twist
• Lynn, my neighbor over at Sin City to Slaterville, who is probably still trying to get the grass mowed after returning from Africa.
• Lori, The Gardener of Good and Evil, who knows that the Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival can’t hold a candle to SXSW.
• Ken at TrädgÃ¥rdsdrömmar, because we need to get Sweden into this meme, and he has a great following there.
• Delphine at paradis express, because we should move this to France as well.
• You, because if you’ve just been waiting to be asked to do something like this, go ahead and do it and come back and tell us about it in the comments.