2009's Perfect{opop} Summer Playlist

Ah, the sounds of summer. Birds chirping, cicadas buzzing, air conditioners whirring... oh yeah, and all the sounds blaring from your radio and ipod. With concerts on weeknights (no such thing as a school night - w00t!), concerts at theme parks (gotta love Six Flags' freebies), concerts that take all day to drive to and all night to drive home (how far is Bristol? who cares?!), and lots of time to browse MySpace Music, summer's the perfect time to check out some new tunes.

Only time will tell which of this summer's songs will be the most memorable, but here are my predictions of 12 songs from the soundtrack of this summer:

The Top 40 Dominatrix:
Yeah, it's that song that you'll hear again and again on the radio, at the mall, in your friend's car, until you hate it. Then love it. Then hate it even more. This summer's airwaves are expected to be a battleground between defending champ Lady Gaga, the resurgent Kelly Clarkson, and the new staple Katy Perry, but my choice for Top 40's song of the summer is
"I Do Not Hook Up" by Kelly Clarkson (video)

The Song to Dance to All Night Long:
I know, I know, bloggers flock to Black Kids' alt dance tunes like mosquitoes are drawn to bug zappers... Wait, no, Black Kids are way more effective than bug zappers. Even if this boldly named multiracial indie band has been the blogosphere's sweethearts since long before summer 2009, their so-retro-it's-cutting-edge synth jams are the perfect fit for parties this summer. Fun, funky, hip, and undeniably danceable. Make sure no DJ is without
"I've Underestimated My Charm Again" by Black Kids
(Bonus! Check out this crazy video of the song set to scenes from Mystery Science Theater's classic Manos: The Hands of Fate. Though it lags at times, overall, this fan-made's as much fun as anything the band could cook up.)

The Song with "Summer" in the Title:
It may seem a bit tacky, but you know you're a sucker for cheesy songs that scream "IT'S SUMMER!!!!" at the tops of their lungs. There must be at least one on every playlist. And while the radio stations are aching to ride discosticks, try a lesser-known song by today's queen of Top 40:
"Summerboy" by Lady Gaga

The Other Song With "Summer" in the Title:
Yeah, two songs dropping the s-bomb (summer, that is) verges on totally tacky, but this summer's playlist could not be complete without something by The Academy Is... Their last album's late August release date prevented us from dancing to it at the beach for most of last summer. You may have heard it at Warped Tour last year, but this year, make up for lost time by rocking out to the album's toe-tapping jam,
"Summer Hair = Forever Young" by The Academy Is...

Your New Summer Loves:
A lot of great albums have come out in the past year, but you can't spend all summer listening to the same songs you've been hearing all school year. The perfect addition to your pop collection? Take It to the Floor by Cash Cash. While you were busy studying, the most adorable Jersey boys since the JoBros were touring with the likes of Kevin Rudolph and Cobra Starship. Their lead single "Party in Your Bedroom" is just now hitting the airwaves in most places, along with its much buzzed-about video. The boys' sunny dance-pop songs will get you more sugar-high than a visit to the ice cream man, so taste the candy-coated track
"Sugar Rush" by Cash Cash

The Song You'll Have Stuck in Your Head for Days - and Love Every Minute of It:
In the winter, people worry about catching the flu. In the summer, they worry about the plethora of catchy songs churned out by Disney Channel and it affiliates. You either love 'em or you love to hate 'em. This year, you can still hear plenty of catchy new tunes on JONAS and the upcoming Hannah Montana 3 CD, but I think this summer is already saturated with JoBros tunes. So if you're looking for a pop song that'll have you bouncing off the walls, turn off the TV for a sec and get your sugar rush from an unaffiliated singer like Owl City. The lead single from his upcoming album Ocean Eyes is just as catchy and whimsical as the songs on any kids' show.
"Hot Air Balloon" by Owl City

The Song to Have a Picnic to:
I know everyone loves a sweet love song, but put the Jason Mraz album down and step away from the boombox. I for one have heard "I'm Yours" enough times in the past few months to last ten summers. Summer's a great time to branch out and listen to some new sweeties, like my personal fave NeverShoutNever. If the songs he's leaked so far are any indication, his upcoming release The Summer EP should be the quintessential soundtrack to the season. This track will make your heart melt more quickly than a popsicle dropped on the hot pavement:
"Hummingbird" by NeverShoutNever!

The Song to Chill by the Pool with:
The founders of Bishop Allen may be Harvard grads, but their music is a fun escape from academic tedium. A little string-filled eccentric, a little coffee-sipping hipster, and a lot of fun, you gotta check out
"Dimmer" by Bishop Allen

The Song to Blast in the Car:
What, no new release by Rooney this year? Since their next album is still in the works, I guess we can't rely on blasting any of their retro powerpop tunes from our stereos this summer... They're my fun car trip staples, but since I've listened to "When Did Your Heart Go Missing?" more times than any sane person should, I think it's time to take a break. Digging back into the pile of CD's under the dashboard, I suggest you try some of Relient K's older tunes. All the retro fun of Rooney with more eccentric lyrics. (Remember "Marilyn Manson ate my girlfriend"? It's kind of unforgettable...) I don't need a magazine to tell me I'm still in love with
"17 Magazine" by Relient K

The Slightly Guilty Pleasure:
It's summer. Blast that song you can't believe you love from your stereo and live a little... You saw Glee, right? No? Then you'd best hop over to its website and check out the pilot. It's like if they remade High School Musical with good writing, interesting adult characters, and better music, including a fantastic rendition of the Journey classic
"Don't Stop Believing" by the cast of Glee

The Crazy Rocker:
You know you downloaded it illegally. Or you're going to in about 5 seconds. I'll make it even easier by linking to a video with the download link. With a title like this, you gotta expect great things from
"Pete Wentz is the Only Reason We're Famous" by Cobra Starship

The Sneak Attack:
You know how earlier, I advised everyone to pass up the Jonas Brothers' pop fluff this summer? That would be because the JoBros have so many better songs to offer. With horns and some pretty rockin' guitars, I think these Disney boys are actually able to pull off a song titled "World War III." Really. I love 'em, but I never thought they'd have it in 'em. Based on the 30-second preview alone, I think this song could fight its way to the top of any respectable playlist:
"World War III" by the Jonas Brothers

Well, that should at least give you a good headstart on your summer playlist. I guess we'll just have to wait and see which songs zoom up to the top of your Most Played list and which fail to launch...

and enjoy the summer :)

Upcoming Concerts to Spring for

Wow, was that title lame or what? It's so hard to come up with good puns using the word "spring"... Anyways...

Having just been to a concert (Ting Tings & Hottub, craziest night of my life; all the dirty details coming soon to a computer screen near you), it's time for a quick look to the future because lots of bands have announced their late-spring tours since my last big concert posts.

First up, you might have to act quickly if you want to snag tickets to the biggest indie dance show to hit the 9:30 Club since tonight's sold-out Cut Copy concert. Mates of State and Black Kids will be playing, along with Sunbears. Black Kids are one of my favorite new bands, and I've been meaning to write a post about their musical awesomeness and hot lead singer. For now, I'd advise you to check out their video for "Look at Me (When I Rock Wichoo);" it's pretty much the bomb. I haven't heard too many Mates of State songs, but several reliable sources tell me they're great.

They're coming to the 9:30 Club on Saturday, April 4th, so if you're looking for a great way to kick off your spring break, I'd suggest you pick up a ticket here.

And what better way to end your spring break than with a free concert by swing rocker Derek James at the Cherry Blossom Festival in DC on Friday, April 10th or Sunday, April 12th? I actually can't remember why I'm friends with him on MySpace, but his music is quite possibly the best rockabilly I've ever listened to, and you can't beat the price or the view at the Cherry Blossom Festival.

James will also be playing at pretty much every other venue within 50 miles of us between now and April 12th, so you can also catch his free show at Teavolve in Baltimore on April 11th, and shows in Baltimore and DC this week. But, uh, his music can get obnoxiosly twangy, so you might not want to see all 5 shows. FYI.

And did I mention that The All-America Rejects and Ace Enders will be coming to Towson University on Saturday, April 25th and to the 9:30 Club on Tuesday, April 28th? I did? All right then. No use beating a dead horse, no matter how excited you are for it...

May is a pretty big month for my favorite lil Baltimore club, Sonar. On Saturday, May 2nd, Sum 41 will be playing there with Inward Eye and American Taxi. Never heard of either of those bands, but I've been dying for a good pop-punk show to attend, and since Blink-182 hasn't announced their reunion tour yet and Bowling for Soup still seems to be on house arrest, only playing shows in their home state of Texas, Sum 41 just may be your best bet. Check their flier here, then pick up tickets here.

Then the next weekend, the real party gets started with The Let It Rock Tour. Kevin Rudolf is headlining, and if you're wondering who he is, we're on the same page. But I'm pumped for his opening acts, the addictively adorable Metro Station/Jonas Brothers wannabes of Cash Cash, and the... unique... electropop band Hyper Crush. Hyper Crush's logo may be cooler than their repetitve music, but Cash Cash is the real popstar deal. Also supporting them as The Audition and Go Crash Audio. I would check them out, but this concert had me at "Cash Cash."

They'll all be partying at Sonar on Friday, May 8th. Check the snazzy flier here then grab your tickets here.

Finally, Kate Voegele finishes up Sonar's month of magnificence on Sunday, May 17th, with Angel Taylor and a soon-to-be-announced special guest. Well, that's really only half of the month, but none of the other bands playing at Sonar really jumped out and said "buy tickets to see me!!!!"

Anyways, I saw Kate open for Natasha Bedingfield and The Veronicas last summer in Baltimore, and she gave a really solid performance. I also got to meet her before the show, and she was suuuper nice, so I'd advise you to check her out at Sonar if you get the chance. You can get your tickets here, and sadly, the link to her show's flier is not working.

Speaking of that dynamic popstar duo The Veronicas, they're coming back to the States (from their native Australia, source of their adorable accents) for another tour this Spring. The closest they'll come to the DC area is Pittsburgh, which is not very close to the DC area at all, but the girls are really sweet and definitely worth seeing sometime. Their show in Baltimore was plagued by mic problems that made them sound like they were performing a duet the Alvin and The Chipmunks, so it'd be nice to hear them with decent audio. And I'm sure their show at PA Diesel Club Lounge will go spectacularly. You can find more info on the show here.

And then, of course, you can pre-order Warped Tour tickets starting April 1st, but we'll save that annual conglomeration of coolness for a summer concert post...