A big thanks goes out to all the musicians who participated in our Best Summer Song Contest! We had a bunch of great entries this time around and with each subsequent contest we seem to get better and better songs! We'll hope this trend just continues to grow throughout the year. Stay tuned to upcoming issues to find out when (and what) the next song contest will be!
So The Wolfgang came at us outta nowhere... Well, from Tucson, but seemingly out of nowhere. Amid the countless song contest entries (some fabulous, others not so fabulous) Back Alley Serenade sent us reeling into star-filled desert nights along isolated freeways that never curve and never arrive. Like our own Nelson Ortiz aptly identified, “I just want to slick back my hair, put on some 501’s, and drive off in a Chevy Impala.” During summertime in the desert, we learn to live for the dark. The Wolfgang brings us there.
The vote was narrow and the competition fierce, but the Dagg Nabbit Stubbs’ tribute to backwards people on backwoods roads shook us up from our summer lull and had us ready to drink moonshine til we burned down a church. If you don’t already know about this band, learn something. Art, punk, metal, and smart Southern-rock? Who knew such things were possible?
When nature makes it apparent that you are not welcome with oppressive weather, relief from the trauma of everyday life is required. Nothing quite possibly suits that purpose like reggae… or so some of the staffers might contend. Best for lounging poolside or spending the day hidden in dark bedrooms: shades drawn, A/C on, incense lit, music blaring and being completely at peace with the universe.
Carly Schorman Editor's Pick : Jim Bachmann, "Day Drinkin'"
I grew up here. My earliest memories are of asphalt burns, sprinklers, and swimming pools. As I aged I developed a whole host of associations… drinking which soon gave way to watching folks drinking, watching folks drinking poolside, barbequing poolside while watching folks drink, catching late night acts in dive bars while watching folks in cowboy wear drinking. Jim Bachman hits this western sensibility. Shitkickers, a cooler of beer, and some target practice in the open desert. Arizona, welcome home.
I've had healthy, obsessive relationship with ska since I was in 8th grade and saw a review for Squalus Suculae by the Mudsharks in some snowboarding magazine. From 3rd wave ska I ventured on into 2nd and 1st wave bands and discovered, like so many other music styles, that all ska bands re-use the same elements that make those 1960's rockers and tunes so great. Sara McAllister takes that 1st wave sound and adds her own sweet and charming vocals on top to create a new pop style. Add her backing band to the mix, and you get an awesome track perfect for relaxin' in the summer.
Mike McQuillian Editor's Pick: Hooves, "Warm Clothes"
Hooves’ “Warm Clothes” is not about button-down shirts fresh from the dryer. It’s about young people going through summer’s wringer. The nasty heat, the “Miller High Life in 110 degrees” dehydration, and the backyard parties where half the people are there to get laid and the other half are too drunk to stay conscious that long. It’s about not wanting to go home, because it’s summer, and sleep is failure. It’s about the days when girls with problems are alluring. It’s the last keg stand before mortgages and college funds.
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Mark Anderson Editor's Pick: Sara McAllister, "Personal Sunshine"
