Top ten summer songs to keep you on your toes

By TESS OSMER

The 2015 “Top-Ten Summer Songs” charts are about to come out and I know if you are anything like me, you have your ears against the radio in anticipation.

Although 2014-15 saw the biggest intellectual projects in R&B and rap, such as J. Cole’s “2014 Forest Hill Drive,” Drake’s “If you’re reading this it’s too late,” Kanye West’s “So Help Me God” and Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly,” I have one country song and a whole lot of EDM to get your summer playlist started.

Here are some well-mixed and highly innovative EDM tracks and one country song for the individuals like me who cannot resist a good Tim McGraw song while driving down a dirt road to the beach during the summer:

1. Maluca- “Over”
2. Shwayze- “Buzzin”
3. Danrell- “Blame It All On Me”
4. Koala- “Lost Girls”
5. Tim McGraw- “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools”
6. Cresce- “The Afterparty”
7. Prla- “Lotus”
8. Gallant- “Open Up”
9. AER- “Water On the Moon”
10. Flume- “Left Alone” ft. Chet Faker

Maluca is a one man DJ named Matt Lucas from Ireland, from what my recent research has gathered from SoundCloud. His song, “Over,” has been lulling me to daydreams of better childhood days for the past week. The twangy guitar slingshots my mind back to playful days in the summer and working long shifts at the local marina in Long Island, New York with friends.

Shwayze, however, was new to me a few years ago. Any song of his is essential to my summer playlists. He is the quintessential heartthrob as far as I am concerned. In the song “Buzzin,” Shwayze talks of meeting a girl in the summer and how she caught his heart. When you catch that summer love bug, turn your speakers on to this song. I hope you meet him or her at a “backyard blockparty by the bar” just like Shwayze did.

Danrell, from what I have gathered, is a DJ from Gothenburg, Sweden. His mis “Blame It All On Me” is very similar to Maluca’s “Over.” It is a very light and airy mix with the main instrument being the xylophone. Danrell creates a montage of memories in my head; the base xylophone as well as the lyrics to the song resonated deeply with me.

Track four should hit you with some good vibrations, too. The warped male voice samples in Koala’s “Lost Girls” steals the body and will have you moving whether you like dancing or not. “Lost Girls” is an indefinitely feel-good song. Even though it only lasts a little over two minutes, I could listen to it for hours. It has been on repeat for me over the past couple of days.

I had to hit you all with some country, because for me the hot air of the summer pleads to be cut by the sound waves of country music. Since Tim McGraw has consistently produced music that appeals to me, I decided I would choose him. His new song “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools” is similar to any other it-won’t-work-and-now-I’m-sad country songs but I just cannot deny Tim’s rough, rustic and twangy voice.

Track six is produced by Cresce, another elusive SoundCloud account that I follow. Cresce is a DJ from the netherlands. His music blends ambient and EDM aesthetics and is absolutely innovative and unique. “The Afterparty” opens with a sample from Drake’s “Marvin’s Room” and drops the beat pretty early. The slow yet deep movement of the song gets the listener hooked early on, and after two days I still cannot let it go.

Orka has had a similar effect on me. Track seven is Orka’s song “Lotus,” it is another happy song that has no problem catching one’s emotions. The light babbles of a woman’s voice are complemented by a sophisticated, deep and quick beat that definitely stimulates the eardrums.

Los Angeles has birthed another great, and I have featured his music in this playlist as well. Gallant is, again, an elusive account on SoundCloud. His R&B voice, coupled with EDM, is a mix that tantalizes the listener. I, for one, connect with it on multiple levels. I strongly suggest that if you are reading this you check out this song.

For those of you who do not know, I am an avid member of the Fresh AER Movement. That is an avid listener of AER. If you know these stress-less boys and their peaceful, playful beats than you can drive around with me this summer. AER’s “Water On the Moon” is a very relaxed and mellow tune that will have you swaying and bobbing your head.

A not-so-little Aussie named Flume is turning EDM upside down and shaking its lunch money out of the pockets of all chronic EDM listeners. “Left Alone,” featuring Chet Faker, is an ambient mix that also features fast paced EDM samples. It’s an interesting song and has me coming back for more.