My summers often feel characterized by the music I choose to listen to within them. If a tune I looped day after day on a mix cd in my car during the summer comes on in the middle of the stark and frigid winter, I'm immediately filled with nostalgia for those few months of warm weather and carefree attitudes. In the past, my soundtrack has included quite a bit of Mac DeMarco and this year his musical stylings appear again, this time joining the creative endeavors of Alex Calder and The Growlers on the majority of my playlists (all three bands/artists of which I will be seeing this coming Autumn in Ann Arbor and the surrounding areas).
I listened to Alex Calder for the first time this summer as I drove through downtown Grand Rapids with my friends Chris and Marc after completing my very last day of high school. Chris had been lucky enough to see Alex and his band at the The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor the night before and had a tape of his newest LP Strange Dreams. The morning after, I woke up with the lyrics to "Someone" repeating endlessly in my brain and spent the rest of the day listening to every one of his songs I could find. That borderline obsessive listening has continued throughout the summer and I am completely unashamed. Some of my favorite tracks include: "Light Leave Your Eyes," "Lola," and "Disease Freak" (the last track, "Disease Freak," is no longer available to listen to on Soundcloud so I linked it to a short film including the song that someone out there somewhere made utilizing a beautiful thing known as freedom of expression). I'm super excited to see Alex and his band open up for Mac DeMarco in November.
I don't have a story/experience to link to my interest in The Growlers, but although I have listened to them in the past, this summer has especially proliferated my listening. I am seeing them perform at The Blind Pig in October about a month after I move in to attend the University of Michigan. I love every single song, but some of my favorites lately include: "Black Memories," "In Between," and "Acid Rain."
Mac DeMarco greatly improved my summer experience this year by releasing his EP Another One. The last track "My House by the Water" had me adding yet another reason to the already lengthy mental list of why I wish I lived in the Brooklyn/New York area for a while. Who wouldn't want to stop by Mac's house for a cup of coffee and conversation? Some of my favorites off the new EP include: "Without Me," "Just to Put Me Down," and "No Other Heart." (All of these can be found on Spotify). However, I am still enamored with his earlier albums and tunes such as "European Vegas," "Robson Girl," and "Goodbye Weekend."
Seeing all of these artists perform in October/November adds to my increasing anticipation for the fall season and my move to Ann Arbor.
Photo Credit: Captured Tracks
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