The sounds of summer

Every spring, I compile a giant playlist of music for the sunny days ahead. The songs put me in a good mood all summer, and when the weather turns cold, I have a souvenir of the good times I had (and okay, songs to weep to when I'm wrapped up in eight blankets and desperately wishing January would be over already).

Here are some of my favorites from this summer's playlist, in a handy 8tracks mix for you to enjoy.

Soundtrack to Summer 2012 from xanne on 8tracks.

Track list:

1. "Anna Sun" - Walk The Moon

2. "Numb Bears" - Of Monsters and Men

3. "Equestrian" - U.S. Royalty

4. "Werewolf" - Fiona Apple

5. "Runaway Train" - Brandon Boyd

6. "Gonzo" - The All-American Rejects

7. "Red Hands and White Knuckles" - The Bravery

8. "Hey Joe" - Jimi Hendrix

9. "Stubborn Love" - The Lumineers

10. "Paralyzed" - Rooney

11. "Bliss" - Blaqk Audio

12. "Oh, Love!" - William Beckett

13. "MoneyGrabber" - Fitz and the Tantrums

14. "Breath Of Life" - Florence and the Machine

15. "Hacienda Motel" - Pickwick

16. "Motorcycle Drive By" - Third Eye Blind

17. "Mind Eraser" - The Black Keys

Welcome back, William Beckett

A few months ago, I wrote a post mourning the end of one of my high school favorite bands, The Academy Is... I didn't know it at the time, but I only had to wait a few months for lead singer William Beckett to put out his solo EP, Walk The Talk.

Now, to be totally honest, I wasn't that excited when I first heard about this.  A huge part of my attachment to TAI came from nostalgia and memories of hanging with my best friends during summer break. So a new solo album did not really seem like a huge deal, but I've always respected William Beckett as a musician and he was always so nice to my friends and I when we talked to him at shows back in the day. So out of loyalty, I purchased the EP (it was less than $4 on iTunes, so really, there is no excuse!) And it turns out that I actually really like all four tracks. "Compromising Me," and "Girl You Shoulda Been A Drummer" make me want to open all the windows on a sunny day and dance ridiculously around the room. If you were a fan of The Academy Is..., then Walk The Talk is definitely worth a listen.

So it looks like William Beckett will be accompanying me while I make some new summer memories this year. Reunited and it feels so right.