So, Devendra Banhart‘s music video for “Baby” is real cute. Whenever I feel restless, bored, upset or angry, he knows just the right things to make me feel like all is right in the world again (in his slightly twisted way, nonetheless). I seriously can’t get enough of this guy, and I’m wayy excited to watch him in New York on August 19th. He’s also playing in other locations, so check it out on his myspace.

A friend of mine gave me a heads up on this guy who calls himself Pogo. He’s known for his ingenious remixes of Disney shows like Alice in Wonderland, Up!, and recently, Toy Story 3. My favorite is his one of Up because that little Asian kid with his neckless, disproportionately large and peachy face is simply too cute to resist. Like I said, ingenious.

If you haven’t heard of them already, one of San Francisco’s loveliest bands Blackbird Blackbird (formerly Bye Bye Blackbird) has been on my radar for quite a while, and I’d really like to share some of their synthy, ambient, psychedelic daze that they’ve labeled themselves with.

Blackbird Blackbird – Heartbeat

Blackbird Blackbird – Sunspray

Blackbird Blackbird – Summer Heart

Canadian duo Neon Canyon is also another band to look out for, after doing a collaboration with Blackbird Blackbird, they’ve been getting a lot of hype. They’re less upbeat, but very appropriate to daydream to.

Blackbird Blackbird + Neon Canyon – We Have to Know

Neon Canyon – Libra

Neon Canyon – Swekkun

I’ve fully starred all songs of Houses that I have on my iTunes because they are that good. Chill, beautiful melodies will bring back nostalgia, and not to forget that their collaboration with Canadian Teen Daze is perhaps one of the most perfect merges to ever happen. I don’t think Teen Daze can do anything short of great at this point.

Houses – Endless Spring

Houses + Teen Daze - Destiny

Teen Daze - Saviour

For something lighter, more acoustic and upbeat, duo Dominant Legs will provide that pleasure for your ears. This duo is also from San Francisco, and will be making a stop for two nights in September at the Mercury Lounge in New York.

Dominant Legs - About My Girl

Dominant Legs – Clawing Out at the Walls

Dominant Legs - Young at Love and Life

Moving on to less of the lo-fi gaze and more of the electronic chillwave is Keep Shelly in Athens, a band from Greece where they make these mesmerizing tracks.

Keep Shelly in Athens - Fokionos Negri Street

Keep Shelly in Athens - Rainy Night

So, time for your verdict- how did I do for a catch-up?

Boy, am I hungry now.

Indeed another band with the word “beach” in their name does not fail to embody the lo-fi, lazy atmosphere of summer, Nude Beach is darker, heavier, and pays tribute to those nights when your heart and mind are restless but your body feels too heavy to move. I experience this often, and I completely dig this band.

Nude Beach – Fire

Nude Beach – Nude Beach

This got stuck in my head for a couple of days, and after trying to pull the song from the tip of my tongue, I finally found it– “Marathon” by Tennis (husband and wife duo hailing from Colorado). It’s quite sad how often my memory fails me, especially when they’re everywhere right now. But here ya go, a tune so sweet that it’ll give you a toothache.

Tennis – Marathon

Now residing in London, Obaro Ejimiwe (a.k.a. Ghostpoet) creates some cool electronic and hip-hop beats. Download his EP, The Sound of Strangers, here at band camp. I promise you won’t regret it!

Ghostpoet – Morning (feat. Micachu)

Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra covers one of my favorites, “My Girls” by Animal Collective. The intro is a little long (it really kicks in at 4 mins), but it’s pretty sweeet. Give a listen to another brilliant cover of the same song by Taken By Trees that I adore.

Animal Collective – My Girls

Taken By Trees – My Boys

I think it should be illegal to spend summer without this 90s classic… (in the spirit of bootycalls). Sooo if your game is on, give me a call boo

Ghost Town Djs – My Boo

So, I’m kind of crazy about Tobacco. It only makes sense because I love Black Moth Super Rainbow. Tobacco, or Tom Fec, is the side project of BMSP’s frontman, and he’s been here for quite a while– starting this in 2007 and releasing a number of albums. If you like grimy, psychedelic music, blended with hip-hop and synth-heavy tunes, this is for you–

Tobacco – Sweatmother

Tobacco – Six Royal Vipers

Or you rascals can pick up his album Fucked Up Friends here.

Alright you guys, summer has officially started, and every year this marks the beginning of a fun-filled period of three months where anything can happen– new opportunities, romance, everything-you’ve-wanted-to-do-but-didn’t-have-time-to… all that jazz. So that was kind of what was on my mind while I was making this. Some are new songs, some more familiar. This was actually a soundtrack I made for a good friend of mine for her to write a script to, but I wanted to share it here too. Check it out and see if you can follow along with the plot through the tracklisting. Download it here.

Tracklisting:

Song name – artist
1. Pink Graffiti, part 1 – Secret Cities
2. Deadbeat Summer – Neon Indian
3. Imprint After - Toro y Moi
4. Living in America – DOM
5. Island Summer – unouomedude
6. Phenomenons – Twin Sister
7. Something About Us – Daft Punk
8. The Gaudy Side of Town – Gayngs
9. USA BOYS – HEALTH
10. Who Knows Who Cares – Local Natives
11. Feel in my Back – Grubby Little Hands
12. You And I (feat. Caroline Polacheck) - Washed Out
13. So This Is Goodbye (Pink Ganter Remix) - William Fitzsimmons
14. Swimming in the Flood – Passion Pit
15. Automatic – Yuck
16. Vital Signs (Midnight Juggernauts cover) – Tape Impala
17. Darling (Reprise) - Magic Man
18. Texico Bitches - Broken Social Scene
19. Go Outside – Cults

I love this song. The video started out promising, lost my interest after a while. But the kids in the video destroy things (and get down and dirty later), which somehow makes it cooler, right?

For those of you who want the mp3:

Health – USA Boys

This soft track right here by Yuck, from NJ/Hiroshima/London. You may download their tracks on their blogspot–

Yuck – Automatic