The Ultimate Summer Albums

For me, summer and music are synonymous with each other. I thought maybe this was due to the fact that I just love music so darn much, but I quickly found out when I was young that this could not have been further from the truth. Music and summer have always gone hand in hand. This is so much a fact that I would not be surprised to find early drawings of cavemen jammin' out under a beautiful summer sky. That is why, out of an interest to aid everybody in their quest for summer fun, I bring you my list of Ultimate Summer Albums. Keep in mind, this list is in no specific order.

Fush Yu Mang(1997) by Smash Mouth
So what does summer music mean? Is it all hot and sweaty, just like we feel during the summer? Well, maybe for some it is, but not for me. For me it is more fun and energetic, just like I feel during the summer. Fush Yu Mang , the 1997 album by Smash Mouth, is just that. From the get go, Fush Yu Mang starts out with a fast and bouncy punk ska sound with the song Flo , and they keep this pace up through the majority of the album, though slowing it down with The Fonz right smack dab in the middle of the album. And if you want fun, Smash Mouth has packed their best album full of fun, with songs like Padrino , which is a fun song all about the mob; (and does feature the line 'I'll take any flick with Al Pacino') and even covering War's Why Can't We be Friends , which they made so fun that it was featured during a montage in the comedy movie BASEketball .

Alright, Still (2006) by Lily Allen
As we all know, there is a flipside to the happy highs of the summer days. Those are the intimate and steamy summer nights. When the sun goes down, I like to calm it down a little bit, and that means my music does, as well. That is when I like to put on one of the very few pop albums I call a favorite, let alone give the time of day. This slice of friend gold is the feisty, beautiful, British Lily Allen, and her major debut album Alright, Still . What is it about Lily Allen, and this album, that really stick out in my head and afforded them the pleasure of being on the Ultimate Summer Albums List? First off, it is Lily Allen's attitude. British pop stars are not always the bubble gum, House of Mouse alumni we have here. On the other side of the pond, pop stars like Lily Allen get into bar fights and talk about certain sexual acts in interviews. This attitude pours out of Lily Allen in her music, and comes out in catchy tracks like Knock 'Em Out (meaning the men that hit on you girls at the bars) and Alfie (about her younger brother who spends his whole life just getting high). What do intimate nights bring? Betrayal! OK, so not always, but I have my fair share of painful summer memories, and those memories use the hit, revenge song Smile , to calm down and be happy again.

Greatest Highs (2008) by Kottonmouth Kings
I will be the first to admit that the California, stoner rap group the Kottonmouth Kings, is not for everybody. That would be why I put their greatest hits, double CD Greatest Highs on this list. Unless you are a die hard Kottonmouth Kings fan, and even when you are, the highly varied, style of the group, does not always hit a homerun. Considering the group's lyrics are predominately about marijuana and the benefits of the plant, and their musical style falls somewhere between hardcore punk rock and hip-hop, this is understandable. By choosing Greatest Highs as one of my Ultimate Summer Albums, I get the best of this rip-hop style, without having to sit through the mediocre tracks. The feel of the tracks range, as one would imagine, but never really slow down much. Highlights of Greatest Highs go all the way back to their first full length album with the tracks Bump and Dog's Life . You do also get a taste of the political with tracks like The Lottery and Peace Not Greed , both tracks having a much more 'Power to the People' feel to them.

Babylon (2004) by Skindred
In sticking with odd, genre confused music, our next Ultimate Summer Album is Skindred's debut album Babylon. The funny story with this album is that there are three different versions of it. This was due to gaining popularity and switching record labels. The stateside version, released in 2004, is the one I include in my Ultimate Summer Album List. Why? Because it is the one I know the best, and the first introduction to Skindred I ever received. By ingeniously blending three musical styles '" hip hop, reggae, and metal '" with the amazing vocal talents of frontman Benji Webbe, Babylon is one of the best first albums I have ever heard. Benji has the ability to hit notes some people never can, scream, and growl, but then turn around and calm you with his beautiful tone. This vocal mastery is very evident on the single Nobody . Benji starts out with some mild singing, busts into metal growling, and rests on a reggae rap song for the majority of the song. For those of you who are saying, 'But I don't like metal, Josh', I have one track for you to hear. Pressure features Benji singing, not growling, and has a very fun sound to it; the kind that makes you want to really get up and move.

Make Believe (2005) by Weezer
With the Kottonmouth Kings and Skindred, I gave a consistent rise, but contrary to what Barney Stinson would have us believe, a great mix is not all rise. What goes up, must come down, and that is where Weezer's Make Believe comes in. When you think Weezer, you generally know what you are going to get; beautifully crafted, songs that resonate emotionally as well as entertaining to the ears. That is so true on the more mellow pace of their fifth studio album, Make Believe . Yes, you get your poppy hits, like Beverley Hills, but the overall sound of Make Believe is that of a calmer Rivers Cuomo. When I really need to be alone with myself, tracks like Haunt You Every Day and Pardon Me , are the perfect soundtracks for my quiet introspection.

Dookie (1994) by Green Day
Pop punk trio Green Day has been kicking around the music scene since they were kids, all three getting into music before they were teenagers. The band's sound has always been growing and evolving, and Dookie was a major stepping stone for the band, and for me personally. I was sixteen when I first heard Green Day, and was not a fan of them. When Dookie came out, MTV shoved it down our throats, and I am thankful they did. This album became the soundtrack of the summer of 1994 for me. The memories from that year... Oh man. Though memories are a big reason Dookie is included in my Ultimate Summer Album List, it is not the only reason. After Make Believe is thrown in the mix, with all River Cuomo's soothingly, meditative songwriting, we could really use more pick me up songs. Dookie features just that; the famous three chord aggression of Billie Joe Armstrong and underrated outings by both bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool, on each and every track. Talk about consistency. From Burnout through F.O.D. , Green Day set the bar for all pop punk albums to come, and none have even come close to its sheer perfection of upbeat teen angst. Even with the hidden track All by Myself , hands down the best hidden track ever, Green Day managed to showcase their young talents, with Tre Cool and Billie Joe switching positions and crafting this hilarious song.

We're Not Happy 'til You're Not Happy (2005) by Reel Big Fish
In the same vein of pure fun of Dookie , I bring W e're Not Happy 'til You're Not Happy into my Ultimate Summer Album List. Reel Big Fish had the both fortune and misfortune, of hitting it big early in their major career with the hit single Sell Out . Well years down the road, Reel Big Fish have been sitting just on the outside of mainstream stardom since that first hit; not to mention experienced many problems with the success they have achieved. These feelings are evident on tracks like Don't Start a Band , We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful , and One Hit Wonderful . It is this jaded, finger to the man feel that puts this album, above any of their others, on this list.

Sublime (1996) by Sublime
Released just months after the overdose death of frontman Bradley Nowell, the self-titled Sublime was the band's third, and last, full length album; and their major label debut, to boot. With an original title of Killin' It , the band and label both agreed to a switch in light of what had happened. The death of Bradley Nowell is made even more tragic by the fact that Sublime is the band's crowning jewel in their collection of diamonds in the rough. Their ability to coolly fuze hip-hop, punk, ska, reggae; all while walking the fine line between indie cool and mainstream pop, is unparalleled. Starting out from track one, Garden Grove , Sublime gives us a smooth sound with the strumming of a guitar and the slow rolling drums; but they manage to throw in a very distinct hip-hop sound and feel. Throughout this unbelievable album, Sublime bounces from style to style, never once sounding forced or fake. That is Sublime's true benefit to this list '" they are real. There is nothing fake about Sublime , and that is the 'IT Factor' that this album has.

Any Port in a Storm (Special Edition) (2008) by The Dirty Heads
Just now reaching mainstream success, The Dirty Heads bring the new version of Sublime's surfer reggae rock to the masses. Any Port in a Storm showcases everything The Dirty Heads are about, at least at this point in their career. A fun reggae rock album that will have you bobbing your head along with every single track. Even though this album is more hip-hop vocal heavy, with the rapping of Dirty J on tracks such as Headphones and Antelope, the Sublime influence is evident. A nod is actually thrown to Sublime during one of the tracks, Believe . There are even points where Any Port in a Storm slow it down to an emotional crawl '" Chelsea and Knows That I .

Floored (1997) by Sugar Ray
After the laid back surfer sounds of Sublime and The Dirty Heads, I need one heck of an upswing in this musical summer journey, so then I pop Sugar Ray's Floored in and just jump around, moshing into anything my body slams into. The last album before Sugar Ray started making music for the masses, and not for themselves, is pure, rock and roll. Guitar riffs playing it hard and fast with the drums, Mark McGrath's vocals bordering on a scream through a lot of it, but never once sounding anything but perfect in this mix. Floored does slow it down for a very uncharacteristically poppy Fly , complete with reggae rap section and all. Don't get me wrong, Fly is a great song and deserves all the success it has, but the speed of the rest of the album is why I include it in my Ultimate Summer Album List.

So there we have it. The ten albums that make up my Ultimate Summer Album Mix. Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments below.

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