It's Memorial Day Weekend. It's a time to be thankful for the freedoms we enjoy and to remember all those who have served this country past, present, and future in pursuit of those freedoms. Thank you!
Memorial Day is also the start of summer. Finally, after months of snow and rain we can look forward to sunny skies, food on the grill, and plenty of music. For me, summer also brings traveling to see friends and family. So, this week I searched for some driving music and good tunes to kick off the summer. Here’s a sample of what I’ve been playing this week. What are you listening to?
Widespread Panic - Ball and Dirty Side Down (Remixes)
Traveling home to visit family usually involves driving through the National Forest along the Delaware River (on the Pennsylvania and New Jersey border). I always put in Widespread Panic's Ball and open the windows to let in the smell of the forest. Nothing goes with summer better than some bluesy southern rock. Ball is the first Panic album that I owned and I always go back to it. From the flowing opener, “Fishing,” to the funky “Thin Air (Smells Like Mississippi),” to the 16-minute jam of “Travlein' Man,” this album is the definition of summer music.
If that's not enough to get your summer party going, go to WSP's website (http://www.widespreadpanic.com/) and download some remixes of tracks from their latest CD, Dirty Sound Down (they're fee!). And yes, I said remixes, but the funky takes on Panic's signature breezy sound is refreshing and I'll admit that the dance beats are infectious. It's a diversion from the norm and a fun way to party with Widespread Panic.
Since about 2005, Widespread Panic has been recording all of their live shows. You can find collections of songs carefully assembled into Driving Songs. Each volume takes the best tracks from a summer’s worth of shows. There’s no better way to explore the roads on a hot summer day.
Green Day - Dookie and Insomniac
Green Day makes for great driving music. It keeps you moving and singing along, especially on those long, monotonous, late-night drives. As the road winds on and the pavement stretches out indefinitely into the darkness, I find that Green Day’s hyperactive sound and sarcastic commentary keep me moving toward my destination. I’m a product of the 90’s and Green Day’s emergence into the mainstream helped shape the musical landscape of my generation. And while I’m still a big fan of American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown, I always find myself reaching back to 1994.
Soilwork – Natural Born Chaos
No road trip or summer drive could be complete without some Swedish metal. Soilwork has been bringing their mix of hardcore and metal for years now. 2002’s Natural Born Chaos is one of their best efforts. Catchy chorus blended with ferocious vocals and pummeling guitars make this a go-to album for me. “As We Speak,” “No More Angels,” and “Mercury Shadow” are some of the standout tracks, heavy with guitars, keyboards, and soaring choruses. I even use “Black Star Deceiver” as a ringtone (and subsequently find it always playing in my head). Natural Born Chaos, like much of Soilwork’s material, packs the punches in all the right places