It must be something about the season, but it seems every summer has its own soundtrack, a collection of songs that are shared and played, owned and adored.
An artist such as Sisqo, Nelly, Mariah Carey, Daddy Yankee or Sean Paul could never go into the summertime anticipating to be the person to define that season – not only in America but the world over. But then “Thong Song” or “Hot in Herre” catches on at “TRL,” and three months later you’re begging, pleading, for a break from it.
Here are our picks for 10 songs that deserve to rule your summer 2006, from the already ubiquitous “Crazy” to future hits from Justin Timberlake and OutKast. While not all of these singles are yet available for purchase, they are all over radio, MTV and the club circuit. So make that playlist for the pool, barbecue and road trip, and we’ll reconvene at summer’s end to see how on-point we were.
Gnarls Barkley, “Crazy”
Your cave-dwelling skills must be developed if you’ve been able to avoid this painfully catchy track all summer. High-stepping yet melancholy, “Crazy” compresses Danger Mouse’s taut, stuttering beats into Cee-Lo’s fat Kermit the Frog, neo-soul vocals, further blurring the lines between pop, hip-hop and R&B. The current British success of their freakishly delightful “St. Elsewhere” album is as unlikely as it refreshing.
Justin Timberlake, “SexyBack”
It’s a big task, bringing sexy back. But J.T. is up for the challenge. This single isn’t revising the history of his debut, “Justified.” He’s a lot more confident here, which is key because this preening effort requires a healthy ego. But like his previous solo work, “SexyBack” heavily relies on its producer, Timbaland – and he too comes through with a boom, tap, boom. (To be released Sept. 12.)
Chairlift, “Don’t Give a Damn”
Before they left Denver for New York, this band flirted with chamber pop, alt-country and indie rock in front of many a rock club audience. But this stripped-down song, which is reminiscent of Rilo Kiley and Gram Parsons with its understated acoustic guitar and sophisticated keyboards, digs under your skin and stays there. And its sentiment is only matched by the singers’ breezy delivery and ironic Western imagery. It tastes a lot like a tall glass of icy lemonade on a sweltering day on the prairie.
OutKast, “Morris Brown”
Mainstream hip-hop’s most inventive and unpredictable duo return to what they do best after the unfocused but satisfying double album “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.” The tighter new album “Idlewild” finds them filtering Stevie Wonder through tribal rhythms (the excellent “Morris Brown”) and dipping their toes in acoustic blues (“Idlewild Blue”) and Farfisa church beats (“Mighty ‘O”‘). (To be released Aug. 22)
Beenie Mann, “Hmm Hmm”
Given that dancehall has helped define the past three or four summers (“Get Busy,” “Gasolina”), we need something to rock the sweaty dance floor and the convertible alike – a song that isn’t a Sean Paul product. And this infectiously nonsensical, wonderfully vapid track is happy to jump in to fill the void. You won’t understand a single word in this track, especially over a dance club’s PA, but it doesn’t matter because the beats tell all the story you need to know.
TV on the Radio, “Wash the Day”
If early leaked tracks like this one are any indication, this band’s new “Return to Cookie Mountain” will assert this quintet’s staying power amidst so many impossibly cool but ephemeral Brooklyn artists. This hotly anticipated, frustratingly delayed album promises to be the art rock masterpiece of 2006. (released today)
Flaming Lips, “Free Radicals”
The Lips’ new “At War With the Mystics” is a difficult record that requires thought, multiple listens and time to process it all – hardly breezy summer fare. But this song, with its stop-start percussion, neon-gospel backing vocals and Wayne Coyne’s wicked-friendly falsetto, is a no-brainer and a jam that unexpectedly pumps the bass.
Christina Aguilera, “Ain’t No Other Man”
Double albums reek of bloated pretension, especially when coming from an image-heavy pop artist such as Aguilera. But the difference between Aguilera and the Britney Spears of the world is that this woman can actually sing. The single “Ain’t No Other Man” hints that “Back to Basics” makes good on its promise to reinterpret jazz and blues through Aguilera’s energetic, squirrely soul vocals. She also indulges in a thick mash of ’80s hip-hop beats and up-to-the-minute electronics. (to be released Aug. 15)
Tom Petty, “Square One”
Essential to summer listening is the wistful back porch tune, and Petty comes through here with a song that will have you whistling and reminiscing. Petty doesn’t try too hard. It seems like the music just comes out naturally, with effortless lyrics to boot. Its source album is “Highway Companion,” but it was also hand-picked by Cameron Crowe months before the full-length’s release for Petty’s “Elizabethtown,” the soundtrack of which was much better than the film itself.
Jessica Simpson, “A Public Affair”
Slyly alluding to her breakup with Nick Lachey, this living Barbie doll heads in a decidedly disco-pop direction with her latest single. Even the cover art – a disturbing photo of Simpson looking like a robot hawk – recalls the sun-kissed portraits of the 1970s. Her vocals are slightly less cloying than usual, and Simpson seems ready to step into pop-star/actress mode and finally add another dimension to her blond bombshell persona. (To be released Aug. 29)
Pop music critic Ricardo Baca can be reached at 303-820-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com. Staff writer John Wenzel can be reached at jwenzel@denverpost.com or 303-820-1642.
