Memory Card: My Top Soundtracks for Summer

Brothers and sisters - SUMMER IS HERE!

Reminds me of good times spent in front yards or back woods, drinking too much sugar water, eating all of the hotdogs and burgers and deciding without question that Mountain Dew IS the king of the sodas. This is not up for discussion and, as the gypsy told my grandpappy before me, if you end up at a Taco Bell and DON'T get a Baja Blast - you're a Narc.

Playing flashlight tag, baseball, Magic, seeing movies at someone else's house and bike riding to get there were expectations that the change in seasons would bring. As we counted down the days until that glorious 3 month break from school we could almost feel the chains of institution slipping away as the humidity raised.

Other things that I remember fondly are soundtracks to these impressionable years. New music was something to be sought after like treasure and held in the same esteem. Some of the best memories came from music being played when a video game was started because by the time I saw the console logo and began mashing the lets-get-this-party-started button I was already comfy and in no mood to get up and turn it off so I'd just let it play.

311 - Sound System If there is a feel-the-music vibe that has ever been nailed these guys have done it. That punk-reggae, dirty groove has never been lived in so well. Any album can be the perfect soundtrack for whatever your jam may be but I spent an astounding amount of time listening to Soundsystem while Playing Harvest Moon: Back to Nature.

Creed - Weathered

YOU SHUT THE HELL UP AND LISTEN!!!

I know that 'My Sacrifice' was a crazily overplayed, overhyped blah blah blah blah.. That has no bearing on the fact that the space these guys managed to occupy from the beginning of this album to the end is something to behold. It has the peaks and valleys and varying tones and structures combined with the journeyman lyrics Stapp does so well that prove they were carrying their sound forward into new territory and made the journey even more memorable. This album paired best with Final Fantasy Tactics. And no - I WON'T take that back.

Social Distortion - Sex, Love and Rock n Roll

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Flogging Molly - Within A Mile Of Home I have an acute memory of my adventure through Albion being more immersive because of these albums. I didn't think Fable got enough positive press and I look for any excuse to take a long car ride specifically so I can listen to both or either of these with the windows down. If you can get your hands on Fable: The Lost Chapters I highly recommend it; it's really the only complete way to play. Just like how the Director's Cut is the only way to watch Kingdom Under Heaven, but that's a different list.

Rise Against - End Game Just like 311, Rise Against is another example of repping your authentic vibe unapologetically and with all the dedication of a raised fist. Every track is a call to arms and I've found it pairs best with workouts and introspective thinking but I've also been known to play Homefront and (Ironically..?) CoD: Black Ops/Ghosts with them as my soundtrack. I regret nothing.

Black Star (Mos Def and Talib Kweli) Since each guy in the group has their own better-known thing this one is kind of 3 in 1 but I'm specifically talking about the album they did together: Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star. This album is a testament to striving for perfection. Every track has a groove and what feels like an effortless flow that is as deep as it is fun and it'll teach you a few things even if you don't want to learn. I've burned 100+ hours playing Age of Empires while listening and wondering what the world would look like if we weren't missing the history we are. Could be that we'd have a whole different perspective of things.