It's shaping up to be a long, hot summer, and to get through it you need a reliable summer jam — a tune you can turn on and crank up when it's time to party, time to relax or any time you need a reminder that this oppressive heat isn't going to last forever. A good one won't wear out its welcome, but it might just stay with you after the season is over. Whether you prefer a rowdy rock anthem, an unshakable club banger, or something a bit more chill, the crop of spring and summer releases by Nashville artists has what you're looking for. Here we've rounded up our favorite 15 of them.
Bully, "Trying"
This track from the group's hot-off-the-presses debut album Feels Like has all the sweet hooks and super-fuzzed riffery you could ask of a great summer rock song. But in the lyric — one of the best on a record of strong ones — frontwoman Alicia Bognanno opens up about deeply personal questions and insecurities in a way that offers insights without over-sharing.
Diamond Rugs, "Live and Shout It"
You really can't go wrong with any song from Cosmetics, the sophomore album from this pan-American rock supergroup — which features current and former members of Deer Tick, Black Lips, Dead Confederate, Los Lobos and Six Finger Satellite. With its Bo Diddley beat and off-balanced lyric about surviving life on the road, this tune's a shoe-in go-to party anthem.
JEFF the Brotherhood, "In My Dreams"
Every summer needs a good campfire story. In this cut from the Bogus Bros' Wasted on the Dream, Jake Orrall and Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino come face to face with a demon and do what any rock musician worth his or her salt would: write a thundering, snarling heavy pop jam, complete with a wailing guitar solo, which may or may not summon the beast again.
HeCTA, "Till Someone Gets Hurt"
The planets have aligned! The ace musicians orbiting around Lambchop have unleashed their weirdest sensibilities on an experimental electronic project called HeCTA. The Diet (due from Merge Records in September) draws inspiration from a Buddy Hackett monologue while pondering the parallels between dance music culture and punk culture. In this house-influenced debut single, loops swoop and dip all around Kurt Wagner's shuddering vocal, changing roles from melodic elements to crazy rhythms that'll effectively fill your dance floor and soundtrack your bike ride.
BZRK, "Emerging Culture"
On Crop Circles, the latest in a rapid-fire string of full-lengths from BZRK, a sci-fi element lurks around the edges of a gangsta-rap narrative about ancient extraterrestrials that are giving the local hip-hop posse their energy. This standout track plays like a graphic novel for the ears, as BZRK's party-hardy braggadocio bobs and weaves around an ominous beat and samples from TV documentaries.
Chris Stapleton, "Tennessee Whiskey"
Any proper mix, summer or otherwise, is seriously lacking without a good slow jam. This soulful cut from Traveller, the former SteelDrivers singer's acclaimed solo debut, is smooth and substantial — a great showcase for the his rich, versatile baritone, and the perfect choice for when it's time to move in close. Double up on your antiperspirant, 'cause it's gonna get sweaty up in here.
Brown, "HeyHeyHey"
You know how it goes — it's 8 o'clock and everyone at your barbecue is stuffed with hot dogs and potato salad and they're all sleepy. Draw 'em out of their food comas with this R&B-laced Brown joint and watch them bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce. Party still drooping? Then chase it with Brown's 2014 groovin' "My Hennessy Song." And if that doesn't work, get new friends.
Kacey Musgraves, "Biscuits"
Let's face it: Nosy, judgmental neighbors are a pain in the ass, and the shade they throw doesn't really combat the summer sun. In the bouncy lead single from her sophomore album, Pageant Material — which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart last week — Musgraves reminds everyone to mind their own damn business in a cheerful, self-deprecating manner.
Mike Floss, "Dopeboy Dreaming"
You might recognize this sizzling single by the MC formerly known as Openmic from a commercial for streaming music service Tidal. Any chance you get to see Floss rock the mic this summer is worth your time, especially while he's still in intimate venues like Third Man's Blue Room, where he played in June.
Turbo Fruits, "The Way I Want You"
Consider this a long-awaited counterpart to a certain beloved summer staple from the Grease soundtrack. Whether it's summer lovin' or something longer-term, we all know that riding into the sunset with the one that you want isn't quite as easy as Danny and Sandy make it out to be. But with hooks like these, you can at least rock away the frustration of loss and desire.
Jesse Lafser, "The Chores Song"
This jaunty Appalachian-flavored song has the right idea for any season, but it's especially appropriate for the summer: Don't let the daily grind stop you from living. "If I wanted a maid / I'd have hired one, babe," she sings, before suggesting to her partner that it's time for a holiday.
Jessie Baylin, "Black Blood"
Baylin's album Dark Place is about confronting the voices inside that doubted her decision to put her career on hold to start a family with her husband, Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill. The lush but uncluttered soundscape of "Black Blood" feels like a strong wind blowing away one of those gully washers that pop up when you least expect them this time of year.
Wildfront, "January"
Icy synths dance around a crisp, propulsive beat on the B-side to Wildfront's latest single. The catchy, sophisticated dream-pop track about relationship discord will ease you into a dancing frenzy as quickly as it'll cool you down from one. You'll go back for repeated listens the next day, when your head stops pounding.
Altus Kings, "Survive"
This groovy, laid-back track for local high-school-age hip-hop crew Altus Kings is a solid pick to fill any chill time on your schedule. It conjures up A Tribe Called Quest, with a contemplative rhyme flowing over a melancholy jazz guitar sample and a skeletal boom-bap beat by in-house producer Unhappy Hank.
Quichenight, "O Summer"
Need something to kick off your road trip, or generally jostle you out of Tennessee-style landlocked doldrums? Enter Quichenight's latest full-length, The Minor Sea, a treasure trove of breezy, brainy pop gems about living in a beach town. "O Summer" offers a little taste of all the record's ingredients (plus a good chuckle at the lines "There's a rain that never falls / I think it's got you by the nose"), and as we wrap up our playlist, it has a slew of whistle-worthy melodies to take with you. Don't forget that sunscreen!
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Altus Kings, "Survive":
BZRK, "Emerging Culture":
Brown, "HeyHeyHey":
