Week 3 - The Death of Summer

So, judging by the weather, it looks like summer's gone and that's what I've been mourning this week. I've been remembering those glorious days spent with the grass and sun.

However, I don't mind - to pretend I do seems really dumb.

It amazes me how many good songs relate to the passing of the seasons, and the eagle-eyed among you may have already picked up on one which fits this past week nicely.

But more on that one later...

Firstly, I'd like to run down some other songs that pop into my head during the year.

So, let's start at the beginning, eh?

1. Death Cab for Cutie - New Year
   There are so many songs celebrating Christmas, but what about the other festival seven days later? Not so many, just this one, New Year's Kiss by Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, and New Year's Day by U2. However, the last one seems to be an anthem for Solidarity rather than a celebration of the start of a new year.
   But this song by Death Cab for Cutie is a belting little number, with fierce chimes and lyrics revealing a dawning realisation that, even though a new year may have dawned, very little changes.
   Plus they are named after a song by the Bonzos - never a bad idea - and Ben Gibbard has arguably one of the best voices in indie rock, as he also demonstrates with The Postal Service.
   
   
2. Bangles - Hazy Shade of Winter
   There are two songs that sum up winter for me: this and I Smell Winter by The Housemartins. Of course, I could have gone for that, or even the original Simon & Garfunkel version of this song, but this is a shameless excuse to see Susannah Hoffs on video. No contest is it? Art Garfunkel, complete with Marie Antoinette hairstyle, or Susannah Hoffs?!
   Anyway, on with the song...
   

   But look around, leaves are brown now
   And the sky is a hazy shade of winter
   
   Look around, leaves are brown
   There's a patch of snow on the ground...

   It conjures up a wonderful image of slush on busy streets near rusty brown railings separating the urban hustle from the brown, sleeping park the other side, complete with crisp air and the freezing smell of winter. However, the song itself tells of homelessness and dispair in the fierce winters of New York.
   
   
3. Screeching Weasel - First Day of Summer
   Ah, you can't beat this. Feelgood US punk from the Chicago-born band and their Bark like a Dog album from the excellent Fat Wreck Chords stable. It's fair to say NOFX's Fat Mike and his record label soundtracked most of my teens, but I didn't get into Screeching Weasel until I reached university, where I also got into The Queers.
   These last two bands were obviously very much inspired by The Ramones, and it shows.
   This hi-tempo and anthemic number really sums up the time around mid-May when I look ahead to barbecues, Glastonbury, trips to Bridlington/Scarborough beaches and long days sat drinking, overlooking the Ouse in York.
   This optimism of a great summer is obvious in the lyrics here, but comes with a nice warning not to take those sunny days for granted:
   

   Come on now it's the first day of summer
   please don't let it slip by just try
   to squeeze all of the life out of it
   

4. Ryan Adams - Halloween Head
   I've written plenty about Ryan Adams already, so I'll keep this one relatively brief.
   I love Halloween - the smell of bonfires, the hint of magic in the air, and the fancy dress parties where people dress up in all manner of weird get-up.
   Now, that picture to the right isn't the kind of Halloween Head Ryan Adams goes on about. He mentions having a head full of 'tricks and treats', a great image suggesting a mischievous mind.
   
   

But anyway, back to the summer-ending song that's been in my head all week.
It's a great slice of happiness from the Wirral four-piece who took their name from a character in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.
I heard somewhere that the arrangement in this song is reported to increase serotonin and release endorphins so you feel a rise in happiness. I'm no chemist, but I'm not sure about that. It certainly is a happy little ditty nonetheless.
The Boo Radleys remained underground for quite some time, recieving critical praise for their album Giant Steps. However, it was their 1995 hit Wake Up Boo! that shot them into the charts, peaking at number 9.
Anyway, have a listen for yourself and see if you can spot the quotes I ripped out of it at the start.