It's about that time of year again; winter is fading away, the sleeveless shirts are coming out, and the car windows that have been up since October finally get some fresh air. For those of us in the Southeast, this is a common occurrence, but for my friends in the Midwest and the Rockies, don't fret - it's about to be your turn too.
Of course, happy times call for happy music. When you're driving home from work or leaving for that road trip, you need something uplifting that fits with the cool breeze flying in. It's time to bring light to a few of the countless pieces of beach, skate, and surf music that can turn your summertime drive into a refreshing experience.
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Backyard - Mad Caddies
I challenge everyone to listen to this song, then look me in the eye and try to tell me it doesn't make you envision a happy day by the river. If you can do so successfully, you should try running for political office.
This Joint - Slightly Stoopid
Somebody once said that by default, you're more likely to hear uplifting music from San Diego than from somewhere like New York City. With a majority of the year consisting of shorts and t-shirt weather, I can see why, and bands like Slightly Stoopid continue to prove this trend to be true
Keasbey Nights - Streetlight Manifesto
Let's face it: the awesome music of the 90's/2000's will never die. Along with "Walking Away" on the same album, this song could never fail to cheer me up.
Manthem - The Bouncing Souls
To be honest, I never would've pegged New Jersey for producing 2+ bands on this list, but along with Streetlight, The Bouncing Souls deserve credit where it's due. After all, we all need at least one song in our repertoire about bro love and crazy, upbeat shenanigans.
Against the Grain - Rebelution
Southern California reggae is by default set up for success. With the peaceful and somewhat ambient (yet still upbeat) tone set by Rebelution, it's a perfect fit for cruising anything from that West Virginia backroad to I-95 in South Florida.
Check The Level - The Dirty Heads
When done right, reggae, rock, and rap go together like coke and cheap whiskey. The Dirty Heads are no exception.
Time After Time - Sugar Ray
If you took the time to click on this article, I'm sure you knew that Sugar Ray would find it's place in here. Sometimes, even the upbeat skate punk bands I love can have too fast of a tone for a slow summer day, and Sugar Ray fits the niche perfectly.
Same In The End - Sublime
You know those faster but still perfect songs I just mentioned? Well, here is one of them. In the same manner as Sugar Ray, it's pretty much a given that Sublime would find its way into this list. In fact, we could probably include every Sublime song ever written if we wanted to.
All My Best Friends Are Metalheads - Less Than Jake
Unlike the others in this list, this song holds the distinct title of, "most likely the best song ever written by mankind." I bet even my friends who listen to nothing but country music or death metal would [reluctantly] agree.
One Fine Day - The Offspring
I already have one song in this list about getting into shenanigans with your buddies, but as we all know, one isn't enough. The Offspring has many great songs, but for the context of this list, One Fine Day tends to stand out.
Positive Vibes - Kottonmouth Kings
The name should really say it all. There are songs on this list that I would play while skateboarding, and there are songs on this list I would listen to while driving a convertible through Panama City Beach. This one is the latter.
California Babylon - Transplants
With the combined influence of Travis Barker and Rancid, The Transplants were born with the odds in their favor. Similarly, if you've never heard this song before, you need to spend more time playing Tony Hawk's Underground.
The new season is approaching everybody, and the warmth and extended sunlight is already on its way. Let's take this time of year and make it is uplifting and positive as possible!
