Arts DEVO

Sounds fun Last weekend marked the summer solstice in these parts, and with its passing the sun starts heading in the other direction, gradually shortening our gloriously long days as it heads south, taking our summer with it!

Longtime readers know that, for Arts DEVO, that is cause for a brief panic followed by a full mobilization of all my summer-living resources, including a compilation of my annual mix of summer jams.

As always, my only requirement for a summer playlist is that the songs were released for mass consumption sometime after September the previous year—that this is their first summer season. All styles are welcome, just as long as they can find a suitable spot in the rotation between my headphones, car speakers, backyard boombox and public-event loudspeakers during the summer (and yes, Baltimore’s Sun Club is perfect for all occasions, and has to have no fewer than five tracks featured on this year’s list).

As my friend Red Bluff Phil so perfectly explained: “You know what sounded dumb in the spring but now sounds amazing when being blared across a city pool??? ‘Birthday’ by Katy Perry.”

Exactly.

Special thanks to Stromo and Kirt Lind for their usual righteous tips. Visit Arts DEVO on Facebook for a link to the YouTube mix.

Arts DEVO’s 2014 summer jams:

“Do You Have Romantic Courage?”—Hallelujah the Hills

“Run”—French Reform

“Shuttles”—French Reform

“Beauty Meat” —Sun Club

“Spring Diamond”—Sun Club

“Cheeba Swiftkick”—Sun Club

“Summer Feet”—Sun Club

“Lunar Bears”—Sun Club

“So Now What”—The Shins

“Bloodlines”—Mimicking Birds

“Kong”—The Notwist

“Cryin’ These Cocksucking Tears”—Lavender Country

“Stay With Me”—Sam Smith

“Divisionary (Do the Right Thing)”—Ages and Ages

“So Blonde”—EMA

“Cookie Thumper”—Die Antwoord

“Birthday”—Katy Perry

“Easy”—Mother

“Problem”—Ariana Grande

“Turn Down for What”—DJ Snake & Lil Jon

“For Goodness Sakes”—Furlough Fridays

“Interference Fits”—Perfect Pussy

“Driver”—Perfect Pussy

“Hymn to the Pillory”—Nothing

“Oxygen”—Swans

Summer snail soundtrack Oh, and for those looking to go to sleep or go mad this summer, visit Electric Canyon Studio engineer Dale “The Snail” Price’s trippy YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/dalesnale) and listen to (and even purchase) one of his extended audio demonstrations, such as “Three Hours of Ambient Creek Sound” or “Pink Noise—Ten Hours” or “Sweeping Grey Noise—Ten Hours,” featuring seemingly endless hours of … noise. Perfect for your next barbecue!

DEVOtions

• Sal Casa Retrospective: A career-spanning look at the work of Chico’s arts patriarch at Chico Art Center through July 11.

• Phil From Chico: Phil Corbin headlines this comedy show-of-shows, featuring a ton of his fellow local comedians toasting and roasting him before he moves to New York City. Saturday, June 28, 8 p.m., at the Blue Room Theatre.