Their Hearts Were Full Of Summer

Here's what I've been listening to this summer:

"Van Diemen's Land" by U2
It's the only U2 track that I can think of that is actually sung by The Edge, and it's great. It's very mellow and the Edge does a great job with his vocal oppertunity.

"Running Down a Dream" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
This is a great track for when your driving with the windows down on a Friday afternoon. My favorite part of this song though is the guitar solo, which is just fantastic. It just has that summer vibe to it.

"American Slang" by the Gaslight AnthemAs I've mentioned before, The Gaslight Anthem just might be my new favorite band. This track just gets stuck in my head with it's adrenaline propelled chorus and it's beautifully cryptic lyrics. This band combines the best elements of Bruce Springsteen's and the Clash's blue collar sound and updates them without sounding fake. If you haven't heard of them I HIGHLY suggest you check out all of their records, because I can't think of anything bad to say about any of them.

"I'da Called You Woody, Joe"-The Gaslight Anthem
Normally when I compile lists like this I try to avoid repeats, but this song can't be left off. It's a tribute to JOE STRUMMER! How could I say no? It's very heartfelt and you can really tell that Joe and the Clash had a deep impact on him. It's just like Joe would have wanted it: no pretenses and straight from the heart.

"And I heard it in his chain gang soul.
It wasn't just the same sad song.
Sayin', "Let it out, let it out, let it out, you're doing all right."
And I'm doing all right,
Are you doing all right?

And I carried these songs as a comfort wherever I'd go.
They was there when my summers was high, There when she left me alone.
Saying, "The soul is hard to find." "

"Not Dark Yet" by Bob DylanThis track just has a thick swamp groove. It sounds like he's on the bayou just...waiting. It's slow, and kind of peaceful.

"Boys of Summer" by Don Henley

This is my quintessential summer song. Every time I hear it it just puts me in that state of mind. And also, there's just something about the term "Boys of summer" that I like.

As for my summer reading, I've recently just finished "Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer" by Chris Salewicz. Overall I thought it was a great read all though it takes a while for it to get to the Clash portion of his life.

Just a little summer update for y'all!