Summer of Rock 2008

I am very pleased to announce the arrival of the third installment of Summer of Rock, my annual summer music compilation. Summer of Rock ’06 and ’07 have been (I flatter myself to think) great successes, and I’m hoping this year will continue the trend.

As we all know, summer is a time for making memories, and nothing goes with memories like good music. From the high-energy, sunny days to the lazy, reflective and romantic nights, this compilation will be the perfect soundtrack to your summer adventures. I’m showcasing primarily songs that have been released in the past year, though there are a handful of older favorites.

Two songs in particular deserve special mention. “Ndikumaka” was recorded by a Tumaini kid (Rosemary) and myself while in Kenya, and is a wonderful example of the talent latent in those kids. “Hello” is a new Splendour Hyaline song (Splendour Hyaline is the band name for the songs David and I write and record). Be warned: it’s a non-final mix of a song from an album we are recording this summer, so stay tuned for the album’s release to hear the final version. (Both the Tumaini album and the Splendour Hyaline album will be available for download later this summer).

Here is the playlist (you can download the songs immediately below it):

1. Let It Ride, by Ryan Adams (from “Cold Roses (Disc 2)”)
2. No Sunlight, by Death Cab for Cutie (from “Narrow Stairs”)
3. Viva La Vida, by Coldplay (from “Viva La Vida”)
4. Skinny Love, by Bon Iver (from “For Emma, Forever Ago”)
5. Coconut Skins, by Damien Rice (from “9”)
6. Killing for Love, by José González (from “In Our Nature”)
7. Apartment Story, by The National (from “Boxer”)
8. Lovesong Of The Buzzard, by Iron and Wine (from “The Shepherd’s Dog”)
9. Not California, by Hem (from “Funnel Cloud”)
10. Come Out Of The Shade, by The Perishers (from “Victorious”)
11. Baby, It’s Fact, by Hellogoodbye (from “Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!”)
12. Ndikumaka, by Tumaini (from “Songs of Hope (Pre-Release)”)
13. Here It Goes, by Jimmy Eat World (from “Chase This Light”)
14. The Modern Leper, by Frightened Rabbit (from “The Midnight Organ Fight”)
15. Not What You Wanted, by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (from “Baby 81”)
16. Lake Michigan, by Rogue Wave (from “Asleep At Heaven’s Gate”)
17. Hoppipolla, by Sigur Rós (from “Takk”)
18. Leap Year, by +/- (from “Let’s Build A Fire”)
19. Hello, by Splendour Hyaline (from “When Love Leaves Its Hiding Place EP (Demo)”)
20. Why You, by Joe Purdy (from “Only Four Seasons”)
21. Dash, by DeYarmond Edison (from “Silent Signs”)

Download and setup instructions (sorry, but you will need iTunes):

1. Download the zip file here: Summer of Rock 2008
2. Unzip the files to your desktop or some other location (this will create a folder called Summer of Rock 2008).
3. Drag the folder into your iTunes software (typically, dragging it onto the “Music” label underneath “LIBRARY” is the safest way to do this — you’ll see a “+” sign before you know it’s OK to release the mouse button). This should copy the song files to your iTunes library.
4. Finally, in iTunes, go to File > Import. In the file browser, navigate to the Summer of Rock 2008 folder, and select the file “Summer of Rock 2008.xml”. Importing this playlist file will create the playlist “Summer of Rock 2008” in your iTunes library, which you can use to play the songs in the intended order!
5. Now, you can safely delete the “Summer of Rock 2008” folder and the zip file, as the song files should be safely organized by iTunes.

Unfortunately, doing things this way has its drawbacks as well as its benefits. The primary benefit is increased song quality. One of the drawbacks is that, in my version of the playlist, I have opted to cause some songs to end earlier than their actual finish time, to make the compilation flow better (for example, Lovesong of the Buzzard takes way too long to finish, and I modified its options in iTunes to end at 3:52). It will be up to you to do this if you want! It will also be up to you to burn a CD from this playlist to take in your car or wherever.

As always, the point of this compilation is to introduce you to new music and encourage you to buy songs and merchandise from the artists you like, through legal channels. If you are not open to supporting the artists financially, please don’t take advantage of my offering these songs for download!

Thanks, and enjoy! I look forward to hearing any comments. If the playlist or song files change, I will post a notification in this entry.