Growing up, summer was synonymous with music in my house. The soundtrack was a mixture of the down home roots of Prairie Home Companion, Alison Krauss, Lyle Lovett, and the southern gumbo of Little Feat. I’ve probably heard the refrain of “Oh Atlanta” more times than I will ever set foot in the state of Georgia for a lifetime, and that’s a title that both Alison Krauss and Little Feat share.
So i guess it’s to be expected that I’ve always been partial to happy music, summer music that brings me back to childhood, and songs that seem to tug just a little tighter in the midst of summer. Now, with the dog days of summer upon us, I thought I’d put together a mixtape. Part southern barbecue, part sitting on the back porch watching the sunset, and incredibly warm. Track list, Spotify playlist* and link after the jump.
Belong – Phil Cook
I’ve Been To Memphis – Lyle Lovett
Woman’s Gotta Have It – Bobby Womack
634-5789[Soulville, U.S.A] – Otis Redding
He’s Got All The Whiskey (Long Version) – Bobby Charles
Texas Cookin’ – Guy Clark
I Know- Bonnie Raitt
One Man’s Ceiling Is Another Man’s Floor – Paul Simon
Cover Me- Percy Sledge
Tail Dragger – Link Wray
To Me It’s Storming – George & Greer
Southern Grammar – Hiss Golden Messenger
Girl From Ipanema – Lou Rawls
Oba, Lá Vem Ela – Jorge Ben
Ain’t That Loving You – Johnnie Taylor
High Tide or Low Tide (Jamaican Version) – Bob Marley & The Wailers
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down – The Band
Ain’t That Something – Solomon Burke
Long Distance Runner – Bop English
Do I Ever Cross Your Mind (with Dawn Landes) – Justin Townes Earle
Southland Summer (.zip file)
*Due to availability, some songs on the Spotify playlist are changed.
The Art of the Mixtape 