The Dedicated Playlist

Not your average songs of summer: Ice Cube and Belle and Sebastian both havespots on this list

What says summer like the aptly named Beach Boys?
Even our most idyllic summer days can't compare to Ice Cube's "Good Day."
The Car's "Moving in Stereo" will always remind me of summer — and Phoebe Cate'sred bikini.

It’s easy to find a mix of songs for the hottest season, filled with beaches, barbecues and the like. But summer, just like every other time of year, has its ups and downs. There is something about it that makes the deep feelings associated with the season linger for months after the temperature cools. With that in mind, here is a summer playlist that avoids the obvious choices and tries to leave no emotional stone unturned.

“The Boys Are Back In Town” by Thin Lizzy: Boozing, brawling and boisterous, the heroes of this rousing rocker seem to bring the season to bear with their arrival. That melancholy tinge in lead singer Phil Lynott’s voice is the perfect counterpoint to the galloping guitars.

“Day Of The Locusts” by Bob Dylan: Graduation is a rite of passage that kicks off the summer, but it isn’t always a celebratory time. For those people who might be leaving school with a sour taste, Dylan’s musings on how out of place he felt when receiving an honorary degree from Princeton University are just the tonic.

“Runnin’ Down A Dream” by Tom Petty: If there were a survey held on songs Most Likely To Cause Speeding Tickets, this classic from Full Moon Fever would likely rank way high. Small bit of ironic trivia — Petty himself has admitted in interviews to being a poor driver and thus is rarely behind the wheel himself.

“California” by Phantom Planet: The West Coast represents an eternal summer for many Americans, and this song captures that feeling brilliantly. It was an instantly iconic homage to the Golden State; it’s no wonder that the band who recorded it has never approached that success since.

“Here Comes The Summer” by The Fiery Furnaces: It’s worth seeking out this obscure release from the Brooklyn brother-sister duo. Buoyed by indelible hooks and nostalgic lyrics, it engages the heart, soul, and libido all at once.

“I Wish It Would Rain” by The Temptations: Hearts do get broken in the summer. Lead singer David Ruffin can't stand to see the sunshine if his former lover isn’t around to share it with him. Absolutely brilliant vocals throughout on this soul classic.

“A Summer Wasting” by Belle and Sebastian: The great paradox of summer is that it seems endless while it’s here yet seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye once it’s over. This sweet ditty from the alternative music heroes gorgeously drives that point home.

“It Was A Good Day” by Ice Cube: We all have our own ideal summer day in our mind, but it’s likely that even our best hopes can’t match the perfection that Cube manages to squeeze into one 24-hour period. Sex, burgers, hoops, and the Goodyear Blimp singing your praises ain’t bad at all.

“Moving In Stereo” by The Cars: If you’re a certain age, it’s impossible to hear this moody new wave album cut without imagining Phoebe Cates emerging from a pool of water in Fast Times At Ridgemont High, water dripping off her hair, sunlight gleaming off her…. OK, I’m back. I was, uh, daydreaming for a minute.

“The Other Side Of Summer” by Elvis Costello: “From the foaming breakers in the poisonous surf/To the burning forests in the hills of Astroturf.” Leave it to E.C. to give us a nightmarish, if somewhat accurate, version of summer and set it ironically alongside Beach Boys-style harmonies.

“Getcha Back” by The Beach Boys: OK, it’s not a classic Beach Boys song by any stretch, but it was all over MTV when I was a 13-year-old kid, so let’s call it a sentimental favorite. If those “Bomp-bomp-ba-doo” backing vocals don’t conjure the summer, I don’t know what does.

“That Summer Feeling” by Jonathan Richman: Richman, in his trademark deadpan style, equates the summer with youth, urging his listeners to drink in every bit of its bittersweet brilliance while it lasts. “That summer feeling is gonna haunt you one day in your life.” Truer words were never spoken.

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Movie Review

Daniel Craig shines in Queer, an unapologetic tale of love and loss

Photo courtesy of A24

Drew Starkey and Daniel Craig in Queer.

As recently as the late 2010s, if a movie was made about an LGBTQ+ character, it was more than likely about their coming out experience. Romance, if it existed, was typically chaste, and actual sex was almost completely out of the question. Things have changed dramatically in the 2020s, to the point that a major movie star has no issue starring in a film called Queer.

Based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs, the film features William Lee (Daniel Craig), whom everyone calls just Lee, a writer living in 1950s-era Mexico City who spends most of his time haunting local bars with friends like fellow writer Joe Guidry (Jason Schwartzman) and hitting on younger men. His early interactions in the film seem to indicate that Lee has a bad reputation within the local gay community, as multiple people avoid him or give him odd looks.

Lee senses an opportunity when he encounters a newcomer, Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). Despite some awkward interactions, the two of them start spending time together, although Lee has much more invested in the relationship than Eugene does. Their hit-and-miss bond continues until Lee, who’s starting to get into drugs in addition to the booze, convinces Eugene to accompany him on a trip to South America.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes (making their second straight film together after Challengers), early on the film seems to be mostly about the divide between an older person who’s grown comfortable in his ways and a younger person who’s living a relatively carefree life. The introduction of drugs into the plot changes things, though, with Lee searching out more ways to open his eyes to what the world has to offer.

Guadagnino and his team use some interesting visual storytelling techniques to introduce ideas that may not be present in the actual script. The most successful, demonstrated in multiple scenes, is the superimposition of movements by Lee over what’s actually taking place in the scene. The subtle overlay gives the audience insight into Lee’s true feelings, showing what he can’t or won’t say out loud.

Music also plays a big part in how the plot is perceived, with the use of anachronistic songs from Nirvana and Prince serving to heighten certain moments. The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is not as in-your-face as the one they did for Challengers, but it complements the film well, especially when the plot starts to get trippy in its final half hour.

Craig, who appears sweaty and disheveled for much of the film, is about as far from the suaveness of James Bond as you can get in this role. He takes multiple risks with his performance and almost all of them pay off. Starkey’s character is subdued by comparison, but still comes off well. Schwartzman and Lesley Manville are given showy roles, with both using altered appearances that make them nearly unrecognizable to deliver memorable performances.

Queer is not as accessible as Challengers was storytelling-wise, but the fact that it tells a story about gay men living their lives as they see fit with no interference or questions shows how far the film world has come in a short period of time. It also continues Guadagnino’s streak of making audacious films in a way that few other filmmakers are willing or able to approach.

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Queer is now playing in theaters.

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The Dedicated Playlist

Not your average songs of summer: Ice Cube and Belle and Sebastian both havespots on this list

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Movie Review

Daniel Craig shines in Queer, an unapologetic tale of love and loss

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome
Get Houston intel delivered daily.