Our world feels increasingly digital. It happened slowly and then all at once, as these things often do. It can be hard to imagine spending even a day without exposing yourself to blue light-drenched screens.
Everything from friendships to dating to entertainment to even school has migrated to online spaces in recent years, substituting the purity of face-to-face interactions (and all of the messiness they entail) with plasticky, mediated experiences. That’s to say nothing of the burgeoning AI superorganism rapidly consuming, and chaotically regurgitating, all of human experience.
So, when Bella and I set out to come up with a theme for Voice of San Diego’s inaugural summer playlist, the answer seemed clear: “IRL Summer.” (For those of you behind our linguistic time, “IRL” is shorthand for “in real life.”)
For us, the phrase is something of a mantra. After all, what could represent a more glorious rebellion against the digital hegemony than an open-hearted lurch toward the physical world?
It represents the desire to deepen human connection, to get out and experience all of the embraces and elbows of what the natural and human worlds have to offer: late nights making illegal beach bonfires with friends, sweaty karaoke sessions in cramped living rooms and first kisses in front of the bar in the warm, summer night.
Luckily for us, we didn’t have to do this alone. You, our glorious readers, submitted far more songs than we could ever include – and most of them were pretty good. We even included some of the rationales you submitted for individual songs.
We are also happy to announce that all the songs below are by local artists, or have a strong San Diego connection.
So, with that we present Voice’s first ever Summer playlist. Hope you dig it.
The playlist can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music and Youtube.
Tijuana No!, “Nadie Dijo Nada” “This song makes me wanna be pushed around in a mosh pit,” – Bella
Ass Pocket Whiskey Fellas, “I P A”
Leisure Twins, “Heaven and Ocean” “It’s synthy and simply about love! Perfect for rolling down the windows and driving Coast Highway!” – Asper
The Sols, “Crumb Queen” “The Sols are the summer-iest band out of SD and a rowdy song like ‘Crumb Queen’ makes you wanna be outside!!” – Renee
Blink-182, “Josie” “Sombrero Mexican Food,” – Bruce
Three Mile Pilot, “Planets” “This song is such a god damn classic, absolutely love it. Great Summer song, kind of sad but chill vibe,” – Leo
Creature Canyon, “American Movie” “‘American Movie’ by San Diego indie-rock band Creature Canyon perfectly captures the carefree, cinematic feeling of summer, long drives, warm nights and being fully present in the moment,” – Marilyn
The Band Cope, “Pretty Boy” “This song has ‘song of the summer’ energy. Sportscars, walking dogs, wilderness camps. Need I say more?” – Jordan
Lil Rob, “Summer Nights” “There’s something so uniquely magical about feeling the warm breeze on a summer night. To me, this song encapsulates the way that breeze feels on my skin,” – Ciara
Sonido de la Frontera, “Cumbia Pacifica del Mar,” “[Stefan from SNL voice] Cumbia Pacifica Del Mar by Sonido de la Frontera has everything: summer cumbia vibes, San Diego and Tijuana shout-outs, and talented local artists!” – Victoria
Mrs. Magician, “The Spells“ “This song is dripping with seawater and wrapped in kelp,” – Josh
Frog God, “Frog God Slide” “This is the dance craze sweeping across every swamp, pond, and lil body of water! The ‘Frog God Slide’ is about nothing more than getting your people together, leaving the stuffy seriousness at home, and dancing with your amphibious friends,” – Harry
Poor Thing, “Patchwork Sky” “Mellow dream pop that makes you want to drive by the ocean with the windows down during a summer sunset,” – Rochelle
The Midnight Pine, “Vice“
Slow Coast & The Cabriolets, “Better Weather“ “Better Weather” by The Cabriolets is about holding on through the storm while waiting for the sun to break through, which makes it the perfect scene setter for anyone who’s earned their summer this year. It’s a reminder that the best part of getting outside and living in the moment is what you find on the other side of a hard season.”
The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, “Las Olas“
Wavves, “So Bored” “This album came out shortly after I graduated high school and was the soundtrack to so many good – and so many more bad – decisions. More than anything, it still feels like those reckless teenage summers I spent not caring about whatever was coming next,” – Jakob
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