SummerSlam, aside from consistently being one of the most watched WWE pay-per-views every year, may also be used to describe the onslaught of new music coming from the indie rock and pop world this season. Everyone from Lana Del Rey to MGMT has a new record slated for a summer release, and while other music sites may feel inundated, Rock Genius in fact thrives off of new tunes. This week, we are happy to give you a little insight into the latest tracks from artists spanning the genres of alternative rock, pop, and psychedelic rock. Need we say more?
-- Squanto
5. The 1975 - "Chocolate" "Now we run run away from the boys in the blue/
And my car smells like chocolate/ " The 1975 vocalist Matthew Healy details the pot-fueled s**capades of himself and his lover, as they flee from the cops in "Chocolate." Within the context of this song, “Chocolate” refers to weed (specifically either hashish or a strain called “Chocolate Thai”). Listeners may either feel waves of nostalgia or the urge to rebel à la Healy (depending on the listener's age), as he and his lover continue with their nefarious joy ride, in typical Bonnie and Clyde fashion.
4. Franz Ferdinand - "Right Action" "Come home, practically all is nearly forgiven/
Right thoughts, right words, right action/
Almost everything could be forgotten/ " In the opening lines of "Right Action", vocalist Alex Kapranos is probably comparing the unconditional love in his romantic life to the unconditional love and forgiveness preached by Christians. This imagery might serve to put his lover on a pedestal, displaying her as a sort of almost all-forgiving Christ figure. However the use of “hedging” terms like practically and nearly give the impression that not everything in Kapranos's life is peachy. Nothing a little make-up s** can't fix…right?
3. MGMT - "Your Life is a Lie" "Here's the view, over the rocks/
Your life is a lie/
Don't say a word, I'll tell you why/
Keep living the lie/" Wake up, work your 9-5 job, go home, watch your TV shows, then go to bed. This, unfortunately, is the daily routine of most Americans. MGMT laments this, stating that this brand of droning conformity simply results in people waiting to die, not really living their life to the fullest. As you probably guessed, MGMT couldn't care less about a nice view and financial security. The far-out psych rockers are more concerned with astral projections and higher powers.
2. Lana Del Rey - "Beautiful Player" "You make me coo coo like a turtle dove/
So hot that I can't get enough, enough of you/
Hit me and it felt like a kiss/
You know it hurt so good, when you do me like this/" Pop's favorite submissive finds herself in a peculiar situation, yet again. Lana finds her man so appealing that any form of physical contact with him is pleasurable to her, even if he strikes her. This sadism is placed against a Los Angeles backdrop and pairs well with ecstasy pills and champagne. It is also fairly reminiscent of Britney's golden days, a fact with which we absolutely have no issue.
1. Pixies - "Bagboy" "Like when I hear the sound of the feet slapping on the runway/
Like a small bird pretty while it's crapping on the new day/
Cover your breath, polish your speech/" Although this summer we saw founding Pixies member Kim Deal depart from the legendary alt-rock group, the band seems to not be slowing down whatsoever. Frontman Francis Black details his affection for a perfectly imperfect girl in "Bagboy," praising her clumsiness, bad breath, and her ability to sh** on your day if she feels like it. A new take on the typical love song, Black seems to be less concerned with flawlessness than he is with grimy primitivism, as can be seen in his…potent..imagery.