Slit skirts, Jeannie never wears those slit skirts...

This summer, like every summer, my playlists always include songs from every decade and genre. But honestly, I'm not listening to anything really original this year. "Slit skirts,"  like "The Boys are Back in Town," never fails to remind me of the many summers I spent in a small town in New Hampshire with boys who liked to break the rules and had a strong loyalty to rock. But then we all grew up and moved away.

I've attended a couple of concerts recently, including The Appleseed Cast, Of Montreal, and Chris Thile & Michael Daves. The Appleseed Cast continues to be one of my favorite bands, but their last show at the Middle East was poor. Granted, if was a Wednesday night, but their whole set lasted less than 45 minutes.

Less than a month later, I was watching Chris Thile and Michael Daves entertain a small crowd for more than two hours. What a difference! And what fun. I'll definitely buy tickets next time they are in Boston.

Also, funny story about the Of Montreal concert. The band ended the show by playing "My Country 'Tis of Thee" on the fiddle. Well, while the song was playing and everyone was singing along, I read a text message on the phone of the girl standing in front of me. The message read "Bin Laden is dead!" Now, I wasn't one of the people who posted all sorts of pro-American slogans over social media outlets the day after Bin Laden was killed, but it was surreal to attend an concert with a strong pro-American theme and learn of Bin Laden's death while standing in the center of a crowd of patriots.

So, my recent CD purchases include (remember, nothing earth-shattering here):

Obvious purchase, right? But I cried when I first heard "Calgary" on All Songs Considered. It's that beautiful. And I was at work, but thankfully, no one saw.

Another obvious purchase. This album is the ultimate summer song collection, and I love the various themes that appear after you listen to the CD several times. This is a solid sophomore effort for them, and it's going to stay in my CD changer until September.

I loved this CD last year, and I love it this year. It's perfect for summer. Every song on this CD is clever and creative, and with a driving tempo that expresses exactly how I feel on long, hazy summer days. 

Finally, I purchased this album after hearing three of the songs on the radio. Despite the rave reviews I heard from multiple DJs, I am really not a huge fan of the whole CD. Some of the songs are forgettable, while others remind me of the songs I listen to when I shop at Salvation Army or CVS. Not horrible, but not worth sharing with anyone else.

So, other bands of note: The Head and the Heart's song "Lost in My Mind" has a great summer feel to it, as do songs by David Wax Museum. I find myself singing those songs throughout the day. Oh, and Seth Glier's song "Lauralee" is great. And not just because I like songs featuring my name. And also want to mention Hey Mama's "The Most." If you haven't heard it yet, you'll love it.