So as spring turns to summer, we change our dress, we spend more time outside and we take like a little bit slower (hopefully). Summertime music is very different than other seasons. With the change in our regular activities focused on spending time outside, the music we listen might be more chilled, ambient, less intrusive, fun and bright. Our friends at See The Leaves SF, who kindly made a summertime mixtape for us (see below), described summertime music as anything 90s hip hop. While we agree, we’d like to suggest a few other tracks, while also including some of the submissions of our friends and fans.

For us the gamete spans hip hop (for sure), some pop (oh how I adore Weezer’s “Island in The Sun”) and mellowed electronic. Some highlights:

Groove Armada: “At The River”

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Shout Out Louds: “My Friend and The Ink on His Fingers”

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Zero 7: “Destiny”

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Mos Def: “Leavin’ On A Jet Plane”

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Pete Rock & CL Smooth “Take You There” (9th Wonder Remix)

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Some of our friends and fans suggested these tracks:

See the Leaves
The Roots “Lazy Afternoon”

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Jess (Fluffoh)
The Dove Shack: “Summertime In The LBC”

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MetroJolt
Phantogram “As Far As I Can See”

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Loud Silence
Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff: “Summertime 98″ (Soul Power Remix)

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Heather (Heathered_SF)
Masters of The Hemisphere: “Summertime”

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_AllmyFriends_
Real Boys of Guatemala: “Vacation 2″

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Thanks to See the Leaves we got this nice present, A West Coast Summer Jam Mixtape: