Our world feels increasingly digital.\u00a0It happened slowly and then all at once, as these things often do.\u00a0It can be hard to imagine spending even a day without exposing yourself to blue light-drenched screens.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everything from friendships to dating to entertainment to even school\u00a0has\u00a0migrated to online spaces in recent years, substituting the purity of face-to-face interactions\u00a0(and\u00a0all of\u00a0the messiness they entail)\u00a0with\u00a0plasticky,\u00a0mediated experiences.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0to say nothing of the burgeoning AI superorganism rapidly consuming, and\u00a0chaotically regurgitating,\u00a0all of\u00a0human experience.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
So, when Bella and I set out to\u00a0come up with\u00a0a theme for Voice of San Diego\u2019s inaugural summer playlist, the\u00a0answer\u00a0seemed clear: \u201cIRL Summer.\u201d\u00a0(For those of you behind our linguistic time, \u201cIRL\u201d is shorthand for \u201cin real life.\u201d)\u00a0<\/p>\n
For us, the phrase is\u00a0something of a mantra.\u00a0After all, what\u00a0could\u00a0represent\u00a0a more glorious rebellion against\u00a0the digital\u00a0hegemony than an open-hearted lurch toward the physical world?\u00a0<\/p>\n
It represents the desire to deepen human connection, to get out and experience all of the embraces and elbows of what the natural\u00a0and human\u00a0worlds\u00a0have\u00a0to offer: late nights making illegal beach bonfires with\u00a0friends, sweaty karaoke sessions in\u00a0cramped\u00a0living rooms\u00a0and\u00a0first kisses in front of the bar\u00a0in\u00a0the warm, summer night.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Luckily for us,\u00a0we\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0have to do this alone. You, our glorious readers,\u00a0submitted\u00a0far more songs than we could ever include \u2013 and most of them were\u00a0pretty good.\u00a0We even included some of the rationales you\u00a0submitted\u00a0for individual songs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
We are also happy to announce that\u00a0all\u00a0the songs below are by local\u00a0artists, or\u00a0have a strong San Diego connection.<\/p>\n
So, with that we present\u00a0Voice\u2019s\u00a0first ever\u00a0Summer\u00a0playlist.\u00a0Hope\u00a0you dig it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The playlist can be streamed on Spotify<\/a>, Apple Music<\/a> and Youtube<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tijuana\u00a0No!,\u00a0\u201cNadie Dijo Nada<\/a>\u201d\u00a0\u201cThis song makes me\u00a0wanna\u00a0be pushed around in a mosh\u00a0pit,\u201d \u2013 Bella\u00a0<\/p>\n Ass Pocket Whiskey Fellas, \u201cI P A<\/a>\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Leisure Twins, \u201cHeaven and Ocean<\/a>\u201d\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0synthy and\u00a0simply\u00a0about love! Perfect for rolling down the windows and driving Coast Highway!\u201d \u2013 Asper\u00a0<\/p>\n The Sols, \u201cCrumb Queen<\/a>\u201d\u00a0\u201cThe Sols are the summer-iest\u00a0band out of SD and a rowdy song like\u00a0\u2018Crumb Queen\u2019\u00a0makes you\u00a0wanna\u00a0be outside!!\u201d \u2013\u00a0Renee\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Blink-182, \u201cJosie<\/a>\u201d\u00a0\u201cSombrero Mexican Food,\u201d \u2013 Bruce\u00a0<\/p>\n Three Mile\u00a0Pilot, \u201cPlanets<\/a>\u201d\u00a0\u201cThis song is such a god damn classic, absolutely love it. Great Summer song,\u00a0kind of sad\u00a0but chill vibe,\u201d \u2013 Leo\u00a0<\/p>\n Creature Canyon, \u201cAmerican Movie<\/a>\u201d\u00a0\u201c\u2018American Movie\u2019\u00a0by 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,\u201d \u2013 Marilyn\u00a0<\/p>\n The Band Cope, \u201cPretty Boy<\/a>\u201d\u00a0\u201cThis song has\u00a0\u2018song\u00a0of the summer\u2019\u00a0energy. Sportscars, walking dogs, wilderness camps. Need I say more?\u201d \u2013 Jordan\u00a0<\/p>\n Lil Rob, \u201cSummer Nights<\/a>\u201d\u00a0\u201cThere\u2019s\u00a0something so uniquely magical about feeling the warm breeze on a summer night. To me,\u00a0this song encapsulates the way that breeze feels on my skin,\u201d \u2013 Ciara\u00a0<\/p>\n Sonido de la Frontera, \u201cCumbia Pacifica del Mar<\/a>,\u201d\u00a0\u201c[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!\u201d \u2013 Victoria\u00a0<\/p>\n Mrs. Magician, \u201cThe Spells<\/a>\u201c \u201cThis song is dripping with seawater and wrapped in kelp,\u201d \u2013 Josh\u00a0<\/p>\n Frog God, \u201cFrog God Slide<\/a>\u201d\u00a0\u201cThis is the dance craze sweeping across every swamp, pond, and\u00a0lil\u00a0body of water! The\u00a0\u2018Frog God Slide\u2019\u00a0is about nothing more than getting your people together, leaving the stuffy seriousness at home, and dancing with your amphibious friends,\u201d \u2013 Harry<\/p>\n Poor Thing, \u201cPatchwork Sky<\/a>\u201d\u00a0\u201cMellow dream pop that makes you want to drive by the ocean with the windows down during a summer sunset,\u201d \u2013 Rochelle<\/p>\n The Midnight Pine, \u201cVice<\/a>\u201c<\/p>\n Slow Coast & The Cabriolets, \u201cBetter Weather<\/a>\u201c \u201cBetter Weather\u201d 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\u2019s earned their summer this year. It\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, \u201cLas Olas<\/a>\u201c<\/p>\n