Indian Summer

Date

July 27, 2011

Miracler

Laura Compton

Location

San Francisco

When last we heard from Ms. Compton,

She was delighting our fashion-loving ears with her April 2011 Bonus Mix, Try Me On, I'm Very You. An audience fave, it inspired comments such as, "Can one 'strut' whilst ironing? One can, and I did. Love this mix, love the theme. This week I'll be strutting whilst cleaning out my closet," "Really rollicking—a true pleasure through and through," "I'm not a Zooey guy. Well, that's a lie—every guy kinda is, right? It kinda bugs me that she sings in every one of her movies, but this song fills me with forgiveness. Thanks," "That Amanda Blank has wormed its way into the depths of my unconscious, through the glutes, natch! Thanks for such a peppy mix!", "Count me first in line if you ever need someone to carry your bags for Fashion Week," "Thanks for the reminder that before she was a train wreck, Courtney Love was in a darn good band," "Dahlink, this is loads of crazy fu stuff. I volunteer to be your Birkin Lacky next year!" and "I am more beautiful when I listen to this." If Fashion Week was Laura's muse, she was ours that week.

Ms. Compton also brought us past mixes such as the moody late-2009 holiday crowd-pleaser Blue December, and the decidedly more upbeat I'm In Love with That Song from the summer of '09.

What does today bring us? Liner notes, in Laura's words:

Here's my take on a summer mix: songs with a lazy, hazy, moody, sticky, melancholia or mood-enhancing qualities. Even though the Bay Area summer won't emerge fully till September, I like to take full advantage of each 80-degree-plus day that comes my way until then, even if it means getting out of the city to find them.

Lost in the Sun -- Ivy. A new single at long last from the pop perfectionists.

Breeze -- Lush. Why can't they hit the reunion trail?

Got to be Real -- Cheryl Lynn. An instant mood booster, and I love the way they used it in the "Sex and the City" episode in which Carrie modeled.

1,000 Years -- Corin Tucker Band. I've been wanting to work in some songs from this solo effort from former Sleater-Kinney frontwoman Corin Tucker ever since it came out last year. Even though she has said the song is about missing her husband when he's away on work, I like to think that the lyrics "With each song, I get closer/With each note, I return" also refer to making music again after an absence of several years.

All the Photos -- The Sea and Cake. Just pure loveliness that puts me in a celebratory, summer frame of mind all year around.

Indian Summer -- Dean & Britta. Luna also covered Beat Happening's "Indian Summer," which is a tribute to bygone landmarks in Olympia, but I found I didn't have either version to include, and got hooked on this one in the mean time.

Pumped Up Kicks -- Foster the People. Favorite single of the summer, hands-down. First heard it on KFOG and was hooked. They'll be playing Outside Lands on Aug. 12.

Paris Train -- Beth Orton. Love the lush, epic scope of this song.

The Long Goodbye -- Forget Adele; what about A Girl Called Eddy? OK, so Erin Moran is actually from New Jersey, but now lives in England. Unfortunately all we've got is this 2004 record that Richard Hawley helped out on. But San Franciscans continue to weigh in on her MySpace (!) page, begging for more.

Tennessee Sucks -- Ryan Adams. One of Adams' place-based odes ("Dear Chicago," "My Blue Manhattan"). I've never been to Tennessee, yet I feel like I'm there while listening to this song

Chuck E's In Love -- Rickie Lee Jones. Trivia: RLJ was a student of my dad's at North Thurston High School in Lacey, Wash. He remembers her as kind of a stoner and prone to absences in English class, but passionate about Drama.

Brand New Sun -- Jason Lytle. It was a toss-up between this song and "Summer ... It's Gone."

Mix is up. Listen and comment. And then comment on others. Cuz that's the deal. See you back here or on our members-only Facebook page.

Until next week,

XOK