Summer always has a soundtrack. Music just goes so well with warm, lazy days. There are endless options to listen to, but you might find some new favorites on our best albums for summer list.

10. Daft Punk-Random Access Memories: I almost hate this record as much as I love it, and that’s precisely the reason why…it’s so infectious and addictive that it doesn’t really even give me a choice but to add it the list of best albums for summer listening. My hips decided for me…which I suppose is ultimately a pretty good thing. This French housey-disco music makes it feel like the ’70s never left. So, turn off your iPhone, your computer and crank it up for a day of gardening or a night of partying…making it truly an ultimate summer album.

9. David Bowie-The Next Day: Maybe it’s that David Bowie is pretty much the coolest guy ever, or, he just makes really good music. Whatever the reason, groove some of The Next Day for an ’80s flashback/and futuristic flash forward like only Mr. Stardust can. Instant classics include”The Stars (Are Out Tonight)”, “Boss of Me”, and “(You Will) Set the World on Fire.”

8. Sigur Ros-Kveikur: Iceland’s other music claim to fame is the post-rock quintet, Sigur Ros. Their unique sound has been earning them scores of fans for nearly two decades. And Kveikur does not disappoint. While not much of a departure from their billowy, Pink Floyd-esque hazy sounds on records past, anything deviating too much from that would be painfully awkward. This is what Sunday mornings in summer were meant for.

7. Shannon and the Clams- Dreams in the Rat House: Ever watch one of those summer beach movies from the ’50s? It doesn’t matter if you have, really. Shannon and Clams have recreated it for you on Dreams in the Rat House. Their surfer rock sound is eerily reminiscent of that bygone era. Take to any beach, put on an itsy-bitsy-teenie-weenie-yellow-polka-dot-bikini and wait for your time machine to arrive.

6. Jon Hopkins-Immunity: Modern summers and electronica seem to go hand in hand. And while dubstep may be a bit more appropriate for the dance floor or festival circuit, Hopkins’ ambient Immunity fits everywhere else. Light, layered beats are as addictive as they are gentle. It’s a backdrop, yes, but a most essential one.

5. Fat Freddy’s Drop-Blackbird: New Zealand’s grooviest export, Fat Freddy’s Drop, has been making international waves for years. And their latest offering, Blackbird, is no exception. Singer Joe Dukie’s soothing voice and the reggae-inspired beats are a perfect remedy for any “boring” summer day. Drift away to the title track, “Silver & Gold” and “Never Moving.” And make it a summer to-do to familiarize yourself with their previous albums as well. It’s all about context, here.

4. The National-Trouble Will Find Me: I’ve gone back and forth about whether or not The National actually suck. Before this album, it was one more in the suck column, but as to be expected whenever they release new music, I’ve toggled back to the other side. Trouble Will Find Me sounds like they’ve finally figured out whatever it is has given them so much trouble in the past…No wonder that’s the record’s name. “Demons”, “Fireproof”, “This is the Last Time” are just some of the standouts. But you really can’t go wrong with any track here. It’s perfect sunset sounds.

3. Atoms for Peace–Amok: Would any of us really be surprised if Thom Yorke of Radiohead eventually admitted he’s actually an alien from another planet? He can’t even disguise this with monikers like Atoms for Peace, a side project with the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Flea and musicians who’ve played with both the Peppers and Radiohead. Appropriately, the record is peppered with Radiohead’s spacey sounds and Flea’s spicy bass workings and beats to boot. It fails to disappoint on any level. Hit play. And then, repeat.

2. Savages-Silence Yourself: I can’t get enough of this debut record from the London-based post-punk quartet. The screechy, droning guitars and Jehnny Beth’s haunting vocals have become a soundtrack. The tempo moves from almost poppy to dirgeful…always making it an appropriate record no matter what the occasion. Must listen: “Husbands”, “I am Here”, “She Will.”

1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds-Push the Sky Away: If you’re not familiar with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, let this summer be your intro period to the prolific Aussies. While they’re best known for dark and moody music you’d find more appropriate in the dead of winter, there’s something fitting about this record in summer, too. “Jubilee Street” and “Higgs Boson Blues” both seem to make sense for the warm summer sun, and the title track is perfect for a quiet night under the stars.

And what would summer be without a favorite classic? Although it might seem impossible that 20 years have passed, who can forget 1993’s Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream? It’s as good now as it was then. Remember?




Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Image: Daniela Vladimirova

The post 2013’s Best Albums for Summer Listening appeared first on EcoSalon.

While all the hubbub around Seth McFarlane’s Oscar homage to sexism was bouncing around the country, I experienced another side of men here in Los Angeles—one I’m willing to call the return of the Sacred Masculine.

I’ve been calling it the best men-are-awesome ten days ever: Overlapping the Oscars, I attended events featuring four of the most compelling, artistic men of modernity: First was an epic performance by Tomahawk fronted by former Faith No More lead singer Mike Patton. He’s known for his ability to switch from operatic, ballady vocals to insane sounding shouts, raps, and indescribably strange noises. He’s both extremely playful and deadly serious, and 100 percent wow-worthy. Second, was the album release concert for the new Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds record, Push the Sky Away. Like Patton, Cave is a master at showcasing his vulnerability. He also rears a slightly terrifying side, screaming, wailing, arms waving. It’s fantastic, thrilling and some of the most life-changing music I’ve ever experienced. The third event was the sixth time I’ve seen composer/DJ Amon Tobin perform. His shy persona (we met in the lobby) seems to perfectly balance his output of the boldest and most creative electronic music being made today. Tobin seems to be writing a new language—one that reaches beyond Earth’s boundaries. And, speaking of aliens, the last event in those ten-days of men-are-awesome was my first viewing of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 on the big screen at LACMA (I’ve seen it a dozen times on TVs, and it’s a totally different experience). Kubrick may have been a jerk to work with, but he was a most serious artist, with sensitivities and aesthetics unrivaled to this day.

We hear a lot about women’s rights, the goddess movement and the return of the Sacred Feminine. While bra-burning Steinem days may be long gone, we ladies still have our battles to fight as we struggle to make as much money as our testicled counterparts, or thwart unnecessary objectification and violence while still honoring what it means to be a woman responsible for bringing human life to this planet and nurturing it into self-sufficiency. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg is picking up quite a bit of slack for her Lean In campaign and new book urging women to claim our rightful place in the mix. Women who speak up are often called bossy and bitchy, she said in her recent 60 Minutes interview, while men who demonstrate the same behaviors are hailed as leaders. Modern women are expected to earn our keep but still be submissive and sexy, virtually all the time. Yes, clearly, there is much to work out; and whether the return of the Sacred Feminine is underway or not, doesn’t it seem just as important, if not more so, that we look to encourage the return of Sacred Masculine as well if anything’s really going to change?

I’ll admit it: I laughed at McFarlane’s “We Saw Your Boobs” song. I liked that it was racy, and thought it was challenging the uptightness of the Oscars more than it was offensive. Besides, eventually, most everything is going to offend somebody. And McFarlane was simply illustrating the sad truth of where we’re at as a nation, a culture, a species. Of course we saw boobs…we always see boobs. Every so often (please, God, how about more of the “often” part?), we see Daniel Craig’s ass, too. During Django Unchained, when Jamie Foxx’s character is captured and hanging naked upside down, I seriously, embarrassingly, turned to my partner (who works in Hollywood art departments) and asked him if that was, in fact, Jamie Foxx’s actual penis. It seemed impossible to me that a man would show himself in that way.

And that really got me thinking.

Not only do women regularly take it all off on the screen, but we most often do it alone, especially if there’s a man in the scene. That sounds less like sexism on the part of men and more like an expression of their sheer terror and fear, perhaps even a little bit of jealousy. Not necessarily from the actors or filmmakers, but from the male audience in general who eschew seeing other naked men, mostly because that’s what they’ve been taught. I’m not saying we don’t objectify and mistreat women (we certainly do) as a result of the frequent nakedness (or in spite of it), but there is another problem we don’t talk about nearly as often, and that’s just how traumatized our collective image of men is.

Whether or not a man has been circumcised, millions and millions are and have been throughout history, and that has greatly shaped how our society–and men–view the world and their place in it. Circumcision is a traumatic, unnecessary genital mutilation that if we did it when they were just a few months older, would be considered a horrific, punishable crime. It scars, desensitizes and sometimes even severely damages the penis. But we do it anyway. We don’t talk much about it. We certainly don’t apologize for it. The effects of sexual trauma, as we know from the countless childhood molestation and rape cases, can last a lifetime. It can distort relationships with the opposite sex. It can cause resentment, fear and dozens of other emotional issues not uncommon in our world today. Men need to talk about this, heal from this and hopefully help stop it for future generations.

Of course, circumcision is not the only cause for modern man’s awkwardness and lack of sensitivity, but it’s a damn good place to start looking at how to heal these issues our men face. Like Patton, Cave, Tobin and Kubrick, some men channel the male awkwardness into art. They confront what masculinity means directly, looking at it through the lens of creativity rather than the muddled goggles of society’s acceptable definitions. Men coming to grips with their fears and vulnerabilities become stronger, not weaker. Surrender is acknowledging what you can and cannot change. And art is one of the best ways to explore and even transcend that.

Who is the Sacred Masculine? I’m not exactly sure. We can stereotype him as a New-Agey pony-tailed man who’s not afraid to cry or eat tofu. But, come on. Men don’t have to give up being men (but giving up meat’s not a bad choice) any more than a woman has to give up her bra. We don’t need to revert to archaic definitions of genders; we are evolving and creating a new tribe, new ways of honoring and expressing ourselves. It requires rethinking, redefining and re-experiencing who we are as both men and women and everyone else in between. Like Nick Cave sings on the title track of the new record:

And if you feel you got everything you came for
If you got everything and you don’t want no more
You’ve got it, just keep on pushing and, keep on pushing and
Push the sky away

Sexism is, and always has been, a two-way street. The definitions our society puts on our gender roles can only be rewritten if we look at the masculine as well as the feminine–and just how similar they really are, both in their most magnificent glory and constricting oppression.

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Image: MiiiSH

The post The Other Side of Sexism and the Return of The Sacred Masculine appeared first on EcoSalon.