As summer comes to a close, we here at 88.7 KTRM thought it’d be appropriate to gather some of the songs that got us through this turbulent time of year. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, it can’t be denied that our staff members have some impeccable taste. Below are just a few of the highlights from the playlist and what our staff members had to say about their individual song selections.
“Ringtone (Remix)” – 100 Gecs featuring Charli XCX, Rico Nasty and Kero Kero Bonito
“Although this song was released in March, it has such a fun and upbeat vibe that definitely helped me stay positive during the summer. The energy that Charli, Rico and Kero Kero Bonito give to the song make it even better than the original.” – Evelyn Opper
“June” – Spock’s Beard
“A jubilant celebration of life that masks the pining we feel about lost time, ‘June’ nicely encapsulates the myriad of emotions that one often goes through at the end of the summer. You can view it as a deep, philosophical work of art that questions the human experience or a goofy campfire singalong by an utterly pretentious prog rock band in their late 30s.” – Connor Shelton
“Gimme Love” – Joji
“This song is honestly just a really fun, upbeat song that I always love to jam out to in my car. Overall, for me, it’s just a fun, catchy song. A lot of good memories I made this summer were spent driving around and listening to this song.” – Baylee Franklin
“This song is an absolute banger. It aces the small jam session feel with bells, stomping, clapping and spoken vocals overlapping lyrics. The jamming instrumentation paired with the lyrics relay the message of spreading happiness.” – Sara Klamm
“It has truly been a cruel summer … ’nuff said.” – Sam Tillman
“I chose this song because I listened to it a ton this summer. It reminds me of walking to the empty field in my neighborhood to steal wildflowers. Its lyrics are a little sad but mostly hopeful about the prospect of being alone. It feels like blue skies dotted with clouds and leaves covered in sun. It makes me really happy.” – Kim Ramos
“Anthems” – Charli XCX
“This song is about the things we missed due to COVID-19. It really shows the feelings that one has during quarantine. This song is off her quarantine album so it’s made for this time.” – Ryan Burch
“Summersong” – The Decemberists
“This is a song about a summer relationship that slips away with the season. It’s a melancholy tale about a relationship that is as brief but beautiful as the summer itself.” – Savannah Kluesner
“This song reminds me of walking down gravel alleyways to see my friends in an empty Kirksville. While I didn’t get to do much of that last summer with COVID, this song made me feel less alone on summer walks by myself.” – Lesley Huack
Here’s the full playlist! Be sure to give a listen and feel free to share it with as many people as you’d like.