Are you in?

Nothing embodies the best bits of summer like the Fourth of July (beach weather, watermelon, bbqs, leisure time with friends and family, fireworks, more watermelon, an open-ended allowance for guilt-free consumption of fried foods, etc.), and to kick things off in the seasonal spirit, here's a collection of my current summer dalliances.

Song:

Bombay Bicycle Club - Shuffle by Bombay Bicycle Club

Because it's upbeat and urgent and fun.

Video:



Mates of State bring a little VHS retro to the video for their new single "Maracas." Look for their new album Mountaintops in September.

Show:

Because Catching Up On Shows I Should've Been Watching During The Regular Season is one of my favorite summer past times.

Food:

I mean, obviously.

Drink:

If it's good enough for Hillary, it's good enough for me.

Book:

Back to a gothic 1920's Barcelona with the author of The Shadow of the Wind? Yeah, okay.

Look:

I'm about as far removed as you can be from a purveyor of fashion or style sensibilities, but I'm particularly digging The Hundreds' latest collaboration with iconic surf apparel company Katin. Summer nostalgia goes hand in hand with California surf culture for me.

Timesuck:

Animals being dicks. The title pretty much sums it up.

Be well, my friends. Looking forward to another stretch of sunny skies and endless afternoons.

Hello, Summer. Why don't you stay awhile?

Perhaps I knew her long ago