song of the summer

Song of the Summer: Fist-Pump Rock

These days the rock charts are dominated by angst-ridden vestiges of nu-metal with names like Theory of a Deadman, so finding sing-along songs can be a problem. They’re out there, though, tucked into the far reaches of the rock universe, and turned in by haircut-emo bands, retro-minded indie-rockers, and industry dinosaurs alike. What songs can you rock a furious air guitar to all summer long? Five contenders below.

The Hold Steady, “Hurricane Jâ€
It’s officially impossible for the Hold Steady to top “Constructive Summer†as far as seasonally appropriate anthems go, but “Hurricane J†— a sad story of a boozy summer wasted down at the harbor — is a commendable effort. And why aren’t they on the indie-rock SOTS list? Because we ain’t hearing no delicate four-part harmonies on this thing.

Paramore, “Carefulâ€
Not quite the heights of “Misery Business,†but Paramore’s upcoming single “Careful†does go hard from the drop. A nice, frantic bedrock for Hayley Williams to dramatically raise her voice over.

Stone Temple Pilots, “Between the Linesâ€
Hey, did you know Stone Temple Pilots reunited? Well, they have, and they’ve done it to directly confront the world’s startling dearth of cock rock. Take it away, Scott Weiland: “You always were my drug/even when we used to take drugs.†Also, guitar solo!

The Maine, “Growing Upâ€
We’re in guilty-pleasure field now, but the sappy nostalgia number from these Warped Tour vets knows exactly what it’s doing. By the time the slow-burn acoustic riff segues into the Maine’s anorexic take on a Springsteen chorus, you’ll have already given in.

OneRepublic, “Secretsâ€
“All the Right Moves†isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but OneRepublic’s follow-up single could make some noise, too. Kelly Clarkson’s not going to be happy about this.


Previously
:
Song of the Summer: Crossover Country
Song of the Summer: Steamroll Pop
Song of the Summer: Car-Stereo Hip-Hop
Song of the Summer: The Search Begins!

Song of the Summer: Fist-Pump Rock

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