Each month, NPR Music assembles a soundtrack of songs that encapsulate the music of the moment. Our friends at eMusic make it possible for you to get the tracks for free. Download this free sampler now at eMusic. This sampler is available for free to U.S. residents only. Offer expires August 23, 2011. You do not have to be an eMusic subscriber to enjoy this sampler. DOWNLOAD NOW AT EMUSIC
Summer music takes on almost as many forms as summer itself: There’s music for the beach, music for sticky nights at home, music to blare through boom boxes on city streets, and on and on. Consequently, a July-themed playlist can spread out in virtually every direction: We simulate a hazy night at the beach with the shimmering electronic sounds of Washed Out, while the boom box gets a workout with a vintage track from A Tribe Called Quest (subject of a new documentary), Brazil’s psych-rock scene spawns a summer-friendly gem from the late Lula Cortes, and dust-caked rural America gets a timeless reboot with the help of Pokey LaFarge. Naturally, July events inspired some of our choices — this year’s Latin American Music Conference featured the sweet style of Guatemalan-born Gaby Moreno, for example — and a few of our selections just happened to have new records out in the worlds of dance-pop (Little Dragon), worldly party jams (Watcha Clan), electronica (Brian Eno, Amon Tobin) and roots music (Amy LaVere). Tell us about the music that will make you remember July 2011 in the comments section. What’s your summer song?