I'm looking for songs

[FelixSH]

Unfortunately, the type of song I'm looking for is extremely vague. I can only describe it as "feels like a summer night", warm, relaxing and calm. I also can only offer three examples:

Firefly (Owl City)
Denkmal (Wir sind Helden)
Rebellen der Sonne (Christian Stürmer)

I guess you know the first one, but not the other two (with them being German ones), so I included youtube links. Listening to it, the third one is actually a bit too intense for what I'm looking for, except for the calmer parts.

Can anyone suggest me songs that fit here? I know, I'm very vague, so just throw out what you have.

Probably relevant: The songs need lyrics, it's to me the most essential part of a song. And I need to understand the lyrics, so only songs in English and German, please.

 

[ThornGhost]

What a fun challenge!

I'm gonna throw some darts here. I'm not sure any of them will hit the bullseye, but they might end up on the board somewhere.

Modest Mouse - Float On

David Bowie - Starman

And this one has some Japanese, so it's not exactly what you want, but it's so good:
Hikaru Utada - One Last Kiss

 

[muteKi]

You may be interested in Belle and Sebastian -- they have a lot of that sort of light pop sound to them. Here's something you may like, though the almost krautrock driving percussion in this specific track may give the song more intensity than you want -- let me know how this one hits you:

Your last entry reminds me greatly of Carbon Leaf. Some of their stuff is of a more traditional rock style, but they have lots of lighter, more melancholy tunes that definitely will fit in well with your interest, especially their more acoustic stuff.

A lot of stuff from late post-punk into what we now call adult alternative has a high likelihood of fitting what you're looking for here. U2 and REM definitely have a number of songs that strike me as matching the kind of atmosphere you're looking for.

 

[Ixo]

Oh hey, I know Wir sind Helden mostly from Guten Tag!

To answer the question, Duke Dermott's Ocean Drive and maybe some tunes from St Lucia or Scavenger Hunt?

 

[muteKi]

Oh hey, I know Wir sind Helden mostly from Guten Tag!

For me it's Endlich ein Grund zur Panik from FIFA 08, because of course it is

 

[Behemoth]

Fantastic challenge! Here are my entries (I've realized that most of these may be cheating because they explicitly reference summer, but so be it).

1. Oh Tonight by Adjy

2. Down by The Water by The Drums

3. Oxbow by Waxahatchee

4. A Sweet Summer's Night On Hammer Hill - Jens Lekman

5. Up All Night by Best Coast

6. Retrograde by Maggie Rogers

7. Sonsick by San Fermin

8. Close to Me by The Cure

9. Under Your Spell by Desire

10. All Night by Pure Bathing Culture

 

[FelixSH]

Thanks a lot for all the suggestions. Still need a calm moment to listen to them, but I'll report back, when I did. A lot of them sound very promising, thanks.

Regarding Wir sind Helden: It's a bit of a shame, if one doesn't understand the lyrics. Especially the early stuff, like Guten Tag, has pretty clever wordplay in them. But I'm glad people do like their songs, even without understanding the text. It has always been one of my favourite bands.

 

[FelixSH]

Thanks, again. I found time to listen to the songs. I gave feedback for most of them, and I felt bad every time I had to say that a song didn't work for me. Please don't get this wrong, I appreciate every single suggestion. I just have very specific taste.

Modest Mouse - Float On

I like the melodie, but the singer feels too intense for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSEsMpMxkg4

David Bowie - Starman

The refrain is especially beautiful, but everything about this feels good. Nice one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBKEt3MhNMM

Hikaru Utada - One Last Kiss

Not quite what I'm looking for, mainly due to the way the lyrics are sung not quite fitting (even aside from the language barrier). It IS beautiful, just doesn't hit that feeling. I'll keep it in mind for another time of the year, though.

You may be interested in Belle and Sebastian -- they have a lot of that sort of light pop sound to them. Here's something you may like, though the almost krautrock driving percussion in this specific track may give the song more intensity than you want -- let me know how this one hits you:

I like a lot about it, but it has some parts where it gets more intense than I would like. The calmer parts are wonderful (I mean, the whole song is, just not quite fitting for what I'm interested in now).

I did try the next one suggested by youtube, Nobodys Empire, and that one feels like...floating, I think? It feels so light and like it lifts my soul, or something. Point is, I'll look more into them.

Your last entry reminds me greatly of Carbon Leaf. Some of their stuff is of a more traditional rock style, but they have lots of lighter, more melancholy tunes that definitely will fit in well with your interest, especially their more acoustic stuff.

At the start, I felt too much reminded of Country (I don't understand music genres, it just hit what Country is in my head somewhat), but it soon grew on me. Very nice one.

A lot of stuff from late post-punk into what we now call adult alternative has a high likelihood of fitting what you're looking for here. U2 and REM definitely have a number of songs that strike me as matching the kind of atmosphere you're looking for.

They are popular enough, that I know them, and remember some songs, if I listen to them. With or Without You is wonderful. And REM is the band with Shiny Happy People. Not what I'm looking for, but I still love that song. Imitation of Life is a bit too lifely, I think, at least in the refrain? And feels like it has a bit of a grim undertone?`Another great song, but not quite there.

To answer the question, Duke Dermott's Ocean Drive

That one feels too intense for me. I think it's generally not quite my thing.

St Lucia

Scavenger Hunt

These two have very nice parts, but for most of it, still feel too intense for me. Sorry, but I still appreciate you bringing them to my attention.

Fantastic challenge! Here are my entries (I've realized that most of these may be cheating because they explicitly reference summer, but so be it).

No worries, there is no cheating, I'm happy about every suggestion.

In this case, I only wrote something about the songs that worked for me, elsewise it felt pointlessly nitpicky. Again, thanks for the suggestions.

2. Down by The Water by The Drums

The refrain is a thing of beauty. Strangely, the rest doesn't work quite as well for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvW9E2606Oc

5. Up All Night by Best Coast

This one, though, is perfect from start to finish. It really makes me feel the mood of a summer night, where I'm just
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld81Y6Em3NM

9. Under Your Spell by Desire

I really, really like the music of this one, but it just doesn't contain enough singing for me. Which is a shame, because the music is great, and she sings, it's wonderful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K7rmxjk5RQ

10. All Night by Pure Bathing Culture

Too intense for what I'm looking at the moment, but I like a lot about this one. Will work great, when I'm not trying to dissolve into night air, or whatever feeling that is, I'm trying to experience.

So, thanks for all the songs. If you have any other suggestions, feel free to list them. I will look a bit more into the bands whos songs did work for me, though.

Also, a song that I remembered, and that fits really well for me, is The Game from Echo and the Bunnymen. Still remember how I found it ten years ago, when I watched Donnie Darko for the first and only time, and enjoyed that song at the beginning, The Killing Moon. Then I found The Game, and loved it even more.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Oddtaxi by Skirt and Punpee - I'm a big stan of the show Oddtaxi (what I would call "chill noir" that slowly becomes genuinely tense as it goes on) it originated from but it does feel like a Summer night jam.

Anthem for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl by Broken Social Scene

Listen by Al Green
Soul music feel like it's hot and cool, perfect for a summer night.

You're a Cad by the Bird and the Bee

 

[Exposition Owl]

Hi! Big R.E.M. fan checking in. Here are a few of their songs that might fit the bill:

-You Are The Everything
-The Flowers of Guatemala
-Nightswimming (though that one’s a little melancholy, in a nostalgic kind of way)
-Chorus and the Ring

And some songs from other bands:
-Middle Cyclone, by Neko Case
-Magpie to the Morning, by Neko Case
-The Geese of Beverly Road, by The National
-Gospel, by The National

 

[Ixo]

Don't feel bad about giving honest feedback! Any sort of direction is helpful in narrowing down what you're looking for.

If the Best Coast suggestion nailed it, then inspired by Expo Owl talking about Neko Case, maybe case lang veirs's Atomic Number:

Edit: Oh maybe parts of Kacey Musgraves' Golden Hour album?

 

[4-So]

So We Won't Forget, by Khruangbin (this is one of their only songs with lyrics) (also please note the video is incredible but sad, while the lyrics are open to interpretation)
No One Like You, by Best Coast (from the same album as the song linked above)
Simulation Swarm, by Big Thief (I think this may be slightly tonally different than what you're requesting but it's close)
Rocket Plane (Music On The Moon), by Komeda
Carnival, by The Cardigans (might be too high energy)
Carino, by The Marias (contains both English and Spanish, so it may be a bad fit due to that latter)
Easier Said, by Sunflower Bean (I met this band a few years ago when they opened for Sleigh Bells; lovely folks)
Compelled, by Land of Talk
Sunny Road, by Emiliana Torrini
Fade Into You, by Mazzy Star
Halah, by Mazzy Star


If you like Echo and the Bunnymen, I'd check out The Jesus and Mary Chain.

 

[FelixSH]

Thanks a lot for all the further suggestions, everyone.

Oddtaxi by Skirt and Punpee - I'm a big stan of the show Oddtaxi (what I would call "chill noir" that slowly becomes genuinely tense as it goes on) it originated from but it does feel like a Summer night jam.

I think this would be perfect, if it weren't in Japanese. A shame, because the mood is pretty great.

Anthem for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl by Broken Social Scene

Listen by Al Green
Soul music feel like it's hot and cool, perfect for a summer night.

With both, I'm not really into the voices of the singers. Again, nice sound behind the voice.

You're a Cad by the Bird and the Bee

But I think that one works well for my specific taste. Thanks.

-You Are The Everything
-The Flowers of Guatemala
-Nightswimming (though that one’s a little melancholy, in a nostalgic kind of way)
-Chorus and the Ring

They are all wonderful. I guess I need to look into that band more.
https://youtu.be/88Y4IjF3Csw

And some songs from other bands:
-Middle Cyclone, by Neko Case

That probably sounds weird, considering what I showed to like here, but I think that one is a bit too slow? Well, the singing, at least.
https://youtu.be/uQkISKgvMfM

-Magpie to the Morning, by Neko Case

This one feels pretty nice, though.
https://youtu.be/6vtXVeEIfHM

-The Geese of Beverly Road, by The National
-Gospel, by The National

Both cases of me not really liking the voice. The singing is also too underplayed for me (is this the correct word? I prefer it, if the voice is the clearly dominant part of a song).

If the Best Coast suggestion nailed it, then inspired by Expo Owl talking about Neko Case, maybe case lang veirs's Atomic Number:

This one hits it pretty wonderfully.

Edit: Oh maybe parts of Kacey Musgraves' Golden Hour album?

The one you linked was also a hit. Thanks.

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I will listen to your suggestions later, 4-So, thanks for posting them, just ran out of time for now.

 

[Exposition Owl]

They are all wonderful. I guess I need to look into that band more.

I’m so glad you like them! My favorite album of theirs is Life’s Rich Pageant, which has the song “Flowers of Guatemala” on it. “You Are The Everything” is from the album Green, “Nightswimming” is from Automatic for the People, and “Chorus and the Ring” comes from Reveal, which also has “Imitation of Life” on it.

 

[Kirin]

Complete tangent but, having been to Athens GA several times now, it's still a little surreal to see a bunch of R.E.M.'s album covers just hanging out on various streets.

 

[Exposition Owl]

Complete tangent but, having been to Athens GA several times now, it's still a little surreal to see a bunch of R.E.M.'s album covers just hanging out on various streets.

Which ones?

 

[Exposition Owl]

Oh, and I should also mention one of the greatest musical performances of the 20th century: the Gershwins’ “Summertime,” as performed by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.

 

[Kirin]

Which ones?

The railroad trestle from the cover of Murmur is one I went to many times, it's at the edge of a great park. (I may have done raids for quite a few legendary Pokemon there...) Unfortunately the wood was rotting and looking at the news apparently it's now been dismantled, to be replaced by a bridge taking design inspiration from it that'll be part of a long greenway trail through town.

Also not actually a cover image, but the original "AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE" sign is still hanging out over Weaver D’s Delicious Fine Foods on Broad Street not far from downtown.

 

[Exposition Owl]

The railroad trestle from the cover of Murmur is one I went to many times, it's at the edge of a great park. (I may have done raids for quite a few legendary Pokemon there...) Unfortunately the wood was rotting and looking at the news apparently it's now been dismantled, to be replaced by a bridge taking design inspiration from it that'll be part of a long greenway trail through town.

Also not actually a cover image, but the original "AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE" sign is still hanging out over Weaver D’s Delicious Fine Foods on Broad Street not far from downtown.

That’s fantastic. It’s always good to hear about local establishments like that going strong.

 

[muteKi]

Unsurprisingly given one of the three examples was of a band included in a previous FIFA game that the newest entry in the series includes tracks that have a similar vibe. Not sure if the sort of trip-hop/chill-hop vibe is what you're looking for (plenty of that on the soundtrack) or something more with explicitly adult alternative rock sensibilities, but there's definitely stuff on there you might want to examine. This one definitely strikes out to me as relevant to your interests:

 

[Behemoth]

I've got another suggestion for you:

 

[FelixSH]

Sorry for not responding for so long. Life got more stressful, so I just wasn't in the right mood for the last few weeks, to appreciate this kind of music. I'm not forgetting, though, and will come back to them, and give feedback.

Thanks again, everyone, I appreciate your suggestions.

 

[muteKi]

Here's another one I'm curious what you'll think of.

 

[Paul le Fou]

Surprised this one hasn't shown up yet:

 

[FelixSH]

So, two days ago I took a walk during the night (I came home after midnight), and while walking towards the full moon in the wonderful summernight air, I had a MOMENT with case lang veirs's Atomic Number. Thanks again, Ixo, that one is just amazingly beautiful. Also Up All Night didn't hit that well, but is still wonderful.

So We Won't Forget, by Khruangbin (this is one of their only songs with lyrics) (also please note the video is incredible but sad, while the lyrics are open to interpretation)

I'll have to try it out while walking, but it sounds promising.

No One Like You, by Best Coast (from the same album as the song linked above)

Very nice, but I think Up All Night hits the specific mood too perfect and is too similar to this one. Without that one, it would fit really well.

Simulation Swarm, by Big Thief (I think this may be slightly tonally different than what you're requesting but it's close)

I certainly love the video. And yeah, it's not quite it, feels more like a song that would fit Fall for me very well (too much energy for the moment). I'll keep it in mind for then, though, I quite enjoy it.

Rocket Plane (Music On The Moon), by Komeda

Fascinating song, but not really what I'm looking for here. Too lively, maybe. Feels comedic, a bit?

Carnival, by The Cardigans (might be too high energy)

Probably too high energy, yeah, but it might work. I'll try it out, while going for a walk.

Carino, by The Marias (contains both English and Spanish, so it may be a bad fit due to that latter)

This feels like a night on the Spanish coast (well, whatever counts for a Spanish coast in my head). Yeah, the language makes it not ideal, but it is a nice song.

Easier Said, by Sunflower Bean (I met this band a few years ago when they opened for Sleigh Bells; lovely folks)

It's also a lovely song, that one should work really well. I like her voice.

Compelled, by Land of Talk

Hmm, I think the singing doesn't work for me here.

Sunny Road, by Emiliana Torrini

Another one I need to test out, but sounds pretty fitting.

Fade Into You, by Mazzy Star

Fascinating mood, love it.

Halah, by Mazzy Star

And I think this one is even better.

If you like Echo and the Bunnymen, I'd check out The Jesus and Mary Chain.

Oh, you are right. That band is great. April Skies is amazing. Will listen to more later.

To be clear, I like nearly all the songs you suggested, some will just fit better at other times, probably Fall. Thanks!

One of my go-to summer albums is Slime Girls' excellent NO SUMMER NO CRY, and "Bonfires" is an extremely on-the-nose "winding down on a summer evening" song. Also it has Hatsune Miku. Sorry.

I get Life Is Strange and Steven Universe vibes. No idea if that makes sense (it's probably the sea gulls), but it definitely hits Calming Summer excellently.

Oh, and I should also mention one of the greatest musical performances of the 20th century: the Gershwins’ “Summertime,” as performed by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.

I wonder if we sang this in my choir, one time, because it sounds very familiar. Certainly a great song, but also not what I'm looking for.

Unsurprisingly given one of the three examples was of a band included in a previous FIFA game that the newest entry in the series includes tracks that have a similar vibe. Not sure if the sort of trip-hop/chill-hop vibe is what you're looking for (plenty of that on the soundtrack) or something more with explicitly adult alternative rock sensibilities, but there's definitely stuff on there you might want to examine. This one definitely strikes out to me as relevant to your interests:

This one is awesome. Will certainly look through the rest later.

I've got another suggestion for you:

Love it, just beautiful.

Here's another one I'm curious what you'll think of.

Interesting one. While it doesn't really hit the mood I'm looking for, I immediately loved the intro. Unfortunately, it's in a language I don't understand, which is a shame. Elsewise, this would probably be an all-time-favourite. Still, great song.

Surprised this one hasn't shown up yet:

I guess I should know it (I do know the band), but never heard it. A shame, that I can't watch the video while listening to it on my walks, because that alone is amazing, and fits so, so well (at least up to the point, where they are shitty at the store). But the song itself is pretty great, too, probably unsurprisingly.

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A ton of nice stuff, everyone. I know, I'm repeating myself, but thanks.