By now, you’ve removed your winter tires, dusted off your spring jacket and glimpsed at that elusive orange orb in the sky. Remember summer? It’s almost back.
When warm weather makes a comeback each year, there’s nothing like that first drive. That first drive with your new sunglasses positioned fashionably on your face, your windows rolled down, and your music turned up. Even if you don’t have a sweet audio setup in your car – for example, your trunk space isn’t entirely dedicated to a massive subwoofer – it’s still fun to crank your music loud enough so that the bass rattles your rear view mirror. It’s like creating a trippy, dizzying visual effect for your own personal music video.
So here’s a list of our favourite bass-thumping, mirror-shaking, passenger-irritating summer songs. If you’ve got any suggestions, let us know in the comments below. And if you’re rolling with the kids, please note that some of these tracks contain naughty language. Alright, enough talking – let’s go test those speakers.
Tinie Tempah – Simply Unstoppable
One of the first songs on British rapper Tinie Tempah’s 2010 album Disc-Overy, the otherworldly synth bass on Simply Unstoppable generates a menacing mood right away.
Tyga – Muthaf—- Up (feat. Nicki Minaj)
The bass sound in this Tyga-Minaj collaboration switches between two different pitches – super low, and then deep-as-the-dark-ocean-low.
Spacehog – In the Meantime
Though these guys are considered one-hit wonders now, the first 35 seconds of this alt-rock track contain one of the best basslines of the ’90s.
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis – Thrift Shop
Producer Ryan Lewis injects some cavernous bass sounds into one of this year’s Top 40 mainstays. The deep bass isn’t present throughout the entire song – obviously, the focus is on that catchy saxophone sample – but it’s those dynamics that make the beat memorable.
Kendrick Lamar – Backseat Freestyle
California rapper Kendrick Lamar adopts the persona of his 16-year-old self, rhyming about his desire for money, power and women over a simple-yet-fierce beat from N—-s in Paris producer Hit-Boy.
Alex Clare – Up All Night
The distorted bass guitar and reggae-style drums give Alex Clare’s Up All Night the right punch to kick off his 2011 album The Lateness of the Hour.
Dev (feat. The Cataracs) – Bass Down Low
Sure, the track gets annoying after a while, but if you want to test your car’s sound system, you can’t go wrong with The Cataracs. It’s all in the song title, right?
photo: Macklemore performs at SXSW in March. (AFP)