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"Iggy Azalea, Ariana Grande, Michael Jackson (R.I.P), and Coldplay may have early leads in the race to score 2014\u2019s song of the summer. But there\u2019s always a bunch that fly under the radar. So we went straight to the pros and asked them to offer up their picks for music that will up the cool quotient for your rooftop BBQs, festival pre-gaming, and boozy pool parties. Below, 25 artists, musicians, industry insiders and tastemakers weigh in with their picks\u2014and why they rule.\n\nJason Bentley, Music Director and Host at KCRW Public Radio in Los Angeles\n\n Pick: Ray LaMontagne, &amp;quot;Drive-In Movies&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: Ray was nostalgic for warm summer nights in small town America, when the local drive-in was everything. With a big sing-a-long chorus, this song is a highlight from one of the best albums of the year, Supernova.\n\n\n\nJonathan Galkin, Co-founder DFA Records (LCD Soundsystem, Hot Chip)\n\n Pick: Shamir, &amp;quot;I Know It\u2019s A Good Thing&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: Shamir is one of the absolute best singers songwriters and voices I have heard since forever. This whole new EP absolutely floors me, but this track checks all the right bos: piano, 4/4 kick, soulful vocals and arrangement that keeps the voice and words uncluttered, simple and elegant. Plus if you loop the opening piano hook at the beginning it could sound like the bizarro version of the Jaws theme, and maybe a disco shark might come out of the water at any moment.\n\n\n\n Kris Chen, Head of XL Recordings\n\n Pick: Jamie xx, &amp;quot;Girl&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: This Jamie xx song is what you should hear all summer long. It doesn\u2019t scream anthem. It whispers suggestive rolling bass that sounds right booming from the car that\u2019s creeping down the West Side Highway at 2am.\n\n\n\n Cortez Bryant, Co-CEO, Blueprint Group (Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne)\n\n Pick: &amp;quot;Passive Casanova&amp;quot; by Nesby Phips and &amp;quot;Let Me Find Out Part 1&amp;quot; by 5th Ward Weebie\n\n Why They Rule: These two songs are my songs for the summer because they take me back to the 90\u2019s New Orleans rap music scene. Passive Casanova is a laid back, cruising type of record, and &amp;quot;Let Me Find Out&amp;quot; is strictly for the block party\u2014it is the essence of New Orleans bounce music.\n\n\n\n\n\nTi&amp;amp;#xEB;sto, DJ\n\n Pick: Waterm&amp;amp;#xE4;t, &amp;quot;Bullit&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: This is a happy song that has a very summer feeling to it. I can see this being the anthem of Ibiza and all the beach parties around Europe this summer!\n\n\n\n Alexandra Patsavas, Music Supervisor (The Twlight Saga)/Owner of Chop Shop Music Supervision\n\n Pick: Empires, &amp;quot;How Good Does It Feel&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: This Chicago-based alt/indie-rock band adopts traditional romantic idioms, both musical and lyrical, to mask deeper and darker personal truths. Lead singer Sean Van Vleet\u2019s raw evocative croon rises to match the band\u2019s musical muscle, conveying anxieties, hidden secrets, and a heartfelt longing for transcendence.\n\n\n\n Kevin Drew, Songwriter/Broken Social Scene\n\n Pick: The Mounties, &amp;quot;Tokyo Summer&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: This tune sounds like sleeping bags beside a lake. Sounds like sweat dripping dow the front of your boyfriend/girlfriend\u2019s neck while dancing under the stars at a tailgate party. It sounds like youth for the elderly. It sounds like summer.\n\n\n\n Josh Young of Flosstradamus\n\n Pick: Raury, &amp;quot;God\u2019s Whisper&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: We spend a lot of time working in Atlanta and always discover new underground music while we\u2019re down there. This last trip we found this song from Raury and it\u2019s been stuck on repeat ever since.\n\n\n\n Curt Cameruci of Flosstradamus\n\n Pick: Nicki Minaj, &amp;quot;Chiraq (feat. Lil Herb)&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: The first time I heard this beat it reminded me of all the Juke tracks I used to listen to when I was younger. It embodies old and new Chicago all in one track.\n\n\n\n Jack Antonoff of fun./Bleachers\n\n Pick: Miniature Tigers, &amp;quot;Sex on the Regular&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: I love that band. Honestly all their songs are major summer time feelings for me - there\u2019s just something about them that makes me want to leave the house and interact. Isn\u2019t that summer-ish?\n\n\n\nAnne Litt, DJ and Host at KCRW Public Radio in Los Angeles\n\n Pick: De Lux, &amp;quot;Moments&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: De Lux\u2019s music is the perfect poolside, beachside, BBQ-side album for the summer. It takes me back to the sounds of old school disco, new wave and bands like Blondie, Talking Heads, Psychedelic Furs\u2014with a decidedly 2014 edge and twist (think Hot Chip and Holy Ghost!), plus dreamy shimmering guitars and synths. It\u2019s breezy and fun, especially the track &amp;quot;Moments.&amp;quot;\n\nHear It Here\n\n Sean Lennon, Songwriter/The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger\n\n Pick: Death Grips, &amp;quot;Birds&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: This is the most interesting rap record I know of from 2014. The guitar sample on &amp;quot;Birds&amp;quot; is off-the-charts amazing. Death Grips continue to push boundaries, and reinvigorate what is often an overly commercialized genre. Zach Hill was already on my radar as an amazing drummer, and I liked the solo psych music he was publishing online. But when he hooked up with rapper Stefan Burnett something amazing happened and they became hip-hop revolutionaries. I grew up listening to what is now considered old school hip-hop in NYC in the 80s, but for several years it has seemed like hip-hop is in its &amp;quot;heavy metal hair spray&amp;quot; era. Death Grips are breaking the mold. Government Plates is definitely my summer jam record. Blasting this on the tour bus. &amp;quot;Birds&amp;quot; is my favorite song for the moment, but the whole record is dope.\n\n\n\n Martin Kierszenbaum, Chairman of Cherrytree Records / Sr. Ecutive A&amp;amp;R for Interscope/Geffen/A&amp;amp;M\n\n Pick: Jean Luis Guerra, &amp;quot;La Bilirrubina&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: Juan Luis Guerra is one of my favorite artists of all time. His music combines the most vibrant elements of Merengue with masterful strokes of pop, Caribbean and African music. His new version of &amp;quot;La Bilirrubina&amp;quot; from his new A Son de Guerra Tour live album is particularly essential for this Summer because it\u2019ll raise the temperature on any pool party and get the dancing started on contact.\n\n\n\n Le1f, Rapper\n\n Pick: Ratking, &amp;quot;Puerto Rican Judo (feat. Wavy Spice)&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: Ratking dropped a classic New York rap album this year. It really captures what it\u2019s like growing up in 90s/2000s NYC. Making actually lovely love songs as a rapper always seems to be challenging, and can become very corny quickly, I think. The Ratking guys along with Wiki\u2019s girlfriend/goddess Wavy Spice really managed to make something so endearing and &amp;quot;plur&amp;quot; but still keep all of their bold and bro-ey vibes, over a surprisingly cool house beat.\n\n Owen Pallett, Musician/Academy Award Nominated Composer\n\n Pick: Sean Nicholas Savage, &amp;quot;Please Set Me Free&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: Recording in a rainstorm always sounds like such a great idea! The rain comes down and you\u2019re like &amp;quot;Oh goodie! Hit record!&amp;quot; But rain takes on a weird sound on recordings, more like static energy, electricity. The rain on this song is unquestionably Montreal rain, in fact I remember this exact rainstorm last summer, I was on my porch with a whiskey and wishing I had a song this good to record. At the time I could\u2019ve used this song, &amp;quot;please set me free / from myself&amp;quot;, love this guy, great track.\n\n Stuart Meyer, A&amp;amp;R Manager, Sub Pop Records\n\n Picks: &amp;quot;We Sink&amp;quot; by CHVRCHES and &amp;quot;Do It Again&amp;quot; by R&amp;amp;#xF6;yksopp &amp;amp; Robyn\n\n Why They Rule: If you\u2019ve got a Giorgio Moroder fetish like I do, these fit the bill perfectly.\n\n\n\n\n\nTom Windish, Owner of The Windish Agency\n\n Pick: Lorde, &amp;quot;Tennis Court&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: I know it\u2019s obvious but Lorde is a phenomenon that\u2019s here to stay. She\u2019s the real deal and a genuine artist. People dubiously asked me early on if she had a single to follow up &amp;quot;Royals.&amp;quot; Then she released &amp;quot;Team&amp;quot; and now &amp;quot;Tennis Court.&amp;quot; Personally, I\u2019m excited to hear what she\u2019s conjuring up in her brain now.\n\n\n\n Faith Newman, Senior Vice President, Reservoir; A&amp;amp;R Ecutive for Nas\u2019 Illmatic\n\n Pick: Son Little, &amp;quot;Your Love Will Blow Me Away When My Heart Aches&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: This is perfect for an introspective sunset drive. It\u2019s brooding and downtempo, which isn\u2019t necessarily what you think of for a &amp;quot;summer song,&amp;quot; but his voice is so warm and soulful, like a combination of Little Willie John and Bob Marley, that it makes you slow down and listen. This is soul music for the hip-hop generation. It gives me hope for the future of music.\n\n\n\nMathieu Schreyer, DJ and Host of KCRW Public Radio in Los Angeles\n\n Pick: Sirens of Lesbos, &amp;quot;Long Days Hot Nights&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: &amp;quot;Long Days Hot Days&amp;quot; appears on the debut release from the Greek band Sirens of Lesbos. This song is all about positivity, from the piano stabs and driving drums to the passionate singing and lyrics. It\u2019s simple, it\u2019s light, it\u2019s fresh, which makes it perfect for summer consumption.\n\n\n\nJonathan Rado of Foxygen\n\n Pick: White Fence, &amp;quot;Live on Genevieve&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: Any song that uses slide guitar is, to me, a summer song, and this song sounds like it has like 6 or 7 slide guitars on it. Also, like all great summer songs (i.e. that Third Eye Blind song about meth), Tim Presley is probably singing about something pretty dark here, but who knows? All that can be made out is that he wants to live on Genevieve Street with you. And that\u2019s fine with me!\n\n\n\nDean Wareham, Songwriter/Dean &amp;amp; Britta/Luna\n\n Pick: Papercuts, &amp;quot;Boys of Summer&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: This is from a compilation a few years back and I never cared for Don Henley\u2019s &amp;quot;Boys of Summer&amp;quot; till I heard it covered by San Francisco\u2019s Papercuts. Henley has a great voice but it connotes life in a fast lane, not heartbreak. Papercuts\u2019 Jason Quever has a voice that actually delivers the obsession and melancholy that is hinted at in the lyrics.\n\nHear it Here\n\nJay Buchanan, Rival Sons\n\n Pick: Future Islands, &amp;quot;Seasons (Waiting on You)&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: This is my go-to song for the good vibe right now. From the inside of the tour bus you see summer happening through the window and hearing Samuel T. Herring\u2019s charismatic voice really hits home on this nostalgic synthpop song. Feels like an outdoor evening with friends and when I\u2019m so far away from home for the summer a song like this puts me where I want to be.\n\n\n\nCurtis Harding, Singer\n\n Pick: King Tuff, &amp;quot;Sun Medallion&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: The lyrics boast about going outside and day dreaming out. Getting into your Chevy and feeling the engine turning... It\u2019s the perfect song for a road trip, BBQ, or just chilling on your front porch or the beach. From the classic production to the TUFF guitar solo, this is my song of the summer.\n\n\n\nSky Ferreira, Songwriter\n\n Pick: Sky Ferreira &amp;quot;You\u2019re Not The One&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: Call it a shameless plug, but my summer song is &amp;quot;You\u2019re Not the One&amp;quot; from my debut album Night Time, My Time. The beat is undeniable\u2014it makes me feel young and carefree.\n\n\n\nRhett Miller, Songwriter, Old 97\u2019s\n\n Pick: Black Joe Lewis, &amp;quot;Come to My Party&amp;quot;\n\n Why It Rules: Black Joe Lewis, hailing from Austin, Texas, put out a killer new album called Electric Slave at the end of 2013. The first single off the album, Come to My Party, is an insane rocker that rides along on a disco funk bassline while Joe just goes apeshit crazy. You don\u2019t want to think, do you? You just wanna dance. Get up!\n\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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