06.09.11 California Diner - 'Summer's Over'

Here in the United States, we have a little tradition that tells us when summer unofficially arrives and departs. It’s not the solstice and equinox thingies. We have holidays that tell us what to do! Memorial Day is the last full weekend in May, and Labor Day is the first full weekend in September. Those two holidays bookend summer, at least in the colder climates. I lived away from my native California for a decade, in the Midwest. It was uncanny--it seemed to always warm up for good on the three day Memorial Day weekend, and immediately cool off on the day after Labor Day. So yeah--where a lot of our listeners are, summer’s now over. But here in Northern California, summer’s not over just yet. We get another 7 or so weeks of summer-like weather. It starts to turn cold around Halloween, and then the leaves change after that. We are so mellow out here, we simply ignore the calendar and do what we want. So what are we going to do with all this extra summer? Well, in this week’s California Diner, we’ve got some tunes that should keep summer going for a little while longer. And these summery tunes don’t come from exactly where you’d expect them to. Miami Dan and the Hayes Street Band are based in South Carolina--which indeed has a coastline! Their music has elements of the Beach Boys, Marshall Tucker, Jimmy Buffett and Rick Nelson. We’ll hear one of their literate, summery beachy songs from the Star Of The Beach album on this week’s show. www.miamidan.com Laurie Biagini, who hails from Vancouver, Canada, has released a couple of albums of beach-friendly tunes. Her warm, golden vocals and piano-driven, shimmery songs evoke California summers at the coast. She’s working on album #3, A Go-Go Girl in a Modern World, and she grows her sound to include more guitars and collaborators. We’ll sample a track from this forthcoming release. www.lauriebiagini.com The Corner Laughers have graced this show quite a bit in the last year and a half, with their brainy ukulele and guitar-based alternative songs. They too are working on a new album. We’ll hear a sneak preview from this album--and it’s a whole new concept. It took a couple of listens to realize this, but they have invented San Francisco surf music! All the elements are there--romance, fast cars, and Judah Street in San Francisco (which winds up at the Pacific Ocean). Check it out--it’s really fun! www.cornerlaughers.com So yeah, summer isn’t over until the California Diner says it is! If you'd like to make a request, just drop me a line at mike(at)rechargedradio.com. If you'd like to become an honorary California citizen, drop me a line at the same address. And if you'd like to hear all this great music—simply tune in to the California Diner, Tuesday night, 8:00-10:00 p.m. (GMT), 12:00-2:00 p.m. Pacific, only at Recharged Radio—www.rechargedradio.com. This note also appears in the News section on the home page of RechargedRadio.com. See you then! Chef Mike mike(at)rechargedradio.com MN2BDNC Sparklejet - The Comeback The Handcuffs - Baby I Love You Beth Thornley - Still Can't Hide Leisure - Heathrow Thru-Flow Miami Dan and the Hayes Street Band - She Was In Love Maxi Dunn - The Neglected Gambit Baby Scream - Secret Place Jerzey Street Band - Wasting Time Hail The Size - Booze, Pills, & Her 50ft Woman - Ultra Violet Ricky Berger - Silly Boy, Goodnight The Ks - A Couple Nights a Week M.A.D.I.S.O.N. - If You Want Me To Audio Asylum - Pressure Kaz Murphy - Killin' Wheel Melissa Phillips - So Young Laurie Biagini - My Little SUV Lannie Flowers - Turn Up Your Radio Rob Bonfiglio - Blow Me Away Joe Symes - One Too Many Heiskell - The Chubby Guy Song Chad Neaves - You Said Lindy LaFontaine - This Too, In Time, Shall Pass Peter Daltrey - In The Room Of Percussion The Fantasies - Gimme Bubblegum! Chancellorpink - Muster Nushu - Another Rainy Weekend Sal Valentino - Catherine I Do Rose Reiter - Wherever Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - Sun Up Apple Rabbits - Wrong Again The Corner Laughers - Transamerica Pyramid (Single Mix) Bill Mumy - All Wound Up Emily Zuzik Band - Motels