From the listening lab...

Medeski, Scofield, Martin and Wood - Out Louder

In particular I'm enjoying Tequila and Chocolate for the fantastic free bass intro that leads into the groove. It's got this great latin feel. I'm a sucker for a good groove. That's why I love playing bass.

And I can't go past a title like Tootie Mama Is A Big Fine Thing, even though as a piece it's a little happy clappy, it gets me doing a goon dance every time I hear it. Complete with raised eyebrows for the responses in the call and response with the melody. This is typical of what I think of as Summer Music. I'm far more likely to listen to it in the summer with sun shining, when I'm warm and happy.

I believe that the music you listen to is often reflective of mood and optimism, which in turn are affected by the seasons. Of course there's a bucketload of other factors, but I'm not going there. Just look at the songs that are almost excessively major in their chord structure, and they're more likely to be popular in summer. Also songs that have a lot of space in them, i.e. not too many layers and actually valuing the use of silence, I see as Summer Music.

This isn't to say that I will only listen to certain types of music depending upon the season. I've got fairly eclectic taste for one thing, and there's also so many other factors. But I'm sticking to the Summer Music theory. Think about it. I think also that the music crave in the winter months is like the food I crave at that time of year - a little more stodgey. Heavier in texture, usually a bit more complex.

That's my story, anyway.