by Skyanne Fisher

Created on: June 19, 2009

Summer is finally here in the Northern Hemisphere. The sun is shining, the weather is warm, school is out, and vacations are in. It's a time to party, to waste the day just floating in the pool, or hang out with friends and if you're like me, music plays a big part in your day-to-day life. But with the season changing, chances are you don't want to listen to the same music you blasted during the never-ending frigid months of winter. It's time to change the beat and bring out some new music. Here's what you'll find me listening to this summer.

1.) Black Eyed Peas. They've finally made their comeback with "Boom Boom Pow", the single I know you've heard. It's upbeat, funky, and I doubt there's much your parents could find wrong with it. The other fourteen songs on their newest CD, The E.N.D, are sure to please the diehard BEP and introduce some new fans to their funky style.

2.) Katy Perry. Last summer she took the stage with "I Kissed a Girl" and this summer she's back with her new single, "Waking Up in Vegas". "Vegas" is, by far, my favorite song on her entire album and every time I hear it, I can't help but sing along. Even if you weren't too fond of "I Kissed a Girl", I recommend checking out her CD. There's got to be at least one song you'll love.

3.) Shinedown. Even though it's summer, all of the songs on your play list shouldn't be upbeat and crazy. Sometimes a few meaningful lyrics are exactly what you need and Shinedown gives you exactly that with their latest single "Second Chance". It's catchy and not at all dark and head-banging but it's meaningful. I doubt there's a single person on this Earth who can't relate to it at least a little bit.

4.) Nickelback. If any band is a guaranteed summer staple band, it's Nickelback. Thinking back, there's very few summers when I wasn't jamming out to their latest single. Some of their lyrics aren't too pretty ("S.E.X".) but they always seem to balance it out with lyrics that make you want to cry ("If Today Was Your Last Day"). No matter what the song is, if it's by Nickelback it's catchy and will almost always show up on your summer play list. Just be careful of what you listen to around your parents.

5.) My Favorite Highway. The final band I have to recommend is one of my personal favorites you probably haven't heard of. They're called My Favorite Highway and though they aren't on the radio, they've released two CDs. Many of the songs are upbeat and catchy ("Go"), and the ones that aren't have meaningful lyrics that you can't help but singing ("You're Making It Come Alive"). If you haven't heard of them before, or even if you have, I definitely recommend checking out their newest CD, How to Call a Bluff.

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