A Scorching Playlist For This Massive Heat Wave

Oh God... Will it ever end?

​This morning a childhood friend of Rocks Off's who happens to be moving back to Houston texted us to say "64 degrees as I leave LA this morning. Better relish this moment 'cause I won't be experiencing this again for a while."

To which we replied "Fuck no you won't. It's busted 100 every damn day this week." We hope we haven't scared him off.

Houston temperatures broke 100 degrees the very first weekend of June - you probably remember almost dying at Free Press Summer Fest - and haven't dipped far below that mark for very long since. In addition to the unusually high temperatures, we've had the drought to deal with, and no rain means no cloud cover.

Now that August is here, the ozone alerts have started, and those of us with lungs weakened from asthma or too many cigarettes (or both) had better stay the hell indoors or risk passing out where we stand.

Coming up on three straight months of unusually hot weather, you can tell the strain is starting to wear on us, even as a city used to the heat. What could possibly boost our sweaty, half-melted morale? We're hoping some fine summer- and heat-themed tunes can do it.

Find a friend with a pickup truck, throw a tarp in the back, fill that sucker with ice water, and blast these tunes. You can't change it; you may as well revel in it.

​1. Starfish, "100 Degrees"

2. Refused, "Summerholidays Vs. Punkroutine"

3. Pedro the Lion, "Indian Summer"

4. Hell On Wheels, "A Summer Is Killing Spring"

5. Rilo Kiley, "Paint's Peeling"

6. Death Cab For Cutie, "Summer Skin"

7. Mark Lanegan, "Driving Death Valley Blues"

8. Pavement, "Summer Babe (Winter Version)"

9. Best Coast, "Summer Mood"

10. Sebadoh, "On Fire"

11. The Executioners, "I Want the Rain"

12. The Mekons, "Burning In the Desert Burning"

13. Afghan Whigs, "Summer's Kiss"

14. Emiliana Torrini, "Unemployed In Summertime"

15. Wild Beasts, "Burning"

16. Soundtrack of Our Lives, "Lone Summer Dream"

---

Follow Rocks Off on Facebook and on Twitter at @HPRocksOff.