As we are nearing the end of the 2022-2023 school year, the anticipation of longer days, time outside, and gatherings with friends is imminent. Summer is the best time of year to take some time for yourself before you’re thrown back into the ring for another year of school. One thing I love doing over the summer is experimenting with different things and finding new interests. Whether it’s new clothing pieces or new routines I’m seeking out, Summer vacation is the perfect time to try out new things. 

One thing I’ve learned, especially over the past year, is that trying new things doesn’t mean they necessary have to be “new”. If you know anything about me, you know that I love vintage music, movies, and fashion. I also love sharing it with anyone who will listen. Taking a step back during the summer and stepping out of the rush and the stress of the school year can be a great way to reset yourself, and ringing in the summer season with “new” media to try out is always a great way to start. On that note, these are my top suggestions for “new” media to look in to this summer!

Suggestion #1: New Music

Music is a great way to get in the summer mood! I always love to devote a good portion of my summer to get into a new band or artist. This summer, I plan to listen to artists like Siouxsie and the Banshees and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Here’s an album that always helps me to get in the summer mood!

Parallel Lines, Blondie– If you’re looking for an album that combines, pop, punk, rock, and disco into one great timeless album, Parallel Lines is just for you. It includes major rock anthems such as “Heart of Glass” and “One Way or Another”, as well as amazing deep cuts such as “11:59” and “I Know but I Don’t Know”. Parallel Lines is one of those albums that surprises you with every new track due to it’s expert genre mixing. Parallel Lines is great backing music for any summer movie, and is a great album that I’d recommend to anyone. 

Suggestion #2: Movies

Usually, I’m not a huge fan of watching movies. I prefer shows where I can get up and come back to it, and not completely forget everything that I’ve already watched. Despite this, I think summer is a great time to sit back and watch movies that you’ve been meaning to see all year, especially on rainy and muggy days.

Dazed and Confused– Talk about the perfect summer movie! Taking place on the last day of school in 1976, Dazed and Confused is a great movie to get ready for the summer. I just recently re-watched this movie, and I’m planning to do so again on the last day of school. It gets me excited for all the summer freedoms we have (and it also has an amazing soundtrack). If you’re looking for a heartwarming and mindless movie to watch, Dazed and Confused is definitely a contender. 

Suggestion #3: Style

Summer is also a great time to try out new fashion ideas for the school year. While it’s not necessarily media like music or a movie, I love learning about different clothing styles and subcultures within them. Last summer I went full out with a new clothing style that was influenced by the music I was listening to. Clothing is a great way to express yourself, and you don’t even need to buy a new wardrobe to try out a new style. Styling an article of clothing differently than you usually do can add a whole new look to your closet, and summer is the perfect time to try new styles out!

With that, I hope this article gave you some ideas on how to spend your summer. I’m excited to kick back and relax after the long school year, and take some time to myself. If you have any summer music or movie suggestions, submit an article to us to tell us all about it! We’d love to hear it.