Music

The Ultimate Cottage Activity Soundtracks - May 2-4 Edition

by Barry Taylor

The May 2-4 weekend is only a few hours away. For many Canadians this holiday marks the beginning of cottage season. We’ve been waiting for this moment since Labour Day 2009 and it’s finally here.

Cottages are magical places. They’re a complete escape from reality. When you’re at a cottage your biggest dilemma comes when you can’t decide whether to eat more food or play a board game. *Quick solution: Skittles and Candy Land.

No matter how you spend the day, it can become even more enjoyable with the appropriate  soundtrack. Here are a few albums to accompany various cottage activities:

Cottage Activity: End of the Night Camp Fire
Artist: Black Keys
Album: Attack and Release

The Black Keys are one of the coolest bands on the planet. Attack and Release has the perfect balance of slow jams and mid-tempo, head-bopping songs.

The slower tunes like ‘All You Ever Wanted’ and ‘Remember When (Side A)’ are perfect for long stares into camp fires. ‘So He Won’t Break’ and ‘Psychotic Girl’ have a little more bounce and will keep everyone sitting around the pit from completely zoning out.

Cottage Activity: Pre-Dinner-Drinking
Artist: Mark Ronson
Album: Version

Pre-dinner-drinking at a cottage, otherwise known as happiness. You’re with nature, you’ve got a barbeque, you’ve got a full case of beer and you’ve got nowhere to go. Throwing on Version pushes that happiness to bliss.

CAUTION: Playing Toxic ft. ODB during pre-dinner-drinking at a cottage may result in large amounts of booty shaking.

Cottage Activity: Card Game/Dominoes
Artist: Beastie Boys
Album: Paul’s Boutique

Paul’s Boutique is the perfect soundtrack for a game of Asshole, Euchre or Dominoes. You need an album that’s full of great beats for those moments when you become President, or pull off an alone hand or, most importantly, get to slam down your double six and yell DOMINO MOTHA FUCKA!

Cottage Activity: Lying in the Sun
Artist: Pixies
Album: Surfer Rosa

One of the great things about cottages is that ‘lying in the sun’ is considered an activity. But when you take into consideration the fact that you’ve got to put on suntan lotion, lay down a towel and wear sunglasses you can understand why. It’s cottage logic.

Cottage Activity: Catch
Artist: Johnny Cash
Album: I Walk the Line

Baseball, football, Frisbee, whatever. Throw and catch some kind of object with a friend, or group of friends, at a cottage and listen to Johnny Cash. If you don’t either smile or tap your toes, you have no soul. Freakin’ weirdo.

Cottage Activity: Fire Building
Artist: the Aggrolites
Album: Reggae Hit LA

It’s tough not to do this, when you build an awesome camp fire. Having this album on in the background will keep everyone so busy dancing, they probably won’t even notice if you do.

Cottage Activity: Making Smores
Artist: Queens of the Stone Age
Album: Lullabies to Paralyze

Smores take effort. You’ve got three ingredients, there’s fire involved and you’ve got to time everything just right. The stakes alone require an amazing album. Creative types can make a marshmallow woman and toast her in the fire while ‘Burn the Witch’ plays. Sort of a new twist on camp fire songs. Just a thought.

Cottage Activity: Big Foot Hunting
Artist: Cancer Bats
Album: Bears, Mayors, Scraps and Bones

Listen, someone’s gonna find him one day. And whoever does is gonna get PAID! Chew some fun, go for walk and take a look. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”-Wayne Gretzky.

If you bring along a boom box with Cancer Bats blaring you know Harry will take you seriously. Plus you’re gonna need an adrenalin boost when you try and tackle that hairy fuck.