SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Superchunk - "This Summer" - Hitmaker Chronicles

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Kalaroga Shark Media. Welcome back to Hitmaker Chronicles countdown of
the top twenty songs of the summer, as voted by
the staff of Calaroga Shark Media. I'm your host, Garret
Fisher coming in at number eighteen. We're diving into super

(00:26):
Chunk's bittersweet indie rocker this Summer, a twenty twelve gem
that captures both the season's euphoria and its fleeting nature.
We'll trace how these Chapel Hill indie pioneers evolved from
scrappy punk upstarts to elder statesmen of alternative rock releasing
the perfect summer anthem. Just as Call Me Maybe dominated

(00:46):
airwaves and the Avengers assembled in theaters, grab your sunglasses.
We're heading into the heart of indie summer Summer twenty twelve,
and while most of America was either dancing to Carli
ray Jepson or debating whether they should see the Dark
Knight Rises again, indie rock fans were experiencing something special.

(01:07):
Super Chunk, those pioneers of nineteen nineties indie rock, had
dropped a summer single that perfectly balanced nostalgia and immediacy.
This summer wasn't a massive chart hit, but for those
who found it, the track became the season's ultimate bittersweet anthem,
a song that understood summer isn't just about celebration, but

(01:28):
about the poignant awareness that perfect moments can't last. Coming
in at number eighteen on our countdown of the top
twenty songs of the Summer, as voted by the staff
of Calaroga Shark Media, Superchunks This Summer represents that perfect
intersection of seasonal joy and emotional depth that the best
summer songs achieve. Before they were crafting the perfect summer

(01:50):
indie anthem, super Chunk were four friends from Chapel Hill,
North Carolina, who helped define what American independent rock would
sound like in the nineteen nineties. Formed in nineteen eighty
nine by Mac McConn vocals, guitar, Laura Balance bass, Jim
Wilber guitar, and Chuck Garrison, later replaced by John Worster
on drums, the band emerged from North Carolina's vibrant college

(02:15):
rock scene with a sound that blended punk energy with
pop hooks and introspective lyrics. What distinguished Superchunk beyond their
music was their fierce independence and diy Ethos. When major
labels came calling after their early success, McConn and Balance
opted instead to release their music through their own label,

(02:35):
Merge Records, which they'd founded in nineteen eighty nine. This
decision not only preserved their creative freedom, but also laid
the foundation for one of indie rock's most important record labels,
which would later release music by artists like Arcade, Fire Spoon,
and The Mountain Goats. Throughout the nineteen nineties, super Chunk
released a series of increasingly accomplished albums, from the raw

(02:58):
energy of their self titled to the more refined power
pop of Foolish and Here's where the Strings Come In.
Their songs combined punk velocity with emotional vulnerability, creating a
blueprint for the indie rock sound that would flourish in
the decades to come. After a period of reduced activity
in the two thousands, as band members focused on family

(03:18):
and other projects, including the growing demands of running Merge Records,
Superchunk returned in full force with twenty ten's Majesty Shredding,
an album that proved they hadn't lost a step during
their semi hiatus. Two years later, they released the This
summer single, a standalone track that captured everything special about

(03:39):
the band in just over three minutes of indie rock perfection.
So what makes This Summer such an effective seasonal anthem?
Let's break it down Musically, This Summer achieves that rare
balance between energy and melancholy that makes for the most
affecting summer songs. The track opens with a clean guitar
figure that immediately establishes its so rummery credentials. Bright, slightly wistful,

(04:03):
instantly engaging. When the full band kicks in, they bring
that signature superchunk sound, driving drums from John Worster, Laura Balances,
melodic bass work, and layers of guitars that manage to
sound both aggressive and pretty simultaneously. The production by Scott
Salter captures the band's live energy while adding subtle touches

(04:24):
that enhance the song's emotional resonance. The guitars shimmer with
just the right amount of reverb, creating a sonic landscape
that feels expansive like a summer sky. The rhythm section
is recorded with a warmth and presence that grounds the track,
while mcconn's voice sits perfectly in the mix. Clear enough

(04:45):
to convey the lyrics nuances, but integrated enough to feel
like another instrument in the band's cohesive sound. What makes
the instrumentation particularly effective is how it evolves throughout the song,
building intensity as it progresses. The relative restrained versus give
way to a more cathartic chorus, with the guitars becoming
more aggressive and the drums more insistent. This dynamic shift

(05:08):
mirrors the emotional arc of the lyrics, which move between
fond memories and present longing. The structure of This Summer
follows a relatively traditional verse chorus format, but with a
bridge section that provides both contrast and escalation. The song
begins with an instrumental introduction that establishes its melodic foundations

(05:29):
before the verses introduce the narrative elements. Each verse builds
naturally to a chorus that delivers both the title phrase
and the song's emotional core. What distinguishes the structure is
its efficiency. There's not a wasted moment in the song's
three minutes and change. Each section accomplishes exactly what it
needs to, creating a satisfying arc that feels complete without

(05:52):
overstaying its welcome. This concision is particularly impressive given the
emotional territory the song covers, from some specific summer memories
to broader reflections on time and loss. The bridge provides
a moment of relative calm before the song's final most
intense chorus, a structural choice that enhances the emotional impact

(06:12):
of both sections. This thoughtful arrangement demonstrates the band's veteran craftsmanship.
After more than two decades of songwriting, they know exactly
how to structure a song for maximum emotional effect. The
lyrics of This Summer showcase Macmacon's gift for finding the
universal in the specific. The song builds its narrative around

(06:32):
concrete summer images, the heat, the water, nighttime adventures, while
expanding into reflections on memory and how we process experiences
as they're happening. Without directly quoting specific lyrics, I can
note that the song deals with themes of trying to
capture moments even as they're slipping away, the bitter sweet
awareness that comes from knowing something beautiful is temporary. What

(06:56):
elevates the lyrics beyond simple nostalgia is their acknowledgment of
how memory works, how we're often already processing experiences as
memories even as we're living them, especially during heightened seasonal
moments like summer adventures. This meta awareness gives the song
a depth that resonates with listeners who understand that Summer's
magic comes partly from its fleeting nature. The emotional center

(07:20):
of the song revolves around the tension between enjoying the
moment and knowing it's already becoming a memory, a particularly
resonant theme for Summer, which always carries that awareness of
September's approach. Mccon captures this complex emotional state without becoming
overly sentimental or cynical, striking a perfect balance between celebration

(07:42):
and melancholy. What truly makes this Summer special is mccwan's
vocal performance, which combines punk energy with emotional nuance. His
distinctive voice, slightly nasal but incredibly expressive, has always been
one of Superchunk's most identifiable element, capable of conveying both

(08:02):
exuberance and vulnerability. In this track, he navigates the shifts
between fond recollection and present longing with the skill of
a singer who spent decades honing his craft. The band's
performance matches mccawn's emotional delivery, creating a perfect musical setting
for the lyrical content. Worster's drums provide both propulsion and punctuation,

(08:23):
driving the song forward while emphasizing key emotional moments. Wilbur
and mccon's intertwined guitars create textures that shift from shimmering
to distorted, mirroring Summer's ability to contain both blissful relaxation
and intense experience. Balance's basswork provides the melodic foundation that
ties these elements together, creating a cohesive sound that's unmistakably superchunk,

(08:46):
yet perfectly suited to the song's specific emotional landscape. More
in a Moment, This Summer was released as a standalone
single in July twenty twelve, backed with a cover of

(09:10):
The Banana's Cruel Summer, not to be confused with the
Bananarama hit of the same name. While it didn't crack
the mainstream charts dominated by pop hits like Call Me
Maybe and Somebody That I Used to Know, the song
found its audience among indie rock fans, becoming a staple
of summer playlist for those in the know. To fully

(09:30):
appreciate the context of This Summer, we need to look
at the broader cultural landscape of summer twenty twelve, a
season marked by both blockbuster spectacles and emerging cultural shifts.
The summer movie landscape was dominated by superhero films, with
The Avengers becoming the year's biggest hit, grossing over one

(09:53):
point five billion dollars worldwide and cementing Marvel's cinematic universe
as a cultural force. For Nolan concluded his Batman trilogy
with The Dark Night Rises, while The Amazing Spider Man
offered a reboot of the Web Slingers story. Beyond superheroes,
films like Magic, Mike, Ted, and Moonrise Kingdom provided alternative

(10:14):
summer entertainment. Musically, the charts were dominated by pop hits
like Carly ray Jepson's Inescapable, Call Me, Maybe, Goat's Somebody
That I Used to Know, and Katy Perry's Wide Await.
Electronic dance music was increasingly influencing mainstream pop, with tracks
from artists like David Ghetta and Calvin Harris becoming radio staples.

(10:36):
In the rock world, bands like Fun were crossing over
to pop audiences with hits like We Are Young and
Some Nights. Television was in the midst of what many
call its Golden Age, with shows like Breaking Bad, Mad Men,
and Game of Thrones redefining what was possible in the medium.
Summer twenty twelve also saw the London Olympics, with Michael

(11:00):
Phelps becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time and
Usain Bolt defending his title as the world's fastest man.
Technology was rapidly evolving, with smartphones becoming increasingly ubiquitous. The
iPhone five would be released that September. Social media was
firmly established in everyday life, with Facebook reaching one billion

(11:21):
users and Instagram, which Facebook had just acquired, growing rapidly.
Digital streaming was transforming music consumption, though vinyl sales were
also beginning the resurgence that would continue throughout the decade.
This was the landscape in which Superchunk released this summer,
a period when indie rock was maintaining its cultural relevance

(11:41):
even as pop and electronic music dominated the charts. The
songs released through Merge Records exemplified how independent music had
created sustainable, alternative infrastructures, allowing artists to reach their audiences
without major label support. For Superchunk themselves, this summer represented
a continued creative renaissance following their return to regular activity

(12:05):
with Majesty Shredding. The single demonstrated that after more than
twenty years as a band, they remained capable of creating
music that felt both fresh and true to their established identity.
They would continue this strong late career run with twenty
thirteen's I Hate Music and twenty eighteens Is Politically Charged.
What a time to be alive, albums that proved indie

(12:28):
rock veterans could age gracefully without losing their edge or relevance.
The song's influence extends beyond Superchunk's own career. As elder
statesmen of indie rock who had maintained both their creative
credibility and their ethical stance throughout decades of industry changes,
the band provided a model for longevity in a notoriously
fickle business. Their successful navigation of the transition from young

(12:52):
punks to middle aged rockers without embarrassing attempts to seem
younger than they were or falling into nostalgia act status,
created a template for how indie artists could evolve over
long careers. More broadly, this summer exemplifies how seasonal songs
can transcend mere atmosphere to address deeper emotional truths. By

(13:14):
acknowledging the complexity of summer experiences, the joy and the melancholy,
the intensity and the impermanence, the song creates a more
honest and ultimately more satisfying summer anthem than those that
focus solely on celebration. Looking back on This Summer today,
it continues to resonate because it captures something fundamental about

(13:35):
how we experience not just summer, but life itself, the
awareness that our most perfect moments are already becoming memories
even as we live them. The song's emotional honesty and
musical craftsmanship have allowed it to age beautifully, remaining as
affecting now as it was when released. What makes This
Summer the quintessential indie rock summer anthem is precisely its

(13:59):
refuse to simplify the season into mere fun and games.
By addressing summer's inherent bitter sweetness, its status is the
season most burdened with expectations and most poignantly aware of
its own passing. Super Chunk created something that speaks to
the full emotional spectrum of summer experiences. From carefree adventures
to melancholy reflection. So as we continue our countdown of

(14:23):
the top twenty songs of the summer at number eighteen,
turn up this summer and let Superchunk's Perfect Indie Rock
remind you that the best summer songs aren't just about escapism.
They're about experiencing each moment fully with the awareness that
makes those moments all the more precious for their impermanence.
Because this Summer isn't just a song. It's a celebration

(14:45):
of how music helps us process our experiences, a testament
to indie rock's emotional capacity, and a reminder that sometimes
the most resonant summer anthems are the ones that acknowledge
the season's shadows alongside its light. A decade later, it
still captures that complex summer feeling with remarkable precision, which

(15:05):
is why it deserves its place in our summer song's pantheon.
This is Garrett Fischer for Hitmaker Chronicles counting down the
top twenty songs of the Summer, as voted by the
staff of Calaroga Shark Media. Don't forget your sunblock and
join me next week as we continue our countdown with
number seventeen,

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SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Superchunk - "This Summer"

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