Summer is known for being a time to relax, kick up one’s heels and forget all the worries in the world. But in the music PR world, this sometimes seems like anything but the case. Between artists ramping up their tour schedule and preparing new Autumn releases, sometimes the June/July/August month cycle can seem like the busiest months of the year!

So when the weekend rolls around, I definitely try to let myself cool down and recharge my batteries. And what better way to get yourself in the ultimate chillaxing mindset than with some atmospheric and calming tunage?! Of course the universally acclaimed new Bon Iver album has been my most recent go-to in such an occasion, but here are some of my other suggestions if you need to release some tension and calm your mind:

Copeland’s ‘You Are My Sunshine‘

Yeah, yeah…their earlier albums often get lumped in the overabused & overused “emo” genre tag, but ‘You Are My Sunshine‘ finds Copeland reinventing their sound and mellowing out to the Nth degree. Recommended for providing ambience to a small rooftop get-together.

Karate’s “Unsolved“

Aside from my sister (who turned me onto this group), I don’t know a single other soul who has even heard of Karate. And it’s a shame! Being a big fan of the poetic arts, I was immediately captivated by the spoken word quality to the vocals/lyrics and the minimalist nature of the music. Recommended for when you need the perfect mellow early evening soundtrack to walk you home from work.

Sigur Rós‘ “( )“

This jarring yet calming collection by Sigur Rós is comprised largely of simple piano work and a fictitious language made up by leader singer Jónsi. Utterly heart-breaking, but still SOOOOO good. Recommended for repeated playing while falling asleep.

So what chill-out music do you find yourself listening to when you need a musical escape?