It's not summer without Fountains of Wayne

It appears I am going to have to make my peace with my least-favorite month of the year, because on Aug. 2, the new Fountains of Wayne album, Sky Full of Holes, will be released by Yep Roc (love that band, love that label!). Thanks to the ever-wonderful NPR Music, you can listen to a track from the new album right now here.

In the meantime, I highly recommend listening to every other Fountains of Wayne song ever recorded, as they are all little triumphs of power pop confection ideally suited to the summertime.

Need help getting started? Dig deeper than "Stacy's Mom" and "Hey Julie" (though those are both great) with one of my favorites, "Red Dragon Tattoo:"

Live from George, Washington

If you're anything like me, the music part of the summer music festivals sounds great, but the heat, crowds and camping is enough to make you barricade yourself in your air-conditioned apartment for three months. Thanks to NPR, those of us with nature aversions don't have to miss out on last weekend's Sasquatch Festival in George, Washington (yes, it's really called that.) NPR has archived many of the live performances on this page.

I'm particularly excited about Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie, Iron and Wine, and Sharon Jones, but with so many to choose from, you're bound to find something you love. Enjoy!