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For most Americans, Fourth of July is an important day – it’s the American holiday, and many people look to it as the official kick-off to the summer season (even though summer began on June 22).

So, we set out to first pick keywords that exemplify the Fourth, including fireworks, beach, barbeques, picnics, parties, surfing, baseball, food, parades, the Constitution, freedom, carnivals, flags, and, you get the picture.  With those keywords in place, we started searching the vast music collection for fitting songs.

Originally, this post (now being updated on July 3, 2012), was part of the discontinued S-25 Mix series, a Sunday mix in which we pick 25 songs from various artists, genres and time periods to highlight a particular theme, or in some cases, no theme other than that of good music.

And then there are the songs that have “America” in the title, and sometimes just based on that, we think they are a good fit for this mix. Such tracks include “American Pie” (Don McLean), “American Girl” (Tom Petty), “American Music (Violent Femmes) and so on.

“Fireworks” – The Tragically Hip from Phantom Power (1998)

“New Slang (When You Notice the Stripes)” – The Shins from Oh, Inverted World (2000)

“Lola Stars And Stripes” – The Stills from Logic Will Break Your Heart (2003)

“American Girl” -  Tom Petty from The Very Best (2004)

“The New American Way” – Dropkick Murphys from Sing Loud, Sing Proud! (2001)

“Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)” – The Decemberists from The Crane Wife (2006)

“American Pie” – Don McLean from American Pie (1971)

“Hands Off the Bayou” – Pavement from Crooked Rain: L.A.’s Desert Origins (2004)

“Louisiana Bayou Drive” - T-Bone Walker from T-Bone’s That Way (1990)

“Independence Day” – Elliott Smith from Tranquility (1998)

“American Music” – Violent Femmes from Add It Up (1993)

“Saturday In The Park” - Chicago from Greatest Hits (2002)

“America The Beautiful” – Ray Charles from Ray Charles Greatest Hits (2005)

“Summertime Clothes” – Animal Collective from Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)

“Gold In The Air Of Summer” – Kings Of Convenience from Riot On An Empty Street (2004)

“Summercity” – Wiretree from Bouldin (2007)

“4th of July” -  Mascott from Art Project (2008)

“Baseball Cards” – Wavves from King Of The Beach (2011)

“Return To Hot Chicken” – Yo La Tengo from I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One (1997)

“American Girls” – The Shivers from Sunset Psalms (2010)

“American Dream” – Love and Rockets from Express (1986)

“The Death of American Radio” – Radio 4 from Stealing of a Nation (2004)

“American Mourning” - Bikini from RIP JDS EP (2010)

“Sunburn Kids” - Admiral Radley from I Heart California (2010)

“Summer Breeze” (Seals & Croft) – Jason Mraz from Everwood   (2008)

Want more? Check out Volume Two with tracks from Galaxie 500, Paul Simon, Neil Young, Iron and Wine, Wavves, Titus Andronicus, Johnny Cash, Brian Wilson, Beastie Boys, The Strokes and many others.

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