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Memorial Day: 5 videos and 15 songs to help you kick off unofficial summer 2017
Volleyball on Venice Beach, Nov. 7, 2013.
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Chris Goldberg/Flickr Creative Commons
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Memorial Day weekend means the unofficial start to summer, so we're going to help you feel those summer vibes with some videos and music to put you in a warm mood. Watch these videos and listen to this summer playlist curated just for you, then head to the beach, to a summer movie or to however else you want to make your summer epic.
Mayor Larry Vaughn from "Jaws"
There was a shark attacking local swimmers — an unstoppable human-eating machine. But Amity Island Mayor Larry Vaughn, with his anchor-covered sport coat, made sure that we all remembered what matters: Summer! His insistence on keeping the beaches open come hell or shark-filled waters made him an unofficial mascot for summer-loving comedian Howard Kremer (listen to the "Mayor Larry Vaughn" song), and you can see exactly why in this speech to local media:
MTV Beach House
MTV helped define summers of the 1990s, with their annual beach house programming providing something to either leave on in the background or watch intently for how to be cool. Check out highlights from one MTV summer almost 25 years later.
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Wet Hot American Summer
"Wet Hot American Summer" combined '80s nostalgia with left-field comedy to become a cult hit, with a cast filled with then-future stars from Amy Poehler to Paul Rudd. The show spawned multiple seasons of a Netflix revival, but the original will always be the one with the keys to our hearts' cabins.
Independence Day
Speaking of summer movies, until superheroes took over the box office, the man who'd come to define the season was Will Smith. He joined the current superhero trend himself with his role as Deadshot in "Suicide Squad," but his breakout was the alien-fighting rallying cry of "Independence Day." It may be another month until the actual holiday, but start preparing to punch an alien in the head/whatever-aliens-have-instead-of-heads with this trailer:
"Summertime" by the Fresh Prince
We can't mention Will Smith and the summer without dropping some "Summertime"; it's the video that will always, forever have the right combo of excitement with a cool, relaxed swagger. Watch and listen here:
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Summertime by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Bummer In The Summer 2017
Keep the mood going with this summer beach mix created by KPCC's Lisa Brenner. From the Beach Boys to the Velvet Underground, put on your shades and get into it:
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