Summer Music: Fred Armisen's Mixtape

All summer long we'll be asking thinkers, artists and musicians about what makes the quintessential summer song. This week, SNL's Fred Armisen gives us his idea of the ultimate summer playlist. (You've probably seen Armisen play President Obama in SNL sketches, though you might not know he is also the former drummer for the punk band 'Trenchmouth.') When it comes to summer tracks, he says it's all about the tempo. The music has to be either really upbeat or slow enough to elicit memories of our long hot summers of the past. Fred Armisen's Summer Playlist: "Pop Life" from Prince and the Revolution, 1985 "Long Hot Summer" The Style Council, 1983 "Feel it All Around" Washed Out, 2009 "You Saved My Life" Cass McCombs, 2009 "Beach Comber" Real Estate, 2009