Summer is the perfect season for pop music. After nine months of gray skies and drizzle—when the gloominess calls for introspective folk, furious heavy metal, and aggressive gangsta rap—it's time for something light.

Seapony, "Saw the Light"

After a three-year hiatus, Seapony have returned with this airy, reverb-filled dream-pop single. Recommended for: solo walks through Discovery Park or the Olympic Sculpture Park at sunset. New album A Vision will be released on July 31, and the band will throw a party at the Vera Project on the very next day, August 1, to celebrate.

Carly Rae Jepsen, "E•MO•TION"

I hate "Call Me Maybe." But everything I've heard so far from Jepsen's new album has got me bouncing around the house like an 8-year-old listening to Debbie Gibson's Electric Youth on her Walkman again. This is pop in its purest form—light and sweet, just like Jepsen's vocals.

La Luz, "You Disappear"

La Luz's surf-rock sound is the ultimate beach-y complement for the season, but there's a dark, mysterious undertone in the lyrics. This track—off the band's forthcoming album, Weirdo Shrine—is perfect for nights when the barbecue runs a little too long and you've gotten a little too drunk. The band's album release party happens on August 7 at the Showbox.

Miguel, "Coffee"

Play this track for your summer crush and it will get you laid. (If you want to get real dirty, play "The Valley" instead, 'cause HOT DAMN. I'm just trying to help you out.) The sweet, R&B-laced vocals of Miguel are not to be missed at the Showbox Sodo on August 23.

Craft Spells, "Twirl"

Justin Paul Vallesteros, better known as Craft Spells, recently announced he's moved back to Seattle to begin work on a new album. (He'll play the free Out to Lunch Concert Series on July 24 in Westlake Park.) Until then, we have a new video for this soft, melodic favorite off 2014's Nausea.

Alabama Shakes, "Don't Wanna Fight"

This song has a classic 1960s soul groove, but it's Brittany Howard's powerful voice that elevates it to something else entirely. Her range is vast, but she opens this track with one screeching, extended note. The group will be playing the Marymoor Park Concert Series in Redmond on August 8.

Unlikely Friends, "(I've Got a) Soft Reputation"

These boys were one of my first Seattle discoveries. Although this track is short, its catchy, sing-along chorus will get stuck deep in your head. You'll be able to hear it in person at this year's Bumbershoot on September 6.

Brandon Flowers, "Can't Deny My Love"

I usually think of Bruce Springsteen when it comes to Killers frontman Brandon Flowers, but Genesis comes to mind on Flowers's solo track (especially the drums). Whatever influences it is referencing, this song has a power chorus and synth-y flourishes that are well-suited for late-night karaoke.

Telekinesis, "In a Future World"

Although we have to wait until the fall for Telekinesis's new album, Ad Infinitum, we still get to enjoy the single this summer. "In a Future World" is full of bright, shiny synths that will fit right in at any '80s-themed party. Plan ahead and make sure to catch him at Neumos on November 7.

Briana Marela, "Surrender"

This pretty, twinkling gem of a track, whose lush layers evoke choral arrangements and church acoustics, was produced by Alex Somers (who also works with Sigur Rós). Marela is a homegrown singer, born and raised in Washington, and will be celebrating the release of her sophomore album, All Around Us, at Barboza on August 29.