Although the calender-makers may quibble, summer feels like it has arrived. And so the time has come for this: the third and final installment of our Thursday playlist project. It’s been fun crafting our most-played songs into a few themed mixes. Today’s installment is the best of them. And it is a lovely gift to you. It’s very useful.

We all know those moments in the summer, it’s after midnight, warm out, probably the weekend, you are sick of the music you’ve been playing all evening, but you aren’t ready for bed, and you need something to play. Maybe you have a guest over. You’re having a delightful conversation and you don’t want to interrupt the flow just to search your harddrive for old tracks to queue in a playlist. And you can’t trust shuffle to set the right mood. Perhaps there’s a half empty bottle of scotch and you don’t even trust yourself to set the right mood. Perhaps you’re just feeling lazy. Perhaps you’re ready to impress your guest.

Dear friends, just push play.

Of the 21 tracks, almost all are from last year–or discovered last year, but fear not, they don’t sound “last summer.” There are also three from 2009, three songs we’ve played a lot recently. Of those we knowingly included The Books’ Cello Song (appearing on a TGW mix for the third time in three months?!) which is just a beautiful song and fits this mood so well. The soul of this mix, however, is the Hatchback song which last summer was probably played more than any other song. It still sounds great. Trix agrees, but says the soul of the mix may reside closer to Beach House. Regardless, these are special songs for lounging around late at night.

If possible, this compilation plays best outdoors, preferably with friends, preferably surrounded by the city. These are not songs to accompany the great outdoors (sorry, Jeremy). And at the risk of sounding like someone I’m not, I heartily recommend the additional pleasure of intoxicants.

Oh, and thanks to Jason Wilson for a few of these songs. What? You don’t know Jason? Well, you should fix that.

The Playlist:

1.) Taken by Trees – “The Sweetness of Air France”

(If you happen to be tired of this song already–yes, it does age with less grace than the others–well, please take the initiative of removing it from the mix. I suppose that goes for any of these songs. Please prune this to your taste, and it will give richer fruit–and endure deep into the summer.)

2.) Pacifica – “Sol”

3.) Max Punktezahl – “Dashes”

4.) The Books with Jose Gonzalez – “Cello Song”

5.) Fredrik – “Alina’s Place”

6.) Hatchback – “White Diamond”

7.) Flying Lotus – “Robo Tussin”

8.) Quiet Village – “Too high to move”

9.) Beach House – “Gila”

10.) HiM – “Slow Slow Slow”

11.) He whose name cannot be spoken – “Shoot me down”

12.) Indian Jewelry – “Come Closer”

13.) Quiet Village – “Free Rider”

14.) J.J. – “My life, My swag”

15.) The Oscilation “Head Hang Low (Instrumental)”

16.) Gui Boratto – “Take my breath away”

17.) DJ/Rupture – “Plays John Cassavettes pt. 2″

18.) The Real Tuesday Weld – “Last Words”

19.) 120 Days – “I’ve lost my vision”

20.) Burger/Voigt – “Wand Aus Klang”

21.) Mark Mothersbaugh – “N’s Theme”