1)  Fleet Foxes--This Seattle five-piece mixes folk, rock, and pop to create a shimmering musical landscape perfectly suited for a day on the trail.  With songs like "Sun It Rises", "Blue Ridge Mountains", and "White Winter Hymnal", Fleet Foxes immediately takes you into a clearing in the woods where a cup of tea and your favorite pipe are the best companions.  Bonus points for being the most hirsute of any band out there!

2) Devendra Banhart--Another bearded folkie by way of Venezuela, Texas, and California.  Banhart is associated with whats known as the 'New Weird America' genre.  He's released a number of albums on the Warner Brothers and XL labels. With titles like "Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon", "Cripple Crow", and "Little Yellow Spider", you're sure to be 'at one' with nature while spinning his music.  Warning:  This is quiet music.

3)  XTC--"Skylarking"--My favorite album by the boys from Swindon, England.  Released in 1986, "Skylarking" is heavily-influenced by The Beatles, The Beach Boys and The Kinks and is peppered with lush arrangments about grass, summer, and umbrellas. 

4)  Big Country--"In A Big Country"--The first lyric of the 2nd verse is "I'm not expected to grow flowers in the desert, but I can live and breathe and see the sun in wintertime".  Enough said.

5) U2--"The Unforgettable Fire"--The boys from Ireland certainly know how to create a feeling.  They nailed the chill of autumn and winter with this classic album from 1984.  The title track is the standout--symphonic and ambient, with Larry Mullen Jr's driving beat.  The orchestra strikes will make you jump at first listen.  The music video really captures the feel of the song.  The image of the band walking across a snowy field is truly lasting.

6) Echo and the Bunnymen--"Ocean Rain"--Don't let the name of the group scare you.  The 'Bunnymen were one of the premier 'post-punk' bands of the early 80's--they're album covers were always a nifty shot of the band in some outdoor setting.  "Ocean Rain" was definitely the group's 'Sgt. Pepper'--lush, symphonic arrangements about 'Seven Seas', "Yo Yo Men", and "Ocean Rain".  The title track is truly haunting and immediately takes the listener on a journey into a wild and wicked sea.  The best lyric?.."Your port in my heavy storm, harbors the blackest thoughts". 

7)  Iron and Wine--Not a band, but a guy.  Sam Beam.  Brilliant songwriter who mixes dizzy folk rock with orchestral arrangements.  Any album is a winner while enjoying the out-of-doors.  I prefer "The Creek Drank The Cradle" and "The Sea And The Rhythm".  You'll be immediately hooked.

8)  Neil Young--"Harvest Moon"--Rolling Stone describes this album as "if it was made for lazy hammock-swinging afternoons."  I couldn't agree more. Harmonica, steel guitar, and Neil's odd, but familiar, voice.  "Natural Beauty" and the title track are the standouts.