Brant's June 2012 Playlist

What a month we've had!  Usually I only have one song on the playlist from an artist who has passed away, but this month we lost Donna Summer AND Robin Gibb - both of whom I thoroughly enjoyed.  It's so depressing to see the Idols of one's youth disappear to that great disco in the sky.  Hopefully this month's list will not only honor their memory, but provide some uplifting moments to carry us through in their absence.

1.  Heart on Fire (Scars on 45) - I hate their name, but love their sound!!! Is it just me or does it seem reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac circa the "Rumours" years?

2.  Sunshine (Matisyahu) - America's favorite Hasidic Hebrew reggae singer is back with more positive vibes!

3.  Brokenhearted (Karmin) - Bouncy pop by supercute duo.  Katy Perry better watch her back!

4.  Every Man & Woman Is a Star (the Cult) - Ian Astbury & the gang return with this new rocker and sound as great as ever!

5.  Young Homie (Chris Rene) - Wistful rap-pop by one of the X Factor (USA version) kids.

6.  Nothing's Real But Love (Rebecca Ferguson) - Another ex-X Factor performer, this time from the British version.  Love the old school soul sound!

7.  Heaven Knows (Donna Summer) - Le sigh.  We lost Donna this year - but she has left behind a HUGE catalogue of disco and dance anthems.  I struggled over which one to pick for the playlist, but finally landed on this personal fave.  I think it holds up well even today (some of the other disco songs seem a tad dated, IMHO - for example Anita Ward's "Ring My Bell").

8.    Only the Horses (Scissor Sisters) - YAAAAAYYYY!!!  New Scissor Sisters!  Thanks Jordan for bringing this to my attention!  A soaring club anthem to get your summer dance party started.

9.  Walk Over Me (All-American Rejects) - Nothing puts a pep in your step like a dysfunctional relationship!

10.  I Make My Own Sunshine (Alyssa Bonagura) - Okay, this is a jingle from a Lowes commercial, but still I kinda dig it.

11.  Bright Whites (Kishi Bashi) - Totally plagiarized from Jill's list last month, but I wasn't ready to say 'goodbye' to it yet.  Love the summery World Music sounds.

12.  The Brightest Lights (King Charles) - Mumford & Sons lend a hand with this singalong folk ditty.

13.  Cinnamon Tree (Esperanza Spalding) - Smooth jazz to sip your Pinot Grigio to on a warm summer evening.

14.  Shining Star (Nneka) - Nigerian soul singer serves up some catchy R&B.

15.  Party Line (Joey Ramone featuring Holly Beth Vincent) - Usually posthumous duets creep me out ("Hello, Natalie Cole!") but this one I enjoy.  Sounds like a classic Phil Spector tune from the 1960's.

16.  Fanny Be Tender With My Love (Bee Gees) - Robin Gibb also passed away recently, so I wanted to include a Bee Gees song in his honor.  This was always one of my favorites (although I believe it is Barry who's singing lead on this track).  Wikipedia says "The group did not perform "Fanny" live because of the layers of harmonies used to create the studio recording." Bummer.  It's still a great song.

17.  Miss Mood /Satin Jackets remix/ (Novika) - Dark, sexy, cool.  Basically it's everything I wanted Madonna's new CD to be (but wasn't).  Makes me want to sip something exotic and refreshing under an oversized umbrella by an infinity pool. 

So that's June's list!  Try to stay cool in this summer sun, and I'll see you next month.