Brant's September 2018 Playlist

Clearly Bill preferred Ariana Grande's tribute to Aretha over mine!

Okay, ideally I would've liked to have had this out before the holiday weekend but it just wasn't in the cards.  Virgos hate to be late, and I am no exception.  But I'm here now and hopefully this month's batch of songs will be so delicious that you'll forget their tardy arrival.  We've got some returning favorite dishes, some criminally out-of-print treats, and some tasty morsels from the Far East!  So without further adieu, let's dive in.  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.

1.  New Fire (Pretty Sister feat. MarcLo) -  Pretty Sister is the stage name of Zak Waters, and he's serving up some West Coast funk to get the party started!

2.  love4eva (LOONA/yyxy feat. Grimes) - From the West Coast to the Far East!  I'm pretty much on board for anything Grimes does, and this bubblegummy K-pop confection is no exception!

3.  Enemies (Lauv) - San Francisco artist had a hit with "I Like Me Better" and this minimalistic R&B number is from the same album.

4.  Body Talks (the Struts feat. Kesha) - I am SO digging free-range Kesha!  Seems like she's just doing whatever floats her boat, and this collaboration with British rockers the Struts is electrifying! Can't wait to see what she does next.

5.  If Not Now When (Aaron Lee Tasjan) - Indie rocker seems to be channeling George Harrison on this latest single! 

6.  Fascinating Rhythm (Tony Bennett with Diana Krall) - Tony Bennett sounds better at 92 than I've EVER sounded in my entire life.  He's got a new duet album coming out with Diana Krall, and if this first single is any indication - it's going to be divine!

7.  Laughter On My Mind (Helen Terry with Boy George) - After seeing Culture Club in concert this summer, I started digging into their music catalog.  I never realized that backup singer Helen "Church of the Poison Mind" Terry had released a solo album ('Blue Notes') in 1986.  For some reason, this particular song wasn't included!  It was the B-side to one of her first singles, and was out of print for years until a 2009 limited edition reissue of 'Blue Notes' included it as a bonus track. How this song was never a hit is beyond me.  Not on Spotify, but you can listen to it HERE.  Helen is no longer making music, but she certainly made her mark in the brief time she was recording.

8.  The Falls (Nic Pool) - Bluesy vocals over a percolating electronic backdrop, perfect for enjoying some of these gorgeous late-summer sunsets!

9.  Missing U (Robyn) - Robyn is back!!!  Hopefully a new album won't be far behind.

10.  Gimme! Gimme!  Gimme! A Man After Midnight (Cher) - The queen is back, and doing an entire album of ABBA songs can only mean great things for the dance floors of 2018!

11.  I Don't Want to Love You Any More (LANY) - Another personal fave band that I'm happy to see return with new music!  Easygoing dreampop with a wistful edge.

12.  It Might Get Dark (White Denim) - Austin, Texas band throws down some classic 70s-style rock that would fit on any Bachman-Turner Overdrive album!

13.  Don't Stop Believin' (Juliana Hatfield) - I'm still digging Juliana's sublime album of Olivia songs!

14.  Any Other Way (Jackie Shane) - I can't remember how I stumbled across this - but Jackie has an amazing story.  She was a transgender soul singer who left the Jim Crow South to find success in 1960s Toronto.  Her recorded works were painstakingly compiled and released in one volume last year.  Read more about her HERE.

15.  Deep Shadows (Nightmares On Wax feat. Sadie Walker) - A chill electronic remake of Little Anne's 1967 ballad.

16.  Every Girl Wants My Guy (Aretha Franklin) - Le sigh.  I still can't believe the Queen of Soul is gone.  I considered putting one of her timeless 1960s classics on this month's playlist - but instead decided to go with one of the early 1980s jams that first put Aretha on MY radar.  It was dance/funk tunes like this that made me a fan when I was a young teenager!  RIP

17.  Tell Me About It (Ssion) - "My Love Grows in the Dark" has been a fave song of mine for years, so I was psyched to see Ssion had some new stuff coming out.  This particular tune continues in the same danceable groove I first fell in love with all those years ago!

18.  Bliss (Kahoru Kohiruimaki) - Back in 1989, Prince contributed two songs to Kahoru Kohiruimaki's "Time the Motion" album.  It was only released in Japan, so getting a copy here in the USA has been next to impossible!  Thanks to a fraternity brother of mine who was traveling overseas - I can finally say I own it.  Both songs were good, but this one especially is a solid jam.  Not on Spotify, but you can listen to it HERE.  I wonder if it was an outtake from the 'Batman' soundtrack Prince was working on around this same time?

So that's September's playlist!  Apologies once more that it was late.  Hope everyone had a safe Labor Day weekend, and I'll see you next month!