Brant's January 2020 Playlist

It wouldn't be 2020 without Barbara!  

Whoa!  A new year, a new decade, and a new playlist!  For this month, I tried to find some upbeat and fun stuff to launch us into the new decade.  I also borrowed a few fantabulous R&B tunes from my friend Gary's 11.11 playlist, so thanks for him for those finds.  So, without further adieu - let's get going.  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.

1.  Runaway Train /DJ Marble and Professor Stretch Club Remix/ (Culture Club feat. Gladys Knight) - Talk about Dream Teams!!!  I can't think of a better was to start us off than with this delicious remix featuring Boy George and Gladys Knight.  And I thought she only sang about Midnight Trains!   Thanks Eric for bringing it to my attention.

2.  Oh No (Softee) - Brooklyn-based artist brings us some shimmery 80s vibes to keep the dance party going.

3.  Ready for the Ride (Amber Liu) - Former Korean girl group member serves up a nice slow jam.

4.  Tonight You Might (Synthia feat. Lady Wray) - More soulful R&B that sounds like a classic Betty Wright groove.

5.  Who's Gonna Make My Mistakes (Caroline Spence) - I can't remember where I heard this, but I'm totally digging the humorous country vibes.

6.  Falling (Harry Styles) - I'm still loving Harry's latest album!  This piano-driven ballad really showcases his voice.

7.  Something to Believe (Weyes Blood) - American singer/songwriter has been compared to Joni Mitchell, and deservedly so.  Gorgeous vocals over rich instrumentation that recalls Joni's late-1970s material.

8.  Western World (Lion Babe feat. Raekwon) - Pet Shop Boys-inspired jazzy beats.

9.  Kill or Be Kind (Samantha Fish) - Samantha's bluesy performance at Paste Magazine showed up on my social media feeds, and I was blown away.  Looking forward to following her for years to come.

10.  Good Book (Ezra Furman) - We had her on November's playlist, and what a treat to find Ezra covering one of my personal fave 1960s artists - Melanie!

11.  Bernadette (Reina del Cid) - She's American, but this tune reminds me of some of the French chansons I listened to when I traveled to Paris back in the early 00s.

12.  Die to Live (Volbeat feat. Neil Fallon) - Meanwhile, these guys are European but totally capturing the American hard rock vibes of the 1980s!

13.  Don't Start Now (Dua Lipa) - English singer is giving me shades of Jamiroquai with her latest single, which just hit #1 on the dance charts.

14.  Change (Arin Ray and Kehlani) - X Factor alumnus teams up with Kehlani for this soulful duet.

15.  Speakeasy (Frankie Lee) - Mellow folk from Minnesota native.

16.  Lover (Taylor Swift with Shawn Mendes) - Titular song from Taylor's latest album gets a delectable remix with added vocals from the delectable Shawn Mendes!

17.  Don't Want This to Be Over (Kraak and Smaak) - Musical trio from the Netherlands has been going strong for over a decade, and this latest offering doesn't seem to indicate any loss of momentum!

18.  I'd Rather Spend the Bad Times with You Than Spend the Good Times with Someone New (Thelma Houston) - This was off Thelma's criminally out-of-print 1984 album "Qualifying Heat", and was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.  I got my hands on a copy of the album over Christmas and have been playing it non-stop.  Not on Spotify, but you can listen to it HERE.

So that's January's playlist!  Hope everyone had a great holiday season, and that the New Year is good to you.  See ya next month!