Brant's April 2026 Playlist

Oh, you know...just killin' time and trying to stay away from the pollen!

Okay, I need to start checking the dates of some of these songs I'm finding.  I try to stick with stuff that's come out in the last 12 months, but as I was putting some of this list together I noticed I had songs from 2022, 2024, etc.  My bad.  Maybe the pollen is affecting my judgement.  Anyway, I did get April's list done a skootch early, so hope you enjoy.  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.

1.  Shy Girl (Haute & Freddy) - One of my favorite new bands kicks us off with more of their 80s-inspired synthpop! 

2.  mangetout  /The Dare Remix/ (Wet Leg) - I never would've put these two together, but this remix is fire!!! 

3.  Dance No More (Harry Styles) - I know "Aperture" is his hot new single, but personally I gravitated towards this funky number on his new album.  

4.  Gentleman Blue (Elysia Biro) - Google says she is a "forest nymph masquerading as a singer-songwriter"!  All I know is that I'm loving the jazzy Steely Dan vibes!  

5.  Bedroom Posters (Yellowcard with Good Charlotte) - Florida band gets an assist from early 00s rockers.

6.  Love You All the Same (Dominic Wright) - Catchy pop from Indie singer/songwriter

7.  Spin (OTNES) - Spotify suggested this to me and I immediately saved it before realizing it was from 2022.  Anyway, it's dreamy pop from a Midwestern US artist.  

8.  Other Side (Brent Faiyaz) - I thought this was The Weeknd when I first heard it!  Mid-tempo R&B to get your toes tappin'!

9.  Western Wind (Carly Rae Jepsen) - Another oldie of sorts (also from 2022!).  At first I thought Carly was moving into her "Taylor Swift" phase, but now...who knows?  We need some new music from Carly! I guess the new baby is taking up a lot of her time these days.  

10.  Passenger Seat (Wolf Alice) - Feel good folk-rock from English band. 

11.  Country Sour (Witch Post) - I love hearing these two sing together!  

12.  Hell Without the Flames (Josiah & the Bonnevilles) - It kinda feels like we're all in Hell without the flames these days, but I promised myself I wouldn't get into politics for this playlist!  

13.  Adam (Lotte Gallagher) - One of those songs you want to crank while driving down the highway!  

14.  Blame It on the Moon (Cory Wong with Magic City Hippies) - We last had Cory on our February 2024 playlist but this funky new song is a welcome return!  

15.  Dancing on the Wall (MUNA) -  I've been hearing this a lot on the radio, and never get tired of it!  The latest from this Indie pop trio.  

16.  To Love Somebody (Holly Humberstone) - My friend Zach used a Humberstone song in one of his posts, which reminded me she had a new album out!  I gravitated towards this gloriously resilient, sunny pop tune from the English singer/songwriter.

17.  100 Summers (Rainbow Kitten Surprise) - NC band was on our December 2025 playlist.  This is from the same album - great Southern alt rock.  

18.  Alabama (Caroline Kingsbury) - US pop artist whose visual aesthetic meshes well with Chappell Roan and Haute & Freddy!  This sounds like a Sam Fender song with female vocals - and I mean that as a compliment!

19.  Crimes of Passion (St. Lucia) - Brooklyn band and frequent Brantworld listees close us out with some anthemic dance-pop!  

So that's April!  Hope everyone has stocked up on allergy medication, and has a great Spring!  See you in May.  

Brant's February/March 2026 Playlist

This puppy I got at the Netflix yard sale has
proven to be UNTRAINABLE! 

Late again!  Maybe I should go to quarterly playlists instead of monthly.  This one is so late I'm just calling it February/March.  Life has gotten so hectic and stressful -  we've had two back-to-back winter storms, costs are going up, income is going down.  By the time I get home I just want to curl up in a ball on the couch.  I did finally pull some songs together - I'm just working at a decreased capacity these days.  It's a little bit of everything.  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.  

1.  Don't Include Me {American Dream} (Michael Marcagi) - Cinncinati singer/songwriter kicks us off with some melancholy folk/rock.  

2.  Water Underground (Real Estate) - We last had them on our May 2020 playlist, and now this Indie band is back with more glorious retro stylings!  This is evoking memories of Simon & Garfunkel, the Byrds, and other 1960s bands.  

3.  Florida Man (Gatlin) - Female singer/songwriter has been dropping songs for a few years now, but this is from her first proper album.  Can't wait to hear more from her! 

4.  Lucky Again (Lykke Li) - The latest from Swedish pop star!  

5.  Dance the Pain Away (Haute & Freddy) - This duo has written for everyone from Katy Perry to Britney Spears.  Now they've struck out on their own with some deliciously eccentric 80's-styled dance pop.  

6.  things u h8 abt me (Squid the Kid) - Enigmatic young hip hop artist returns with some funky pop to keep you on the dance floor. 

7.  Devotion (SG Lewis & TEED) - Another selection from this English artist/producer's latest album.  In case you were wondering (I was!) - TEED stands for Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs! 

8.  Delulu (KiiKii) - I love me some K-pop!  This girl group made their debut last year and totally delivered the happy K-pop sound I've come to enjoy.

9.  Liftin' Me Up (Jill Scott) - The queen is back!!!  Rejoice! 

10.  Post Sex Clarity (Lola Young) - Well-deserved Grammy winner is back with more of her signature confessional pop!

11.  I've Got a Broken Heart (the Lemon Twigs) - Another group I enjoyed in 2020 returns with this catchy tune!  

12.  Chimera (the Alarm) - I knew this group mostly from the song "68 Guns", and was pleasantly surprised to see they had a new song out.  Unfortunately lead singer Mike Peters died soon after the song was recorded - so the future of the band seems uncertain at best.  It's still a great finale for a great band.  

13.  Talk to Me Baby (the Bluetonics) - European (I'm guessing Swedish?) trio serves up some bluesy Americana! 

14.  I Don't Want to Go Home (Kita Alexander) - Australian singer/songwriter has a knack for catchy melodies and singalong choruses.  

15.  Dirty Work (King Princess) - Unexpected Steely Dan cover by Brooklyn artist. 

16.  Heavy Foot (Mon Rovîa) - Liberian artist known for blending "Afro-Apppalachian folk with Americana". 

17.  Lonely Night (Trousdale) - We had them on last March's playlist, and now this Country-Pop band is back with more beautiful harmonies. 

18.  I Kinda Like That (Laundry Day) - I'm getting Weezer vibes from this NYC band, and not mad about it! 

19.  Cute Aggression (Perrie) - Another endearing selection from former Little Mix singer's solo album. 

20.  I'm Not Going Anywhere (Morgana) - Haunting vocals over driving electronic beats from Irish singer/songwriter.  I can totally hear a Kate Bush influence.  

21.  Starlight (Sumner) - Australian duo closes us out with some upbeat pop!  

So that's our February/March playlist!  Hopefully I'll be back on schedule by April.  See you then! 

Brant's January 2026 Playlist

Happy New Year?  I'm not convinced.  But thank you!

Whoa.  We actually made it through 2025.  People keep saying "Happy New Year" and all I can think is, that seems optimistic.  Personally - my health insurance premiums have tripled, I've got friends getting laid off from their jobs left & right, and groceries are as expensive as ever.  But sure - happy new year.  At least we have some new music to enjoy!  It seems country-tinged to me, but I'll let you decide.  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.

1.  Lose It Again (Hatchie) - We last had her on my June 2022 playlist, and I forgot how much I like her!  Australian singer kicks off our first song of the New Year!

2.  Wantin' Woman (Free Arlo) - Singer/Songwriter Chance Famighetti is bringing Role Model/the Eagles vibes, and me likey!  

3.  d£aler (Lola Young) - British singer/songwriter's latest offering is some toe-tapping escapism with her usual bluntness! 

4. Whiskey Cherry (Clover County) - Frequent Brantworld listee from Athens, GA never disappoints with her heartfelt folk-rock.   

5.  Cherry Reds (Amber Mark) - Did someone say "cherry"?  More good vibes from another fave of mine!

6.  Canal Street (sombr) - An unexpected ballad from one of my favorite new artists (and now a Grammy nominee!).  

7.  Barcelona (Rikas) - We had a Roosevelt remix from them last month, so I was curious to hear more from this German band.  It has a yacht rock/Dire Straits energy to my ears.  

8.  Moody (Royel Otis) - Funky Indie Pop from Australian duo.

9.  If He Wanted To He Would (Perrie) - Little Mix singer goes solo with this powerhouse pop anthem that reminds me of the stuff we'd hear from Shania Twain/Faith Hill in the late-90s! 

10.  Fireworks (Joseph) - More high-energy country from Portland, Oregon trio of sisters.

11.  Keep the Fire Burning /UK Club Mix/ (Gwen McCrae) - Sadly we lost her in 2025, but with soulful grooves like this one (and her biggest hit "Rockin' Chair"), Gwen will never be forgotten.  RIP

12.  Illegal (PinkPantheress feat. Seventeen) - Frenetic beats and slinky vocals from up-and-coming young artist, with an assist from K-pop boy band.  

13.  Baby Blue (SG Lewis with Oliver Sim)  - SG Lewis serves up his trademark soaring beats and XX member Oliver Sim perfectly compliments them with his gorgeous vocals.  

14.  Call Me After Midnight (Bleachers) - With Max Martin producing Taylor Swift's new album, I guess Jack Antonoff had time to return to his own musical output!  This was a nice R&B-influenced selection from the new album. 

15.  Right on Time /RKR Funk Remix/ (Leela James feat. Kincy) - Not many people do modern R&B better than Leela James.  Case in point... 

16.  It Might Have to Be You (Vulfmon feat. Evangeline) - Easygoing jazz from West Coast artist.

17.  Sewers (mehro) - Beatle-esque ballad from another LA artist we've featured previously.

18.  Dearest Madeleine /Dry Season Rhythm/ (Viren Neel feat. Claire Wright) - Trinidadian artist closes us out with some Islandy vibes to warm us up during this chilly winter weather!

So that's our first playlist of 2026!  Stay strong, everyone, and hopefully we'll see you in February.