Brant's 2010 in Pictures

Holy cow! It's the end of the year already. Aside from the usual end-of-year questions:

• Did I accomplish everything I wanted to?
• How could I have made the past year better?
• Could Justin Bieber have been prevented somehow?

I was thinking back on all the people I was fortunate enough to get to spend time with this year. The photo montage below is dedicated to them. I hope to see them and even more great people in 2011!

Happy New Year!

Brant's 2010 Holiday Playlist

So after much deliberation, this is my 2010 Holiday playlist. I got suggestions from Facebook friends, added some of my own, and threw in a couple of new discoveries. There were some that friends suggested that I liked, but after a few listens I didn't feel that they matched the mood of the rest of the playlist. I also wanted to include "Don't Be a Jerk (It's Christmas)" by Sponge Bob - but once again it didn't really fit in with the rest of the songs. My main goal was to have a few classics thrown in with some others that are good but haven't been played to death by the radio stations. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

1. All My Bells Are Ringing (Lenka) - my favorite Christmas song of recent years.
2. Christmas/Baby Please Come Home (Darlene Love) - the original, now classic version. It's also been covered notably by U2 and Death Cab for Cutie.
3. Christmas Island (the Andrews Sisters) - this is probably my favorite classic Christmas song. I just love the harmonies and the non-traditional view of the holiday: no sleds and reindeer here!
4. Beautiful Star of Bethlehem (the Judds) - this one is over 20 years old, but just stumbled across it while searching through holiday songbooks. It deserves more attention (if it hasn't gotten attention already - I know I never heard it!)
5. Ain't No Chimneys in the Projects (Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings) - Sounds like classic 60s soul, but this is a contemporary band. Check them out!
6. Christmas Kisses (Ray Anthony) - I imagine swanky Yuletide Cocktail parties with tinsel trees and fondue pots when I hear this.
7. Merry Christmas/I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight (the Ramones) - I was really surprised nobody suggested this one. Love it! 80s Punk Rock holiday spirit.
8. I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus (Brenda Lee) - hilarious, campy and just waiting for a drag queen to perform it.
9. A Snow Globe Christmas (Pink Martini) - another new song I'm digging these days
10. Everybody's Waiting for the Man with the Bag (Kay Starr) - big band Christmas boogie
11. A Child Is Born (Rihanna) - I'm probably in the minority here, but I find Rihanna most engaging when she is true to her Caribbean roots, as she is here
12. Peppermint Twist (Joey Dee & the Starliters) - This one reminds me of my Mom, who used to play it all the time. Not sure it's a Christmas song, but it does mention peppermint!
13. Holiday (Vampire Weekend) - Jason suggested this. I'm not convinced it's a Christmas song either, but in my mind I picture people who get away from the winter weather to vacation somewhere tropical
14. River (Joni Mitchell) - a sad and beautiful Christmas song that has been covered quite a lot lately. Per usual, the original is still the best.
15. Ring Those Christmas Bells (Peggy Lee) - Another favorite of mine
16. Snowbird (Anne Murray) - Spread your tiny wings and fly away!
17. Cold Cold Winter (the Pixies Three) - Everything a 60s girl group song should be: catchy, bittersweet and sung like there's no tomorrow. Another one that deserves more attention!
18. Christmas Time Is Here (Ivy) - I got requests for Charlie Brown Christmas, so this is my salute to Vince Guaraldi. It manages to sound retro and new at the same time
19. O Holy Night (Mahalia Jackson) - Even if you're not a Christian, this woman can make you believe
20. Pink and Glitter (Tori Amos) - Another suggestion, from my friend Tyler. I love the big band feel to it
21. Blue Christmas (Elvis Presley) - I got multiple suggestions for this, and it is a great song
22. Christmas for Cowboys (Jars of Clay) - Jill had the John Denver Christmas cd on her holiday playlist, so this is my salute to her
23. What the World Needs Now Is Love (Jackie DeShannon) - This was never a Christmas song but in my head it seems to spell out everything Christmas is about (philosophically)
24. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve (Nancy Wilson) - I love her voice, and this is another favorite holiday song of mine

Brant's November 2010 Playlist

1. Felicia (the Constellations) - fun & funky r&b sound. don't play in front of the kids!
2. White Night (the Postelles) - this was played in a recent episode of "Raising Hope" and Mitch tracked it down.
3. Nasty Little Rumor (Shena) - sassy soul
4. Too Young to Burn (Sonny & the Sunsets) - these guys were on last month's playlist. i love their retro surfer sound. free on daytrotter.com
5. My Heart Skips a Beat (the Secret Sisters) - more retro sounds! this was free on iTunes, and i totally dig the classic country vibe
6. Mama Used to Say (Jupiter) - smooth electronic remake of an old skool tune from the 80s
7. Dream On (Glee Cast feat. Neil Patrick Harris) - Doogie Houser sings Aerosmith!
8. All the Best (My Morning Jacket) - cover of a John Prine tune
9. That's Some Dream (Good Old War) - these guys get their Simon & Garfunkle on with glorious results
10. F*ck You (Cee Lo Green) - Julie turned me on to this. Never has bitterness sounded so jubilant
11. Prisons (Trashcan Sinatras) - when i saw the name of the group, i totally expected Punk Rock. not this gorgeous acoustic song
12. O Dospuntocero (Dospuntobeat) - another freebie on iTunes. trippy electronic upbeat lounge
13. Early Morning Wake Up Call (the Hives) - the Hives are back!!!
14. Chelsea Hotel (Dan Bern) - Jill turned me on to this guy. reminds me of classic Dylan
15. Nervous (Sunshine Anderson) - Carolina girl serves up some hot buttered soul
16. Nobody (the Doobie Brothers) - the Doobies remake one of their classic album cuts and sound better than ever
17. The Sun (Portugal. the Man) - kinda mellow, kinda psychedelic...
18. Let's Go Where the Action Is (the Twistaroos) - I think the action is wherever these guys are playing!
19. Poison Lips (Vitalic) - part Blondie, part Goldfrapp, part fembot
20. G Spot (Jill Jones) - this month's throwback. Prince wrote this song for Vanity, but when they split he passed it on to Jill. Fabulous but regrettably out-of-print.

Brant's October 2010 Playlist

1. Internet Killed the Video Star (the Limousines) - This is an obvious Buggles rip-off, but that doesn't mean it isn't enjoyable. The video is fun too.
2. Pumped Up Kicks (Foster the People) - For some reason this reminds me of something Joe Jackson might have done in the 80s. Impossible to listen to and not nod your head to the music.
3. Hang With Me (Robyn) - she's coming to Atlanta next month! Hope I get to see her show.
4. This Too Shall Pass (OK Go) - Arena rock for a new millennium. Their video for "White Knuckles" is fantastic!
5. Wedding Day in Funeralville (Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band) - This is from a John Prine tribute album called Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows.
6. I Wanna Do It Again (Sonny & the Sunsets) - Jill had this band on her playlist last month and I loved them! Great end of summer music.
7. Shakey Ground (Anna K) - Another one inspired by Jill's September playlist. She had the Temptations version on hers but mentioned enjoying a version of the song by Queen Bee and the Blue Hornet Band. I couldn't find that one, but while searching I came across this phat & phunky version by Anna K. I know nothing of the singer. Most of her songs are in Spanish, but she rocks this song en Ingles!
8. Any Which Way (Scissor Sisters) - Jake Spears and co. pick up where "Saturday Night Fever" left off!
9. Bang Pop (Free Energy) - Imagine if Weezer were a glam rock band and you'll have some idea of what this sounds like.
10. Better Than Today (Kylie Minogue) - Kylie releases new cd. Gay men across the globe rejoice. As well they should.
11. Headphones (Michael Franti & Spearhead) - Beautiful song by a beautiful soul. If you ever get the chance to see him live, do it. He's awesome.
12. Lemon Tree (the Mynabirds) - When I first saw this on Daytrotter, I thought "this can't be the Rick James/Neil Young band". It wasn't, but it's still an awesome track. And free on Daytrotter!
13. It's My Time (the Mynah Birds) - Okay, THIS is the Rick James (yes, THAT Rick James) and Neil Young (yes, THAT Neil Young) band. From 1966.
14. Burning Up (Glee Cast feat. Jonathan Groff) - Because "Glee" is back. Yay!
15. Paradise (Molella feat. Alessia D'Andrea) - fun dance pop
16. T-Shirt /Radio Killa Remix/ (Shontelle & The Dream) - Remix of her earlier song still just a sweet and bubble-gummy. I think she's more popular in the U.K. than here, but I like her.
17. Happy Ending Story (Hole) - Found this as a bonus track on the download version of "Nobody's Daughter".
18. Lucas With the Lid Off (Lucas) - This month's throwback is a bizarre mix of big band and hip hop, but it works!

Brant's September 2010 Playlist

September is birthday month, so I took the liberty of changing directions. This month's selections are from way back in the day. I kinda feel like the 80's club music gets forgotten somewhere between disco of the 70's and the techno of the 90's. But the 80's were when I was just beginning adulthood and these were the songs we were listening to. Some of these are out of print and tough to track down, but I have fond memories of them all. I make no claims as to their musical merit other than at some point in my life they put a smile on my face. Enjoy!

1. Serious (Donna Allen) - a kickass song, but the album cover alone was worth the purchase price
2. I Can't Wait (Nu Shooz) - my freshman suite was ready to murder me for playing this on an endless loop in the dorm
3. Whenever You Need Somebody (O'Chi Brown) - one of the first 12" singles I ever listened to
4. Be Your Man (Jesse Johnson) - I was just talking about this song with my friend Stacy today, great solo effort by one of the guys from The Time
5. Boys Do Fall in Love (Robin Gibb) - solo effort from a Bee Gee, never was a hit but this was a summer fave for me & my friends the year it came out
6. Obsession (Animotion) - proof that synth pop can rock
7. The Object of My Desire (Starpoint) - classic 80's R&B
8. Boy (Book of Love) - church bells + gender bending vocals = happy Brant
9. Mercedes Boy (Pebbles) - flirty dance pop
10. Jukebox (the Flirts) - cult favorite that we spent a lot of nights dancing to
11. Manhunt (Vanity) - Nasty girl gets more coy, less graphic. Her autobiography comes out this year. I'm sure Prince is nervous.
12. The Politics of Dancing (Re-flex) - Great unappreciated New Wave groove
13. Lovesexy (Prince) - Prince in his helium-huffing phase still throws down
14. 99 1/2 (Carol Lynn Townes) - I think I was the only one in the world who LOVED this song
15. High Energy (Evelyn Thomas) - The first song I ever remember hearing in a dance club. Still makes me smile every time I hear it.

Brant's August 2010 Playlist

1. Zorbing (Stornoway) - for some reason this makes me want to drive through the Scottish moors in a convertible with the top down.
2. He Hit Me /It Felt Like a Kiss/ (Hole) - twisted little Valentine's Day song from Courtney Love performing on MTV's Unplugged in 1995. Took a while for me to track it down. Thanks Josh! Also previously sung by the Crystals in 1962 and the Motels in the 80s.
3. Dancing on My Own /Rex the Dog remix edit/ (Robyn) - sounds like something Berlin would've done back in the day
4. Alejandro's Holiday (DJ Corey Craig) - Inevitable mash-up of Lady Gaga & Madonna's "Holiday". Not a huge Gaga fan, but it's fun poolside music.
5. Birthday Boy (Drive By Truckers) - southern rock!
6. A Little Opera Goes a Long Way (Sky Sailing) - Owl City's Adam Young goes "unplugged", perhaps hoping for more hugs from lightning bugs?
7. Topsy Turvey World (Natalie Merchant) - hmmm...nursery rhyme set to a reggae beat? only Natalie could make this work.
8. Flushed Down the Pipes (Great American Trailer Park Musical cast) - "Like clothes from Walmart my life is falling apart". Genius.
9. Journal of Ardency (Class Actress) - trippy electronic beats; free on Daytrotter.com. I had to look up "ardent/ardency". It means fierce intense feeling. I use it in a sentence in #17.
10. Free the Night (Aquene) - glittering, shiny, glorious disco
11. Evil Thoughts (Foxy Shazam) - more Freddy Mercury-style pop rock!
12. Firecracker (Frazey Ford) - folksy female with a banjo
13. They Say It's Wonderful (Susan Lucci) - soap star gets her Diana Krall on; not as bad as you'd expect!
14. Nightingale (Dana Falconberry) - beautiful haunting female vocals; free on Daytrotter
15. Losin' Yo Head (Monsters of Folk) - Conor Oberst & friends rock it out
16. Alive /Dave Aude club mix/ (Goldfrapp) - an instant dance floor classic
17. I'm Losing You (Uptown) - This month's throwback. Fantastic 80s dance version of the Temptations song. iTunes, which is normally ardent (see #9) in their greed, for some reason only has this available in the UK store, not their US store so you can't order it unless you have a credit card with a UK billing address. For once they don't seem to want my money! I had to get a friend in England to buy it for me. Thanks David.

Brant's July 2010 Playlist

Wow! Can't believe it's been over a year since I've posted anything. Obviously work has gotten really busy. Well, until inspiration hits I'm going to start posting my monthly play lists. I always make time for new music--so at least this way there will be some content on here until I pick up my writer's pen again. Thanks for following!

1. Beat Control (Tilly & the Wall) - Great little summer ditty
2. Your Arms Around Me (Jens Lekman) - mid-tempo Swedish pop that makes kitchen mishaps romantic again!
3. Fire With Fire (Scissor Sisters) - new stuff, new sound. free on iTunes
4. Naturally /Dave Aude' radio mix/ (Selena Gomez & the scene) - fun clubby pop
5. 100 Years from Now (Karen Elson) - Jack White's wife has her own eclectic style
6. Ahead of the Curve (Monsters of Folk) - pretty much anything Conor Oberst does, I love
7. Hey Soul Sister (Train) - infectious, overpriced mainstream song. d*mn your catchiness!
8. You're Losing Me (Ann Sexton) - real life soul sister
9. Samantha (Hole) - just saw Courtney for the first time this month. awesome doesn't begin to describe it
10. Blister in the Sun (Nouvelle Vague) - these folks continue their glorious 80s remakes
11. Don't Turn the Lights On (Chromeo) - love these guys. close your eyes and you'd swear you were in an R&B bar circa 1987
12. Midnight (the Watson Twins) - Every now & then I hear a song that Janis Joplin would have done a great job with. These ladies do okay too. :^)
13. Yeah Yeah Yeah La La La (Calvin Harris) - Calvin gets his Prince on
14. The Only One (the Black Keys) - more moody rock
15. Pick Up the Phone (Dragonette) - free on iTunes. fun 80s sound
16. The Only Way to My Heart (Foxy Shazam) - these guys opened for Hole in Atlanta and put on a hysterical live show. Love the lyrics.
17. If You Let Me Be Your Anchor (Dawes) - soothing and simple, free on Daytrotter
18. Love Removal Machine (the Cult) - this month's throwback. not soothing, not simple. just awesome.