Is yacht rock making a comeback, or are people just thinking about summer? I noticed three of this month's songs reference water and/or sailing! It's still a little chilly here in Charlotte, but at least the pollen seems to be dying down. Enough about the pollen! Let's dive into this month's playlist! To listen on Spotify, click HERE.
1. Blame It On Me (George Ezra) - We had him on last August's playlist, but this song was too good to ignore. I still don't know how this rich, deep voice comes out of that skinny white kid!
2. Bulletproof Picasso (Train) - I swear this band gets better with time!
3. Heroes Tonight (Dylan Gardner) - He'll be touring with the Walking Dead's Emily Kinney this summer, but this young songwriter doesn't need to ride on anyone's coattails! Great 70s-influenced pop.
4. Current Carry (Vetiver) - Another group my friend Mitchell turned me on to! Warm, breezy tune that's perfect for sipping wine spritzers as you watch the sun set over the waves.
5. Joan of Arc (Madonna) - Leaked songs may have hurt her record sales, but they haven't hurt Madge's ability to deliver quality music! This reminds me of some of her best work with William Orbit.
6. Let Go for Tonight /Fred Falke Remix/ (Foxes) - Resplendent remix of the original by French DJ Fred Falke. Not on Spotify or iTunes, for some unfathomable reason - but you can hear it on Soundcloud.
7. Lonely Town (Brandon Flowers) - Killers lead singer strikes out on his own again with this new tune! I didn't realize it was out already, but Gary (a key member of my new music police) gave me the heads up!
8. Never Been a Captain (the Barr Brothers) - Montreal folk quartet delivers some gospel-tinged rock.
9. My Little Love (the Weepies) - Cancer may have kept them from touring, but it didn't stop the married duo from recording. They recorded a new album in their home while Deb Talan underwent treatment. Happily, the cancer is now in remission, and we have this wonderfully simple Buddy Holly-esque tune to enjoy.
10. Up Above My Head (Rhiannon Giddens) - More gospel flavors, this time from amazingly talented Carolina girl Giddens.
11. Up (Olly Murs with Demi Lovato) - Feel good pop from across the pond!
12. Loud Places (Jamie xx featuring Romy) - Sometimes somebody samples a song that I thought had been forgotten. This one samples Idris Muhammad's 1977 disco groove "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This".
13. Deja Vu (Giorgio Moroder with Sia) - Did somebody say disco?!?! The king is back! We've already had his collaboration with Kylie Minogue on February's playlist (and the collaboration with Britney Spears singing Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner" has leaked), but here Moroder pairs up with singer/songwriter superstar Sia for a great booty-shaking fiesta. Could this be this summer's "Get Lucky"?
14. Emoticons (the Wombats) - Funky indie rock from Liverpool.
15. Sugar (Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds) - Some Philly soul from Brooklyn! They're constantly on tour, so probably coming soon to a location near you!
16. Walk (Kwabs) - Epic international soul
17. Indian Ocean (Frazey Ford) - Founding member of The Be Good Tanyas closes us out with our final song about water. This gorgeous ballad could easily have come from Neil Young's canon.
So that's May's playlist. Hope everyone's summer gets off to a great start and I'll see you next month!
