Brant's July 2017 Playlist

Always check your surroundings for safety...and bad music!

Well, I can't help you with the Sharktopus, but I can steer you towards some good music.  July's playlist is chock full of summery vibes - whether it's for sipping cool drinks by the pool or rocking out in your car with all the windows down.  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.

1.  Everything Now (Arcade Fire) - Never has consumerism been so danceable.  Arcade Fire returns to read all of (I'm assuming) American culture for their obsession with possession.

2.  Fake Sugar (Beth Ditto) - I have loved her since day one with Gossip, and was super thrilled to hear Beth's solo album.  Hat tip to Anthony for letting me know it was available.  As expected, I loved it all - and had a hard time choosing just one tune to add to this month's playlist.  SPOILER ALERT:  She'll probably show up on future lists.

3.  Green Eyes (Judah and the Lion) - New Wave vibes + banjo makes for some inspired can't-play-this-loud-enough jams!

4.  Your Song (Rita Ora) - British pop star is back after a two year absence, and pretty much guaranteed a comeback with this exuberant single.

5.  Possessed (Prince) - The much-awaited expanded edition of Prince's masterpiece, Purple Rain, is here and has several gems.  This was a tune he used to perform live, but never officially released.  I'd love to find a soundboard recording of one of his live performances of this.

6.  Love Comes in Spurts (Nouvelle Vague) - I love this band!!!  There's something so twisted about doing bossa nova versions of punk and New Wave songs.  Here, they cover Richard Hell and the Voidoids.

7.  Darkest Hour (Lyves) - I can't remember how I found this one, but it reminds me a little of London Grammar.  Rich vocals over icy beats.

8.  All We Ever Knew (the Head and the Heart) - I've sat on this one for a while, just because it was such a departure from the organic sounds the band used to do so well.  But every time I heard it, I always liked it - so I'm finally sharing it.  I guess every band has the right to evolve and change their sound.

9.  Bad Liar (Selena Gomez) - Let's file this under 'guilty pleasures'.  I WILL add that Selena Gomez owes a HUGE debt to Ciara - who was doing this minimal but funky sound before Selena even had her driver's license.

10.  Edge of Town (Middle Kids) - When Elton John gives you a 'thumbs up', you know you're doing something right.  Easy going alt-rock to keep your summer cookout hoppin'.

11.  April (Goody Grace) - This guy opened for LANY last month when I saw them in Charlotte, and I made it a point to track down some of his music.  Folk-tinged rock with wistful vocals.

12.  Classic (the Knocks feat. Powers) - Yes, this is from the Coca-Cola commercial.  But in fairness to me, I did have the Knocks on my May 2016 playlist!

13.  We/Me (Stokley) - Mint Condition singer goes solo and treats us to some feel-good soul that would make Stevie Wonder proud.

14.  Breathe /Shura Remix/ (Astrid S) - Shura popped up on my first playlist of the year, and now she's back adding her 1980's style beats to Astrid S's latest tune.

15.  Waiting on a Song (Dan Auerbach) - Producer and sometimes Black Keys member serves up some 1970s feels that are as retro as grandma's avocado green kitchen appliances.

16.  Rest of It (Strand of Oaks) - Let's keep the 70s vibes going with this muscular classic rock contribution from Philadelphia artist Timothy Showalter.  Why did we EVER stop making music like this???

17.  Universal Soldier (Buffy Sainte-Marie) - I usually try to put a patriotic song on my July playlists, and with all the political turmoil America is going through at the moment - I found myself gravitating towards the protest songs of the 1960s.  What's more patriotic than wanting your country to do better, because you know it can!  And as you probably guessed, I'm still on a Buffy Sainte-Marie kick - so this seemed like a perfect selection.

So that's July!  Hope everyone has a safe and happy Independence Day weekend.  See you next month!

Brant's June 2017 Playlist

Hmmm...from the looks of things, maybe this half day excursion to the nudist beach wasn't such a good idea!

Well, summer is here, and unless your name is Kathy Griffin (who really should have known that posting a pic with a decapitated Trump head was a bad idea), there should be lots of good times ahead!  Nothing goes with cookouts and lounging on the beach like some good tunes - so let's dive in!  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.

1.  Wait for You (Ady Suleiman) - Some reggae flavors to get the summer started!

2.  Lorraine (Peter Bradley Adams) - Talented folk singer is back with some new music, and apparently a promise to his girlfriend that he's going to upgrade his social circle.

3.  Good Girls (LANY) - I just caught them in concert last month, and they were awesome!  Great energy, feel-good music, and lead singer Paul Klein's hair game is strong.

4.  Don't Take the Money (Bleachers) - Apparently I wasn't the only one excited to see that Jack Antonoff had new music out - several of my friends were texting me to give me the heads up (which I appreciate!).  Can't wait to hear the rest of the album.

5.  Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden) - This month's RIP selection.  Chris Cornell's suicide was a great loss to the music world.  Gone but not forgotten.

6.  Heroin (Badflower) - Psychedelic rock from West Coast band.

7.  Moonshine Freeze (This Is the Kit) - Keeping the psychedelic vibe going with this tune, which vaguely reminds me of Velvet Underground and some of Lou Reed's early stuff.

8.  Peaceful Easy Feeling (Tristen) - I'm still enjoying the "Instant Love" series, so here's another offering - an Eagles cover by songwriter Tristen Gaspadarek.

9.  Arizona Hwy (the Darcys) - Canadian band serves up some peppy pop about cruisin' the American southwest.

10.  Cut to the Feeling (Carly Rae Jepsen) - CRJ has been consistently good since her breakout in 2011, but hasn't seemed to catch on in the US despite great success in the UK and Canada.  Here's hoping this new anthem brings her the universal success she deserves.

11.  Not the Loving Kind (Buffy Sainte-Marie) - Another 60s throwback!  I was moving some of her stuff onto my iPod when I wondered what BSM had been up to lately.  What a treat to see she is still releasing new music!  This is a reworking of her 1972 song, released in 2015.

12.  Bottle Rocket (the Weeks) - Indie rock swagger from Mississippi band.

13.  Drink You Gone (Ingrid Michaelson and John Paul White) - Indie darling teams up with former The Civil Wars singer/songwriter for this country-tinged number.

14.  Tango 'Til They're Sore (Madeleine Peyroux) - It's always fun to see an artist you like cover another artist you like!  Here, mercurial jazz chanteuse tackles Tom Waits with delectable results.

15.   Sweet VA Breeze (D.R.A.M.) - Kind of like listening to Barry White while on an acid trip.  I'm totally digging the Hammond organ!

16.  Cannonball (Hidden Charms) - Sexy glam rock from UK band.

17.  Little Hollywood (Alle Farben and Janieck) - Back to the sunny island vibes as we wrap up this month's playlist!

So that's June's list.  There are no sunny island vacations in my foreseeable future, but just in case I think I'll hit the gym so I'll be swimsuit-ready.  See ya next month!