Brant's June 2019 Playlist

Domo Arigato, Mr. Gelato!

Technically, summer doesn't start for three weeks but it already feels like it to me.  The weather is warm, the days are long, and my favorite gelato store is already crowded.  This month's list is very pop heavy - because there's always that ONE pop song that seems to encapsulate the summer season each year, and I found myself gravitating towards those types of tunes.  Catchy hooks, upbeat lyrics, and melodies that are just meant to be the soundtrack to your summer.  To check them out on Spotify, click HERE.

1.  Cool (Jonas Brothers) - Is any contemporary group more "pop" than the Jonases???  They are giving me Weezer vibes on this song, and I happily receive them (especially since Weezer is busy making Toto karaoke songs at the moment).

2.  Want You in My Room (Carly Rae Jepsen) - Two more members of Pop Music Royalty!  CRJ teams up with Jack Antonoff for this deliciously seductive bop!

3.  The Power of Love /Joey Negro Power of the Boogie Mix/ (Wardell Piper) - I will follow Joey Negro anywhere.  Here, he unearths a criminally forgotten gem by First Choice singer Wardell Piper and gives it a faithfully disco-fied remix!

4.  Work (Foxygen) - Eccentric California band serves up some thumpin' Indie rock!

5.  The Hill (Wilma Vritra) - Moody, contemplative rhymes with a chorus of angels singing backup.

6.  This Charming Man (Los Stellarians) - Last month we had Morrissey doing a cover tune, and now this month we have someone covering Morrissey!  Love this lighthearted rendition of the Smiths' classic.

7.  Final Fires (Strand of Oaks) - Songwriter Tim Showalter says he wrote this song as part of his midlife crisis.  It sounds like it could potentially be depressing, but Showalter seems to have found some amusement in the realization that "everyone's as completely f#cking lost as you are"!

8.  Have You Both (Wild Belle) - Natalie Bergman (along with her brother Elliot) is less apologetic, but no more willing to give up her two lovers than Mary MacGregor was back in 1976!

9.  Why Did You Run? (Judah and the Lion) - Never has a song about abandonment sounded so uplifting!

10.  Sonja Smokes Me Out (Anjimile) - Trans singer/songwriter finds solace in that one friend who's always willing to light up with her.

11.  Oh Me Oh My /I'm a Fool for You Baby/ (Barbara Howard) - Another lost treasure (see #3), this time reissued by Colemine Records.  Barbara Howard never found stardom, but her sole album from 1968 has apparently been sought after by collectors for years.  After hearing this powerful rendition of Lulu's classic, I can understand why!

12.  Thinkin Bout You (Ciara) - Ciara is back with some tasty pop to keep the summer party going strong!

13.  Valley Girl (Neon Valley) - Groovy funk that reminds me of the days of Midnight Star and other 80s R&B bands.

14.  Something Strange (Vicetone feat. Haley Reinhart) - Dutch electronic artists team up with an American Idol alum for this potential summer anthem!

15.  House in the Trees (Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness) - Latest project by former Jack's Mannequin songwriter.

16.  Boat /Rameses B Remix/ (Zoë Phillips) - I believe this is from 2012, but I missed it the first time around.  It's kinda reggae, kinda chillstep, but consistently enjoyable.  The original piano version is also great!

17.  To Rise You Gotta Fall (Nicki Bluhm) - I can't remember where I heard this, but it immediately got my attention!  Sounds like Dusty Springfield covering a Bonnie Raitt tune!

18.  You Had Your Soul with You (the National feat. Gail Ann Dorsey) - People seem to be loving or hating the new National album!  Apparently the addition of female vocalists seems to be the dealbreaker for folks.  Personally, I'm digging it.  This tune especially reminds me of the complex and ecclectic duets you'd hear from the likes of Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel.

So that's June's playlist!  Hope everyone's summer is off to a great start and I'll see you next month!