Brant's February 2020 Playlist

This is what I get for saying "I don't know Lev Parnas" three times in the mirror!

The second month of the year 2020 is here!  The impeachment trial is underway (although it's looking like it will be the first impeachment trial in US history without witnesses - so have a seat, Lev!), and the Groundhog is on standby in case they need a tiebreaker vote.  Meanwhile, we've got some new music for ya!  I rediscovered my love for garage bands recently, so there are more of them included this month than usual - but we still have plenty of other genres to enjoy as well.  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.

1.  Good Stuff (Becca Stevens) - Like the song says, Carolina girls are the best in the world!  Let's start this month off with the jazzy stylings of Winston-Salem native Becca Stevens.

2.  Go Crazy (G. Love and Special Sauce feat. Keb' Mo') - Two bluesy legends make beautiful (and danceable) music together!

3.  What You Need (KAYTRANADA feat. Charlotte Day Wilson) - It was hard to pick just one song off Kaytranada's latest album!  Groovy beats to suit any weekend evening.

4.  Alone at Last (Rachael & Vilray) - Sometimes a song can transport you to a different time and place.  This one does that for me.  It reminds me of the minimalistic pop of artists like Julie London back in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

5.  Waiting for a Train (Pete Molinari) - And speaking of the 1960s, Pete Molinari is back with more of his delicious retro-folk!  It's been 6 years since his last album and I forgot how much I love him.

6.  Dangerous (Soraia) - This tune was featured on The Underground Garage last month and I can't get enough of it!  Philly band serves up some gritty rock-n-roll.

7.  Every Feeling (Ezra Furman) - I'm definitely on an Ezra Furman kick!  Shades of "Knocking on Heaven's Door" come through on this song from the "Sex Education" soundtrack.

8.  Distance /acoustic version/ (Emily King) - Lovely acoustic version of a track from her 2015 album "The Switch".

9.  Everyday (Weyes Blood) - I had "Something to Believe" on last month's list, but wanted to include another great song from Weyes Blood's latest album.

10.  Shadows /Midnight Version/ (Roosevelt) - Roosevelt is another fave of mine, and this extended version of a track from 2018's "Young Romance" album takes everything that was great about the song and doubles-down on it!  If Studio 54 were still around, this would be in heavy rotation there.

11.  Barracuda (Kristine W) -  A club diva returns with this muscular cover of the 1977 Heart classic.  I fully expect to hear this at Pride events for the next 11 months!

12.  Baptise Me (Robert Randolph and the Family Band) - Grammy nominees douse us with some robust blues-rock.

13.  Hooker Jon (the Black Lips) - This song makes me smile every time I play it!  Country-tinged garage rock from Georgia band that calls to mind songs like "Punk Rock Girl" by the Dead Milkmen and "Far Away Eyes" by the Rolling Stones.

14.  Sea Gets Hotter (Durand Jones and the Indications) - 1970s soul vibes from Indiana band.

15.  Voodoo (Shay Lia feat. Buddy) - I think Gary turned me on to this.  Frequent Kaytranada (see #3) collaborator demonstrates she is perfectly capable of producing some top-notch R&B on her own!

16.  Thank Me Later (Anna of the North) - Easy-going pop from Norwegian artist.

17.  Hymn for the 81% /demo/ (Daniel Deitrich) - Excoriating assessment of Christian hypocrisy, specifically referencing the 81% of evangelicals who voted for Trump after hearing an audio recording of him bragging about sexually assaulting women.

18.  St. Valentine's Day Massacre (Cocktail Slippers) - One of my favorite all-female garage bands (also from Norway!) doing their salute to Valentine's Day, from 2009.

19.  Brighter (Rüfüs Du Sol) - Grammy nominated Australian dance artists anticipate warmer weather with some sunny, summery beats (we'll see if the Groundhog backs them up on this)!

So, that's February's playlist.  See ya next month!

Brant's January 2020 Playlist

It wouldn't be 2020 without Barbara!  

Whoa!  A new year, a new decade, and a new playlist!  For this month, I tried to find some upbeat and fun stuff to launch us into the new decade.  I also borrowed a few fantabulous R&B tunes from my friend Gary's 11.11 playlist, so thanks for him for those finds.  So, without further adieu - let's get going.  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.

1.  Runaway Train /DJ Marble and Professor Stretch Club Remix/ (Culture Club feat. Gladys Knight) - Talk about Dream Teams!!!  I can't think of a better was to start us off than with this delicious remix featuring Boy George and Gladys Knight.  And I thought she only sang about Midnight Trains!   Thanks Eric for bringing it to my attention.

2.  Oh No (Softee) - Brooklyn-based artist brings us some shimmery 80s vibes to keep the dance party going.

3.  Ready for the Ride (Amber Liu) - Former Korean girl group member serves up a nice slow jam.

4.  Tonight You Might (Synthia feat. Lady Wray) - More soulful R&B that sounds like a classic Betty Wright groove.

5.  Who's Gonna Make My Mistakes (Caroline Spence) - I can't remember where I heard this, but I'm totally digging the humorous country vibes.

6.  Falling (Harry Styles) - I'm still loving Harry's latest album!  This piano-driven ballad really showcases his voice.

7.  Something to Believe (Weyes Blood) - American singer/songwriter has been compared to Joni Mitchell, and deservedly so.  Gorgeous vocals over rich instrumentation that recalls Joni's late-1970s material.

8.  Western World (Lion Babe feat. Raekwon) - Pet Shop Boys-inspired jazzy beats.

9.  Kill or Be Kind (Samantha Fish) - Samantha's bluesy performance at Paste Magazine showed up on my social media feeds, and I was blown away.  Looking forward to following her for years to come.

10.  Good Book (Ezra Furman) - We had her on November's playlist, and what a treat to find Ezra covering one of my personal fave 1960s artists - Melanie!

11.  Bernadette (Reina del Cid) - She's American, but this tune reminds me of some of the French chansons I listened to when I traveled to Paris back in the early 00s.

12.  Die to Live (Volbeat feat. Neil Fallon) - Meanwhile, these guys are European but totally capturing the American hard rock vibes of the 1980s!

13.  Don't Start Now (Dua Lipa) - English singer is giving me shades of Jamiroquai with her latest single, which just hit #1 on the dance charts.

14.  Change (Arin Ray and Kehlani) - X Factor alumnus teams up with Kehlani for this soulful duet.

15.  Speakeasy (Frankie Lee) - Mellow folk from Minnesota native.

16.  Lover (Taylor Swift with Shawn Mendes) - Titular song from Taylor's latest album gets a delectable remix with added vocals from the delectable Shawn Mendes!

17.  Don't Want This to Be Over (Kraak and Smaak) - Musical trio from the Netherlands has been going strong for over a decade, and this latest offering doesn't seem to indicate any loss of momentum!

18.  I'd Rather Spend the Bad Times with You Than Spend the Good Times with Someone New (Thelma Houston) - This was off Thelma's criminally out-of-print 1984 album "Qualifying Heat", and was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.  I got my hands on a copy of the album over Christmas and have been playing it non-stop.  Not on Spotify, but you can listen to it HERE.

So that's January's playlist!  Hope everyone had a great holiday season, and that the New Year is good to you.  See ya next month!