Brant's December 2021 Playlist

Playlist?  Check.  Jet Ski?  Check. 
Okay, who's ready to do some Christmas shopping?!?

The last playlist of the year!  I'm still not sure how I feel about 2021 - it wasn't as bad as 2020 but it also wasn't a great year.  Covid variants.  Supply Chain breakdowns.  Marjorie Taylor Greene.  One can only hope that the New Year will be better.  In the meantime, here's one last batch of songs to close us out!  It's a hodge-podge, but hopefully you'll find a few tunes on here that you enjoy.  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.  

1.  My Universe (Coldplay with BTS) - 2021 brought us a lot of surprises, and seeing these two completely different musical acts collaborate was one of the more pleasant ones!  I figured it was a happy way to kick things off.  

2.  Once More for the Ocean (Slothrust) - I'm not clear on whether this band's name is pronounced Sloth-Rust or Slow-Thrust.  Either way, I do dig this rock jam with the Cher-styled autotune!  

3.  (Feels Like) Heaven (Roosevelt) - A new Roosevelt song always feels like a Christmas present!  And what a bonus to have him cover one of my fave 1980's tunes by Fiction Factory!  

4.  Paul Newman Daytona Rolex (Brett Dennen) - I imagine most of us won't get the $5,475,000 Paul Newman Daytona Rolex for Christmas, but at least we can purchase a song about it for $1.29.

5.  Hello (Kes) - True story:  I heard this while taking a Lyft ride home after a boisterous night with friends.  I texted the song to myself because it was fun and now it'll remind me of a joyous evening.  Hopefully, you'll like it too!  Celebratory Trinadadian calypso for your Christmas Island party.  

6.  Enough (Appleby) - Groovy electronica that is perfect for Après Ski or Holiday cocktails.  

7.  Christmas Time in New Orleans (Lars Edegran and his Santa Claus Revelers) - It felt rude not to include a Christmas song or two, but considering radio stations started playing them at the end of October - I'm kind of sick of them.  Anyway, this is one that we probably haven't heard a million times!  

8.  All Night Parking (Adele with Erroll Garner) - Adele's new album will ALSO be overplayed, but I do salute her sampling Jazz Master Erroll Garner on this slow jam.  

9.  Love Me Now (Kygo feat. Zoe Wees) - I caught Zoe performing in this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and liked her.  I wasn't surprised to see Kygo had already enlisted her for a collaboration!  

10.  Disconnect (Melissa B) - Lordy this reminds me of jamming to Midnight Star on my carpool rides home after school!  Let's hope we hear more from this R&B artist. 

11.  Changes, Pts 1 & 2 (Neal Francis) - Love the mid-70s vibes we get from this Chicago rocker.  He's got a new album out, but I was still enjoying this 2019 offering at the time I compiled this playlist.  

12.  Our House (the Head and the Heart) - Americana cover of the CSNY classic.  

13.  Always on My Mind (Nané) - Easygoing rock with soaring vocals from Austin, TX band.

14.  I Feel Like Dancing (the Night Game) - We had them working with Elle King on our May 2021 playlist, and now they're back flying solo with this upbeat ditty.  

15.  Dysfunctional (Kaytranada and VanJess) - Nigerian-American duo teams up with Canadian DJ/producer for some slick funk that would make Soul II Soul proud!

16.  New Shapes (Charli XCX with Christine and the Queens) - Soooooo glad to hear Charli doing pure pop again.  A little bit of her PC Music/experimental stuff goes a long way for me.  

17. It's So Easy (Margo & Mac) - Toe-tappin' loungey groove with a 1960s vibe! 

18. Can't Let Go (Robert Plant and Alison Kraus) - Two musical giants team up again to cover another musical giant - Lucinda Williams!  I smell a Grammy Award coming... 

19.  Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis (Tom Waits) - Here's another Christmas song you probably won't hear on the radio, which is a shame because it's AWESOME.  I've been on a Tom Waits kick lately, so this seemed like a perfect choice to close us out.  

Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season!  I guess if the last two years have taught us anything, it's that there are no guarantees - but perhaps we shall all meet again in 2022!  Until then!  

Brant's November 2021 Playlist

Nothing's more fun than a turkey with a turntable! 

One year, I'm actually going to get November's playlist out on time.  This will not be THAT year.  October is such a busy (and festive) time - it's hard to sit still and browse music (even though I obviously enjoy that too).  Anyway, here's this month's list.  It's the usual potpourri of stuff - some pop, some Americana, some noteworthy remakes.  Enjoy!  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.  

1.  I Don't Live Here Anymore (War on Drugs) - Cheerful pop rock that's giving me a Traveling Wilburys vibe!  

2.  Set the Fairlight (Islands) - Canadian rockers keep the beats going with a dash of angst.

3. Wide Open Spaces (Soccer Mommy) - The Chicks Formerly Known as Dixie get a delicious reboot from Indie artist.

4.  Willow /90s Trend Mix/ (Taylor Swift) - A retro-electronic remix of one of TSwizzle's quarantine tunes.

5.  Calling All Angels (Chelsea Cutler feat. Quinn XCII) - Breezy pop from Connecticut chanteuse.  

6.  4ever After (Kero One feat. Ace Hashimoto)  - Can't remember where I heard this, but I was digging the R&B and jazz influences!  

7.  Freedom (Christine and the Queens) - People will either love or hate this George Michael cover!  Personally I love it.  

8.  It'll Never Happen Again (Lady Blackbird) - Eric turned me on to Lady Blackbird, and once I read that she was the "Grace Jones of Jazz" I was even more intrigued.  I especially adore her cover of this Tim Hardin deep cut.  

9.  Coming Home (the Green) - There's always room for some Hawaiian reggae!  We had them on our April 2019 playlist and they're back again with more islandy grooves.  

10.  Runaway (R3hab, Sigala, and JP Cooper) - From the island to the dance floor, we're covering a lot of ground this month!  

11.  Don't Freak (the Aces) - Indie band is back with a disco-tinged tune about mental health stigma! 

12.  Paradise (Alan Walker, K-391, and Boy in Space) - British Norwegian DJ serves up some happy tropical beats.  

13.  Jazz on the Autobahn (the Felice Brothers) - This is one of those turn-up-the-car-stereo driving songs perfect for your holiday road trips!  

14.  Piece of Mine (Lilli Lewis feat. Gina Forsyth) - Intense Americana/folk harmonies from New Orleans divas.  

15.  Keep Walking (Moonlight Breakfast)  - Funky minimalist disco from Euro band.

16.  Who's Hurting Who (Jack Savoretti feat. Nile Rodgers) - Did someone say "disco"?  Soulful British vocalist teams up with the King of Disco!  

17.  Coming Back (Domo Genesis with Mac Miller) - I honestly wasn't familiar with Mac Miller (even as Ariana Grande's boyfriend!) but when his drug dealer pled guilty to fentanyl overdose charges last week I explored his catalog of music.  I enjoyed this offering from 2016.

18.  Everywhere (Smallpools with Emily Vaughn) - Every few years it seems somebody covers this 1987 Christine McVie classic, and every few years I always enjoy it.  It's a timeless song.  

19.  Why the Bright Stars Glow (Valerie June) - A beautiful love song to close us out and get us set up for the holidays.  

So that's November's list!  Hope everyone has a great month, and remember to brush your teeth after bingeing on all that leftover Halloween candy!