Brant's October 2024 Playlist

"So you guys would rather listen to my playlist than eat my brains?!?
I'm flattered, relieved and insulted at the same time!"

It's the most wonderful time of the year!!!  Halloween season is upon us!  In celebration, I've got a few spooky (and spooky-adjacent) tunes thrown into this month's mix.  Also included are some 60's-inspired folk and psych-rock, returning fave artists, and one or two wacky selections just for fun.  Enjoy!  To listen on Spotify, click HERE. 

1.  Burial Ground (the Decemberists) - What better way to start us off than a song about cemeteries?!?

2.  Look at That Woman (Role Model) - We had him on my March 2023 playlist, and now Mr. Tucker Harrington Pillsbury is back with some Laurel Canyon/West Coast-style pop rock!   

3.  World on a String (Lady Gaga) - A pop star has to reach a certain level of success before they are allowed to get weird.  Fortunately Gaga is there.  This is off her latest album, inspired by her character Harley Quinn in the new Joker movie.  I doubt I'll see the movie, but I did love this deliciously subversive take on an old Cotton Club classic!  

4.  Before I Let Go (Maze feat. Frankie Beverly) - We lost Frankie Beverly last month.  It was impossible not to feel the joy whenever he sang.  RIP

5.  Jupiter (Almost Monday) - Funky alt-rock from frequent Brantworld listees!  

6.  45 Degrees (Laurel) - British Indie-pop singer/songwriter should have a bright future ahead of her if she continues to serve up catchy tunes such as this!  

7.  Literal Bae (Greg Shilling) - Contemporary yacht rock vibes that would make Hall & Oates smile! 

8.  Devil's Gotten Into My Baby (the Devotions) - This is off the Basement Beehive compilation.  I couldn't find much about the group, but I liked the song and it had "devil" in the title so it worked for Halloween too!  #winning 

9.  Sticks + Stones (Gallant) - Trippy acoustic R&B from Maryland singer/songwriter. 

10.  You Stepped Out of a Dream (Samara Joy) - Rich, velvety jazz offering from young Grammy winner.

11.  Sheesh (Little Monarch) - Danceable jazz/R&B from Venice, California collective.  

12.  Dirty Little Secret (Artemas) - New Wave/alt-rock from English-Cypriot singer/songwriter. 

13.  Something On My Mind (Purple Disco Machine feat. Nothing But Thieves & Duke Dumont) - I never would've expected these three to get together, but should've known the results would be great!  

14.  ¿Para Qué? (Ela Taubert) - I really haven't explored Latin music, but with it being Hispanic Heritage Month I decided to check some things out!  I really enjoyed this tune by up-and-coming Colombian singer Ela Taubert!  Shakira better watch her back! 

15.  Backsliders (Sarah Shook & the Disarmers) - NC artist is back with more tasty alt-country!  They're on tour currently so I may try to catch them.  

16.  Along for the Ride (COIN) - It's been about 2 years since COIN made one of my playlists, so I was very excited to see new music from this Tennessee band! 

17.  Brain Freeze (Everyone Says Hi) - British supergroup contains members from the Kaiser Chiefs, the Kooks, Howling Bells and the Dead 60s!  The full album comes out in January, but I'm digging this first psych-rock single.  

18.  Nine to Five (Josef Scott) - Groovy, chill electronica from Indie artist.  (spoiler alert:  It's not the Dolly Parton song!)

19.  Baddy on the Floor (Jamie XX feat Honey Dijon) - Enigmatic beatmaster teams up with DJ, trans activist and Beyoncé collaborator for this energetic dancefloor filler! 

20.  Midnight Madness (Cerrone/Don Ray) - I'm still on a Cerrone kick from last month, so I immediately knew this Halloween disco masterpiece ("Spooky nights!  Freaky lights!") had to close out our October playlist!  

So that's October's playlist!  Hope everyone has a spook-tacular Halloween month and I'll see you in November!  

Brant's September 2024 Playlist

We can't send the kids back to school with no music! 

September is finally here!  The weather is cooling off, the kids are off to school, and the bugs are going back to hell or wherever they came from!  Maybe it's the Beyoncé Effect, but I found a lot of country-adjacent songs this month.  Since September is birthday month, I also indulged myself by throwing in a few oldies.  Anyway, hope you enjoy!  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.

1.  One on One /Cerrone Remix/ (the Knocks & Sofi Tukker) - What a treat to have Cerrone still out there doing his thing!  I love the disco-edge he brings to this collab.   

2.  Fallin' (Sleepy Tom & DACEY) - Canadian artist serves up some tasty dance pop!  

3.  Strawberry Dream (Dagny) - Dagny should be a bigger star than she is!  She's huge in Norway but with catchy songs like this in her arsenal, I think it's time for a world takeover.  

4.  Breaking By (Jelani Aryeh) - We had him on our March 2024 playlist, and now that a proper album has been released this West Coast artist is back with more youthful alt rock.  

5.  Rainbow Overpass (Bright Eyes & Alex Orange Drink) - Conor Oberst and gang team up with The So So Glos lead singer.  Fave lyric:  

That old familiar sound when my cellphone hits the ground

When that thing just doesn't sing, it's just something I drag around

I know the feeling.

6.  Dum Dum De Dip (Judi & The Affections) - I found this on a digital playlist I'm dying to explore called "Basement Beehive: the Girl Group Underground"!  Anyone who knows me, knows I'm #obsessed with the girl groups of the 1960s!  Can't wait to see what other hidden treasures are on there!

7.  Nice to Know You (lovelytheband) - A welcome return from a band I haven't featured since November 2018!  It's crazy how stuff slips on and off my radar.  

8.  Midnight Ride (Orville Peck with Kylie Minogue & Diplo) - I've actually been listening to this for a month or two, but it never seemed to fit on a playlist until now!  Great, and unexpected, collaboration! 

9.  Small Town Scandal (Zolita) - This is giving me shades of Shania Twain!  Can sassy country be making a comeback???  

10.  Knee Deep Blues (Caleb Caudle) - Traditional folk/country/blues from young NC artist.  

11.  Broke (Teddy Swims feat Thomas Rhett) - Mitch turned me on to this!  Upbeat blues from popular signer/songwriter.  

12.  Please Come On Inside (Madeleine Peyroux) - Peyroux explores many different genres on her latest album, and it was hard to choose just one for this month's playlist.  I finally settled on this mellow number.  The whole album is awesome, though!  

13.  Panoramic View (AWOLNATION) - Atmospheric ballad from Los Angeles rockers.  

14.  Espresso (Sabrina Carpenter) - Gary turned me on to this artist, and I was immediately drawn in by this irresistible ditty.  

15.  Sincerely, Your Girlfriend (Little Green) - Australian singer/songwriter wrote a song a day during the lockdown!  If they're all as good as this one, she's got one heck of an album coming out! 

16.  Whatever U Want (Hard Car Kids) - Funky R&B from Detroit band.  

17.  You Are the One (Cerrone feat. Jocelyn Brown) - The Cerrone remix (see #1) got me digging through the crates where I found this lightning hot 1980 disco number with GOAT session singer Jocelyn Brown!  

18.  Before I Let You Go (Cyril feat. MarcLo) - More country/dance/pop vibes, this time by Australian DJ/producer Cyril Riley. 

19.  Discount Dreamer (Lostboycrow) - I thought this was BØRNS when I first heard it!  Dreamy, psych-pop from Portland, OR artist.  

20.  Slutty (The Scarlet Opera) - Okay, why aren't more bands doing this kind of frisky, glam rock???  I'm totally enamored with this song and video!  Can't wait to see what else this group is up to.  

So that's September's playlist!  Sorry it's a tad late - between work, Labor Day and my birthday, I got a tad behind schedule.  Hopefully I'll be back on October 1st!  Have a great month.