Brant's August/September 2026 Playlist

Summer's been a bit hairy, but I'm trying to enjoy it...

Clearly I am late with this month's playlist, and things aren't looking any better for September!  We'll just call this the August/September playlist.  Anyway, it's the usual mix of stuff - familiar favorites, a few cool reissues, and other quirky selections.  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.

1.  No More Regrets (Almost Monday) - Upbeat Indie band (and frequent Brantworld listees) kick us off with this disco-influenced ditty!

2. Wayuwanna (Mr. Fantasy) - I'm still enjoying this mysterious artist's dance-pop confections.

3.  Spellbinding Lover (Patrick Cowley feat. Jeannie Tracy) - Previously unreleased tracks from the legendary (and gone to soon!) dance music producer.  This groovy jam immediately grabbed me.

4.  All Night, All Right (Cory Wong feat. Taylor Hanson) - Unexpected appearance by a Hanson brother makes this easygoing R&B track all the more engaging!

5.  No Curfew (Elyn Lane) - Some Latin rhythms for our summer!

6.  Summer Breeze (Akeylah Simone) - I was thrilled to get a message from my friend Jill, who shared what she's got on heavy rotation this summer.  This is from her summer playlist!  

7.  I Knew You Were Waiting for Me (Meshell Ndegeocello with Cynthia Erivo) - Gorgeous cover of the Aretha/George Michael classic by two contemporary chanteuses.  

8.  Get It Back (Genya Ravan) - I'm still on my Genya Ravan kick.  This funky track is from her 1974 "Goldie Zelkowitz" album.  It easily could've been on any Stevie wonder album from that time! Not on Spotify but you can listen to it here.

9.  Don't Leave Me on the Dance Floor (Carly Rae Jepsen) - I was super surprised to hear CRJ has a double album coming out!  She just had a baby in March!  Man, I feel slack.  

10.  Danceteria (Madonna) - I'm so impressed a 67 year old can put out a credible dance/club album.  This is one of my personal faves from Confessions II.  

11.  The Waiting Room (Fantastic Cat) - Recently formed Indie band has already worked with the likes of Butch Walker and Adam Duritz!  It'll be interesting to see what's next.  

12.  Paradise (Brandon Flowers) - I'm getting Roy Orbison vibes from this solo effort by the Killers lead singer.  

13.  You You You (Maisie Peters) - We had her on last month's playlist, and this is another tune from the English singer-songwriter's latest album.  Lord knows we've all had relationships that seemed to take over our lives! 

14.  Mill Town Flood (Billy Strings) - Multiple Grammy winner is still going strong with his homespun country/bluegrass!

15.  Joy (Role Model) - Frequent Brantworld listee seems to get better with every new song he puts out! 

16.  So Happy It Hurts (Bryan Adams) - I caught Bryan Adams when he came through Charlotte this month and he put on a great show.  Unfortunately I couldn't stay for the entire performance, but this new song caught my attention!  Wish I'd been able to see the rest of the concert.  

17.  Back in Time for the Weekend (the Cleaners from Venus) - I'm not sure where I heard this one.  The band has been around for a while, but this is the first I can say I've heard them.  It sounds like the jazzy pop we used to get back in the 1980s!  Think: "Captain of Her Heart" by Double or "Long Hot Summer" by Style Council.

18.  Violets for Your Furs (John Coltrane) - Weirdly, John Coltrane has come up a lot recently.  Once during a trivia night, and then also in a show called "Miles and Coltrane" that played here in Charlotte.  He's from NC, so I figured this remastered/reissue was as good a time as any to get acquainted with his music.  So far I'm digging it!

19.  Haunt Me (Twin Temple) - This duo performed on the "Daily Show" recently and I was hooked.  With Shooter Jennings producing, seems like a can't miss album!

20.  You Got to Lose (the Black Keys) - Gritty garage rock from established band!

21.  Have You Ever Seen the Rain? (Bonnie Tyler) - Oh, it hurt my heart to see Bonnie Tyler passed away last month.  She's best known for "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Holding Out for a Hero", but I've always loved her cover of this Creedence Clearwater Revival classic.  RIP.

22.  Deportee /Plane Wreck at Los Gatos/ (Margo Price with Joan Baez) - Another great cover!  Margo Price and folk royalty Joan Baez cover a 1948 Woody Guthrie composition.  Sadly it's as relevant today as it was 80 years ago.  

So that's what we've got for August and September.  Here's hoping life settles down and that I can get October's playlist out on time.  Enjoy the rest of your summer!