Brant's August 2011 Playlist

1. Here Comes the Sun /Live from the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh/ (George Harrison) - 40 years after the legendary Concert for Bangladesh, the Soundtrack is now available for download and all sales benefit the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF. A timeless song that still makes me happy.

2. Somehow (Joss Stone) - Upbeat latest from bluesy UK singer

3. Annie You Save Me (Graffiti6) - Hot on the heels of Fitz & the Tantrums, these guys also are reviving that early 1970s AM rock sound. Groovilicious!

4. I Wanna Go Kill Everybody /Basic Physics Mashup/(Britney Spears vs. Skrillex) - America's Pop Princess gets the electric chair. Sort of. This mash-up pairs Brit Brit's vocals with dark electro funk. Probably the closest we'll get to having Crazy Britney for a while. Free download at PumptheBeat.com

5. Love in a Vacuum /1983 demo/ ('Til Tuesday) - My infatuation with Aimee Mann continues. I was reading the iTunes review for Til Tuesday's 1985 "Voices Carry" cd and the author kept talking about how great the demo for "Love in a Vacuum" was (better than the fully produced version that appears on the album). It took me a while to track it down, but I have to say I agree with him. Free download at http://www.studiowner.com/

6. Season of the Witch (Karen Elson) - Jack White's wife covers Donovan for the "True Blood" soundtrack. Great version, but of course I still prefer Courtney Love's. :^)

7. Amy (Mashup-Germany) - We lost Ms. Winehouse last month. I was surprised how touching this mashup was. Free on PumptheBeat.com. RIP Amy.

8. Substitute (Gloria Gaynor) - This was originally recorded by the Righteous Brothers, and Gloria decided to put her own spin on it. The song was soon eclipsed by the B-side single, however - "I Will Survive". Gotta say I like 'em both!

9. Belong (The Pains of Being Pure at Heart) - Perky alt-rock song from another awkwardly named alt-rock band.

10. Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (Beastie Boys featuring Santigold) - If you had told me back in college that the Beastie Boys would still be around in 2011, I wouldn't have believed you. But here they are with this reggae-tinged single!

11. Dating a Porn Star (the Weepies) - Jill had this band on one of her playlists, and while browsing their catalogue I stumbled across this track. Never would have guessed it would be a tender ballad.

12. Do Nothing 'Til You Hear from Me (Boz Scaggs) - Another act I'm surprised is still recording. This is from a Billie Holliday tribute cd that came out this summer.

13. Wait & See /Richard X remix/ (Holy Ghost!) - This bouncy remix is great for some end of summer poolside chillaxin'.

14. Crystal Clear (the Darling Buds) - Hate to admit I missed this band first time around. Luckily I had Jill to call them to my attention. Better late than never!

15. Get Away (Yuck) - These guys did a Daytrotter session back in April. This wasn't one of the free tunes, but I liked them enough to check out their other music. Something about this reminds me of Smashing Pumpkins. Good stuff.

16. Speck (Deep Dark Robot) - Former 4 Non-Blonde member and hit producer (Pink, Gwen Stefani) Linda Perry returns to the studio with her new band. Great tune, but I still wish she'd gone for the "Big" ending (think: Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" or Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here").

17. School (Aer) - These guys make me smile. The song is about what makes them smile (hint: it's not school).

18. It's My Party (Quincy Jones featuring Amy Winehouse) - I had to have one more Winehouse song! QJ was putting together an album that showcased his work throughout a decades-long career. Who else but Amy to interpret his greatest Lesley Gore hit? Quincy Jones + Lesley Gore + Amy Winehouse = win win win

19. Sidewalk Talk (Jellybean featuring Madonna) - This month's official throwback. Back in the early 1980's, Jellybean and his girlfriend Madonna were the toast of NYC. He was a DJ and had worked on remixing Madonna's first album, which had made her a star. To return the favor, she contributed this song to his 1984 album "Wotupski !?!" Pretty sure the album is out of print, but this single still turns up occasionally. An under-appreciated Madonna track, IMHO.