Brant's December 2018 Playlist

Bah humbug!  I got visited by THREE spirits and not one of them brought music!  

Like Candy Spelling in her gift decorating room after too many Peppermint Mochas, another year is wrapping up fast!  Christmas albums began coming out back in September, but I'm still not ready for them.  Besides, there was plenty of other great music to check out - so let's get to it!  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.

1.  Sylvia Says /Mind Enterprises Remix/ (Charlotte Gainsbourg) - Whether it's Breakbot (who also remixed this particular song!),  dearly departed Avicii, or DJ Snake - Europeans are masters of Electronica.  I'm totally digging this 80's flavored remix of Charlotte Gainsbourg's tune from her critically acclaimed album "Rest". 

2.  Lover Chanting (Little Dragon) - Yukimi Nagano and the gang are back with more trippy European electronica to help you dance off those Thanksgiving calories.

3.  Ride or Die (the Knocks feat. Foster the People) - I really thought after "Pumped Up Kicks" that Foster the People would be a one-hit wonder, but they continue to turn out great music, this time with American duo the Knocks!

4.  Gut Feeling (Ella Mai feat. H.E.R.) - Another powerhouse pairing that has been on heavy rotation since I first heard it.  Two R&B divas join forces for a simmering slow jam!

5.  Dream Operator (Talking Heads feat. Annie McEnroe) - It took him 32 years, but David Byrne has FINALLY released the complete soundtrack to "True Stories"!  I liked the Talking Heads' version, but something about Annie McEnroe's vocals from the film really took this song to the next level for me!  It sounds like a quirky lullaby sung to the world's coolest toddler!  The scene from the movie is probably one of my favorite 1980s movie clips ever!

6.  Winter's Day (Gunhild Carling) - I stumbled across a video of her performing "Bag Pipe Blues" at a jazz festival, and was immediately #obsessed with Gunhild.  What's not to like about a blonde bombshell with a horn???  Here, she welcomes the season with a mix of vocals and trumpet!

7.  Really Gone /Hansa Session/ (Chvrches) - Whoa.  Electronic band goes acoustic with gorgeous string renditions of songs from their latest album.  Perfect for listening as the snow falls.

8.  Flower in the Gun (Michael Franti with Victoria Canal) - One of my favorite live performers is back with a new album, and this earnest plea for world peace. I miss his "Ganja Babe" days, but this'll do in the meantime! 

9.  Messin' with Me (Northern Faces) - Indie band from Albany gets the party going again with this song from their sophomore album!

10.  New Compassion (Haerts) - German duo serves up some anthemic rock with soaring vocals.

11.  Farther Away (Sam Valdez) - LA songwriter reminds me of a female Chris Isaak with her mellow crooning and seductive guitar strumming!

12.  Feel the Same (Olly Murs feat. Nile Rodgers) - Olly is my go-to guy when I want some upbeat pop, and this partnership with Nile Rodgers only increases the fun!

13.  On the Inside (Cindy Wilson) - I'm really digging Cindy Wilson's (B-52s) solo material.  I had "Ballistic" on last August's playlist, but had to showcase this dreamy selection from last year's "Change" album.

14.  All I Needed Was the Rain (Glen Campbell) - Glen Campbell began his career recording demos for Elvis Presley!  Who knew???  Fortunately, someone dug up the recordings from 1964-68 and decided to make them available to the public.  Here, he sounds like Elvis covering a Bobbie Gentry tune!

15.  Get By (Diane Coffee) - California artist, and frequent Brantworld listee, Shaun Fleming is giving me life with this glam rock ditty!

16.  Dance Hall Days (Theophilus London) - Trinidadian-born American performs a solid cover of Wang Chung's classic, warming the original with a tropical flair!

17.  Great (IDLES) - Punk has always been a rallying cry against mainstream culture, so what a thrill to see it utilized here to call out the racist haters in the world by beloved British band IDLES.

18.  Crazy (Taichi Mukai) - I'm really getting into Asian pop!  Here, "Japanesey" artist gets our feet tappin' with some danceable R&B!

19.  Candy Cane Lane (Sia) - I had to include at least one Christmas song!  Since last year's December playlist was all vintage holiday music, I went contemporary for this year's selection.  Sia took a huge creative risk by releasing an album of original material for the season, but I think she did a great job!  I guess time will tell if any of these reach the heights of Mariah's 1994 standard ("All I Want for Christmas Is You").

So that's our last list for 2018!  Hope everyone has a festive holiday season - and stay warm!  I'll see you in the New Year!

Brant's November 2018 Playlist

New music always gets a thumbs up!  Mitch McConnell?  Not so much.  

Okay - now that Halloween is behind me and I've voted - time for a new playlist!  I actually had a tough time pulling together this month's list, due in part to the fact that all the new music seemed to be Christmas albums!!!  It's not even December, people!  Let's give everyone time to put away their Halloween decorations and enjoy Thanksgiving before we start breaking out the holly.  Plus, I always like to have had my flu shot before I start kissing people under the mistletoe.

Anyway - here's this month's list.  Last month was R&B heavy, so this month I found myself leaning towards the rock offerings.  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.

1.  You're the One (Greta Van Fleet) - I'm starting to notice some pushback from music lovers, who report that this young band's Led Zeppelin sound is starting to feel rote.  I certainly see their point, but good songs are good songs - and I'm digging this one.  Can't wait to catch them live on this current tour.

2.  Blue Again (Weakened Friends) - Maybe it's because I grew up in the age of Punk and Grunge Rock, but there will always be a place in Brantworld for this kind of unhinged female vocals and growling guitars!  Nothing weak here!

3.  Resting Bitch Face (Boy George and Culture Club) - I was lucky enough to catch them this summer on tour, and it was worth the wait.  Boy George's voice is shockingly lower in register, but all of the feeling still comes through.  The band has always been known for tackling different genres of music (bluegrass with "Karma Chameleon" and the gentle reggae of "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?"), but to my knowledge they've never done anything with this Memphis Soul vibe.  At a time when so many of the stars of the 80s are no longer with us, we're fortunate to have Boy George still around and still taking chances with his music.

4.  The Wave (Lion Babe with Leikeli47) - Funky soul workout from American duo.

5.  Tongue Tied (Earl) - This popped up on a streaming app and I was instantly #obsessed.  The swing sound of the last millennium gets a 21st century update, with glorious results! 

6.  Strawberry Lover (Mazarati) - My quest to own everything Paisley Park continues!  Mazarati is best known for the song they didn't get - Prince's signature song "Kiss".  They still managed to put together a solid album back in 1986, however.  This psychedelic soul ditty (with lyrics by Prince!) was a standout for me.  Not on Spotify, but you can listen to it HERE.

7.  Boogie All Night (Chic with Nao) - Nile Rodgers is still going strong, serving up fun, danceable grooves - this time with an assist from British singer Nao.  BTW - why did we EVER stop saying "boogie"???   

8.  Best Years of My Life (Pistol Annies) - Country supergroup returns with gorgeously despondent harmonies and tales of suburban ennui.

9.  We Might As Well Dance (Madeleine Peyroux) - I had "Party Tyme" on last month's list, but I can't get enough of Peyroux's latest album chronicling life in the modern era!  "Party Tyme" had a snarky, ironic tone - but this one soothes us with quiet resignation.

10.  1999 (Charli XCX and Troye Sivan) - Not to be confused with the Prince song "1999" (which looked forward),  this duet looks back with nostalgia at the last year of the previous millennium.  Percolating pop from two of today's most engaging artists.

11.  make you feel pretty (lovelytheband) - Handclaps and singalong chorus from LA indie band.

12.  Not Many Miles to Go (Rosanne Cash) - Introspective lyrics and a toe-tapping melody, from well-respected songwriter and Country music royalty.

13.  Are You Okay? (Winnetka Bowling League) - Wistful dream pop from LA band (Gossip Alert:  singer and songwriter Matthew Koma is Hilary Duff's baby daddy!!!).

14.  (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang (LCD Soundsystem) - Well-known Brooklyn band covers Heaven 17's frenetic political hit, which is sadly relevant again!

15.  Before You Get a Boyfriend (Phony PPL) - Delicious R&B vocals with a dash of hip hop.

16.  Heart to Break (Kim Petras) - Transgender German pop diva delivers some fearless danceable sass to burn off those Thanksgiving calories!

17.  Love Like Ours (Estelle with Tarrus Riley) - London singer closes us out with some easy reggae.

So that's November's list!  Hope everyone has a great month, and get out there and VOTE today!!!  If you need transportation - many car, bike, and scooter sharing companies like Lyft and Lime are offering discounted rides to the polls.  Or if you know a Mark Harris supporter - maybe he'll loan you his servant wife so she can drive you.  See you next month!

Brant's October 2018 Playlist

New music.  Some sweet new headphones.  What could possibly go wrong?

Well, here we are with September behind us, and only three months left in 2018.  What's been going on?  Brett Kavanaugh is pursuing his seat on the Supreme Court like Michael Myers pursuing Jamie Lee Curtis, which is surprisingly on point since "Halloween" premiered 40 years ago this month.  I've also got some killer new songs to share.  This month I seemed to gravitate towards jazz and R&B numbers, so grab some candy corn and settle in for some smooth beats and funky basslines.  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.

1.  Love Just Ain't Enough (Kara Marni) - London artist emotes over tribal beats and a cowbell!

2.  Whathegirlmuthafuckinwannadoo (the Coup with Janelle Monáe) - I would follow Janelle Monáe anywhere!!!  Here she's serving groovy old-school soul that would make Betty Wright proud!

3.  You're Somebody Else (flora cash) - Husband and wife duo made their American TV debut with this song on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" back in August.  Dreamy vocals over minimal instrumentation.

4.  Party Tyme (Madeleine Peyroux) - Peyroux is another artist I've grown to love over the years.  Her new album "Anthem" deals with the challenges of modern-day life, and this one is a slightly dark/slightly humorous take on life in rehab.

5.  Tieduprightnow (Parcels) - German band has clearly been listening to their parents' Nile Rodgers/Chic disco records!

6.  Count on Me (Jefferson Starship) - Founder and lead singer Marty Balin died this month.  He had a tempestuous history with the band, but there's no denying they made great music together!  RIP.

7.  Run Run (RAY BLK) - Reggae-tinged song details the singer's experiences on the streets of London.

8.  Adeus America (Susannah McCorkle) - I'm not sure where I heard this song, but Pandora or Spotify or somebody suggested it to me and I was immediately hooked to its easy samba beats.  Sad to hear the singer committed suicide back in the early 2000s.

9.  You Used to Hold Me So Tight /Club Mix/ (Reel People feat. Angela Johnson) - One of my fave Thelma Houston songs gets a fantastic update!

10.  Comeback (Ssion) - I had "Tell Me About It" on last month's playlist, but there was too much deliciousness on Ssion's newest album not to include another selection for October.

11.  New Birth in New England (Phosphorescent) - References to beer?  Tropical beats?  I think it's fair to compare this to Jimmy Buffett, in all the best ways!

12.  Here I Am (Dolly Parton with Sia) -  I would never have put these two together, but they make magic!!!  An update of Dolly's 1971 ballad.

13.  Dope Queen Blues (Adia Victoria) - Nashville-based singer delivers some bluesy soul.

14.  100 Miles and Running (Logic feat. Wale and John Lindahl) - I don't usually put a lot of hip hop on my lists, because frankly I don't feel like I'm a good judge of it - but I do know what I like!  Logic and friends serve up some lightning-fast rhymes over Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache".

15.  Dust /Dimitri from Paris vs Cotonete Discomix/ (Gizelle Smith) - French collaborators Dimitri from Paris and Cotonete transform Gizelle Smith's funky soul workout into a sizzling disco jam that would've gotten the Studio 54 crowd moving!

16.  Lucretia My Reflection (Sisters of Mercy) - I always like to have a Halloween song on my October playlists, and pretty much any Sisters of Mercy song fits the bill.  FULL DISCLOSURE:  I used to think the chorus was saying, "Vampire down!!!"  (It's really saying "Empire down")  Still works for Halloween, though, since they later ask to "dance the ghost with me"!

So that's October.  Hope everyone has a safe and spooky Halloween, and I'll see you next month!

Brant's September 2018 Playlist

Clearly Bill preferred Ariana Grande's tribute to Aretha over mine!

Okay, ideally I would've liked to have had this out before the holiday weekend but it just wasn't in the cards.  Virgos hate to be late, and I am no exception.  But I'm here now and hopefully this month's batch of songs will be so delicious that you'll forget their tardy arrival.  We've got some returning favorite dishes, some criminally out-of-print treats, and some tasty morsels from the Far East!  So without further adieu, let's dive in.  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.

1.  New Fire (Pretty Sister feat. MarcLo) -  Pretty Sister is the stage name of Zak Waters, and he's serving up some West Coast funk to get the party started!

2.  love4eva (LOONA/yyxy feat. Grimes) - From the West Coast to the Far East!  I'm pretty much on board for anything Grimes does, and this bubblegummy K-pop confection is no exception!

3.  Enemies (Lauv) - San Francisco artist had a hit with "I Like Me Better" and this minimalistic R&B number is from the same album.

4.  Body Talks (the Struts feat. Kesha) - I am SO digging free-range Kesha!  Seems like she's just doing whatever floats her boat, and this collaboration with British rockers the Struts is electrifying! Can't wait to see what she does next.

5.  If Not Now When (Aaron Lee Tasjan) - Indie rocker seems to be channeling George Harrison on this latest single! 

6.  Fascinating Rhythm (Tony Bennett with Diana Krall) - Tony Bennett sounds better at 92 than I've EVER sounded in my entire life.  He's got a new duet album coming out with Diana Krall, and if this first single is any indication - it's going to be divine!

7.  Laughter On My Mind (Helen Terry with Boy George) - After seeing Culture Club in concert this summer, I started digging into their music catalog.  I never realized that backup singer Helen "Church of the Poison Mind" Terry had released a solo album ('Blue Notes') in 1986.  For some reason, this particular song wasn't included!  It was the B-side to one of her first singles, and was out of print for years until a 2009 limited edition reissue of 'Blue Notes' included it as a bonus track. How this song was never a hit is beyond me.  Not on Spotify, but you can listen to it HERE.  Helen is no longer making music, but she certainly made her mark in the brief time she was recording.

8.  The Falls (Nic Pool) - Bluesy vocals over a percolating electronic backdrop, perfect for enjoying some of these gorgeous late-summer sunsets!

9.  Missing U (Robyn) - Robyn is back!!!  Hopefully a new album won't be far behind.

10.  Gimme! Gimme!  Gimme! A Man After Midnight (Cher) - The queen is back, and doing an entire album of ABBA songs can only mean great things for the dance floors of 2018!

11.  I Don't Want to Love You Any More (LANY) - Another personal fave band that I'm happy to see return with new music!  Easygoing dreampop with a wistful edge.

12.  It Might Get Dark (White Denim) - Austin, Texas band throws down some classic 70s-style rock that would fit on any Bachman-Turner Overdrive album!

13.  Don't Stop Believin' (Juliana Hatfield) - I'm still digging Juliana's sublime album of Olivia songs!

14.  Any Other Way (Jackie Shane) - I can't remember how I stumbled across this - but Jackie has an amazing story.  She was a transgender soul singer who left the Jim Crow South to find success in 1960s Toronto.  Her recorded works were painstakingly compiled and released in one volume last year.  Read more about her HERE.

15.  Deep Shadows (Nightmares On Wax feat. Sadie Walker) - A chill electronic remake of Little Anne's 1967 ballad.

16.  Every Girl Wants My Guy (Aretha Franklin) - Le sigh.  I still can't believe the Queen of Soul is gone.  I considered putting one of her timeless 1960s classics on this month's playlist - but instead decided to go with one of the early 1980s jams that first put Aretha on MY radar.  It was dance/funk tunes like this that made me a fan when I was a young teenager!  RIP

17.  Tell Me About It (Ssion) - "My Love Grows in the Dark" has been a fave song of mine for years, so I was psyched to see Ssion had some new stuff coming out.  This particular tune continues in the same danceable groove I first fell in love with all those years ago!

18.  Bliss (Kahoru Kohiruimaki) - Back in 1989, Prince contributed two songs to Kahoru Kohiruimaki's "Time the Motion" album.  It was only released in Japan, so getting a copy here in the USA has been next to impossible!  Thanks to a fraternity brother of mine who was traveling overseas - I can finally say I own it.  Both songs were good, but this one especially is a solid jam.  Not on Spotify, but you can listen to it HERE.  I wonder if it was an outtake from the 'Batman' soundtrack Prince was working on around this same time?

So that's September's playlist!  Apologies once more that it was late.  Hope everyone had a safe Labor Day weekend, and I'll see you next month!

 

Brant's August 2018 Playlist

If it's going to rain all the time, you might as well have something fun to wear!  

It's another rainy day in North Carolina.  I think we've had at least a quick thunderstorm every day for the last month.  The upside of all this is that I've had plenty of time to browse music!  We've got some lead-singers-gone-solo, new songs from reliable favorites, and a couple of old school selections worth remembering!  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.

1.  Under the Sun (Roosevelt) - Nothing like getting rained on every day to make you miss the sun!  And I've missed Roosevelt!!!  Totally digging this new song from his upcoming album.

2.  All For You (Years and Years) - Another returning fave serves up some danceable pop!

3.  Kissing Tree (the Spencer Lee Band) - This West Coast talent is giving me shades of Bill Withers with this funky jam!

4.  Don't Think Twice, It's Alright (Susan Tedeschi) - I had the pleasure of catching Susan live with the Tedeschi Trucks Band last month (got rained on, natch!), and was blown away by her cover of this Bob Dylan song.  Definitely see them if they come to your town!

5.  Sad Song Backwards (Jake Shears) - Counting the days until the Scissor Sisters' lead singer's solo album comes out!  Until then, we have this new offering.  Dare I say it reminds me of Tony Orlando and Dawn (and I'm cool with that!)?

6.  My Name Is the Night (Brian Fallon) - The second in our Lead-Singer-Gone-Solo series!  Gaslight Anthem vocalist delivers on this Springsteen-esque rock throw-down.

7.  Sugar Daddy (Macy Gray) - Macy is still out there making music, even if she's not showing up in the Top 40 these days.  Love this playful R&B ditty.

8.  Wanna Be (the Internet) - Jazzy, soulful slow jam from 2015 Grammy nominees.

9.  The War After the War (Mary Gauthier) - Folk singer worked with real life soldiers and their families to tell their stories on her new album, giving them songwriting credits and all!  A tough, but necessary, listen for all Americans.

10.  Heaven Only Knows (Bob Moses) - Canadian duo serves heavenly harmonies over 80s beats.

11.  Metal (Poppy) - American chanteuse covers Gary Numan's 1979 release (B-side to his hit record "Cars").   Craig turned me on to this!

12.  Simplify (Young the Giant) - California alt-rock band is back with a new uplifting single!

13.  Half a Mind (Loretta Lynn) - Country legend covers another country legend, from the upcoming Roger Miller tribute album.

14.  Cyber Stockholm Syndrome (Rina Sawayama) - Japanese/British model makes some pretty awesome R&B music!

15.  Betcha I (Chaka Khan) - Chaka famously covered Prince's "I Feel For You" in 1984, but in 1998 (20 years ago this summer!) they also produced an album together called "Welcome 2 My House".  It's criminally out of print, but I tracked down a copy last month, and love this funky number co-written by Chaka and Prince.   Not on Spotify, but you can listen to it HERE.

16.  Ballistic (Cindy Wilson) - Lead-Singer-Gone-Solo #3.  I caught the B-52's earlier this summer and was thrilled to learn that singer Cindy Wilson had released some solo stuff this past year.  This rowdy number showcases her still-strong-as-ever vocals but places them in a lively electronic/dance format we haven't really seen in her music with the B-52's.

17.  Stardust (Silverland) - Glittery house beats to get your booty moving!

18.  Da B Side (Da Brat feat. The Notorious B.I.G.) - Saw this on a 25th anniversary compilation.  I never knew they collaborated, so what a treat to hear!  From the Bad Boys soundtrack, and reissued on Jermaine Dupris presents So So Def 25.

So that's another month of music!  Hope everyone is staying dry, and we'll see ya in September (hey, that sounds like a song title)!

Brant's July 2018 Playlist

Summers are made for lawn parties with your crew, and good music!

Well, our country may be pretty divided but at least people are coming together for good music.  I noticed a lot of this month's selections were duets!  Maybe my subconscious was drawn to collaborations in hopes that our country would follow suit.  But enough discourse.  Let's get into this month's music!  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.

1.  Tired of Being Happy (Ashley McBryde) - Imagine Miranda Lambert with a dash of Tanya Tucker thrown in!  This troublemaking bar jam is my new fave song for the summer!

2.  Feel Like a Fool (Kali Uchis) - I had one of her songs on May's playlist, but my friend Anthony convinced me to give the entire album a spin - and I'll be forever grateful.  I'm totally digging the old school girl-group vibe she's giving me on this tune.  It sounds like a long lost Marvelettes song.

3.  Grease (Flo Morrissey and Matthew E. White) - Duet #1.  Speaking of old school, this delicious remake of the theme song from the classic movie "Grease" was too good to let slip by!  Grease IS the word.

4.  Crosseyed and Painless (Angelique Kidjo) - The Talking Heads 1980 album "Remain In Light" was chock full of Nigerian influences and African polyrhythms, so how cool to see African superstar Angelique Kidjo redo the entire album, track by track!  Impossible to sit still and listen as she revels in this cultural synergy.

5.  Summer (the Carters) - Duet #2.  Bey and Jay surprised everyone when they dropped this collaboration last month!  Most of it veers towards hip hop and rap, but I found myself gravitating to this easy-going album opening number.

6.  Done for Me (Charlie Puth with Kehlani) - Duet #3.  No sophomore slump here for this young American artist.  This is the 3rd single from his latest album, a mid-tempo duet with neo soul singer Kehlani.

7.  Silver Tongue (Nikka Costa) - I stumbled across this while looking for the new Neko Case album (see #13), and was flabbergasted to see that this was a tune she co-wrote with Prince back in the early 2000s.  You can hear Prince's version here, but Nikka finally recorded her version with piano and strings accompaniment.  Gorgeous loungy vibes perfect to wind down your night.

8.  Disco Yes (Tom Misch feat. Poppy Ajudha) - Duet #4.  From the lounge to the disco!  Groovy late night beats with jazzy vocals.

9.  Girlfriend (Christine and the Queens with Dâm-Funk) - French singer is back with a chill new song, which you can enjoy in French or English.  This is the English version, obvs!

10.  If You Wanna Love Somebody (Tom Odell) - More excellent emotive power pop from British singer-songwriter!   

11.  Bad Dreams (Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson) - Duet #5.  Power duo reunite for the first time since 2009 to cover Echo Friendly's "Worried".

12.  Kindness of Strangers (Courtney Marie Andrews) - I would've sworn this was Emmylou Harris the first time I heard it!!!  How have I never heard of CMA before?  This is from her 6th album, released earlier this Spring.

13.  Sleep All Summer (Neko Case and Eric Bachmann) - Duet #6.  Two Indie Rock icons join forces for this wistful summer ballad, a remake of the song from Bachmann's band Crooked Fingers.

14.  Beibi (Fundacion Tony Manero) - They had me at Tony Manero (John Travolta's character in "Saturday Night Fever"), but I also was digging the seductive Latin bedroom vibes in this selection. 

15.  Bedroom Calling Pt. 2 (Chromeo feat. The-Dream) - Did somebody say bedroom???  Chromeo is back with more danceable funk!

16.  Naive (Solange with Beyonce) - Duet #7.  Sisters team up for the duet you always wanted and weren't quite sure if it had ever happened.  Out of print today, but it was a bonus track on Solange's first album "Solo Star" back in 2002.  I also feel like credit should be given to Da Brat for her super tight rap!  I'll take her over ANOTHER Nicki Minaj guest rap any day.  Not on Spotify, but you can hear it HERE.

17.  Eve of Destruction (Paul Revere and the Raiders) - I usually do a patriotic song for the July playlist, but with everything going on in our government (Supreme Court, immigration, race relations) - this was the best I could muster.  We survived the turmoil of the 1960s (when this song was written) so maybe the USA will survive today.  There are several versions of this tune out there, but I found myself loving the horns in this rendition.

18.  Spells (Jenny Hval) - Okay, I admit #17 was kind of a downer.  In the interest of closing on a hopeful note, I added this ethereal, trippy jam!

So that's this month's playlist.  Hope everyone has a safe and happy Independence Day, and I'll see you next month!

Brant's June 2018 Playlist

"Yeah, I'm trying to listen to my music and they're out here making all kinds of noise..."

Summer is in full swing, and while everyone else is looking forward to pools and cookouts, I'm basically counting the days until Jurassic World:  Fallen Kingdom.  In the meantime, though, we have this month's playlist.  June's list is chock full of summery vibes perfect for picnics, lounging by the pool, or just getting pumped so you can outrun a T. Rex.  Just make sure not to get dinosaur repellent in your earbuds!  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.

1.  Summer Days /Roosevelt Remix/ (Rhye) - This seemed like the perfect song to get us started.  Roosevelt surrounds Rhye's silky vocals with a percolating beat to keep your bare feet tappin'!

2.  Nervous (Shawn Mendes) - Canadian social media sensation shows no signs of slowing down on his third album, which includes this peppy tune.

3.  I Need A Woman to Love (Kesha) - Another selection from the awesome Universal Love: Wedding Songs Reimagined album.  Not many people can cover Janis, but Kesha does a great job with this version from Janis' Cheap Thrills days.   

4.  Creep City (Jake Shears) - Scissor Sisters singer goes solo with a slightly ragtime offering that sounds like a New Orleans production of "Rocky Horror"!  Can't wait to hear the entire album!!!

5.  Roll Away (Birds of Chicago) - Husband/wife folk trio serves up some feel-good vibes with delicious harmonies and hands a'clappin'.

6.   All She Wants to Do Is Me (Peabo Bryson) - Okay, I did not expect Peabo to put out a comeback album - but here it is!  Gotta say, for 67 years old, his bedroom game is as strong as ever!

7.  Old Love (Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seekers) - I heard this on NPR and immediately loved the East Coast beach music vibes!

8.  Stuck with Me (Tinashe feat. Little Dragon) - After many delays, Tinashe has finally released Joyride, which was announced in 2015.  Gary turned me onto this duet with Swedish band Little Dragon.

9.  Never Be the Same /WestFunk Remix/ (Camila Cabello) - Another singer gone solo, Camila Cabello (from Fifth Harmony) released her solo album this year.  I especially love this remix that turns her pain into a party!  Not on Spotify, but you can listen to it on Soundcloud.

10.  Back Seat Driver (Bear Hands) - Uplifting Indie rock from Brooklyn band.

11.  Look at What the Light Did Now (Flo Morrissey and Matthew E. White) - Engaging duo does a tasty update of Little Wings' drowsy ditty.  Be sure to check out their version of "Grease"!

12.  Everyday I Have the Blues (Van Morrison and Joey DeFrancesco) - Van Morrison can sing anything and make it amazing!  Here he tries his hand at some loungey blues, with excellent results.

13.  The Ultracheese (Arctic Monkeys) - I would've sworn this was a lost David Bowie tune!!!

14.  Bed of Thorns (Gary Numan) - The guy who gave us "Cars" is back, this time to warn of the coming global apocalypse.  His voice is as strong and hypnotic as ever, and he's traded in the New Wave beats for some cool Middle Eastern flavahs!

15.  Sunflower (Rex Orange County) - Young English songwriter's 1970s stylings are shockingly on point!  So much so that hearing this song immediately takes me back to my own childhood.

16.  Bad Habit /Dr. Packer Remix/ (ATFC feat. Lisa Millett) - Another new song that takes me back - this time to the 1980s and Jocelyn Brown's classic "Somebody Else's Guy".  Love the old school soul vibe that Dr. Packer brings to ATFC's early 2000s house classic.

17.  Endless Conversation (Oliver feat. Johnnie Newman) - We'll close out this month with some danceable funk that should give off enough sparks to hold you until Independence Day!

So that's June's playlist!  Hope everyone's summer is off to a good start, and we'll see ya next time!