Category: Collection

I keep forgetting that I’m switching from “just a list with footnotes” to “bulleted list with indented bullets” and needing to go back and do the edit a second time. Thank you, Sublime Text, for having good bulk-text-editing tools!

The beginning of September is usually when I have to start working on accepting that we’re sliding into autumn, and I really have been working on that – went on a hike on the 30th and spotted a few leaves beginning to change color, which felt like an assault in August, but alas, that’s what’s happening.

Anyhow, please enjoy what is apparently an end of summer playlist, a fact about which I’m in denial. As usual, you can look at individual tracks below, or grab the whole playlist here.

• Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving
• The Barn – Landon Smith on The Barn – Single
• Loud and Heavy – Cody Jinks on Adobe Sessions
• Life Behind Bars – Zach John King & Bayker Blankenship on Life Behind Bars – Single
• Oh My Days – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• Sleeping on the Blacktop – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• 26 – Christian Hayes on 26 – EP
• It’s the End of the World – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• Pink Skies – Noah James on Pink Skies – Single
• Johnny Boy’s Bones (feat. The Dead South) – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• Graveyard Whistling – Morgan Wallen on Graveyard Whistling – Single
• Connection – Majik on Connection – Single
• Left Or Right – Ethan Miller on Wealthy
• Monsters – Majik on Monsters – Single
• Double Days – Aidan Canfield on Double Days – Single
• CD Player – Majik on CD Player – Single
• Talkin’ About Jesus – Jonah Kagen on Talkin’ About Jesus – Single
• All the Things She Said – Harrison on All the Things She Said – Single
• Tití Me Preguntó – Bad Bunny on Un Verano Sin Ti
• 0.0 – Ethan Miller on 0.0 – Single
• Home – Majik on Home – Single
• Dog House – Dylan Cotrone on Dog House – EP
• One – Majik on One – Single
• Ways Away – Tyler Nance on Midwest Memoir
• Dirt on Me – Chris Housman on Dirt on Me – Single
• Boots on the Ground – Massive Attack & Tom Waits on Boots on the Ground – Single
• Porch Light – Noah Kahan on The Great Divide
• Burn Me – Jonah Kagen & Sam Barber on Burn Me – Single
• Yellow – Emmit Fenn on Yellow – Single
• One More Round (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons) – Colm R. McGuinness on A Troll Is Not A Familiar (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons) – EP
• You’re Not The Same (Demo Version) – Yoste on You’re Not The Same (Demo Version) – Single
• Party’s In The Back – DELTONA on Party’s In The Back – Single
• Secondhand Smoke – Allman Brown on Secondhand Smoke – Single
• Midwest Memoir – Tyler Nance on Midwest Memoir
• KFC Santería – Cain Culto on KFC Santería – Single
• RUNWAY – Lady Gaga & Doechii on The Devil Wears Prada 2 (Music From The Motion Picture)
• Back to You – Cody Oliphant on When I Go – EP
• Play Your Games – Greta Van Fleet on Play Your Games – Single
• If I Die Young, Pt. 2 – Kimberly Perry on Bloom – EP
• BIMBAMBAU – Cain Culto on BIMBAMBAU – Single
• Run – Sam Barber on Broken View
• Hardy (feat. Clairo) – Rostam on American Stories
• Broken (Demo Version) – Yoste on Broken (Demo Version) – Single
• Kids Like Us – The Cowgays, Adam Mac, Brooke Eden & Chris Housman on Kids Like Us – Single
• Tremolo – Metric on Romanticize The Dive
• edamame (feat. Rich Brian) – bbno$ on eat ya veggies
• Cowman – Chris Housman on Cowman – Single
• Seneca Guns – Wesko on Familiar Spirits – EP
• Used To Be – Cam Bogle on Used To Be – Single
• DJ Turn It Down – Boy Throb & Kesha on DJ Turn It Down – Single
• A Troll Is Not A Familiar (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons) – Colm R. McGuinness on Guild-Maxxing (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons) – EP
• party 4 u – Charli xcx on how i’m feeling now
• Salem Witch – Lilith Max on Salem Witch – Single
• Crash First – honestav & mgk on Sweet American Boy
• cucuru – Cain Culto on cucuru – Single
• Good Hoedown – The Cowgays, Adam Mac, Brooke Eden & Chris Housman on Good Hoedown – Single
• Hunting Ghosts – Wesko on Familiar Spirits – EP
• I’m Always Talking (Demo Version) – Yoste on With A Light Heart – EP
• Lost Boys – Wesko on Lost Boys – EP
• round and round – bbno$ on round and round – Single
• Ghost Mode – Vahid Beats on Ghost Mode – Single
• These Alarms – Snow Patrol & Kylie Minogue on These Alarms – Single
• Side-Side-Side Quest (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons) – Colm R. McGuinness on Bromance (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons)
• I’m On Fire – Wesko on Familiar Spirits – EP
• Jacobs Song – honestav & Damien Styles on Sweet American Boy
• Bromance (Inspired By Dungeons & Dragons) – Colm R. McGuinness on Bromance (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons)
• Before The Soul Goes To Waste – Fabrizio on RECOVERY – EP
• Stupid Girl – Aika Collins on Stupid Girl – Single
• Cowboys Don’t Cry – Oliver Tree on Cowboy Tears
• Saving Me – Noah Brigden on Saving Me – Single
• Rivers and Roads (feat. The Head and The Heart) – Michael Marcagi & Chance Peña on Rivers and Roads (feat. The Head and The Heart) – Single
• Voodoo – Dylan Cotrone on Voodoo – Single
• Maghreb – Saint Levant & Bayou on Here and There – Single
• Take Me Back – Kygo & Max McNown on Take Me Back – Single
• Prologue (Eulogy Of A Man Turned Mule) – Emmylou Harris, Noah Cyrus, Allison Russell & Orville Peck on Mule
• a plague, a pestilence – Cain Culto on occulto 002 – EP
• Under You – Andrew Sa on American Rough
• Hands Up – Blood Orange on Freetown Sound
• Hadal Ahbek – Issam Alnajjar on Hadal Ahbek – Single
• Too Little, Too Late – Orville Peck on Mule
• Stars – Sail North on Stars – Single
• Last Night In Paris (feat. Carpenter Brut) – The Midnight on Syndicate (Deluxe)
• My Boy – TEEKS on My Boy – Single
• The Comeback – Joe Jordan on The Comeback – Single
• Purple Hat – SOFI TUKKER on DANCING ON THE PEOPLE – EP
• Very Few Friends – Saint Levant on Very Few Friends – Single
• Run For Them Hills – Zach John King on I’m What You Get
• Risk It All – Rufus Joseph on Risk It All – Single
• Dream You Back – Def Human on Dream You Back – Single
• Touch me – Lobo Music on Touch me – Single
• Wine Into Whiskey – Tucker Wetmore on What Not To
  
  • Sent to me specifically because of the way he says “sauvignon blanc”, and that’s also why it’s in the playlist. What can I say, I enjoy an interesting accent.
• Quiereme – LATIN MAFIA, Fred again.. & bby on 9 months & 50 hours
• benjy chord – Fred again.. & LATIN MAFIA on 9 months & 50 hours
• Te Estoy Correteando – LATIN MAFIA & Fred again.. on 9 months & 50 hours
• Want For Nothing – Cameron Whitcomb on The Hard Way (Complete Edition)
• The Thing That Takes – Fabrizio on RECOVERY – EP
  
  • “wow, there’s a lot of songs about alcoholism on this album,” I thought, before I looked at the album title and went, ah.
• Younger – TEEKS on Something To Feel
• Halo – Fred again.., LATIN MAFIA & Lil Yachty on 9 months & 50 hours
• Revolution – Seth Staton Watkins on Songs for the Revolution
• Need Change Soon – honestav on Sweet American Boy
• Mabe – Fred again.., LATIN MAFIA & Mabe Fratti on 9 months & 50 hours
• What’s the Matter with You – Emmy and Everything on Say When – Single
  
  • I have a fun piece of history about this piece… which I have been asked by the artist not to share, so instead I’m just going to be mysterious. Better go listen to the song and try to guess what the origin is.
• Alvafro – LATIN MAFIA & Fred again.. on 9 months & 50 hours
• Saw You Stand – Greta Van Fleet on Palace for the People
  
  • Greta Van Fleet is truly excellent
• How To Not – Zach John King on I’m What You Get
• Already Gone – Orville Peck on Mule
  
  • so excited for this album
• Dungeon Cult Devotee 001 – Cain Culto on occulto 002 – EP
  
  • Cain Culto does some really great catchy rhythms, it’s a vibe
• We Don’t Talk Anymore (feat. Chloe Foy) – Allman Brown on We Don’t Talk Anymore (feat. Chloe Foy) – Single
• Polaris – Emmy and Everything on Say When – Single

Going to see a lot of carry-over into next month with this one — for whatever reason, I had, like, a two-week pause in going through new music, and then caught up on it all on the 28th, so I haven’t really had time to get to know the latter chunk of this list.

Check out the entire playlist here, and see commentary on individual tracks below:

• Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP
• Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving
• The Barn – Landon Smith on The Barn – Single
• Loud and Heavy – Cody Jinks on Adobe Sessions
• Life Behind Bars – Zach John King & Bayker Blankenship on Life Behind Bars – Single
• Oh My Days – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• Sleeping on the Blacktop – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• 26 – Christian Hayes on 26 – EP
• It’s the End of the World – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• Pink Skies – Noah James on Pink Skies – Single
• Johnny Boy’s Bones (feat. The Dead South) – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• Graveyard Whistling – Morgan Wallen on Graveyard Whistling – Single
• Connection – Majik on Connection – Single
• Left Or Right – Ethan Miller on Wealthy
• Monsters – Majik on Monsters – Single
• Double Days – Aidan Canfield on Double Days – Single
• CD Player – Majik on CD Player – Single
• Talkin’ About Jesus – Jonah Kagen on Talkin’ About Jesus – Single
• All the Things She Said – Harrison on All the Things She Said – Single
• Hymn of the Holler – American Jackals on Hymn of the Holler – Single
• Tití Me Preguntó – Bad Bunny on Un Verano Sin Ti
• 0.0 – Ethan Miller on 0.0 – Single
• Home – Majik on Home – Single
• Dog House – Dylan Cotrone on Dog House – EP
• One – Majik on One – Single
• Ways Away – Tyler Nance on Midwest Memoir
• Dirt on Me – Chris Housman on Dirt on Me – Single
• no outline – Lauren Auder on Whole World As Vigil
• Breakfast – Ethan Miller on Before You Know It – EP
• Boots on the Ground – Massive Attack & Tom Waits on Boots on the Ground – Single
• HEY, MA (Live – July 23 2023 – Pitchfork Music Festival, Chicago, Il.) – Bon Iver on VOLUMES: ONE (SELECTIONS FROM MUSIC CONCERTS 2019-2023 BON IVER 6 PIECE BAND)
• Porch Light – Noah Kahan on The Great Divide
• Burn Me – Jonah Kagen & Sam Barber on Burn Me – Single
• Yellow – Emmit Fenn on Yellow – Single
• One More Round (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons) – Colm R. McGuinness on A Troll Is Not A Familiar (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons) – EP
• You’re Not The Same (Demo Version) – Yoste on You’re Not The Same (Demo Version) – Single
• Party’s In The Back – DELTONA on Party’s In The Back – Single
• ¡BASTA YA! (Snow Tha Product Remix) – Cain Culto, Xiuhtezcatl & Snow Tha Product on ¡BASTA YA! (Snow The Product Remix) – Single
• Secondhand Smoke – Allman Brown on Secondhand Smoke – Single
• Midwest Memoir – Tyler Nance on Midwest Memoir
• KFC Santería – Cain Culto on KFC Santería – Single
• RUNWAY – Lady Gaga & Doechii on The Devil Wears Prada 2 (Music From The Motion Picture)
• Back to You – Cody Oliphant on When I Go – EP
• ORIGAMI! – Kesha on ORIGAMI! – Single
• Set Free (The Bonfire Sessions) – Noah James & The Sticks on The Bonfire Sessions – EP
• Play Your Games – Greta Van Fleet on Play Your Games – Single
• Flood – Dua Saleh & Bon Iver on Of Earth & Wires
• If I Die Young, Pt. 2 – Kimberly Perry on Bloom – EP
• Chinese American Bear Anthem (华裔美国熊之歌) – Chinese American Bear on Dim Sum & Then Some
• BIMBAMBAU – Cain Culto on BIMBAMBAU – Single
• Run – Sam Barber on Broken View
• Hardy (feat. Clairo) – Rostam on American Stories
• Broken (Demo Version) – Yoste on Broken (Demo Version) – Single
• Kids Like Us – The Cowgays, Adam Mac, Brooke Eden & Chris Housman on Kids Like Us – Single
• Tremolo – Metric on Romanticize The Dive
• edamame (feat. Rich Brian) – bbno$ on eat ya veggies
• Cowman – Chris Housman on Cowman – Single
• Seneca Guns – Wesko on Familiar Spirits – EP
• Used To Be – Cam Bogle on Used To Be – Single
• TV Guide – Vince Staples on Cry Baby
• DJ Turn It Down – Boy Throb & Kesha on DJ Turn It Down – Single
• A Troll Is Not A Familiar (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons) – Colm R. McGuinness on Guild-Maxxing (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons) – EP
• Do You Know The Devil – Vince Staples on Cry Baby
• Glow – Dua Saleh & Bon Iver on Of Earth & Wires
• party 4 u – Charli xcx on how i’m feeling now
• Salem Witch – Lilith Max on Salem Witch – Single
• Mi Yo De Antes – Ozuna on Mi Yo De Antes – Single
• Crash First – honestav & mgk on Sweet American Boy
• cucuru – Cain Culto on cucuru – Single
• Good Hoedown – The Cowgays, Adam Mac, Brooke Eden & Chris Housman on Good Hoedown – Single
• Hunting Ghosts – Wesko on Familiar Spirits – EP
• I’m Always Talking (Demo Version) – Yoste on With A Light Heart – EP
• Wild Rut – Metric on Romanticize The Dive
• The Weight (feat. Amir Yaghmai) – Rostam on American Stories
• Reckoning – Jon Hopkins & Imogen Heap on Reckoning – Single
• Tired of Thoughts – Davit Barqaia on Tired of Thoughts – Single
• Lost Boys – Wesko on Lost Boys – EP
  
  • Really digging Wesko, this EP is great.
• round and round – bbno$ on round and round – Single
• Ghost Mode – Vahid Beats on Ghost Mode – Single
• These Alarms – Snow Patrol & Kylie Minogue on These Alarms – Single
• Side-Side-Side Quest (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons) – Colm R. McGuinness on Bromance (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons)
• I’m On Fire – Wesko on Familiar Spirits – EP
• Jacobs Song – honestav & Damien Styles on Sweet American Boy
• Bromance (Inspired By Dungeons & Dragons) – Colm R. McGuinness on Bromance (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons)
  
  • no homo, bro
• Stay a little longer – Walk on Water on Stay a little longer – Single
• Lie To Myself – Kyle Jenkins on Lie To Myself – Single
• Before The Soul Goes To Waste – Fabrizio on RECOVERY – EP
• Stupid Girl – Aika Collins on Stupid Girl – Single
  
  • Hi Aika!
• Cowboys Don’t Cry – Oliver Tree on Cowboy Tears
• Saving Me – Noah Brigden on Saving Me – Single
• Rivers and Roads (feat. The Head and The Heart) – Michael Marcagi & Chance Peña on Rivers and Roads (feat. The Head and The Heart) – Single
• Voodoo – Dylan Cotrone on Voodoo – Single
• Maghreb – Saint Levant & Bayou on Here and There – Single
  
  • Feels a lot like Mahmood, to me — a little bit of musical similarity, but I think the main part is the aggressive trilinguality.
• Hidin’ Something – Chris Housman on Dodge City
• Take Me Back – Kygo & Max McNown on Take Me Back – Single
• Prologue (Eulogy Of A Man Turned Mule) – Emmylou Harris, Noah Cyrus, Allison Russell & Orville Peck on Mule
  
  • New Orville Peck! I had no idea this album was coming out soon, but in retrospect it does explain why he’s going on tour in September.
• a plague, a pestilence – Cain Culto on occulto 002 – EP
• Under You – Andrew Sa on American Rough
• Wait – Calder on The Hours – EP
• Hands Up – Blood Orange on Freetown Sound
• Hadal Ahbek – Issam Alnajjar on Hadal Ahbek – Single
• Too Little, Too Late – Orville Peck on Mule
• Stars – Sail North on Stars – Single
• Last Night In Paris (feat. Carpenter Brut) – The Midnight on Syndicate (Deluxe)
• Summer Days – Emmit Fenn on Summer Days – Single
• My Boy – TEEKS on My Boy – Single
  
  • I’m gonna be honest, I added this just because of the music video. Hello.
• The Comeback – Joe Jordan on The Comeback – Single
• Purple Hat – SOFI TUKKER on DANCING ON THE PEOPLE – EP
  
  • Requested on a road trip by my sister, for the express purpose of annoying my niece. Bad news for my niece: I thought the song was hilarious.
• Very Few Friends – Saint Levant on Very Few Friends – Single
• Run For Them Hills – Zach John King on I’m What You Get
• Risk It All – Rufus Joseph on Risk It All – Single

I had honestly entirely forgotten this was Pride Month, but as it turns out, I’m really starting to collect queer country artists, so I guess I was accidentally celebrating it a little bit.

As usual, you can listen to the entire playlist, and read below for my commentary on a few tracks.

• Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP
• Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving
• American Trail – Dylan Gossett on Westward
• Normal Day – Brendan Walter on Normal Day – Single
• The Barn – Landon Smith on The Barn – Single
• Loud and Heavy – Cody Jinks on Adobe Sessions
• Life Behind Bars – Zach John King & Bayker Blankenship on Life Behind Bars – Single
• Baptized By Rain – Dylan Gossett on Westward
• Oh My Days – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• Caroline (feat. Belle Plaine) – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• Sleeping on the Blacktop – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• 26 – Christian Hayes on 26 – EP
• It’s the End of the World – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• Pink Skies – Noah James on Pink Skies – Single
• Johnny Boy’s Bones (feat. The Dead South) – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• You Deserve Better – Joe Jordan on You Deserve Better – Single
• How I Got My Name – honestav on How I Got My Name – Single
• Bound – Darren Kiely on Bound – Single
• Graveyard Whistling – Morgan Wallen on Graveyard Whistling – Single
• Connection – Majik on Connection – Single
• Left Or Right – Ethan Miller on Wealthy
• Monsters – Majik on Monsters – Single
• Withdrawals – Ethan Miller on Withdrawals – Single
• Eleni – Norra & Ethnic Lounge on Eleni – EP
• Double Days – Aidan Canfield on Double Days – Single
• CD Player – Majik on CD Player – Single
• Talkin’ About Jesus – Jonah Kagen on Talkin’ About Jesus – Single
• All the Things She Said – Harrison on All the Things She Said – Single
• Hymn of the Holler – American Jackals on Hymn of the Holler – Single
• Tití Me Preguntó – Bad Bunny on Un Verano Sin Ti
• DtMF – Bad Bunny on DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
• FKN Hate You – honestav & JaYy Wick on FKN Hate You – Single
• 0.0 – Ethan Miller on 0.0 – Single
• Home – Majik on Home – Single
• Imaginary Heaven – Jake Wells on WELLS
• Dog House – Dylan Cotrone on Dog House – EP
• One – Majik on One – Single
• Ways Away – Tyler Nance on Midwest Memoir
• Loretta’s Song – Home Free on Loretta’s Song – Single
• Dirt on Me – Chris Housman on Dirt on Me – Single
• flight mode (feat. RAKEL) – arfi on flight mode (feat. RAKEL) – Single
• no outline – Lauren Auder on Whole World As Vigil
• Breakfast – Ethan Miller on Before You Know It – EP
• Boots on the Ground – Massive Attack & Tom Waits on Boots on the Ground – Single
• no regrets – Dimside & Yung Toro on no regrets – Single
• HEY, MA (Live – July 23 2023 – Pitchfork Music Festival, Chicago, Il.) – Bon Iver on VOLUMES: ONE (SELECTIONS FROM MUSIC CONCERTS 2019-2023 BON IVER 6 PIECE BAND)
• Porch Light – Noah Kahan on The Great Divide
• Burn Me – Jonah Kagen & Sam Barber on Burn Me – Single
• California Sober – Matt Schuster on California Sober – Single
• Yellow – Emmit Fenn on Yellow – Single
• One More Round (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons) – Colm R. McGuinness on A Troll Is Not A Familiar (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons) – EP
• You’re Not The Same (Demo Version) – Yoste on You’re Not The Same (Demo Version) – Single
• Shadow Of A Man (Apple Music Live) – Lady Gaga on Apple Music Live: MAYHEM Requiem
• The End of Me – Ike Dweck on The End of Me – Single
• Party’s In The Back – DELTONA on Party’s In The Back – Single
• ¡BASTA YA! (Snow Tha Product Remix) – Cain Culto, Xiuhtezcatl & Snow Tha Product on ¡BASTA YA! (Snow The Product Remix) – Single
• Secondhand Smoke – Allman Brown on Secondhand Smoke – Single
• Midwest Memoir – Tyler Nance on Midwest Memoir
• KFC Santería – Cain Culto on KFC Santería – Single
• Victim Of Luck – Metric on Romanticize The Dive
• RUNWAY – Lady Gaga & Doechii on The Devil Wears Prada 2 (Music From The Motion Picture)
• Back to You – Cody Oliphant on When I Go – EP
• ORIGAMI! – Kesha on ORIGAMI! – Single
• Keeps Me Sane – Tyler Nance on Midwest Memoir
• Something to Someone – Max McNown on Something to Someone – Single
• As I Get Older – Peech. & Nevi on Small Town America, Vol. 2
• Set Free (The Bonfire Sessions) – Noah James & The Sticks on The Bonfire Sessions – EP
• Play Your Games – Greta Van Fleet on Play Your Games – Single
  
  • Slotting right back into that classic rock feeling.
• Doors – Noah Kahan on The Great Divide: The Last Of The Bugs
• Already Know – The Chainsmokers & Oaks on Love Is Kind – EP
• Flood (feat. Bon Iver) – Dua Saleh & Bon Iver on Of Earth & Wires
• Til Dawn – Landon Wilks on Young and Restless
• Confetti – Aquilo on Confetti – EP
• Orbiter – Noah Kahan on The Great Divide: The Last Of The Bugs
• If I Die Young, Pt. 2 – Kimberly Perry on Bloom – EP
  
  • Similar to how I feel about the arc of Blue October from Hate Me to Home, this is a heartstring-pulling follow-up to If I Die Young.
• Crush Forever – Metric on Romanticize The Dive
• Chinese American Bear Anthem (华裔美国熊之歌) – Chinese American Bear on Dim Sum & Then Some
• Letters to the Grave – Vahid Beats on Chemical – Single
• BIMBAMBAU – Cain Culto on BIMBAMBAU – Single
• Run – Sam Barber on Broken View
• Charlie Brown – Rolipso on Charlie Brown – Single
• Hardy (feat. Clairo) – Rostam on American Stories
• Broken (Demo Version) – Yoste on Broken (Demo Version) – Single
• Kids Like Us – The Cowgays, Adam Mac, Brooke Eden & Chris Housman on Kids Like Us – Single
  
  • I’m really enjoying this queer country supergroup.
• Tremolo – Metric on Romanticize The Dive
  
  • Something about this just really hits the feeling of Joan Jett’s I Love Rock ’n’ Roll, and I love it.
• Holding On – Bailey Zimmerman on Different Night Same Rodeo
• Untouched (feat. The Veronicas) – Harrison on Untouched (feat. The Veronicas) – Single
• Keep Away (feat. Bon Iver) – Dua Saleh & Bon Iver on Of Earth & Wires
• I Wanna Go Home (我想回家) – Chinese American Bear on Dim Sum & Then Some
• The Big Bad Wolf – Vince Staples on Cry Baby
• Leave Her Johnny (Woodkid Resynced) – Woodkid on Leave Her Johnny (Woodkid Resynced) – Single
• Cotton – Vince Staples on Cry Baby
• edamame (feat. Rich Brian) – bbno$ on eat ya veggies
  
  • Wonderfully rhythmic, really gets onto a roll immediately.
• Cowman – Chris Housman on Cowman – Single
  
  • Rollicking fun, and the chorus line of “I don’t want a cowboy, I want a cowman” is great.
• Seneca Guns – Wesko on Familiar Spirits – EP
  
  • I think this is my favorite addition this month. It also sent me off on a whole thing, making a conspiracy wall in my head. I have theories now. Well, okay, I have a theory now, but pulling together evidence made me feel like one of the “Taylor Swift is sending us secret messages” people, which, as it turns out, can be kinda fun as long as you keep the level of investment in it low.¹
• Used To Be – Cam Bogle on Used To Be – Single
• TV Guide – Vince Staples on Cry Baby
• DJ Turn It Down – Boy Throb & Kesha on DJ Turn It Down – Single
  
  • Kesha is absolutely hilarious. “This party’s way to loud, DJ, turn it down!”
• A Troll Is Not A Familiar (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons) – Colm R. McGuinness on Guild-Maxxing (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons) – EP
  
  • McGuinness’ whole album is pretty entertaining, but this is my favorite one so far.
• Do You Know The Devil – Vince Staples on Cry Baby
  
  • First time I can think of hearing a track use a baby crying as a rhythmic element, and it works astonishingly well.
• The Subway – Chappell Roan on The Subway – Single
• Glow (feat. Bon Iver) – Dua Saleh & Bon Iver on Of Earth & Wires
• party 4 u – Charli xcx on how i’m feeling now
• Salem Witch – Lilith Max on Salem Witch – Single
• Afterlife – Evanescence on Sanctuary
• Mi Yo De Antes – Ozuna on Mi Yo De Antes – Single
• Source – Sleeping At Last on Source – Single
• Crash First – honestav & mgk on Sweet American Boy
• cucuru – Cain Culto on cucuru – Single
• Same Old Things (The Bonfire Sessions) – Noah James & The Sticks on The Bonfire Sessions – EP
• THRIFT STORE JACKET – Couvo on THRIFT STORE JACKET – Single
• Good Hoedown – The Cowgays, Adam Mac, Brooke Eden & Chris Housman on Good Hoedown – Single
  
  • C’mon, “can’t keep a good hoe down at a good hoedown” is, objectively, hilarious

1. My theory: Wesko is queer.
   My evidence: Hunting Ghosts is clearly in the country sub-genre of “sad country boy sings about his ex.” In the music video, so far as I’m able to tell, the ghost is played by a man.
   Where it turned into a conspiracy wall: I went through the lyrics of every track on that EP, and a couple other tracks from his oeuvre, and he generally does a great job of avoiding gendered pronouns for people he’s interested in. The only song where he doesn’t do that “if I never mention a gender, people will assume heterosexuality” thing? Lies. ↩

I threw a whole housewarming party this month, and actually didn’t play this playlist. You’ll see why. Or, find out the fun way, and listen to the whole thing without reading my comments!

• Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP
• Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving
• American Trail – Dylan Gossett on Westward
• Normal Day – Brendan Walter on Normal Day – Single
• The Barn – Landon Smith on The Barn – Single
• Loud and Heavy – Cody Jinks on Adobe Sessions
• Did What You Did – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP
• Life Behind Bars – Zach John King & Bayker Blankenship on Life Behind Bars – Single
• Music for the Soul – Sam Barber on Music for the Soul
• American Vintage – Aidan Canfield on American Vintage – Single
• Baptized By Rain – Dylan Gossett on Westward
• Foolish Pride – Slater Nalley on Foolish Pride – Single
• Pipe Dream – Brendan Walter on Disappearing Days
• Oh My Days – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• Back On Deseret – Brendan Walter on Disappearing Days
• Home Used To Be – Joe Jordan on Home Used To Be – Single
• Caroline (feat. Belle Plaine) – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• Sleeping on the Blacktop – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• 26 – Christian Hayes on 26 – EP
• It’s the End of the World – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• Pink Skies – Noah James on Pink Skies – Single
• Johnny Boy’s Bones (feat. The Dead South) – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• You Deserve Better – Joe Jordan on You Deserve Better – Single
• How I Got My Name – honestav on How I Got My Name – Single
• LE COSE NON DETTE (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Mahmood on LE COSE NON DETTE (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Single
• Bound – Darren Kiely on Bound – Single
• Graveyard Whistling – Morgan Wallen on Graveyard Whistling – Single
• Connection – Majik on Connection – Single
• Left Or Right – Ethan Miller on Wealthy
• Monsters – Majik on Monsters – Single
• Withdrawals – Ethan Miller on Withdrawals – Single
• Eleni – Norra & Ethnic Lounge on Eleni – EP
• Double Days – Aidan Canfield on Double Days – Single
• The Peddler – Mythborne on The Peddler – Single
• In My Head – Dave Thomas Junior on Counting Backwards
• CD Player – Majik on CD Player – Single
• Want – Sleeping At Last on Want – Single
• Talkin’ About Jesus – Jonah Kagen on Talkin’ About Jesus – Single
• All the Things She Said – Harrison on All the Things She Said – Single
• Hymn of the Holler – American Jackals on Hymn of the Holler – Single
• Tití Me Preguntó – Bad Bunny on Un Verano Sin Ti
• DtMF – Bad Bunny on DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
• Lips – Baxter Dury on It’s a Pleasure
• Lights Burn Dimmer – Fred again.. & Jamie T on Lights Burn Dimmer – Single
• HEAVENLY FATHER (Live – Mediolanum, Milan, IT. Nov 05 2022) – Bon Iver on VOLUMES: ONE (SELECTIONS FROM MUSIC CONCERTS 2019-2023 BON IVER 6 PIECE BAND)
• FKN Hate You – honestav & JaYy Wick on FKN Hate You – Single
• Arbitrary Dance – Aika Collins on Arbitrary Dance – Single
• 0.0 – Ethan Miller on 0.0 – Single
• Home – Majik on Home – Single
• Woman – Matt Schuster on Woman – Single
• Imaginary Heaven – Jake Wells on WELLS
• A SATISFIED MIND (Live – Dec 08 2017 – State Theatre, Portland, Me.) – Bon Iver on VOLUMES: ONE (SELECTIONS FROM MUSIC CONCERTS 2019-2023 BON IVER 6 PIECE BAND)
• Dog House – Dylan Cotrone on Dog House – EP
• One – Majik on One – Single
• Ways Away – Tyler Nance on Midwest Memoir
• Loretta’s Song – Home Free on Loretta’s Song – Single
• Just A Kid – Sam Barber on Broken View
• Something You Would Die For – William Clark Green on Watterson Hall
• Dirt on Me – Chris Housman on Dirt on Me – Single
• flight mode (feat. RAKEL) – arfi on flight mode (feat. RAKEL) – Single
• Heart You Didn’t Break – Max McNown on Heart You Didn’t Break – Single
• no outline – Lauren Auder on Whole World As Vigil
• The More I Hope – Sam Barber on Broken View
• Breakfast – Ethan Miller on Before You Know It – EP
• Time Is A Bomb – Metric on Romanticize The Dive
• Won’t Let Me Go – Tors on Songs From The Road, Vol. 2
• Catch A Break – Niklas Juritsch on Catch A Break – Single
• Boots on the Ground – Massive Attack & Tom Waits on Boots on the Ground – Single
  
  • A weird combination of artists, but I love how it turned out. Also, this is why You Want It Darker shows up later — turns out there’s a very specific niche in my taste in music for “an old man growling into a microphone.”
• JELMORE (Live – Jan 19 2020 – Tennis Indoor Senayan, Jakarta, Id.) – Bon Iver on VOLUMES: ONE (SELECTIONS FROM MUSIC CONCERTS 2019-2023 BON IVER 6 PIECE BAND)
• Nothings What It Seems – Tyler Nance & Jackson Dean on Midwest Memoir
• no regrets – Dimside & Yung Toro on no regrets – Single
• Can’t Love You – Cam Bogle on Can’t Love You – Single
• HEY, MA (Live – July 23 2023 – Pitchfork Music Festival, Chicago, Il.) – Bon Iver on VOLUMES: ONE (SELECTIONS FROM MUSIC CONCERTS 2019-2023 BON IVER 6 PIECE BAND)
  
  • Really like how this live/alternate version turned out!
• 666 (Live – Apr 03 2022 – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, Irving, Tx.) – Bon Iver on VOLUMES: ONE (SELECTIONS FROM MUSIC CONCERTS 2019-2023 BON IVER 6 PIECE BAND)
• Standstill (My My My) – Max McNown on Standstill (My My My) – Single
• Middlemen – Peech. on Small Town America (Vol. 2)
• Under My Skin – Aquilo on Under My Skin – Single
• Porch Light – Noah Kahan on The Great Divide
• Burn Me – Jonah Kagen & Sam Barber on Burn Me – Single
  
  • “And I don’t feel bad, hell, I don’t feel holy/ Guess I’ll have to find out on my own.”
• When It’s All Over – Peech. on Small Town America (Vol. 2)
• Sunday – Hannah Lew on Hannah Lew
• California Sober – Matt Schuster on California Sober – Single
• Dear Life – William Clark Green on Watterson Hall
• Hope It Was Fun – Hayden Blount on Hope It Was Fun – Single
• Something New – terro, Duce & Elliot Vast on Something New – Single
• Take (Alternative Version) – Hayden Calnin on Take (Alternative Version) – Single
• Lavender – Landon Smith on Lavender – Single
• You Want It Darker – Leonard Cohen on You Want It Darker
• Coldplay (feat. Vic Mensa) – Mr Hudson on Coldplay (feat. Vic Mensa) – Single
• Yellow – Emmit Fenn on Yellow – Single
  
  • This cover is amazing, I’m a few years late to finding it, and it’s truly wonderful for me. Starts off as a pretty straightforward cover, which didn’t really hook me, but the way it continues to develop over the course of the song really, really makes it for me.
• All For You – Sam Barber on Broken View
• One More Round (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons) – Colm R. McGuinness on A Troll Is Not A Familiar (Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons) – EP
  
  • This is just fun to listen to — I tune in and out at various places and every single line feels like I’ve got a fun new reference.
• You’re Not The Same (Demo Version) – Yoste on You’re Not The Same (Demo Version) – Single
• Simpler Times – Days of August on Simpler Times
• Shadow Of A Man (Apple Music Live) – Lady Gaga on Apple Music Live: MAYHEM Requiem
• Alright Now (Alternative Version) – Hayden Calnin on Middle Night (Alternative Versions) – EP
  
  • As the title says, it’s an alternative version, and it’s nice to listen to having already been familiar with the original. I think the original version is, stand-alone, better, though.
• The End of Me – Ike Dweck on The End of Me – Single
• Nowhere Fast – Tyler Nance on Midwest Memoir
• Love Is Kind – The Chainsmokers & Oaks on Love Is Kind – EP
• Party’s In The Back – DELTONA on Party’s In The Back – Single
• ¡BASTA YA! (Snow Tha Product Remix) – Cain Culto, Xiuhtezcatl & Snow Tha Product on ¡BASTA YA! (Snow The Product Remix) – Single
• Secondhand Smoke – Allman Brown on Secondhand Smoke – Single
  
  • “I know better now” hits hard
• Under the Weather – Tyler Nance on Midwest Memoir
• Midwest Memoir – Tyler Nance on Midwest Memoir
• KFC Santería – Cain Culto on KFC Santería – Single
  
  • “Oh thank god, he’s actually gay” – me, reading Cain Culto’s wikipedia article.
• Victim Of Luck – Metric on Romanticize The Dive
• RUNWAY – Lady Gaga & Doechii on The Devil Wears Prada 2 (Music From The Motion Picture)
  
  • Another combination of artists that I never would’ve thought, but wow do they ever work well together.
• Keeps Me Sane – Tyler Nance & The Castellows on Midwest Memoir
• Eyes Wide Open – Daniel Leggs on Eyes Wide Open – Single
• Back to You – Cody Oliphant on When I Go – EP
• ORIGAMI! – Kesha on ORIGAMI! – Single
  
  • Not even deliberately down at the end, here, but this was the reason I didn’t use this playlist for the party. My grandma came to the party. This is not a song I want to play where my grandma can hear it.
• Don’t Care at All – Tyler Nance on Midwest Memoir
• Time Wasted – Hannah Lew on Hannah Lew
• Keeps Me Sane – Tyler Nance on Midwest Memoir
• Sit Still – Harrison Boe on Sit Still – Single

Quite a short one this month, really — or, at least it is in terms of what’s been added since last month. It’s been a busy month!

Anyhow, there’s a couple comments below, or you can listen to the whole thing.

• Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP
• Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving
• American Trail – Dylan Gossett on Westward
• Normal Day – Brendan Walter on Normal Day – Single
• The Barn – Landon Smith on The Barn – Single
• Loud and Heavy – Cody Jinks on Adobe Sessions
• Did What You Did – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP
• Life’s Worth Living – Nick Folwarczny on Life’s Worth Living – Single
• Life Behind Bars – Zach John King & Bayker Blankenship on Life Behind Bars – Single
• Man of the Year – Sam Barber on Man of the Year – Single
• Space – Zach John King on Space – Single
• Music for the Soul – Sam Barber on Music for the Soul
• American Vintage – Aidan Canfield on American Vintage – Single
• Oh! The Anxiety – Joe Jordan on Oh! The Anxiety – EP
• Baptized By Rain – Dylan Gossett on Westward
• Foolish Pride – Slater Nalley on Foolish Pride – Single
• My Side of the Mountain – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• Pipe Dream – Brendan Walter on Disappearing Days
• S.S.R.I – Jason Skynet on S.S.R.I – Single
• Oh My Days – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• Back On Deseret – Brendan Walter on Disappearing Days
• Window In The Wall – Max McNown on Both Sides of the Blade
• Songs I’d Rather Not Sing – The Fray on Songs I’d Rather Not Sing – Single
• Home Used To Be – Joe Jordan on Home Used To Be – Single
• Caroline (feat. Belle Plaine) – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• Sleeping on the Blacktop – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• 26 – Christian Hayes on 26 – EP
• It’s the End of the World – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• Pink Skies – Noah James on Pink Skies – Single
• Jane – Amber Run on Jane – Single
• Johnny Boy’s Bones (feat. The Dead South) – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• You Deserve Better – Joe Jordan on You Deserve Better – Single
• How I Got My Name – honestav on How I Got My Name – Single
• LE COSE NON DETTE (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Mahmood on LE COSE NON DETTE (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Single
• These Streets I Know – Jenny on Holiday on Quicksand Heart
• Bound – Darren Kiely on Bound – Single
• Graveyard Whistling – Morgan Wallen on Graveyard Whistling – Single
• Connection – Majik on Connection – Single
• Left Or Right – Ethan Miller on Wealthy
• Monsters – Majik on Monsters – Single
• Withdrawals – Ethan Miller on Withdrawals – Single
• Eleni – Norra & Ethnic Lounge on Eleni – EP
• The Roses – Amber Run on Sunflower – EP
• Double Days – Aidan Canfield on Double Days – Single
• The Peddler – Mythborne on The Peddler – Single
• In My Head – Dave Thomas Junior on Counting Backwards
• CD Player – Majik on CD Player – Single
• Must Confess – Tors on Must Confess – Single
• Want – Sleeping At Last on Want – Single
• Die A Drunk – Evan Honer on Everything I Wanted (& more)
• Lie to Me – Jake Wells on WELLS
• A Month, A Week, A Day – The Jack Wharff Band & Solon Holt on Strange – EP
• Talkin’ About Jesus – Jonah Kagen on Talkin’ About Jesus – Single
• Break Me – Blake Whiten on Break Me – Single
• All the Things She Said – Harrison on All the Things She Said – Single
• Wealthy – Ethan Miller on Wealthy
• Thinkin’ & Drivin’ – Matt Schuster on Thinkin’ & Drivin’ – Single
• Heartbreakdown (Mahogany Sessions) – SYML on Heartbreakdown / Better – Single
• Hymn of the Holler – American Jackals on Hymn of the Holler – Single
• Tití Me Preguntó – Bad Bunny on Un Verano Sin Ti
• Drive v2 – Norra & Ethnic Lounge on Eleni – EP
• The Iron In Her Heart – Mythborne on The Iron In Her Heart – Single
• DtMF – Bad Bunny on DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
• Lips – Baxter Dury on It’s a Pleasure
• Lights Burn Dimmer – Fred again.. & Jamie T on Lights Burn Dimmer – Single
• Hill I’d Die On – Thomason on Hill I’d Die On – Single
• HEAVENLY FATHER (Live – Mediolanum, Milan, IT. Nov 05 2022) – Bon Iver on VOLUMES: ONE (SELECTIONS FROM MUSIC CONCERTS 2019-2023 BON IVER 6 PIECE BAND)
• FKN Hate You – honestav & JaYy Wick on FKN Hate You – Single
• Arbitrary Dance – Aika Collins on Arbitrary Dance – Single
• Let You Go – William Clark Green on Watterson Hall
• 0.0 – Ethan Miller on 0.0 – Single
• Home – Majik on Home – Single
• Woman – Matt Schuster on Woman – Single
• Imaginary Heaven – Jake Wells on WELLS
• West On 34 – Scott Wolverton on West On 34 – Single
• A SATISFIED MIND (Live – Dec 08 2017 – State Theatre, Portland, Me.) – Bon Iver on VOLUMES: ONE (SELECTIONS FROM MUSIC CONCERTS 2019-2023 BON IVER 6 PIECE BAND)
  
  • A message I sent to someone while listening to this: “I’m glad Bon Iver released his live stuff now, instead of in the fall, because I continue to not have the mental fortitude for this music in the fall”
• Dog House – Dylan Cotrone on Dog House – EP
  
  • Gotta have a few songs in any given list that’re just there because they’re funny.
• One – Majik on One – Single
• AMERICAN DREAM – Erin LeCount on PAREIDOLIA – EP
• Ways Away – Tyler Nance on Midwest Memoir
  
  • Really catchy!
• Loretta’s Song – Home Free on Loretta’s Song – Single
• Borders – Nathan Ball on Borders – Single

The last few days of the month, I have absolutely cram-packed full of things to do, which does mean that as I sit down to write this, not only am I completely drained of all energies, but it also feels like the month lasted at least six weeks. Whoops. A pretty long playlist, to match that feeling, brought to you by my catching up on the backlog of things I’d queued up in February.

As usual, you can listen to the whole thing, or see below for my commentary.

• Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP
• Hotel Bible – Max McNown on Night Diving
• Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving
• Flicker – Yoste on Flicker – Single
• American Trail – Dylan Gossett on Westward
• Normal Day – Brendan Walter on Normal Day – Single
• The Barn – Landon Smith on The Barn – Single
• Loud and Heavy – Cody Jinks on Adobe Sessions
• Did What You Did – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP
• Life’s Worth Living – Nick Folwarczny on Life’s Worth Living – Single
• Life Behind Bars – Zach John King & Bayker Blankenship on Life Behind Bars – Single
• Man of the Year – Sam Barber on Man of the Year – Single
• Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Zach Bryan on Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Single
• Space – Zach John King on Space – Single
• Music for the Soul – Sam Barber on Music for the Soul
• American Vintage – Aidan Canfield on American Vintage – Single
• Oh! The Anxiety – Joe Jordan on Oh! The Anxiety – EP
• Baptized By Rain – Dylan Gossett on Westward
• Undone (The Bonfire Sessions) – Sons of Habit on The Sticks (The Bonfire Sessions) – EP
• We’re Onto Something (feat. Zach Bryan) – Kings of Leon on We’re Onto Something (feat. Zach Bryan) – Single
• Foolish Pride – Slater Nalley on Foolish Pride – Single
• My Side Of Town – Josh Ross on Later Tonight
• Got It All Wrong – Peech. on Small Town America (Vol. 1) – EP
• Atchafalaya (feat. Noah Cyrus) – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• My Side of the Mountain – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• Pipe Dream – Brendan Walter on Disappearing Days
• S.S.R.I – Jason Skynet on S.S.R.I – Single
• A War With Time – Brandi Carlile on Returning To Myself (Commentary Album)
• Oh My Days – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• Back On Deseret – Brendan Walter on Disappearing Days
• Teenage Dirtbag – Brendan Walter on Teenage Dirtbag – Single
• Pikito – Ozuna & Beéle on Stendhal
• Window In The Wall – Max McNown on Both Sides of the Blade
• Songs I’d Rather Not Sing – The Fray on Songs I’d Rather Not Sing – Single
• Home Used To Be – Joe Jordan on Home Used To Be – Single
• Caroline (feat. Belle Plaine) – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• Sleeping on the Blacktop – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• No One Knows Us – Brandi Carlile on Returning To Myself (Commentary Album)
• 26 – Christian Hayes on 26 – EP
• Dreaded Sundown – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• No One’s Gonna Do It for You – Brendan Walter on Disappearing Days
• It’s the End of the World – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• Bible Belt – Chris Housman on Bible Belt – Single
• Pink Skies – Noah James on Pink Skies – Single
• Jane – Amber Run on Jane – Single
• Johnny Boy’s Bones (feat. The Dead South) – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• Ale – Ozuna & Beéle on Stendhal
• You Deserve Better – Joe Jordan on You Deserve Better – Single
• How I Got My Name – honestav on How I Got My Name – Single
• LE COSE NON DETTE (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Mahmood on LE COSE NON DETTE (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Single
• Ballad of a Law Abiding Sophisticate – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• Ride On – Coleman Jennings on Ride On – EP
• Hell If I Know – Tyler Nance on Hell If I Know – Single
• These Streets I Know – Jenny on Holiday on Quicksand Heart
• Bound – Darren Kiely on Bound – Single
• Graveyard Whistling – Morgan Wallen on Graveyard Whistling – Single
• Connection – Majik on Connection – Single
• A Light That Waits – The Fray on A Light That Waits
• Left Or Right – Ethan Miller on Wealthy
• Monsters – Majik on Monsters – Single
• Can’t Take It With You – Ole 60 on Can’t Take It With You – Single
• Withdrawals – Ethan Miller on Withdrawals – Single
• World Change Me – Max McNown on World Change Me – Single
• American Spirit – Vincent Mason on There I Go
• Street People – Fabrizio, Hogslop String Band & Kalen Nash on Street People – Single
• Eleni – Norra & Ethnic Lounge on Eleni – EP
• The Roses – Amber Run on Sunflower – EP
• Liberal – Ozuna & Beéle on Stendhal
• Talk To Johnny – Noah James on Talk To Johnny – Single
• Zombie – The Cranberries on Stars: The Best of the Cranberries 1992-2002
• BAILE INoLVIDABLE – Bad Bunny on DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
  
  • So, yes, I did watch the half-time show, and basically immediately went “this slaps, no wonder he’s the most popular artist in the world” and added a bunch of his stuff.
• Double Days – Aidan Canfield on Double Days – Single
• Neverender – Justice & Tame Impala on Neverender (Remixes) – EP
• The Peddler – Mythborne on The Peddler – Single
  
  • Something absolutely delightful about going from Bad Bunny to country to synthwave to… whatever this is. Classic folk-tale?
• In My Head – Dave Thomas Junior on Counting Backwards
• DON’T YOU SEE ME TRYING? – Erin LeCount on PAREIDOLIA – EP
• CD Player – Majik on CD Player – Single
• Lift My Eyes – Thorin Loeks on Lift My Eyes – Single
• Must Confess – Tors on Must Confess – Single
• Want – Sleeping At Last on Want – Single
  
  • “Comfortable but not quite safe/Still so vulnerable at the end of the day.” Sleeping At Last does a great job of getting me to actually notice the lyrics I’m singing along to, and realize that they’re just digging right in.
• VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR – Bad Bunny on DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
• Emerald – The Fray on A Light That Waits
• Die A Drunk – Evan Honer on Everything I Wanted (& more)
• Se Ve – Ozuna & Beéle on Stendhal
• Lie to Me – Jake Wells on WELLS
• A Month, A Week, A Day – The Jack Wharff Band & Solon Holt on Strange – EP
• Playa Marina – Ozuna & Beéle on Stendhal
• Talkin’ About Jesus – Jonah Kagen on Talkin’ About Jesus – Single
  
  • The track title had this on thin ice, but the actual lyrics being “why are we talkin’ about Jesus, baby, that never helps” brought it right into the playlist.
• Break Me – Blake Whiten on Break Me – Single
• All the Things She Said – Harrison on All the Things She Said – Single
  
  • Why yes, I did enjoy Heated Rivalry, can you tell? (I added both versions of this song, and still absolutely adore the way they did the transition in the show — the sound design overall, like the entire show, was way better than it had any right to be, and for that I am grateful.)
• Candy – Doja Cat on Amala (Deluxe Version)
• Lost In The Woods – Adriatique & Elderbrook on Lost In The Woods – Single
  
  • I do keep expecting this to be the Bon Iver / Kanye “lost in the woods” track, and it just isn’t.
• Black Eyed Susie – Buffalo Traffic Jam on Take Me Home – EP
• Wealthy – Ethan Miller on Wealthy
• Funeral – Dermot Kennedy on The Weight of the Woods
• Lies That Bind – Niklas Juritsch on Lies That Bind – Single
• Thinkin’ & Drivin’ – Matt Schuster on Thinkin’ & Drivin’ – Single
  
  • I do love me my occasional ballad-vibes piece, and the fact that it’s this pun? Delightful.
• Heartbreakdown (Mahogany Sessions) – SYML on Heartbreakdown / Better – Single
• Hymn of the Holler – American Jackals on Hymn of the Holler – Single
  
  • “Wade in the water/hymn of the holler” is a great hook, here.
• Tití Me Preguntó – Bad Bunny on Un Verano Sin Ti
  
  • My favorite Bad Bunny addition. Just the way that he says “Take a selfie/say cheese” is a cultural artifact that needs to be preserved in a vault so it’s available to future generations.
• Lost in Time – sûr faire on Lost in Time – Single
• Drive v2 – Norra & Ethnic Lounge on Eleni – EP
• The Iron In Her Heart – Mythborne on The Iron In Her Heart – Single
• DtMF – Bad Bunny on DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
• Lips – Baxter Dury on It’s a Pleasure
• Start all over again – Nathan Ball on Start all over again – Single
• Lights Burn Dimmer – Fred again.. & Jamie T on Lights Burn Dimmer – Single
  
  • Fred again..’s live series over the last year or so hasn’t caught me as well as his earlier stuff did, but this one I quite enjoyed.
• COMO UN BEBÉ (feat. Mr Eazi) – J Balvin, Bad Bunny & Mr Eazi on OASIS
• Hill I’d Die On – Thomason on Hill I’d Die On – Single
• Call You Back – Evan Honer on Everything I Wanted
• Bottle Cap Eyes – Krayton Moore on Everything I Know
• No Telling Now – Dawson Anderson on No Telling Now – Single
• Leaves of Yggdrasil – Myrkur on Folkesange
• Beneath the Same Cold Sun – Domus Made on Beneath the Same Cold Sun – Single
• The Great Divide – Noah Kahan on The Great Divide
• HEAVENLY FATHER (Live – Mediolanum, Milan, IT. Nov 05 2022) – Bon Iver on VOLUMES: ONE (SELECTIONS FROM MUSIC CONCERTS 2019-2023 BON IVER 6 PIECE BAND)
  
  • I actually wasn’t planning on listening to anything off this album until the whole thing was released, but a friend of mine sent this to me specifically, saying she thought I’d like it. In case you’re wondering, she was totally right.
• TRUTH – Onelove on TRUTH – Single
• FKN Hate You – honestav & JaYy Wick on FKN Hate You – Single
  
  • honestav does some really good catchy tunes
• Arbitrary Dance – Aika Collins on Arbitrary Dance – Single
  
  • Aika continues to be good people!
• Be My Love – Benjamin Steer on Be My Love – Single
• Let You Go – William Clark Green on Watterson Hall
  
  • “What the hell do we think that we’re doing?”
• 0.0 – Ethan Miller on 0.0 – Single
• Hanging on Hope – Buffalo Traffic Jam on Hanging on Hope – Single
• Eyes Closed – Jacob Brian on Eyes Closed – Single
• Ice Cold Lakes – The Fray on A Light That Waits
• Home – Majik on Home – Single
• Pacemaker – Jenny on Holiday on Quicksand Heart
• Still Got You – The Fray on A Light That Waits
• Woman – Matt Schuster on Woman – Single
  
  • This has some of that nice genre-bending feel to it, which is really how it snuck in here despite being very heterosexual.
• Another Life – Buppy. & Peech. on Another Life – Single
• Imaginary Heaven – Jake Wells on WELLS
• Lady of the Moon – Fabrizio on Lady of the Moon – Single

A short month, and a playlist with fewer additions than last month had; these things are correlated. You can listen to the whole thing, or see below for commentary.

• Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP
• Hotel Bible – Max McNown on Night Diving
• Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving
• St. Helens Alpenglow – Max McNown on St. Helens Alpenglow – Single
• Flicker – Yoste on Flicker – Single
• American Trail – Dylan Gossett on Westward
• Normal Day – Brendan Walter on Normal Day – Single
• The Barn – Landon Smith on The Barn – Single
• Loud and Heavy – Cody Jinks on Adobe Sessions
• Did What You Did – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP
• Life’s Worth Living – Nick Folwarczny on Life’s Worth Living – Single
• Life Behind Bars – Zach John King & Bayker Blankenship on Life Behind Bars – Single
• Man of the Year – Sam Barber on Man of the Year – Single
• Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Zach Bryan on Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Single
• HIGHWAY KIND – Fabrizio on HIGHWAY KIND – Single
• Space – Zach John King on Space – Single
• Gun To My Head – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!
• Music for the Soul – Sam Barber on Music for the Soul
• Luckiest Man Alive – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!
• American Vintage – Aidan Canfield on American Vintage – Single
• Cheap Shots – Ian Harrison on Cheap Shots – Single
• Lose A Friend – Evan Honer on Everything I Wanted
• Old White Lincoln – The Gaslight Anthem on The ’59 Sound
• Road to Gold – Luke Beling on The Good Side of Somewhere – EP
• Oh! The Anxiety – Joe Jordan on Oh! The Anxiety – EP
• Baptized By Rain – Dylan Gossett on Westward
• Undone (The Bonfire Sessions) – Sons of Habit on The Sticks (The Bonfire Sessions) – EP
• We’re Onto Something (feat. Zach Bryan) – Kings of Leon on We’re Onto Something (feat. Zach Bryan) – Single
• Hardwired – Fabrizio on Hardwired – Single
• Lonely Man (One Take Acoustic) – Cody Jinks on Lonely Man (One Take Acoustic) – Single
• Skull and Bones (2025 Version) – Home Free on Challenge the Sea
• Something Wicked This Way Comes – Cody Jinks on In My Blood
• Foolish Pride – Slater Nalley on Foolish Pride – Single
• My Side Of Town – Josh Ross on Later Tonight
• Got It All Wrong – Peech. on Small Town America (Vol. 1) – EP
• Atchafalaya (feat. Noah Cyrus) – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• My Side of the Mountain – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• Pipe Dream – Brendan Walter on Disappearing Days
• Blueneck (Acoustic) – Chris Housman on Blueneck (Acoustic) – Single
• S.S.R.I – Jason Skynet on S.S.R.I – Single
• A War With Time – Brandi Carlile on Returning To Myself (Commentary Album)
• Oh My Days – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• Back On Deseret – Brendan Walter on Disappearing Days
• Teenage Dirtbag – Brendan Walter on Teenage Dirtbag – Single
• Just Friends – Daniel Allan & Heather Sommer on Just Friends – Single
• I’m Always On Stage – Sam Fender on People Watching (Deluxe Edition)
• Pikito – Ozuna & Beéle on Stendhal
• Sympathy Is A Knife – Medium Build & Sydney Rose on Sympathy Is A Knife – Single
• Finish Line – Fabrizio on Finish Line – Single
• Window In The Wall – Max McNown on Both Sides of the Blade
• hurt people – Khalid on after the sun goes down
• Tyrants – Sam Fender on People Watching (Deluxe Edition)
• Songs I’d Rather Not Sing – The Fray on Songs I’d Rather Not Sing – Single
• Home Used To Be – Joe Jordan on Home Used To Be – Single
• Asking for a Friend – Brendan Walter on Disappearing Days
• MACHINE GHOST – Erin LeCount on MACHINE GHOST – Single
• Caroline (feat. Belle Plaine) – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• Sleeping on the Blacktop – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• No One Knows Us – Brandi Carlile on Returning To Myself (Commentary Album)
• 26 – Christian Hayes on 26 – EP
• C’est la vie bébé – Aika Collins on C’est la vie bébé – Single
• Dreaded Sundown – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• No One’s Gonna Do It for You – Brendan Walter on Disappearing Days
• Old Flame – Vincent Mason on There I Go
• It’s the End of the World – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• Bible Belt – Chris Housman on Bible Belt – Single
• Pink Skies – Noah James on Pink Skies – Single
• Jane – Amber Run on Jane – Single
• Johnny Boy’s Bones (feat. The Dead South) – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• Ale – Ozuna & Beéle on Stendhal
• You Deserve Better – Joe Jordan on You Deserve Better – Single
• How I Got My Name – honestav on How I Got My Name – Single
• yes no maybe – Khalid on after the sun goes down
• LE COSE NON DETTE (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Mahmood on LE COSE NON DETTE (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Single
• Ballad of a Law Abiding Sophisticate – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• medicine – Khalid on after the sun goes down
• Ride On – Coleman Jennings on Ride On – EP
• Hell If I Know – Tyler Nance on Hell If I Know – Single
• My People – H. Kenneth on My People – Single
• These Streets I Know – Jenny on Holiday on Quicksand Heart
• WE WERE NEVER JUST FRIENDS – Adam Klobi on WE WERE NEVER JUST FRIENDS – Single
• I Don’t Care – Buffalo Traffic Jam on I Don’t Care – Single
• Falling – Shimza & Elderbrook on Falling – Single
• Bound – Darren Kiely on Bound – Single
• Graveyard Whistling – Morgan Wallen on Graveyard Whistling – Single
• Connection – Majik on Connection – Single
  
  • I simply cannot express how happy I am that Majik is putting out new music — and this, truly, feels like Majik.
• Balance – Medium Build on takeaways
• A Light That Waits – The Fray on A Light That Waits
• Left Or Right – Ethan Miller on Wealthy
• Monsters – Majik on Monsters – Single
  
  • Based on the shared album art, I feel safe assuming there’s an EP or album coming soon.
• RA TA TA – Mahmood on RA TA TA – Single
• Absence Of You – Joe Jordan on Absence Of You – Single
• Can’t Take It With You – Ole 60 on Can’t Take It With You – Single
• Withdrawals – Ethan Miller on Withdrawals – Single
• Doorway Kiss – Summer Nights on 1984 – EP
• World Change Me – Max McNown on World Change Me – Single
• Sit With It – Vincent Mason on There I Go
• Found – Ward Davis on Here I Am
• American Spirit – Vincent Mason on There I Go
• For The Night (feat. Lil Baby & DaBaby) – Pop Smoke on Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon
• scared – Fred again.. & Young Thug on USB
• Street People – Fabrizio, Hogslop String Band & Kalen Nash on Street People – Single
• Eleni – Norra & Ethnic Lounge on Eleni – EP
• Eternity – Alex Warren & Gigi Perez on Eternity – Single
• The Roses – Amber Run on Sunflower – EP
• Believe – honestav on Believe – Single
• Liberal – Ozuna & Beéle on Stendhal
• Talk To Johnny – Noah James on Talk To Johnny – Single
  
  • This is some properly mournful country.
• Bet Money – Joe Jordan on Bet Money – Single
• Waltz of Solitude – Fil Bo Riva on Songs of Solitude – EP

Starting off the new year with a long playlist; while I didn’t quite get through my entire “music to listen to” backlog, I made significant progress. If I did new year’s resolutions, I would maybe retroactively claim “get through that backlog” as one of them.

Anyhow, you can listen to the whole playlist, or read on for some notes on various tracks. I’m still playing with the formatting of these to see what winds up being the easiest to skim through for the comments.

• Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP
• Hotel Bible – Max McNown on Night Diving
• Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving
• St. Helens Alpenglow – Max McNown on St. Helens Alpenglow – Single
• Flicker – Yoste on Flicker – Single
• American Trail – Dylan Gossett on Westward
• Normal Day – Brendan Walter on Normal Day – Single
• Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Enrique Iglesias on Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Single
• Sea Shanty Medley – Home Free on Sea Shanty Medley – Single
• The Barn – Landon Smith on The Barn – Single
• Loud and Heavy – Cody Jinks on Adobe Sessions
• Did What You Did – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP
• Life’s Worth Living – Nick Folwarczny on Life’s Worth Living – Single
• Cold Shoulder – Zach John King on Slow Down – EP
• Life Behind Bars – Zach John King & Bayker Blankenship on Life Behind Bars – Single
• Man of the Year – Sam Barber on Man of the Year – Single
• Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Zach Bryan on Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Single
• HIGHWAY KIND – Fabrizio on HIGHWAY KIND – Single
• Space – Zach John King on Space – Single
• Gun To My Head – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!
• Music for the Soul – Sam Barber on Music for the Soul
• Luckiest Man Alive – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!
• American Vintage – Aidan Canfield on American Vintage – Single
• Cheap Shots – Ian Harrison on Cheap Shots – Single
• The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald – Home Free on Challenge the Sea
• Bedrooms In The Sky – HARDY & Stephen Wilson Jr. on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!
• Lose A Friend – Evan Honer on Everything I Wanted
• The Gold – Manchester Orchestra on A Black Mile To The Surface
• Old White Lincoln – The Gaslight Anthem on The ’59 Sound
• Storytime – Majik on Blood, Sweat & Tears
• Road to Gold – Luke Beling on The Good Side of Somewhere – EP
• Oh! The Anxiety – Joe Jordan on Oh! The Anxiety – EP
• Baptized By Rain – Dylan Gossett on Westward
• Drift Away – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• Leave Her Johnny – Home Free on Challenge the Sea
• Undone (The Bonfire Sessions) – Sons of Habit on The Sticks (The Bonfire Sessions) – EP
• We’re Onto Something (feat. Zach Bryan) – Kings of Leon on We’re Onto Something (feat. Zach Bryan) – Single
• Hardwired – Fabrizio on Hardwired – Single
• Lonely Man (One Take Acoustic) – Cody Jinks on Lonely Man (One Take Acoustic) – Single
• Skull and Bones (2025 Version) – Home Free on Challenge the Sea
• Something Wicked This Way Comes – Cody Jinks on In My Blood
• The Parting Glass – Home Free on Challenge the Sea
• Foolish Pride – Slater Nalley on Foolish Pride – Single
• My Side Of Town – Josh Ross on Later Tonight
• Bonnie Ship the Diamond – Home Free on Challenge the Sea
• Mingulay Boat Song – Home Free on Challenge the Sea
• Roots – Cooper Alan on Winston – Salem
• Challenge the Sea (feat. The Longest Johns) – Home Free on Challenge the Sea
• Got It All Wrong – Peech. on Small Town America (Vol. 1) – EP
• Atchafalaya (feat. Noah Cyrus) – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• My Side of the Mountain – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
  
  • Absolutely delighted to have some more Orville Peck to listen to.
• Te Amo – Rihanna on Rated R
• Pipe Dream – Brendan Walter on Disappearing Days
• Blueneck (Acoustic) – Chris Housman on Blueneck (Acoustic) – Single
• All The Little Sheep – Kings of Leon on EP #2
• You in Universe – Hayden Calnin on Middle Night
• Alright, Alright – Harry Strange on Alright, Alright – Single
• S.S.R.I – Jason Skynet on S.S.R.I – Single
  
  • This feels like some kind of inverse of Drugs, a song that I last had on my playlist in February of 2024. (The ability to quickly look stuff like that up is one fun side effect of doing these monthly write-ups.)
• Fool’s Gold (The Bonfire Sessions) – Sons of Habit on The Sticks (The Bonfire Sessions) – EP
• the floor (fred remix) – Skin On Skin, BEAM & Fred again.. on USB
• Come Back Home – Brendan Walter on Disappearing Days
• Fishing Line – Max McNown on Both Sides of the Blade
• La Perla – ROSALÍA & Yahritza Y Su Esencia on LUX
• The Worst By Far – Cameron Whitcomb on The Hard Way (Deluxe)
• The Other Side – Brendan Walter on Disappearing Days
• A War With Time – Brandi Carlile on Returning To Myself (Commentary Album)
• Oh My Days – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• Back On Deseret – Brendan Walter on Disappearing Days
  
  • This did, in fact, send me on a “have I been pronouncing ‘Desert’ wrong this whole time?” research spiral, so allow me to save you the time: no.
• Sober You Ain’t Thinkin’ – Noah Brigden on Sober You Ain’t Thinkin’ – Single
• Writing On The Rooftop (The Bonfire Sessions) – Sons of Habit on The Sticks (The Bonfire Sessions) – EP
• Teenage Dirtbag – Brendan Walter on Teenage Dirtbag – Single
• Just Friends – Daniel Allan & Heather Sommer on Just Friends – Single
• Enemigos – Ozuna, Beéle & Ovy On the Drums on Stendhal
• doomsday – Shaller on doomsday – Single
• I’m Always On Stage – Sam Fender on People Watching (Deluxe Edition)
• Desire – Fil Bo Riva on Desire – Single
• Deep End – Peech. on Deep End – Single
• Change (Inspired by Warhammer 40K) – Colm R. McGuinness on The Undying (Inspired by Warhammer 40K) – EP
• Pikito – Ozuna & Beéle on Stendhal
• Sympathy Is A Knife – Medium Build & Sydney Rose on Sympathy Is A Knife – Single
• Finish Line – Fabrizio on Finish Line – Single
• Window In The Wall – Max McNown on Both Sides of the Blade
• I Luv U – Fred again.. & Wallfacer on I Luv U – Single
• GET OVER YOU (BIG AND STRONG VERSION) – verygently on GET OVER YOU (BIG AND STRONG VERSION) – Single
• hurt people – Khalid on after the sun goes down
• Tyrants – Sam Fender on People Watching (Deluxe Edition)
• Charon Retires – Vincent Lima on To Love A Thing That Fades
• Songs I’d Rather Not Sing – The Fray on Songs I’d Rather Not Sing – Single
• Home Used To Be – Joe Jordan on Home Used To Be – Single
  
  • Definitely a top pick addition this month, really hits that wistfulness that I think is the core of country music.
• Asking for a Friend – Brendan Walter on Disappearing Days
• MACHINE GHOST – Erin LeCount on MACHINE GHOST – Single
• Caroline (feat. Belle Plaine) – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
  
  • My friend said “you listen to a lot of ‘sad cowboy’ country, you should check out Colter Wall.”
• Sleeping on the Blacktop – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
  
  • … he was absolutely right, and this isn’t the last of the Colter Wall that made it into this list, although I think these two are my favorites.
• No One Knows Us – Brandi Carlile on Returning To Myself (Commentary Album)
• All I Know – Tors on All I Know – Single
• Alone – P.A.V on Alone – Single
• 26 – Christian Hayes on 26 – EP
• C’est la vie bébé – Aika Collins on C’est la vie bébé – Single
  
  • Aika’s got some new music coming out sometime soon and I’m excited.
• Dreaded Sundown – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
• No One’s Gonna Do It for You – Brendan Walter on Disappearing Days
• Old Flame – Vincent Mason on There I Go
• Someone Around – Nick Folwarczny on Someone Around – EP
• It’s the End of the World – Orville Peck on Appaloosa
  
  • Really, truly love Orville Peck’s music. Turns out the thing I needed to get me into country was “sad cowboy ballads, but make it gay.”
• Tumbleweed – Noah Rinker on The Pines – EP
• Au Pays du Cocaine – Geese on Getting Killed
• Bible Belt – Chris Housman on Bible Belt – Single
• Devotion – Waves_On_Waves, Castles Made Of Sky & Waves On Waves Orange Crush on Devotion – Single
• Pink Skies – Noah James on Pink Skies – Single
  
  • “The kids are in town for a funeral” really hits.
• Jane – Amber Run on Jane – Single
• Back Around – Ole 60 on Smokestack Town
• Johnny Boy’s Bones (feat. The Dead South) – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
  
  • This one feels oddly related to the sea shanties that’re also in this list.
• Living on the Sand – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
• Everywhere I Go – P.A.V on Everywhere I Go – Single
• Ale – Ozuna & Beéle on Stendhal
  
  • I keep wanting to read it as “ale” as in the word in “India pale ale,” but no, that’s not how Spanish pronunciation works.
• You Deserve Better – Joe Jordan on You Deserve Better – Single
• How I Got My Name – honestav on How I Got My Name – Single
• yes no maybe – Khalid on after the sun goes down
• LE COSE NON DETTE (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Mahmood on LE COSE NON DETTE (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Single
  
  • Oh, I love Mahmood, this one is great.
• Ballad of a Law Abiding Sophisticate – Colter Wall on Imaginary Appalachia
  
  • Last Colter Wall I’m going to comment on this month; this one wins for funniest lyrics.
• medicine – Khalid on after the sun goes down
• Rodeo – Noah Rinker on The Pines – EP
• S. Machine – Westerman on A Jackal’s Wedding
• Ben Affleck – Medium Build on takeaways
• Ride On – Coleman Jennings on Ride On – EP
• Hell If I Know – Tyler Nance on Hell If I Know – Single
  
  • Really solid chorus; at some point I’m really going to have to listen to the rest of the lyrics.
• My People – H. Kenneth on My People – Single
• These Streets I Know – Jenny on Holiday on Quicksand Heart
  
  • For all the wistful country in here, this one isn’t country but maybe has the most wistful feel to the whole thing. Something about it is really latching onto the feeling of the late 90s/early aughts.
• WE WERE NEVER JUST FRIENDS – Adam Klobi on WE WERE NEVER JUST FRIENDS – Single
• I Don’t Care – Buffalo Traffic Jam on I Don’t Care – Single
• Falling – Shimza & Elderbrook on Falling – Single
• Bound – Darren Kiely on Bound – Single
• Graveyard Whistling – Morgan Wallen on Graveyard Whistling – Single
  
  • Last-minute addition, this, and I’ve been really digging it.

You may notice a certain theme to the end of this playlist. That theme is I wanted it to feel like Christmas this year, and I successfully achieved that through musical saturation. Made more effective because, after years of being A Choir Kid, it’s not just hearing Christmas music that makes it feel like Christmastime to me, it’s singing it—and thus, lots of choral/a cappella versions.

As usual, you can listen to the whole playlist here or see the track list and commentary below. (I’m trying something a little different with the commentary formatting this time—hopefully it’s a little easier to scan through.)

Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP

Hotel Bible – Max McNown on Night Diving

Medusa – Cameron Whitcomb on Medusa – Single

Options – Cameron Whitcomb on Clean Country 2025

Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving

St. Helens Alpenglow – Max McNown on St. Helens Alpenglow – Single

Flicker – Yoste on Flicker – Single

Livin’ Missing You – Hayden Blount on Livin’ Missing You – Single

American Trail – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Normal Day – Brendan Walter on Normal Day – Single

Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Enrique Iglesias on Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Single

Sea Shanty Medley – Home Free on Sea Shanty Medley – Single

The Barn – Landon Smith on The Barn – Single

Loud and Heavy – Cody Jinks on Adobe Sessions

Did What You Did – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP

Life’s Worth Living – Nick Folwarczny on Life’s Worth Living – Single

Dale Dickens (RIP) – Cooper Alan on Dale Dickens (RIP) – Single

Cold Shoulder – Zach John King on Slow Down – EP

Life Behind Bars – Zach John King & Bayker Blankenship on Life Behind Bars – Single

Man of the Year – Sam Barber on Man of the Year – Single

Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Zach Bryan on Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Single

HIGHWAY KIND – Fabrizio on HIGHWAY KIND – Single

Space – Zach John King on Space – Single

Dust and Smoke – Sam Barber on Music for the Soul

808 HYMN – Erin LeCount on 808 HYMN – Single

CATHEDRAL. – Kesha on .

Gun To My Head – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Music for the Soul – Sam Barber on Music for the Soul

Luckiest Man Alive – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

American Vintage – Aidan Canfield on American Vintage – Single

Cheap Shots – Ian Harrison on Cheap Shots – Single

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Bedrooms In The Sky – HARDY & Stephen Wilson Jr. on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Lose A Friend – Evan Honer on Everything I Wanted

The Gold – Manchester Orchestra on A Black Mile To The Surface

Later Tonight – Josh Ross on Later Tonight

Old White Lincoln – The Gaslight Anthem on The ’59 Sound

Storytime – Majik on Blood, Sweat & Tears

Road to Gold – Luke Beling on The Good Side of Somewhere – EP

Oh! The Anxiety – Joe Jordan on Oh! The Anxiety – EP

Baptized By Rain – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Drift Away – Orville Peck on Appaloosa

Leave Her Johnny – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

nah – Khalid on after the sun goes down

Undone (The Bonfire Sessions) – Sons of Habit on The Sticks (The Bonfire Sessions) – EP

We’re Onto Something (feat. Zach Bryan) – Kings of Leon on We’re Onto Something (feat. Zach Bryan) – Single

Wish You Well – Vincent Mason on There I Go

Facilita – Fred again.., Caribou & Menor Teteu on Facilita – Single

Hardwired – Fabrizio on Hardwired – Single

Lonely Man (One Take Acoustic) – Cody Jinks on Lonely Man (One Take Acoustic) – Single

Skull and Bones (2025 Version) – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Berghain – ROSALÍA, Björk & Yves Tumor on LUX

Something Wicked This Way Comes – Cody Jinks on In My Blood

The Parting Glass – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Foolish Pride – Slater Nalley on Foolish Pride – Single

My Side Of Town – Josh Ross on Later Tonight

Bonnie Ship the Diamond – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

HARDSTYLE 2 – Fred again.., KETTAMA & Shady Nasty on HARDSTYLE 2 – Single

Mingulay Boat Song – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Santiana – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Bottled Up Inside – Harrison Storm on Empty Garden

Holiday Road – Kesha on Holiday Road – Single

Wave – Yoste on Wave – Single

Shovel – Tyler Nance on Shovel – Single

Sunflower – Amber Run on Sunflower – Single

Roots – Cooper Alan on Winston – Salem

Challenge the Sea (feat. The Longest Johns) – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

WTF (the f**k) – Gracie and Rachel & Elliot Moss on WTF (the f**k) – Single

Human – Brandi Carlile on Returning To Myself

Magnolias – ROSALÍA on LUX

Got It All Wrong – Peech. on Small Town America (Vol. 1) – EP

Atchafalaya (feat. Noah Cyrus) – Orville Peck on Appaloosa

My Side of the Mountain – Orville Peck on Appaloosa

Te Amo – Rihanna on Rated R

O Come, All Ye Faithful – Pentatonix on A Pentatonix Christmas

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Pentatonix on A Pentatonix Christmas

Coventry Carol – Pentatonix on A Pentatonix Christmas

I think this one is my favorite Christmas song this year, which is a bit odd, but boy, do I have fun listening to some of the harmonies. Those open fifths, mmmmm.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing – Pentatonix on That’s Christmas To Me

White Winter Hymnal – Pentatonix on That’s Christmas To Me

That’s Christmas To Me – Pentatonix on That’s Christmas To Me

Mary, Did You Know? – Pentatonix on That’s Christmas To Me

The First Noel – Pentatonix on That’s Christmas to Me: Deluxe Tracks – EP

Little Drummer Boy – Pentatonix on The Greatest Christmas Hits

Carol of the Bells – Pentatonix on The Greatest Christmas Hits

Deck The Halls – Pentatonix on The Greatest Christmas Hits

J&L – Medium Build on takeaways

A quick break from the Christmas vibes here, and this one is, lyrically, something of a gut-punch to me.

Pipe Dream – Brendan Walter on Disappearing Days

I enjoyed the cinematography of the music video for this one.

Blueneck (Acoustic) – Chris Housman on Blueneck (Acoustic) – Single

Honestly, I think I added this originally because I was conflating with the artist Blueneck, who make music that sounds like being alone in the depths of winter, and have been known to show up in my December playlists. Instead, I’ve got this piece, which feels like… an earnest take on Bo Burnham’s Pandering.

O Come, All Ye Faithful – Home Free on Any Kind of Christmas

O’ Holy Night – Home Free on Full Of Cheer (Deluxe)

White Sand Christmas – Jake Slaton on White Sand Christmas – Single

A non-traditional insertion, but I’ve been enjoying it.

Do You Hear What I Hear? – Home Free on Full Of Cheer (Deluxe)

Silver Bells – Pentatonix on Christmas in the City

73 Fair – Noah James on 73 Fair – Single

Talk to You – Sam Fender & Elton John on People Watching (Deluxe Edition)

Similar to J&L above in terms of hitting too hard.

The Hanging Tree – James Newton Howard on The Hunger Games – Mockingjay Pt. 1 (Original Motin Picture Score)

While I made some solid progress on clearing out the backlog of music I’d saved to listen to later, the resulting monthly playlist is longer than usual, and I feel like I haven’t done as much listening through it as I’d like. Tough, when the thing is nearly 8 hours long, whoops.

Listen to the full thing here, or get individual tracks and occasional comments below:

Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP

Hotel Bible – Max McNown on Night Diving

Medusa – Cameron Whitcomb on Medusa – Single

Options – Cameron Whitcomb on Clean Country 2025

Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving

St. Helens Alpenglow – Max McNown on St. Helens Alpenglow – Single

Flicker – Yoste on Flicker – Single

Take Me Away (Stripped) – Noah Brigden on Take Me Away (Stripped) – Single

Livin’ Missing You – Hayden Blount on Livin’ Missing You – Single

American Trail – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Normal Day – Brendan Walter on Normal Day – Single

Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Enrique Iglesias on Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Single

Bloodline – Alex Warren & Jelly Roll on Bloodline – Single

Sea Shanty Medley – Home Free on Sea Shanty Medley – Single

The Barn – Landon Smith on The Barn – Single

Loud and Heavy – Cody Jinks on Adobe Sessions

Did What You Did – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP

Life’s Worth Living – Nick Folwarczny on Life’s Worth Living – Single

Dale Dickens (RIP) – Cooper Alan on Dale Dickens (RIP) – Single

Shadowverse – The Midnight on Syndicate

Cold Shoulder – Zach John King on Slow Down – EP

Life Behind Bars – Zach John King & Bayker Blankenship on Life Behind Bars – Single

Man of the Year – Sam Barber on Man of the Year – Single

Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Zach Bryan on Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Single

HIGHWAY KIND – Fabrizio on HIGHWAY KIND – Single

Space – Zach John King on Space – Single

The Vulture and the Little Boy – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine

Dust and Smoke – Sam Barber on Music for the Soul

808 HYMN – Erin LeCount on 808 HYMN – Single

Hangin’ On – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Nobody’s Famous In Hell – Waves_On_Waves, Crimewave & Waves On Waves After Dark on Nobody’s Famous In Hell – Single

CATHEDRAL. – Kesha on .

Gun To My Head – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Hard to Break – Blake Whiten on Hard to Break – Single

Music for the Soul – Sam Barber on Music for the Soul

BerwynGesaffNeighbours – Fred again.. & BERWYN on USB

Luckiest Man Alive – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Seventeen Going Under – Sam Fender on Seventeen Going Under (Deluxe)

American Vintage – Aidan Canfield on American Vintage – Single

Cheap Shots – Ian Harrison on Cheap Shots – Single

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Bedrooms In The Sky – HARDY & Stephen Wilson Jr. on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Comfort in Misery – Buffalo Traffic Jam on Comfort in Misery – Single

Lose A Friend – Evan Honer on Everything I Wanted

When You Were Young (Track Star Presents) – Jack Van Cleaf on JVC (Deluxe Edition)

The Gold – Manchester Orchestra on A Black Mile To The Surface

Later Tonight – Josh Ross on Later Tonight

Long Island – The Midnight on Syndicate

Old White Lincoln – The Gaslight Anthem on The ’59 Sound

Storytime – Majik on Blood, Sweat & Tears

Road to Gold – Luke Beling on The Good Side of Somewhere – EP

Oh! The Anxiety – Joe Jordan on Oh! The Anxiety – EP

Baptized By Rain – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Drift Away – Orville Peck on Appaloosa

Leave Her Johnny – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Spinning – Chance Peña on When I Change My Mind I Don’t Mean It

Digital Dreams – The Midnight on Syndicate

nah – Khalid on after the sun goes down

Lungs – Fabrizio on Lungs – Single

Teardrop – Elderbrook & Jan Blomqvist on Teardrop – Single

Drive You Home – Waves_On_Waves, Castles Made Of Sky & Waves On Waves Orange Crush on Drive You Home – Single

Windy City – Dylan Gossett on Westward (Deluxe)¹

Aftercare – Imogen Heap & ai.mogen on Aftercare – Single

Undone (The Bonfire Sessions) – Sons of Habit on The Sticks (The Bonfire Sessions) – EP

We’re Onto Something (feat. Zach Bryan) – Kings of Leon on We’re Onto Something (feat. Zach Bryan) – Single

Bad Morphine – Arcade Beach on Music for Night Drives

erase me (feat. Jacob Collier) – Lizzy McAlpine on five seconds flat

Wish You Well – Vincent Mason on There I Go

No One Has to Know – Bob Moses on BLINK

Facilita – Fred again.., Caribou & Menor Teteu on Facilita – Single²

Mother – Tyler, The Creator on CHROMAKOPIA +

The End of Eurydice – Vincent Lima on To Love A Thing That Fades

Hardwired – Fabrizio on Hardwired – Single

hate to be lame (feat. FINNEAS) – Lizzy McAlpine on five seconds flat

Better Broken – Bob Moses on BLINK

Lonely Man (One Take Acoustic) – Cody Jinks on Lonely Man (One Take Acoustic) – Single

Skull and Bones (2025 Version) – Home Free on Challenge the Sea³

Berghain – ROSALÍA, Björk & Yves Tumor on LUX⁴

Wild One – Madeline Megery on Wild One – Single

The Good Side of Somewhere – Luke Beling & T.F. Jennings on The Good Side of Somewhere – EP

Livin’ The Dream – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Slip Away – Nils Hoffmann & SILÖ on Everlight

Maybe For Once – Evan Honer on Everything I Wanted

Something Wicked This Way Comes – Cody Jinks on In My Blood⁵

The Parting Glass – Home Free on Challenge the Sea⁶

Foolish Pride – Slater Nalley on Foolish Pride – Single

It’s Not Your Fault – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)

My Side Of Town – Josh Ross on Later Tonight⁷

Bonnie Ship the Diamond – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Howl At The Moon – Noah James & Anna Rae on The Tracks – EP

Don’t Give Up On Me – Noah Rinker on The Pines – EP

HARDSTYLE 2 – Fred again.., KETTAMA & Shady Nasty on USB

Who Don’t – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Old Town Road (feat. Billy Ray Cyrus) [Remix] – Lil Nas X on 7 – EP

Heavenly – Chance Peña on When I Change My Mind I Don’t Mean It

Mingulay Boat Song – Home Free on Challenge the Sea⁸

Santiana – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Once More – Waves_On_Waves, Sonic Shades Of Blue & Waves On Waves Orange Crush on Emotions In Every Color

Bottled Up Inside – Harrison Storm on Empty Garden⁹

La Rumba Del Perdón – ROSALÍA, Estrella Morente & Sílvia Pérez Cruz on LUX

Sauvignon Blanc – ROSALÍA on LUX

Holiday Road – Kesha on Holiday Road – Single¹⁰

Mine to Hold – Bob Moses on BLINK

Divinize – ROSALÍA on LUX

Deeper Talks – Joe Jordan on Deeper Talks – Single¹¹

We Never Left The Sunset – Tyrian84 on Exhale

Roses and Wolves (feat. Hailey Whitters) – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)

Wave – Yoste on Wave – Single

I’ll Be There – Nick Folwarczny on I’ll Be There – Single

Shovel – Tyler Nance on Shovel – Single

Reliquia – ROSALÍA on LUX

Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti – ROSALÍA on LUX

I Want You – In Color on Snow Day – EP

Sunflower – Amber Run on Sunflower – Single¹²

Roots – Cooper Alan on Winston – Salem

Challenge the Sea (feat. The Longest Johns) – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Fool’s Gold – Buffalo Traffic Jam on Take Me Home – EP

WTF (the f**k) – Gracie and Rachel & Elliot Moss on WTF (the f**k) – Single

Human – Brandi Carlile on Returning To Myself¹³

Memória – ROSALÍA & Carminho on LUX

Magnolias – ROSALÍA on LUX

Hotel Dorado – Maxx Parker on Infinite Blue: Golden Hour¹⁴

Got It All Wrong – Peech. on Small Town America (Vol. 1) – EP

Atchafalaya (feat. Noah Cyrus) – Orville Peck on Appaloosa

Maybe This Time – Orville Peck on Appaloosa¹⁵

My Side of the Mountain – Orville Peck on Appaloosa

Te Amo – Rihanna on Rated R¹⁶

1. One of those “I love this but I can’t keep it” songs, because it’s just… heart-wrenching, in tone ↩
2. Pretty different vibe from almost everything else in this list, but an absolute banger ↩
3. Absolutely gorgeous bass line ↩
4. well of course it’s Björk on the most delightfully weird entry in this album ↩
5. I’m vaguely aware that the second part of the Wicked film is out now, and I choose to believe that this is a hilariously subtle marketing tie-in. ↩
6. I still kinda want Parting Glass to be faster than Home Free’s take, but it’s a great version nonetheless. ↩
7. A good one to sing along to. ↩
8. The pinnacle of “Home Free makes me sing along and miss being in choir.” ↩
9. oof ouch my bones ↩
10. I think this might be entirely winter-holiday-agnostic, and yet it does a great job of capturing that Christmas Song vibe. I love it. ↩
11. A lot of my taste in country music has been “soft boys singing about being in love,” but I think this one best captures that actual feeling, for me. ↩
12. Excited to see something new from Amber Run, they’ve done a string of re-releases prior to this, which is… something, but not as good as actual new music. ↩
13. Watched her performance on SNL with family, which is maybe the first time I’ve watched an entire episode of SNL? I felt like I’d suddenly been given a much better understanding of an entire generation of liberals. ↩
14. I should see if Maxx Parker is actually creating the music videos to go with these, because if he is, this man is really out here slow-rolling the release of a new 80s movie. ↩
15. I really want to like this one, because it’s the sort of hope-punk lyrics I ought to be shoving into my brain, but I think I’ve only managed to listen to it all the way through without skipping, like, twice. ↩
16. Brought in because something about Facilita reminds me of Rihanna.
    Anyhow, I dealt myself several points of psychic damage the day I added this by looking at some of Rihanna’s release dates and realizing that there are kids getting their learner’s permits now who were conceived to the hot new Rihanna single, S&M. This is, like, probably the line at which “music I grew up listening to” starts counting as “oldies,” isn’t it? ↩

This month feels like the hardest I’ve been hit by seasonal depression in quite a long time; guess that’s what happens when you stop taking the vitamin D pills. Whoops.

Oh, and I nearly forgot to share the entire playlist in one go!

Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP

Hotel Bible – Max McNown on Night Diving

Medusa – Cameron Whitcomb on Medusa – Single

Heartbreaker – Hayden Blount on Heartbreaker – Single

Options – Cameron Whitcomb on Clean Country 2025

Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving

St. Helens Alpenglow – Max McNown on St. Helens Alpenglow – Single

Flicker – Yoste on Flicker – Single

Take Me Away (Stripped) – Noah Brigden on Take Me Away (Stripped) – Single

Livin’ Missing You – Hayden Blount on Livin’ Missing You – Single

Fiending – Noah Brigden on I’m Fine – Single

life is beautiful – heylucas on hey

American Trail – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Carolina – Blake Whiten on Carolina – Single

Normal Day – Brendan Walter on Normal Day – Single

God Loves Weirdos – Mt. Joy on Hope We Have Fun

Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Enrique Iglesias on Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Single

Bloodline – Alex Warren & Jelly Roll on Bloodline – Single

Sea Shanty Medley – Home Free on Sea Shanty Medley – Single

The Barn – Landon Smith on The Barn – Single

Loud and Heavy – Cody Jinks on Adobe Sessions

Did What You Did – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP

Life’s Worth Living – Nick Folwarczny on Life’s Worth Living – Single

Struggle On Boy (Stripped) – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP

Something To Lose – Christian Hayes & Corey Harper on Something To Lose – Single

Reversing Thunder – Luke Beling on This Parlor Trick Life

Damned If I Do – Vincent Mason on Damned If I Do – Single

Dale Dickens (RIP) – Cooper Alan on Dale Dickens (RIP) – Single

QUEEN OF DUST (Live at The Royal Albert Hall) – The Blaze on FOLK

Shadowverse – The Midnight on Syndicate

Cold Shoulder – Zach John King on Slow Down – EP

Life Behind Bars – Zach John King & Bayker Blankenship on Life Behind Bars – Single

Man of the Year – Sam Barber on Man of the Year – Single

Sunlight – Yoste on Sunlight – Single

Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Zach Bryan on Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Single

Holding On – Majik on Blood, Sweat & Tears

EYES (Live at The Royal Albert Hall) – The Blaze on FOLK

HIGHWAY KIND – Fabrizio on HIGHWAY KIND – Single

Space – Zach John King on Space – Single¹

Ordinary (Live from Lollapalooza) – Alex Warren & Luke Combs on Ordinary (Live from Lollapalooza) – Single

The Vulture and the Little Boy – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine

How It’s Done – HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast on KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)

Your Idol – Saja Boys, Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee & KPop Demon Hunters Cast on KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)

Tennessee (feat. Hudson Mohawke & Tayla Parx) – Kesha & Orville Peck on Tennessee (feat. Hudson Mohawke & Tayla Parx) – Single

Ktir – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine

Dust and Smoke – Sam Barber on Music for the Soul

Favorite Country Song – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

808 HYMN – Erin LeCount on 808 HYMN – Single

Turn Down The Lights – Gavin Adcock on Own Worst Enemy²

Hangin’ On – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Happy – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine

Nobody’s Famous In Hell – Waves_On_Waves, Crimewave & Waves On Waves After Dark on Nobody’s Famous In Hell – Single

CATHEDRAL. – Kesha on .³

Gun To My Head – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!⁴

When the Party’s Over (Paris Unplugged Live) – SYML on Paris Unplugged

Hard to Break – Blake Whiten on Hard to Break – Single

Music for the Soul – Sam Barber on Music for the Soul⁵

Where’s My Love (Paris Unplugged Live) – SYML on Paris Unplugged (Live)

Time of Your Life – Bob Moses on BLINK

BerwynGesaffNeighbours – Fred again.. & BERWYN on USB

Country In Me – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Bright Side – Lil Skies on The Evolution of the Rose

Hoping to Find – Thorin Loeks on Hoping to Find – Single

Viva La Vida – Coldplay on Viva La Vida

West of Ohio – Chance Peña on When I Change My Mind I Don’t Mean It

Clean Eyes (Paris Unplugged Live) – SYML on Paris Unplugged

Night Diving (feat. Cameron Whitcomb) – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)

Friction – The Midnight on Syndicate

I’d Go Crazy Too – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Afterglow pt. 2 – The Midnight on Syndicate

Take The Country And Run (Acoustic One Take) – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Tomorrows – Peech. on Small Town America (Vol. 1) – EP

Keep It Country – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Sentinels – The Midnight on Syndicate

Where To Start – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)

Better Me For You (Brown Eyes) – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)⁶

Waiting on the World – Bob Moses on BLINK

Luckiest Man Alive – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Seventeen Going Under – Sam Fender on Seventeen Going Under (Deluxe)

We Are Still Here! – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine

American Vintage – Aidan Canfield on American Vintage – Single⁷

HAZE (Live at The Royal Albert Hall) – The Blaze on FOLK

Blink – Bob Moses on BLINK

Space & Time – ItsArius, Lynnic & ARI on Space & Time – Single

Freezing In November (Revisited) – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)

Cheap Shots – Ian Harrison on Cheap Shots – Single

nobody (make me feel) – oskar med k & Khalid on nobody (make me feel) – Single

Afterglow pt. 1 – The Midnight on Syndicate

Still – EDEN on Dark

For – Luca Fogale on For – Single

Victory Lap Five – Fred again.., Skepta, PlaqueBoyMax, Denzel Curry, Hanumankind, That Mexican OT, D Double E & LYNY on USB

Forever Ain’t Long Enough – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)

Under the Sail – Harrison Storm on Empty Garden

Tarnish – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP

Never Left – Anella on Never Left – Single

Leave Me Be – Landon Wilks on Leave Me Be – Single

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald – Home Free on Challenge the Sea⁸

Bedrooms In The Sky – HARDY & Stephen Wilson Jr. on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!⁹

Comfort in Misery – Buffalo Traffic Jam on Comfort in Misery – Single

Big Jet Plane – Angus & Julia Stone on Big Jet Plane – EP

Lose A Friend – Evan Honer on Everything I Wanted

Won’t Let Me Go – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)

When You Were Young (Track Star Presents) – Jack Van Cleaf on JVC (Deluxe Edition)

Call Me If You Miss Me – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)

Last Forever – Bob Moses on BLINK

stayinit – Fred again.., Lil Yachty & Overmono on USB

The Gold – Manchester Orchestra on A Black Mile To The Surface¹⁰

Beige – Yoke Lore on Goodpain – EP¹¹

Later Tonight – Josh Ross on Later Tonight

Long Island – The Midnight on Syndicate

Old White Lincoln – The Gaslight Anthem on The ’59 Sound

For Your Love – Harrison Storm on Empty Garden

Same Questions – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)

Body (Paris Unplugged Live) – SYML on Paris Unplugged (Live)

Worth the Walk – Vincent Lima on To Love A Thing That Fades

Storytime – Majik on Blood, Sweat & Tears

Wolken – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine

Chasing Ghosts – Nils Hoffmann & Vancouver Sleep Clinic on Chasing Ghosts – Single

Road to Gold – Luke Beling on The Good Side of Somewhere – EP

Oh! The Anxiety – Joe Jordan on Oh! The Anxiety – EP¹²

Temporary Friend – Harrison Storm on Empty Garden

Love I Couldn’t Mend – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)¹³

Baptized By Rain – Dylan Gossett on Westward

no lo ves – Grupo Frontera & Ozuna on no lo ves – Single

1. “I need a little bit of space” feels like the last bit of summer hanging on as the fall weather starts ↩
2. I’ve listened to a couple things off this album, and it’s really best to completely ignore the lyrics and just listen to the sounds, the lyrics are… not great. ↩
3. Really enjoying this one ↩
4. The bass line to this is excellent, but in a way that I always want to describe as “filthy” and can’t really explain why. ↩
5. It is! Well titled! ↩
6. Of an entire album of “I love this and I can’t stand to listen to it because it’s too accurate to what I’m sad about lately,” this one takes the cake for condensing that feeling the best. ↩
7. Possibly the platonic ideal of the portion of my taste in country music that I call “wistful boys singing about how they miss Back When Things Were Better” ↩
8. Home Free is great, and this so perfectly captures the exact vibe that it’s meant to ↩
9. I like the sound of this one, but the actual lyrics are very… excited about the collapse of civilization? Not a fan of that. ↩
10. Really love this one, great to sing along to ↩
11. Speaking of music that feels wistful for When Things Were Better, Yoke Lore’s sound is that feeling, but as, like, California pop instead of Southern country ↩
12. big mood ↩
13. The other “I can’t bear to listen to this one” off this album ↩

It’s been a weird month. As I’m writing this, the weather has very suddenly gone from “80ish degrees and sunny” to “60-something and rainy,” so I’d say that autumn has arrived with a vengeance; there’s already a bit more fall vibes creeping into this playlist. As usual, individual tracks below, full playlist here.

Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP

Hotel Bible – Max McNown on Night Diving

Medusa – Cameron Whitcomb on Medusa – Single

Heartbreaker – Hayden Blount on Heartbreaker – Single

Options – Cameron Whitcomb on Clean Country 2025

Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving

St. Helens Alpenglow – Max McNown on St. Helens Alpenglow – Single

Flicker – Yoste on Flicker – Single

Follows You – Michael Marcagi on Midwest Kid – EP

Take Me Away (Stripped) – Noah Brigden on Take Me Away (Stripped) – Single

Livin’ Missing You – Hayden Blount on Livin’ Missing You – Single

Fiending – Noah Brigden on I’m Fine – Single

life is beautiful – heylucas on hey

American Trail – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Carolina – Blake Whiten on Carolina – Single

Normal Day – Brendan Walter on Normal Day – Single

God Loves Weirdos – Mt. Joy on Hope We Have Fun

Green – Jack Van Cleaf on JVC

Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Enrique Iglesias on Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Single

Bloodline – Alex Warren & Jelly Roll on Bloodline – Single

I Am Digital, I Am Divine – Erin LeCount on I Am Digital, I Am Divine – EP

Sea Shanty Medley – Home Free on Sea Shanty Medley – Single

The Barn – Landon Smith on The Barn – Single

Loud and Heavy – Cody Jinks on Adobe Sessions

One More Day to Come – Luke Beling on This Parlor Trick Life

Fair To You – Vincent Lima on To Love A Thing That Fades

Did What You Did – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP

Life’s Worth Living – Nick Folwarczny on Life’s Worth Living – Single

Struggle On Boy (Stripped) – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP

Shore House – Maxx Parker on Shore House – Single

Good God, Hot Damn – Hayden Blount on Good God, Hot Damn – Single

Something To Lose – Christian Hayes & Corey Harper on Something To Lose – Single

My Heart’s A Crowded Room – The Fray on My Heart’s A Crowded Room – Single

5AM (feat. Billianne) – Amber Run on 5AM (feat. Billianne) – Single

Lucy – Mt. Joy on Hope We Have Fun

Reversing Thunder – Luke Beling on This Parlor Trick Life

Damned If I Do – Vincent Mason on Damned If I Do – Single

Night Windows – Arcade Beach on Music for Night Drives

Dale Dickens (RIP) – Cooper Alan on Dale Dickens (RIP) – Single

QUEEN OF DUST (Live at The Royal Albert Hall) – The Blaze on FOLK

Shadowverse – The Midnight on Syndicate

Fourth of July – Cooper Alan on Fourth of July – Single

Cold Shoulder – Zach John King on Slow Down – EP

Life Behind Bars – Zach John King & Bayker Blankenship on Life Behind Bars – Single

Man of the Year – Sam Barber on Man of the Year – Single

Bottomland – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Sunlight – Yoste on Sunlight – Single

Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Zach Bryan on Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Single

Tongue Tied – Chance Peña on When I Change My Mind I Don’t Mean It

Holding On – Majik on Blood, Sweat & Tears

EYES (Live at The Royal Albert Hall) – The Blaze on FOLK

HEAVEN (Live at The Royal Albert Hall) – The Blaze on FOLK

HIGHWAY KIND – Fabrizio on HIGHWAY KIND – Single¹

London – Skepta & Fred again.. on Skepta .. Fred – EP

Space – Zach John King on Space – Single

Ordinary (Live from Lollapalooza) – Alex Warren & Luke Combs on Ordinary (Live from Lollapalooza) – Single

21 Years – Skepta & Fred again.. on Skepta .. Fred – EP

The Vulture and the Little Boy – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine²

How It’s Done – HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast on KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)³

What It Sounds Like – HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast on KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)

Your Idol – Saja Boys, Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee & KPop Demon Hunters Cast on KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)⁴

Tennessee (feat. Hudson Mohawke & Tayla Parx) – Kesha & Orville Peck on Tennessee (feat. Hudson Mohawke & Tayla Parx) – Single

Ktir – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine

Golden – HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast on KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)

Song From Yesterday – Chance Peña on When I Change My Mind I Don’t Mean It

Afraid No More – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine

Dust and Smoke – Sam Barber on Music for the Soul

Favorite Country Song – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

808 HYMN – Erin LeCount on 808 HYMN – Single

Quantuuuum – EDEN on Dark

Summer’s Ending Soon – The Midnight on Syndicate

She Didn’t Have To – Zach John King on Slow Down – EP

Turn Down The Lights – Gavin Adcock on Own Worst Enemy

Kind Tired Eyes – Noah James on The Tracks – EP

Hangin’ On – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Happy – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine

Buck On The Wall – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Nobody’s Famous In Hell – Waves_On_Waves, Crimewave & Waves On Waves After Dark on Nobody’s Famous In Hell – Single

CATHEDRAL. – Kesha on .

Gun To My Head – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

1. Vocally, really reminds me of Leonard Cohen, particularly in You Want It Darker. ↩
2. I’m slowly picking up the lyrics of this one; right now it’s just bits and pieces, “and all the trigger-happy madmen” ↩
3. Go watch the movie, it’s great. ↩
4. I have a lot of thoughts about this song… which I’ve done a full write-up of, and will post son. ↩