Playlist of the Month: May 2026

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