Playlist of the Month: June 2026

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

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. ↩