Music is a little like food and clothes. These are areas where it’s probably worthwhile for one to explore & expand their tastes. The Playlist is assembled each month by Dappered’s very own music correspondent, Tim Johnstone. Tim is a former Virgin Records Label Rep & current award winning Program Director at KRVB, which was awarded the FMQB AAA station of the year markets 50+. You can also catch his work on Fridays when he assembles the Weekend Dossier.
MILKY CHANCE – “Stolen Dance”
This one is sneaky. First listen through I was more or less non-plussed. Second listen through I was hooked. And I’m still not sure why.
ROBERT PLANT – “Rainbow”
Well this is a little unexpected. I will always give Robert Plant the benefit of the doubt. And this does not disappoint. Once again Plant takes his music to someplace new while bringing along enough of his legacy to remind you why he still commands our attention.
THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS – “Brill Bruisers”
Absolute joy. That’s what these guys specialize in. They are consistently fun, dependably harmonious and entertainingly rambunctious.
LINKIN PARK – “Wastelands”
Yes, they have a formula. But it still seems to work.
SAM SMITH: – “I’m not the only one”
It’s not about his looks. It’s not about what he wears. He’s getting attention because of what matters. Because when it comes down to it, it’s all about the voice. And he has it. Then there’s this.
COURTNEY BARNETT – “Avant Gardener”
Courtney Love + early Sheryl Crow + Beck + early Liz Phair + woozy summer road trip music. This is that and then some.
BLEACHERS – “Rollercoaster”
I really am looking forward to Jack Antonoff’s side project. He’s whipped up a hyper-energetic new wave powered modern rock machine with a side helping of 90’s indie rock. Bleachers is relentlessly upbeat and refreshing.
CHARLES BRADLEY – “You put the flame on it”
If you ever appreciated the R&B side of James Brown, this is for you. If you’re a fan of Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, this is for you. If you want to root for a “up from the bootstraps” artist who survived more bad times than most, this is for you. It’s a great story.
JUNGLE – “Busy Earning”
Earth Wind and Fire never goes out of style. Also, smooth moves. This just immediately put me in a great mood.
THE SHINS – “So now what”
Because Zach Braff really likes The Shins and because there is a new Zach Braff movie coming out ten years after Zach Braff’s Garden State made The Shins the most famous indie rock band of the era, here is a previously unreleased song from The Shins.
For previous editions of The Playlist, see the growing archive here.
The new Antlers album is very solid, albeit a bit more subdued than 2011’s “Burst Apart.”
My favorite new purchase of the month though has to be “Why Do the Heathen Rage?” by The Soft Pink Truth, aka Drew Daniel of Matmos. Daniel is gay, and also a devoted black metal fan. He decided to tackle a lot of the more unsavory elements of the black metal scene in the form of an electro-dance covers album that includes songs by Venom, Mayhem, and Darkthrone (among others). The social commentary aspect of the record alone is worth noting, but the music itself is crazy good. It’s amazing that he took the source material he did, and turned it completely on its head with such incredible results. And as an added bonus, the first 666 copies of the vinyl edition come pressed on pink vinyl, with the rest on black (which is a pretty metal move if you ask me).
So is Bleachers like Steel Train with a dash of new wave? I like it.
Here’s the Spotify playlist, minus the Shins and Sam Smith.
The Playlist
Breaking: Joe to release his first single. “I’m In Love With A Dubmonk” will feature backup vocals ranting by Diversification.
Oh I’m married to the single-monks. But I’ll roll in the hay with the dubs from time to time. So scandalous. So so scandalous.
I’m loving the new St. Vincent and the new Future Islands, both get better with every listen…
Really like Bleachers, thanks for the recommendation! One of these articles was also how I discovered Haim last year, and now they are one of my favorites.
Courtney Barnett has quickly become my favorite artist of the moment. If you like Avant Gardener, give History Eraser a try. Or the entire album, really.
Also check out the Tonight Show performance of Avant Gardner, a little sped up and rockin compared to the studio version.
Don’t know how much (if any) World Cup action you guys have been following but I nominate the entire dance from that “Busy Earnin'” video to be the next goal celebration for the Colombian National Team.
The middle school in me is really digging the Dougie, Running Man, etc.
It’s over 6 years old, but it reminds me of one of my favorite videos: