June brings you another one of our themed playlists! Even in our regular playlists, we love finding more obscure and under-the-radar music, so all the artists we’re featuring this month had to be under 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify (and never featured in our playlist before). We think we found you some good ones that you’ve (hopefully) never heard before? Let us know what you think!
Show notes from our June 2024 Spotify Podcast:
We started with Al’s ten submissions and Phoebe’s ten submissions, but our finished, 11-song playlist is put in an order that we think makes sense musically. Which is not same same order that we pick the songs during the picking ceremony heard during our podcast.
Song notes (Quotes are from song lyrics):
- “I’ll be kinder if You’ll be kind, keep the drugs at bay, we pull the cord and see how we fly with only ourselves to blame.”
Haley Bonar’s “Eat For Free” was a fave for both of us this month. And this stunning video is worth a watch for sure. - “Oh I’m a lost cause, don’t know how to hit pause, you’re in the league that wasn’t meant for me”
The winner of Big Al’s video of the month award goes to this version of Lillian Hackett’s “Tennessee”. She’s such a badass. - “This ain’t about no one in particular, but I could list a few, I’m removing myself from the queue”
Is it weird to sing (fully clothed) with your sibling in a bathtub? Phoebe and Al have differing opinions, but The Belle Brigade seem to enjoy it? - “Only the dealers and bartenders are listening to your prayers”
Tangerine Flavour’s “Burned-Down Casino” slipped in as our 11th song this month, thanks to Phoebe winning this month’s picks yet again! - “Burning sage and lighting coal, how far’s too far when you’re trying to go somewhere”
Chris Kasper has been around a while, and has a number of albums to his credit, but still very much qualifies for our June under-the-radar playlist. - “You found us folded together in the ghost-lit dawn, her golden head held together with an open palm and crowded arms”
Sam Simkoff and Le Loup and their wonderful blend of harmony and magic are a perfect fit for our playlist, and “Morning Song” is lovely. - “Seagulls are waiting for the end of this world, hovering outside my bedroom”
“Don’t Cry” was maybe our consensus favorite song this month, and Why Are We Building Such a Big Ship? is exactly the kind of band we love finding. 105 monthly listeners and all! - “With all the will in the world, diving for dear life, when we could be diving for pearls”
You might be familiar with the original, Elvis Costello version on this song, but Robert Wyatt’s “Shipbuilding” brings its own style and charm. - “You old ancient forest, what are you aging for?”
Cinder Well might be part seal, but she’s all magic. We found it hard to believe she’s not better known. “Two Heads, Grey Mare” brings such a voice, and such a presence. - “I’ll take a quiet life, a handshake of carbon monoxide, and no alarms and no surprises”
Frank Watkinson is the cool but sweet grandpa we all wish we had had. If you get nothing else from this month’s playlist, please check out Frank’s YouTube channel, with lots of his great videos. And if you enjoy this cover, Frank can also teach you the guitar part. - There’s maybe no better way to close out an under-the-radar playlist than Black Ox Orkestar’s “Skocne”. Embrace your inner outsiderness, and we’ll see you in July!
Both our Spotify playlist and our podcast are updated and released around the first of each month. We’re recorded monthly in the warm and cozy hug of the OML Studios in lovely downtown Manchester, Richmond, Virginia.
Thanks to Redemption Rye for help in recording this month. Theme music is from “Red Eye” by E’s Jammy Jams, accordion music by Andrew Huang. Lumber Down by Blue Dot Sessions, Our Only Lark by Blue Dot Sessions, Trois Gnossiennes 3 by Blue Dot Sessions, Golden Grass by Blue Dot Sessions, Basketliner by Blue Dot Sessions, Lahaina by Blue Dot Sessions.
Featured image: The Altar of Waits featured red candles and a new kind of whiskey this month for our special themed playlist!
If you have questions or suggestions, please drop us an email.
See you next month!
