New year, new Monthly Mix entry!
The less-than-merry holiday season coupled with the gloomy rainy season resulted in an interesting mix of mostly R&B and different subgenres of alternative (rap, rock, and the like). I guess it should also be noted that I’ve spent a large majority (and when I mean large majority, I mean extremely large) of January listening to Phoebe Bridgers’ discography on repeat. This leaves this month’s monthly mix at a sparse 18 songs compared to my previous entries.
Either way, here are some of my top picks for January 2021 — a rainy-weather playlist for a gloomy and pandemic-filled year ahead).
Rapp Snitch Knishes feat Mr. Fantastik by MF DOOM
Starting off the playlist is The GOAT himself, MF DOOM, who left us right at the cusp of 2021. MM…FOOD is an album celebrated my critics and music lovers alike, and this bomb suave track is loved by all. Thank you for the tunes, MF DOOM.
Brother by Ryan Beatty
This track comes off Beatty’s most recent album, Dreaming of David. It features his signature vocal stylings and an ambient guitar for accompaniment. What kept this track on replay for me were the lyrics — Beatty tells us a story of trying to reach out to someone who doesn’t want your help. It’s simple but moving.
Drunk by Dijon
I can’t remember what sent me on a Dijon trip but I spent a good chunk of January just listening to his discography. The stripped-down production in the track, Drunk made it a favorite to play at full blast during those rainy nights. A recurring theme between the Ryan Beatty and this track is the use of layered vocals and harmonies to push the song forward despite the simpler production.
She’s My Religion by Pale Waves
This is quite the genre change from the other tracks featured on this list, but I fell in love with the very 90s-early 2000s banger from the United Kingdom-based rock band, Pale Waves. It’s here, it’s queer, and it’s nostalgia at its finest. The production is wonderful with front woman Heather Baron-Gracie’s killer vocals being complemented by the instruments.
There it is! These are my top 5 tracks of January (not counting the Phoebe Bridgers discography). Just like with other Monthly Mixes, you can find the full playlist on my Spotify here:
Monthly Mix is Kara Angan’s attempt of writing at least one piece on this blog per month. It features her favorite songs from the month with mini-reviews on stand-out tracks. All monthly mixes can be found on her (very messy) Spotify account.
kara likes music 