Voodoo Rae

How is it April already? I had intended to wrap up this playlist last week but then I was sidetracked by Cowboy Carter. I have so many thoughts on Beyoncé’s latest masterpiece which I will share later because you know there will 100% be a track on the next playlist. 

Last month, I saw UK band Fat Dog’s first US show at an intimate venue in Ridgewood, Queens (Trans-Pecos for those in the area). The crowd was dancing to the band and it was such a great vibe. I was transported back to my college radio days at KJHK and the specialty show that I used host. I went by the moniker DJ Voodoo Rae, an homage to the A Guy Called Gerald track which I used as the show’s theme music. The show was born out of all of the fantastic dance music coming out of the UK at that time, especially the Manchester/Madchester scene centered around the Haçienda nightclub. I started to think about what my radio show might look like today if I mixed together what I used to play with music that has been released since my college radio days and I came up with this latest playlist. 

Happy Mondays were one of the more notable bands to come out of the Manchester scene. “W.F.L”, the remix that Vince Clark (Erasure, Yazoo and Depeche Mode) did for their track ‘Wrote For Luck” is a formative classic.  English duo Disclosure released their acclaimed debut album Settle in 2013. The album has so many great tracks but thought “When A Fire Starts To Burn” transitioned well from Happy Mondays. “We Are Your Friends” is a remix of a track by producer James Ford’s first band, Simian, by French duo Justice and was released in the mid-aughts. Fischerspooner seemed to be everywhere in NYC at the turn of the century when their single “Emerge” exploded. I loved featuring remixes on my show and Youth’s remix of The Orb’s “Perpetual Dawn” was a perennial favorite. Another banger from the mid-aughts is from Brazil’s CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy), “Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above.” DJ Andrew Weatherall was crucial in bringing together dance music with British indie bands. His remix of Primal Scream’s “Loaded” is the gold standard of the time. 

My radio show was Saturday nights 6pm-8pm and came on right before the industrial music show. The host of that show and I used to have some slightly heated discussions over which show had “rights” to certain artists. There was definitely some overlap. I think I won Renegade Soundwave (or maybe I lost and played “Biting My Nails” anyway).  “All The Same” is Fat Dog’s latest single and definitely gives some Wax Trax! vibes. I think I would win radio show “rights” to this one today. Regardless, I can’t wait to hear more from this new band.  Deee-Lite and their debut LP World Clique got a lot of play on my show. “What Is Love?” holds up incredibly well.  Next up is a completely unlikely pairing that totally works, Hot Chip and singer-songwriter Bonnie “Prince” Billy. “I Feel Bonnie” is a re-imagination of Hot Chip’s “I Feel Better.” The next song, “Music Sounds Better With You”, was the only single released by French house group Stardust as Thomas Bangalter was busy with his other project, Daft Punk. Built around a Stone Roses sample, MC Tunes Versus 808 State “Tunes Splits the Atom” was in heavy rotation on my show for a hot minute. How many times did I walk around rapping “Manchester, the dance capital of England” in my terrible British accent during those years? It was not as embarrassing as it sounds, really. Closing out the playlist is my DJ namesake and show theme “Voodoo Ray” by British producer and musician, A Guy Called Gerald. 

Happy Mondays - W.F.L. (The Vince Clark Remix)

Disclosure - When A Fire Starts To Burn 

Justice Vs Simian - We Are Your Friends 

Fischerspooner - Emerge 

The Orb - Perpetual Dawn (Solar Youth Mix)

CSS - Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above 

Primal Scream - Loaded (Andy Weatherall Mix) 

Renegade Soundwave - Biting My Nails 

Fat Dog - All the Same 

Deee- Lite - What Is Love? 

Hot Chip (featuring Bonnie “Prince” Billy) - I Feel Bonnie (House Mix) 

Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You  

MC Tunes Versus 808 State - Tunes Splits the Atom 

A Guy Called Gerald - Voodoo Ray 

With all the terrible news in the world, hopefully this playlist will help lift the mood if even for a moment. It was truly a blast to put together. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did making it. 

xo,

Julie

Ethereal Queens

When I took a closer look at the new tracks that I wanted to include in my February playlist, a pattern emerged: Caroline Polachek, Beth Gibbons, Bat For Lashes, Laetitia Sadler and their ethereal vocals. A line up like that deserves a playlist so Ethereal Queens was born. 

Ambient artist Julianna Barwick might not be on everyone’s radar. Last year she appeared on “This Version of You” by electronic duo ODESZA and I thought it sets the mood of this playlist. “Butterfly Net’ is the gorgeous new track from Carolina Polachek and features another Ethereal Queen, Weyes Blood. “Floating on a Moment” is the exceptional first single from Portishead singer, Beth Gibbons. I can not wait to hear more from her forthcoming album. Lisa Gerrard is the definition of an Ethereal Queen. Rather than choosing a song from her extensive solo or film score work, I chose an early track from her group, Dead Can Dance. I am a huge fan of FKA twigs 2019 stunning album MAGDALENE and chose “holy terrain” which features the rapper, Future. L’Rain’s album I Killed Your Dog is another favorite. I realize I just included a track on my Best of 2023 playlist but I could resist adding “5 to 8 Hours a Day (WWwaG)”. It is so at home on this playlist. Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier released her first solo album in several years last Friday. I lam loving the moody lead off track “Who + What”. Natasha Khan who records as Bat For Lashes announced her new album last week and shared the title track from the album “The Dream of Delphi”. I couldn’t have an Ethereal Queens playlist without including Irish singer and composer Enya. She is an OG EQ. Representing the ‘90s and shoegaze we have Cocteau Twins and Lush. “Feel You” is probably one of the more accessible tracks from Los Angeles-based composer, Julia Holter. This song was released in 2015 but Julia has a new album coming in March. There is no better way to end this playlist than with a song by the legendary Kate Bush. 

ODESZA (featuring Julianna Barwick) - This Version of You

Caroline Polachek (featuring Weyes Blood) - Butterfly Net

Beth Gibbons - Floating On A Moment

Dead Can Dance - Frontier

FKA twigs (Featuring Future) - holy terrain

L'Rain - 5 to 8 Hours a Day (WWwaG)

Laetitia Sadier - Who + What

Bat For Lashes - The Dream of Delphi

Enya - Only Time

Cocteau Twins - Cherry-coloured Funk

Lush - For Love

Julia Holter - Feel You

Kate Bush - This Woman's Work

These light and airy songs are a welcoming transition from winter to spring. I hope you enjoy!  

xo,

Julie

Jabroni Youth

Sneaking this one in under the wire, I have compiled a 2024 kickoff playlist for you all. This one features all new (or newish) songs. Who saw Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé? It literally blew my mind. I mean, we all know she is the Queen but this movie proves that point and delivers the message with multiple exclamation points. Beyoncé gifted us with the extra treat of a brand new song during the ending credits. That track, “MY HOUSE”, is the perfect introduction for this playlist. It’s hard to follow Beyoncé but London’s Vanishing Twin and their new Sub Pop Singles Club entry, “Life Drummer,” does the trick. I discovered the Spanish quartet Melenas’ stellar track “Bang” at the end of 2023 and knew immediately it would make an appearance on my next playlist. Helado Negro will release his new album, PHASOR, on February 9th. “I Just Want To Wake Up With You” is the first single. Katy Kirby released her new album Blue Raspberry this week and I have shared her track “Table” here. New York indie band BODEGA released their new single, “Tarkovski,” earlier this month and their new album Our Brand Could Be Yr Life in April. “My Golden Years” is the new single from power-pop band The Lemon Twigs. Real Estate’s new album Daniel arrives next month and I chose their earworm of a single “Water Underground” for the playlist. Hurray for the Riff Raff makes her second appearance on one of my playlists with “Alibi.” Alynda Segarra is a force. Her new album The Past Is Still Alive is out next month as well. Pete Astor fronted legendary Creation Records bands, The Loft and The Weather Prophets. Celebrating forty years of making records, he has shared a new single “Model Village.” 

I hope you discover something new here that makes the 2024 a bit better. For those wondering, the playlist title is a nod to my favorite Kansas City Chiefs player. I am a pre-Taylor fan and I am pro-TNT. What a ride. Let’s go, Chiefs! 

Beyoncé - MY HOUSE 

Vanishing Twin - Life Drummer 

Melenas - Bang 

Helado Negro - I Just Want To Wake Up With You 

Katy Kirby - Table 

BODEGA - Tarkovski 

The Lemon Twigs - My Golden Years 

Real Estate - Water Underground 

Hurray For The Riff Raff - Alibi 

Peter Astor - Model Village