Fluxblog 527: playlist variety pack
80s synth-pop, neo-soul, 00s twee and European pop, Cold War anxiety, extremely horny 80s music, and the sounds of spring 1995.
THIS WAS SPRING 1995
A look back on the popular music of exactly 30 years ago! This is an extraordinary moment in the history of rap and indie/alt-rock. Featuring songs by Björk, The Notorious B.I.G., Hole, Pavement, Guided by Voices, Mobb Deep, Sheryl Crow, Yo La Tengo, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Radiohead, Beastie Boys, Helium, PJ Harvey, Real McCoy, Crystal Waters, Pearl Jam, R.E.M., Jewel, Method Man, Oasis, Jeff Buckley, Mary J Blige, Elastica, and more.
[Spotify | Apple | YouTube]
SENSITIVITY: R&B AND NEW JACK SWING 1987-1993
This playlist is focused on a pivotal and fruitful time in the history of R&B, featuring songs by Babyface, Boyz II Men, Prince, Jodeci, Ralph Tresvant, Mariah Carey, Bobby Brown, En Vogue, SWV, TLC, Soul II Soul, and many more.
[Spotify | Apple]
DESTINATION UNKNOWN: SYNTHS AND POP 1979-1987
Exploring the ways synthesizers transformed pop through the 80s. This is mix of hits and obscurities, including music by New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, Erasure, Wham, Prince, and more.
[Spotify | Apple]
WHAT WAS NEO SOUL? 1995-2003
Classic R&B melds with hip-hop at the end of the 20th century, featuring artists from the Soulquarians collective and fellow travelers – Erykah Badu, D’angelo, Maxwell, Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill, Mos Def, J Dilla, Floetry, The Roots, etc.
[Spotify | Apple | YouTube]
THE OTHER POP 2002-2007
Mostly European pop from the wilderness years before Lady Gaga and Katy Perry blew up and Robyn and Carly Rae Jepsen became mainstream cult figures. This is one includes songs by Kylie Minogue, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Annie, Robyn, Girls Aloud, Scissor Sisters, Rachel Stevens, and Amy Winehouse, and is made from an American perspective.
[Spotify | Apple]
YOUNG FOLKS: TWEE INDIE 2004-2009
Ccute and cozy, childlike whimsy, and vintage vibes as twee aesthetics entered the mainstream in the second half of the 00s. This one features Belle & Sebastian, Camera Obscura, The Decemberists, Feist, She & Him, Nellie McKay, Au Revoir Simone, The Pipettes, and many more.
[Spotify | Apple | YouTube]
I NEED A FREAK: 80s SLEAZE CLASSICS
Three hours of sweaty, erotically-charged songs from the early to mid 80s by freaks, for freaks. This includes music by Prince, Grace Jones, Berlin, The Egyptian Lover, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and Depeche Mode.
[Spotify | Apple | YouTube]
MELT WITH YOU: COLD WAR ANXIETY IN 80s MUSIC
Musicians from across genres grapple with US/Russia tensions and the possibility of sudden nuclear annihilation in the later years of the Cold War. This includes songs by Modern English, U2, Prince, Nena, Donald Fagen, The Smiths, Tears for Fears, Sun Ra, Grandmaster Flash, Kate Bush, Billy Joel, and more.
[Spotify | Apple | YouTube]