Like most music nerds who live and breathe all types of music, the last few months before the end of the year are spent either getting ready for a new year of great music releases or spent trying to make your best-of list for the year.  When I took the reins years ago on managing these monthly music discovery blogs for our multi-talented music supervisors, I knew that I would not only be listening to some amazing music, but also be taken on a musical journey through the minds of other like-minded music supervisors like myself. 

Below are some artists and sounds that grabbed my attention this year, but in the accompanying playlist, you’ll find the best-of music curated by our team of music supervisors this past year.  There’s some amazing stuff on there for your ears!

OPEN THIS MONTH’S PLAYLIST IN YOUR BROWSER >

Artist: Beach House

Track: Superstar

Meeting in Baltimore’s Indie scene in the early 2000s, […]

Hello! My name is Alex Ruder, I’m a music supervisor and editorial lead here on the PlayNetwork music team. Since my teenage years, I’ve been a massive fan of remixes and hearing how different artists take an original song and shift it into their own distinctive space. Whether it’s a remix designed specifically for the dancefloor, a remix that adds a bit of a beat to a jazzy tune, or a remix that spaces things out into an ethereal zone, I find the shape-shifting unpredictability of remixes constantly fascinating. Here are some favorite remixes that have caught my ear this year…

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Artist: Lady Blackbird / Zach Witness

Track: It’ll Never Happen Again (Zach Witness Remix)

While he’s worked closely in the past with artists like Erykah Badu, Andre3000, and Jon Bap, Dallas-based musician Zach Witness is an under-the-radar artist who has a magic touch with his remix […]

The month of October is recognized as Filipino American History Month which honors the history, pursuits, accomplishments, and legacy of Filipinos in the United States. As a Filipino American myself, I wanted to highlight some of the many artists in the music industry that also have Filipino heritage in their background.

Growing up in the suburbs of Seattle, it was rare to see people that shared the same background as me in my neighborhood, at school or watching a movie or a TV show. Whether it was a professional athlete, an actor, a musician, and even Miss Universe — anyone that had just a drop of Filipino blood in them would be considered a fellow family member or someone to be proud of for their representation and making it onto the scene.

More recently, I’ve noticed a lot more of these artists making names for themselves and proudly honoring their Filipino heritage such as Darren Criss, who is probably better known as an actor and musician from Glee. Criss also […]

Hello there. Daniel here with the International music team at PlayNetwork. It’s time for some new music for the month ahead. Old school radio is still a key driver of new music discovery for me. It’s the daily ritual of checking in with familiar voices and hearing stories and finding new inspiration. The convenience of streaming music and various connected apps has also enabled me to make it “taping-off-the-radio” on monster steroids. Radio shows from around the globe contribute to favourite channels that then feed the selected (often Shazam-ed) highlights into my music discovery pool. I’d like to think my teenage-self would be fairly impressed. Alright, here we go; what’s new on my list, Siri?

OPEN THIS MONTH’S PLAYLIST IN YOUR BROWSER >

Artist: Angel Olsen

Track: Eyes Without a Face

Instagram: angelolsenmusic

This is off Angel Olsen’s newest EP called Aisles. A good cover is always also a re-imagination, in my opinion, and this is a dream of a re-imagination. Now, […]

It’s hard to go wrong when picking a soundtrack to your summer, but some genres lend themselves to the dog-days of sun and salt with effortless ease. Yé-yé is such a sound, with evergreen relevancy that combines a Kodak-filtered nostalgia with tongue-in-cheek lightness that’s as fun today as it ever was.

A fusion of Western European and American stylistic elements, yé-yé rose to prominence in the early 1960’s featuring primarily French artists. Translating to “Yeah! Yeah!” the movement can be traced back to popular French radio show Salut les copains, which dominated drive time airwaves throughout the week on French radio station Europe 1. The show served as a springboard for most yé-yé artists such as Françoise Hardy, Sylvie Vartan, and Johnny Hallyday. Mixing rock, pop, baroque, exotica and traditional French chanson, yé-yé gained further cultural traction for the visual element affiliated with the music. Paying homage to classic rock and roll grandeur, a subtle restraint made the faces of the genre undeniably chic. This duality matched the lyrical content […]