Good morning! Need an antidote for the algorithms? Looking for a place to share the music you love with like-minded people? You’re in the right spot.
For those of you who are new, we kick off every week by sharing what we’ve been playing, and the playlist below is some of what’s been in heavy rotation for me.
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One of my biggest holiday wishes for everyone is that you get a day (or 2-3) to do…well, whatever you want. Maybe that means letting the sun wake you up instead of a shrieking alarm clock. Perhaps it means declaring email bankruptcy and going nuclear on your inbox. There’s probably some coffee in there, too. I was on vacation this past week and got to enjoy several of those things. I also chipped away at my TBR pile and spun a lot of records.
It’s strange; when people hear that I work for an airline, the default assumption is that we’re always jetting off to somewhere exotic. I have plenty of ink on my passport, but the truth is that sometimes I just want to do a dry run on what retirement might look like. In other words, the other side of Madison was the farthest I ventured.
Music-wise, this list reflects hanging around the house. There’s a reason this week’s is a bit longer (and eclectic) than usual- plenty of free time and sub-zero temps mean plenty of time in front of the sound machine. There’s also a couple of best of 2025 tracks back in the mix. Last week, I mentioned hitting a wall and needing some space from the records I’d been gorging on ahead of AOTY season. That was short-lived, and I got back to enjoying them. Plenty of post-punk too. Some things never change, I guess. And there’s some New Order on here, because of course there is.
Looking over the list, I can remember exactly where I was when I first heard a few of them. “Coldsweat” sounded as good a few days ago as it did when my friend Kendra pushed a copy of Life’s Too Good in my hand a few lifetimes ago and told me I needed to hear it. I wonder if those memories would have been as strong had the algorithm fed ‘em? I doubt it. Ironically, it was my employer that tipped me off to J-Boy; I first heard it while listening to IFE on a flight as we rocketed out of Portland.
I hope you find a few new faves here and that everything on your list shows up under your tree.
KA–
P.S. A few of you have asked if I sequence these as if they’re an album or mixtape. The answer is always “yes.” In my head, I imagine them being played on your morning commute or road trip. I’m too old to use the word “vibes” as much as I have lately, but, well, if the shoe fits…Side A is tracks 1-17, with Side B being 18-35.
On to the music…
Other sources: Qobuz (missing a couple) | YouTube Music| Apple Music
Now it’s your turn.
What caught your ear this week? Any new releases or shows you’re hoping will be under the tree? Do you make any end-of-year lists? If so, please share below!?
Whatcha got? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Kevin Sent 
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