Hi, Dean Carlson here, trying to select just 3 songs from 2019 to feature on our blog is like torture, a process of elimination that involves repeated listens and a bit of homework, but here are several examples of what I fell in love with/streamed the most over the course of the last 12 months.

LISTEN TO THIS MONTH’S PLAYLIST >

Artist: Michael Kiwanuka

Track: Hero

Twitter: @michaelkiwanuka

Michael Kiwanuka is one of those artists who stop you in your tracks and demand to be listened to, a genuine, down-to-earth singer-songwriter who observes the world around him and creates songs that are timeless and immediately modern at the same time.

Artist: Mallrat

Track: Nobody’s Home

Twitter: @lilmallrat

Mallrat is 21-year-old Grace Kathleen Elizabeth, a young singer-songwriter from Brisbane, Australia who made a big splash on her local radio station, Triple J, with a little single titled “Groceries” which landed in the Top 10 last year. I was hooked the moment I heard this […]

This month’s music discovery blog comes to you from Music Service Manager, Dean Carlson who is sharing three of his current favorite tracks performed by some amazing new artists. Check out our December playlist and discover some great new tracks to add to your rotation, handpicked by our entire music team.

LISTEN TO THIS MONTH’S PLAYLIST >

Looking for some new music? Here are three artists to watch in 2019, from all around the globe, who I believe will continue to gain more fans and exposure in the coming year. Each of these tracks are on heavy rotation in my own playlists–I hope that you enjoy them too! 

Artist: J.S. Ondara

Track: American Dream

Twitter: @jsondara

Singer-songwriter J.S. Ondara was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota to pursue a career in music, partly due to his adoration of native Bob Dylan. You can easily hear the influence in this powerful track “American Dream,” which also showcases his intimate singing style. His […]

The music supervision team at PlayNetwork saw over 6700+ albums, EPs and compilations added to our extensive music library in 2017. With so much amazing music to pick from, our Music Supervision team finally narrowed down their top 10 albums of the year.

Continuing our theme of top album write ups, we’ve enlisted seasoned Music Supervisor and Manager, Dean Carlson, who has over 25 years’ experience in the music industry. He got bit by the music bug early, first DJ’ing at his high school radio station, and then having a successful 15 year radio career afterwards. Dean even launched his own syndicated radio show heard in over 25 countries. Dean writes on why the new Mura Masa self titled album is one of his favorites of 2017.

Artist: Mura Masa

Album: Mura Masa

Track: What If I Go?

Twitter: @mura_masa_

I can remember exactly where I was the first time I heard Mura Masa and his single “What If I Go?” It was in my car listening to […]

One of the more challenging aspects of being a Music Supervisor is taking a well-worn music genre and making it new and fresh again. This is often the case with holiday playlists, that are normally filled with traditional Christmas gems by Bing Crosby or Dean Martin sandwiched with modern holiday pop by the likes of Ariana Grande, Colbie Caillat or Train.

A growing trend here at PlayNetwork, with many of our custom in-store retail playlists, is incorporating non-holiday songs into the mix, tracks that were never originally intended to be associated with Christmas, or included on holiday albums, but feature seasonal themes like: travel, home, family, winter, etc. What I like best about these non-holiday songs is that it elevates the experience and gives the playlist a bit more meaning and a human element.

Joni Mitchell’s “The River” and the Fleet Foxes “White Winter Hymnal” are tender acoustic songs evoking a snow covered landscape and an inner peace that we all search for. Madonna’s “Holiday” and Dream Academy’s “Life In […]

Artist: Bon Iver

Album: 22, A Million – Jagjagwar 2016

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Almost 10 years ago, Justin Vernon spent a long winter in his father’s cabin in Wisconsin; recovering from mono, binge watching Northern Exposure and writing a groundbreaking album under his new persona. Bon Iver, loosely translated, means “good winter” in French, which is the optimal time to listen to his latest album, 22, A Million.

I picked this album as one of my personal favorites of 2016 for a variety of reasons; it’s personal, experimental and it’s a gorgeous example of an artist continuing to evolve and push musical boundaries. The intimacy and tone of “22 (Over Soon)” is accompanied by angelic voices, then interrupted briefly with quivering glitches that cause one to stop, breathe and pay attention. The slight use of saxophone and slow-building keyboards give “8 (Circle)” an almost ambient blues kind of vibe, that grows on you after repeated plays. Bon Iver’s 22, A Million is a gift, […]

That music blaring out of the speakers of the restaurant, retailer, hotel and airplane you visit? Yep, that is the doing of our music supervisors. While you may not notice every song that is played throughout the year, one thing is for sure: when the holiday songs begin, everyone notices. But when is the right time to start playing holiday music?

This is the hot topic among our brands as they try to nail down the perfect timing of their holiday cheer. While there is no one-size fits all approach to holiday music programming, PlayNetwork’s Dean Carlson, Music Supervisor/Procurement Lead, and Julia Cummings our Director of Music Services are here to help you make sense of the pros and cons of starting the holidays early versus waiting until the holiday season is in full swing.

Should you Jingle all the Way into the holiday season—beginning in October? Or wait until December to put your customers into the Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

Dean’s Top 3 Reasons to Jingle […]