New Special Sauce (my rotating 15-song playlist) for September

The newest iteration of my rotating playlist of 15 songs - a little saucy, a little spicy, and always lovingly curated

Howdy, and welcome to Good And Good For You, a newsletter about music and feelings. I don’t know if you know this about me…but…..I have a rotating playlist called Special Sauce. The parameters: it must be fifteen songs at any given time—no more, no less; it’s always best played in order; it’s roughly based on what I’m digging at the moment. I got the idea from my friend Pete, who has his own 20-song version of this called Cafe Pete (hi, Pete). Give Special Sauce a follow on Spotify if you think you can handle the flavor!

It’s honestly been forever since I’ve updated Special Sauce, and it’s not because I forgot about it. Au contraire! It’s been simmering in the back of my mind, ideas for it flitting in and out and never quite settling in. Well, I finally finished rewatching High Fidelity (Zoe’s Version) and there were a few needle drops that finally gave me the inspiration I needed to get back on the playlist-making grind.

Special Sauce: September 2023

Let’s get right to the point: here is the link to the playlist, so you don’t have to go digging for it. We pride ourselves on convenience ‘round these parts!

1. “Autumn Is Your Last Chance,” Robyn Hitchcock

Can I get a hell yeah from the Fall-lovers in the chat???? A fellow Substacker introduced me to this song recently by way of an Autumn Songs list—but now I can’t remember who it was!! If it was you, speak up, because I now LOVE this track and am indebted!

2. “Losing My Religion,” Soccer Mommy

I accidentally discovered the transition between the last song and this one and knew they belonged back-to-back. The original version of this song is one of my all-time favs, and Ms. Mommy imbues it with the reverence it deserves.

3. “Trust Your Gut,” Worriers

Starting a playlist off slow makes me a little insecure. Please don’t leave! Or fall asleep!! Here, I lined up something peppy to reel you back in. This Worriers album has been giving me so much energy recently: it reminds me a bit of how I felt about Torres’ Thirstier from a couple years ago.

4. “Scabs,” Speedy Ortiz

I’ve fallen under this album’s spell the past few weeks. Vocalist Sadie Dupuis’ voice sprinkles surprising sweetness over scuzzy guitars and drums with iconic lines like “Who do you wanna prove you’re a big dog to?”

5. “Can You Get To That,” Funkadelic

This one I lifted straight from the High Fidelity soundtrack. I don’t remember which scene the needle drop happened in; I was moderately drunk for the last couple episodes. The important thing is that it made its way from Shazam to this playlist somehow, innit?

6. “It’s Alive!” Ratboys

You ever just listed to this song over and over and never get tired of it? Yeah, same.

7. “Chain of Fools,” Aretha Franklin

A lot of the songs on here are on here because of vibes. And this one isn’t NOT here for the vibes. But, please, don’t be mistaken: it’s also serving insane amounts of realness. I mean, I heard it the other day for the first time in a while and it was the best kind of gut punch. Been singing this one a lot in the car recently for…reasons.

8. “Kill Me,” Al Menne

I’m really liking this debut album from Al Menne, collaborator of Christian Lee Hutson’s and, by association, part of the Phoebe Bridgers Extended Universe. When he said “Kill me now, please, please, please”—I felt that, you know?

9. “Alley Light,” Squirrel Flower

I wrote (sorta) about Bruce Springsteen recently, and, speaking of Bruce, Ella Williams—aka Squirrel Flower—cites him as an influence on this song. It’s a bleak Atlantic-City-esque tale of being broke and wasting time in the company of a disillusioned beauty. “I was gonna take her out tonight / but all her favorite spots closed down,” Williams croons. As an Austinite, I feel that.

10. “Erasure,” Corinne Bailey Rae

I’ve been really enjoying this highly-anticipated album, especially its noisier tracks, which could not be a more stark departure from the folky chart-toppers that catapulted Rae to fame in the early 2000s. I thought this one was a nice transition between a couple of more-or-less brooding moments in the playlist.

11. “Cubic Zirconia,” Katy Kirby

Katy Kirby, I’m in love with your voice and your words and the way your music makes me feel. This wistful, sparkling single has me pining for more, but until she comes out with more new music, it will have to do.

12. “Flirted With You All My Life,” Bright Eyes

Oops, I tripped and fell and my finger slipped and hit “add to playlist” on an insanely sad song! I had, admittedly, never heard of Vic Chestnutt until 2021, when I heard this Bright Eyes cover of his song “Flirted With You All My Life,” the original released the same year he died. The lyrics address Death as an off-and-on lover—haunting in the context of Chestnutt’s passing. ………..Don’t be mad; the Sauce called for a little sadness! I’m just following the recipe!!

13. “Press My Luck,” Blake Mills

I thought this wobbly, groovy track was the perfect on-ramp back to lightness from the last one’s emotional wreckage. I’m like, actually obsessed with this song. It’s a little wacky. In my opinion, more songs should sound a little wacky.

14. “So Emotional,” Whitney Houston

Okay, now we’re done with the sad-sad portion of the playlist and we’re on to the sad-dancey portion of the playlist. Is this song sad? I dunno, that was my first thought, which probably says more about me than about the song. Unfortunately for me, and for anyone listening to Special Sauce, I’m absolutely addicted to yearning and need to be sent to rehab immediately.

15. “Babylon,” David Gray

As this song ended on KUTX earlier today, the DJ said, “Babble…on… That’s what we’re trying not to do here at KUTX,” and folks? I couldn’t agree more. (…She says after babbling on for hundreds of words.) I hope you enjoyed this edition of Special Sauce. Get it while it’s hot!