Every week, Rainbow Rodeo brings you the best new queer country music! Listen to this playlist on Spotify! Thanks to Elliott for making a parallel list on Apple Music! Listen to the parallel list on Tidal. Missed a week? Thomas Inskeep is generously keeping an archive of all music featured on this Spotify playlist.
Also — if you’re looking for a stocking stuffer — you can now purchase issue 3 of Rainbow Rodeo!
Katie Pruitt — “Blood Related”
Just in time for Thanksgiving, Katie Pruitt has released a tender song about growing up and reviewing intergenerational mistakes. Pruitt gracefully encapsulate the gulf in understanding across generations. There’s pain there, sure, but it’s also loving: just like most families.
Boy Golden — “Aeroplane Song”
Canada’s Boy Golden continues his streak of puckish retro country takes. The loopy lead guitar line here feels like something out of a ’60s sitcom, illustrating the discombobulation of a brand new love that must be protected. However, Boy Golden’s choirboy voice gives what could be a novelty song a sense of gravitas.
Miko Marks (ft. Melissa Carper) — “Water Into Wine”
Miko Marks’ Feel Like Going Home is a triumphant follow-up to her return to the scene, Our Country. To celebrate a year since Going Home‘s release, Marks has tapped some of the most respected voices in country to join her on new versions of a few songs. Marks is not queer, but Melissa Carper is a fan favorite of Rainbow Rodeo readers. (She’s also the subject of an interview conducted by Julian Talmantez Brolaski in issue 3 of Rainbow Rodeo.) Between Marks’ earthy confidence and Carper’s devil-may-care swagger, this gospel duet unwinds like a lazy — but powerful — river.
Brittany Howard — “Red Flags”
Brittany Howard continues her tour de force with “Red Flags.” Pulsating with ominous energy, Howard’s cautionary tale asks how she — or anyone else — can dive headlong into a toxic situation even though the signs are right there. The muscular, jarring drum loops and swirling synths and woozy backing vocals create a disorienting soundscape that culminate in some painful reflection.
The Odd Birds — “Blue”
California duo the Odd Birds release a gentle hatchling into the world with “Blue.” This breakup songs is less fragile than it is delicate — en elegant interlocking arrangement of drums, vocals, and sentiment that provides a lullaby to those suffering from a broken heart — or at least trying to slow down the process.