Rainbow Ruckus 9/1: Next of Kin, Willi Carlisle, Shawnee Kish

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Every week, Rainbow Rodeo brings you the best new queer country music! Listen to this playlist on Tidal! Thanks to Elliott for making a parallel list on Apple Music! Missed a week? TA Inskeep is generously keeping an archive of all music featured on this Spotify playlist.

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• Austin's Next of Kin dazzle with their three-part harmonies and pop country sensibility on "Dimestore Jesus." The song digs into that messy dynamic when you're partnered with an absolute disaster...and you find yourself co-dependent with them in spite of it all.

• With "Marlboro Vinyasa," Willi Carlisle gets as metaphysical as he gets funky. The rambling barstool wobbler relates an all-too-familiar tale of the gentrification of cheap parts of town, and the oddities of doing yoga in a dive bar. Carlisle sings the hell out of it, blessing the narrative with a touch of irony, yes, but also a touch of affection.

• Meanwhile, Aubory Bugg learns to let go on "the one you want to lose." Bugg's angelic voice gives a hint of the divine to the otherwise painful realization that some people are just not that into you – and can be downright cruel about it.

• Shawnee Kish finds a more organic way to let go with "Ride the River." The indigenous alt-country artist has been nominated for four JUNOs and it's easy to see why. This breezy country rock song encapsulates the joy of living in the movement while adding some toothy substance to a song that, in lesser hands, would be a disposable soundtrack to red solo cups and bad beer.

• Hard to have a bad time with Kameron Ross and Alyssa Edwards. The duo give "Good Time" the pop country treatment with tasty grooves, shoutable lyrics, and a beat that's designed for line dancing.

Find our Tidal playlist here: