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The 16 Songs Project
January 2026
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At the end of every month, starting back in September 2020, I have compiled a playlist of the 16 Songs that meant the most to me over those 30 days. Some of those songs were newly released, some new to me, and others just hit home for some reason.
I call it The 16 Songs Project.
Why do I do this?
That's a great question. I've asked myself that question a lot. It is nice to be able to look back at the songs that resonated with me. It's nice to have playlists that, in theory, connect with the seasonal vibe of each month. It also might have just been a weird mid-to-post COVID lockdown project to occupy my brain.
But really, it does not take me a few months locked away at home to need a reason for a weird little project. I keep a list of my 100 favorite movies of all time. Same for my 250 favorite songs. And albums. There are lists for TV shows and books too. All of it kind of rattling between my brain and a Google sheet. My Spotify account has something like 240 unique playlists, of all shapes, sizes, and reasons.
Any change or addition I make to those any of those lists matters to some part of my brain. Just like the choices I make for The 16 Songs Project matter to me.
But the fun thing about music is the songs that matter to me might matter to you as well. I'm not sure if it's crazier to do this little project just for myself or to spend time explaining it and downloading it onto you, but here goes nothing.
My plan here is to share the 16 Songs every month. Sometimes I might check in and look back at the playlist from one of the 64 months I did this just for myself.
For now, let's dive into the January 2026 playlist, which is one of my favorite in the history of the project.
16 Songs - January 2026 | The Playlist
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"New Year's Day" - Fantastic Cat
A perfect first song, for two reasons.
First, to start the year with a song called "New Year's Day" is just a perfect encapsulation of the weird quirks that exist inside of my strange little head.
Second, this song features Brian Dunne. He released my favorite album of 2025, his fifth album, Clams Casino. The title track of that album was one of my favorite songs of the year and the album itself was on repeat for me last fall. It's a mix of indie rock and easy listening heartland rock. Almost like a modern Mellencamp.
I then went back and listened to his previous albums, some of which were a re-visit, but none of those struck me as much as Clams Casino.
I was ecstatic to then stumble into the "supergroup" (using the term lightly) he has with one of my favorite singer-songwriters Anthony D'Amato, plus Don DiLego and Hollis Brown frontman Mike Montali.
I don't care if you don't know who any of those people are, play this song. It sounds like The Band or Elton John's Tumbleweed Connection album. Just an ice cream cone for your ears.
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"Gap Tooth Smile" - Djo
I watched and enjoyed the first few seasons of Stranger Things. One of my favorite parts of the show was Joe Keery as local teen hero Steve Harrington. I liked Keery's performance but also, when Stranger Things debuted, Keery looked a lot like me. People kept telling me that I looked like Steve.
Now, thanks to the horrors of modern TV production timelines and my diet and exercise issues, that was about 20 pounds and some gray hair ago for me. The facial structure is still similar but since Keery is, you know, a famous TV heart throb, he stayed in shape and well kempt. Such is life.
You might be aware, Keery's also a musician and a damn good one, releasing music as "Djo". His biggest hit, "End of the Beginning" was a chart topper and has over 2 billion (with a b) streams on Spotify. If you haven't heard it yet, you will on the easy listening station of your local grocery store for the next few decades.
But this song, "Gap Tooth Smile", is my favorite from his more recent album, The Crux from 2025 (which also got a re-release with 12 more songs as the aptly titled The Crux Deluxe).
I love the original 12 songs on the album, especially this little weird one. My biggest obstacle to fully loving Djo's work is how derivative it can be. But The Crux is derivative of The Beatles, ELO, and The Strokes, so I can't really get mad at it. That's good music and so is Djo.
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"Engine 99" - Langhorne Slim
This is one of my favorite songs off the new album from Langhorne Slim, The Dreamin' Kind. This is his seventh album, and probably my second favorite.
2012's The Way We Move is one of my favorite albums by any artist (13th, to reference the ranking I mentioned in the intro). In the years before but especially after that album, Langhorne Slim's music never hit my ear the same way. The Way We Move has so much energy. Even the slow and sad songs have so much punch to them. His next few albums were much sleepier (sometimes in a good way) but often lacked the tempo, horns, and full-throated energy from The Way We Move.
The juice is back with this record, with this song as living proof.
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"Midnight Doomer Cruise" - Any Two Words
Saw this band belting this tune at a concert in a TikTok video and it drew me in. For the next week, I was a little obsessed.
I told a friend, who listens to way more indie rock, emo, and pop punk than I do. He was shocked to hear I liked this song, or any of what he heard from Any Two Words.
Excited, he made me a playlist of Midwest emo songs, to see what else might stick.
But none of it did.
I'm not a fan of the long, sprawling intros that are typical for that genre. I don't love the voice every emo singer seems to put on. And there was something else separating this group of Gen Zers from the rest of his suggestions.
I think I nailed it down: I like a pop punk or emo song that sounds like it was written by and for beer drinkers. I do not like emo or pop punk written by or for drug guys.
This is not a moral stance. You do you. But my ears know a beer-slamming banger when they hear it. Any Two Words have a ton of them. This song is more of a sad beer sipper, but hey who hasn't gotten emotional over a Miller High Life or two?
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"Staycay" - Owen Stewart
God bless, WXPN. Philadelphia's member supported public radio station is truly an outlier in the modern media landscape.
Without them, I wouldn't have discovered Owen Stewart, a Philly-based artist with just a few thousand listeners.
That would be a tragedy because Stewart, his songs, and his band have some real magic to them.
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"Black Tears" - Imelda May, feat. Jeff Beck
I need to start being more concise if I want any of you to read through all 16 of these, so let's be brief:
I have no idea how I found this 2017 album from Irish singer-songwriter Imelda May, but I love it.
This song is incredible from the first note she sings.
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"I've Got a Need For You" - David Ruffin
This one I do remember.
TikTok and Instagram user Owen Cutts, a music producer in his own right, does a series called "Old Music Friday".
It's a simple formula. A fun British man asks "Yeah, new music is cool, but have you heard old music?"
And then plays you something that will make you stand out of your chair or cry or both.
This song should play over the closing credits of a great movie.
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"Stay with Me" - Lorraine Ellison
Yep, this one's from Old Music Friday too. That's your cry side of the equation.
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"Pride" - Dexter and the Moonrocks
Fun band with a fun name. I've been aware of DATM for a while, but re-found them recently due to their cover of Tyler Childers' "Messed Up Kid".
This one's from a December 2025 EP and it's got some country-fied 90's rock action going on. Like Matchbox 20, but southern.
If you don't think that's a compliment, you're reading the wrong newsletter.
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"Good Game" - Clover County
If you're not into sleepy-happy folky-country ladies, this also might not be the newsletter for you.
It also might still be for you; I already gave you some Midwest emo and there's more coming later.
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"I Can't Walk the Line" - Cory Cross
Reader, if country is not your thing: I need you to make it through the first few verses of this song. The first two minutes of this song are very country. Not quite pop-country you'd hear on the radio, but past the line for most "Everything but country" people.
I need you to make it to the last ninety seconds of the song where the band gets going.
Still not for you? Ok, I tried and I will try again.
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"Should've Been You" - Imelda May
She's back for a second song. I generally try to resist multiple songs from the same album or artist in a month if I can. Sometimes, my hands are tied.
The hard limit is three, but two from the same artist is a major compliment. It's earned here. This song rips. Her vocals from 2:20 to the end of the song are top notch.
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"On Fire" - Langhorne Slim
Like I said, repeat artist is a big deal. This album is awesome and almost got to the hallowed halls of three songs on the playlist.
I also love that this song opens with his grandmother calling. I saw Langhorne Slim live back in the last 2010s and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen. His entire family was at the show and his mother sang a duet with him. His ballad "Song for Sid", a tribute to a deceased grandfather, is one of my ten favorite songs ever (5th, if I need to be exact).
So the little touch to open this song certainly worked for me.
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"Cobra" - Geese
Look, I don't have the time or energy to talk about Geese in a big way. We're almost 2,000 words into this thing.
There are plenty of places for you to read about Geese on the internet.
I like this song. The rest of the album? No, no, let's not get into it.
Honestly, that's one of the nice things about this project. It's entirely positive. I found some music I like. You might like it too.
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"Cliches" - Any Two Words
"Midnight Doomer Cruise" was the first song from this band that hooked me. This is my favorite of their tunes.
If, like me, this isn't normally your cup of tea, I recommend making it halfway through the songs when the horns arrive.
That's beer vibes, baby.
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"Pepe Silvia" - Perspective, a Lovely Hand to Hold
This was the other winner from the Midwest Emo playlist my friend sent my way.
Great song title, referencing one an all-time great episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Despicable band name. So bad I almost respect it.
And again: wait for the horns.
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That's all for this playlist. I hope you found a few songs you like. Let me know if there's an artist or song you think I'd like.
See you next month,
Shane
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