The first DJ Dragonfly’s Favorites for 2026 is here. It’s time to see if anything’s changed from last year to this year.
Truth be told, I had a fair amount of repeats from December, but I was able to put together some more favorites. There have been some brand new songs to me that I can’t stop listening to, even if they aren’t within my usual genres. Some of these songs have explicit content, so fair warning to everyone.
A phenomenon I have observed in myself is that when I’m home, I tend to listen to less music. Maybe it’s something to do with being around my family more, having less commuting time around school and such, or something else. With that being said, I have missed my music.
I have had a couple choices that are a little different than usual for myself. One I think would have to be “Rocky Road to Dublin” from the “Sinners” movie, originally by Irish poet D.K. Gavan, performed by Harry Clifton. I was lucky enough to watch the movie in theatres when it first came out and was delightfully surprised to find that I loved it. I was initially admittedly on edge because I was under the impression the film was a horror movie and I’m a bit squeamish. But I have to say that I found the movie to be amazing and I know I probably would have folded and joined the vampires when “Rocky Road to Dublin” was performed. I have seen it several times since and have enjoyed it time and time again. Recently, I attended the NC State Arts NOW Series featuring Joshua Brinkman, PhD. This event was a lecture recital about the cultural significance of the saxophone as well as the technology that went into it. During this presentation, I caught myself feeling the urge to rewatch “Sinners” after the recital. Maybe a minute after I had this thought, Dr. Brinkman mentioned the Irish and Italian gangs of Kansas City. I took that to be a sign that I had to watch the film, as the subplot is about the Irish and Italian gangs of Chicago. In addition to all of that, I genuinely enjoyed the lecture recital and would have recommended it to anyone with an appreciation for jazz and blues music.
Another song I think is a little outside my norm would be “Homewrecker” by Willow Avalon. This song has a very classic Americana feel to it and I think I really love Willow’s vocals. The lyricism puts the “homewrecker” situation in a relatable and empathic light and I think well displays the anger someone might feel in that situation.
Lastly, I think “Pepper” by Butthole Surfers would be a little out of my ordinary. My friend showed me this song, incidentally the same friend who showed me “Homewrecker,” and it wasn’t really my vibe at first. The more I listened to it, the more I started to like it. I wasn’t initially a fan of the monologuing lyrics but now I think it’s unique and there’s a certain poeticism to it.
I hope everyone enjoys this month’s DJ Dragonfly’s Favorites and I can’t wait to see what February has in store for us.
— dj dragonfly
