No Expectations 129: Late November

The newsletter’s annual 60-song Thanksgiving playlist.

Nov 26, 2025

No Expectations 129 (Cover image by Zack James)

No Expectations usually hits inboxes on Thursdays at 9am cst, but it’s running today because tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Reader mailbag email: Noexpectationsnewsletter@gmail.com. Daily Chicagoan, the local news newsletter I produce at my day job with WTTW News (PBS Chicago), can be found here.

Headline song: Sandy Denny, “Late November”

Thanks for being here. I don’t know about you, but I’m more than ready for a couple of days off from work and a long holiday weekend. This No Expectations is the annual Thanksgiving playlist. Apologies to my non-American subscribers, but there’s no real theme connecting the songs below. Feel free to use this mix for any occasion: Sunday mornings, cooking, road trips, family reunions, chill parties, etc.

Here’s the spiel for new subscribers: Each week, you get a wildcard main essay (often new album recommendations), a 15-song playlist, as well as updates on what I’m listening to, watching, and reading. Sometimes you’ll get an interview with an artist I love, and other times it’ll be a deep dive into one band’s discography. Since I’m a Chicago-based writer, this newsletter is very Midwest-focused. So, if you live in this city too, you’ll also receive a curated roundup of upcoming local shows to check out.

Here’s where I politely ask for money: This newsletter is something I write in my spare time after work. It’s unpaywalled and remains that way due to the generosity of my readers. I am not in the business of gatekeeping. If you have the means and like what you read, you can sign up for a paid subscription. If your budget is tight, please don’t pay for this. Telling a friend about a band you found out about here is just as good. It’s still $5 a month—the cost of one Old Style plus tip at Rainbo Club. Every bit helps, keeps this project going, and allows it to stay paywall-free. It’s rough out there, so it means the world you’re reading and supporting this writing project.

Right now, I’m in the weeds with the forthcoming No Expectations Year-End list, and I’m saving most of my new LP recommendations for that. I might skip next week to focus on compiling it all, but I’m also open to running a chill mailbag edition before the big Best Albums of 2025 roundup launches. Have any burning questions? Want to know where I find new music or why I didn’t review your favorite record? Hit up the mailbag email at Noexpectationsnewsletter@gmail.com.

Try This if You’re Handed the Aux Cord Over the Holidays

I’m a big fan of Thanksgiving. You basically just hang out, eat a bunch of food, watch football, maybe drink a few beers, and eventually sleep it off. On paper, it’s a perfect day. That said, it can go off the rails fast: your family get-together can devolve into a political blowout, you could burn the stuffing (the best side dish), your NFL team might lose horrifically (Bears fan here), or, God forbid, you get too drunk in front of your in-laws. I promise you none of that will happen if you set the vibe with No Expectations‘ annual Thanksgiving playlist. At 60 songs and just under four hours, there’s a little bit for everyone here: some tasteful new songs, longtime favorites, and a good genre mix for all personalities. It’s chill and not too crazy, which I hope is exactly how your holiday goes tomorrow.

While I normally stick to older classics for this mix, I realized a few recommended tunes from 2025 fit perfectly. If a loved one hates it, you can blame me, but if they dig it, tell them to sign up for a paid subscription to No Expectations. Stream the playlist below and see ya soon. If you want more, you can check out the ones from 2023 and 2024, too. Hope your holiday rules.

The No Expectations 129 Playlist: Apple Music // Spotify // Tidal

1. Karl Blau, “Fallin Rain (Link Wray Cover)”
2. Natalie Jane Hill, “Never Left Me”
3. Glyders, “Moon Eyes”
4. Liam Kazar, “The Word The War”
5. Hannah Cohen, “Earthstar”
6. Way Dynamic, “The Others”
7. The Beatles, “In My Life”
8. Harry Nilsson, “Everybody’s Talkin’”
9. The Band, “Acadian Driftwood”
10. Allen Toussaint, “What Do You Want the Girl to Do?”
11. Bob Dylan, “Love Minus Zero”
12. Sylvie, Rhia Taranto, “Lady Full Of Dreams (Cathy Hamer Cover)”
13. Silver Synthetic, “Red Light”
14. Wings, “Love Is Strange (Bo Diddley Cover)”
15. Grateful Dead, “Brown Eyed Women (Live, 4/14/1972)”
16. Sandy Denny, “Late November”
17. The Kinks, “Waterloo Sunset”
18. Aretha Franklin, “The Weight (The Band Cover)”
19. Karen Dalton, “How Sweet It Is (Marvin Gaye Cover)”
20. Bridget St. John, “Nice”
21. B.W. Stevenson, “Roll On”
22. Kath Bloom, “Come Here”
23. George Harrison, “I’d Have You Anytime”
24. Luke Temple, “Henry in Forever Phases”
25. Bobbie Gentry, “Seasons Come, Seasons Go”
26. Sam and Louise Sullivan, “Avalon”
27. Fleetwood Mac, “Think About Me”
28. Goose, “Royal”
29. Tobacco City, “Autumn”
30. Emmylou Harris, “Pancho & Lefty (Townes Van Zandt Cover)”
31. Big Thief, “Spud Infinity”
32. F.J. McMahon, “Early Blue”
33. Damien Jurado, “Museum of Flight”
34. Linda Perhacs, “Sandy Toes”
35. Mavis Staples, “Beautiful Strangers (Kevin Morby Cover)”
36. Prince, “I Feel For You”
37. Steely Dan, “Time Out Of Mind”
38. ABBA, “Waterloo”
39. T. Rex, “Bang a Gong (Get It On)”
40. Shuggie Otis, “Inspiration Information”
41. Wilco, “When You Wake Up Feeling Old”
42. Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman”
43. Mae Powell, “Tangerine”
44. Dusty Springfield, “Breakfast in Bed”
45. Jessica Pratt, “World on a String”
46. Brigid Mae Power, “On a City Night”
47. Judee Sill, “The Lamb Ran Away with the Crown”
48. Guy Clark, “L.A. Freeway”
49. The Beach Boys, “Passing By”
50. Tyrone Davis, “Can I Change My Mind”
51. Joyce Street, “Life Ain’t Worth Livin’ (If I Can’t Have You)”
52. Van Morrison, “You Make Me Feel So Free”
53. Cameron Winter, “Love Takes Miles”
54. Erin Rae, “Mind/Heart”
55. Fairport Convention, “Who Knows Where The Time Goes?”
56. Twin Peaks, “Lookout Low”
57. Labi Siffre, “Bless the Telephone”
58. The Velvet Underground, “I Found a Reason”
59. Sharp Pins, “With A Girl Like Mine”
60. Phil Cook, “Rise”

The Weekly Chicago Show Calendar:

The gig calendar lives on the WTTW News website now. You can also subscribe to the newsletter I produce there called Daily Chicagoan to get it in your inbox a day early.