Romantic Songs Playlist for Valentine's Day 2024

So this year, I was able to create the entire Romantic Songs Playlist 2024 from heartfelt tunes released in the past year and a half (still not bad?) Give a listen on Spotify here.  

As always, you can visit my posts from the past for more inspiration: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017,2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012. And check out everything listed together here!

1. "Sole Obsession" – Nation of Language
2. "Slugs of Love" – Little Dragon

3. "No More Lies" – Thundercat, Tame Impala

4. "Ordinary Love" – Roosevelt

5. "Three Drums" – Four Tet

6. "Each Night" – Poolside, Mazy

7. "Potion" – A Beacon School

8. "Always/Never" – STRFKR

9. "kisses" – Slowdive

10. "Days Go By" – SBTRKT, Toro y Moi

11. "Coming of Age" – Van Houten

12. "Is This Love" – James

13. "It's Over, If We Run Out of Love" – David Holmes, Raven Violet

14. "I Would if I Could" – Daniel Avery

15. "Future Falling" – The Album Leaf

Top 20+ Songs of 2023

My picks for top songs released in 2023 – in no particular order and no Spotify algorithms involved! Listen on Spotify, enjoy!

1. "Oceans Niagra" – M83

2. "From the Hill" – Nation of Language

3. "Goodbye to Music" – Flyying Colours

4. "The Fringe" – Cheekface

5. "Build a Bridge" – Deeper

6. "Wrong Side" – Tourist Activities

7. "My Love is Like" – Maps

8. "Back 2 It' – Teen Daze

9. "The Narcissist" – Blur

10. "Odyssey" – Beck, Phoenix

11. "Tropic Morning News" – The National

12. "Echolalia" – Yves Tumor

13. "Three Drums" – Four Tet

14. "Night Fell" – Hibou

15. "KITM" – The Beacon School

16. "Days Go By" – SBTRT, Toro y Moi

17. "Always/Never" – STRFKR

18. "Live Again" featuring Halo Maud – The Chemical Brothers

19. "Enjoy Your Life" – Flamingosis

20. "The World's Biggest Paving Slab" – English Teacher

21. "Each Night" – Poolside, Mazy

22. "Cousin" – Wilco

23. "prayer remembered" – Slowdive

24. "Blóòberg" – Sigur Rós

Summer 2023 New Music Playlist

Listen on Spotify, enjoy!

1. "Three Drums" – Four Tet

2. "Odyssey" – Beck, Phoenix

3. "The Narcissist" – Blur

4. "Doomscrollers" – Quasi

5. "No More Lies" – Thundercat, Tame Impala

6.  "DAYS GO BY" – SBTRKT, Toro y Moi

7. "Slugs of Love" – Little Dragon

8. "Little Bit Of Sun" – Semisonic

9. "Potion' – A Beacon School

10. "Ordinary Love" – Roosevelt

11. "Repeat (If You Remind Me)" – Wye Oak

12. "Psychos" – Jenny Lewis

13. "Live Again (featuring Halo Maud)" – The Chemical Brothers

14. "Rainy Summer" – Teen Dave

15. "Become" – Beach House

16. "Blóoberg" – Sigur Rós

Spring 2022 New Music Playlist

 Listen on Spotify, enjoy!

1. "The Lightning II" – Arcade Fire
2. "King of Sweden" – Future Islands
3. "What, Me Worry?" – Portugal. The Man

4. "Who Put You Up To This?" – Sunflower Bean

5. "Only You Know" – Beach House

6. "The Mainline Song" – Spiritualized

7. "Magazine" – Toro y Moi, Salami Rose, Joe Louis

8. "It Just Goes On" – Flock of Dimes

9. "Ransom" – Pete Yorn 

10. "Call Me Home" – SASAMI

11. "Fuzz Jam" – The Lazy Eyes

12. "Dot" – A Beacon School

13. "Darklands" – trentemøller

14. "The Last One" – Daniel Rossen

15. "Skrting on the Surface" – The Smile

16. "The Reach" – Mogwai

Late Summer 2020 New Music Playlist

Listen on Spotify, enjoy!

1. "You're Not Alone" – Semisonic

2. "Through the Trees" – Phantom Planet

3. "Carousels" – Doves

4. "For Sure" – Future Islands

5. "No Distraction" Khruangbin Remix – Beck, Khruangbin

6. "Idaho" – Slow Pulp

7. "Wildfires" – SAULT

8. "Feel You" – My Morning Jacket

9. "Distant Axis" – Matt Berninger

10. "Ordinary Guy (featuring the Mattson 2)" – Toro Y Moi, The Mattson 2

11. "To R." – Father John Misty

12. "Love is All We Share" – Cut Copy

13. "Surreal" – Dan Croll

14. "All Visable Objects" – Moby

15. Will You Return/When You Come Down" – The Flaming Lips

16. "America" – Sufjan Stevens

Fall 2019 New Music Playlist

Listen on Spotify, enjoy!

1. "Romeo" – Daphni

2. "Linked" – Bonobo

3. "Falling Down the Stairs of Your Smile" – The New Pornographers

4. "All Mirrors" – Angel Olsen

5. "Black Cadillac" – Mondo Cozmo

6. "Motorways (Erase It)" – Dhani Harrison

7. "Around Your Sun" – Surfer Blood

8. "Love Is Everywhere" – Wilco

9. "Bunny" – Tourist

10. "Empires" – Elbow

11. "In the Air" – Allah-Las
12. "You're Either on Something" – Temples

13. "Hope" – (Sandy) Alex G

13. "Nighttime Drive" – Jay Som

14. "Treat" – Vacationer

15. "Lost Heads" – Moon Duo

16. "Balance (featuring Washed Out)" – Toro y Moi, Washed Out

Winter 2019 New Music Playlist

Listen on Spotify, enjoy!

1. "Shelter" – Broken Bells
2. "Ordinary Pleasure" – Toro y Moi
3. "All I want" – Broken Social Scene
4. "Landside" – Beirut
5. "Greenpoint Gothic" – Deerhunter
6.  "Exit - Edits" – Foals
7.  "Lux, Prima" – Karen O, Danger Mouse
8.  "All I Want" – Matt Berninger, Stephan Altman, Julien Baker
9. "I Know What It's Like" – Jeff Tweedy
10. "Spring" – Teen Daze
11. "Andromeda" – Weyes Blood
12. "Blue Wings" – Wild Nothing
13. "Wishing Cap" – Crane Like the Bird
14. "Drastic Measures" – Bayonne
15. "Neapolitan Sky" – Avett Brothers
16. "Check the Weather" – Pavo Pavo
17. "Ibrik" – Bonobo
18. "Stay" – Sharon Van Etten

Romantic Songs Playlist for Valentine's Day 2019

Filled completely with songs from the past year! Give a  listen to my Romantic Songs Playlist for Valentine's Day 2019 on Spotify here.  

For further inspiration, visit my posts from past years: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012.

1. "Ordinary Pleasure" – Toro y Moi
2. "Hunnybee" – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
3. "The Only Thing We Know" – Bob Moses
4. "Magnetism" – Vacationer
5. "I Dreamt We Spoke Again" – Death Cab for Cutie
6. "Lifer" – Wye Oak
7. "Heart Killer" – Dr. Dog
8. "Feel the Love Go" – Franz Ferdinand
9. "Human Being Song" – Okkervil River
10. "Falling Rain and Light" – Moby
11. "Lady and Man" – Khruangbin
12. "Trouble Letting Go" – Avett Brothers
13. "Echo" – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
14. "Taste" – Rhye
15. "Love Letters" – DeVotchKa
16. "The One To Wait" – CCFX
17. "Maryam" – The Album Leaf

Late Fall 2018 New Music Playlist

Listen on Spotify or as a YouTube Playlist (except Jmmy & Ocean Cat). Enjoy!

1. "Freelance" – Toro y Moi
2. "This Time Of Year" –  Ra Ra Riot
3. "Sixteen Days" –  Pond
4. "Death In Midsummer" –  Deerhunter
5. "Gallipoli" –  Beirut
6. "Dreamt I Was Gonna Be Your Man" –  Oberhofer
7. "Lover Chanting" –  Little Dragon
8. "Not the Same" –  Jmmy & Ocean Cat, Nile Rabb
9. "Alien" –  Beach House
10. "Sinking Ship" –  CAKE
11. "Swimming at Night" –  Django Django
12. "Merrie Land" –  The Good, the Bad & the Queen
13. "Panic Blooms" – Black Moth Super Rainbow
14. "Problems III" – The Growlers
15. "Adored" – Hatchie
16. "Hanoi 4" – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
17. "Open Again"  Thom Yorke
18. "Universalis" –  Hammock

Romantic Songs Playlist for Valentine's Day 2018

Compiling this year's Romantic Songs Playlist for Valentine's Day was an easy task, considering all the great new music lately from fave bands. Here are tunes that pull at the heartstrings by LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire, The National, Beck, Spoon, Washed Out, Mew and more. And check out the gender-balanced cover of Interpol's "PDA" by Daywave and Hazel English. Whether coupled up or single at the moment, it's all music to feed the soul.

Listen to my Romantic Songs Playlist for Valentine's Day 2018 on Spotify here.  For further inspiration, visit my posts from past years: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012.

1. "oh baby" – LCD Soundsystem

2. "All Disco" – Elbow

3. "Do I Have to Talk You Into It" – Spoon

4. "Seventh Heaven" – Beck

5. "Dark Side of the Gym" – The National

6. "We Don't Deserve Love" – Arcade Fire

7. "Come Break My Heart Again" – The Lone Below

8. "Hard to Say Goodbye" – Washed Out

9. "To Hold and Have" – The Dears

10.  "Love Is Love (Sun on Time)" – Woods

11. "Call It Dreaming" – Iron & Wine

12. "Carry Me To Safety" – Mew

13. "PDA" – Daywave, Hazel English

14. "Up All Night" – The War on Drugs

15. "Girl Like You" – Toro Y Moi

16. "The Fear" – The Shins

17. "We a Famly" – The Flaming Lips

Top 20 Songs of 2013 with YouTube Playlist

Here's my picks for the best songs of 2013 -- tunes that thrilled at first listen and continued to be faves to revist throughout the year.  It's not a ranked listing but curated as a playlist, as always kicking off fast and fun then meandering through other musical approaches from there.  I chose official videos for this post, all except Okkervil River's "Down Down the Deep River," which is also the name of an upcoming film Will Sheff is creating about his childhood hometown through a kickstarter campaign. So I inserted the trailer for that since there's no official video for the song itself.  This movie is definitely on my list for in 2014...

Find a straight up listening session here or click on the videos and let 'er rip!

1. "If You Didn't See Me (Then You Weren't On the Dance Floor)"– Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
2. "Dumb Disco Ideas"– Holy Ghost!
3. "Song for Zula" – Phosphorescent
4. "It All Feels Right" – Washed Out
5. "Right Action" – Franz Ferdinand
6. "Sharpteeth" – The Octopus Project
7. "Come Save Me" – Jagwar Ma
8. "High School Lover" – Cayucas
9. "Ohm" – Yo La Tengo
10. "The Perfect Life (featuring Wayne Coyne)" – Moby 
11. "Don't Swallow the Cap" – The National
12. "Shuggie" – Foxygen
13. "In the City" – Caveman
14. "Your Life Is a Lie" – MGMT
15. "Varsity" – Smith Westerns
16. "Reflektor" – Arcade Fire
17. "Down Down the Deep River" – Okkervil River
18. "The Truth" – Dr. Dog
19. "Rose Quartz" – Toro Y Moi
20. "Sun Blows Up Today" – The Flaming Lips

Austin City Limits Music Festival 2013 - Must See Bands

I'm finally going to Austin -- the line up for this year's Austin City Limits Music Festival was too tempting!  They've expanded it to two weekends just like Coachella, which may not be the best way to create a unique sense of excitement around an event. But at least it's not in the desert (or on a sprawling farm like Bonnaroo), but in a contained city park as depicted in the video at the end of this post. The festival website has the official schedule up with a handy "My ACL" customization to share your picks and get updates.  I've also shared my to-do list below with my thoughts behind each choice (most have appeared on my new music playlists), however I'm going to have some tough decisions come Sunday's line up.

I've reconnected with a friend from my hometown who lives within "biking distance" from the park and I'm also armed with a nice list of recommendations from a local (that would be Josh Lambert of The Octopus Project and to use his favorite word during concerts, a very enthusiastic thanks!) I even have a tab opened to the Weather.com's 10-day forecast for the city, to see if I'll need to sport that lovely poncho look. It all looks great weather wise but what to pack? After checking out last year's fashions online, it looks like starting with messy hair is a must. At least that should be easy to keep going hours from gig to gig!

MUST SEE:

Friday: 
Smith Westerns (Playlist Pick a few times, never seen them)
Saturday: 

Dan Croll (Playlist Pick with a favorite song, never seen them)

Sunday: 

Franz Ferdinand, (Playlist Pick & HUGE FAN through all four albums)

Toro Y Moi (Playlist Pick & solid fan since day one, have a link on the band's Wikipedia page)

Atoms for Peace (Playlist Pick & big fan of Thom Yorke/Radiohead)

CATCH SOME:
Friday: 
Wild Nothing (Playlist Pick, never seen but getting into town around then)
Thao & the Get Down Stay Down (Playlist Pick, never seen)
Local Natives (Playlist Pick, never seen)
Okkervil River (Interesting new concept album about growing up, The Silver Gymnasium)
Fun. (Huge pop band with singer that looks like my brother, why not see what the fuss is about)
Vampire Weekend (Playlist Pick, seen but it's been a while)
Wild Belle (Playlist Pick, never seen)
Purity Ring (Playlist Pick, never seen)
Depeche Mode (band you could not escape from back in the 80s, will check out a few songs)
Muse (Another huge band, interested to see why people seem to think they really rock live)
Saturday:
Parquet Courts (Playlist Pick, just saw them and have a conflict but wanted to put them on list anyway)
Junip (Playlist Pick, never seen)
Portugal.The Man. (Seen as CMJ 2011 headliner, been awhile)
Wild Cub (Not a huge fan of their music but a favorite of KEXP so thought I should check them out)
The Joy Formidable (Favorites of the hipster scene, might bypass this one)
Passion Pit (Playlist Pick & solid fan, have a link on this band's Wikipedia page too)
Wilco (Playlist Pick though not a huge fan of everything they've done)
The Cure (Another 80s band you could not escape from at the time, actually saw them back then)
Sunday: 
Bear Mountain (Playlist Pick, never seen)
Foxygen (Playlist Pick, never seen although I hear they are falling apart at the seams)
Ms Mr (Playlist Pick, never seen)
Divine Fits (Playlist Pick & seen lots but local guy Britt Daniels is such a rock star)
White Denim (Good solid band from Austin, never seen)
The National (Playlist Pick, seen but it's been a while)
Tame Impala (Playlist Pick, was supposed to see the band but then Hurricane Sandy hit so still need to)
Phosphorescent (Playlist Pick, seen a few months ago but love love love Matthew Houck's voice)
Phoenix (Playlist Pick and would love to see Sophia Coppola's adorable hubby Thomas Mars)

Youtube Playlist of Spring 2013 New Music Songs

Here's some visuals for the latest Spring 2013 Playlist via YouTube.  It's always interesting to see what's available online to illustrate the list -- official videos, ones with lyrics provided for instant sing alongs, and live performances from the professional publicity events to fan filmed (check out the one of Toro y Moi in Moscow!) Cayucas' video for "High School Lover" was already featured on an earlier blog post but in context with the others it takes on another life. And The Shout Out Louds have posted a video with snippets of their entire CD, so take a listen to it all or find the song "Circles" at 8:50.

Spring 2013 New Music Playlist

The groundhog predictions were just plain wrong this year as snow stayed in the forecast, along with the cold weather, through the first day of spring.  At least there was plenty of new music to dig through with new albums by Toro y Moi, Frightened Rabbit, Phosphorescent, and Youth Lagoon, to spice up the continuum of life indoors.  Teaser singles from upcoming albums featuring The Flaming Lips, Fitz and The Tantrums, and Phoenix also kept music fans longing for spring, while new bands Parquet Courts, Cayucos and Painted Palms reinforced the seasonal theme of renewal.  Link to listen here. 

**EXTRA CREDIT IF YOU CAN NAME EVERY BAND WITH BROTHERS IN THE LINEUP (ANSWER AT END OF THIS POST!)

1. "Sun Blows Up Today" -- The Flaming Lips

Oklahoma’s own house band, The Flaming Lips, keep the party going with this latest psych rock experiment, which debuted on the Super Bowl as a Hyundai ad.  This single provides a blast of fun from the upcoming thirteenth studio album, The Terror.


2. "Rose Quartz" -- Toro y Moi

Chaz Bundwick of Toro y Moi decided to indulge in R&B and 90s house music influences for his third album, Anything In Return.  His smooth delivery still gives off the chillwave vibe he’s known for, even in this varied context.


3. "High School Lover" – Cayucas

This Santa Monica based quartet knows firsthand about that sunny California mindset pervading their music, layering their pop tunes with ambient party noise and other samples to keep things interesting. “High School Lover” is a tale of unrequited teenage love from their upcoming debut album, Bigfoot.


4. "Out of My League"-- Fitz and The Tantrums

Fitz and The Tantrums are back after their retro sound and constant touring caught the ear of many new fans.  This single from their sophomore album, More Than Just a Dream, expands the sound to incorporate 80s synths while threatening to bury Fitz’s stellar blue-eyed soul voice.


5.  "Borrowed Time" -- Parquet Courts

Brooklyn based band Parquet Courts brings a resurgence of punk attitude in their debut album, Light Up Gold.  Inspired by the NYC bands before them, the quartet charges through songs with a no holds barred approach to vocals and raucous rock performance.


6. "Weird Shapes" -- Surfer Blood

West Palm Beach alt rock quartet Surfer Blood is getting ready to release their sophomore album, Pythons. Singer John Paul Pitts lets loose in a yelping chorus, describing the song as an individual's manic episode (which unfortunately might remind fans of the domestic battery charges filed against him last year).


7. "Circles" -- Shout Out Louds

Swedish indie pop quintet Shout Out Louds return to the music scene with their fourth album, Optica.  The instrumental crunch of synths introduce this dreamy tune set in a 80s dance groove.


8. "The Woodpile" -- Frightened Rabbit

Singer/guitarist Scott Hutchinson is responsible for yet another heart on the sleeve story highlighting his honest, earthy delivery.  The Scottish indie rock quartet recently released their fourth studio album, Pedestrian Verse.


9. "Song for Zula" – Phosphorescent

Alabama native Matthew Houck, now based in Brooklyn, has been recording under the name Phosphorescent since 2001.  This song is from his fifth album of indie folk infused with a rock music sensibility, Muchacho.


10. "Entertainment" – Phoenix

French alt rock quartet Phoenix is returning since 2009’s breakout Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix with album number five, Bankrupt! After an Asian influenced intro, singer Thomas Mars commands another signature soaring chorus, instantly reminding fans of the band’s appeal.


11. "Click" -- Painted Palms

San Francisco based duo Painted Palms released this track as part of a preview for their upcoming debut album, Carousel.  The tune crafts an indie pop treatment of introspective, interwoven vocals over a percussive foundation.


12. "Dropla" -- Youth Lagoon

Idahoan Trevor Powers of Youth Lagoon branches out from personal shoegazing to low-fi conceptualizations of metaphysical musings, along with some ascribed pop music influences.  This floating meditation is from his sophomore album, Wondrous Bughouse.


13. "Trojans" -- Atlas Genius

Australian indie rock quartet Atlas Genius creates tightly formed pop songs with an infectious vengeance.  This catchy single is a solid introduction to their debut album, Through the Glass.


14. "Sacrilege" -- Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Alt rock trio Yeah Yeah Yeahs have served as a point of pride for New York City since 2000.  This single from their fourth studio album, Mosquito, adds a gospel choir as the only really appropriate background singers for the majestic voice of singer Karen O.


15.  "Photon"-- Pantha du Prince & The Bell Laboratory

German electronic music producer Hendrick Weber, a.k.a. Pantha du Prince, has teamed up with Norwegian percussion group The Bell Laboratory to layer chiming bells over his synth universe.  The resulting collaboration is Weber’s fourth studio album under this moniker, Elements of Light.


16. "You Were Afraid" -- Night Beds

23-year-old Nashville native Winston Yelten writes spare songs late at night and it shows. This is the first tune he wrote (at age 18) as Night Beds, dealing with the bittersweet realization that a relationship would soon end.

DID YOU GUESS 4 BANDS?  (IT COULD BE 5 IF WAYNE COYNE’S BROTHER MARK WAS STILL IN THE FLAMING LIPS!)  BONUS POINTS FOR ADDING TWINS AND THREEPEATS…

1. PARQUET COURTS
2. FRIGHTENED RABBIT

3. CAYUCAS -- TWINS
4. ATLAS GENIUS -- THREE OF THEM!!!