Romantic Songs Playlist for Valentine's Day 2020

Filled ALMOST completely with songs from the past year or so! (Can you spot the slightly older song?)  Give a  listen to my Romantic Songs Playlist for Valentine's Day 2020 on Spotify here.  

For further inspiration, visit my posts from past years: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012.

1. "So Much Love" – Nada Surf

2. "Take Care" – Beach House
3. "Take Care" – SASAMI
4. "Autofocus" – Vacationer
5. "You That Carries Me" – Ivan & Alyosha
6. "Wait for Love" – Strand of Oaks
7. "Love is Everywhere (Beware)" – Wilco
8. "Just Reflecting" – Maps

9. "When am I Gonna Lose You – Local Natives
10. "Lava" – Still Woozy
11. "Hope" – (Sandy) Alex G
12. "All I Want" – Broken Social Scene
13. "All I Want" – Matt Berninger, Stephan Altman, Julien Baker
14. You're Not Always on My Mind" – Quivers
15. "Heartbreak" – Unloved
16. "Hyperlife" – Beck
17. "Awake" – Tourist
18. "Katherine" – RAC
19. "Circular as Our Way" – Hammock

Top 20+ Songs of 2019 with Spotify Playlist

Another round up with my fave songs of the year, listed not by preference but how best to order them.  Listen as a Spotify playlist here.

1. "All I Want" – Broken Social Scene
2. "Greenpoint Gothic" – Deerhunter
3. "Patience" – Tame Impala
4. "Real Tight" – Methyl Ethel
5. "Just Reflecting" – Maps
6. "Summer of '42" – Kishi Bashi
7. " Café Amarillo" – Local Natives
8. "Rylan" – The National
9. "No Bullets Spent" – Spoon
10. "Fade In Nylon" – A Beacon School
11. "New Familiar" – Steve Gunn
12. "Lava" – Still Woozy
13. "Calm Down" – Pete Yorn
14. "Treat" – Vacationer
15. "Sat by a Tree" – Dan Deacon
16. "Pool Party" – Rudy Willingham
17. "Good Luck" – Broken Bells
18. "Love is Everywhere (Beware)" – WIlco
19. "Lost Heads" – Moon Duo
20. "Running" – Teen Daze
21. "Take Care" – SASAMI
22. "Sleeper" – Trentemoller
23. "Entendre" – Eluvium

Top Ten Releases of 2019 – Plus Others Worthy of a Listen

Here's my list of the Top 10 Albums of 2019 – check them out on Spotify at the link here.

And this year my Fave Albums of 2019 playlist is 29+ hours long, as I added new music worth a listen before choosing just ten.  So in no particular order, here you go!

1. Wilco, Ode to Joy
2. Vacationer, Wavelengths
3. Steve Gunn, The Unseen in Between
4. Beck, Hyperspace
5. Elbow, Giants of All Sizes
6. Beruit, Gallipoli
7. Deerhunter, Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?
8. Local Natives, Violet Street
9. Pete Yorn, Caretakers
10. Sharon Van Etten, Remind Me Tomorrow

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

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

Top 20+ Songs of 2018 with Spotify Playlist

Another round up with my fave songs of 2018 listed not by preference but how best to order them for the optimal listening experience – although I have to admit that David Byrne's "Everybody's Coming To My House" has to be my #1(along with the euphoric concert experience of seeing him in non-stop motion with band members at Forest Hills in September during his American Utopia tour.) Here's to the year that was and the one that will be!  Listen as a Spotify playlist here.

1. "Everybody's Coming To My House" – David Byrne
2. "Humility (featuring George Benson)" – Gorillaz
3. "Magnetism" – Vacationer
4. "Wide Awake" – Parquet Courts
5. "Once In My Life" – The Decemberists
6. "It's Late" – A Beacon School
7. "Buzzing In the Light" – Dr. Dog
8. "A Perfect Miracle" – Spiritualized
9. "The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs" – Wye Oak
10. "Don't Move Back To LA" – Okkervil River
11. "Wait By the River" – Lord Huron
12. "The Ceremony of Innocence" – Moby
13. "Forgive" – Roosevelt, Washed Out
14. "Gotta Run" – Lea Porcelain
15. "Hand It Over" – MGMT
16. "Music Snob" – De Lux
17. "Echo" – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
18. "Where Your Mind Wants to Go (featuring Ludovico Einaudi)" – Blonde Redhead
19. "Lemon Glow" – Beach House
20. "The One To Wait" – CCFX
21. "The Deconstruction" – Eels
22. "More" – Jamison Isaak

Late Summer 2018 New Music Playlist

Listen on Spotify or as a YouTube Playlist, enjoy!

1. "Letting Go" – Wild Nothing
2. "Humility (featuring George Benson)" – Gorillaz
3. "Someday" – Phantogram
4. "Saturday" – Phantogram
5. "Losing You" – boy pablo
6. "New Birth in New England" – Phosphorescent
7. "Heaven Only Knows" – Bob Moses
8. "Being Here" – Vacationer
9. "A Perfect Miracle" – Spiritualized
10. "Gold Rush" – Death Cab for Cutie
11. "Lucy" – Still Woozy, ODIE
12. "A Trick of the Light" – Villagers
13. "Happiness Reigns" – Cullen Omori
14. "Straight Shot" – DeVotchKa
15. "Where Your Mind Wants to Go (featuring Ludocio Einaudi)" – Blonde Redhead
16. "Floating World" – Hammock

Summer 2018 New Music Playlist

Listen on Spotify or as a YouTube Playlist (with glorious live versions by Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Dr. Dog and Washed Out!) 


1. "Magnetism" – Vacationer
2. "SGL" – Now, Now
3. "Back Seat Driver (Spirit Guide)" Bear Hands
4. "Wide Awake" – Parquet Courts
5. "Transhumanity" – JB Dunckel
6. "Once In My Life" – The Decemberists
7. "Quiero Otoño de Nuevo" – Mint Field
8. "Cranberry" – Hovvdy
9. "It Was Not Natural" – Wye Oak
10. "It's Late" – A Beacon School
11. "These Falling Arms" – The Sea and Cake
12. "It You're Going to Break Yourself" – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
13. "Human Being Song" – Okkervil River
14. "Buzzing In the Light" – Dr. Dog
15. "Black Car" – Beach House
16. "Pirates" – Brazilian Girls
17. "Juicy Socks" – Cherry Glazer
18. "Face Up" – Washed Out

Top Ten Releases of 2014 With Video Highlights

Here is my slightly ranked list of Top Ten Releases for 2014 -- with Spoon definitely taking the top spot.  The best thing about compiling such a list is revisiting these songs that became the soundtrack to my life this year, and remembering how these albums are all worth many more plays from start to finish.  I was also lucky to see three of the bands/artists over the course of the year so I've pulled videos from the  NMMatterscorp YouTube channel from those shows: Spoon, Beck, and Elbow.  For the others, I looked for live performances in order to imagine hearing the music being played live: from official gigs at CBS, an AMEX event, and Pitchfork festivals, along with studio sessions from my favorite online radio stations KCRW and KEXP. Check out anything you haven't yet, and enjoy!

1. Spoon, They Want My Soul
After taking some time off since 2010's Transference, Austin-bred band Spoon reconvened last year to put together what may be its best album yet.  With the strength of the singles "Rent I Pay," "Do You," and "Inside Out," I've heard more Spoon airplay than ever, never a band thing. Spoon opened up for Arcade Fire when we caught the final night of the tour in Montreal, where many in the crowd had not yet heard of them (thus the chatter in the video, but listen to the squeals of delight as uber frontman Britt Daniel approaches each side of the stage!) The guy next to us vowed to purchase the new album immediately and tell all his friends about Spoon when he returned home.

2. Beck, Morning Phase

When we first listened to this album (studio collection number twelve for this prolific musician), husband/music guru Paul exclaimed "Who broke Beck's heart?" It's that melancholy side of the guy heard back in 2002 with Sea Change, all slower meters and dreamy textures.  But at least it wasn't the folky Beck seen at festivals the last go around (still say he could loose the goofy black hat).  At least I could finally check him off my concert bucket list after a night at Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC -- a night split in half between the new and yes, all the old hits!

3. Elbow, The Take Off and Landing of Everything

The sound of Guy Garvey's voice brings warmth and depth of meaning to any lyric, so why not elongate the title of the group's sixth album too? Everything reads like a stream of consciousness travel journal after time Garvey spent in NYC where "folks are nice to Yoko."  I caught the U.K. band in May at Webster Hall NYC, where a couple took this romantic music to another level with a marriage proposal. 

4. Wye Oak, Shriek

Some Wye Oak fans didn't know what to make of the duo's fourth album, after singer Jenn Wasner learned the bass and layers of electronics were added without the signature guitar sound.  I gladly heralded this move into complexity and Shriek was on heavy rotation all summer.  

5. Conor Oberst, Upside Down Mountain 

Conor Oberst released his sixth album as a solo artist, connecting to his story telling vibe and touring with the band Dawes as backing musicians.  The sound is at once full yet immediate, baring his Nebraskan soul in songs about adult responsibilities and looking for meaning in the every day. 

6. Caribou, One Love

Canadian Dan Snaith released his sixth studio album as Caribou, expanding the electronica with genres such as hip hop and  R&B, plus contributions by Jessy Lanza and Owen Pallett.  When he plays live, Snaith takes over the percussion and performs with a live band clustered together in musical solidarity while the party in the audience carries on...

7. TV on the Radio, Seeds 

TV on the Radio released its fifth album in November, so I'm still uncovering the many attributes to each song. The band is now split between Brooklyn and L.A. but as a group remains as solid as ever. (This is the first album without their bass player Gerard Smith, who died of cancer in 2011.)

8. Hamilton Leithauser, Black Hours

When I fretted about The Walkmen taking a hiatus, it was really the idea of not hearing Hamilton Leithauser's ardent vocals without a solid band base that had me worried.  His solo album seemed a bit solitary in spirit, but not in musicianship. The entire collection appears ready made for a full listen seamlessly from song to song.  

9.  The War on Drugs, Lost In a Dream 

The mastery and wash of guitar reverb permeates this third album by Philadelphia's The War on Drugs. Singer/songwriter Adam Granduciel had trouble adjusting after the successful tour behind 2011's Slave Ambient, resulting in these profoundly emotional songs.

10. St. Vincent, St. Vincent 

St. Vincent's Annie Clark not only garnered attention for this self-titled fourth album, but for her choreographed stage shows performed with her usual epic shredding on guitar.  Her songs cut to the quick musically and lyrically, while remaining deeply ambiguous and intriguing at every listen. 

HONORABLE MENTION:
Future Islands, Singles

Vacationer, Relief

YouTube Playlist of Late Summer 2014 New Music Playlist Songs

The videos found on YouTube for my Late Summer 2014 New Music Playlist are a mix of the straight forward audio, filmed footage and showing the band playing the song, which is my favorite type. I plugged in live performances from my favorite online music stations and new tunes sources, KCRW (Vacationer's "Paradise") and KEXP (Eels' "Where I'm From"), as it's always a treat to experience live sessions.  The Orwells and Interpol videos present the groups in action, while Strand of Oaks is stripped down to just Timothy Showalter and his acoustic guitar. Britt Daniel of Spoon is seen driving along in an eery, apocalyptic world with a twist, Avigdor Zahner-Isenber of Avi Buffalo washes up on a beach only to be forced into office drudgery and Ex Hex chooses to rock along to some wacky food obsessions (deviled eggs!)

I did have to insert another song by Christopher Owens, "Nothing More Than Everything To Me." It's a more upbeat tune than "It Comes Back To You," but I do love the video. Owens revisits his youth and the sweet discovery of love. Enjoy it all here or on YouTube.

Late Summer 2014 New Music Playlist

Here’s another collection of music culled from recent releases to help keep the summer vibe going. Check out new songs from indie veterans Spoon, Interpol, The New Pornographers and The Shins along with new bands such as Jungle and The Orwells. Vacationer, Parquet Courts and Ex Hex bring the party atmosphere while Christopher Owens, Stand of Oaks and Tweedy (Jeff Tweedy of Wilco) craft a mellow musical vein. Click to listen here.

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

1. “Can’t Do Without You” – Caribou

Canadian composer/producer Dan Snaith is ready with a sixth studio album since 2005 as Caribou, Our Love. His ready mix of dance beats, weighty bass lines and electronic wizardry is uncontested in this lead single and opening track for the album.

2. “Do You” – Spoon

Spoon returns with its eighth studio album, They Want My Soul, since the indie rock band was formed in Austin in 1993.  The five-piece includes a new member Alex Fischel (keys, guitar) but the gritty vocals of lead singer Brit Daniels still gives the music its edge, as witnessed in "Do You."

3. “Gold Silver Diamond” – Generationals

Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer make up the New Orleans-based indie rock duo Generationals, layering rhythms with stylized pop vocals for a distinctive sound.  "Gold Silver Diamond" is the first single off the fourth studio album since 2009, Alix.  

4. “Paradise Waiting” – Vacationer

Vacationer recently released a sophomore album, Relief, inspired by playing gigs for fans and being together on the road. The band is a collaboration of singer Kenny Vasoli, who imbibes every note with sunny warmth, plus Body Language's Matthew Young and Grand Wheeler. 

5. “Sunbathing Animal” ­– Parquet Courts

The fast-paced punk energy continues with NYC-based band Parquet Courts, back with a third album called Sunbathing Animal.  This searing rock tune is the title track of the new collection.

6. “From Now On” – Delta Spirit

San Diego's five piece indie rock group Delta Spirit delivers a true band aesthetic by writing together and recording everything live for its fourth album, Into the Wide. "From Now On" is the teaser single for the upcoming album. 

7. “Who Needs You” – The Orwells

The Orwells are a young five-piece rock band from the Chicago suburbs, writing about "anywhere USA" with wild exuberance.  "Who Needs You" is a single off the sophomore album called Disgraceland.

8. “The Heat” – Jungle

Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland comprise the London-based duo Jungle, a modern soul musical collective with a self-titled debut album. They expand to a seven-piece live band to bring the groove of songs like "The Heat" to the stage.

9.  “Hot and Cold” – Ex Hex

Power trio Ex Hex hails from Washington, D.C. This female group presents the basics, an "unapologetic Rock and Roll," as found in the single "Hot and Cold" from the upcoming debut album Rips.

10. “Brill Bruisers” – The New Pornographers

"Brill Bruisers" is the title track of eight-piece Canadian indie rock band The New Pornographer's sixth album since 1999. The signature, full-on vocals of the group create an instant celebration of the human spirit with soaring melodies and layered harmonies. 

11. “So What” – Avi Buffalo

Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg took four years to create his second album as Avi Buffalo, At Best Cuckold. The dreamy '60s pop influence saturates the songs again, as evidenced in "So What." 

12. “So Now What” – The Shins

The Shins' feature role in a Zach Braff film (Wish I Was Here) is reprised in "So Now What," gently reminding listeners why the Albuquerque band's indie cred remains intact. The song exists easily on its own merits, and yes, might just change your life.

13. “All the Rage Back Home” – Interpol

"All the Rage Back Home" is the solid opening track for NYC-based Interpol's fifth studio album since 1997, El Pintor. Singer Paul Banks takes over bass from the departing member Carlos Danger, and the group tightly rocks on.

14. “Where I’m From” – Eels

Prolific singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Californian Mark Oliver Everett (a.k.a. E) has released his eleventh full length album for Eels since 1996, The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett. The introspective song "Where I'm From" draws the listener in while softly singing private thoughts. 

15. “Summer Noon” – Tweedy

Jeff Tweedy of Chicago band Wilco began a solo musical project with son Spencer on drums adding creative input to form Tweedy. This song "Summer Moon" finds that familiar world-weary voice over strumming guitar, from the new ablum called Sukierae.

16. “It Comes Back To You” – Christopher Owens

L.A. based musician Christopher Owens (former frontman of indie rock band Girls) has released his second solo album, A New Testament.  "It Comes Back To You" highlights Owens' warm voice and other-worldly artistic vision. 

17. “Woke Up To the Light” – Strand of Oaks

Strand of Oaks is the folk rock outfit by Timothy Showalter based in Philadelphia. The songs for a fourth album, Heal, came together after a horrific car crash where Showalter was forced to reexamine everything --  now contained in every note. 

18. “Pets” – Deadmau5

Deadmau5 is the stage name of Canadian progressive-house music producer Joel Thomas Zimmerman, who just released his seventh album since 2005. The airy instrumental "Pets" is one of 25 tracks (minus the mixes) on this two-disc album, which contains a continuous mix for each disc. 

DID YOU GUESS THREE BANDS?

1. TWEEDY -- FATHER & SON

2. PARQUET COURTS -- BROTHERS

3. THE ORWELLS -- COUSINS & TWIN BROTHERS!!!

Top Ten Releases of 2012 With Video Highlights

This week PopMatters posted The 75 Best Albums of 2012 from compiling top ten lists from staff writers.  I also contributed a write up for Passion Pit's excellent entry, Gossamer (#66). Reviewing this article is another opportunity to discover bands not already on your radar, so I highly recommend taking the time to dive in. 

My personal top ten is listed here with video highlights -- chosen on the basis of how excited I was about the album before it came out (sometimes months before the release date) to how much I visited the songs once it did. Together it represents over seven hours of happy listening. And I must say, 2012 was a fine year for new music!  

1. Grizzly Bear, Shields
The Brooklyn indie band Grizzly Bear built upon the success of their third album in 2009, Veckatimest, with a confident collection in Shields.  Featuring the songwriting skills of Edward Droste and Daniel Rossen as produced by band member Chris Taylor, the songs are varied and rewarding in a multi-layered, thoughtful presentation.

2. The Shins, Port of Morrow

James Mercer returned with a revamped line up for his fourth album as The Shins, after the acclaimed Broken Bells side project with producer Danger Mouse.  For fans waiting five years since 2007's Wincing the Night Away, Port of Morrow continues on that secure path of indie indulgence.  Mercer's warm tenor leads the way, through new subjects of fatherhood and adult responsibilities plucked straight from his domestic life.  

3. Passion Pit, Gossamer
Gossamer was released as the sophomore album from Boston area based group Passion Pit, but it was really the solo project of frontman Michael Angelokos (which is actually how the band began).  Angelokos wrote and produced the songs, with vague references of his own mental strife as he continued a battle with bi-polar disorder.  Yet the music remains as strong as ever, a full frontal indie electropop that reads well on stage as evidenced when Angelokos appeared on SNL earlier in the fall.

4. Beach House, Bloom

Baltimore's dream pop duo Beach House released their fourth album, Bloom, with more gauzy soundscapes.  Victoria LeGrand's expansive yet earthy vocals keep things grounded as a counterpoint to Alex Scally's haunting guitar and the layered synths.

5. Spiritualized, Sweet Heart, Sweet Light

Jason Pierce (a.k.a. Spaceman) released his seventh album as the frontman of U.K. alt rock band Spiritualized, Sweet Heart, Sweet Light.  The songs pour out from Pierce's harrowing experiences with chemotherapy for liver disease, with swells of musical transcendence and uplifting choruses.  (The Huh? on cover art refers to the original working title, in case you're wondering!)

6. The Walkmen, Heaven

The Walkmen released their seventh album over a decade, Heaven, and celebrated time together as a indie rock band plus the years since high school in the Washington, D.C. area.  While the group's early days were spent in New York City, members have moved to Philly and New Orleans as they began another stage into family life. Their devotion to each other is seen and heard in the video for the title track here, with solid songwriting that favors vintage instruments and persistent guitar work. 

7. Vacationer, Gone
New band Vacationer put New York City's synth duo Body Language together with Philadelphia area's Kenny Vasoli, formerly of post punk outfit A Starting Line. (Interview and concert review from last spring here.) The result is a breezy collabo of electronic beats and swatches of lush samples, with Vasoli's laid back but eager vocal delivery finding another fitting musical home.

8. Miike Snow, Happy To You

Miike Snow is a Swedish indie pop band with the producing team Bloodshy & Avant (Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg) and American vocalist Andrew Wyatt.  Their sophomore album, Happy To You, finds the trio flaunting their self-made studio ways, utilizing all the tools to achieve hooks galore.  This video could use some explanation, however!

9. Tame Impala, Lonerism
Australian psych rock quintet Tame Impala, the musical project of Kevin Parker, released their sophomore album Lonerism.  It's full of trippy grooves and explosions of sound, with buried vocals that somehow burst from this busy foundation.

10. Andrew Bird, Break It Yourself
Chicago area native Andrew Bird has released nine plus albums of music as composer and muli-instrumentalist.  Break It Yourself features fourteen complex compositions with Bird on guitar, violin and vocals (including lots of whistling!)

Vacationer Interview and Review @ Webster Hall May 18

People ask me how I learn about new music.  Besides my love of online public radio, I am now on the email distribution lists of record labels and publicity contacts, which I allow to accumulate until there's time to check things out if only for a quick listen.  But there's nothing like a good recommendation from one dedicated music fan to another in the spirit of shared discovery.  Along that vein, my son Jake sent me a link to a snowboarding video last spring noting a particular song on the soundtrack.  He said how the band had "the best sunny day spring album feel to them" -- perfect for the changing of the seasons. 

Luckily the music was tagged so it was easy to track down the group Vacationer and their song "Good As New."  Several songs off their debut release Gone, are getting good pick up and their first headlining show at The Studio at Webster Hall was packed with fans singing along.  We made it a family affair as Jake snapped the pics, Paul captured some videos and I scribbled notes for a write up.  The next week I was able to arrange a quick phoner with frontman Kenny Vasoli (link to PopMatters concert review and interview here). Concert photos and set list below...

Kenny Vasoli 

Vacationer on stage @ The Studio at Webster Hall

With my interview subject

Bass Players Unite!  Jake, Kenny & Paul

Kenny working the merch table...

gotta love that!

And even better, happily signing things for fans!

Vacationer Set List