Newer Music:
Rhye : Home
As we approach Valentine’s Day this weekend, I contemplated what recently released music was
most appropriate as a mood-setter for celebrations of healthy relationships (read into that what you
will). The obvious answer was the smooth R&B of Rhye and their recently released record Home.
Rhye arrived out of nowhere in 2013 with the release of a pair of brilliant singles featuring sweet
falsetto vocals. Who was this mysterious artist making the claim to be the heir apparent to the legacy
of Sade? A white Canadian guy named Mike Milosh! Milosh put out some underrated albums in the
00s in his own name, but his career has taken off with this Rhye project. Home is the fourth Rhye
record and the entire discography makes for a good Valentine’s Weekend soundtrack.
Standout Tracks: Come Closer; Beautiful; Black Rain; Helpless; Need A Lover
Dinner Party : Dinner Party
We will also be commemorating President’s Day this weekend, so in celebration of the Father of our
Country George Washington, I decided to highlight my favorite music project by American jazz
saxophonist and band leader Kamasi Washington. Last year, Washington joined up with fellow jazz
and hip hop artists Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin, and 9th Wonder to form the supergroup Dinner
Party. They released their first EP Dinner Party last July and it has flown surprisingly under the radar
as far as I can tell. The single Freeze Tag was one of my favorite singles from last year.
Standout Tracks: Freeze Tag; Sleepless Nights; Love You Bad; From My Heart and My Soul; LUV U
Throwback Selections of The Week:
The xx : I See You
Back to the Valentine’s Day theme, another group that came to mind was the London-based trio The
xx. One of the very best bands of the past decade or so, The xx have also been one of the most
influential to the indie music scene generally. The dual male-female vocals of Romy Madley Croft
and Oliver Sim in songs like I Dare You and Say Something Loving combined with the production
and sampling genius of Jamie XX result in premium indie pop brilliance.
Standout Tracks: On Hold; I Dare You; Say Something Loving; Replica; Lips
Janet Jackson : Janet
For popular music fans of a certain age, Janet Jackson likely played a more than insignificant role in their
journey of self-discovery during the teenage years and/or college years. Her output in the 80s and 90s
deserves similar praise to fellow generational pop music talents such as Prince and her brother Michael.
This 1993 album Janet is a great all-around listen, but there are a few highlight slower tracks likely to
successfully set a romantic mood.
Standout Tracks: That’s The Way Love Goes; Again; Any Time, Any Place; If; Where Are You Now
Depeche Mode : Catching Up With Depeche Mode
For a final Valentine’s Day themed record, I highlight this fantastic 1985 singles compilation from
iconic 80s New Wave giants Depeche Mode. Early classics Dreaming of Me and Just Can’t Get
Enough helped usher in the New Wave era, but my favorite song is the love ballad Somebody. I hear
this song and am immediately transported back to memories of slow songs at junior high school
dances. Who doesn’t wax just a bit nostalgic for those days? The oppressive heat in the room, the
smell of sweat and hormones, the awkwardness and insecurity, false bravado, pain of rejection, and
exhilaration of acceptance—sounds a bit like a typical, non-covid legislative session up at the Capitol
(may those days return close to normal in 2022!). Seriously, though, Somebody has to be the
greatest junior high school slow dance song ever.
Standout Tracks: Somebody; Dreaming of Me; Just Can’t Get Enough; Master and Servant; Shake The
Disease
Aaron Copland : A Lincoln Portrait
Any proper celebration of President’s Day includes, of course, a healthy appreciation of the life of
Abraham Lincoln. Famed American composer Aaron Copland was commissioned to write an
orchestral work about an “eminent American” and he chose Abraham Lincoln. The work includes a
section for a narrator to quote from famous Lincoln speeches and writings. This narration has been
performed by dozens of famous Americans over the years, including Neil Armstrong, Charlton
Heston, James Earl Jones, and Barack Obama.
More Related Music You Should Also Check Out: Prince : Purple Rain; Norah Jones : Come Away With
Me; The Cure : Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me; Milosh : Meme