A Soundtrack for Every Valentine

By Erin Jean Hussey

An eclectic mix of indie, pop, punk and folk for every Valentine occasion. Dave Grohl once said, “That’s one of the great things about music. You can sing a song to 85000 people and they’ll sing it back for 85000 different reasons.” A simple recognition of how music provides the soundtrack for life’s most intimate moments. No matter what the occasion or emotion, there’s nothing more stressful than curating the perfect playlist. Do you compile an artful selection of sounds or succumb to an assortment of relatable lyrics that only a careful listener would pick up? For this hallmark holiday, I did a little of both, leaning towards the latter for the sake of nostalgia. Check out some 88.9fm favorites, as well as my personal recommendations! Enjoy and celebrate all the forms of love in your lives today, not just the romance.

Even Pessimists Fall in Love

Do I believe in romance? No. Am I obsessed with it? Absolutely.

1. Do You Love Someone by Grouplove
2. Color Rush by FARRO
3. Malibu Yurt by Charles Brand
4. Emotions and Math by Margaret Glaspy
5. It’s Strange by Louis The Child ft. K-Flay
6. I Would Hate You If I Could by Turnover
7. Shut Up Kiss Me by Angel Olsen
8. Somebody Else by The 1975
9. Sweet Resistance by Transit
10. Pedestrian at Best by Courtney Barnett
11. My Head Hurts by WAVVES

Catch Me If You Can

How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you, or chase you.

1. Back to Black by Amy Winehouse
2. Don’t Mean Jack by The Aquadolls
3. Someone New by Hozier
4. Hang with Me by Robyn
5. Raising the Skate by Speedy Ortiz
6. She Way Out by The 1975
7. Hands to Myself by Selena Gomez
8. Oh No! By Marina and the Diamonds
9. Loudspeaker by MUNA
10. Perfect by One Direction
11. Cry Baby by The Neighbourhood

Red Wine

Slow dancing on a balcony in a foreign country, draped in silk and drinking fine wine with your lover.

1. Real Love by Father John Misty
2. I Wanna Prove to You by The Lemon Twigs
3. K by Cigarettes and Sex
4. Rock and Roll Romance by Frank Turner
5. Mollena by James Hunter
6. Blue Moon by Billie Holiday
7. If I Fell by The Beatles
8. Like Real People Do by Hozier
9. I Don’t Know Enough About You by Peggy Lee
10. Leon’s Lullaby by LEON
11. These Arms of Mine by Otis Redding

When We Were 18

Young love or young lust? You decide.

1. Turn up by SWMRS
2. VCR by The xx
3. Summer Shandy by The Front Bottoms
4. Freaking Me Out by The Frights
5. Coffee Talk by Broadside
6. ILYSB by LANY
7. Crazy For You by Best Coast
8. I Wanna Dance (But I Don’t Know How) by SKATERS
9. (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You Too by Weezer
10. Beast of Burden by The Rolling Stones
11. Stuck In My Head by Oh Deer Lord