Viva Latina: "Álvaro Soler" Álvaro Soler, Morat

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For this month’s blog post, I decided to do a whole playlist dedicated to my favorite Álvaro Soler songs.

This hottie is a favorite in my classroom not only for his good looks but also for his catchy, singable songs that always have a winning chorus. You just feel good listening to his songs and want to dance and sing.

“El mismo sol” and “Sofía” are big time hits from his first album Eterno agosto, but I’m really digging the instrumentation and soul in his new Mar de colores album.

I love how he takes inspiration from his varied background and travels. He is of Spanish-German descent and lived for 7 years in Japan. This is apparent in the video for his newest single, “Loca.”

He embraces his heritage and is multilingual: he speaks Catalán, Spanish, German, English, Italian, and Japanese.

Álvaro Soler is indeed a mar of colores.

- Elaine

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Monday Mix 190225: Michael Jackson, Kool & The Gang, A Taste Of Honey, Donna Summer, Stevie Wonder

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The first four tracks here are easy to underestimate as simply part of the popular disco canon of the late 1970s, overplayed to the point you can't even hear them anymore. I encourage you to try to re-hear these with fresh ears.

It's so easy to forget how good Michael Jackson's hit songs are, or, at least, to take them for granted. Recently, I somehow heard "Off the Wall" as if for the first time, and it blew me away all over again. Some spooky undertones, while the chorus is such simple joy. A treat to listen to.

From the bass drop opening, I love "Ladies Night," and especially this version, because of the breakdown at 5:11. As a staple of rom-com montages of women having a good time, it can, again, be easy to take for granted how groovy this song is.

Listen to the thumping drum beat in "Bad Girls" from 1979, and remember the big club kick drum sounds we're used to now didn't exist in a popular way at the time. (The 808 came out in 1980, and the 909 (a cornerstone of the techno movement of the '90s) didn't come out until 1983. This track is a stomper.

As a sort of counterbalance to the first four tracks, I've capped off the list with "As." As groovy as the rest of the list, and what it might lack in four-on-the-floor, it makes up with in epicness.

- Matt

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hooked.evd/LostInJapan: Shawn Mendes, Jamiroquai, Madonna, Daft Punk, Alanis Morissette, James Taylor Quartet

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I can't get Shawn Mendes' "Lost in Japan" out of my head. It's fun, catchy, and reminiscent of better weather.

This playlist is meant to transport you to sunnier times with less shoveling.

- Erin

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Monday Mix 190218: Tears For Fears, Duran Duran, New Order, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Sting

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The music of 1993 ends up holding a hefty amount of nostalgia-vibes for me.

I've been wanting to do a list with "Break It Down Again" for a while. It always snaps me back into 1993. Recently, I heard "Fields Of Gold" on the radio and I knew I had to make a list with those two songs.

I realized that both those bands were also successful a decade earlier (Sting with The Police), in a loosely-defined "Popular New Wave" scene. It made me wonder what other bands of that ilk had hits in 1993.

An uncanny thing that happened in this field in 1993 was PSB and NO BOTH putting out songs called "Young Offender" with no relation to each other, as far as I know. I also added a remix of the PSB song, though I think it should be attributed to JAM and Spoon, not JAN and Spoon.

- Matt

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dolphinbright, "Rock Love" with Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Runaways, Cayucas, Durand Jones & The Indications, Lee Fields & The Expressions, The Bees, Bobby Caldwell

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Happy Valentine's Day, people of the world!

For February's playlist I sought out songs that have an older rock & roll sound and lyrics that are ostensibly about "love" but are actually completely incomprehensible.

Off the bat we have Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Hong Kong Garden" that is mostly a nonsensical song but oh so much fun. I'm considering making the track my alarm.

The Runaways' "Lovers" is my favorite track on this playlist. It captures the intensity of loud, guitar-driven rock. Each time I listen to the track I hear more vulnerability and honesty in the shifting melodies that stands out against the rawness of the guitar riffs.

"Dancing in the Blue Lagoon" makes me want to jump on a plane to Cozumel but also to a casino to find love but also not because there might be snakes but you might find love but also casinos and gambling in general gross me out.

The next two tracks -- "Is it any wonder?" and "Never be another you" -- are the most coherent of the tracks. Motown fans will love Durand Jones & The Indications new take on rhythms and themes of 1960 jazz/R&B hits. Be sure to then compare the vocals and melodies to a true stalwart of the era, Lee Fields.

We bring back the nonsense with The Bees' "I love you". I have no idea what they mean by " You're charming in my thoughts/ With the magic that you brought" but I like it -- BIG MOOD.

We end the playlist with a magical collaboration between Bobby Caldwell (yes, that Bobby Caldwell) and my beau Mayer Hawthorne (full disclosure Mayer Hawthorne and I are not currently nor have we ever been in a relationship). These two powerhouse vocalists produced my favorite track on the "Cool Uncle" album -- a 2015 collaboration between Bobby Caldwell and Jack Splash. There's a fullness to this track that I find extremely alluring and I hope you do too.

So for this Valentine's day, relax into some love and some nonsense.

- Leslie

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Monday Mix 190211: Dean Lewis, The Streets, Passenger, U2, Leona Lewis, Alicia Keys, Halsey

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In which I succumb to the doldrums of winter.

This list was inspired by the Dean Lewis song, "Be Alright." For the first several listens, I thought this was Ed Sheeran. And it strongly reminded of this Passenger song from a few years back. Neither of these songs is my ordinary style, but both of these have hooked me.

I broke them up with "Dry Your Eyes" from the remarkably decent concept album A Grand Don't Come For Free.

To put an end to the wallowing, I put together a woman's perspective on the torment of heartbreak. Again, not my ordinary arena, but "Bleeding Love" and "No One" connect with me.

Capped it off with Halsey, because I'm into Halsey rn.

- Matt

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Top Tunes 1812-1901 / Viva Latina Takeover: Casper Magico, DJ Snake, Nicky Jam, Ozuna, Anuel Aa, Bad Bunny, Luis Fonsi

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Elaine (Viva Latina) and Leslie (dolphinbright) take over the Top Tunes this month with hits from Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart.

- Matt

#1 TE BOTÉ / Casper Magico

Elaine - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Turn it up" That beginning scares me at first but I’m a HUGE Ozuna fan and he gets it rocking it right away. Lot of great artists here who are killing it. Slow beginning but a faster reggaetón beat comes in hot pretty quickly. I’m a little bored by Bad Bunny on this one though.

Leslie - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Turn it up" There's something about a monotone mumbler over a strong bass that really gets me dancing.

#2 TAKI TAKI / DJ Snake

Elaine - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Turn it up" I’m so excited to be hearing so much Spanish language/English fusion music on the radio lately and this one is no exception. Again, Ozuna hits it out of the park with his verse and makes me definitely want to RUMBA. Not feeling Cardi B’s part on this one though.

Leslie - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" The first 20 times I heard this track, I found it extremely annoying. But it's grown on me. I like Cardi B and Selena Gomez on the track, but I would have prefered if there was just one of them. Actually, would have been better with just Selena, imo.

#3 X / Nicky Jam

Elaine - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" This track has grown on me. I am still pretty bothered by the instrumentation at the beginning and in the chorus. It just sticks in my ear and is too high pitched. I love me some Nicky Jam as well but this isn’t his best performance. Also it is all about player status which is off putting to me as well. I would leave it on just because of my Nicky Jam love.

Leslie - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Turn it up" I'm a big fan of this very tight track from Nicky Jam and J Balvin. Many of you remember J Balvin from the 2017 hit "Safari" with Pharrell. While "X" doesn't have the same energy of "Safari" it comes close.

#4 VAINA LOCA / Ozuna

Elaine - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Turn it up" This would be my jam but there are other Ozuna songs that I love more like Síguelo bailando. I love the video to this song and love the promotion of LGBTQ love. As a Spanish teacher, this song is a gem: upbeat, dancy, catchy chorus, and great video that allows me and students to use lots of language to address the social/cultural aspects of the song.

Leslie - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Turn it up" The Puerto Rican superstar Ozuna teams up with Manuel Turizo to put forth a really jamming love song!

#5 ELLA QUIERE BEBER / Anuel Aa

Elaine - ⭐️ "Turn it off" This song is close to the top of the charts so I know that this won’t be a popular opinion, but I’m not into Anuel Aa’s music. It is formulaic and the lyrics are idiotic. The reggaetón beat is not inventive and the last word is grrrr? LOL umm no.

Leslie - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "My jam" "Do you like Romeo Santos? ... I've got two ears and a heart, don't I?" Anything Romeo Santos touches turns to gold. I love his contribution to this remix. I've had this track on repeat for the past two months. I liked the original version a lot, but Romeo's opening really sets the correct (ROMANTIC) tone for the whole song. Should be on everyone's Valentine's Day playlist.

#6 MÍA / Bad Bunny

Elaine - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "My jam" HOT CHORUS. This one is popular on the charts and while Drake doesn’t have the best pronunciation, I appreciate and enjoy his contribution to this track. Bad Bunny has been producing hit after hit but this one is special to me as it again brings latin music to the forefront of not only the latin charts but the US charts too.

Leslie - ⭐️ "Turn it off" I can't stand Drake singing in Spanish. Then again, I haven't liked anything Drake has done (in any language) since 2015.

#7 SOLO DE MI / Bad Bunny

Elaine - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" Bad Bunny dropped his new solo album at the beginning of this year and I hate to say it but I’m just not into most of his solo stuff. While his use of the reggaetón beat mixed with trap and dance hall is much more inventive than most of the top tunes, his voice doesn’t have depth and doesn’t provide me with a lyric that I want to repeat nor a chorus that gets stuck in my head.

Leslie - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" This track is fine. There's something missing though... maybe Selena or Romeo.

#8 DESPACITO / Luis Fonsi

Elaine - ⭐️ "Turn it off" Despacito had its moment but it’s over. Again, I appreciate the airplay that Spanish language tracks and fusions are getting on the radio but this one is getting tired. I think Daddy Yankee rocks his verse “Sabes que tu corazón conmigo te hace bom, bom” but overall not too much to hold onto here. Also, my students want to hear it constantly and I can’t have them singing these lyrics. LOL

Leslie - ⭐️ "Turn it off" I really can't believe that this song is still this popular. News flash: it isn't 2017 anymore. I loved it in 2017 and most of 2018, but now I'm just very, very over it.

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Run With It 0218: DJ Snake, Taylor Swift, The Chainsmokers, benny blanco, Dua Lipa, Little Mix, Bad Bunny, Willow

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Hey, welcome to my new monthly feature Run With It.

Each month I'll be posting running playlists, and for those of you who enjoy a shorter run, you can literally run with this playlist.

For those of you who enjoy longer run, you can use this as a playlist to build off of and "run with" this idea.

This month features a few of my favorites from the charts recently.

Happy running!

- Erin

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Monday Mix 190204: Franz Ferdinand, Morningwood, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Sounds, Caesers, Le Tigre, Supergrass

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Let's just have some fun with some throwback dance rock, OK?

As a Daft Punk fan, I was originally underwhelmed by this treatment of "Take Me Out," but now I respect its edge and balance.

- Matt

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