Carly Rae Jepsen — Stadium Love
Kendall Todd
Carly Rae Jepsen released new music. I repeat: CRJ released new music!!! Long-time followers of Instant Replay know how big of a deal this is for me. “The Loveliest Time,” a companion to her previous album “The Loneliest Time,” is wall-to-wall bangers, some of which push her sound in new directions . . . and some of which are so classic Carly that listening to them launches me right back to 2015. “Stadium Love,” a good old-fashioned, fun, bouncy pop anthem, is one of the latter.
Paquito D'Rivera — Tico-Tico no fubá
Katie Ladrigan
I enjoy just about any piece that makes me want to tap my toes — well, this one is a whole-body experience, AND makes me smile every time I hear it. There are many versions out there (including this absolutely incredible duet arrangement, played on ONE guitar) but Paquito D'Rivera's is my go-to jam!
Eric Coates — Sweet Seventeen
Laura Carlo
Summer is for carefree, roll-down-the-windows, or even roll-down-the-top drives, right? OK . . . maybe not this wacko summer, but at least there's music that can take us there! I've been enjoying the lighthearted music of British composer Eric Coates, in a newly issued album, "Eric Coates: Orchestral Works, Volume 3." John Wilson conducts the BBC Philharmonic. It doesn't matter his subjects — "The Three Queen Elizabeths," "Sweet Seventeen," a waltz written to describe his first date with the woman who eventually became his wife, or even the autobiographical "Three Men Suite" — Coates' style is very British, and very happy-go-lucky. Would you want a steady diet? No. Is it perfect for summer? Yes.
Isobel Waller-Bridge, David Schweitzer — Emma Suite
Edyn-Mae Stevenson
Emma (2020) is one of my absolute favorite comfort movies. At the risk of offending more than a few Jane Austen fans, I’ll say that I honestly think it’s the most perfect Jane Austen adaptation to ever exist. I always end up listening to this suite for a few days after every rewatch, just to keep the magic going.
Steve Reich — Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices, and Organ
William Peacock
There is something so magnetic to me about Steve Reich’s music — I can’t get enough of it. Its combination of propulsive rhythmic drive and crystalline harmony is unmatched to my ear when it comes to minimalism. As an avid Reich fan, I thought I had heard it all, to tell you the truth — enter Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices, and Organ. My roommate introduced me to the piece a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve had a hard time listening to anything else since.
John Williams, Boston Pops Orchestra — E.T.: Flying Theme
Greg Ferrisi
While I couldn't make the trip out to Tanglewood to catch John Williams' Film Night, I have been enjoying the show non-stop on demand. (You can listen on demand, too, here.)
I can't imagine the traffic getting into the show that night, but the magic of the evening is palpable even through the car speakers. And the laptop speakers. And the headphones while loading the dishwasher. Pure, sudsy magic.
Linda Perhac — Morning Colors
Julia Marcus
Kendall Todd said it best in last week's edition of The Note: "These last few short weeks before autumn are some of my favorites of the year, golden and slow, but full of anticipation for a new season." This lazy, hazy time of year always feels so romantic! And yet, it also inspires a small streak of anxiety within me about what's to come. This concoction of bittersweet emotions is perfectly captured in Linda Perhac's song Morning Colors.
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Listen to this month's playlist, and find the full, cumulative playlists here.