Marko Topchii — Augustin Barrios Mangore: Un sueno in la floresta
Laura Carlo
Summer has barely begun and I'm already over the heat waves. Music to the rescue!
Naxos has issued a wonderful solo guitar CD with the 2023 winner of the Guitar Foundation of America Competition, Marko Topchii. In fact, Topchii has won 55 international guitar competitions. This CD may be just the thing that will get him recognized in the performing world. It has a nice blend of old and new music, from Elizabethan England's John Dowland to a contemporary work about Kharkiv, Ukraine. And I was thrilled to see a piece by Angelo Gilardino included. I had heard a conservatory student-guitarist play Gilardino's Study on Virtuosity and Transcendence a few years ago in London but couldn't find a recording of it there. Also my favorite piece by Augustin Barrios Mangore, Un sueno in la floresta, has been on "repeat" of late! Topchii plays all the tracks with thought, precision, and affection.
Chappell Roan — Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl
Kendall Todd
In: fun, melody-driven, singable, danceable pop music. Out: all these hyper mega bummer boys! like! you! It’s a Chappell Roan summer for me and her 25 million-and-counting other monthly Spotify listeners. This song’s been stuck in my head lately -- pop is back, and it’s never sounded so good.
Ornella Vanoni — L'appuntamento
Katie Ladrigan
I first heard this in the second of that crime-caper movie trilogy about Danny Ocean and his crew of lovable schemers and dreamers, Oceans 12. It fit the breezy nature of the film very well, and has since become one of my go-to's for dinner party playlists and sunny beach hangouts. Not bad for a summer road trip or lazy Esplanade cycle, either — grab a cold drink, kick back in the sunshine, and have a listen.
Lesley Gore – Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows
Greg Ferrisi
What’s with my kids? All they want to do is spend the summer lounging around. And they’re not even in the sleep-the-day-away teen years, yet. So I’ve been pumping this “so happy it hurts” jam to get them (and me) in the summer spirit. Give it a whirl, the next time you (or the kids) need a summer pick-me-up.
Paris Paloma — my mind (now)
Edyn-Mae Stevenson
My favorite so far from Paris Paloma’s forthcoming debut album. I wasn’t a fan of this one on the first listen, but true to its name, it stayed stuck in “my mind” for days afterwards. Now I can’t get enough. The line, “I was strawberry picking, you were gathering ammunition,” paints such a clever picture. I can’t wait to see what Paloma is going to do next!
Labi Siffre — 'Till Forever
Julia Marcus
Happy Pride Month! Here's a short and sweet one that I've seriously been listening to non-stop. Labi Siffre spent his career breaking boundaries as a black, openly gay folk singer, so much so that he's considered a key figure in British pop history. In 75-seconds, "'Till Forever" paints a heart-melting picture of domestic bliss.
Hayley Thompson-King — Old Flames (Can't Hold a Candle to You)
Emily Marvosh
For some reason (maybe the flaming hot weather!) this old tune has been rattling around in my head day and night lately. It's by Pebe Sebert and Hugh Moffatt but has been performed by lots of great artists since its 1978 release, notably Dolly Parton. I love this cover by Hayley Thompson-King, which honors the great wordplay and '70s vibe of the original.
Sam Hart — Mario Kart Love Song
Jamie Kmak
This song has been living rent-free in my head for the past few weeks. It’s very sweet, though I’m convinced this guy has never actually played Mario Kart before in his life. No one’s this nice when playing Mario Kart. It’s everyone for themselves when that blue shell shows up.
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Enjoy this month's Instant Replay below, and listen to the full playlist here.