“Louisville is for Lovers,” declares the popular CD series. Make Valentine’s Day—or any day—a bit more romantic with some songs from what I like to call the Official Louisville.com Valentine’s Day ’10 Mixtape. Enjoy. 

(Unless otherwise noted, all songs are available on iTunes.)

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Troubadours of Divine Bliss, “Dance Me to the End of Love.” On this Leonard Cohen cover, the coffeehouse duo from Bardstown & Longest takes away the gravel and replaces it with ethereal vocals and, of course, a burning violin. (troubadoursofdivinebliss.com)

Luna Blu, “Clumsy.” “I’m the queen of my realm,” Luna Blu frontwoman Nan Mosinski sings. So why does she fall to pieces around the object of her affection? This is teen angst turned on its head and reinvented for the Gen X set—smart, upbeat and evocative all at the same time. 

Tim Krekel, “Angel’s Share.” As bourbon aficionados know, the “angels’ share” is the aromatic byproduct of evaporating whiskey aging in oak barrels—and it’s also a lovely track that’s the musical version of intoxication. Thank you, Tim. 

Dawn Landes, “Kissing Song.” Louisville native Landes sings about a kissing couple not hearing the tumult around them—screaming outside, wind against the windows, an incessantly ringing phone—and captures the world lovers create for themselves. 

The Swell Season, “Into the Mystic.” Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova from “Once” may have split romantically, but they still work great together musically, as shown in this next-generation version in the spirit of Hansard’s countryman, Van Morrison. 

Mary Feiock and Bonnie Prince Billy, “There’s Something About What Happens When We Talk.” Conversation, cerebral attraction, regret: This Lucinda Williams tune takes on new life as a duet featuring the Highlands’ own Will Oldham. (louisvilleisforlovers.com)

Mazzy Star, “Fade into You.” This college radio staple has the feeling of a late night blurred into morning, tied in with the realization that everything that happened the night before makes perfect sense and couldn’t be more right. 

Bruce Springsteen, “If I Should Fall Behind.” It’s easy to walk together, but what happens when the sidewalk ends? The Boss offers simple instructions for staying the course through the uncharted territory that is life. 

You may also enjoy: ‘True Blood’ musicians return to Louisville for free live performance Tuesday, February 9

Photo: Flickr/Mykl Roventine

Contact the author at leecopywriting@gmail.com or www.leecopywriting.com.