"ROCK & ROLL" VELVET UNDERGROUND (1970)

“Rock & roll” is one of my all-time favorite Velvet Underground songs. It’s about Lou Reed’s rabid love for music. Something I’ve always identified with. That borderline ridiculous attraction to music—more than film, books or any other creative expression. This was the b-side to “Sweet Jane”, which is a spectacular song in itself. But I think those two songs could’ve easily swapped sides with each other without anyone blinking an eye.

“There was nothin' goin' down at all, not at all. Then one fine morning, she puts on a New York station. You know, she don't believe what she heard at all. She started shaking to that fine, fine music. You know, her life was saved by rock and roll.”

"MURDER TO THE MIND" TASH SULTANA (2018)

A multi-instrumentalist who’s freakishly good at too many things. What can’t Tash Sultana do? Two of her best qualities—singing and guitar playing—are on full display on “Murder to the Mind”. But it’s the melody that shines. It’s infectious. It’s soulful. And it flows effortlessly. Tash delivers a mind-blowing performance of it in both the studio and live. “Murder to the Mind” also has one of my all-time favorite Tash guitar solos, with a little less than a minute to go on the track. It’s sonic and soul building off each other to the very last bar.

“Still wish sometimes in my life where I have to go to extremes. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't see the beautiful world that was in front of you. And I was back and forth forgiveness, but I couldn't forgive myself. And I was screaming out for help.”

"ATLANTIC CITY" BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (1982)

I’m not a huge Springsteen fan, but when I got introduced to Nebraska later in life, i couldn’t stop listening to it. They’re simple, honest portraits of Americana, which are hard to find in musical form these days. And “Atlantic City” is the epitome of it. Here, Springsteen shows us the humanity and vulnerability of a crime boss. It’s beautiful in its rawness, not in its polish. The original demo on a 4-track recorder is the final recording that we hear. With nowhere to hide, all we’re left with is the story and the performance.

“Well they blew up the chicken man in Philly last night. Now they blew up his house too. Down on the boardwalk they’re gettin’ ready for a fight. Gonna see what them racket boys can do.”

"THE NEW" INTERPOL (2002)

Bright Lights is the blueprint for New York post-punk revival. These songs literally rose from the ashes, written two months after 9/11 and released the year after. Every track on the album is a classic by now. And “The New” has always been one of my favorites. There’s more musical dimension and variation in there than in a typical Interpol song. “The New” unfolds like a post-apocalyptic piece of classical music, one movement after another. But it’s still Interpol doing Interpol.

“I wish I could live free. I hope it's not beyond me. Settling down, it takes time. One day we'll live together. And life will be better.”

"I WANNA BE ADORED" THE STONE ROSES (1989)

For a hot minute, this was the greatest band alive. The Stone Roses never regained form after recording one of the strongest albums ever, but they deserve a ton of credit for inspiring a new musical era and helping to birth the Manchester scene. “I Wanna Be Adored” will forever be The Stone Roses’ anthem. It’s their entry into the rock world and perhaps it’s also a glimpse into what ultimately caused their demise. On every part of this track, there was an attitude that we haven’t heard before: Ian Brown’s insistent vocals, John Squire’s wailing guitar, Reni’s barrage of drums and that killer bass line from Mani that made bass guitar cool once again.

“I don't need to sell my soul. He's already in me.”

"TRANSCONTINENTAL, 1:30AM" VIENNA TENG (2006)

The best songs are the ones that invite us to be a part of their story. The great ones make us feel like we’ve transported to another place. I wonder if Vienna may have written “Transcontinental, 1:30AM” to be about a long-distance relationship and trying to make it work. But every single time I play it, without fail, I’m brought to a quiet and empty airport terminal in the middle of the night.

“I know we're transcontinental, 1:30 a.m. And there's not even a wire. Just a whispering in air. I know we're transcontinental, 1:30 a.m. But I'm here.”

"UNDER PRESSURE" QUEEN WITH DAVID BOWIE (1982)

Once in a while, a song of epic proportions comes along. And when we hear it, we know we won’t come across anything else this good again for quite a while. “Under Pressure” is one of those songs. In most collaborations, inevitably one artist’s form or style will dominate the other. What makes “Under Pressure” a rarity is that it’s 100% Queen and 100% Bowie at the same time. It’s two divergent classic rock powerhouses going back and forth, without stepping on each other’s toes. Flawlessly composed, performed and produced.

“Because love’s such an old-fashioned word. And love dares you to care for the people on the edge of the night. And love dares you to change our way of caring about ourselves. This is our last dance. This is ourselves under pressure.”

"CONCERNING THE UFO SIGHTING NEAR HIGHLAND, ILLINOIS" SUFJAN STEVENS (2005)

Google says there was an actual UFO sighting in Highland five years before this song was released. Whether you believe that or not, “Concerning the UFO” is probably Sufjan Stevens at the height of his state project. One of the most imaginative vignettes on the Illinois album, there’s a quiet wonder to every musical layer—vocals, piano, flute, recorder. If you play the song outside at night, the music might be enough to help you imagine what the sighting could’ve looked like if it actually happened.

“Then to Lebanon, oh, God! The flashing at night, the sirens grow and grow (Oh history involved itself). Mysterious shade that took its form (or what it was!). Incarnation, three stars. Delivering signs and dusting from their eyes.”

"THE BATTLE OF EVERMORE" LED ZEPPELIN (1971)

It’s the hard, fast stuff from Zeppelin that I love the most. But I always admired how the band slowed it down with craft for this third track on IV, sandwiched between the monster hits. “The Battle of Evermore” proved that they could excel without Page’s riffs. Without Bonzo’s thunderous beats. Without Plant’s signature howl. It’s like they took away their best elements to see what they could still come up with. “Evermore” would easily be the best song for many other bands. Even on an album packed with epic hard rock anthems, “The Battle of Evermore” was still too hard to overlook. Too hard to skip—on cassette, LP, CD, or however your ears took it in.

“Waiting for the eastern glow. The apples of the valley hold. The seas of happiness. The ground is rich from tender care. Repay, do not forget, no, no. Oh, dance in the dark of night. Sing to the morning light.”

"BUT NOT TONIGHT" DEPECHE MODE (1986)

These last few years, I’ve noticed that Depeche Mode has been performing a stripped down version of this song on tour with Martin Gore on vocals. But I think I’ll always love the original recording with Dave Gahan. This is the Depeche Mode that the true fans loved before the bandwagon joined in when Music for the Masses and Violator were released. “But Not Tonight” wasn’t a hit. It wasn’t a single. It was a lowly b-side. But it was an anthem for the era And as a former new wave kid, I believe it was one of their best.

“Just for a day. On a day like today. I'll get away from this constant debauchery.”

"TIME HAS TOLD ME" NICK DRAKE (1969)

This is a timeless one. I’m not sure why Nick Drake’s music was never fully appreciated when he was alive. But I’m glad these recordings made their way to the world in the era of streaming. Nick was an old soul. He was 21 years old when he was penning songs like “Time Has Told Me”. But this song sounds like something someone twice his age would write. It has aged beautifully. Same goes for his entire catalog. As brief and prolific as it was.

“So I'll leave the ways that are making me be what I really don't want to be. Leave the ways that are making me love what I really don't want to love.”

"HURT" JOHNNY CASH (2002)

All due respect to Nine Inch Nails. Because Trent Reznor has certainly accomplished his fair share and did it his way. But Cash elevated “Hurt” into the stratosphere. So powerful. So gripping. So haunting. Recorded the year before he died, this was like Cash’s swan song. He did something I’ve never heard before in a cover. He took “Hurt” and gave it new meaning without changing the lyrics. Hats off to Cash for recording one of his crowning achievements toward the end of his life.

“What have I become, my sweetest friend? Everyone I know goes away in the end.”

"TIMES" NOMADIC MASSIVE (2019)

Both George Floyd’s death and the ensuing violent protests show us that there’s too much “us vs them” and not enough unity. Not enough understanding. Not enough love. We can all benefit from looking at systems and structures that bring people together, rather than cause more division. Sometimes it happens in the simple act of making music. That’s the one thing I admire most about Nomadic Massive. Its intentionality in bringing together different races and cultures, because music gets richer when we’re more inclusive. “Times” is a sharp commentary on the now—not from one, but from many voices.

“Brains wired to liars. Dreams to be hired. Now their past is now expired hashtag TPS. And wanna rest to avoid this madness. Cuz this world seems to be lost without a GPS. Which road to follow. Times we do borrow. And spit like arrows and change what’s tomorrow.”

"ATMOSPHERE" JOY DIVISION (1980)

It’s the short-lived years of Joy Division that has given me a long-lasting infatuation with “Atmosphere”. With the majority of the band’s catalog firmly bathed in raw sound and emotion, the delicate departure of “Atmosphere” felt like the beginnings of a Joy Division that never had a chance to blossom. Instead, we’re left with one of the band’s most brilliantly produced tracks. It somehow sounds like Ian Curtis’ suicide note and a posthumous imparting of wisdom, all in the same breath.

“Abandoned too soon. Set down with due care. Don't walk away in silence. Don't walk away.”

"ROMA FADE" ANDREW BIRD (2016)

One of the smartest, most talented and prolific songwriters in the business is still cranking it out. A few years ago, I heard Are You Serious and was totally taken aback by Track 2. “Roma Fade” has a faster, more intense tempo than what we’re typically used to with Andrew Bird. The pairing of ingenious songwriting creativity and go-to Bird instrumentation like strings and whistling is ridiculously infectious. But it gets even better live. I’ve had the opportunity to hear Bird perform “Roma Fade” twice, and can say that the live elements are even more impressive than the studio recording.

“And if she sees you, it changes you. Rearranges your molecules. And if you see her, it changes her. She’ll be seeing you after school. Here’s where gentlemen avert their eyes. Maybe she’s a gentlemen in disguise.”

"SHOPLIFTERS OF THE WORLD UNITE" THE SMITHS (1987)

Searing riffs from Marr. Searing vocals from Morrissey. It’s a formula that served The Smiths well. It’s a formula that might not be more obvious than on this single. From the first day I heard “Shoplifters”, I remember loving two things: the song title and Johnny Marr’s guitar brilliance from beginning to end. It’s still the same two things that grab me listening to it 30 years later.

“Learn to love me and assemble the ways. Now, today, tomorrow, and always. My only weakness is a listed crime. But last night the plans of a future war was all I saw on Channel Four.”

"HUNGER" FLORENCE + THE MACHINE (2018)

Still rocking. Still doing it her way. But “Hunger” feels like a milestone. A checkpoint in Florence’s evolution as an artist. This is still distinctly Florence. Symbolic lyrics leave you deciding to interpret the song literally or figuratively. And you wouldn’t be wrong either way. But now here’s a Florence that pits downward despair with upbeat musicality. Reminds me of that little trick Morrissey has made a career out of.

“Oh, you and all your vibrant youth. How could anything bad ever happen to you? You make a fool of death with your beauty, and for a moment I forget to worry.”

"BRAVADO" RUSH (1991)

You either love them or hate them. Either way, you have to respect them. Outsiders appreciate what each member of the trio brought to the musicality that is Rush. They were all masters in their own right. But the diehard fans appreciated the bond that these three men shared for 50 years. They were the anti-rock heroes. Unpretentious, slightly awkward, yet laid back guys who never mailed it in. I picked “Bravado” because, to me, it represents the mentality of Rush. When Neil Peart died unexpectedly, this was the first song i thought of. Not “YYZ”. Not “Spirit of Radio”. "Not “Closer to the Heart”. “Bravado” is like Rush’s manifesto for how to approach music and life.

“If we burn our wings, flying too close to the sun. If the moment of glory is over before it's begun. If the dream is won, though everything is lost. We will pay the price. But we will not count the cost.”

"FORGIVE THEM FATHER" LAURYN HILL (1998)

What did you feel when you first heard this album? What did it make you think? How did it confirm or change what you believe? Chances are, it did something for you. I think Miseducation is one of the best concept albums ever recorded from beginning to end. It’s hard to pick just one song for my jukebox, but “Forgive Them Father” always struck me as going a level deeper. It’s Lauryn Hill trying to reconcile faith through her imperfections. It’s a peek behind the curtain of her soul. It’s the kind of song that leaves us wanting more solo stuff from Ms. Lauryn Hill. But we simply wait.

“Forgive us our trespasses. As we forgive those that trespass against us. Although them again we will never never never trust.”

"SO FLUTE" ST. GERMAIN (2000)

Outside of the orchestra woodwind section, you have to go way back to find anything that uses the flute as memorably as “So Flute”. Like Jethro Tull / Genesis / Peter Gabriel-way back. Hearing this track 20 years after it was recorded, I’m amazed at how well it holds up.

The best compliment I can give “So Flute” is that it feels like it could’ve been recorded this year. That’s how timeless it is. Back in 2000, St. Germain made people who have no business liking flutes actually like flutes. Myself included.