"EVERYDAY IS LIKE HALLOWEEN" MINISTRY (1984)

“Everyday is Like Halloween” is no “Ghostbusters” or “Thriller”. But like its title suggests, in some ways it became a more listenable track beyond October 31st. In high school and college, I caught small glimpses of the industrial rock scene. Ministry always seemed to be an anomaly because of its synth-pop roots. Its songs were just more melodic than the typical industrial, percussion-driven noise. And “Halloween” was industrial rock at its most accessible.

“Well I let their teeny minds think that they're dealing with someone who is over the brink. And I dress this way just to keep them at bay 'cause Halloween is everyday.”

"TWO WEEKS" GRIZZLY BEAR (2009)

Previously I’ve written about the striking connection between The Beach Boys and Animal Collective. But Grizzly Bear has its own fair share of resemblance to the 60’s psychedelic surf rock powerhouse. Mainly through its emphasis on 3-part and 4-part harmonies and falsetto vocal styles. This is probably most evident on “Two Weeks”, Grizzly Bear’s buoyant, yet somewhat dark ode to taking time off. The choral harmonies are a rare and beautiful thing.

“Save up all the days. A routine malaise.”

"STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER" THE BEATLES (1967)

“Strawberry Fields Forever” remains one of my all-time favorite Beatles songs. Maybe because it’s a bit less happy and on the nose compared to many of their hits. Sandwiched in between “Penny Lane” and “Hello, Goodbye”, it had this strangely attractive dissonance from the first listen, painting a picture of a physical space and an emotional state all in the same breath.

“Let me take you down 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields. Nothing is real. And nothing to get hung about.”

"GOLD SOUNDZ" PAVEMENT (1994)

Who knows what “Gold Soundz” is really about. It’s the enigmatic quality of this and many other Pavement songs that make them truly great. “Gold Soundz” is whatever you want it to be. It’s a turning point to some. It’s nostalgia to others. Still to a few, it’s an ode to their middle aged crisis. Maybe it’s all of the above. For me, it’s a great sounding song that cleared the path for other indie bands following in Pavement’s path.

“Is it a crisis or a boring change?”

"LA VALSE D'AMELIE" YANN TIERSEN (2001)

The story of Amelie director Jean-Pierre Jeunet discovering Yann Tiersen while in a car with one of his production assistants is a much more common theme than maybe we realize. Often times the music that we adore, the music that we fall in love with, the music that we put on our movie soundtracks or on our wedding playlists, they start with this sort of happenstance discovery. If Jeunet didn’t ride in that car that day, we wouldn’t have this masterful soundtrack that transported us back to Paris’ Bal-musette era with its glorious accordions, harpsichords and toy pianos.

"SO ALIVE" LOVE AND ROCKETS (1989)

Simple. Repetitive. And it worked. It was the summer of 1989 when “So Alive” came strutting on to the airwaves. This radio darling was accessible and infectious, but still a near perfect embodiment of the band’s unique sound and persona - which stretched across everything from album art to videos. In “So Alive”, Love and Rockets pulled off something rarely achieved in music: they sold out without selling out.

“Wish I could stop. Switch off the clock. Make it all happen for you.”

"LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH" STEPHEN STILLS (1970)

Countless movie soundtracks, cover versions and karaoke late nights later, “Love the One You’re With” lives on. A solo project as good as any, Stephen Stills was able to utilize Crosby and Nash for backing vocals, but still craft a song that was truly different from CSNY - both musically and thematically divergent. Steel drums. Congas. Organs. And those iconic harmonies. All coming together to construct one of the most well-known songs in history.

“Well there's a rose in the fisted glove. And the eagle flies with the dove.”

"SLEEP THE CLOCK AROUND" BELLE & SEBASTIAN (1998)

Belle & Sebastian’s better known tracks are the ones that paint portraits of some pretty eccentric characters, both real and fictitious. “Lazy Line Painter Jane”, “Seymour Stein”, “Piazza, New York Catcher”, “Judy and the Dream of Horses”, and the list goes on. But “Sleep the Clock Around” did a 180, penning an ode to the listener. I like how it took B&S’s signature 60’s nostalgic sound and smashed it together with a galactic, experimental mood.

“And the moment will come when composure returns. Put a face on the world, turn your back to the wall.”

"GREEN EYES AND A HEART OF GOLD" THE LONE BELLOW (2013)

Some of the most powerful bands in music history have been trios. Cream. Rush. The Police. Nirvana. Muse. And The Lone Bellow also has power. Big doses of vocal harmonies. Big doses of alt-country. A lot of sonic power coming from just three musicians. When I heard The Lone Bellow perform live as musical unknowns, they won us over with the energy, emotion and vigor of “Green Eyes”.

“Green eyes and a heart of gold. All the money’s gone and the house is cold. And it's alright.”

"SUSPICIOUS MINDS" ELVIS PRESLEY (1969)

Considered to be one of Elvis’ greatest songs, “Suspicious Minds” was a song that explored uncharted territory in 1969. Lyrically, it tackled themes of mistrust and dysfunctional relationships. Topics that you didn’t typically hear about on the radio. Musically, along with much of the Memphis album, it had a way of blending disparate genres like soul, rockabilly and country, and in a way only Elvis could do.

“We can't go on together with suspicious minds. And we can't build our dreams on suspicious minds.”

"GOOD TIMES ROLL" THE CARS (1978)

The Cars never seemed content with straight-up rock & roll. Always pushing the possibilities of guitars, pedals, synthesizers and anything that made sounds. “Good Times Roll” was their introduction to the music world, literally. The first track off the debut album, it exposed us and surprised us with epileptic guitar riffs, Ocasek’s somewhat creepy vocals and the foreshadowing of new wave synth pop.

“Let them leave you up in the air. Let them brush your rock and roll hair. Let the good times roll.”

"CLIFFS OF DOVER" ERIC JOHNSON (1990)

In high school, my younger brother’s musical tastes expanded to include the guitar rock masters: Vai, Satriani, Eric Johnson and others. Even though he knew I wasn’t a guitar rock fanatic, this was the one song he introduced me to. I thought it was incredible from the first listen. The guitar playing is, of course, exceptional. But the difference maker for “Cliffs of Dover” is this: the guitar solo is more than a solo, it has the strength and presence to play a role normally only reserved for lead vocals.

"ABOUT TODAY" THE NATIONAL (2004)

One of my favorite acts of the last 15 years is The National, a band that has continued to evolve without losing their identity. “About Today” represents one of the last remaining remnants of their old guard sound. You can still hear faint elements of The National’s Americana, alt-country roots, but we also catch a glimpse of what’s to come in the form of Alligator and Boxer. I’ve heard “About Today” live in concert at least twice; it literally stuns arena-sized crowds into sheer silence.

“How close am I to losing you?”

"GIRL, YOU'LL BE A WOMAN SOON" NEIL DIAMOND (1967)

There’s more to “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” than the catchy chorus. Diamond skillfully navigates through several tempo changes and strumming styles, weaving in both string arrangements and flamenco romanticism. Somehow this song was completely off my radar until Urge Overkill covered it for the Pulp Fiction soundtrack. But I’ll take the original over the cover. One of Diamond’s most unique recordings from a long, storied career.

“Girl, you'll be a woman soon. Soon but soon, you'll need a man.”

"NIGHTINGALE SONG" TOAD THE WET SPROCKET (1991)

Fond memories of freshman year at college play vividly in my mind when I listen to the Fear album. Blasting the tracks in the halls of Duchesne Hall East and hearing them live at Boston’s Paradise Club. Mainstreamers were familiar with “All I Want” and “Walk on the Ocean”, but TTWS fans counted “Nightingale Song” as one of their favorites with its tambourine pulse and signature melody.

“We sing the nightingale song alive. We might be different, but our hearts won't lie.”

"MANDINKA" SINEAD O'CONNOR (1987)

Before the widespread fame and controversy, the introduction to Sinead O’Connor for some of us was this hard rocking tour de force. It was bold and unapologetic. I write a lot about the great musical inspiration that I found on WDRE, a Long Island station whose airwaves barely reached my hometown in Westchester. But there was just enough of a signal for me to catch Sinead O’Connor’s powerful guitar chords and howl as she paid homage to an ancient African tribe.

“I don't know no shame. I feel no pain. I can't see the flame. But I do know Mandinka.”

"HOLOCENE" BON IVER (2011)

The poetic lyrics and musicality are joined at the hip in “Holocene”. The union of these two elements is so strong you might gather what the song is about even without deciphering Justin Vernon’s falsetto murmur. Just as bands like The Cure and Radiohead have made great rainy day music over the years, Bon Iver has excelled at making music that you want to listen to in the middle of the night. “Holocene” might be the best example of this.

“And at once, I knew I was not magnificent. Strayed above the highway aisle. Jagged vacance, thick with ice. But I could see for miles, miles, miles.”

"(WHAT'S SO FUNNY 'BOUT) PEACE, LOVE & UNDERSTANDING" ELVIS COSTELLO (1979)

I first remember “What’s So Funny ‘Bout)” from its airplay on MTV and WDRE. One of his best, “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout)” was a tune written by his producer Nick Lowe, but a song he transformed and elevated. It was distinctly Costello from the very first note. Guttural. Abrasive at times. And raw. Qualities that shaped one of the most distinct voices of our time. It’s hard to imagine the new wave movement without this singer-songwriter.

“As I walk through this wicked world searchin' for light in the darkness of insanity, I ask myself, is all hope lost? Is there only pain and hatred and misery?”

"HARD TO HANDLE" OTIS REDDING (1968)

There were certainly more well known Otis Redding songs. Known as an exceptional songwriter and an even more extraordinary singer, Redding’s body of work is extensive and deep, given his short-lived life. “Hard to Handle” is one of my favorites, because it brought the power of soul into every note. The explosive horn arrangements. The iconic mouthful of lyrics where verse and chorus blend as one. The Black Crowes’ cover made THE money, but Redding made the statement.

“Boys and things that come by the dozen. That ain't nothin' but drug store lovin'.”

"YELLOW" COLDPLAY (2000)

It seems like ages ago. But before Coldplay went their adult contemporary ways, they produced two wonderful albums full of dissonance and intrigue: Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head. And “Yellow” was one of their finest musical moments from that era. A song that was as cathartic as it was melodic. It introduced us to one of Coldplay’s truly ownable sounds: Chris Martin’s towering falsetto vocals.

“Look at the stars. Look how they shine for you.”