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(When We Was Fab by George Harrison) More post-Beatles I was exposed to in early childhood. Growing up on this shit no wonder I found American radio rock so bland growing up. I always wondered why no one went to dark/cool chords like this!

(Heart of the Sunrise by Yes) I remember getting into Yes in middle school, feeling that this song specifically seemed to have aged so much better than the majority of their prog peers and I still feel that way. This shit could be comfortably dropped today and yet it is fucking 55 years old.

(Ghosts Of A Different Dream by Guided By Voices) Hometown heroes proving Daytonians can write britpop as good as the real thing

(ASAP by NewJeans) Sadly ephemeral, in 2023 there was a moment when kpop shifted towards these almost bizarre, super minimal singles with experimental-leaning production and arrangements. ASAP was just the absolute height, so infuriating HYBE destroyed these girls' careers

(Mother earth of dishonesty ~Part 1~ by Hideaki Kobayashi) Essential Dreamcastcore. Hearing this as a teen made me want to try my hand at making ambient music on my big CASIO, and later in Garageband. The rest is history!!

(September Song by Willie Nelson) Honestly I would put any song from this album on here, but this poignant love song almost reads as slowcore. The sound of a wrenching heart.

(エスパドリーユでつかまえて by Monari Wakita) Ex-ESPECIA Monari Wakita is one of the queens of neo-city pop. Like so much of the FM-synth obsessed stuff it reminds me of Sonic 3 and 1st party Saturn titles. I drop this during DJ sets just so I can dance to that chorus.

(Poetry of August by Lamp) My favorite modern rock band, I saw them in Anaheim last year and was stunned when it was a packed sell out! Guess they went viral, awesome for them! Their songs are usually more labyrinthine, this is just a perfect song with a Radiohead riff and powerful chorus.

(Airbag by Radiohead) When I heard this for the first time c. age 16 it was already from a past era, but OKC connects timelessly with the overwhelming anxiety of existing in the digital age. Hearing today instantly makes me feel like a teen. Played this in my HS talent show with a cellist lol

(San Tropez by Pink Floyd) Another middle school obsession. I made my piano teacher at the time work this out for me to learn. Similar to Paul McCartney's "granny shit," which was kind of an ironic artistic statement in the 60-70's, I just have a soft spot for these kinds of songs.

(Music:Response by The Chemical Brothers) Another teen love, all those hardware synths and sliced samples seemed like magic. They could always build intensity beyond the ceiling before the gene was so homogenized and cliché-ridden. Sampling is god!!!

(Lost Message by Air) A group that has bizarrely touched my life and inspired my music almost subconsciously. Especially with the Nigel Godrich drip, everything you are hearing is a pristine recording of a real instrument that really makes a solid case for "real" studio art.

(High Five by Nobuo Uematsu) When I heard this in FFVII Remake for the first time during a battle I paused the gameplay, cranked the music, and danced while tearing up with joy.

(Jam Jam by IU) It's crazy how this era is so long past now. This is still my IU jam, I can't resist a song that holds back going all out until the final chorus.

(Kill This Love by BLACKPINK) Step aside IU because this was the dawn of a new era. I still love how the chorus starts with just horns, no beat. So fucking badass.

(forsurebelieve by ventla) Ventla is a true genius. this little nugget of joy is a perfect example of his ability to pull together a bunch of haunting lofi elements over an off the grid stumbling beat and somehow create a whole new reality that exists for only 2 minutes

(恋文・過ぎ去りし思い出「銀太のバカヤロー!!」by Rie Hamada, Keiichi Oku, Takeshi Ike) The Marmalade Boy anime ost is full of extreme nostalgic and saccharine feelings, but like Miki and her romantic woes it all feels as important as the cosmos itself. So emotionally resonant it feels like exploding.

(a stairway to the stars by The Caretaker) For a period in my life all I did was play FFXI and loop The Caretaker discography. It's still insane to me that one of my all time favorite niche electronic artists became a viral sensation. Sometimes feels like finding a bunch of strangers in your house.

(I've hummed this tune to all the girls i've known by Leyland Kirby) Speaking of The Caretaker this is my favorite original track by Leyland Kirby. Haunting and beautiful and touching on the sweetest but most fleeting joys of romance.

(Non-self by Jaeho Hwang) Korean hardcore industrial. I was lucky to be on the bill with him at FORESTLIMIT Tokyo, where his relentless assault of massive violent beats broken up with samples of traditional Korean instruments and Buddhist chants became a transcendent spiritual experience.

(Being a Good Girl Hurts by Yena) Ex-IZ*ONE Yena has been crushing it the last few years. I picked this up blind at a kpop store and was surprised to find a jpop/anime/kpop hybrid bubblegum bop with an extremely complex arrangement

(Ballad of Big Nothing by Elliott Smith) The polar opposite from pristine Asian corporate pop. Elliott Smith is a part of anyone who was ever touched by his post-Beatles songwriting genius. I especially loved it when he reached for a huge, powerful sound. The broken cooing over the final chorus...

(The Star You Left Behind by Quasi) Speaking of Elliott Smith, his Heatmiser bandmate Sam Coomes and Sleater Kinney drummer Janet Weiss make the duo Quasi: hands down "my band" when I was in high school. If you like my sense of chord progression, Quasi shares it. We are kindred.