Alli's Articles
INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS, CULTURE PIECES, MUSICAL RAMBLINGS.
The other day, our friend Sophia challenged us to make a “25 Songs of Your Life” playlist. When she first told us, I scoffed, thinking it was going to be easy. I could just gather songs that were played on my earphones during pivotal moments of my existence.
Both fortunately and unfortunately, there are too many of those songs for me. Luckily, I was able to narrow it down to 25. I’m very proud of this playlist because it really strengthened my elimination skills. Without further introduction, here are 25 of the most important songs of my life! Making Breakfast: I first discovered Twin Peaks on Music Choice and I heard this song. It has made me appreciate the small things in life, like waking up and having a nice morning, ever since 2014. Thanks Clay! Giants: I heard this song on some playlist on 8tracks that was made for a show I liked. It reminds me of going down to the beach and staying up late with my cousins the summer before 8th grade. I low-key want it played at my wedding. Boyish: This was the first song Hippo Campus played when I first saw them in 2016. They are probably my favorite band in the world. I have gotten all my friends and family into them and they have a special role in my high school life thus far. Pursuit of Happiness: I really did not know MGMT was in this song until last year. Another song I heard on 8tracks somewhere in 8th grade. Reminds me of parties, volleyball, and late nights. Alleyways: I love every song on I Love You., but this song and the video of them driving in the car will always stick with me. heard it first in 8th grade, a time of being forced to mature, and since the song is about leaving childhood behind, it really resonated with me. Summertime Sadness: Yes, I might have heard the remix before the original, but both versions remind me of the same time period, when I blasted it in the car heading to the big pool parties we had in 7th grade. A-Punk: Everyone’s first song on their iPod. My mom bought this song when I was 6 and always played it as we were going down to the beach. Every time she turned on her iPod, no matter where we were, it played. We just couldn’t turn it off, so I’m pretty sure every member of my family and friends know all the words to it. 1901: I first heard this song on the video game NDA 2k13, because it was on the soundtrack and I would hear it every time I went in my grandparent’s basement to watch Flynn play. It reminds me of that summer when I did nothing but run in their backyard, since we had to live there while our own house was getting redone, and sitting on the tennis court of my swim club with my friends. Love Like a Sunset (Part 1): I had to include another Phoenix song just because this one reminds me of one of the most life-changing trips I ever took. It was Easter Break of 2015, and my family and I went to Virginia to visit my mom’s friends. They had a huge house and had their friends over every night, and we played board games. I remember ranting about how I was jealous of Thomas Mars’ wife with my mom’s friend, and we plotted to kidnap her. (Sorry Sofia!) The rest of the trip was so amazing. Virginia is so pretty. All I remember is watching The Walking Dead and listening to Phoenix and watching their interviews the entire time. Tongue Tied: MTV was where I first heard this song, as I was getting up to go to school in 6th grade. The video and the song blew my 11 year old mind. I went into my teen years expecting life was gonna be like that video. It has been, like 1 or 2 times. But no drugs were involved. All These Things That I’ve Done: When we were dropping off my brother at guitar lessons when he still took them back when i was about 9, I remember my mom turning this song on and driving into the sunset to get us some square-shaped pizza. Yes, square shaped. Yes, it was delicious. Daylight: I first heard this song in a youtube “crack” video (only true stans know), and I remembered the first lyrics. I didn’t find it again until our family friends the Bifalcos played it on a Pandora station. It’s since been my go to summer song and it never catches me in a bad mood. You Already Know: Mother’s Day of 2015 is when I first got Reflektor on vinyl. I was getting ready and going through some changes in my life, and saying goodbye for people I’ve known for years was making me upset. I listened to this upbeat tune to dance out all the bad feelings. It’s also helped me get through some toxic friendships. “Please stop wondering why you feel so sad, when you already know.” Stolen Dance: The 2014 trip to Vermont where I was stuck with nothing but an alternative radio station that played nothing but Arctic Monkeys and this song was the highest point before I completely fell into an obsession with alternative music. My mom and I made fun of it while driving around, looking for some maple syrup stores, because we thought he was saying “stoned in paradise.” Still think he is, low-key. Paper Planes: I really don’t know where I heard this, but it was the first song I ever considered a BOP. My brother and I used to have our own dance move to it when I was 9. “All I wanna do is *fist pump* *fist pump* *fist pump* *fist pump* and “cash register motion* and take ya money.” Still know it after all these years. Home: Another Vermont song! This song is my EXTREME guilty pleasure. I don’t care that it’s country. I don’t care that it’s hippy. I want a relationship like this. It’s the ultimate goals and no one can convince me it isn’t. I will always scream all the lyrics at any bonfire. PDA: Another Music Choice discovery! I was hooked on this song in the 8th grade, kinda forgot about it, and then got the Turn On The Bright Lights record for my 14th birthday. It’s very dark, so I wouldn’t say I directly relate to it, but it is a good song for letting the angst out. And those last two minutes. My favorite two minutes of music in my entire life. I Would Do Anything For You: This song will always be a summer song for me. It reminds me of 2014 down the shore, staying up until 3am eating pretzels with this song on the radio. Then going into B&B the next day and hearing it again. It just makes me so excited for those humid late nights again. UUUggghHHH. SUMMER, WYA???? PLEASE. Ruby: How I wish I could go back to when I was 8, playing lego rock band on my DS and CRUSHING this song on hard mode. Thank God I discovered it again 7 years later. It will always stick with me and, surprisingly, my family. We were out to eat a couple months ago and this song played and I learned that my brother knew all the words. Proud older sib moment right there. Two Weeks: if you guessed that this one was another Music Choice song, you were right. This is another one of those songs that I could always turn to if I need to consider some serious life problems or issues. It’s always (sometimes, easy, tiiiime) there! Breezeblocks: Believe it or not, I used to hate this song. I was barely able to get through the first 5 seconds. One day, as I was getting ready to go to a tennis match (random, I know!), I clicked the video and watched the whole thing. It was all I was thinking about for hours after. Those hours turned into days, and I’ve been hooked on this song and its stunning video ever since. I can honestly say it changed my perspective on things in life. Float On: As you guys know by now, 8tracks was THE website that shaped my music taste. This was the first song I discovered on the app. Needless to say, this song represents a lil’ piece of history for me. And what a meaningful song to hold this close to my heart! Take a Walk: This song reminds me of summer days when it was too hot to even FUNCTION like a normal human being, so my brother and I played MLB 2k13, with this song on it. (Def think they chose it to make a baseball pun.) Another one of my “goals” songs, because I always admired the way that it talked about realistic struggles in love, life, and marriage. Undone (The Sweater Song): Oh, wow. This is a special song. I first hard it at 8 years old, in my art teacher’s studio. My friend and I laughed at it, because a song about destroying sweaters?? What??? I went home and told my mom about it, and she immediately knew what I was talking about. Since then, Weezer has become the soundtrack to every road trip, to every Dempsey/Bifalco family outing, to every beach visit, adventure, and concert. It feels like everything ends in me in a car, surrounded by multiple people that are screaming the end of this song with me. Truly the most influential song on this list. Get Lucky: A 2013 classic and the first time I saw a band that I discovered myself make it on mainstream radio! I heard this song yesterday and it was crazy how many sun-kissed memories by the pool it brought back. Truly simpler times. That’s really what all of these songs remind me of. Times when I was younger. Times when I had no reasons to feel stressed. This week was kind of insane. Actually, this whole year has been, too. But I know that one day I’ll be back in those stress-free moods that this mix temporarily brings me, and the only way to get to that point is to work hard now. I’ll make it, and you guys can too. Just listen to these songs and reassure yourself that everything will be ok. That’s what I’m tryna do. Love you guys!
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