Sigur Ros were a formative band in my youth. And by youth of course I mean early 30s, when I first discovered them, and when Takk... came out I fell hard in love. It was, in a way, their most "pop" album if you can call an Icelandic band who sings some songs in a made-up language "pop" in any way. But I bought their DVDs and all their CDs (back when people did those things) and really, really loved everything the band made. They stopped making music by the end of the decade (I think) and they only ended up with 4 songs on this chart, but man, were they a spark of joy in my life, and I feel privileged to have seen them live multiple times.

"Glosoli" - Sigur Ros // Takk... (2005)

And you tell me this and you tell me that
No matter how the thing grows it's still flat
And you showed me this and you showed me that
Because of where you came from
You know where it's at

Another Marxist celebration
This time with pipes instead of guns
With very little dedication
It's going to take some dedication
And you showed me this and you showed me that
Because of where I came from
You know where I’m at

And you tell me this and you tell me that
No matter how round it feels it's still flat
It's still flat
​
Another cosmic demonstration
With stars colliding into suns
It doesn’t take imagination
It's just the way this stuff is done
Better than your imagination

"Still Flat" - Built to Spill // The Normal Years (1993)

You know, it's odd. I don't remember college. Specifically the classes I took, the professors, what we learned. Not really. I could name a couple professors probably. And I have a few specific memories here and there--the massive lecture hall in Psychology 101 that you needed to make it on time to, or the professors would shame you when you entered late, often kicking you out of the class, so people who arrived late would cram into the little alcove by the entrance so they could at least hear the lecture; at least until he noticed this effect during one class mid-semester and lost his shit on everyone in the alcove. And here's the thing: I don't think I was ever in the alcove but maybe I was, maybe that's why I remember it so deeply? I also vaguely remember getting yelled at for talking in class, because I vaguely remember knowing someone else in the class (perhaps from my dorm, I don't know--I have no idea who that person was and in fact, other than my suite mates, I don't remember many of my friendships from freshman year because they didn't last past freshman year--like, I can't even remember their names). And I kind of think we got kicked out of class for talking in class, but I'm again, not sure if that happened to me or is a memory of me watching someone else leave the class in shame (I think it's the latter, but again, I'm not sure). So it's less that I don't remember college but that everything is hazy. And I'm not entirely sure what happened to me or to others.

So it's crazy the things I do remember. And I remember so well (as I think I've mentioned here before) walking around campus with my Walkman and headphones in, spring semester freshman year, listening to The Smiths. And I remember this song meaning a lot to me, lyrically. And I assume (in retrospect) it had very much to do with my closeted sexuality at the time, and that's why this song spoke to me - the "it's too close to home and it's too near the bone, more than you've ever known." But I'm not entirely sure. It's all hazy now. Which is okay I guess. It's been more than 30 years since I graduated college. That's a long time. This is still a great song.

Park the car at the side of the road
You should know
Time's tide will smother you
And I will too
When you laugh about people
Who feel so very lonely
Their only desire is to die
Well, I'm afraid
It doesn't make me smile
I wish I could laugh
But that joke isn't funny anymore
It's too close to home
And it's too near the bone
It's too close to home
And it's too near the bone
More than you'll ever know

It was dark as I drove the point home
And on cold leather seats
Well, it suddenly struck me
I just might die with a smile on my face after all

I've seen this happen in other people's lives
And now it's happening in mine
I've seen this happen in other people's lives
And now it's happening in mine
I've seen this happen in other people's lives
And now it's happening in mine
I've seen this happen in other people's lives
And now it's happening in mine, oh

"That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" - The Smiths // Meat is Murder (1984)

Mogwai has done a lot of soundtrack work over the years, which is I assume a decently lucrative avenue for post-rock artists in between touring (since you can't sell albums anymore). The work has for the most part been "lesser" than their proper album performances, which makes sense. The vision has to match the director's and the songs are typically more muted, to match the flow of the scenes in the movie. One notable exception, though, is this amazing track from a 2016 film called "Kin" which I've never seen and honestly would never have even heard of were it not for this song. It didn't leave much of a mark, the movie, but this track nearly made my top 100 songs of all time.

"We're Not Done (End Title)" - Mogwai // KIN (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2016)

One of the newer songs on this list, from the latest AJJ album, now two years old because somehow this list that started in 2024 is now extended into 2026 and not to get to meta on this countdown, but January 2026 in New Jersey has easily been the coldest and snowiest we've had in years--decades even--and with the continued hellish news landscape under the Trump 2.0 regime, particularly what's happening in Minnesota and how horrible everything is, I just -- well, not sure where I was going with this paragraph other than hold onto the people who love you because spring is coming soon, and hopefully, if we fight enough, a change in the world that brought a majority of Americans to vote for this.

Not hopefully, even. Let's say Probably.

"Strawberry (Probably)" - AJJ // Disposable Everything (2023)