Neptune's Tunes ♫

Neptune's Rock Influences Playlist Debrief - September 1, 2025

The best time for me to start a music blog would've been anytime since I was 14, but the second best time is now!! I made this playlist to share my musical inspirations with my bandmates, and that's also why I'm writing this blog post. The playlist is three hours long, but I bet writing all my thoughts about each song will take even longer. Here goes nothin'.

This playlist is by no means comprehensive of all the songs that have been important in my music journey. It is loosely organized in chronological order of its significance in my life, and also in order of increasing relevance to the style of music I am currently striving to make; but ultimately has been put in an order that is pleasing to listen to.


Song Salient qualities Notes

"Under Cover of Darkness"

Angles (2011)

The Strokes
  • Super-tight rhythms between instruments contrast with Julian Casablancas's imprecise vocal style
  • Interlocking melodies between guitars
  • Pleasing, listenable pop form keeps you hooked throughout the different sections of the song
 This song has such a bright, upbeat feel that I put it on my playlist of songs to motivate me to get out of bed in the morning. I became obsessed with the Strokes at age 13 (I even had a Strokes phone case) and never really stopped loving them since. These days, I'd say Angles (their 4th album which was released a decade after their debut) is my favorite album of theirs.

"Girlfriend"

Melted (2010)

Ty Segall
  • Crunchy sounds
  • Dual distorted vocal tracks give an interesting phased sound
  • Chaotic energy with a tight, classic form
 This song epitomizes a certain chaotic teenage energy to me. The timbre of the guitar effects alongside the "wobbly"-sounding vocals makes for a very pleasing composition. I appreciate the simplicity of the song's form, including a very distorted piano solo with just a single repeated note.

"What You Know"

Tourist History (2010)

Two Door Cinema Club
  • Extremely clean production
  • Pleasing guitar hooks soar above the vocals
  • Lightly bit-crushed sound details in transitions between song sections
 This band made music that was so emblematic of early 2010s pop rock that, at the time, it was hard to recognize how timelessly good their songwriting was. Each song on this album is packed with catchy guitar hooks, vocals that are so fun to sing along to, and production so clean that it sets itself apart. Tourist History was their debut album, and they've released good music since, but none has surpassed it in popularity. I adore the entire album, and really recommend listening to the rest of it in its entirety.

"Weatherbeaten"

Keep Color (2008)

The Republic Tigers
  • Fun, twangy guitar countermelodies
  • Interlocking vocal harmonies
  • Fully fleshed-out production with many elements working together to create deep atmospheric texture
 The Republic Tigers are a little-known band that deserves some more recognition, in my opinion. Their lyrics are consistently compelling, and often touch on important social topics. This song's lyrics contain the repeating phrase "We can see the lighthouse", which I'm sure is a metaphor for social change, but it also makes me think of the movies Annihilation and The Lighthouse. The rest of this album, which was their debut LP, is also worth listening to.

"Trying Your Luck"

Is This It (2001)

The Strokes
  • Unique hypermeter with 5 measures per repetition of the chord progression, giving a drawn-out, "rolling" feel
  • Pensive, melancholic sound
  • Punchy, straight rhythms
 Fun fact: the reason I play bass with a pick is because Nikolai Fraiture, the bassist of the Strokes, plays with one—and I started learning to play the bass right around the height of my Strokes obsession as a teen. It's part of what gives their rhythms so much punch, and this song is a perfect example, with its driving straight eighth-notes in the verses and heavy-feeling hook in the chorus.

"Eddie's Gun"

Inside In / Inside Out (2006)

The Kooks
  • Pleasing pop form
  • Doubled lead vocals with a whimsical style, and some supporting backing vocals
  • Irresistible, danceable, upbeat feel
 The Kooks are a highly influential British pop rock band from the 2000s, with an upbeat, jangly sound. I adore this entire album and listened to the whole thing a lot as a teen; it contains the blockbuster hit single "Naive" as well as several other super-solid tracks. Even after years of enjoying their music, I'm still surprised by how good their songs are each time I listen. I think this song is a particularly good example of great songwriting, with a short-and-sweet pop punk form that leaves you wanting more.

"Black and White"

Sunbathing Animal (2014)

Parquet Courts
  • Rambling, poetic lyrics with a half-spoken delivery
  • Extremely simple classic punk chord progression
  • Loud sounds and chaotic energy that makes you want to get up and mosh
 More driving straight eighth-notes? You don't say! I listened to Parquet Courts throughout my teenage years as they continually released some of their best stuff. They're a great band with a lot of interesting material, and Andrew Savage's lyrics are unique and enviably compelling. I put this song on my running playlists because hearing it always puts a smile on my face and gives me a burst of energy.

"The Heinrich Maneuver"

Our Love to Admire (2007)

Interpol
  • Minimalistic, repetitive guitar melodies
  • Dark, stylish attitude
  • Shrieking, Western-esque guitar sounds in the chorus
 I first encountered this song in the soundtrack to Shaun White Snowboarding World Stage, a soundtrack which frankly laid the foundation for my taste in rock music as a tween. Interpol was one of my favorite bands for many years, with their uniquely melancholic feel underpinning rhythms that will make you tap your toe. Their style is the epitome of repeated eighth-note melodies, and they pull it off really well.

"Reptilia"

Room on Fire (2003)

The Strokes
  • Inquisitive-sounding modality that sounds neither happy nor sad
  • Ultra-catchy bridge
  • Relentless, driving rhythms
 The final entry from the Strokes on this playlist is the first song of theirs I fell in love with; in fact, I can still remember the exact moment my love for it overcame me, hanging out alone in my dad's kitchen after school at 13. I was entranced by the nostalgic and pensive sound, driving eighth-note rhythms, and Julian Casablancas's distinctive vocal style. It contains the compelling line from which the album gets its name: "the room is on fire, and she's fixing her hair".

"Bassem Sabry"

Aureate Gloom (2015)

Of Montreal
  • Funky, groovy energy juxtaposed with a dark subject matter
  • Fascinating, poetic lyrics
  • Danceable beat
 No list of my musical influences would be complete without Of Montreal, perhaps the most influential artist of my whole life. Their prolific discography contains multitudes, and their live performances are multimedia masterpieces. The often-queer subject matter of their lyrics has significantly contributed to my understanding of my own queerness, as I discovered them right around the time I first came out as queer at 14. I'm perpetually in awe of their lyrics - they clearly adore unusual vocabulary words, and every one of their songs is a quilt of unique metaphors and 5-dollar words.

"From The Ritz To The Rubble"

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006)

Arctic Monkeys
  • Really high energy
  • Groovy bass line
  • Dynamic form that keeps the energy pushing forwards
 Arctic Monkeys are another group that was very influential to me as a teenager. This song is a great example of their early sound, with a pumped-up, high-energy feel. The form of the song (that is, the pattern of intro-verse-chorus-bridge-etc and the ways they evolve) is highly dynamic, keeping each section of the song feeling fresh and keeping the energy high.

"Helter Skelter"

The Beatles (White Album) (1968)

The Beatles
I listened to so much of the Beatles in my formative years that it would simply be wrong not to include at least one of their songs on this list. As a child, I learned about what studio recording was like from their anthology documentaries, and about the art of crafting melodies from John and Paul. When I was around 13, I had the awesome opportunity to see Paul McCartney play live at the local arena; in his second encore, they played Helter Skelter, and I still remember how awesome it was to bang my head along with thousands of people to a song I'd heard a million times, backed by a really stunning light show.

"This Night Has Opened My Eyes"

Hatful of Hollow (1984)

The Smiths
  • Groovy bass line
  • Beautiful, doubled guitar line with picking sounds mic'd, adding to the jangly sound
  • Velvety-smooth vocals
 This was my first Smiths song, so it has a special place in my heart. The haunting, melancholy lyrics, shimmering guitars, soft warm bass tone, and hissing cymbals all work together to make such a beautiful symphony. Probably one of my favorite songs of all time. I need to learn this bass line so that I can dream to write something half this good.

"Radio"

Astro Lounge (1999)

Smash Mouth
  • Unrelenting high energy

"Hemorrhage (In My Hands)"

Something Like Human (2000)

Fuel

"Damaged Goods"

Entertainment! (1979)

Gang of Four
  • Interlocking rhythms between guitars and bass

"Mannequin"

Pink Flag (1977)

Wire

"Way Out"

Daughter of Everything (2014)

Vertical Scratchers
  • Fast tempo and high-energy feel
 Vertical Scratchers are a band formed by John Schmersal after his much more well-known group, Enon, broke up. Despite Enon's relative popularity, Vertical Scratchers still only has 210 listeners on Spotify, which baffles me because I think the music is just as good as Enon's. I discovered them thanks to the local college radio station KRNU in Lincoln, NE.

"Egg"

haha (2015)

The Garden
  • Unique instrumentation with only voice, bass, piano, and drums
  • Spectacular drum sound and Fletcher Shears's technical drumming prowess
  • Clean, well-rounded bass tone that plays a somewhat melodic role in the song
 I discovered The Garden soon after this album was released, and they quickly became one of my favorite bands. Their style is very unique, and I'm inspired by their creative philosophy called "Vada Vada" which symbolizes pure expression that disregards all previously made genres and ideals. They're clearly very talented creatives, and both Shears twins have released prolific amounts of solo work in addition to their releases as The Garden.

"Dagger"

Souvlaki (1993)

Slowdive
  • Melody that hangs on to the major 7th throughout
  • Vocal harmonies add atmospheric texture
  • Overwhelmingly depressing vibe
 One of the most—if not the most—influential shoegaze bands of all time. This particular song is so sad that I can't really allow myself to listen to it when I'm in a vulnerable emotional state. Even moreso than the lyrics, the thing that tugs on my heartstrings the most is the drone-like major 7th note which is held throughout chord changes through nearly the entire song.

"Teenage Girl"

Papa Cremp (2013)

Cherry Glazerr
  • Flip-flopping between a low-key, dragging verse, and a very upbeat energy in the chorus
  • Evocative lyrics of teenage girlhood
  • Bedroom pop aesthetic
 Despite not identifying as a girl for most of my teenage years, this song always connected with something deep within me. To the parts of me that do identify as girls, it's a comforting and affirming song, and to the parts of me that don't, it's still a fun, spunky song.

"Gaslight feat. Travis Barker"

lately I feel EVERYTHING (2021)

WILLOW
  • Extremely catchy pop feel
  • Stellar vocals with a classic "pop-punk accent"
  • Satisfying distorted guitar sound
 I don't know much of WILLOW's music, but I've come back to this song consistently since I discovered it soon after its release. To me, it is so fun and catchy, satisfying to listen to, and always leaves me wanting more. I love the tone on the guitars and vocals, the melody, and the general feel of it which is somewhat nostalgic for me as a kid who grew up in the 2000s. It strikes me similarly to a lot of other music right now which seems to be re-hashing genres and style from the 90s and 00s; with the perspective of 2-3 decades and artists who grew up on that stuff in their formative years, a new, elevated interpretation of the genre breaks out. (That's also how I feel about new gen shoegaze, and some other genres—that's for another blog post.) This is frankly a song I wish I could've written.

"Plug in Baby"

Origin of Symmetry (2001)

Muse
  • Earworm guitar hook that feels like it can just keep repeating forever
  • Powerful, big sounds
 I've been known to say that I believe Muse is like if Radiohead had balls. What I mean when I say this is that, for the most part, both bands sound surprisingly similar, except that Muse is unafraid to be camp and go all-out, while Radiohead is much more subdued, and strikes me as being overly concerned with being "cool". Muse could have written "Fake Plastic Trees", but Radiohead could never write The Resistance, Muse's flashy 2009 rock opera about an Orwellian future. I admire Muse for their massive library of divinely inspired guitar hooks, and their unabashed commitment to making campy music about sci-fi and apocalypses that rocks severely hard. Truly, no one else does it like them. If you want to learn the art of writing catchy guitar hooks, study all of their first five albums [Showbiz (1999), Origin of Symmetry (2001), Absolution (2003), Black Holes and Revelations (2006), and The Resistance (2009)].

"Starstruck"

Starstruck (2018)

Sorry
  • Stylish, low-range, half-spoken vocal style

"Purity of Heart"

Lucky Leaves (2013)

Krill
  • Unusual 7/4 time signature
  • Lyrics referencing Søren Kierkegaard's philosophical writings
  • Unkempt vocal style and lo-fi vocal production
 One thing not a lot of my friends know about me is that I used to be really interested in Existentialist philosophy as a teenager, and Søren Kierkegaard was one philosopher I was especially interested in. I've never read Purity of Heart Is To Will One Thing, but I do know that he went on walks for hours every day, as referenced by the lyrics of this song. I think the way Krill adapted his concept of Purity of Heart for the lyrics of this song is quite good, and I really enjoy the song otherwise as well, with its math rock time signature, satisfyingly simple chord progression, and clipping vocals.

"Beautiful Blue Sky"

Sun Coming Down (2015)

Ought
  • Repetitive, rambling, minimalist form
  • Calming energy
  • Compelling, amusing lyrics
 Ought is a really great band that does some interesting stuff. This song in particular has such a calm vibe that it almost feels meditative; I really adore the bowed, long-sustained guitar notes towards the end of this song.

"Low Beam"

Invitation to Her's (2018)

Her's
  • Compelling, low-range vocals with a unique singing style reminiscent of Elvis
  • Understated "underwater"-sounding guitars
  • Fun, melodic bass line which is sometimes doubled in the guitar
 In early 2019, during my time as a DJ at WHRB, I was a pretty big fan of Her's. I got a press pass to interview them at their show in Cambridge; but there was a big snowstorm that day, and it delayed me coming back from a hike in Maine such that I missed the show and my chance to meet and interview these rising indie stars. Just about two weeks later, both members of Her's and their manager died in a car crash in LA. I couldn't help but feel that our lives had almost touched, and now my chance to ever talk to them or see them perform disappeared. They were very young, and it had seemed to everyone that they were only at the start of a big music career. I still mourn their loss. This song is one of my favorites of theirs.

"Ping Pong"

Mars Audiac Quintet (1994)

Stereolab
  • Non-rhyming, prose-like lyrics with a sarcastic attitude
  • Danceable beat and irresistibly catchy melody
  • Harmonies that are expertly tied together amongst the backing vocals, keyboards, and synth winds
 This song is so cheeky, and it's been one of my favorites for many years now. The subject matter is dark, and the satire is palpable, but it's in such a cute boppy package, I can't help but dance along. Given recent events, I can't stomach its pessimism quite as easily, but it remains to be a fun and interesting song.

"Dog Milk"

Rock Island (2018)

Palm
  • Puzzling, constantly switching time signature with interlocking polyrhythms
  • Rock band instrumentation combined with use of electronic samples
  • Extremely tight synchronicity amongst the band members
 For the past 5 years or so, if anyone asked me my #1 favorite song of all time, this is the song I'd name. Palm is an extremely talented math rock band, who can play their bizarre rhythms live in perfect sync (I've seen it myself, and it's truly impressive). One fascinating thing I've read about this band is that their philosophy of composition is to flip a traditional band upside down; that is, the melody and harmony form the foundation of the music, while the rhythm is front and center, shifting constantly and capturing the focus of the listener's attention. If you go on to listen to any of the full albums of any song on this list, this is the highest priority one I'd recommend.

"Cool Slut"

Time to Go Home (2015)

Chastity Belt
  • Feel-good, goofy, sex-positive attitude
  • Guitar lead that serves as a countermelody to the vocals throughout the song
 I had this album on a baby pink cassette tape as a teenager, and it's a good vibe for a lo-fi medium. This song strongly recalls summer during high school to me, as that's when I discovered this song. It's a fun one to sing along to and dance alone in your bedroom.

"You're Not the Only One I Know"

Reading, Writing, & Arithmeic (1990)

The Sundays
  • Clean, jangley guitars
  • Beautiful, clean, feminine vocals
  • Soaring melodic line

"How Simple"

Bark Your Head Off, Dog (2018)

Hop Along
  • Interlocking rhythms between guitars, vocals, and drums
 There is so much to be said about Hop Along. Such a dynamic, poetic, and compelling band. This song is the first of theirs I heard and fell in love with.

"Alter Ego"

InnerSpeaker (2010)

Tame Impala
  • Driving, double-time rhythm section underpinning a soaring, super-sustained melody line
  • Gorgeous, effects-soaked guitar sounds
  • Chunky drums
 I heard Tame Impala for the first time just a few weeks after this album, their debut, was released, long before they became widely known. It's inspiring what wonderful sounds Kevin Parker was able to create mostly by himself in his bedroom. This album is really solid, and a lot of folks who know him for his later music aren't familiar with his first two albums. My favorite aspect of this song is how the fast-moving rhythm section drives on, keeping you tapping your toe, while the melody is sustained impossibly long over it in contrast; it calls to mind a train chugging along across a countryside while a bird soars ahead.

"I Summon You"

Gimme Fiction (2005)

Spoon
  • Melody that hangs on the major 7th
  • Compelling lyrics

"Healthier Folk"

Dry Food (2015)

Palehound
  • Grungey, dissonant melody
  • Poetic lyrics

"Self Explained"

Stuffed & Ready (2019)

Cherry Glazerr
  • Soaring melody with broad interval jumps
  • Chorus breakdown towards the end of the song that hits hard with heavy sounds and sick lead guitar

"Heaven or Las Vegas"

Heaven or Las Vegas (1990)

Cocteau Twins
  • Atmospheric guitar sounds soaked in effects

"Walkie Talkie"

Shadow Expert (2017)

Palm
  • Constantly changing time signature
  • Call-and-response type interplay between guitars
 The second entry by Palm, perhaps my favorite band, into this playlist.

"I Wanna Be Adored"

The Stone Roses (1989)

The Stone Roses
  • Sexy, lilting vocal style

"When I Tried"

Expect the Best (2017)

Widowspeak
  • Breathy, graceful, feminine vocals that soar over the instrumentation
  • Classic, timeless shoegaze sound

"When the Sun Hits"

Souvlaki (1993)

Slowdive

"Somewhere a Judge"

Bark Your Head Off, Dog (2018)

Hop Along
  • Poetic lyrics

"Heaven in Your Head"

Heaven in Your Head (2022)

Nuclear Daisies
  • Vocal countermelodies that build with each successive chorus, making for a very satisfying pop form
  • Awesome, noisy, effects-soaked guitar sounds
  • Driving drum beat

"Xerces"

Saturday Night Wrist (2006)

Deftones
How could I not put Deftones on this playlist?

"Her Hippo"

New Long Leg (2021)

Dry Cleaning
  • Compelling, low-range, half-spoken, almost disinterested-sounding vocals
  • Strange lyrics that pique curiosity

"Hunned Bandz"

Sundays (2018)

Tanukichan
  • Gloriously shoegazey guitar effects
 Probably my favorite shoegaze song, and one I've had on repeat consistently for years. Her guitar sounds are utter perfection to me.

"Tomorrow"

Radiolove (2016)

Tanukichan
  • Gloriously shoegazey guitar effects

"Lifetimes"

Lifetimes (2022)

the bird and the bee
The bird and the bee is a band I've listened to since I was a kid, introduced to them by my dad after their 2009 album Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future came out. This shoegazey sound is a new direction for them, and I love it.

"Jewel"

Forever (1993)

Cranes
  • Sweet, high-pitched vocal melody
  • Effects-soaked guitars

"Don't Give Up"

Thin Air (2023)

Tanukichan
  • Lighthearted, motivational subject matter, unusual for shoegaze
  • Driving, danceable rhythm

"Violet Blue"

Violet Blue (2021)

Winter
One of the greatest shoegaze bands of this decade.

"High"

Big Day (2019)

Slow Pulp
  • Earthshatteringly huge wall of sound that hits hard after a long, slow intro
  • Beautiful vocals layered with huge, effects-soaked guitars
 This song truly lives up to its subject matter, because when you listen to it loud in headphones, the wall of sound hits harder than drugs. One of my favorite songs of the decade so far.

"Freak"

Girl with Fish (2023)

feeble little horse
In my opinion, feeble little horse are the epitome of 2020s shoegaze: with an uncapitalized band name, songs about furry sex, and self-indulgent noise breaks, it's clear to me that this is music that exists in a world with hyperpop. Girl with Fish is their second album, and I can't wait to hear what they come out with next.

Whew! This was really fun, and there's definitely more where that came from.

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