“You Can Only Live Once” by the Strokes: the springs of 7th and 8th grade
The rest of  the album First Impressions of Earth by the Strokes: the winters of 9th and 10th grade
Supertramp and Abba: doing chores and making up dumb little dances with my sister in the old brick house in Manchester, NH.
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb by U2: my family’s trip to Riviera Maya, Mexico for spring break of 7th grade.
“Fall Creek Boys Choir” by James Blake and Bon Iver: goofing off with my Blacber in our dorm room last year.
21 by Adele and the Ladder by Andrew Belle: Homework late at night during my senior year of high school.
the National: many things, mainly the more depressing parts of the last few years.
the Goat Rodeo Sessions: Mapping out essays on white boards with Brian last year.

Our brains link noise to memories.  For me, it has come to the point where most of the music I like is already claimed by a specific memory or feeling. “I’m sentimental if you know what I mean,” says Leonard Cohen in “Democracy,” but let’s not even go there.

X & Y by Coldplay: flying to Seattle for the first time.
The Silversun Pickups: turning any summer car ride into a joy ride through Western Michigan.

It used to be that I would just know what to listen to, but now, not always.  I need to start listening to new music.