<![CDATA[Key Spins]]>https://spins.keyspins.comhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!19Nx!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F202fdf81-c1a3-44fe-8e28-2b0d2bb15ba1_1000x1000.pngKey Spinshttps://spins.keyspins.comSubstackTue, 07 Apr 2026 05:25:34 GMT<![CDATA[Key Years: 2025]]>https://spins.keyspins.com/p/key-years-2025https://spins.keyspins.com/p/key-years-2025Wed, 31 Dec 2025 20:20:57 GMT

As part of our Key Years series we present The Current Year 2025. We had no trouble compiling a playlist of our favorite songs from this year, in fact, we had trouble culling it down to 60 songs.

We have also each selected our top 3 songs from this playlist.

Robert:
Gorillaz’s “The Happy Dictator” is a strong, upbeat, catchy, synth-pop tune with deceptive depth, blending ironic, dystopian political commentary with a hopeful, escapist vibe, reminiscent of Plastic Beach. This has been a breath of fresh air upon every listen and the collaboration with Sparks is absolutely brilliant!

“Is It Now?” from Automatic is their best album yet. The track “Black Box” begins the album’s “deviant pop” that effectively blends post-punk, synth-pop, and dance-punk elements - with infectious driving basslines and stellar drumming laying a solid foundation for experimental synths.

“Sexy Clown” from Marie Davidson’s “City of Clowns” highlights her sharp, satirical electronic music that blends dark, industrial dance beats with deadpan, often hilarious lyrics critiquing club culture, technology, and modern life. She is a significant voice in electronic music and her energetic live shows showcase her production skills and stage presence.

Gregory:
HAKU, the j-rock four piece from Osaka, released their single “それしか言えない” in September of this year. The title それしか言えない (Sore Shika Ienai) translates to “That’s all I can say” and the song expresses a feeling of being at a loss for words in a complex relationship or situation. The powerful build up and satisfying, even cathartic, climax of それしか言えない mixes 90s-style shoegaze melodic guitar effects with 2000s indie pop sensibility and perhaps even Emo revival. I just can’t stop listening to it.

Wet Leg’s moisturiser is the sound of the band growing up in public, on their own terms. They’ve traded some of the minimalist post-punk spikiness for a warmer, fuzzier, and more emotionally complex alt-rock sound heavily indebted to the music they have obviously listened to, in depth. “CPR” is its explosive calling card, but the album reveals a band with greater depth, range, and ambition than their first record suggested. It’s a confident and compelling sophomore effort and my pick for best album of the year.

Stereolab is the only band to have two songs on our playlist. The first, “Aerial Troubles,” is from Instant Holograms On Metal Film, released in May 2025 and the band's first new album in 15 years. The second, "Constant And Uniform Movement Unknown," is the B-side from the September 2025 single "Fed Up With Your Job / Constant And Uniform Movement Unknown." They often release singles outside of the confines of an album and then later put them on compilations. "Constant" reaches back to one of my favorite Stereolab albums, Dots and Loops, in style and musicianship. This alone landed it in my top 3 from our playlist.

UPDATE: We actually have another artist that made it on the list twice — Kerala Dust. Here is their video as a gold star.

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How to listen to this playlist?

Click on the link below for the streaming service you sub.

Spotify
Apple Music

The Songs

  1. Heart of Gold - Fiona Apple, Heart of Gold: The Songs of Neil Young, Vol. 1 (2025-04-25)

  2. Southern Life (What It Must Be Like) - Sharon Van Etten, Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory (2025-02-07)

  3. Shovel - Deep Sea Diver, Billboard Heart (2025-02-28)

  4. Defense - Panda Bear, Sinister Grift (2025-02-28)

  5. It’s a Mirror - Perfume Genius, It’s a Mirror (2025-01-15)

  6. Last of the Sellouts - Escape-ism, Charge of the Love Brigade (2025-03-07)

  7. Cut & Rewind - Say She She, Cut & Rewind (2025-06-17)

  8. Spike Island - Pulp, More (2025-06-06)

  9. Inept Apollo - Nation of Language, Inept Apollo (2025-05-15)

  10. Run Free - Soulwax, All Systems Are Lying / Run Free (2025-07-09)

  11. Aerial Troubles - Stereolab, Instant Holograms On Metal Film (2025-05-23)

  12. Seesaw Part 1 - Edit - Crooked Man, Seesaw (2025-02-06)

  13. Sugar - NoSo, Sugar (2025-05-19)

  14. i used to live in england - supermodel*, i used to live in england (2025-06-20)

  15. Sugar On My Tongue - Tyler, The Creator, DON’T TAP THE GLASS (2025-07-21)

  16. MY TYPE - Sudan Archives, MY TYPE / YEA YEA YEA (2025-07-16)

  17. それしか言えない - Haku., それしか言えない (2025-09-10)

  18. Maisie - Kilynn Lunsford, Promiscuous Genes (2025-05-16)

  19. Black Box - Automatic, Is It Now? (2025-09-26)

  20. All That’s Solid Melts Into Air - Devon Church, All That’s Solid Melts Into Air (2025-09-29)

  21. Blurry Moon - Edit - Charlotte Gainsbourg, Blurry Moon (2025-09-19)

  22. Constant And Uniform Movement Unknown - Stereolab, Fed Up With Your Job / Constant And Uniform Movement Unknown (2025-09-12)

  23. CEO of Personal & Pleasure - Guerilla Toss, You’re Weird Now (2025-09-12)

  24. My Old Ways - Tame Impala, Deadbeat (2025-10-17)

  25. Solid - Cut Copy, Moments (2025-09-05)

  26. Sexy Clown - Marie Davidson, City Of Clowns (2025-02-28)

  27. I Believe in You - Ladytron, I Believe in You (2025-09-04)

  28. Blue Left Hand - Oracle Sisters, Divinations (2025-02-14)

  29. CPR - Wet Leg, moisturizer (2025-07-11)

  30. Stardust - Anna von Hausswolff, Stardust / The Whole Woman (2025-08-21)

  31. Rifle - The Last Dinner Party, From The Pyre (2025-10-17)

  32. UP - Danger Mouse;Black Thought;Rag’n’Bone Man, UP (2025-10-08)

  33. You’re Gonna Win - Lady Wray, Cover Girl (2025-09-26)

  34. The Happy Dictator (feat. Sparks) - Gorillaz;Sparks, The Happy Dictator (feat. Sparks) (2025-09-11)

  35. Into Dust (Still Falling) - Four Tet, Into Dust (Still Falling) (2025-06-17)

  36. Lose It Again - Hatchie, Lose It Again (2025-09-03)

  37. The Picture - Computer, Station On The Hill (2025-10-10)

  38. Change My Mind - Self Improvement, Change My Mind (2025-06-04)

  39. Wet Washing - Pigeon Dog, Wet Washing (2025-01-14)

  40. Electronic Heart - NIVEK FFORHS, Electronic Heart (2025-07-25)

  41. Wake Up Superman - James, Sit Down (7” Rough Trade Version) (2025-11-07)

  42. Breathe, Break it - Dark Chisme, Breathe, Break it (2025-06-22)

  43. PIRATE RADIO - Genesis Owusu, PIRATE RADIO (2025-09-11)

  44. UPWARDS - Ela Minus, DÍA (2025-01-17)

  45. Love In The Underground - Kerala Dust, An Echo Of Love (2025-08-22)

  46. Hit My Head All Day - Dry Cleaning, Hit My Head All Day (2025-09-29)

  47. Tell Me - Factory Floor, Tell Me (2025-07-22)

  48. Someone Else is Calling - Hercules & Love Affair;Hips & Lips, Someone Else Is Calling (2025-11-14)

  49. Bang Bien - Nightmares On Wax;Yasiin Bey;Mos Def, Bang Bien (2025-09-10)

  50. The Orb, TX - Kerala Dust, The Orb, TX (2025-06-20)

  51. Can’t Hold Us [Feat. Mwanjé] - Sampa the Great;Mwanje, Can’t Hold Us [Feat. Mwanjé] (2025-11-14)

  52. LOSE YOUR HEAD - Kelly Lee Owens, KELLY (2025-11-21)

  53. The Arcade Claw King - AAA Gripper, The Arcade Claw King (2025-04-24)

  54. Fragments - National Playboys, Fragments (2025-04-23)

  55. SEEIN’ STARS - Turnstile, NEVER ENOUGH (2025-06-06)

  56. White Horses - Wolf Alice, The Clearing (2025-08-22)

  57. Operator - Eprom, Operator (2025-11-27)

  58. Words - Big Thief, Double Infinity (2025-09-05)

  59. Straight Line Was A Lie - The Beths, Straight Line Was A Lie (2025-08-29)

  60. Somebody New - Tunde Adebimpe, Thee Black Boltz (2025-04-18)

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60 songs, 3 hours and 57 minutes

]]><![CDATA[KeySpins: The Chain #1]]>https://spins.keyspins.com/p/keyspins-the-chain-1https://spins.keyspins.com/p/keyspins-the-chain-1Sun, 09 Nov 2025 18:18:02 GMT

For this episode, we’re starting a new series: “Key Spins Chains.”

It began with a simple DJ game between Robert and Gregory, passing songs back and forth like musical whispers. Our goal was to create a thread of connection, linking tracks through people, places and things. We have linked instruments, clubs, concerts, people and anything really.

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Our first experiments were too brief—a single song felt more like a statement than a conversation. Expanding to five lost the thread, the connections becoming too diluted. But three… three was the magic number. It was just enough to establish a vibe, tell a micro-story, and pass the baton.

Thus, The Chain was born.

The rules are beautifully simple: one person adds three songs to a shared playlist. The next person listens to the final track and finds an informational bridge to their own first song, explaining the connection. From there, anything goes. The philosophy is simple: Less Rules, More Fun.

We’ve had a blast crafting these chains in private, and now we’re thrilled to introduce our very first public chain to you. We hope you enjoy listening to the connections unfold as much as we enjoyed creating them.

How to listen to this playlist?

Click on the link below for the streaming service you sub. Be sure to scroll to see the connections for each set.

Spotify - The Chain #1

Apple Music The Chain #1

Chain #1 Playlist with Connections

Slava Tsukerman - Alien’s Theme II - Liquid Sky (2019)
Broadcast - Black Cat - Tender Buttons (2005)
Automatic - Mind Your Own Business - Mind Your Own Business (2019)

R: Automatic took their name from The Go Go’s track, Automatic

The Go-Go’s - Automatic - Beauty And The Beat (1981)
Say She She - Cut & Rewind - Cut & Rewind (2025)
Stereolab - Captain Easychord - Sound-Dust (2001)

G: My connection for all three songs is former members or players with Stereolab. Your track was from Stereolab’s album Sound-Dust which was recorded in the Chicago studio, Soma, owned by John McEntire. McEntire also played on Stereolab’s Emperor Tomato Ketchup and Dots and Loops albums. He was a founding member of both Tortoise (who also recorded in Soma) and The Sea and Cake. Sean O’Hagen was a member of Stereolab in 1993 and he left to form The High Llamas.

Tortoise - Oganesson - Oganesson (2025)
The High Llamas - Hi Ball Nova Scotia - Cold And Bouncy (1998)
The Sea and Cake - Sound & Vision - One Bedroom (2003)

R: Sound and Vision cover of Bowie’s original. My connecting track is from that same album, followed by two tracks from English bands that sound a lot like Bowie.

David Bowie - Speed of Life - Low (1977)
The Fortunes - Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again - The Very Best (2015)
The Hollies - The Air That I Breathe - Hollies (1974)

G: Gram Nash cofounder of The Hollie’s added his distinctive voice to this A-Ha song.

a-ha - Over The Treetops - Analogue (2005)
The Church - Columbus - Heyday (1985)
Tracy Chapman - Fast Car - Tracy Chapman (1988)

R: Tracy Chapman was a stand in for Stevie Wonder at Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday Concert. The other two artists in this set also performed for that same event.

Stevie Wonder - You Haven’t Done Nothin’ - The Definitive Collection (2002)
Eurythmics - Love Is a Stranger - Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) (1983)
Fun Boy Three - Our Lips Are Sealed - Waiting (1983)

G: The Specials are directly related to Fun Boy Three because Fun Boy Three was formed by three ex-members of The Specials: Terry Hall, Lynval Golding, and Neville Staple.

The Specials - Nite Klub - The Specials (1979)
The Beat - Can’t Get Used to Losing You - I Just Can’t Stop It (1980)
The Clash - Ivan Meets G.I. Joe - Sandinista! (1980)

R: The Clash made their second public appearance along with the Buzzcocks-both opening for the sex pistols. 1976 I think.

Buzzcocks - Why Can’t I Touch It? - Singles Going Steady (1979)
Talk Talk - Life’s What You Make It - The Colour of Spring (1986)
Book Of Love - I Touch Roses - Book Of Love (1986)

G: Book of Love hung out in NYC disco Danceteria as did Squeeze, The Cult, Certain General and Gregory!! Certain General actually played at Danceteria and they used the procedes to record November’s Heat.

Squeeze - Tempted - Greatest Hits (1992)
The Cult - Spiritwalker - Dreamtime (2024)
Certain General - Only a Dream - November’s Heat (2010)

R: Certain General opened for many bands, like New Order and Gang of Four.

Gang of Four - The History Of The World - Songs of the Free (1982)
Dead Can Dance - The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove - Into the Labyrinth (1993)
Blancmange - I Can’t Explain - Happy Families (1982)

Can you think of a song to link with Blancmange - I Can’t Explain? Leave a comment with the connection.

Leave a comment

The Data Below

30 songs, about 1 hr 45 min

Genre’s in this chain: electroclash, dream pop, neo-psychedelic, shoegaze, post-punk, egg punk, new wave, retro soul, art pop, krautrock, post-rock, math rock, slowcore, baroque pop, glam rock, motown, classic soul, soul, ska, rocksteady, ska punk, punk, proto-punk, madchester, power pop, synthpop, darkwave, gothic rock, neoclassical, deathrock, new age, cold wave, hard rock, glam metal, funk rock, jangle pop

More connections (not in chain):

  • The Specials’ guitarist and songwriter Lynval Golding provided backing vocals on The Beat’s classic track “Stand Down Margaret,” directly linking the two 2-Tone era bands.

  • Stereolab and Broadcast not only shared the Warp Records roster but also released a split single together in 1998, featuring the tracks “One Note Sway” and “The Southern” respectively.

  • Buzzcocks’ frontman Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto previously formed the band The Buzzcocks together, before Devoto left to form Magazine, a direct post-punk contemporary of Gang of Four.

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]]><![CDATA[Key Spins: Top 20 x 2]]>https://spins.keyspins.com/p/key-spins-top-20-x-2https://spins.keyspins.com/p/key-spins-top-20-x-2Mon, 27 Oct 2025 01:44:00 GMT

This time we decided to gather our Top 20 Albums of all time. These albums, of course, change over time but these are the lists as of today. We enjoyed making these and there were so many great albums in the Top 30, 40, and 50. We found it interesting how few albums were in both lists as we have been sharing and enjoying music together for so many years.

Below, you’ll find our absolute Top 20 Albums of all Time. The list begins with Gregory’s top twenty and is followed by Robert’s top twenty. Gregory’s is ordered as ranked while Robert’s is mixed independant of rank.

There are only two albums that made it on to both lists: Talking Heads - Remain in Light and Everything but the Girl’s debut. Cocteau Twins had different albums on both lists.

How to listen to this playlist?

Click on the link below for the streaming service you sub.

Spotify Top 20 x 2

Apple Music Top 20 x 2

We would love to see your Top Albums in the comments or Notes.

Leave a comment

Gregory’s Top 20 Albums

  1. Slowdive – Souvlaki

  2. Cocteau Twins – Treasure

  3. Portishead – Dummy

  4. Stereolab – Emperor Tomato Ketchup

  5. XTC – English Settlement

  6. The Smiths – Meat Is Murder

  7. Steely Dan – The Royal Scam

  8. The Specials – The Specials

  9. Minutemen – Double Nickels on the Dime

  10. Talking Heads – Remain in Light

  11. Broadcast – Tender Buttons

  12. Boards of Canada – Music Has The Right To Children

  13. The Psychedelic Furs – Talk Talk Talk

  14. The Blue Nile – Hats

  15. The Cardigans – Emmerdale

  16. Everything But The Girl – Everything But The Girl

  17. Tahiti 80 – Puzzle

  18. The Clash – Sandinista!

  19. Yo La Tengo – I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One

  20. Echo & the Bunnymen – Songs to Learn & Sing

Robert’s Top 20 Albums

  1. Aphex Twin – *Selected Ambient Works 85-92*

  2. Kraftwerk – The Man-Machine

  3. David Bowie – Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)

  4. The B-52’s – *The B-52’s*

  5. Frank Zappa – Over-Nite Sensation

  6. The Fall – The Wonderful And Frightening World Of....

  7. DEVO – Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!

  8. Django Django – Django Django

  9. Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy

  10. Depeche Mode – Music for the Masses

  11. Talking Heads – Remain in Light

  12. Interpol – Turn On The Bright Lights

  13. Joy Division – Closer

  14. Cocteau Twins – Garlands

  15. Underworld – Dubnobasswithmyheadman

  16. New Order – Power, Corruption & Lies

  17. Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)

  18. The The – Soul Mining

  19. Everything But The Girl – Everything But The Girl

  20. Yazoo – Upstairs At Eric’s

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The Data Below: A Tale of Two Tastes

Below is the opinion of a machine inteligence which can’t listen to music at all. It is reacting to it’s training on websites data and musical knowledge databases.

Looking at the data from your selections reveals some fascinating, albeit preliminary, patterns that highlight your distinct musical personalities.

Gregory’s Palette: His list leans into more textured and atmospheric sounds. The average Danceability of his picks is moderately low, and the Energy is varied, but he shows a clear affinity for high Instrumentalness. Tracks from Slowdive, Boards of Canada, and Stereolab score exceptionally high in this attribute, indicating a preference for soundscapes and musical layers over lyrical focus. The strong presence of Dream Pop and Shoegaze genres supports this observation. His list feels like a curated, introspective journey.

Robert’s Pulse: Robert’s selections are driven by rhythm and beat. His list has a significantly higher average Energy and a strong pull towards Danceability. The data is brimming with genres like New Wave, Synthpop, and Post-Punk—all styles rooted in danceable rhythms. While there are experimental picks (like Aphex Twin), the overall trend points to a collection that is physically engaging, upbeat, and rhythmically complex.

In essence, the data suggests a compelling contrast: Gregory provides the heady, atmospheric soundtrack for deep thought, while Robert brings the infectious, rhythmic energy for movement. Together, it makes for a perfectly balanced and dynamic playlist.

This response is AI-generated, for reference only.

]]><![CDATA[Key Spins: Key Trips (Night) ]]>https://spins.keyspins.com/p/key-spins-key-trips-nighthttps://spins.keyspins.com/p/key-spins-key-trips-nightMon, 01 Sep 2025 18:09:54 GMT

The dashboard glowed a soft blue as the wipers kept time with the rhythm of the rain. Outside, the world blurred into streaks of neon and shadow—streetlights stretching like liquid gold across the wet asphalt.

While Key Spins: Trips (Day) was about open roads, driving beats and fun lyrics, about the music imprinting on the scenary, Night is about the smearing of dark and artificial light, about rain and the moon at night, and the music that makes this the best canvas.

Rain demands The Blue Nile. It’s science.

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Rain falls. Windows blur. The interior lights, orange with electricity, and the dancers in pas de bourrée drip with the rain on the corner studio flying by. Lightning cracks. Thunder roars. Both in time, like their footsteps, signal minimal distance to the strike. Song starts. Synths rise. Drive like an eagle my friend.

How to listen to this playlist?

Click on the link below for the streaming service you sub. This two part episode and other longer playlists will not have a YouTube playlist.

Apple Music Playlist
Spotify Playlist

The Songs

Bring your rain coat. Here are the 50 songs for your night drive.

  1. Steve Miller Band – Space Intro

  2. Steve Miller Band – Fly Like An Eagle

  3. The Avalanches, Rivers Cuomo, Pink Siifu – Running Red Lights

  4. SPARKLING, Digitalism – Keep Running

  5. Clan of Xymox – A Day

  6. M83 – We Own The Sky

  7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Perfume Genius – Spitting Off the Edge of the World

  8. Ladytron – Flicking Your Switch

  9. Julee Cruise – Rockin' Back Inside My Heart

  10. The Doors – Riders on the Storm

  11. 10cc – I'm Not In Love

  12. Uriah Heep – Stealin'

  13. The Jesus and Mary Chain – Just Like Honey

  14. The Psychedelic Furs – Heartbreak Beat

  15. The Lone Bellow – Honey

  16. Future Islands – Back in the Tall Grass

  17. The War On Drugs, Lucius – I Don't Live Here Anymore

  18. The 1975 – Somebody Else

  19. Brian Eno, John Cale – Spinning Away

  20. The Knife – Heartbeats

  21. Cocteau Twins – Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops

  22. Amon Tobin – Slowly

  23. Section 25 – Looking from a Hilltop (Megamix)

  24. Aphex Twin – Windowlicker

  25. Trentemøller – Evil Dub

  26. Tricky, Martina Topley-Bird – Hell Is Round The Corner

  27. Red House Painters – Medicine Bottle

  28. Kepler – I'm a Parade

  29. The Blue Nile – Let's Go Out Tonight

  30. Andy Bell – madder lake deep

  31. The Church – Under the Milky Way

  32. Washed Out – Eyes Be Closed

  33. Interpol – Untitled

  34. my bloody valentine – Sometimes

  35. Wolfsheim – Kein Zurück

  36. Vampire Sound Inc., Sigi Schwab, Manfred Hübler – The Lions and the Cucumber

  37. Jean-Pierre Mirouze – Sexopolis

  38. Echo & the Bunnymen – Back of Love

  39. Siouxsie and the Banshees – Spellbound

  40. Tame Impala – New Person Same Old Mistakes

  41. ODESZA, MARO – Better Now

  42. Soulwax – Run Free

  43. Tahiti 80 – Lost in the Sound

  44. Classixx – Holding On

  45. Underworld – and the colour red

  46. Tone Of Arc – Goodbye Horses

  47. Steely Dan – Deacon Blues

  48. Chromatics – Shadow

  49. The Cars – Drive

  50. Pink Floyd – Breathe (In the Air)

Miss Part 1? See Key Spins: Key Trips (Day)

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]]><![CDATA[Key Spins: Key Trips (Day)]]>https://spins.keyspins.com/p/key-trips-dayhttps://spins.keyspins.com/p/key-trips-dayMon, 01 Sep 2025 18:08:42 GMT

Key Spins: Key Trips (Day)

When I(Gregory) was nine, my family took its only vacation—crammed into our Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser for the eternal crawl from Ohio to Florida. Two or three days of asphalt, questionable motel pools, and a single 8-track tape to sustain us.

I don’t remember what that 8-track was…

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Okay, fine. I could never, ever forget what that 8-track was, as it was Carole King’s Tapestry. On loop. For approximately 9,000 plays. By the time we hit Georgia, the 8-track’s mechanical clunk—always mid-song, felt like a taunt. (Oh, you like this chorus? Too bad. CLUNK. Here’s Side 2 again.)

To this day, if I hear It’s Too Late or I Feel the Earth Move, I’m instantly transported: knees stuck to vinyl seats, looking out of those Vista Windows and taking in the tall Florida Cumulonimbus clouds.

This is why we made Key Trips (Day).

Day-drive music shouldn’t be a hostage situation. It should be windows-down, air guitar–worthy, mile-munching anthems—50 of them, no repeats, and zero 8-track clunks. Songs for cornfield hypnosis, skyline dopamine, and convincing you that, yes, this is the fun part.

Seat belts on. This is Part 1 of our road-trip survival guide.

How to listen to this playlist?

Click on the link below for the streaming service you sub. This two part episode and other longer playlists will not have a YouTube playlist.

Apple Music Playlist
Spotify Playlist

The Songs

Pack the car, pair your BlueTooth and let the music imprint on the scenary.

  1. XTC – Respectable Street

  2. The Clash – Train in Vain (Stand by Me)

  3. Dinosaur Jr. – Feel the Pain

  4. X – The New World

  5. The Cars – Good Times Roll

  6. Doves – Catch The Sun

  7. Swervedriver – Rave Down

  8. PJ Harvey – Down By The Water

  9. Courtney Barnett – Avant Gardener

  10. The Cardigans – Daddy's Car

  11. Lloyd Cole and the Commotions – Rattlesnakes

  12. Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians – My Wife and My Dead Wife

  13. Pinkshinyultrablast – Holy Forest

  14. Stereolab – Melodie Is A Wound

  15. Broadcast – Black Cat

  16. The American Analog Set – Cool Kids Keep

  17. The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Straight Up And Down

  18. America – Ventura Highway

  19. Talking Heads – This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)

  20. Supertramp – Goodbye Stranger

  21. Broken Bells – Vaporize

  22. Say She She – Astral Plane

  23. Erykah Badu – Back In The Day

  24. Snoop Dogg – Gin and Juice

  25. Cibo Matto – Sugar Water

  26. St Germain – Sure Thing

  27. Pinback – Tripoli

  28. Yo La Tengo – Autumn Sweater

  29. Pavement – Here

  30. American Football – The Summer Ends

  31. War – Summer

  32. Us3 – Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)

  33. Paul Simon – I Know What I Know

  34. The English Beat – Save It for Later

  35. Sniff 'n' The Tears – Driver's Seat

  36. Iggy Pop – The Passenger

  37. Django Django – Default

  38. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Learning To Fly

  39. Pulp – Spike Island

  40. Boards of Canada – Roygbiv

  41. Kraftwerk – Trans-Europe Express

  42. Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down Again

  43. Tones On Tail – Go!

  44. New Order – Bizarre Love Triangle

  45. Oracle Sisters – Blue Left Hand

  46. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Red Right Hand

  47. The Cure – And Nothing Is Forever

  48. Yazoo – Situation

  49. Ladytron – Soft Power

  50. Cocteau Twins – A Kissed Out Red Floatboat

See Part 2 Key Spins: Key Trips (Night)

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]]><![CDATA[Key Years: 1994]]>https://spins.keyspins.com/p/key-years-1994https://spins.keyspins.com/p/key-years-1994Mon, 07 Jul 2025 03:42:28 GMT

Rewiring the Future

In the history of music, there are these rare clusters of creativity—years when the underground bubbles over, genres collide, and the mainstream scrambles to catch up. Some years don’t just have great music—they rewire the future. 1994 was one of those years.

Grunge had conquered the mainstream, but its victory was short-lived. By April, Kurt Cobain was gone, and the term "Alternative" had been stretched to meaninglessness—applied to everything from punk to trip-hop. Yet in the shadow of flannel’s hangover, something remarkable happened: music got weirder, wilder, and more definitely unique.

As record labels scrambled to sign the next Nirvana, artists across the spectrum seized the moment. Hip-hop was mutating into new shapes, electronic music was creeping out of the raves and into living rooms, and indie rock was just sharpening its hooks. Meanwhile, pop was busy pilfering from all of them.

This playlist is a time capsule of that moment. You won’t find Smells here. Instead, these are the songs that ignored the rules, blurred genres, and quietly built the next decade.

Why 1994 Still Resonates

Because it was the last gasp before the internet flattened everything. In 1994 there was no Google. Yahoo! Was the front of the burgeoning internet and AOL hadn’t yet spoiled everything. In music, it was a year of daring eclecticism—where trip-hop, shoegaze, Britpop, and avant-rap could coexist without algorithms forcing them into boxes. These songs didn’t just soundtrack the year; they became blueprints for what came next.

Press play. Let the hiss of tape, the crunch of samplers, and the ghosts of the analog world remind you: great music doesn’t follow trends—it, like a comet smashing into Jupiter, upends them.

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How to listen to this playlist?

This episode we have the same list of songs but Robert ordered one playlist and Gregory ordered another. Same list, two different playlist orders for a contrasting contextual listening experience. Leave a comment about which order you liked the best.

Click on the link below for the streaming service you sub. Youtube always works for everyone but they don’t have the best selection compared to dedicated music streamers. For the Youtube playlist we try to link official video or live video of the song.

The Songs

These playlists aren’t just a time capsule—they’re a counter-narrative. While flannel still dominated the airwaves, these songs were busy carving out new futures. If our playlists take you back to 1994 - buy some Apple stock

Gregory Order:

  1. Portishead – Glory Box

  2. Massive Attack – Karmacoma

  3. Everything But The Girl – Missing

  4. Underworld – Dark & Long

  5. The Future Sound of London – Lifeforms

  6. Autechre – Montreal

  7. The Cardigans – Over the Water

  8. The High Llamas – Up in the Hills

  9. Stereolab – Ping Pong

  10. American Music Club – I Broke My Promise

  11. TOWA TEI – TECHNOVA

  12. Digable Planets – 9th Wonder (Blackitolism)

  13. Beastie Boys & Q-Tip – Get It Together

  14. MC 900 Ft. Jesus – If I Only Had a Brain

  15. Beck – Loser

  16. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Do You Love Me?

  17. The Cramps – Ultra Twist

  18. The Fall – Behind the Counter

  19. Sonic Youth – Bull in the Heather

  20. The Breeders – Cannonball

  21. Pavement – Cut Your Hair

  22. Soul Coughing – Sugar Free Jazz

  23. Slowdive – Souvlaki Space Station

  24. The Sea and Cake – Jacking the Ball

  25. Lush – Lovelife

  26. Elastica – Connection

  27. Blur – Girls & Boys

  28. Oasis – Supersonic

  29. Radiohead – My Iron Lung

  30. Nine Inch Nails – Closer

  31. Jamiroquai – Space Cowboy

  32. The Brand New Heavies – Dream On Dreamer

  33. Saint Etienne – Cool Kids of Death

  34. Erasure – Always

  35. TLC – Creep

Robert’s Order:

  1. The Future Sound of London – Lifeforms

  2. Autechre – Montreal

  3. Underworld – Dark & Long (Remastered)

  4. Saint Etienne – Cool Kids of Death

  5. The Fall – Behind the Counter

  6. Elastica – Connection

  7. Lush – Lovelife

  8. American Music Club – I Broke My Promise

  9. The High Llamas – Up in the Hills

  10. The Sea and Cake – Jacking the Ball

  11. Sonic Youth – Bull in the Heather

  12. The Breeders – Cannonball

  13. The Cramps – Ultra Twist

  14. Beck – Loser

  15. Pavement – Cut Your Hair

  16. Soul Coughing – Sugar Free Jazz

  17. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Do You Love Me?

  18. Blur – Girls & Boys

  19. Stereolab – Ping Pong

  20. The Cardigans – Over the Water

  21. Slowdive – Souvlaki Space Station

  22. Massive Attack – Karmacoma

  23. Digable Planets – 9th Wonder (Blackitolism)

  24. Nine Inch Nails – Closer

  25. Portishead – Glory Box

  26. Oasis – Supersonic

  27. Radiohead – My Iron Lung

  28. MC 900 Ft. Jesus – If I Only Had a Brain

  29. Beastie Boys & Q-Tip – Get It Together

  30. TOWA TEI – TECHNOVA

  31. Everything But The Girl – Missing (2013 Remaster)

  32. Jamiroquai – Space Cowboy

  33. TLC – Creep

  34. The Brand New Heavies – Dream On Dreamer

  35. Erasure – Always

Until the next one.

— Gregory and Robert

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The Data Below:

35 songs - 2 Hours 41 Minutes

Genres:

  1. Trip Hop Trip Hop (incl. Downtempo)

  2. IDM / Experimental Electronica (Glitch, Ambient, Breakbeat)

  3. Shibuya-Kei (Baroque Pop, Art Pop)

  4. Jazz Rap / East Coast Hip-Hop

  5. Acid Jazz / Jazz Funk

  6. Psychobilly (Rockabilly, Horror Punk)

  7. Post-Punk (Proto-Punk, Cold Wave)

  8. Noise Rock / Alternative Rock

  9. Shoegaze / Dream Pop

  10. Slowcore

  11. Post-Rock

  12. Britpop (Madchester, Alternative Dance)

  13. Industrial (Rock, Metal)

Average Song Length: 4 Minutes 33 Seconds
Average BPM: 121.31 (WTF it’s the exact same as our previous playlist)
Dancability: 58.4%
Energy: 68.4%

Criteria and Methodology
For this playlist Robert and Gregory both submitted songs released in 1994. They agreed on the list, removed 1 song that didn’t fit and then decided to keep the same list but each order a separate playlist. So this time we get double the playlists.

]]><![CDATA[Sex (I'm A...)]]>https://spins.keyspins.com/p/sex-im-ahttps://spins.keyspins.com/p/sex-im-aSun, 01 Jun 2025 17:04:19 GMT
Photo: Orgy by Robert Metzger

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"Sex, Synths, and Subtlety (Not Really)"

Decades ago, when we were spinning records at clubs and a college radio station, we didn’t have dating apps or twitter—we had mix tapes and MOOD LIGHTING. How did you let that special someone know you were into them without awkwardly stammering it out? You cued up a song like Give It To Me Baby by Rick James or Pull Up To The Bumper by Grace Jones and let the music do the talking.

This playlist is a time capsule of not-so-subtle seduction, the kind that could either:

  • Sparks fly ("Oh, you get it"), or

  • Land you in the friend zone forever ("Wait, did you just play I Wanna Be Your Dog at me?").

A mix tape with Sex (I’m A...) or Sexy Boy was the 1980s equivalent of sliding into DMs—or, if we’re being honest, the infinitely more tasteful version of a dick pic. These tracks ooze sweat, leather, and synth-laden confidence, perfect for:

  • Dancing (or "dancing"),

  • Nostalgic flirting, or

  • Pretending you’re in a John Hughes movie.

So hit play, turn the lights down, and let the real soundtrack of desire do the work. (No guarantees, but your success rate will at least be higher than a Winklevoss-era Facebook poke.)

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How to listen to this playlist?

Click on the link below for the streaming service you sub. Youtube always works for everyone but they don’t have the best selection compared to dedicated music streamers. For the Youtube playlist we try to link official video or live video of the song. You could also jump to the Here are the songs section and click the Spotify links for individual songs.

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Here are the songs:


Sex (I'm A...) – Berlin
Pleasure Victim | Geffen, 10/01/1982

I Feel Love (12" Version) – Donna Summer
Bad Girls (Deluxe Edition) | Island Def Jam, 04/25/1979

You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) – Dead Or Alive
Evolution: The Hits | Epic, 01/01/1983

Behind the Wheel – Depeche Mode
Music for the Masses (Deluxe) | Venusnote Ltd., 09/28/1987

Sexy Boy – Air
Moon Safari | Parlophone France, 01/16/1998

Head – Prince
Dirty Mind | Rhino/Warner Records, 10/08/1980

Bad Girls – M.I.A.
Matangi | Interscope, 01/01/2013

Desire (Come and Get It) – Gene Loves Jezebel
Discover | Beggars Banquet, 01/01/1985

Need You Tonight – INXS
Kick | Rhino Atlantic, 01/01/1987

Give It To Me Baby – Rick James
Street Songs (Deluxe Edition) | Motown, 04/07/1981

Love Rollercoaster – Ohio Players
Honey | Mercury Records, 08/16/1975

Obsession – Animotion
Obsession: The Best Of Animotion | Island Mercury, 01/01/1996

Pull Up To The Bumper – Grace Jones
Nightclubbing | Island Records, 01/01/1981

SexyBack (feat. Timbaland) – Justin Timberlake
FutureSex/LoveSounds | Jive, 09/12/2006

I Wanna Be Your Dog – The Stooges
The Stooges | Rhino/Elektra, 01/01/1969

All I Want – The Cure
Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me | UMC, 01/01/1987

Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? – Revolting Cocks
Linger Ficken' Good... | Reprise, 01/01/1993

Get It On (Bang a Gong) – The Power Station
The Power Station | Parlophone UK, 01/01/1985

Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin
Mothership (Remastered) | Rhino Atlantic, 01/01/2007

Never Say Never – Romeo Void
Warm, In Your Coat | Columbia/Legacy, 01/01/1981

Until the next one.

— Gregory and Robert

The Data Below:

20 songs, 1 hour and 42 minutes

Genres:
Proto-punk, Punk, Garage Rock, Disco, Hi-nrg, Soul, Classic Soul, Funk, Synthpop, New Wave, Darkwave, Funk Rock, Motown, Art Pop, Post-punk, Gothic Rock, Trip Hop, Downtempo, Industrial, Industrial Metal, Industrial Rock, Ebm, Deathrock, Classic Rock, Rock, Hard Rock, Rock And Roll

Average song length: 4 minutes 50 seconds (long!)
Average BPM: 121.31
Danceability: 64% 1
Energy: 77% 2

Chart of songs per decade. hint: it's mostly 80s
Chart of where the bands for the songs in the playlist are from. Hint: Mostly US and GB with 1 each from Austrailia and France.

Criteria and Methodology
For this playlist Robert and Gregory both submitted songs on the theme. They then +1’d the songs of the other’s. They selected all the songs selected by both to end up with a final list to select from. They also allowed 1 song each which wasn’t +1’d and grouped songs by sound or lyric or style or beat and started making the list. The playlist was started with the title song and went from there. A final check was done of all the transitions and moved a few around.

In the comments please guess which songs were not +1’d and how many (hint: more than 2) with extra credit for which of us.

Thanks for listening to Key Spins! Subscribe for free to receive new playlists in your email. They won’t be too often.

1

Danceability describes how suitable a track is for dancing based on a combination of musical elements including tempo, rhythm stability, beat strength, and overall regularity.

2

Typically, energetic tracks feel fast, loud, and noisy. For example, death metal has high energy, while a Bach prelude scores low on the scale. Perceptual features contributing to this attribute include dynamic range, perceived loudness, timbre, onset rate, and general entropy.

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