Essays

Grace Lilly
Jan 27, 2024
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People from all around the world share personal stories about the songs that changed their lives 🤯

✨New entries every Friday✨

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No. 073 - Ali Sethi & Shae Gill’s “Pasoori” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
Jan 17
No. 073 - Ali Sethi & Shae Gill’s “Pasoori” changed my life

Salena Malhotra on the 1947 Partition of India, ancestral stories never fully told, and the invisible borders we cross in search of self

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No. 072 - Orange Juice’s “Rip It Up” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
Jan 10
No. 072 - Orange Juice’s “Rip It Up” changed my life

Sal Kimura dances with hope and finds transformation in the face of destruction

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No. 071 - Nick Drake’s “Road” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
Jan 3
No. 071 - Nick Drake’s “Road” changed my life

A rotting picnic table, the Grand Tetons, and a secret stash of film reels under the stairs — Josh Cohen assembles memories of his grandfather

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No. 070 - The Menzingers’ “Gates” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
December 20, 2024
No. 070 - The Menzingers’ “Gates” changed my life

A prescient shower thought and a fateful phone call — how James Barrett's teenage dream came true

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No. 069 - Incognito’s “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
December 13, 2024
No. 069 - Incognito’s “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” changed my life

🌸 A Grace favorite

As Karabo Lediga's childhood home fades away, the radio sends a message of hope and comfort

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No. 068 - Bob Seger’s “Night Moves” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
December 6, 2024
No. 068 - Bob Seger’s “Night Moves” changed my life

From riding shotgun with her dad to road trips with friends, Laura Frizzell talks big love, good sadness, and treasuring life's great adventures and little beauties

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No. 067 - Built To Spill’s “Time Trap” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
November 29, 2024
No. 067 - Built To Spill’s “Time Trap” changed my life

When Tom D'Agustino got high on friendship (and weed) at the baseball field behind his house

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No. 066 - WITCH’s “Mashed Potatoe” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
November 22, 2024
No. 066 - WITCH’s “Mashed Potatoe” changed my life

The 70s Zamrock song that Mwandwe Chileshe didn't believe was real

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No. 065 - Operation Ivy’s “Knowledge” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
November 15, 2024
No. 065 - Operation Ivy’s “Knowledge” changed my life

A mixtape, a compilation CD, and a mythical fanmail response — how a teenage Greg Lindquist became a punk for life

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No. 064 - Vinnie Caruana’s “Somehow the World Keeps Turning” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
November 8, 2024
No. 064 - Vinnie Caruana’s “Somehow the World Keeps Turning” changed my life

The song that found Matthew Welch in the stockroom of a Target

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No. 063 - Scott McKenzie’s “San Francisco” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
November 1, 2024
No. 063 - Scott McKenzie’s “San Francisco” changed my life

🌸 A Grace favorite

The Prague Spring, Soviet invasion, and hopeful emigration — how a Czech film set in 1968 changed Gabi Cinkova as a child in the early 2000s

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No. 062 - Ani DiFranco’s “Evolve” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
October 25, 2024
No. 062 - Ani DiFranco’s “Evolve” changed my life

Yonina Hoffman takes us back to 2004 and talks 20 years of evolution

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No. 061 - John Frusciante’s “My Smile Is a Rifle” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
October 18, 2024
No. 061 - John Frusciante’s “My Smile Is a Rifle” changed my life

As a teen, Paul Smirl's synesthesia led him to chase down colorful sounds he could see

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No. 060 - Koven's “Gold” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
October 11, 2024
No. 060 - Koven's “Gold” changed my life

The song that reminds Morgan Wessner that she carries angels within

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No. 059 - Los Lobos' “Saint Behind the Glass” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
October 4, 2024
No. 059 - Los Lobos' “Saint Behind the Glass” changed my life

Immigrating, serendipity, and the virtuosic sounds that showed John Tsung what was possible

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No. 058 - Tom Odell's “Sparrow” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
September 27, 2024
No. 058 - Tom Odell's “Sparrow” changed my life

The night Ezekiel Decker surrendered to life's uncertainty

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No. 057 - Lush’s “De-Luxe” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
September 20, 2024
No. 057 - Lush’s “De-Luxe” changed my life

Dani Laundry levels up from Guitar Hero extraordinaire to real-life musician

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No. 056 - The So So Glos’ “Isn't It A Shame” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
September 13, 2024
No. 056 - The So So Glos’ “Isn't It A Shame” changed my life

Why Ben Godward always shows up for the openers

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No. 055 - Bob Marley and the Wailers’ “Is This Love” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
September 6, 2024
No. 055 - Bob Marley and the Wailers’ “Is This Love” changed my life

The love song that hit Christian Banda like a freight train when he was a child

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No. 054 - Paramore’s “Misery Business” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
August 30, 2024
No. 054 - Paramore’s “Misery Business” changed my life

🏆 A top-read essay

Diana Filar reexamines her past disdain for a 2007 chart-topper

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No. 053 - Sum 41’s “The Hell Song” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
August 23, 2024
No. 053 - Sum 41’s “The Hell Song” changed my life

🌸 A Grace favorite

Record shops, album art, and the song that cracked Nick D'Agostino open

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No. 052 - The Beatles’ “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
August 16, 2024
No. 052 - The Beatles’ “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” changed my life

A sixth-grade music class gone rogue and the unusual song structure Jason Matu aspires to emulate

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No. 051 - 311’s “Love Song” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
August 9, 2024
No. 051 - 311’s “Love Song” changed my life

The couple danced, the baby slept, the parents split, and Devon Balfour found new meaning in a cover of a love song

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No. 050 - Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
August 2, 2024
No. 050 - Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” changed my life

🌸 A Grace favorite
🏆 A top-read essay

MJ Sieber's family odyssey, set to the sounds of Graceland

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No. 049 - My Brightest Diamond’s “That Point When” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
July 26, 2024
No. 049 - My Brightest Diamond’s “That Point When” changed my life

Derek Piotr revisits and reworks a track that fuels his soul

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No. 048 - Jackson Browne’s “Something Fine” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
July 19, 2024
No. 048 - Jackson Browne’s “Something Fine” changed my life

🏆 A top-read essay

Homeschool, oldies radio, and a vision of Brandon Madsen's future

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No. 047 - The Strokes’ “12:51” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
July 12, 2024
No. 047 - The Strokes’ “12:51” changed my life

Suburban teendom and the song that made Sam Banellis want to move to New York

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No. 046 - Built to Spill's “Car” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
July 5, 2024
No. 046 - Built to Spill's “Car” changed my life

A declaration of love and a change of plans on the Fourth of July, by Michael Hoolihan

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No. 045 - The Band's “It Makes No Difference” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
June 28, 2024
No. 045 - The Band's “It Makes No Difference” changed my life

The vivid, aching love song (and performance) that Eric Reichbaum keeps coming back to 25 years later

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No. 044 - Raveena's “Time Flies” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
June 21, 2024
No. 044 - Raveena's “Time Flies” changed my life

The song that reminds Kathryn Curtis that the cost of love is worth it

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No. 043 - Fred again..'s “Kyle (i found you)” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
June 14, 2024
No. 043 - Fred again..'s “Kyle (i found you)” changed my life

🏆 A top-read essay

Thato Noinyane's big crush, aha moment, and "Year of Being Brave"

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No. 042 - Van Morrison's “Caravan” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
June 7, 2024
No. 042 - Van Morrison's “Caravan” changed my life

🌸 A Grace favorite

Fateful friendship, heart-shattering loss, and the farewell concert clip that Joe Kubler returns to time and again

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No. 041 - Sixpence None the Richer's “Kiss Me” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
May 31, 2024
No. 041 - Sixpence None the Richer's “Kiss Me” changed my life

When Shannon Egan's life changed, this song changed with her

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No. 040 - “Mother Sent Me to the Store” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
May 24, 2024
No. 040 - “Mother Sent Me to the Store” changed my life

🌸 A Grace favorite

A mother-son hunt for a missing song that Duane Lauginiger swears is real

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No. 039 - Vampire Weekend's “Hannah Hunt” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
May 17, 2024
No. 039 - Vampire Weekend's “Hannah Hunt” changed my life

🏆 A top-read essay

Lyrics as literature and Jonathan Rooke's decade-long friendship ritual

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No. 038 - Arthur Russell's “Soon-to-Be Innocent Fun/Let's See” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
May 10, 2024
No. 038 - Arthur Russell's “Soon-to-Be Innocent Fun/Let's See” changed my life

Photographer Olivia Locher on the overheard song that she now holds most dear

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No. 037 - Pinegrove's “Aphasia” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
May 3, 2024
No. 037 - Pinegrove's “Aphasia” changed my life

Loneliness, a dream trip to Ireland, and the lyrics that made an age-old lesson click for Stone Deal

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No. 036 - Cécile McLorin Salvant's “Thunderclouds” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
April 26, 2024
No. 036 - Cécile McLorin Salvant's “Thunderclouds” changed my life

🏆 A top-read essay

Poet Elaine Bleakney is walking, wondering, and befriending this song this spring

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No. 035 - Taylor Swift's “Love Story” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
April 19, 2024
No. 035 - Taylor Swift's “Love Story” changed my life

🌸 A Grace favorite

Middle school bullies, the Great Recession, and the song that helped Brinna Feist escape it all

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No. 034 - Gal Costa's “Baby” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
April 12, 2024
No. 034 - Gal Costa's “Baby” changed my life

Oren Peleg's letter to a past lover

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No. 033 - Sublime's “What I Got” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
April 5, 2024
No. 033 - Sublime's “What I Got” changed my life

🌸 A Grace favorite

Meghan Mae on a deep, enduring friendship and a Y2K West Coast anthem

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No. 032 - Willie Nelson's “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
March 29, 2024
No. 032 - Willie Nelson's “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” changed my life

Award-winning author DW Gibson found clarity in a shuffled CD mix in the early 2000s

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No. 031 - Dead Man's Bones’ “My Body’s a Zombie for You” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
March 22, 2024
No. 031 - Dead Man's Bones’ “My Body’s a Zombie for You” changed my life

🌸 A Grace favorite
🏆 A top-read essay

When you know, you know. The spooky, sweet song that affirmed Lee Havlicek's intuition.

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No. 030 - Roy Orbison's “You Got It” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
March 15, 2024
No. 030 - Roy Orbison's “You Got It” changed my life

🏆 A top-read essay

Culinary creative Erin Barnhart finally finds her perfect karaoke song

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No. 029 - Elvis Costello's "Alison" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
February 29, 2024
No. 029 - Elvis Costello's "Alison" changed my life

The ballad that soundtracked Luke McCanna's early crushes, and steered him toward a career in live music

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No. 028 - Kendrick Lamar's "Institutionalized" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
February 23, 2024
No. 028 - Kendrick Lamar's "Institutionalized" changed my life

🏆 A top-read essay

JJ Tauil on family, gratitude, and keeping a clear head while living within a culture of rampant consumerism

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No. 027 - The Velvet Underground's "Venus in Furs" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
February 16, 2024
No. 027 - The Velvet Underground's "Venus in Furs" changed my life

An 18+ comedy show, Music Central 96, and the years Matthew Schratz spent imagining a song he'd never heard

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No. 026 - Bright Blue's "Weeping" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
February 9, 2024
No. 026 - Bright Blue's "Weeping" changed my life

🌸 A Grace favorite
🏆 A top-read essay

Struggle and healing in post-apartheid South Africa, and the song that brought Khanyi Mlaba's sense of purpose to life

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No. 025 - Pure Prairie League's "Amie" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
January 26, 2024
No. 025 - Pure Prairie League's "Amie" changed my life

🏆 A top-read essay

Marlboro smoke, riding shotgun on the New Jersey Turnpike, and the song that Dan Svizeny used to sing with his dad when there was nothing much to say

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No. 024 - The Postal Service's “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
January 19, 2024
No. 024 - The Postal Service's “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight” changed my life

🌸 A Grace favorite

The song that found Meagan Shorey-Wilson in a Chili's and fueled her sense of connection for over a decade

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No. 023 - Portugal. The Man's “Sleep Forever” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
January 12, 2024
No. 023 - Portugal. The Man's “Sleep Forever” changed my life

Shane Evans on coping with change, the idea of home, and fully accepting the winding path of his life

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No. 022 - Julius Aglinskas' "blue dusk I" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
January 5, 2024
No. 022 - Julius Aglinskas' "blue dusk I" changed my life

Artist & musician Brandon Locher on the transcendent, transformative quality of music

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No. 021 - Winger’s "Miles Away" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
December 29, 2023
No. 021 - Winger’s "Miles Away" changed my life

Adult sleepovers, homemade potato salad, and KC Schmitz's journey of separating love from possession

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No. 020 - Paramore’s "Ain’t It Fun" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
December 22, 2023
No. 020 - Paramore’s "Ain’t It Fun" changed my life

🏆 A top-read essay

Musician Marcus Drew talks visiting Florida without a phone, local radio, and the tune that kept him going in the midst of chaos

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No. 019 - Julián De La Chica & Yana Mann's "Poemas de Bar, Op. 12: No. 8 El Amor" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
December 15, 2023
No. 019 - Julián De La Chica & Yana Mann's "Poemas de Bar, Op. 12: No. 8 El Amor" changed my life

A new chapter, affairs with married women, and the song that led Cole Burnett to a place of beauty and wonder

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No. 018 - Ingrid Michaelson's "Can’t Help Falling in Love" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
December 8, 2023
No. 018 - Ingrid Michaelson's "Can’t Help Falling in Love" changed my life

🌸 A Grace favorite

How one song changed the course of Zoe Regan's life over and over

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No. 017 - Krill's "Theme from Krill" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
December 1, 2023
No. 017 - Krill's "Theme from Krill" changed my life

Michael Sansevere on touring, cathartic release, and the friend who introduced him to his rallying cry

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No. 016 - Esther Phillips' "And I Love Him" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
November 24, 2023
No. 016 - Esther Phillips' "And I Love Him" changed my life

Walking through LAX, late nights in Lisbon, and the 1965 Beatles cover that Joon Song hears everywhere he goes

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No. 015 - Frightened Rabbit's "The Modern Leper" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
November 17, 2023
No. 015 - Frightened Rabbit's "The Modern Leper" changed my life

Seven years ago a lover boy introduced Nina Faure to this bittersweet tune and it's stayed with her ever since

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No. 014 - WHAM!’s "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
November 10, 2023
No. 014 - WHAM!’s "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" changed my life

🌸 A Grace favorite

How a dance-inducing song helped awaken the artist in Matthew Miller

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No. 013 - Warren Zevon's "Keep Me In Your Heart" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
November 3, 2023
No. 013 - Warren Zevon's "Keep Me In Your Heart" changed my life

🌸 A Grace favorite
🏆 A top-read essay

Writer David Gianadda's ethereal connection to this song goes beyond the limitations of time and space

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No. 012 - Kid Cudi’s "Immortal" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
October 27, 2023
No. 012 - Kid Cudi’s "Immortal" changed my life

A moment on a park bench, shifting perspectives, and the song that helped Delia Hernandez find the light within

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No. 011 - Bill Callahan's "Faith/Void" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
October 20, 2023
No. 011 - Bill Callahan's "Faith/Void" changed my life

Chase Burnett on spiritual expansion, letting go of certainty, and moving on from the past

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No. 010 - Andrew Bird's "Danse Caribe" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
October 13, 2023
No. 010 - Andrew Bird's "Danse Caribe" changed my life

Big changes, Zydeco music, and the song that offered Deirdre Hynes peace

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No. 009 - Arcade Fire's "Wake Up" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
October 6, 2023
No. 009 - Arcade Fire's "Wake Up" changed my life

Adam Forrester talks leaving home, bus rides through the mountains of Mexico, and a night he'll never forget

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No. 008 - Ella Fitzgerald's "Someone To Watch Over Me" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
September 29, 2023
No. 008 - Ella Fitzgerald's "Someone To Watch Over Me" changed my life

Nigeria-based soul singer-songwriter JazzZ shares a creative connection to this tune

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No. 007 - Of Montreal's "Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
September 22, 2023
No. 007 - Of Montreal's "Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse" changed my life

🌸 A Grace favorite

High school drudgery, a diary shoplifted from Borders, and the song that helped Willem Helf realize he wasn't alone

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No. 006 - Matthew Sweet's "Divine Intervention" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
September 15, 2023
No. 006 - Matthew Sweet's "Divine Intervention" changed my life

Evan Trusewicz on Tiny Tim, being nine years old, and anime music videos

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No. 005 - Elvis Presley's “We Can Make the Morning” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
September 8, 2023
No. 005 - Elvis Presley's “We Can Make the Morning” changed my life

Lauren Bishop talks finding your person, crying in cars, and Elvis as an acquired taste

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No. 004 - U2's “With or Without You” changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
September 1, 2023
No. 004 - U2's “With or Without You” changed my life

Josh Ramos on growing up, connection, and the Gospel of The Joshua Tree

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No. 003 - Aniceto Molina's "Cumbia Sampuesana" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
August 18, 2023
No. 003 - Aniceto Molina's "Cumbia Sampuesana" changed my life

🏆 A top-read essay

Ezra Sun Wallace takes an accordion-filled trip down memory lane

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No. 002 - David Bowie's "Rock and Roll Suicide" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
August 4, 2023
No. 002 - David Bowie's "Rock and Roll Suicide" changed my life

Clémentine Koenig talks loneliness, lyrics, and loving Bowie

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No. 001 - Bruce Springsteen's "Mary's Place" changed my life

Grace Lilly
·
July 14, 2023
No. 001 - Bruce Springsteen's "Mary's Place" changed my life

🏆 A top-read essay

Brendan Higgins shares the personal meaning he finds in The Boss's 2002 tune. You might want to grab some tissues.

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No. 000 - The Origin Story: This Song Changed My Life

Grace Lilly
·
July 14, 2023
No. 000 - The Origin Story: This Song Changed My Life

How we got here — a series of events dating back to 2007

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