A bit of an opposite to John's "the song you weren't ready for" is the band / album that hit you exactly where you were at that time of your life. Way back in the before times, my friend stopped by randomly and said, "Hey. Whatever you're doing? Stop. You're listening to this now." He then put on Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips. That album, from start to end - an absolute piece of art. I'm still a bit gobsmacked by it. I'd heard of the flaming lips, and knew the ol' "She don't use jelly" song, but this was something entirely different. For that hour or whatever I was completely transfixed. I'd also add Portishead's "Dummy" to this list - although the time and circumstances were quite different to this one... As an aside, several years later, I was waiting in the OKC airport for a flight to Denver, when a guy with curly longish hair, sunglasses, and a feather boa walks by me and sits down in the same seating area. I whisper to my partner - "Hey! I think that's Wayne Coyne!" Not only was it really Wayne Coyne, but he sat in the row directly in front of us. We ended up on a turbo-prop airplane, flying through a snow storm in the winter. When we landed, there was no jet-bridge, and it was late at night. They let us deplane on the tarmac and had to walk to the terminal in the snow. Halfway to the terminal, Wayne stopped to turn back and take a picture of the plane, with snow blowing all around us in the wind - an iconic image. I didn't stop Wayne to tell him how amazing Yoshimi was, or how important it was to me (I deeply respect the personal space of public people when they are not "on") but I've since made it a point to tell artists I meet at concerts or whatever how much I love their work, or how important it is to me. Every time I've done so, it's been really rewarding. But that's another topic for conversation...

Title says it all. What song (currently - no wrong answer, repeat answers allowed) feels like hope to you? For me, right now, it's this track called "Hold On" by French 79. This came out in.. 2020 I think? maybe 2019, but regardless, it was there for 2020. The whole album was there, but this song in particular. There was more than just COVID going on for for me, which I could go into, but not tonight. Point being, this song was there for me. I just now pulled up the video for the first time so I could post it here, and holy shit but this even hits harder. I was totally a skater as a kid, and even rode goofy foot. Nostalgia and hope wrapped into one. Perfect. Post your track too if you can - I wanna hear it all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgBBCzi7Kpc

Curious how people are actually listening right now. I play music for people in a room, in a box, sometimes in my own home. When you put on new music, are you Walking? Driving? Cooking? Lying on the floor?? At work with one earbud in. There’s no wrong answer. Just interested in the habits.

So, I have songs and albums that are slow burners. I know you know. You almost get mad at yourself for not loving it from the go. I liked OK Computer at first and well, it's near the top of my all timers now. I do this on the show as well. I love it actually as I can hear from listeners who are also "getting it" along with me. Is there a song from this past year that didn’t land at first—but later found you when you were ready? Those are often the ones that last.

I've considered doing a Morning Show about this but I only have 3 hours. It would take me 3 months. So mine was 16 years old, Jane's Addiction with Mary's Danish opening at Eastern Washington University. I remember walking in to "Coming Down the Mountain" and seeing bodies flying in the air, everyone wearing black, just absolute MAYHEM and all I wanted to do was more of this! I stayed out the pit that day and just stood there in awe to be seeing and hearing the music from a band I loved. I was HOOKED. I think they played 30 minutes because Perry was a mess but I didn't know any better and in fact was shocked when I saw a band play longer! Also first show in Seattle? Pixies. Moore Theater.