You meet while reaching for the same vinyl copy of 'Loveless.' You fight your mutual attraction. You seek advice from your impossibly precocious younger sibling. You make out as the credits roll. Your bangs look perfect. This is your soundtrack.
This is what happens when an indie band tosses the microphones in the trash. From melancholy moods to pulsing momentum, these cuts give you the energy to throw yourself into your work without any intrusive vocals to distract you.
Take a break from the dancefloor and enjoy these trippy, atmospheric tracks made for the chillout room. Cool down and relax with no distracting lyrics or vocals.
One of the most important and popular developments in rock history, the alternative sounds of grunge and Britpop ruled the airwaves in the 1990s. Get out your flannel shirt and listen to these essential '90s alt-rock songs.
A playlist that sounds like a beautifully haunting shade of blue. Like a dramatic, unconventional, and artistic kind of melancholy. Like a stiff drink in a dim place.
The mid-1990s brought about the end of the grunge heyday, but many of its key players have continued performing in various incarnations. This selection of songs presents many of them, along with a number of their notable followers.
If you thought your favorite '90s alt rockers were gone then you were mistaken. Listen to the return of the flannel-flaunting hitmakers who are attempting to be restored to the glory of the grunge years.
The playlist from the most creative and interesting party you've ever been to; a liberating mix of cool, uptempo, and non-traditional party music from many eras and many corners of the world.
In the 1990s, these bands revitalized and re-imagined the British tradition of tuneful, guitar driven pop. Listen to the best songs from the bands that inspired and pioneered the scene.
Some call it chillwave, others call it glo-fi. Whatever the name, this laid-back blend of modern lo-fi recording techniques and vintage synth noises is one of today's most addictive sounds.
Originating in the 1950s, bossa nova (Portugese for "new trend") combined harmonies and rhythms from American jazz with Brazilian samba. Now these songs have become standard jazz repertoire.
The most essential classic rock hits from the late '60s through the early '70s. Long hair, epic guitar solos, and singers who graduated from frontman school with honors.
Handpicked by DJZ.com, here are the best songs from the diverse array of producers and DJs performing at this year's Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, California.
Cramming for finals requires cool, calming tunes to balance the stress of studying. Help put yourself in the right state of mind with these pop and rock tunes.
A genre that originated in Eastern Europe, electro-swing combines the classic swing sounds of the 1930s with house and electronic beats. This'll get your body moving, big daddy.
Hard-edged, grungy, and melancholy -- while also thoughtful, sentimental and melodic -- these cuts from alternative bands in the '90s and '00s reveal the shared sonic influences (and penchants for loud outbursts) of their creators.
Cool tunes from the golden age of pre-punk classic rock, 1965-'76, featuring deep tracks from the era's superstars as well as definitive songs from cult heroes and oddballs. Vintage doesn't have to mean old-fashioned.
Pioneered in the late '50s, exotica is easy-listening lounge music that draws upon world music, but doesn't aim for authentic replication. Instead, exotica's purpose is lightweight entertainment that conjures images of foreign paradises.
On August 1, 1981, MTV ushered in the sounds and looks that defined the '80s. Listen to the songs -- and remember the videos -- from MTV's first golden age, 1981-1990.
With the rise of alternative rock and the artistic maturity of hip-hop, MTV found itself at the dawn of its second golden age. Relive the '90s without all the commercials.
Starting in the mid '00s, the line between indie and mainstream pop started to get blurry. These are the songs that have helped bring "indie" music to the masses.
Not all electro acts aim for the dance floor. Explore the low-key, laid-back side of the style though these well-known names and under-the-radar indie acts.
One of the most eclectic sub-genres in rock music, new wave features the punk-influenced, synth-dominated sound that defined pop music in the early 1980s.
A sinister and rhythmic undercurrent hums through New York City nights; these underground techno, disco, and rock songs throb with the same nervous energy.
As the '90s became the '00s, indie bands began doing the unthinkable: embracing and creating dance music. Here's some of the best indie dance from the past decade.
Although MTV-friendly new wavers and poodle-haired metal bands got much of the decade's attention, the 1980s were vintage years for mainstream pop and rock. Kick back to all your favorites from the era of polo shirts and big sunglasses.
"Rolling Stone's list of the decade's 100 best songs includes garage rock revivalists, dance-happy indie, sassy starlets, slick modern R&B, boundary-shattering pop hybrids and a few familiar icons from previous eras." - Rolling Stone
Turn your chic soiree into an impromptu dance party with this upbeat mix of indie dance pop, DJ remixes, and funky breaks. Monday couldn't be farther away.
Following in the footsteps of their Marshall-stack-bearing forefathers, these contemporary artists embrace the riffs, fuzz, crunch, sweat, and sleaze of the '70s rock gods. \m/
Before grunge entered mainstream consciousness in the early 1990s, it was a vibrant, restless rock scene rooted in the Pacific Northwest. Get on your flannels, ripped jeans and Docs and head back.
Like the blues music they're grounded in, The Black Keys possess both timelessness and staying power. Listen to the greatest songs from their influences -- including band favorites -- as well as those from their contemporaries and side projects.