What song reminds you of your first love?

I think this would have to be a song by Franz Ferdinand. My first actual love must've been my high school girlfriend. Our music taste didn't have a ton of overlap, but Franz Ferdinand was one band we both really liked. She wrote her IB Extended Essay on the lyrical themes of some of their lyrics from the viewpoint of our romantic relationship.

We dated for a couple of years and broke up the fall after we graduated high school. It was painful. Life took us in different directions and we've only talked once since. There's no ill will and I'll remember our time fondly.

Think back to your childhood: What is your earliest music memory? Share that song and your story!

My mom really loved music back when I was a kid. She was especially a fan of Eppu Normaali, Popeda and other Finnish rock bands. We had a few cassettes and later CD's as well so those were basically the artists I grew up on.

Surprisingly, it's pretty hard to get Finnish music in Denmark in the 90's, so choices were pretty limited.

I chose Vuonna '85 from Eppu Normaali for this prompt as it's the song I remember most clearly and it's one of the bands from my childhood I still occasionally listen to. Eppu Normaali has had a long career here in Finland, they started out as a punk band and later softened their sound. Their music (and this song specifically) is a staple in bar karaokes even today, 41 years after its' release.

Their music is not super typical when it comes to lyrics and they're not "trying too hard", so it's a pretty easy and ejoyable listen, at least to me :)

I did later get my own CD player and some albums like Bomfunk MC's (Freestyler!), Eiffel 65 and the soundtrack to the first Pokémon movie. But, I clearly remember listening to Eppu Normaali years before this happened.

Share a song that captures the feeling of being completely content.

Asayake (Morning Glow) is from Casiopea's first live album, Mint Jams. It's a very relaxing fusion jazz track with a tropical vibe. It's cheesy in all the right ways and can't help but make me smile.

The funky guitar in the intro, the cowbell, lush synths and the bass all come together into something beautiful that can only be described as an amazing vibe. The guitar solos are insane with some Van Halen-y picking. The guitarist Issei Noro pulls all the stops in Asayake, that's for sure.

I first heard this when me and the wife were in quarantine during COVID. We spent a lot of time listening to random albums and mixtapes on youtube while playing yahtzee and when Casiopea's Mint Jams started playing, I knew I'd found my favourite band ever.

Six years later, we have so many memories around this album and I think Asayake is maybe the best song that encapsulates being content for me.