Our Music
Compilation Playlist
In case you don't want to read through all of this, we've taken the time to put a playlist together for your listening pleasure. There's a couple songs from each album on here sans Omnium Gatherum. Unfortunately KGLW is not on Spotify these days, but you can go check them out on YouTube or Bandcamp (please).
Sometimes, Forever - Soccer Mommy
This was the first album Matt introduced to me, and I remember listening to it on a loop while my sister and I took down Christmas decorations. She was so annoyed that I kept taking breaks to text Matt my thoughts on the music. -Kay When I showed Kay this album when we were first dating and she actually liked it, it was just another green flag for me. At the time, I was only concerned with finding music we could enjoy together; it never occurred to me that years later we'd agree so thoroughly on how special it is to us. -Matt
the record by boygenius
This album tour was the first concert we went to together. I remember only...some of it, but I do vividly remember the love I felt getting to share that experience with Matt. The song True Blue was a touchstone for our relationship; the lyrics always make me think of him. -Kay Kay and I have had so many conversations analyzing the meanings of the lyrics on this album. It's something we do with almost everything we enjoy together, and something I love that we can share. -Matt
This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway - Lola Young
Matt and I first heard the song "Messy" from this album in Iceland. We had just picked up the rental car and couldn't get the Bluetooth to work, so we turned on the radio. Ever since, neither of us has been able to hear the song without thinking of our engagement trip. It's an odd pick for a romantic anthem, but then again most music we enjoy together is. -Kay I thought we had stumbled upon some little known Icelandic artist when "Messy" came on the radio and was definitely not expecting someone this popular, but it was a pleasant surprise. Even more so that we enjoyed the rest of the album as well. "Messy" definitely isn't describing a happy relationship, as you might imagine from the title. I think the fact that we can both enjoy this kind of music together shows how comfortable and confident we are in our own relationship. -Matt
Pool Kids - Pool Kids
Matt and I have spent hours analyzing both this album and their more recent album, Easier Said Than Done, together. We have seen them in concert twice, and by the second time I felt comfortable joining Matt in the mosh pit. To me, this album represents all the ways Matt encourages me to get out of my comfort zone and try something new once in awhile. As a creature of habit by nature, he has been an amazing partner for introducing more adventure into my life. -Kay As the direct parallel to what Kay said above about getting out of her comfort zone, I've always appreciated how flexible she's willing to be for me --not just with her taste in music but also in our relationship in general. This album also always felt like an example to me of the level of comfort we have together, in stark contrast to the relationship described in the music. Shout out to Nick Klacik for showing me this banger. -Matt
Prequelle - Ghost
Matt introduced this band to me as "Spooky ABBA," and they did not disappoint. This sparked a road trip where we did nothing but plan the next big jukebox musical entitled "Papa Pia." I won't say listening to Dance Macabre is homework, but just know that it will be playing at the wedding. -Kay This one I was definitely expecting to have trouble convincing her of, which is why I went with "spooky ABBA". Realistically, I was probably trying to find something we could both enjoy so I didn't need to hear more pop music. The pained faces that the other girls make when Kay makes them listen to this is just another testament to how flexible Kay can be. -Matt
Send a Prayer My Way - Julien Baker and TORRES
Matt introduced Julien Baker to me via boygenius, but her solo stuff never appealed to me. Then this album came out, and the little bit of country twang mixed in with her indie roots really hooked me. No Desert Flower holds a lot of meaning for me because it makes me think of Matt and his unwavering support through some of the most challenging years of my career. -Kay I was very happy to get more people onboard the Julien Baker hype train, even if only through a collab album. I share Kay's sentiment about "No Desert Flower" entirely, but I also really appreciate the creative ways that Julien and TORRES find to say "I love you" on the track "Sugar in the Tank". -Matt
Omnium Gatherum - King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Three years ago, if you told me any album by this artist would hold such a prominent spot in my listening history, I would have laughed in your face. KGLW is one of Matt's favorite bands, and he has spent a lot of our time together slowly and methodically trying to get me to like them too. Almost four years later, here I am naming my Stardew Valley farm "Magenta Mountain" and walking around the house bopping to "Persistence" to get myself to do my chores. -Kay I'm not sure if it was Stockholm Syndrome or if I just wore her down, but either way I was psyched about convincing her of this one. The name "King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard" alone is a very tough sell. I even convinced her on one of their metal tracks on another album, "Witchcraft", which I consider an even greater accomplishment. -Matt
If You Asked for a Picture - Blondshell
This is a relatively new installment in the Matt and Kay Music Library (TM), but it is no less significant for it. This album is a great representation of the way Matt is the music hunter-gatherer of our relationship; he shuffles through new music coming out and sends over only albums he knows I'll love. In a way, he does for me with music what I do for him with Instagram Reels. In any case, this album has had us very seriously reciting the lyrics to each other spoken-word style around the house. -Kay With lines like "If 23's a baby, why do you have a baby?" and "We need the Steely Danification of this operation", it's hard to not randomly recite them. We've both gotten a lot of enjoyment out of the tongue-in-cheek humor this album has throughout and even moreso from the conversations it's sparked. Go check out the second verse of the aptly titled T&A for a good laugh. -Matt
In Rainbows - Radiohead
I had heard exactly zero songs by Radiohead when I met Matt, which was a great conversation starter when we got to the "what kind of music do you like?" portion of the first date. Somehow he got me hooked on a good amount of their music over the years (and no, none of it is Creep). This album is my favorite of theirs, as it's the most upbeat and whimsical sounding of their discography, and it also contains Nude, the song that Matt used to get me interested in their music in the first place. -Kay It's hard to say which is my favorite Radiohead album, but "In Rainbows" is definitely a contender. Kay has really developed a talent for enjoying what I enjoy in music, even if isn't something she would listen to herself. While this one was a much easier sell than others, it still meant a lot to me. -Matt
1989 (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift
Matt was decidedly not a Swiftie when we met, nor is he now. I do, however, take a good amount of pride in getting him into a good portion of her music. His sister, Viv, jump-started the process for me by showing him folklore before we met. I however, take full credit for making him a pop girlie with this album. -Kay It's been kind of hard to ignore Taylor Swift over the last couple years, so with some tastemaking help from Kay, I was able to find a lot to like in her discography. I wasn't really expecting to enjoy 1989 so much, and I was surprised by how well the music is produced. The music behind Taylor are unobtrusively intricate in a way that I really appreciate. There are also some deep cuts on here that I think even haters could thoroughly enjoy. You won't hear me saying anything too nice about The Tortured Poets Department though. -Matt