I don’t know about you, but I listen to music constantly in college. I listen to it while I'm walking to class, while I'm doing homework, and even while I was writing this article. Since I spend so much of my life listening to music, the particular songs that I’m listening to tend to change often. Here are eleven songs that I’ve been playing this past week.

1. “Teen Age Riot” by Sonic Youth

My selection of this song may have been influenced by the fact that I’m currently reading Kim Gordon’s memoir (Kim Gordon is the bassist for Sonic Youth and also one of the coolest women to have ever existed, if you didn’t already know), but, regardless, I love how this song is both soft and intense. It's almost like an insistent whisper. Plus, it has killer lyrics like, “Say it/Don’t spray it/Face me/Don’t displace me/Spirit desire/We will fall.”

2. "Hand in Glove" by The Smiths

Sticking with the '80s, I’ve been listening to The Smiths this week as well. Something about their tinny production quality gives their music an atmosphere that always sounds like cold or rainy weather to me, which has been perfect for this week’s wintry mix! On “Hand in Glove” in particular, I love how the song begins with the music muffled so that it sounds like the listener is outside of a party or another room where “Hand in Glove” is being blasted. Then the listener opens the door and enters the room and the song becomes louder and clearer.

3. “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey” by The Beatles

The Beatles were my first introduction to music as a child, so whenever I put on a Beatles song (any Beatles song), I feel soothed by the memory of when I first heard them as a carefree 9-year-old at home with my loving family. This particular song is peppy and upbeat and I don’t know what in the world is going on with those lyrics (they’re pretty strange, as you can see from the song’s title), but the enthusiasm with which they’re sung is enough to re-energize you for your next homework assignment, or whatever obstacle is currently in your way.

4. “Kathleen” by Catfish and the Bottlemen

This one is also good for a homework break. “Kathleen” is a song about relationship frustrations, but the sentiment also rings true for frustrations of other natures. I feel that this song particularly speaks to my soul on the night before I have test or paper due. It's also good for singing loudly (and perhaps badly) in the shower.

5. "Cosmos" by Yabadum

Yabadum is a pretty unknown band. I first heard about them because their keyboardist went to my high school. Their song “Cosmos” is my favorite from their first and only full-length EP. It is a song that moves at the perfect galloping tempo for taking a brisk walk to campus through the cold. Plus, the lyrics of this song have the ability to remind you to “loosen up and empty out your head”—something that we probably can all stand to do after the hectic first couple of weeks of this new semester.

6. “Human Sadness” by Julian Casblancas + The Voidz

While this one may not be for everyone, it certainly portrays helplessness and depression accurately. Casablancas wrote the piece about his father, with whom Casablancas never was able to be close with, right after he died from cancer. “Human Sadness” is a crazy amalgam of unintelligibly autotuned lyrics and Mozart played on electric guitars that can either come off as uniquely artsy or off-puttingly inaccessible. The Voidz is a side project of Casblancas, who is better known for his original band, The Strokes. When you’re feeling existentially down and need an epic to describe your state of mind, this song is for you.

7. “Steady, As She Goes” by The Raconteurs

The Raconteurs is a side project of Jack White of The White Stripes. Unlike Casablancas, White’s secondary bands do not stray too far from the genre of his original band. The instrumental part of “Steady, As She Goes” plods along, dovetailing with the lyrics, which ostensibly remind the listener to tread slowly and purposefully through life. Overall, this song sounds slinky and cool and it will liven up any playlist.

8. “Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go To The Party” by Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett is known for writing songs for slackers, but this one takes the cake. Off of her 2015 album "Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit," “Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go To The Party,” perfectly captures the feeling of wanting go out and do exciting things, but simultaneously having anxiety about being with other people (or, alternately, just not wanting to move). I can’t speak for anyone else, but the repeated refrain, “I wanna go out, but I wanna stay home,” is one of the most accurate descriptors of being a college student that I’ve ever heard in a song. If you’re feeling anxious or lazy (or both), this song is for you.

9. “Kill V. Maim” by Grimes

“Kill V. Maim” is off of Grimes’ 2015 album "Art Angels," which was named album of the year by the British music magazine NME (and unofficially by Julian Casablancas on twitter). The song’s vocals range from pretty to screaming to chipmunk, but they're sung consistently with conviction. This song is super peppy and listening to it in the morning will pump you up for a really strange day. If you’re not in need of a chipmunk voice telling you to “behave aggressive,” then I can’t really help you.

10. “Trip Switch” by Nothing But Thieves

The hushed coolness of this song gives off an air of cautious rule-breaking and excitement. The lyrics ask, “What do we do when the power’s out? What do we do when the lights go down?” They're begging the listener to answer with something that they wouldn’t do if they were being watched. Whether it’s asking out a crush or going on a jewelry heist, if you are about to do something daring, I’d recommend putting this song in your soundtrack.

11. “Someday” by The Strokes

Ending on a high note (pun intended), “Someday” is an optimistic little tune from Casablancas’ first band. The lyrics and sunny atmosphere of this song remind the listener that good things do happen occasionally and that working hard right now will pay off someday. If everything seems to be falling apart and you need a little positivity, or you’ve worked yourself to the point of misery and need encouragement to continue, turning on this song will brighten your mood and convince you to push through.