1. The Killers
"Mr. Brightside"
A scorned lover turned voyeur vents to a synth-driven New Wave groove. "It captures something that has real grit, a real meaning. It's a welcome relief from that whole kind of prepackaged pop."

2. Gorillaz
"Feel Good Inc."
Damon Albarn and Co.'s trip-hop hit, featuring a guest spot from De La Soul. "It's gone out on a limb, but at the same time it's captured people's imaginations and minds."

3. Hard-Fi
"Cash Machine"
Twitchy guitars and a dubbed-out rhythm section fuel a tale of a broke dude trying to come up with the money to get his girlfriend an abortion. "They've written this song in a way that relates to an English way of life. It's got a certain angst to it, a certain frustration."

4. Prince
"Let's Go Crazy"
Purple Rain's quintessential party anthem. "The last year or so, we've been putting that song on right before we go onstage. It gets you in the mood."

5. Cat Power
"Maybe Not"
A haunting piano ballad from mope-rock queen Chan Marshall's 2003 album You Are Free. "I've always been really inspired by her. This song's nice and depressing. I listened to it when I got my record deal. No, not really."

Listen to the playlist