I am currently a junior at Aspen High and the host of The Will Kahn Show on Aspen Public Radio. At 10 pm every Friday night on APR (that’s 91.5 on your radio dial) I put together an hour-long radio show that consists of an eclectic mix of music that I curate the night before. The songs I play range in genre from Hip Hop and Electronic to Indie Rock, and I provide commentary for each tune. Sometimes the shows are thematic, and I have also collaborated with fellow Aspen High students Arthur Kelso and Ross Pingatore.

Here is a teaser for this week’s show, which is Radiohead themed. For those unfamiliar with Radiohead, they are an English indie and experimental rock band. Their sound has evolved enormously since their major studio debut in 1993, and their output has been consistently phenomenal.

5 Essential Radiohead Tracks

Here are the quintessential Radiohead selections for die-hard fans and new listeners alike.

 Fake Plastic Trees: A beautiful semi-acoustic melody off their 1995 album, The Bends, this track is a platform for lead singer Thom Yorke to flaunt his unmatched, signature vocal range. The song has a classic alternative structure, though it is by no means a generic production. One of Radiohead’s most accessible tracks, Fake Plastic Trees is simply an engaging piece of art.

Paranoid Android: This song is a fan favorite off Radiohead’s 1997 masterpiece, Ok Computer. At six minutes and 24 seconds, it is a riveting auditory excursion. The track starts off mellow and crescendos at about two minutes and forty-five seconds. The pacing and sound of the tune is continually changing. Paranoid Android demands to be listened to.

Idioteque: In the year 2000, Radiohead threw the alternative music scene a major curveball with the release of their stellar fourth studio album, Kid A. This was a major turning in the band’s evolution as they started to veer into the electronic music genre. Idioteque, featuring a chilling chorus and an ethereal vibe, is perhaps my personal favorite Radiohead song.

True Love Waits: On this track, the band reverts back to their former 90s incarnation. This version of the song is live, but it is so on point it may as well been a studio production. The lyrics are beautiful (though hard to understand) and seamlessly compliment the background acoustic guitar.

House of Cards: Radiohead has always had the unique ability to capture the melancholy and consolation of nostalgia. Their 2007 album, In Rainbows, is basically 10-song tribute to this strange, but familiar sensation. House of Cards draws the listener in for a solid five minutes. It has a slow and rich flavor that is hard to accurately articulate in words, so you’re just going to have to listen to my APR show at 10 pm on Friday to truly understand what I’m talking about! Click here for an archive of past shows.