The Replacements are an all-time band for me, as I’ve probably mentioned before, so it’s not too surprising that they appear on this playlist. What might be surprising is the deep cut I picked this month: “Nightclub Jitters.” The song sounds almost nothing like their other work: it’s slower, more thoughtful, and I can’t hear any drums. Contrast that with “Can’t Hardly Wait,” which is one of The Replacements’ best-known songs: a cut that is distinctive from jump and features Paul Westerberg’s somewhat raspy voice in its best light.

I’m not too familiar with Grimes, admittedly, beyond her feature on “Pynk,” but I discovered “Genesis” through her KEXP performance off a list of top KEXP features. That live version is excellent; it’s also interesting to see electronic music performed live: all the twists and dials. You’d think that as a result, electronic music would always sound the same, but it doesn’t. On KEXP, Grimes sounds lighter and more atmospheric.

Alex Melton has been releasing some absolute jams of late, but I picked two that I like. His countryfied cover of “I Miss You” by Blink-182 hits a little different and almost sounds sadder than the original. Meanwhile, “American Idiot” takes me back to middle school.

Speaking of songs that take me back, “Bullet Train” by Stephen Swartz was my introduction to dubstep years ago. I couldn’t find the acoustic version, which is really what I was listening to this month, but have the original for a classic of the genre.