This past weekend, I ventured beyond Hamilton to another small, liberal arts town not so different from our own, complete with a similarly pervasive (and self-righteous) sense of school spirit: Middlebury College. Ostensibly, I was there to attend my brother’s graduation, but, perhaps more pressingly, I went to conduct an informal experiment in music taste superiority. This week I bring you not just a playlist, but a guessing game. Each song was recommended by either a Colgate University or Middlebury student — your task, should you choose to accept, is to guess which is which. Consider it a test of institutional pride. I wish you luck. (The key is at the end of the playlist).
1. Give Life Back to Music — Daft Punk (2013)
If anyone knows how to “Give Life Back to Music,” it’s Daft Punk. The iconic French duo never ceases to impress, even for one of their notably less electronic tracks — a lean into what one VICE album review calls “straight-up 70s funk.” It’s enough to make one wonder, “Were they human after all?”
2. La Lune — L’Impératrice (2015)
A strain of Daft Punk surely runs through the French pop and nu-disco sextet, “L’Imperatrice,” and, apparently, through at least one of the liberal arts campuses in question. “La Lune” is a sleek electronic funk track that builds its momentum as it goes — one of the many bangers from their album “Odyssée.”
3. Sexy Boy — Air (1998)
Alas, another French electronic duo! While I’ve already declared my partiality to Vegyn’s 2025 remake of “Sexy Boy” in print, there was no denying a recommendation of the legendary original, one that Air member, Jean-Benoît Dunckel, himself deems a “seduction song.”
4. Like A Prayer — Madonna (1989)
Once a career-defining provocation against the Catholic Church, “Like a Prayer” has since found a second life at the altar of a certain liberal arts college, where it’s widely known as the take off your shirt song. When played, students (typically male) climb onto elevated surfaces and disrobe in a collective, if questionable, celebration of nothing in particular.
5. Robbers — The 1975 (2013)
Off their eponymous debut album, “The 1975,” “Robbers” is often cited by OG fans as the song that first got them into the band. One listener describes a kind of listening curve involved: “They dare you to hate them, dare to be hopelessly corny and dare to go all-in when few others do.”
6. E85 — Don Toliver (2026)
“E85,” fittingly named after a high-octane fuel blend (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline), opens Don Toliver’s new 18-track album “OCTANE.” It features a faint sample from Malcolm Todd’s “Chest Pain,” beneath an abrasive beat that is a very satisfying complement to Don Toliver’s signature cadence — I can’t stop replaying this one.
7. 2SIDED — Arlo Parks (2026)
Released as a single in mid January, “2SIDED” is slated to appear as the ninth track on Arlo Parks’ upcoming album “Ambiguous Desire.” Fans suspect it will be a breakup record — a promising sign, for heartbreak is like pouring gasoline on an artist’s creative fire.
8. Orange Blood — Mt. Joy (2022)
I’ve resisted the pull of Mt. Joy thus far, perhaps a reaction to their East Coast ubiquity, but for “Orange Blood,” I must make an exception. Described perfectly on the r/MtJoy subreddit as “calm but upbeat, chill yet exciting, lysergic and groovy,” their “slow wavy desert-y guitar sound” is simply too good to be avoided out of principle.
9. anw — rowan (2026)
Released just weeks ago by an artist from one of the schools in question, “anw” is a heartfelt, indie track that tells of a romantic encounter — what our generation might call a “situationship.” While such lingo is ephemeral, the grounding drum beat carried by rowan’s smooth, sincere vocal delivery is surely not, making the song both catchy and easy to sink into.
10. Mykonos — Fleet Foxes (2008)
Fleet Foxes, indie-folk legends who hail from Seattle, make absolute peak traveler music. “Mykonos,” a tune with harmonies of grand proportions, is no exception. As one user on r/fleet_foxes subreddit puts it, the lyrics sound like the advice of a “medieval traveling bard” — my sentiments exactly.
11. two reverse — Adrianne Lenker (2020)
Indie-folk final boss Adrianne Lenker rarely releases a song untouched by deep introspection — hardly surprising given that her album “songs” was written entirely in the solitude of a one-room cabin in western Massachusetts. If you’re having trouble guessing which student chose this track, I shall leave you with one hint: granola.
12. Can’t You See — The Marshall Tucker Band (1973)
“Can’t You See” is no run-of-the-mill Southern rock anthem. Carried by Jerry Eubank’s iconic flute, the Marshall Tucker Band’s 1973 lineup had a chemistry that’s hard to fake and even harder to forget — what many diehard fans call “real music.”
13. Dinosaur — Chalant (2026)
Released on New Year’s Day by student rock band Chalant as part of their EP “Family Photos,” “Dinosaur” is a familiar favorite among student concert-goers, one I suspect many are thrilled now exists online. Anchored by an insanely catchy guitar riff, the song tells of nostalgia and simpler times spent with friends — perhaps the best antidote to a harsh Hamilton winter.
Key [C= Colgate, M = Middlebury]
1 – M; 2 – C; 3 – M; 4 – M; 5 – C; 6 – C; 7 – C; 8 – C; 9 – M; 10 – C; 11 – M; 12 – M; 13 – C
