Mini VJ Set: Tristan Swan of Love Culture chooses his top 5 most influential shoegaze tracks.

Love Culture is a damn great band. Plain and simple. I was able to see perform them live a few weeks ago, and it was stunning. These guys have recently released two exceptional EPs, so if you haven't heard them yet, go over to their bandcamp page and listen. Utterly great stuff. Tristan Swan: When The Sun Hits salutes you! You, my friend, are awesome.

1. Slowdive - 40 Days: Initially, I wanted to add "Souvlaki Space Station," because it's such an epic, sweeping song. But "40 Days" strikes a much more personal note with me. It reminds me of the end of summer, and I find that the line: "If I saw something new, I guess wouldn't worry, If I saw something new I guess I wouldn't care," has stayed with me in a deeper way than most lyrics I can think of.

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2. My Bloody Valentine - Sometimes: The song has such a lovely, hopelessly tired feel to it. It's what I imagine would be playing at my wake. Give in, close your eyes and slip away.

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3. Medicine - Aruca: Medicine has so many good songs but this was one of the first I heard by them a long time ago and it hasn't worn out. It's so scathingly badass and unashamedly loud. The way that the gathering noise in the beginning leads into that pretty refrain gets me every time. Plus, I was in love with Beth Thompson when I first saw The Crow so I had to have Medicine on this list.

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4. Chapterhouse - Mesmerise: It was a tossup between this and "Pearl," but this one is, again, more personal to me. I am obsessed with the summer, living in the summer, and songs about the summer. Not sure if this song was written about the summer, but the memories I have of listening to this song as August slipped away and feeling so happy, bittersweet and desperate all at the same time pretty much encapsulates who I am as a person. I also absolutely love the music video.

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5. A Place to Bury Strangers - Ocean: Can I use a recent band? Is that ok? ; ) This song defines powerful. I defy anyone to find a better lead-up to such a devastating ending that this song brings. This song shakes the walls of what I knew to be "loud." Listening to it is like feeling you're driving 100 mph at night down a desert highway with a doomed lover next to you and the darkness is swallowing up everything behind you.