Sometimes I like to look back on my junior high and high school days and reminisce about all the great…and not so great…music I loved so much back then: punk, ska, and anything angsty. So here it is, my friends: a nostalgic playlist full of teenage angst. Enjoy.
“Turncoat” – Anti-Flag
If one good thing came out of the Bush-era, it was a bunch of really good, supercharged punk rock. Anti-Flag are the quintessential anti-Bush punks, and despite ol’ W. having been out of office for a good four years, these guys continue to tour and put out great new material.
“She” – Green Day
There’s just nothing like some good, raw, Green Day every once in a while. Off of their breakout album Dookie, “She” is just one of many catchy, melodic, angst-filled punk filled tracks.
“Eulogy” – The Flatliners
Although it’s a little sadder than some the other songs in the mix here, “Eulogy” is nonetheless a great song by a real rock band. The Flatliners are worth checking out live too, trust me on this one.
“Walking Is Still Honest” – Against Me!
“Do you remember when you were young and you wanted to set the world on fire?” Something about the passion with which Against Me! frontman Tom Gabel sang this song on Reinventing Axl Rose tells me that he does.
“Look What Happened” – Less Than Jake
Under the facade of a silly ska band lies the deeply contemplative Less Than Jake. “Look What Happened” is probably their most popular anthem. It epitomizes what it’s like to grow up in the suburbs.
“Linoleum” – NoFX
If you’ve never given NoFX a good listen, you owe it to yourself to do so. This song is one of the most popular from Fat Mike and Co. It’s the first track off of Punk In Drublic, a classic.
“Fall Back Down” – Rancid
Sometimes it’s hard to be an angsty teenager. This song is perfect for driving around, singing along, forgetting about everything, and belting out that chorus.
“I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” – My Chemical Romance
If you were that weird kid in 7th grade who played Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge over and over on your alarm clock radio CD player until the disk was worn out, this song goes out to you.
“Hate Everyone” – Say Anything
…doesn’t the title speak for itself?!
“L.A.X.” – Big D and the Kids Table
The perfect song to end this playlist with is “L.A.X.,” an especially great sing-along if you are a teenager wanting to look like a badass in front of your friends. A fair warning though, I wouldn’t play it in earshot of kids too young.
