So yes, 'Growing Pains' is a mixture of some of the music which we used to soothe ourselves with whilst in the midst of the agony, the horror even, which constitutes teenage angst. Ah, teenage angst. I've basically written off 13-17. It's pretty rare for me to be able to look back on those days with a fond smile and a head tint as I think of all the glory. NO. They were awkward hours spent tortured over what I now have literally NO IDEA. It's funny to think back about the things which used to literally devour all of my time worrying about now, I'm like WTF mate?
Strangely enough, one of the things I do find myself having to thank teenage angst for, is my love of music. I mean, obviously I had always been aware of music in the years before...thirteen, but it had never held any real significance for me. There's only so much you can glean from Boyzone and Britney Spears. Really.
So it was through my various friends who were also experiencing issues of teenage angst that I discovered some of the bands which I came to utterly adore, and then subsequently...forget. This was one of the funniest things about this brilliant playlist was just remembering all of these bands and tracks which I literally used to think were the absolute shit, and just haven't really given them the time of day since.
So lets see, what features on this epic playlist. Well, the rules were that we were allowed 20 tracks each which were most significant to us, in the dark years. Now at the time of blogging the mystical Donald (cb) and I have quite a few shared playlists as we have similar tastes and it's a good way of not only sharing cool music but discovering new artists at the same time. However, judging by 'Growing Pains'... we weren't quite there yet in terms of the similar taste thing.
Now before I reveal what some of the cringers are - I must justify myself. There are some pretty cool bands in there. Radiohead, for example, have always featured pretty heavily in my music taste, and if they don't represent teenage angst then hell I have no idea what does. The pixies, also I still listen to, not as regularly, but I am still more than prepared to give them well deserved kudos. The Pixies are a cool band. Other acceptable features include: The Libertines; The Vines; The White Stripes; The Streets; Nirvana and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. So really, not much shame there, and as I said earlier, in some ways I'm thankful to the angst for introducing me to some awesome music which still features heavily in my (ear) life.
It's more when I remember having ventured down the line of... *deep breath* Avril Lavigne; Eminem; The Distillers; The Bronx and creed that I start to wince. Now I'm not all out dissing them at all - it's more the connotations that come with. I had forgotten, for example, how much I was into The Distillers. I thought they were so cool, and that I was therefore "pretty hard" for liking them. This attempt to be hard lead onto me attempting to like stuff like The Bronx. I never really did, but I tried, oh how I tried.
When I really start to squirm is when I think back to how I actually thought Avril Lavigne was awesome. Like genuinely, as an impressionable 14 (*16) year old I wouldn't go so far as to say I thought of her as role model, but I definitely thought she was someone I would like to be like. OH GOD. Right, seeing as it's all coming out and I will never actually have to suffer the consequences of this blog because I will have DIED FROM THE SHAME I reach Eminem. Yeah I was into Eminem, I used to read along to his lyrics and try (operative word definitely being try) and rap along. Of course, I was shit and usually about half a beat behind, but this activity of rapping along helped me with my teenage angst as I felt like I related more to the lyrics. Oh how I related to these important, anger and hate filled lyrics which I definitely felt spoke to me and were, like, all about me y'know?!
Like I said, THE HORROR. I almost wish I had never evolved into finding music which could 'speak' to me. Life was so much easier when I was at the very early stages of teenage angst and pretty much loved any song which ever said the word fuck. It was like buying a cd with a Parental Guidance sticker on it and leaving it around the place just so people knew how cool you were. And that you could swear, evidently.
With that, I shall sign off, I have to go to a darkened room and rock for a while. Maybe I'll listen to some Eminem to help me through. Maybe.
