Roots

Apparently there is a trend happening on Facebook in which people are posting about 10 albums from their High School days. Since I'm one of those weird, semi-crazy (but still mostly sane) people that doesn't have a Facebook I thought this would be the appropriate place to post mine, except I'm only doing 5 instead of 10. Before Spotify, before Pandora, before iHeartRadio, before last.fm, before all of the digital streaming apps ever existed there were these things called iPods. When I got my first iPod, I had no computer, and no way to put music on it. Some guy that worked at my Dad's electrical company said he had a lot of music and that he could put some stuff on there for me. Little did I know that this person would introduce me to some things I had never heard before. Nor did I anticipate that it would lead to him becoming one of my best friends. Roughly a decade later, that small gesture has lead to all of this. There aren't enough words to describe how grateful I am or how much gratitude I have for that one kind act. With that, here are some of the albums that had such a profound impact on my life. 

Colors by Between The Buried And Me 

Colors was the first "heavy" album I had ever listened to, and it was kind of on accident. "Viridian" was the first thing that came on shuffle with that iPod and it intrigued me. It was kind of spacey, it was melodic, but more than that it sounded like it was building to something, then the track just ended. I decided to listen to the whole album right then and there. It is hard to describe my reaction to Colors, especially considering I was 14 years old when I heard it. Add to that the fact that I didn't know people could scream or yell in music and it sounds like a recipe for disaster. However, the album had (and still does have) the most angelic opening I've ever heard. It was Tommy Giles lullaby-ing me into a world I had yet to experience, or even know existed. I've talked a lot about how much I enjoy the fluidity of an album; a lot of that love stems from Colors. This isn't an album as much as it is one long song. 8 tracks that span over an hour in length, nothing flows better than Colors; I have a hard time believing that anything ever will. It acquainted me with a new style of music. If my musical roots are to be examined then this is the seed that was planted. My love for all things music stems from Colors. 

Messy, Isn't It? by Dangers

Different people express themselves in different ways. My angst and self-loathing met the likes of this album 10 years ago. A child that was sad, angry, irritated and didn't want to be a part of the world, even though he had no reason to feel that way. To be honest, I wouldn't have been able to process the lyrical content of this album if Al himself sat down with the 14 year old me and spelled it out. Yes some lyrics grabbed me, but I had no comprehension of what Dangers were after. All I cared about was how the music made me feel. Its raw, its angry, and even though it is more social commentary than it is anything else, it is honest. It is discontent. It is dissatisfaction. It made me feel normal during a time when I felt anything but. Its okay to be angry. People don't need to understand you, as long as you understand yourself. Nothing is more helpful than knowing that you're not alone on this shitty, floating rock. 

Mariachi El Bronx I by Mariachi El Bronx

I was really into L.A punk band The Bronx as a High Schooler and when I discovered they had made a Mariachi album I was pretty dumbfounded, as were many of my friends when they would hear me listening to Mariachi music. But like all Black Sheep, I didn't care because fuck you that's why. Really though, it is some of the best music I've ever heard. They were able to capture the sound and spirit of Mariachi so prominently and effortlessly that it almost just seems natural. I can't sing, so the fact that it's impossible not to sing along to every track is unfortunate for anybody around when this is playing. Nothing I can say will do justice to any of their three albums. All I can say is that each album they grow a little bit more, so go check them out for yourself and thank me later. 

Somewhere In The Between by Streetlight Manifesto

It's kind of funny that I put this album in the list because last Tuesday my friend gave me a Streetlight Manifesto sticker before we went to a show and on our walk back I slapped that sticker right on a parking meter. So when I go back to The Ogden I'm going to check and see if it's still there. ANYWAYS, this was one of the few albums that helped me make new friends when I was just a weird kid wearing Nirvana T-shirts every day. Ska isn't everyone's cup of tea but there is something special about this band that makes them impossible not to love. They are able to encompass emotions from every spectrum in a fun and energetic way. They can make you laugh, they can make you cry, and you'll sing along with every word while you do it. It's nothing short of magic really. This was the album that got me started with Streetlight and I've only grow to love them more. Every album they've made is able to make you think and feel, but each album is unique in how it accomplishes that goal. They're one of the few bands that was never "just a phase" for me. 

Everyone's Watched, Everyone's Watching by Heavy Heavy Low Low

Well, I drifted away from the heavy side of music with those last two albums so it only seems natural for me to finish with the most odd, uncomfortable album I listened to in High School. This is not for the faint of heart (faint of ears?). Everything Heavy Heavy Low Low has ever done is seemingly sporadic and unorganized, at least to somebody that's never listened to them or is listening for the first time. It took a while for me to catch on to what was happening because it's all just noise. Once you can hear past all of the disorder, you come to realize that it is actually really well written and well timed. Even today there is nothing else like it. Found between the moments of chaos and confusion are catchy and upbeat tunes that quickly get dismantled and rearranged into a cacophony of sound. Also a suggestion to some of the boys listening to things like this in their study hall, if the girl you like asks what you're listening to, do what I did and make her listen to it. She'll rip her head backward with confusion and question why she ever talked to you. Trust me, it's for the best. 

There you have it; those are five albums that I loved in high school. I hate trends, let this be the last time I follow one. Black Sheep out.