Four Great Albums I Rediscovered Lately

About a month ago, I found some old music on my laptop, bands I've listened to as a teenager and which I've completely forgotten about. It honestly was like Christmas. There right in front of me was all this great music which I knew was good because I once loved it but still it was like I discovered it for the first time. Among this music, I rediscovered four albums which are the soundtrack of my life at the moment.

Sum 41 - Underclass Hero

This is, hands down, one of the greatest albums in the history of Punk Rock. It has all this anger and roughness and sense of protests and riots which a Punk band needs without sounding like broken guitars and buidlings in the middle of being torn down. There are a couple of songs which sound like that (and they should because the world needs more loud and unpleasant songs about politics!) but there are also some beautiful treasures which are suprisingly soft. My two favorite songs of "Underclass Hero" are "Best of me" and "Walking Disaster".

"Best of me" is simply the perfect song to listen to on repeat when you messed up and as I am messing up constantly and recently nicknamed myself Queen of Failure, I listen to this song quite often. When I'm on a bus, it is raining, it is dark outside and I listen to "Best of me", I realize that life sucks but that I wouldn't have it any other way. Because here's my secret: I love the bad stuff just as much as the good stuff. Dark times have a strange sense of magic,

To "Walking Disaster" on the other hand I don't listen to quite often but ALL THE TIME. Everytime this song comes up on my phone, I have to repeat it at least 5 times before I feel ready to go on listening to other music, just to got back to it after a couple of songs again. Why? Because it is that good. The title alone is genius. This should be my nickname too: Walking Disaster, because man I feel like it so often. But regardless of the title, it is a suprsingly beautiful and hopeful song which makes me feel like being lost is okay and which teaches me that even the lost will find their way home. Just listen to it. And then listen to it again. And again. And again.

The Subways - All or nothing & Young for Eternity

I love the Subways. Both albums are simply perfect. Most of their songs are rather hard both in the sense of loud and in the sense of morally uncomfortable. But they also have calm and soft songs. With the Subway I just love the general feeling this band gives me. It's the perfect soundtrack for a twentysomething's summer. It makes me feel like the world is hard and sad and unfair but at the same time incredibly beautiful. It makes me glad that I'm alive.

On "All or nothing" my favorite song is "Move to Newlyn" because it captures the essence of life in less than 3 minutes. But I also love "Obsession" (because what's life without a little obsession?), "Strawberry Blonde" and "Lostboy" (both great love songs).

On "Youn for Eternity" I like "Mary", "City Pavement" (the hymn of every big city gir!) and "With You". But the absolute best song of this album and from the Subways in general is without question "Rock & Roll Queen". I also listen to this song at least three times daily. The lyrics are pretty simple but it just makes me feel great about myself. Rock & Roll Queen was what my ex boyfriend called me but now I understand that I can be this person without him. I am this person no matter who I'm dating. I am Rock & Roll Queen.

Panic! at the Disco - A fever you can't sweat out

Okay I didn't really rediscover Panic! at the Disco, they were always part of my playlist. But I go through certain Panic! at the Disco phases. I can't listen to them at all for 6 months and then suddenly I listen to nothing else for a complete week. I had a week like this lately. I deeply believe that Panic! at the Disco make everything better. They are always a go to band when I feel down. What I did rediscover is the song "There's a good reason these tables are numbered, Honey, you just haven't thought of it yet" (man, I hate there long song titles). In 2009 when I graduated from High School I discovered this song and it made me feel like anything is possible. I have lacked this feeling in the last couple of years. But when I listen to this song today, it makes me feel like I am strong and sexy and like I can in fact achieve pretty much anything if I really want to (the problem is finding out what I want to, you know). The insecure little girl is gone. I am stronger now. And music helps me to be that person.

Love,

Queen of Failure

Walking Disaster

Rock & Roll Queen