Tuesday, April 6, 2010

flannel shirts, doc martens and guatemalan bags: how i miss you so

No music has a stronger nostalgic pull for me than the music from my middle school years. Yes, there are songs that make me think of college (holla, holla Sweet Briar!), and there are songs that remind me of when I was first dating my husband, but nothing, nothing, makes me think of the frustrating yet free days of middle school.

Here are my top musical favorites from those days:

1. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me by The Cure

2. “Show Me the Way,” “Renegade,” and “Come Sail Away” by Styx

3. Anything from Mother’s Milk, Uplift Mofo Party Plan or Freaky Styley by the Red Hot Chili Peppers

4. Ritual de lo Habitual by Jane’s Addiction

5. Violent Femmes by Violent Femmes

6. anything by The Doors

7. the entire mix tape Ben Gallagher made me (Oh, how I wish I still had what was probably the coolest mix tape ever made by one of the coolest people ever)

8. several groups that Sarah Holloway taped for me from her brother’s music collection (some of these groups I have tried to track down in later years and can’t even find!)

9. the soundtrack to Pump Up the Volume

Certain songs make me think of certain people and places. For instance, Styx and Pink Floyd immediately transport me to Jen Silliman’s basement. A lot of this music has journeyed with me from tape to CD to my iPod. This music shaped my tastes for life.

What music did this for you?

5 comments:

Fortune Cookies said...

wow. you already discussed a lot of the music that shaped me. a few more would include Nirvana. I can still remember the day Jason (??last name long since forgotten) came in the front door at Mary Bowen's house waving a tape in his hand and exclaiming "You guys HAVE to listen to this!" I'd never heard anything like that before or since. It was Nirvana's first album, and I was hooked.
The Greatful Dead instantly take me back to the home of the singer/songwriter/hippy neighbors that I used to babysit for. Now, those were good times...
Janis Ian and oddly enough Johnny Cash both take me to my childhood living room, sitting beside my father as he strummed his guitar and belted out Folsom Prison Blues or let me sing At Seventeen.

Holly Renee said...

For some reason the spice girls and third eye blind really flash me back to MS. I think your picks are much better though.

Unknown said...

How I forgot about Jen Silliman's basement parties LOL

leigh rast said...

my fav music is early 90s alertna rock. It makes my heart go pitter pat which is probably why I listened to Pearl Jam and Nirvana through my pregnancy.

misskitty said...

early 90s alternarock always makes my heart gp pitterpat. No suprise I listened to Nirvana and Pearl Jam the entire time I was pregnant!