BY JEREMY HAAS
Like everyone else on this newspaper staff, every other kid at CCHS, and almost every American at one point in their lives, I am a high school student. However during this time filled with love anger and hormones, angst is perhaps one of the most prominent. Even though it’s often forgotten about or ignored, it certainly hits a lot of people close to home.
Here’s a short list of songs that scream angst, and should touch the sad, distressed teenager in everyone.
Kiss Off – The Violent Femmes
Making beautiful music out of mediocre musicianship, the Violent Femmes are one of the coolest bands ever. “Kiss Off” uses around three chords in it’s entirety, all played on an acoustic guitar. They back their singer’s technically awful voice, and even with that, I’d still rather listen to them than anything that’s ever been played on Y-100. Gordon Gano (songwriter extraordinaire,) shows off his true colors in this heartfelt track that is so simple, yet so meaningful. While the first two verses seem lazy on their own, they contrast perfectly with hard-hitting remainder of the song; a ripping bass solo, and a perfect bridge. In it, Gano counts to ten, and to accompany each number, he adds a line about some emotional distress he’s feeling. As the numbers build up, so does the pain in his voice, reaching an utterly climactic transition to a final epic chorus that closes the song. Oh and the entire bridge was composed of one chord, E-minor. Did I happen to mention that I’m impressed?
So Let’s Go Nowhere- ASOB
Ska is lame 99% of the time, but ASOB are a short-lived, ska-punk band that inhabits the remaining 1%. They are quite possibly the angriest, loudest, and most punk ska-band of all time; they reek of angst. “So Let’s Go Nowhere” comes in like concrete at your face, with noisy power chords, followed by a quick brass-section hook. Then the vocals begin, and dear god, they are magnificent. Jeff Rosenstock, the charismatic and brash singer of ASOB, rips through his lyrics faster than anything I’ve ever heard. There’s no way to fully comprehend the verses to this song without reading the lyrics a few times first, but the messy lines this guy shouts off are eloquent in their own respect. Overall, the song is an angst-ridden anthem, especially when the chorus rolls around. The unassuming chant of “everything is always falling apart” is audible, and as it contrasts with the wordy remainder of the track, it hits a listener with ungodly amounts of raw passion and power.
Church Hymn For the Condemned- Johnny Hobo and the Freight Trains
Once again, a raspy-voiced guy with an acoustic guitar steals the show. These troubled acoustic songwriters tend to have the most soul. “Church Hymn for the Condemned” is, in the most utterly perfect way, an unholy punk rock abomination. It denounces religion, and it almost sounds like this Johnny Hobo fella is challenging any so-called God to a fistfight. The performer is 17 years old, and hopped up on cheap liquor and nihilism, so it’s no question that he’s got a serious case of teenage angst; I just find it impressive that some random crusty punker could achieve such beauty. He has such a basic musical formula, and comes out with brilliant punk rock anthems, but I guess most people would consider this to be an “acquired taste.” Still, “Church Hymn for the Condemned” spreads a positive message of self-respect and independence, free from any commercialized images of beauty, or reliance on a God that nobody can really prove exists.
Last Caress – The Misfits
Calling the Misfits “angsty” would probably make their former frontman/hobbit, Glenn Danzig’s blood boil. Honestly though, what kind of aggravated teenager didn’t go through the classic “horror punk” phase? No matter how much he works out, or how many fights he picks in a futile attempt to look tough, Glenn Danzig will perpetually be a rebellious teenager at heart. What better song to choose for a adolescent-frustration filled playlist? It’s a murder anthem that’s cheesier, and more poorly made than The Creature From the Black Lagoon. There’s something charming about the Misfits, and I mean the classic band, not the modernized group with a Danzig-rip off lead singer. Inept musicians played the music on the old recordings, as an angry dwarf-man with a devil-lock screamed inaudible obscenities about death, ghouls, goblins, and zombies. “Last Caress” is one of those tracks that could easily define a generation, even if that generation is of angst-ridden kids who find solace in punk rock and cheap horror flicks.
Constant Headache – Joyce Manor
“Constant Headache,” along with most of Joyce Manor’s repertoire, sounds like high school. The band is composed of young guys and it’s easy to tell they aren’t completely grown up yet. Because of that, Joyce Manor is a lot more relatable and make a rock and roll lifestyle seem like a reality. It’s oddly comforting to hear this love ballad, and know that all around the country, thousands of teenagers are hearing the same thing you are. This song is imperfection at it’s finest, a simple verse-chorus structure, mediocre guitar work, and a groaning guy with a completely average voice. “Constant Headache” tells of a boy who likes a girl and a girl whose friends completely abhor the boy. The style of telling the story isn’t so frank however, as the meaning is masked by metaphors that also, strangely, capture the essence of teenage love; an awkward, emotional train wreck of self-discovery.
