emo lane: aspirins and alcohol.

Inspired by my trip down memory lane caused by Andy Greenwald's book Nothing Feels Good: Punk Rock, Teenagers, and Emo, this begins a new series of posts embracing the days when I would wear a Taking Back Sunday t-shirt without embarassment or shame. The days when I would blast songs that included repeated choruses of "Spoon Out My Heart". The days when I was "emo".

These are the songs that I hate to still love...which I suppose is sort of emo for me to say.

My first post of this series starts off with "Aspirins and Alcohol" by Stockholm rockers Last Days of April. After discovering this song on the Emo is Awesome, Emo is Evil compilation that I shamelessly bought from Hot Topic (tell no one) in 2003, it became an anthem of mine for whenever I felt moody. This was awfully strange because I was much too smart to involve myself in such self-destructive behaviors as downing aspirins and alcohol to deal with my problems. I suppose what made the song so appealing was the sense of longing as frontman Karl Larsson utters "What I'd give to...be the one. Have my name linger...on your tongue". This is paired with apathy as he repeatedly states, "That's nice" as if he doesn't actually care that the antagonist is going to break another man's heart. Add a few violins to that, and I'm sold.

Emo Qualifications: Touring with The Promise Ring, being on a compilation with the word "emo" in the title, self-deprecation, and other factors

DOWNLOAD: LAST DAYS OF APRIL- Aspirins and Alcohol

Check out more songs at their website, or BUY Angel Youth

BLOGWATCH: Download an entire live show by Fiona Apple over at Looking At Them. Catch The Boy Least Likely To's doing George Michael (his music, not HIM) over at I Guess I'm Floating or You Ain't No Picasso.