celebrating angsty raw teenage-ness

Much of the music produced nowadays is so totally over-manufactured, auto tuned, airbrushed, and basically made into a glossy representation of what a song should be. There's nothing wrong with some factory made pop music once in a while, but sometimes you need to just drift away, lie in your room for days on end and do nothing. You don't want Taylor Swift screaming 'I'M FEELING TWENTY-TWOOOO' in your face whilst you're trying to zone out, so this post is about dreamy yet distorted and raw tracks that will lead you by the hand to humid summers overflowing with hormones and still air.

teen suicide

1. Salvia Plath by Teen Suicide - a love ballad in it's own form. fuzzed out, dreary vocal lines over bleached riffs and a simple drum loop. Elements of the song don't really line up but still manage to fit together as though they were meant to be.
2. Inside You by Elvis Depressedly - A scuzzy guitar track with beautifully layered vocals.
3. Maybe by The Aquadolls - The aquadolls are a favourite of mine, and 'maybe' is one of their more downtoned, rough-around-the-edges songs.
4. Young Daisy by Boy Crush - echoing, quiet vocals accompany a single electric guitar. More poem-like and eerie than the other songs featured on this playlist.
5. Foreign Films by Mesita - a song that celebrates the high school rejects - the people who weren't born to be prom kings and queens.
6. When'd You Find Me by Arrange (Ricky Eat Acid Remix) - listen to this one surrounded by incense and fairy lights, or in a dark room at two in the morning. trust me.

Quick Chat with The Aquadolls

The Aquadolls Interview

The Aquadolls were formed in early 2012 by lead vocalist/guitarist Melissa Brooks, then later that year were signed onto Burger Records' label. From their formation in January 2012, they have released many little EPs and demos on their bandcamp. 

This band doesn't sound like they should still be alive and making music; they sound like a surf rock band from the late 20th century (still sounding great though). 
Despite their lyrics and vocals being dominated by females, there is only one girl member  Melissa. She is joined by Ryan Frailich on vocals/guitar, Josh Crawford on bass, and Colin Moore on drums. Recently, they released their 15 track album 'Stoked for you' on their bandcamp, promising a 'full length LP out this summer'. That's something to look forward to. I talked to Melissa about the Vivian Girls, girl power and her hatred for school.

• Hello! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer some questions. When I think of The Aquadolls, words such as summer and quirky really come to mind. How would you guys describe your sound?
Rolling out of bed at noon, racing to the garage to plug in my guitar and jam, turning up the fuzz all the way.

• You guys recently embarked on a tour with Kate Nash. What did you think of the reception from the crowd?
It was such an honor to share the stage with Kate Nash! She is incredible and so empowering. Her fans were very welcoming towards us and it seems like the crowd reacted well to the shows. I saw lots of dancing. It was good times for sure.

• What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you guys while you’ve been performing?
Someone came up on stage in the middle of the song and kissed me on the cheek and then dove off the stage. That was pretty cool.

• What are your feelings towards the recent sad news of the Vivian Girls break up?
I must admit that I am not surprised due to their lack of shows in the past year, however, they have left behind so many good songs that inspired many people, including myself. I remember the first time I listened to Vivian Girls. I was 15 and coming out of a bad phase where all I listened to was terrible screamo bands and shopped extensively at Hot Topic. I heard their song "Tell The World" and instantly loved it! I would watch countless interviews and music videos and live performances. They really inspired me to create my own version of the Vivian Girls. If I hadn't of discovered them, The Aquadolls would sound really different. I am also huge fans of their other projects (The Babies, La Sera, Cassie Ramone, 
Upset) and am excited to hear the new stuff they come up with. It's such an honor to be able to play with them at their final show in Los Angeles!

• What would you hope someone would feel after listening to your music?
I can't really say. I suppose it depends on the listener. I would just hope that people enjoy it.

• You’re the soundtrack to many teenagers’ summers but what songs remind you of vivid memories from 2013?
Looking back to last summer, I remember listening to Bleached "Ride Your Heart" album a lot. San Francisco by Foxygen, Royals by Lorde, and a lot of Charli XCX as well.

• I love the feel of girl power to the band. What are your views on sexism within the music industry?
The music scene we're in is generally male dominated. I know that some people don't take this band seriously due to the fact that it is female fronted. It seems like I make a lot of people uncomfortable for some reason, and I don't understand why, but apparently I tend to "steal the show" and be "self-centered". If performing my ass off and rocking harder than you could ever do in your dreams makes me self-centered, hah, okay. If a guy was doing it, no one would say anything. Just because I have boobs doesn't mean I shouldn't be taken seriously. I think it's about time for girls to come to the front. We shouldn't be afraid to express ourselves. We shouldn't fear judgment. Let us be who we are, and only God can judge us. Plus, girls rule.


• Finally, your song ‘I hate school’ is very relatable to a majority of our audience, so is there any advice to our teenage readers to get them through school ?
I have always disliked school. Back in high school, I was the "weird girl". I would hang out in the band room a lot and go in practice rooms to play piano and work on songs I was writing. I would always try to escape everyone. School dances were a joke. The teachers seemed as if they would rather be on vacation. It just feels like a waste of time to me. For the teens out there who hate school as much as me, I know school sucks, but it goes by fast. Learn to escape from the things that make you uncomfortable. Find something positive within it.


- Nina , @s0ultrippin
(Thanks to Holly for writing the fabulous intro x)