Top 10 Teenage Tunes: Ashley Overdrive

Everyone's fave scene girl and future mover n shaker Ashley Overdrive is back! Check out the soundtrack to her teen years and feel old because a blink-182 song from 2011 is included! Ashley can be found on tumblr and various other places on the internet @ashleyoverdrive
 

One of the most amazing feelings in the world is when you hear a song that makes you think of a certain moment; the way dust was swimming in sunlight, the smell of a particular place, a morning commute to school. These are literally just melodies and rhythms melded together in such a way that our brains take us back to specific sets of memories. If that isn't one of the coolest things about how a human brain functions you ever heard, then gtfo right now because here are some songs that bring on my own middle/high school nostalgia. 

1. Wake Me Up When September Ends - Green Day

This is a must-have for any middle school emo kid circa early-mid 00s. Green Day was probably the first band I had a serious obsession with, shortly followed by My Chemical Romance. The dramatic shift after the first two verses of this song were so emotional the first time I heard it. American Idiot in its entirety is truly a masterpiece, I can't even lie...if 12 year old me was able to sit through the 9 minute tracks without getting impatient, it must have been good. I remember when I took guitar lessons in 7th grade and learning this song, it made me feel like such a badass.

2. Sugar, We're Going Down - Fall Out Boy

I don't think there's much I have to say about this song besides the fact that if you do NOT air drum along to the intro, then I dunno if I can be your friend. FOB was this new & fantastic blend of emo-pop that I could not get enough of, even if they were a mainstream band constantly on the top 40 lists [UGH what POSERS!!!!1]. They were popular well before my parents allowed me to go to concerts in the city/by myself, so my first chance to see them was at Skate & Surf this past May. Standing in the pouring rain to see them after all those years and hearing the familiar drum intro, I almost peed myself. 19 years old going on 13 and no fucks to give, probably one of the best [and most long-awaited] shows of my life.

3. Bite To Break Skin - Senses Fail

Holy SHIT do I love Senses Fail. They were the perfect level of angsty for me, nothing too aggressive - I never got into metal, so this was my way of keeping up with my guy friends who were all into dad-rock [at age 13, wtf]. I think this was one of my first instances of anything "melodic" or whatever you wanna call it. I finally saw Senses Fail at Bamboozle 2011 [my glasses broke in my backpack during their set] and again last May. They came to a venue by my school the night before I left for summer break, and pulling an all-nighter after this amazing show to finish packing was absolutely beyond worth it. Their energy after all these years is fucking great, and their music keeps getting better.

4. Reverse This Curse - Escape the Fate

Ahh, man, this album was so good. Ronnie wasn't as much of a sleazeball, the band drama was at normal levels instead of super ultra mega drama queen status, and their future as a Warped Tour-core band seemed bright. Alas, an entire avalanche of bullshit rained down upon them. Now the new Escape the Fate and Falling in Reverse are in a desperate attempt to "bury the hatchet" and scrambling to maintain the few fans they have left [and cash in on their so-called truce]. Will this be the end of the ETF x FIR feud? In my opinion, hell no, but this song reminds me of riding the bus back home in 8th grade, scouring myspace for their newest stuff, and wondering why my makeup couldn't be as good as Ronnie Radke's. 

5. Starlight - Muse

Honestly, I don't remember the first time I heard this song, but it makes me think of the city and having it as my Myspace profile song and being in 8th/9th grade, a lot, so yeah that's about it.

6. It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door - Underoath

I think Underoath was one of the first screamo bands I listened to that felt serious; it seemed like they put a lot of thought into their image as opposed to witty song titles and zany promo photos. The music sad but with sophisticated lyrics, very mosh4christ type stuff but it really drew me in. The chanting at the end of this song specifically ("drowning in my sleep/I'm drowning in my sleep") is almost haunting, and I loved it. 

7. Natives - Blink-182

Blink's return to the scene came the summer before my freshman year of college. I remember jamming to Neighborhoods when it was first released, and although there are a ton of great tracks, it was Natives that quickly rose up as my favorite. The fast-paced rhythm, the mix of Tom & Mark's vocals, and the opening of the second verse ("Don't start to panic for me, 'cause I have nothing to lose/I am as bright as the sun, I burn up all that I choose") all combine to make this track one of the most memorable songs of that entire year for me. Just listening to this song again makes me think of sunshine flooding my cramped dorm room and listening to this album as I walked to class.

8. Le Disko - Shiny Toy Guns

The only reason I found this song is because it was iTunes free download of the week when I was in middle school. It had such an industrial, underground, dirty rock & roll meets rave goth-type vibe that made me feel like I was dancing in an abandoned warehouse wearing a leather miniskirt. I still love this song, makes me feel kind of like a badass. Also, fun fact, the last bit of the chorus ("we're the girls le disko / supersonic overdrive") is where "ashleyoverdrive" really comes from.

9. Claims Should Echo - Dr. Manhattan

Dr. Manhattan [yes, their namesake is the dude from Watchmen] is a group of dudes from Illinois making alternative/indie/pop/rock music that is just plain weird....and I love it. They were opening at the first local show I ever went to, the summer just after 8th grade, and it was an amazing introduction to the scene. Since I got their CD that night, I've been hopelessly addicted to their zany style. My best friend and I were their #1 fans, even earning a spot on their myspace blog with a video we made for them [we baked them a cake, it was pretty sweet]. Just hearing them again makes me think of that time we got her mom to drive us all the way to Boston to see them play a free show on some random college campus, which definitely ranks as one of the coolest things a parent has ever done for me.

10. Escape Me - Tiesto 

I was never much into EDM besides the basic radio stuff and a handful of party mixes/full festival sets I dig up on Soundcloud, but one of my best friends in high school was obsessed with the whole scene. She loved Deadmau5 and Wolfgang Gartner, but Tiesto was definitely up there. Before I had my license, she would drive me around most of the time, and of course the driver is the DJ so we had a grab bag of stuff going on, everything from For the Fallen Dreams to Skrillex to A Day to Remember to Bayside. This song was one of those instantly catchy ones for me, and I put this one more often than not whenever I got the chance to control the music. It makes me think of her white Jeep, driving around at night, driving to this sketchy hookah bar where her boyfriend DJ'd a few nights a week, and the summer between sophomore & junior year. Definitely one of those "windows down, volume up" songs for me.

Summer Scene Roundup w/ Ashley Overdrive

*generic Real Music Fan(girl), not Ashley

Summer is pretty much over, so we're left with the usual important question; who were the musical movers and shakers that shaped the soundtrack for your typical alternative college girl, through sunny road trips with besties to slightly bitter empowering nights alone proving she don't need any man!? Obviously I'm not an expert on this so I need to consult people like Ashley Overdrive. Not only is she a scene/emo guru, she is also an up and coming social media-ite and #Music Monday was *her thing* while she interned @ Tumblr. Much like scene music, which often varies between heavy breakdowns and pop choruses, her life is made up of juxtapositions. But don't be fooled by her fangirl enthusiasm, some day she'll be running things like a bo$$, and I'll be working for her (if I'm lucky). - Alanso

Music is a big part of my life – cliché as fuck but so true! While I aim to be in the music industry on the business side of things, I’m all about making playlists based upon moods and creating mixtapes for my friends. Music is largely about the emotional experience it gives you, and here are ten songs that I [painstakingly] chose to represent my top picks for this summer.

Senses Fail - Renacer

My school is in the middle of bumblefuck, nowhere, but every once in a while, our local venue gets some killer shows. Senses Fail, one of my favorite bands, announced a date in May that was the night before I was supposed to leave for the semester, but with an album as brutally addictive as Renacer, there was no way I couldn’t go. So, of course the logical solution to this is pack half your room, chug a 5 hour energy, go to the show, and then have another 5 hour energy and pull an all-nighter to pack up the rest of your stuff before your mom shows up at 9:30 the next morning. When this album came out, it was the title track opening the record that really got me pumped. Seriously, just listen to first couple of seconds, before the lyrics even  start, and don’t tell me you don’t think of mosh bros pacing back & forth across the pit. “The cave you’re afraid to enter/holds the treasures you seek” is a hook that instantly grabs you into screaming the rest of the lyrics, complete with violent finger pointing, “REBORN! My heart, it no longer bleeds / REBORN! I’ve got the love that I need / Stop wasting your time waiting on misery / I’m reborn eternally.” Also, in case you didn’t take Spanish in high school, “renacer” translates to “to be reborn,” which is what Senses Fail has truly done with this record.

Paramore - Still Into You

Since I was maybe 14/15 years old, I’ve always been kind of sad that I’m not Hayley Williams. She’s immensely talented, writes beautiful music, has some badass hair, and is a powerhouse in the music industry, proving that female frontwomen are just as capable of capturing an international audience as men. Paramore’s self-titled record came out right around when Fall Out Boy released their comeback album,
and to be honest, my priorities were definitely to FOB. However, upon listening to Paramore’s album a few times through, I knew theirs was also going to be an instant favorite. While I absolutely adore “Now,” it was “Still Into You” that just barely edged it out for a spot in my top 10 summer jams. The song is so sugary sweet that I couldn’t help but blast it as I opened up the blinds, put on a sundress, and twirled
around in celebration of the warm weather returning. It’s cheesy, but hey, so is the song, “it’s not a walk in the park to love each other/but when our fingers interlock, can’t deny, can’t deny, you’re worth it/’cause after all this time, I’m still into you.” It’s not possible for me to have this song come on in the car and not belt out the chorus with a giant smile on my face.

Beartooth - I Have A Problem

I have a problem of my own…I’m a hopeless scene kid. Seriously. One of my favorite bands was Attack Attack!, especially when Caleb Shomo took over on vocals. Their self-titled is one of my top records to date…and of course, two records into his career as a front man, he leaves and the subsequently band breaks up. But you know what else is great? When a band member’s new project is just great as their original
gig. Enter: Beartooth, the power-violence/punk-rock/sort of hardcore outfit that Caleb now fronts. “I Have A Problem” is the single off the band’s debut EP, Sick. The gritty, angry sound of Beartooth is like a matured scene kid, one who’s evolved from the “neon years” of skinny jeans & coontails to rocking snapbacks & flannel while getting in the pit. The lyrics pretty clearly talk about alcoholism and being in
a dark place, but eventually admitting that you have a problem [in case you haven’t noticed]. The recognition of the unhealthy solution comes screaming at you with the emphasized lyrics of “substance therapy never set me free.” It’s a circle-pitting, stage-diving anthem for sure, and as soon as you get to the pre-breakdown line
of “I don’t know about you, but I’m admitting now that I have a problem,” I can’t even control myself. I try to bar myself from the pit [being 5’4” is not favorable for that shit], but when I see them next, I may break my own rule just because motherfucking Beartooth.

Fall Out Boy - Death Valley

I am one of those people who absolutely died when Fall Out Boy officially announced their hiatus had ended. The soundtrack to my middle school years, FOB were one of those bands whose tour dates had always eluded me. One of my friends tipped me off in December that they’d be playing Skate & Surf in May, but when the news officially broke, it was still a golden sunlight of scene kid victory that I basked
in for days. The first single, “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light ‘Em Up),” was a triumphant comeback in itself, but the whole album really showed a matured group of guys who hadn’t forgotten their roots in swooping emo bangs and white belts. The feature of this song I cannot overlook is the dubstep – yes, that really just happened. There’s a dubstep bridge of sorts that actually fits quite well in the song, taking the catchy rhythm to an ethereal electronic vibe for just a moment before delving right back into a final chorus. They performed this song at Skate & Surf and it was truly something else. It’s also one of those songs I always end up putting on mixtapes, so naturally my best friend and I have blasted this while driving around all summer long [I think I’ve converted her into an Overcast Kid <3].

New Politics - Harlem

A perfect segway from Fall Out Boy because honestly, I’d never heard of these guys before I saw them open for FOB. The date I went to was within the first two weeks of my internship. Their sound is so infectious! I spent my entire summer stuffing envelopes with this blaring through my headphones. There’s no way you can listen to this song without tapping your feet and clapping in time to the intro, right? It’s got the perfect summer vibe, all I can think of walking down a sunny sidewalk to my office and everyone breaking out into a giant dance party, High School Musical style. New Politics has what I like to call “grit sugar” to them; the rock n’ roll rambunctiousness of a college kid playing a house party combined with the justright sweetness of pop radio [and they’ve already broken into a Doritos commercial so hey, props to them]. The rest of their stuff is just as catchy, check it out for sure.

We Came As Romans - Fade Away

Every WCAR album so far has had one of “those” tracks on it for me; the one song you hear for the first couple of times and realize it’s given you chills. Tracing Back Roots is a solid record but “Fade Away” is a strong contender for my favorite. Dave and Kyle’s different vocals are perfectly matched, the rough and clean styles blending pretty much flawlessly. With such a sweeping chorus, it is impossible not to belt out along with the gang vocals while driving home from your summer internship [or maybe that’s just me? am I weird for singing Warped Tour-core bands at the top of my lungs to relieve stress after a long day?]. My favorite part is the bridge,  “rise higher / your mind is an echo / shine brighter / get out of the shadows
/ I won’t fade away,” leading into the final, most driven chorus in the whole song. Even though this past Warped was my fourth or fifth time seeing them, their live performance certainly didn’t disappoint. Their fan base is one of the best crowds you could possibly put yourself in, too, which makes me love their music even more.

Smallpools - Mason Jar

One of my friends posted another Smallpools song on Tumblr and I loved the dreamy synth-pop feel right away. Their self-titled EP featured “Mason Jar” and it has such a summery, happy-go-lucky feel to it. I hear the beginning melody and all I want to do is put on a dress that has a lot of twirl-factor and run around a meadow or maybe an indie Brooklyn rooftop soiree that has lots of Christmas lights and locally brewed beers or something. It’s light, it’s fun, it’s whimsical, it makes me want to dance around with my friends and put flowers in my hair and just smile. Smallpools is coming to my school in a few weeks and I cannot WAIT to finally see them. For such a young band, I see big things for them a la twenty | one | pilots.

Balance & Composure - Reflection

B&C is probably one of my favorite bands, hands down. Their debut full-length, Separation, is one of my top albums of all time. With the announcement of their next album, The Things We Think We’re Missing, came the release of the first single “Reflection.” Just with the beginning riff, I felt myself slipping into the state of musical bliss that Separation brought to me, and I knew this album was going to slay. The sort of 90s-alt/grunge feel makes this feel ethereal, while the lyrics add a sense of longing to rebuild that every person in the audience will feel, “you said you’d come when you’re ready/and I’ve been taking my time/burn all the wreckage and start it all over.” The amount of feeling that this band puts into their music is one I have found in very few other artists, and this song makes me so amped to hear the rest of the album. Can’t wait.

Tallhart - Holy War

You know when you go see a band live for the first time and they just seem off? Obviously very few artists can sound exactly like they do on a finished studio album, and you can usually attribute the difference to a grueling tour schedule or a shitty sound system. Tallhart is NOT one of those artists. I listened to a few of their tracks fromBloodlines last fall before I went to see them open for Say Anything, but I got to the venue late and didn't end up seeing them. However, I finally got the chance to see them again at Skate & Surf, the revived New Jersey festival that came from the same team that brought you the now-defunct Bamboozle. In the middle of a depressingly rainy weekend came the beautiful golden alt-indie sunshine that is Tallhart. Crooning vocals and melodic guitars made "Holy War" one of the biggest sing-alongs of their set, "bloodshot eyes see a man across the sea / says he wants a holy war and he's coming for me." I adore all of Bloodlines, really; a balance of intense and relaxing that made my hour long train commute the perfect blend of "time to unwind" and "don't fall asleep and miss your stop." Tallhart also dropped a new album this summer, We Are All The Same, that you should definitely check out as well!

Beyoncé – Run The World (Girls)

IT’S THE QUEEN BEY, Y’ALL. I had to wake up immensely early for an hour-plus commute to my internship, and once I got there, droopy-eyed and decaffeinated, this song would motivate me into kick-ass mode. The drums, the lyrics, the fact that Beyoncé took four months to track down a dance group from Ethiopia to adapt their choreography for this song [and feature them in the video]…it is all just perfect. I got the chance to see Bey perform at the Barclays Center on the last date of her Mrs. Carter World Tour this summer and holy SHIT does she put on a production. Even if I didn’t know all of the songs, the atmosphere she creates is absolutely unreal and honestly something I wish I could bring all of my friends to. All I wanted to do was dance my white-girl ass off and belt the high notes towards the end of this song –
and trust me, given enough time alone at home, I totally did. This is definitely a girl power anthem for the ages and one of my favorite summer jams.

For more playlists, positivity and other updates from Ashley (including cute dog pics, who doesn't want those?) hit her up on tumblr and follow here on twitter/instagram @ ashleyoverdrive