Bossy Punk Takeover

Image courtesy of http://top100.topsters.net/

I recently discovered Spotify, and damn it’s like discovering a whole new world! As such, I’ve taken to making playlists of all of my favorite songs. My playlist “Bossy Punk Takeover” was inspired by a mix of 90s punk influenced alt-rock and the femme hip hop takeover. Drawing songs from the six albums listed below, I created a playlist that makes me feel mischeviously happy to be alive. The playlist is my ultimate pump-up music, making me feel confident and sexy. It’s the music I’d blast in my car on a Saturday evening when my friends and I are looking to cause a ruckus down in the city. The music is equal parts rebellious and innocent, for me perfectly capturing how I feel on more reckless days.

The Pinkprint by Nicki Minaj

Call me what you want, but I love Nicki Minaj. She’s a wicked rapper with wisdom beyond her years. According to many, she’s one of the best rappers around. Her new album The Pinkprint is no exception to that. The catchy, hyper-sexualized single “Anaconda” excluded from the album, the songs on The Pinkprint are an introspective look into racial, gender, and class issues through the eyes of Onika Maraj, the woman behind Nicki Minaj. (And in my humble opinion, “Anaconda” is one of the most feminist songs of the year).

Days of Abandon by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Folk meets easy-to-listen to rock in this third debut from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. The album is driven by a passion to stay young forever mixed with the complexities of life, beautifully evident in songs like “Until the Sun Explodes.” Listening to this album, I feel like I’m a child again, braiding flower crowns in an open field, with Mr. Tumnus the faun playing his flute in the background. Basically, this entire album transports me to a timeless fairytale, making it the perfect distraction from my busy city life.

Velvet Rut by Gal Pals

Introduced to me by Rookie Mag, Gal Pals are my new g-crush. To me, Velvet Rut sounds like combining the catchy smooth vocals of Au Revoir Simone with the catchy guitar riffs of The Strokes. There’s a certain innocence to Gal Pals, which is still a pretty undiscovered band. There’s no pressure for them to produce a cerain type of marketable music, so instead they just write what they feel, which feels pretty honest to me. The album isn’t musically perfect, but it’s a modern day flashback to the garage punk era and my flannel shirts and I couldn’t enjoy it more. Since their music is hard to find, here’s their vinyl LP purchase site.

Beyonce by Beyonce

Anyone who quotes Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is prime in my book. Beyonce’s self-titled fourth album is a hip hop work of art, and to quote the great and powerful Yeezus, “Beyonce deserved the best album of the year!” (Sorry Beck, I still love you). Catchy tunes like “Partition” pump you up for your day and put you into a I-can-rule-the-world state of mind. I honestly feel like a boss ass bitch putting on my lipstick while singing along to “Flawless” at the top of my lungs, a feeling you can’t deny every teenage girl wants to feel.

The Wombats Present: This Modern Glitch by the Wombats

I never knew I was a techo fan until I listened to this album, or at least that’s what I got out of the song “Techno Fan.” The Wombats packed a punch with their latest, 1980s punk rave-driven indie rock album. With kooky lyrics on songs such as “Walking Disasters” and “Schumacher the Champagne” encapsulate the awkwardness and FOMO driven years of early adulthood. It’s a carefree album that reminds us that it’s okay to be awkotacos but just try to participate in life and try new things, and eventually you’ll find your niche.

Mosquito by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Soft grunge never felt so good as on Mosquito. First of all, may I just point out that the album art here is impeccable? For many, the album art was the source for outcry, but I really like the controversial, neon cover and its reference to albums past such as Nirvana’s Nevermind. But I digress. Karen Oh’s vocals are always captivating, but this album takes it further by giving them a distant, dreamlike spin, almost like Alice in Wonderland gone wrong. I love this album and it makes for perfect rebellious afternoon listening.