Driven Far Off

Music and innocence, the words aren’t too often found next to each other, yet they make a lot of sense when they are.

I heard an Mxpx song on the radio back in 1998 I believe. I found out who the band was, I went and bought “Slowly going the way of the buffalo” and to this day it’s still probably the cd of mine that has gotten the most play over the years. I went to see Mxpx a few months after buying their cd. A small band no one I went with had heard of named “The Ataris” was opening for them. The Ataris cd “blue skies, broken hearts, next twelve exits” had just come out and by the end of their set all my friends were at the table buying the cd.

The melodies, the lyrics, everything seemed so relevant at the time. It seemed like the songs were written by someone that had been there, someone who knew what it was like to be in high school and to be that age. It felt like the songs were written for me.

Time went by and bands came and went from my cd player. Some were important and memorable, and some not so much. One band that sticks out though is Yellowcard. Back in the days of the old mp3.com (much like Purevolume.com is now) I would just search and search for all types of music, just anything and everything that sounded good. I’ll never forget when I came across this punk band with a violin in it though. I mean they can’t do that, it’s not the standard three piece stuff that was common. Songs like “October Nights” and “Rock Star Land” made me feel like I was a part of the band, and for those three short minutes, well, I think I was. Yellowcard’s first cd “One for the kids” was legendary in my eyes, the songs were written not because there was huge pressure to, not because millions of people were waiting for it, rather the songs were written because they were real, they needed to be sung.

I’m not old but I’m starting to realize I’m not that young anymore either. Times and music both change but nothing can replace the feeling when a song that’s been frozen in the past comes through the speakers once again. I know most people weren’t affected by the same bands and the same songs as I was, but everybody has their own. What are yours? What are the bands, and songs that take you back in time? What was the soundtrack to your youth?