1. "Peach" The Front Bottoms
First thoughts: The intro to this song faintly reminds me of "Come As You Are" by Nirvana and I love it.
Why you need to hear it: Lead man Brian Sella has a unique voice that drew me in from the moment I heard it. I specifically love this song because it's a love song that doesn't sound like it. It isn't a bubblegum pop ballad where a girl is singing about how she's in love with her crush, it's an indie band singing about how better their life is with this person in it.
Lyrics I love: "It's just so hard to see tomorrow past tonight."
2. "December" Neck Deep
First thoughts: The mellow, acoustic rhythm of this song makes me want to lie down in bed and stare out a rainy window while I think about all the choices I've made in my life. I may or may not being doing that as I type this out.
Why you need to hear it: This is an emotionally catchy song, but one that you don't deeply understand until you've listened to on repeat for an hour and you realize that every word that is being sang, you can relate to on a deep level about one point or another in your life.
Lyrics I love: "Pain is never permanent, but tonight it's killing me."
3. "The Night is Young" The Summer Set
First thoughts: This song reminds me of high school memories, driving around in the summer listening to too-loud music in my best friend's car at 4 a.m.
Why you need to hear it: The exact purpose of this song is to make people reminisce on their high school days. Even if they sucked and you never want to think about those times again, this song will make you create a fantasy world where high school was fantastic.
Lyrics I love: "Don't give up when you're down, don't look back on your life like it's over now."
4. "18" Anarbor
First thoughts: My immediate reaction is to dance around my dorm, scream-singing this song whenever it comes on.
Why you need to hear it: This is the perfect song about a "good girl" dating a "bad boy", but it's written in such a way that the girl is still a steady character. AKA - very low-key feminist song that makes you, too, want to "piss off your parents". (Sorry mom & dad!)
Lyrics I love: "I know it's just a phase, you're not in love with me. You wanna piss off your parents, baby... That's alright with me."
5. "Waterfalls" With Confidence
First thoughts: With Confidence is a relatively new band (<5 years old) with a sound similar to All Time Low circa 2007-2009. So obviously, what's not to love?
Why you need to hear it: This is a song that starts out slow and deeply emotional, but once you hit about the minute and a half mark, it goes hard. It's also a very sad song about the demise of a relationship. It'll get you all up in your feelings.
Lyrics I love: "And even in the darkest silence I could hear and see your guidance, but now we lost it all I had to watch you fall ."
6. "Girls Talk Boys" 5 Seconds of Summer
First thoughts: This song just screams 80's out the wazoo. It's perfect.
Why you need to hear it: 5SOS is a band that isn't taken as seriously by the pop-punk genre as they should be. I mean, they're BFFs with Alex Gaskarth, how do you get any more pop-punk than that? This song was featured on the recent female-lead Ghostbuster's soundtrack, which would explain the 80's vibes happening.
Lyrics I love: "When you're talking to your girls, do you talk about me? Do you say that I'm a sweetheart, do you say that I'm a freak?...Do you tell them that you love me the way that I've been loving you? "
7. "LA Devotee" Panic! at the Disco
First thoughts: This song also reminds of a throwback - totally late 80's/early 90's, with the blessing that is Brendon Urie's voice.
Why you need to hear it: This song brings up my long-hidden fantasy of driving around L.A. in my pink convertible with a slew of my attractive friends. We all have big hair, big sunglasses and bigger dreams. This is a perfect song for the soundtrack to that movie.
Lyrics I love: "The black magic of Mulholland Drive, swimming pools under desert skies, drinking white wine in the blushing light, just another LA Devotee."
8. "Fuqboi" Hey Violet
First thoughts: This song is honestly just pure gold, and is sang by some bad-ass beautiful women.
Why you need to hear it: If you are a girl who has ever interacted with a boy in any romantic fashion, you can probably relate to this song. Honestly, what is there to say about this song that it can't say itself?
Lyrics I love: "I'd rather cut out my tongue than let you kiss me with yours."
