The Stages Of Life, The Stages Of Musik: Part 2, Ages 12-15

I must add something to the last post. An addition, if you will, and you will because I'm doing it regardless. My sister informed me that when I was 4-5 years old that I would blare Queen in my room and sing-a-long to the songs... loudly.


We Are The Champions - Queen

On to part two:


Ah, the awkward years begin. I'm in 6th-9th grade during these ages and that's ending elementary school, all of middle school and beginning high school. Such pleas(I was so miserable)ant times.

12/6th grade: At this point, Seth is on his way to college and I'm riding in the car with my mother to and from school. I would make mix CDs for us to listen to. They all had the title, "ZZ Josh 1", "ZZ Josh 2" or whatever the appropriate number that coincided with the mix was. I still have some of these CDs. They are half terrible, half still amazing - all very real.
ZZ Josh 1 contains the following songs:
1. The Typewriter Song - Funkungfusion
2. Are You The Walrus? - FurtherMore (A Christian rap group)
3. Help Me Rhonda - The Beach Boys

4. That Thing You Do! - The One-ders
5. My Guy - Mary Wells
6. Some punk rock version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"
7. Lean On Me - Bill Withers
8. Breakfast At Tiffany's - Rockapella (an all acappella group)
9. Blue Moon - Rockapella

10. Clint Eastwood - Gorillaz (The CD contained the edited version)
11. Baby - Moby

12. Natural Blues - Moby
13. One More Time - Daft Punk
14. Carolina In My Mind - James Taylor
15. Fire & Rain - James Taylor
16. Sweet Baby James - James Taylor
17. Country Road - James Taylor
18. Mexico - James Taylor

As you can see, very much still listening to oldies/James Taylor but also discovering a few bands on my own: Rockapella, Gorillaz, Moby, Daft Punk (best decision of my life), etc.

Now let's fast forward ZZ Josh 10 and see how much my taste has changed. I would be in 8th grade by this time.
1. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight - The Postal Service

2. Sleeping In - The Postal Service
3. Nothing Better - The Postal Service
4. Natural Anthem - The Postal Service
5. Clark Gable - The Postal Service
6. Brand New Colony - The Postal Service
7. There's Never Enough Time - The Postal Service
8. Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) - The Postal Service
9. Such Great Heights - Iron & Wine
10. Every Night's Another Story - The Early November (EmoRock band)
11. When The Sun Sleeps - Underoath
12. Caught A Glimpse - Blindside
13. I Miss You - Blink 182
14. The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows - Brand New
15. RedUmbrella - ElEcTrIcIzE
16. Walls - Emery
17. Never Be Alone - The Get Up Kids
18. Message In A Bottle - The Police
19. For The Workforce, Drowning - Thursday
20. Monster Truck - ElEcTrIcIzE

Somewhat of a significant change.

About this time I'l in 9th grade; enter the poser. I went to hardcore shows, wore black hardcore band t-shirts, had my orange and black checkerboard slip on fans. I was an individual. Me, and ever other kid who listened to Zao, Norma Jean, The Chariot, Underoath and Blindside. Granted, for hardcore, you can't get better than those guys, but I just looked the part. I mean, I was listening to a band that had Ben Gibbard in it. It's impossible to be hardcore and do that.


So there we have it. My middle school/puberty years.

Stage 1
Stage 3