I had to go to the city to try and buy this CD when I was 14 (my dad drove me and I bought it with HARD earned tips from my part time bussing job). The "city" was five hours away from where I lived, sigh. The CD and jacket art are still some of my dearest treasures. Especially the photo of Pete Wentz hanging in the closet. Favourite song: Thriller or The Carpal Tunnel of Love (I have lyrics from Thriller tattooed on my arm)
This is one of the albums I regularly "borrowed" from my sister - there's a nearly 5 year age gap between us. I took it into my care permanently when she moved out. One of the albums I clung to after my grandma died. Favourite song: To The End
Another one I "borrowed" (read: eventually stole) from my sister. I listened to this album a lot in tenth grade, and watched Life on the Murder Scene almost every weekend. It prompted me to start my own (short-lived) garage band at the tender age of 16. Favourite song: Early Sunsets Over Monroeville
My sister abandoned this CD in favour of pop music (no hate, no shade). I think it's one of the first CDs I played in my first car. I used to work in a restaurant, and I had kind of a skeevy supervisor who I'd chat about music with from time to time; this was one of the albums that constantly came up. Bad Religion makes me believe that someone as "normie" looking as Greg Gaffin or Brett Gurewitz can still be a punk. Last thing, this is one of two albums on this list that is exactly as old as me. Favourite song: Slumber
Again, I had liked blink-182 since I was a kid, but Enema was the soundtrack to buzzing my hair off when I was 17 and being bullied for being a, and I quote: "huge dyke" in eleventh grade. Actually, the first masc name I tried out was Adam (it is not my legal name now). Favourite song: Mutt
I definitely discovered Paramore through the Twilight craze, and I'm glad I did. Thus began my hair journey - fire engine red, all the way through ninth grade. Hayley Williams made me believe that I could be a woman and still lead a band (it's complicated). Look powerful. I admired her for starting with a band so young, and the energy with which she sang and performed. Favourite song: it's really hard to pick. I think Let The Flames Begin
A CD I rescued from my sister's hoard. I've liked Green Day since I was young, but I leaned heavily on Dookie through the early days of my transition (age 16-17). It also signalled me to pick up a skateboard for the first time. Favourite song: Pulling Teeth