The Bands That Got Me Through 2017

I’m Kizzy, and I’m really excited to be guest-blogging for Jamie.

I’m known as “the human sprinkler”.

I cry at EVERYTHING. I once cried at work because my colleague reminded me of the plot of Babe: Pig In The City.

Don’t judge me.

As I’m a person with a lot of feelings – and I mean a LOT – I often rely on music to get me through rough times, whether it’s lyrics that I can relate to at the time, something more upbeat to lift me up, or just something that makes me feel my feelings! So, this post is about the music that got me through this weird year. I’ll also be including a Spotify playlist at the end of the post – some bands/songs that I’ve mentioned, and some that I haven’t but really deserve to be included.

Since I’m passing through, I should probably tell you a little bit about myself. I’m 24 years old, I’m originally from Newcastle upon Tyne [note from editor: “RUBBER DINGY RAPIDS!!!”], but I’ve lived with my long-term boyfriend in Glasgow for the past three years. I’m super loud and silly, but I’m actually pretty introverted – my ideal night is staying in and binging Netflix shows with some gin and pizza! I love nerdy things like comics and video games, but I also love make-up, Lush products and the £2 stick-on nails that you can get from Primark.

Let’s get back to the music though!

Twenty One Pilots

I only really started listening to Twenty One Pilots this year, and I’m honestly so upset that I hadn’t listened to them sooner. They’re the first band in a long time that I’ve instantly connected with, and I really wish they’d been in my life longer! Their songs are often about battling stress and mental health issues, and as someone who has a lot of experience with that, their music and lyrics really speak to me. The first songs I heard by them were Migraine and Kitchen Sink – both from the 2013 album Vessel. I was having a really bad mental health day at the time and one of my closest friends sent me these songs as I was on the bus home from work. I put my headphones in, listened, and burst into tears. I’d never heard lyrics that so accurately described what was going on in my head – these guys just get it! They instantly became one of my favourite artists, and Vessel and Blurryface are two of my most played albums now.

For fans of: Enter Shikari, Gorillaz, Imagine Dragons

Milk Teeth

I love this band so much! I was first introduced to them when I went to see Against Me! at The Garage in Glasgow last year (more on them later!) and was completely blown away. They opened with a Joan Jett cover, what more could you want! I’ve now seen them three times, and each time I’ve just had so much fun. Whenever I need my mood to be lifted, or if I want to dance around like an idiot, these are my go-to. The song Nearby Catfight is currently a fave of mine – with my mental health issues I sometimes really struggle to take care of myself, and the lyric,

"Everyone thinks I’m looking after myself, but I woke up in this shirt"

...speaks to me on a personal level. They released two EPs this year called Be Nice and Go Away, and they’re easily two of my top records of the year, and tracks from their full-length album Vile Child are on every playlist I have. On a small side note – it’s worth following these guys on Twitter too. They’re all hilarious and kind, and Becky often posts music on her Youtube channel, and makes cute jewellery too!

For fans of: Creeper, Fireworks, Sonic Youth

Against Me!

Three years ago, my friend asked me if I wanted to go to a gig with her for free. She was doing the photography for it, and I’d heard the band’s name in passing, so I said okay, it should be fun, etc. And it absolutely changed my life. I’d never felt so much love and positivity at a show before. This was the band’s first tour since Laura Jane Grace came out as transgender, and when that beautiful 6ft 2 amazon of a woman walked onto the stage, everyone was just so happy, and so proud. I left that show knowing that I’d just discovered an amazing person, and one of my favourite bands. I was a pretty angsty teenager and I was both bullied and in trouble with teachers at school, and the song I Was A Teenage Anarchist sums up growing up and still dealing with those feelings. Transgender Dysphoria Blues is absolutely my favourite album by them, and I didn’t think they could make anything else that I would like as much, but they released Shape Shift With Me at the end of last year and I was super impressed. 333 was even my top song on Spotify this year!

For fans of: Alkaline Trio, Bayside, The Distillers

I The Mighty

I thought I was done writing after three bands, I really did! Then I saw these guys for the second time last week, and remembered how much they actually mean to me. They write absolutely beautiful music, and each member of the band is super talented and work so well together. I first listened to their album Connector, which was released in 2015, and was blown away with how creative it was. My favourite track on that album is probably Friends, which features Max Bemis of Say Anything! The lyrics Max Bemis sings on that record are something I really connect with, as it’s about anxiety and being scared that you’ll say or do the wrong thing. They released the album Where The Mind Wants You To Go/Where You Let It Go this year, and again it’s amazingly creative and just really stunning. My partner and I were lucky enough to meet them at their show last week, and they had so much time for us and were so nice – out of all the bands we’ve met, they were definitely the best. If you’re into something a bit heavier, their drummer Blake Dahlinger is in a side project with members of A Lot Like Birds and Hail The Sun – they’re called Sufferer and it’s definitely worth checking out.

For fans of: Dance Gavin Dance, Hands Like Houses, Letlive

These bands were my top four this year, and I could write about so many more, so honourable mentions go to The Wonder Years, Fireworks, The King Blues, Enter Shikari, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Placebo, AFI, Blink 182, and so many other bands and artists that make amazing music and help me really feel my feelings.

So, that’s me! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this as much as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it, and I’m so thankful to Jamie for asking me to do this.

If you want to read more of my nonsense, follow me on Twitter! 

Enjoy the playlist and I'll see you next time! 🤘

Click or tap to listen to Kizzy's playlist on Spotify!