Teen angst and alienation. If you’re in a fledgling rock band and you’re desperate to land a record deal or suddenly blow up like Fall Out Boy, you could do worse than center all your songs these two pillars of rock lyricism. The common thread between these three songs is that they’re all by bands that were tailor made for the Punk-O-Rama compilation series. Each song goes about inspiring teenage tantrums through different methods, and they’re all effective.

Bodyjar – Not the Same
“Not the Same” contains all the good hallmarks of mall-punk (catchy verses and choruses, easy-to-remember lyrics, guitars loud enough to annoy your parents) while thankfully lacking a vocalist who doesn’t sound like he’s constantly holding his nose while singing. This song is unsurprisingly about girl trouble, dealing with the fact that the protagonist’s love interest has changed for the worse (hence the title). The clear high point comes in the final chorus when the band ratchets up the intensity and throws in an incredible guitar lick to seal the deal. It’s hard to imagine that every guy hasn’t been foiled at some point by a nefarious two-faced tramp during their teenage years, so “Not the Same” is an obvious choice.

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Rancid – Not to Regret
“Not to Regret” isn’t as lyrically straightforward as “Not the Same,” but it pulls no punches musically. Sometimes when you’re feeling your angriest or most alienated, you don’t have time for words, and the muffled vocals on “Not to Regret” are perfect for blind, pillow-punching fits of rage. Sure, there are thousands upon thousands of songs like this, but few are backed by a bassist as good as Matt Freeman. The bassline here is punishing, as Freeman reasserts himself as the best reason to care about Rancid if you’ve never heard anything beyond “Time Bomb” and “Ruby Soho.”

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Bouncing Souls – Deadbeats
It’d be impossible to decide which song best captures exactly how crippling teen angst can be, but no song is more educational about the horrors of adult angst than “Deadbeats.” You think having your cell phone get taken away sucks? Just wait until you actually have to “pay for this shit” and can’t afford it. Then, my friend, you have some real problems on your hands. “Deadbeats” reinforces the notion that love of money is the root of all evil more powerfully than any text this side of the Bible. There are times that I get the shakes from the knowledge that kids want to listen to music like this, but then I realize that Greg Attonitoi’s cutting delivery is perfect for his genre and that swear words are still captivating to fourteen year-olds. “Deadbeats” is a masterpiece.

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