With finals about a month away (insert screams of terror here), students around campus are going to have to start hitting the books harder than they have this entire semester. With that said, we’re all going to need some extra motivation.
Some students will rely on self-motivation; some will drink energy drinks, while others will simply crank some music to get their blood pumping.
So, this week I’m going to make my own little playlist of songs to put in your finals playlist. Keep in mind the songs are in no particular order.
Blink-182 – “Feeling This”
Blink-182 has always been one of my favorite bands, and they became more of a favorite back  in September when I saw them on the Honda Civic Tour. This is one of my favorites from  them mainly because of the feel good vibes in the song. The only problem is that I would  probably end up doing more air-drumming than studying.
Paramore – “Ignorance”
This song grabs your attention from the very first guitar riff and doesn’t let you go until the end. Paramore was one of the rare bands that I fell in love with after hearing just one song. The energy that comes from the song is kind of hard to explain, but every time I hear it, my heart rate goes up a little bit purely from the opening guitar riff.
New Found Glory – “Truck Stop Blues”
Keeping the pop-punk genre alive and well, New Found Glory rarely disappoints with their songs. This song is one that you don’t want to hear while driving, because you’ll most likely end up doing 95 mph on I-95. This one is another song that explodes at the start and only gets better as the song progresses. Definitely one that gets my blood pumping.
Green Day – “Brain Stew/Jaded”
Green Day has been a band longer than I have been alive (?!?) and yet they still produce amazing songs with every single album. This combination of songs “Brain Stew” and “Jaded” has to be on my list purely because it shows off the genius that is Green Day. “Brain Stew” is slower yet powerful and “Jaded” is a full-fledged, mosh-starting, head banging, punk-on-speed song. If your feet don’t start moving when you hear it, you might be dead.
My Chemical Romance – “Our Lady of Sorrows”
I decided to go with this My Chemical Romance song purely for the fact that it’s two minutes worth of adrenaline in musical form. Although the song is only 125 seconds long, lead singer Gerard Way somehow manages to slip in the f-bomb eight times. It’s not a song for the kids, but if you ever wanted to get motivated, My Chemical Romance offers you this piece.
Biffy Clyro – “That Golden Rule”
Biffy Clyro may not be well-known in the United States, but they are huge overseas. I wound up seeing them for free this summer, second row, without even knowing who they were. Fast forward to now and I can only wish I knew the band prior to that day. “That Golden Rule” contains everything from screaming to drum rolls to a full blown orchestra. It’s a musical masterpiece and I can’t help but feel better when I hear it.
Death Cab for Cutie – “Cath”
A song about a girl who married the wrong man, because she was giving up on love shouldn’t be viewed as a good thing, right? Somehow, Death Cab makes “Cath” a very powerful and just plain enjoyable song. Lead singer Ben Gibbard has always been known as a lyrical genius, and he shines bright in this song.
Panic! At The Disco – “Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off”
For the sake of not having to read that title again, let’s just refer to the song as “Lying” from here on out, deal? “Lying” is a song that is just as the title describes it with a couple sexual messages in the lyrics. Just like previous songs, not exactly one for the kids, but a good song overall. There is excellent singing courtesy of Panic!’s lead singer, Brendon Urie, and if you can manage enough breath, it’s undeniably a great sing-a-long.
 Weezer – “If You’re Wondering if I Want You To, I Want You To”
Another long song title, this time courtesy of Weezer. This acoustic guitar driven song is one of Weezer’s best, both in-studio and in-concert. The best way I can describe this song is fun, meaning, if you could hear fun, it would most likely sound something along the lines of this song. We all know that preparing for finals is anything but fun, so maybe this song would help me a bit.
The Swellers – “Dirt”
Let me first say that The Swellers are one of the nicest bands in music today. I still talk to the lead singer, Nick Diener, and even have an autographed drumstick from his drumming brother Jono. I’ll warn you right now: This is one of the fastest songs you will ever hear. If you ever have the privilege of being in the pit for one of their shows, I advise being ready for some flying bodies. Listen to this song and you might memorize three chapters word for word.
So there we have it; a short list of songs that without a doubt would be on my finals playlist. Now the question is: What’s on your playlist? Make sure to grab a copy of the next issue to find out.