To A 13 Year Old Girl

Dear Niece,

You have been a teenager for 2 months now and as your older, wiser, and cooler (you’ll agree when you’ve moved passed the angsty early teen years) Aunt, I’ve decided it’s time for me to lend a hand to your musical and emotional education.

The teenage years are hard as hell.  To make it worse, you live in New York City, which is essentially a giant dorm for rowdy teenagers.  You’re going to go through first loves, break ups, and heart aches.  And undoubtedly either you or some of your close friends will go through bouts of depression, abuse,  drugs, sex, and all the other things that go with trying to figure out your place in the world.

And as you know, and I’m sure you’ve made your parents clear of, you need alone time.  You need time to figure your shit out on your own, away from your little brother annoying and your mom asking you to do stuff.  You need time to figure out how to be responsible for yourself and find your place and your love.  And while you do this, you need a soundtrack.

Seriously.

Never ever ever underestimate the power over your emotions that a good playlist can have.

While radio pop is fine for hanging out with your friends, you need something with a little more nutritional value than Ke$ha when you’re in your head.  So I give you the following mixtape as a sampler of bands I believe will speak to you in one way or another.  Close your door, stick some headphones on, turn the volume up and chill.

And no, I haven’t put anything on this list that your mother listens to, as far as I know.

So about the music-

I give you Death Cab for Cutie for life.

Bright Eyes for when you need him.  Use with caution.

Dashboard Confessional for while you’re under the age of 17.  As a 20-something I will admit that I listened to him religiously for the ages of 15 and 16.  Then I never looked back.  Danger if you need Chris Caraba for much longer than that.

Arcade Fire, because they are one of the greatest bands ever.  You will grow with them and they will grow with you.  If you don’t like them now, you’ll be obsessed by college.

Letters To Cleo for moments of being a rocking girl.

Feist for moments of being a dreamy yet deep girl.

Vampire Weekend because you were born in Connecticut and live in New York.  You’re required by law to like them.  Again, if you don’t now, you will in college.

The Shins for heartache, new love, old love, and because they’re awesome.

Rilo Kiley for your fears and self confidence.

Counting Crows for whiny moments.

And Frou Frou because sometimes you do need to just ‘Let Go’.