5. Relationship of Command: At the Drive-In

I mostly listened to grrl rock like Tori and Fiona, but something about the rawness of lead singer Cedric Bixler’s (now of the far inferior Mars Volta) voice and the frantic intensity of the music really appealed to me. Maybe it was an outlet for my teenage anger and angst, or maybe it just made me feel cool. Either way, the album still kicks ass.

4. Rated R: Queens of the Stone Age

I listened to this album over and over after I broke up with my first boyfriend. It’s not an especially sad album, so I don’t know why it brought me so much comfort, but it really became a security blanket. I can’t listen to it now without feeling a little sad and really, really nostalgic. Which is a shame, because it also kicks ass.

3. The Blue Album: Weezer

The World Has Turned and Left Me Here was the theme song of my junior year, also known as the year of awful braces and being overlooked for a good part in the school play. I was a nerd, and Weezer understood that–they spoke for me in the most beautifully simple and poignant way a band could. Sadly, I’ve listened to this album so many times that I cannot listen to it ever again.

2. Doolittle: The Pixies

Immediately when I heard this album I knew without a doubt that the Pixies were going to be my favorite band. And seven or eight years later, they probably still are.

I wore out every Pixies album I could get my grubby little hands on and I never, ever grew tired of them. Doolittle was schizophrenic brilliance and I felt better, smarter, just listening to it. It made me want to leave my small town and strike out, it made me want to dance, and it gave me one of my most persistent role models in Kim Deal. Minus the whole alcoholism thing.

1. Boys for Pele: Tori Amos.

This album will always make me think of my best friend in high school, and driving around at all hours in her old car that hardly ran. We listened to this album and talked about our lives, our fears, our crushes, our futures, loving Tori’s impertinence, her boldness. She was the adult version of what we wanted to be, wiser for all of her youthful indiscretions.

The album, too, was all about frustration with men and relationships, and although our situations were greatly different, I felt like I understood everything she sang about.

What albums defined your teenage years? Can you still listen to them?

[Photos from Wikipedia]

With Halloween coming up, it’s prime-time to watch a horror movie – but where? Are any movies worth watching in theaters this weekend? What’s new on DVD? Do drive-in theaters still exist?

No worries, moviegoer – these questions and more will be answered after the jump.

In theaters:

Saw IV is the obvious choice to satisfy your lust for blood this weekend. The series, while being a tad overripe, has been consistent pulling out all the stops in the name of all that’s gruesome. Even if Saw IV‘s gimmicks get old, the gore doesn’t…well, at least this weekend. 30 Days of Night is a great choice if Saw IV is sold out; it’s a fine flick for fans of the genre, even moreso than Saw IV.

Horror movies not your thing? Do you have a date that’s not into blood n’ guts? Try Dan in Real Life – you can’t go wrong with Steve Carrell…but you can go wrong with his co-star, Dane Cook. Nonetheless it looks worth the gamble.

If you really want to give yourself a scare watch Tyler Perry’s trainwreck Why Did I Get Married? – it’s horrifying for all the wrong reasons.

At home:

Not into the movies featured this weekend? Neither am I; but there are plenty of essential movies out on DVD worthy of a weekend watch.

Two icky flicks, one compound word: Grindhouse. While it’s debatable the Grindhouse experience will be as good at your apartment as it was in theaters – both movies are separate releases on DVD; buy both for maximum effect – a heaping pile of nachos, a case of Natty Ice and a metric-ton of weed will mimic the vibe to a T.

If you’re down for a horror marathon I recommend the Nightmare on Elm Street series, with A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors being the favorite of the bunch. Avoid the new breed and dig Krueger’s classics. Other notable marathon picks include the Friday the 13th, Halloween and Hellraiser series. Want more thrills and less gore? The Seventh Sign should suffice.

At the drive-in:

No, no, no – when I say “At the drive-in” I don’t mean the seminal punk group of the late 90s; I’m talking about the outside movie venues that provide a great alternative to overpriced, cramped theaters. Pull up your car and check out the following classics:

Evil Dead – Bruce Campbell and flesh-eating demons = Cult Horror Classic

Rocky Horror Picture Show - Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and bizarro circus freaks = Campiest Horror Musical Ever

Night of the Living Dead (original) – Low-budget zombies, buckets of blood = Crummiest Horror Ever

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! – Scientists, killer tomatoes, panic = Fruitiest Horror Ever

Killer Klowns from Outer Space – Killer clowns, outer space = Goofiest Horror Ever

…Or you could get wasted and bother the local kids. That’s pure entertainment.