Thanksgiving: it’s that magical day when you gather your loved ones to reminisce, overeat, and yell at each other. Don’t worry, your family isn’t the only one that does that. In fact, everyone’s family does (your family’s weird if they don’t). To help you get through these trying times, the we put together a Family Strife Playlist. You’re not alone! Listen below! And when you’re done battling it out, you can kick back and relax with our Food Coma playlist from last year. Oh, the holidays!
Marc Finn
“Mommy Can I Go Out And Kill Tonight?” – The Misfits
This question always arises around the time some distant great-uncle I hate asks me about my sex life for, like, the tenth time in ten minutes.
Christine Varriale
“Richard” – Bratmobile
My dad’s name is Richard, and he hates anything that sounds like this band.
Deanna Archetto
“Why Didn’t You Get a Haircut?” – Math the Band
Every mom says this to their kids when they come home for Thanksgiving.
Mark Zurlo
“I Wanna Get A Mohawk (But My Mom Won’t Let Me Get One)” – AFI
This one sort of goes with the song above, right?
Joe Sansone
“My Dad Sucks” – Descendents
He doesn’t really.
Mo Kelly
“Dominick the Donkey” – Lou Monte
If your family’s anything like mine, Christmas music will be playing long before the turkey’s done, while you’re stuffing your face with port wine cheese and falling into sixteen year old mindset only home can bring.
Joe Stahl
“Dinner at Eight” – Rufus Wainwright
Rufus’ deep-seated daddy issues with Loudon Wainwright III get some resolve. For further investigation, listen to “Your Mother and I” by LWIII.
Sydney Moyer
“A Better Son/Daughter” – Rilo Kiley
Quintessential seasonal depression song + family issues sprinkled on top.
Reggie Woo
“When Will You Come Home” – Galaxie 500
I get asked this a lot. Hooray for having parents who live only an hour’s drive away.
Nick Twohig
“Here Comes A Regular” – The Replacements
We all saddle up to the table at Thanksgiving, like an old haunt that we used to frequent more often, feeling simultaneously out of place and nostalgic. As Westerberg says, “I used to live at home, now I stay at the house”.
Anna Marketti
“Feliz Navidad” – Jose Feliciano
My grandma is Polish, but also spent a lot of her childhood in Argentina, and is in love with Spanish pop music/playing Christmas music far too early just because she knows it pisses off my uncle and almost always launches them into a fifteen-minute back and forth argument in Polish (because yes, they are that stubborn) that only my mom, my uncle, and she can understand while the rest of us giggle and shove pierogi into our faces
Nina Corcoran
“Thanksgiving Moon” – DM Stith
Going home for Thanksgiving means wandering into Connecticut’s middle-of-nowhere woods and remembering that there’s an absurd number of stars in the sky. Seriously, look up. Family is cool and all, but man, nature.
Jamie Loftus
“Child Psychology” – Black Box Recorder
Ever listen to this song for nine hours while staring at a lava lamp? Just me? Okay. HOLIDAYS RULE.
Sydney Moyer (part deux)
“Diamond Mine” – Hop Along
“There are some parents whose children long for divorce”…ultimate family strife on holidays line.
Daniel Schiffer
“We’re a Happy Family” – Ramones
“Siting here in Queens
Eating refried beans”
In my case, we’re eating beans in Brooklyn. So they’re way more hip (the beans, that is).