With spiky black hair and a black leather jacket, Jaxx ’20 is not your average West High Student. His look is inspired by his favorite band, Mötley Crüe. “They’ve always connected to me: appearance wise and lifestyle wise,” said Jaxx. He was fortunate to meet the bass player and lead singer in person as well. “Oh my god, I was blown away,” he said, “I saw them six times on their final tour.” Jaxx does more than just look the part; he’s a self-taught musician. For two years, Jaxx has played bass and is now learning to play the drums. In the future, he plans to pursue music with a band of his own. The West Side Story caught up with Jaxx to talk about the songs that have shaped the type of musician and person he has become.

1. “Dream On” — Aerosmith
From Aerosmith’s 1973 debut album, this rock ballad has become a classic rock radio staple of its generation. Reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100, it dominated the charts while encouraging many to pursue their best self. Like most, the message resonated with Jaxx. “Dream On is one that I’ve always loved. It’s saying to reach for what you want.”

2. “Paranoid” — Black Sabbath
Also in the 70s, is Jaxx’s next song is by the British heavy metal band Black Sabbath. The group is known for incorporating supernatural themes into their music. The band is often credited with being the pioneers of heavy metal music. It’s got a strong bass riff that makes it one of Jaxx’s favorite songs to play himself.
Their album entitled Paranoid, after the song of the name, helped define the genre and make a name for heavy metal. Oddly enough, the band had originally wanted to name the album War Pigs but the record company persuaded them against it because it seemed less offensive.

3. “Primal Scream” — Mötley Crüe
Moving on to the 80s, the next song is by Jaxx’s favorite band: Mötley Crüe. According to Nikki Sixx, the bass guitarist of Mötley Crüe, the song Primal Scream was based on the concept of neurosis as well as his own childhood. Jaxx has his own interpretation of the song; “It explains a lot of past issues people go through… parent-wise, relationship-wise whatever it may be it’s just the struggles they go through. It’s saying basically stand up and use your voice and be yourself.”

4. “Skin” — Sixx : AM
When Mötley Crüe revealed that they were about to take their final tour, fans like Jaxx were crushed. Luckily for them, they still had Sixx : AM. The band was the side project of Nikki Sixx. In 2011, Skin was one of the first songs Sixx: AM came out with. The song is about not letting anything get to you. The mood is painted by the melancholy piano part throughout the song. “[Skin] really helps me get through some hard times. The lyrics are pretty great,” said Jaxx.

5. “Home Sweet Home” — Mötley Crüe
This song was first released on Mötley Crüe’s 1985 album Theatre of Pain. The power ballad has been recorded as a cover by many artists, most notably country singer Carrie Underwood in 2009. Jaxx listens to this Mötley Crüe song when life gets hectic, “That’s always been a slower song I’ve been into. It just calms me down a little bit. I’ll listen to it on a bad day.”