Well, what a great year for music. I did my best to diversify my listenings this year. But in the end, we found so many good albums from so many good bands. I'm not going to dig through all the specifics, but here's the final 20.
20. I, The Breather - Swine:Cult (ft Ricky Armellino)
19. Destiny Potato - Take A Picture
18. Bleachers - I Wanna Get Better
17. Foster the People - Coming of Age
16. Winds of Plague - Say Hello To The Undertaker
15. Five Iron Frenzy - I Am Jack's Smirking Revenge
14a. Weird Al - Handy
14b. Weird Al - Foil
13. Beartooth - Beaten In Lips
12. Walk The Moon - Shut Up and Dance
11. Meg Myers - Desire
10. Cut Copy - We Are Explorers
9. Aurelio Voltaire - Captains All
8. Sleeper Agent - Waves
7. Impending Doom - Hellhole
6. Lo-Fang - When We're Fire
5. Chvrches - The Mother We Share
4. Eye of the Enemy - The Shift
3. Future Islands - Seasons
2. Morning Parade - Alienation
1. Cadets - A Drop in the Ocean
There are a few albums I'd like to mention, though. Weird Al's "Mandatory Fun" was tremendous in both it's hilarity and in Al's sincere desire to be amazing. Anberlin finished their career strong with "Lowborn", while Lo-Fang and Chvrches soared with "Blue Film" and "The Bones of What You Believe" respectively. Van Canto proved that their odd mix of a cappella hero metal is still a force in the musical community with "Dawn of the Brave". Slipknot ("Vol .5") and Pantokrator ("Incarnate") kept the metal going strong, even after significant breaks. King 810 brought one of the darkest, most hate filled record I've seen in many years with "Memoirs of a Muderer". It's so scary, it's awesome. "Lazaretto" by Jack White surprised me in a good way, while In Flames' "Siren Charms" disappointed me the worst of all. Even Body Count's "Manslaughter" had me nodding my head and feeling Ice-T's vibe.
All in all, a great year, and there are already late 2014 entries that I hope to find in 2015. Thanks again for joining me on this journey.
-Jester
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Saturday, December 20, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #1
#1 - Cadets - A Drop in the Ocean
Number one. Numero uno. The first, the best, the alpha on a list of amazingness. For five long years, the #1 song spot has been owned by upbeat, poppy alt-rock anthems that have generally served to provide joy in times of hopelessness and happiness abundant. That trend has been broken in 2014, not by a thunderous metal tune but by an electronic, space-rock style jam from the duo of Cadets.
Cadets is the brainchild of former Ocean is Theory singer Josh Williams and producer Adam Smith. While the other members of Ocean is Theory went on to form Young Edison, Williams met up with Smith and released an EP in late 2013 before coming up with an absolutely brilliant business model for 2014. Balking at the idea of traditional record releases, the band decided to release a new song every full moon of 2014. While their spacey love songs range from low hundreds to the 8000+ on "A Drop in the Ocean", it's a brilliant concept for a small band in a new age of technology. Each song has an accompanying YouTube video, and both "A Drop in the Ocean" and "Island" have received a decent amount of airplay on Radio U. I also enjoy the tracks "Daylight", "Stay" and "Empire of Stars", as well as their electronic take on The Cranberries hit "Zombie".
But as is with many albums, your first love often lasts the longest. "A Drop in the Ocean" was an unstoppable juggernaut in 2014; starting slow and finishing with an outstanding flourish of awesomeness. While "Alienation" might have been the early favorite to take the crown, "A Drop in the Ocean" simply would not be stopped. The song opens up with massive soaring synths, deep bass notes and Williams' deep crooning voice. A perfect space song about finding a never-ending love. A drop in the ocean that never stops it's motion. The early beeping keys pulse through the entire song and push it to its highest limits while the bass drives the song down into your soul. And to top everything off, Williams finishes (and opens, if you listen closely) the song with perhaps the line of the year: "It's a Friday funeral, it's a Sunday all alone". What an amazing song. I immediately went to their page and downloaded the song when I first heard it, and I haven't looked back. I can honestly say that this might be one of the strongest #1's as far as lasting effort goes, but of course only time will tell on that one.
Title: A Drop in the Ocean
Artist: Cadets
Album: A Drop in the Ocean
Previous #1s
2013: Surfer Blood - Demon Dance
2012: Fun. - Some Nights
2011: Young The Giant - My Body
2010: Hockey - Song Away
2009: Morrissey - I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
Number one. Numero uno. The first, the best, the alpha on a list of amazingness. For five long years, the #1 song spot has been owned by upbeat, poppy alt-rock anthems that have generally served to provide joy in times of hopelessness and happiness abundant. That trend has been broken in 2014, not by a thunderous metal tune but by an electronic, space-rock style jam from the duo of Cadets.
Cadets is the brainchild of former Ocean is Theory singer Josh Williams and producer Adam Smith. While the other members of Ocean is Theory went on to form Young Edison, Williams met up with Smith and released an EP in late 2013 before coming up with an absolutely brilliant business model for 2014. Balking at the idea of traditional record releases, the band decided to release a new song every full moon of 2014. While their spacey love songs range from low hundreds to the 8000+ on "A Drop in the Ocean", it's a brilliant concept for a small band in a new age of technology. Each song has an accompanying YouTube video, and both "A Drop in the Ocean" and "Island" have received a decent amount of airplay on Radio U. I also enjoy the tracks "Daylight", "Stay" and "Empire of Stars", as well as their electronic take on The Cranberries hit "Zombie".
But as is with many albums, your first love often lasts the longest. "A Drop in the Ocean" was an unstoppable juggernaut in 2014; starting slow and finishing with an outstanding flourish of awesomeness. While "Alienation" might have been the early favorite to take the crown, "A Drop in the Ocean" simply would not be stopped. The song opens up with massive soaring synths, deep bass notes and Williams' deep crooning voice. A perfect space song about finding a never-ending love. A drop in the ocean that never stops it's motion. The early beeping keys pulse through the entire song and push it to its highest limits while the bass drives the song down into your soul. And to top everything off, Williams finishes (and opens, if you listen closely) the song with perhaps the line of the year: "It's a Friday funeral, it's a Sunday all alone". What an amazing song. I immediately went to their page and downloaded the song when I first heard it, and I haven't looked back. I can honestly say that this might be one of the strongest #1's as far as lasting effort goes, but of course only time will tell on that one.
Title: A Drop in the Ocean
Artist: Cadets
Album: A Drop in the Ocean
Previous #1s
2013: Surfer Blood - Demon Dance
2012: Fun. - Some Nights
2011: Young The Giant - My Body
2010: Hockey - Song Away
2009: Morrissey - I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
Friday, December 19, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #2
#2 - Morning Parade - Alienation
Talkin' bout number two! In 4 of the 5 years that the countdown has run, the penultimate song on the countdown has been a massive metal anthem whose weight often carries it further than the ultimate alternative number one that follows. 2014 bucks that trend with the English alternative rock quartet Morning Parade, who first graced our countdown in 2012 with the #17 song "Headlights". Unfortunately, it seems that this may be their last time landing on the countdown as just earlier this week they announced that they were breaking up after only two albums. Not a bad way to go for a band, but unfortunately their album "Pure Adulterated Joy" followed most of the same formula as their 2012 self-titled debut did. The music is generally slow and the lyrics are generically dull. I don't not like the band, but on my first try I actually could not get through the album without being bored to sleep. Of the 20 albums that accompany their songs, this one was probably the one I hold in lowest regard.
But today, we are here to talk about "Alienation". I was driving to work in the morning early in the year when I first heard the song. I told myself that I needed to make sure to check CD101's playlist for that day to see if I could find what song that was that I heard. I could sense the potential and the power of the song, and as I was driving home it played again and the deejay announced that it was our old friends in Morning Parade. The song was initially released on an EP of the same name, and later on the album. So what is it about "Alienation" that makes it better than the 18 entries before it an the tens of thousands of songs that debuted in 2014? I honestly, truthfully do not have an answer to that question. The opening keys catch my interest, and Steve Sparrow's accent is worth a listen as well. Perhaps it is the clever lyrical play that the band employs and the simplistic message of the chorus. "Make angels in the snow, love a little more, live with no regrets for everything you do". "Everything you are, everything you were, everything you've been is not everything you'll be". It is definitely a strong lyrical showing from the band, who use a lot of cerebral imagery to get their message across. The video features the band performing with their instruments in an array of colors and artistic backdrops. It's actually a sort of mental trip filled with flashy colors and dark grays mixed with Sparrow's stand-still singing face.
For what it's worth, this song was carrying the #1 banner for the majority of the year. From beginning of the year to the very end, it was a powerful song that carried an explosive amount of airplay in my car and in my head. But... it's #2. Who will be #1? Does alternative rock reign supreme? Does metal finally clinch the title? Or will a different style make it's way to the top spot? Tune in tomorrow at 4pm EST to find out!
Title: Alienation
Artist: Morning Parade
Album: Pure Adulterated Joy
Previous #2s
2013: Aeon Zen - Warning
2012: Meshuggah - Do Not Look Down
2011: Owl City - Galaxies
2010: Periphery - Icarus Lives!
2009: August Burns Red - Rationalist
Talkin' bout number two! In 4 of the 5 years that the countdown has run, the penultimate song on the countdown has been a massive metal anthem whose weight often carries it further than the ultimate alternative number one that follows. 2014 bucks that trend with the English alternative rock quartet Morning Parade, who first graced our countdown in 2012 with the #17 song "Headlights". Unfortunately, it seems that this may be their last time landing on the countdown as just earlier this week they announced that they were breaking up after only two albums. Not a bad way to go for a band, but unfortunately their album "Pure Adulterated Joy" followed most of the same formula as their 2012 self-titled debut did. The music is generally slow and the lyrics are generically dull. I don't not like the band, but on my first try I actually could not get through the album without being bored to sleep. Of the 20 albums that accompany their songs, this one was probably the one I hold in lowest regard.
But today, we are here to talk about "Alienation". I was driving to work in the morning early in the year when I first heard the song. I told myself that I needed to make sure to check CD101's playlist for that day to see if I could find what song that was that I heard. I could sense the potential and the power of the song, and as I was driving home it played again and the deejay announced that it was our old friends in Morning Parade. The song was initially released on an EP of the same name, and later on the album. So what is it about "Alienation" that makes it better than the 18 entries before it an the tens of thousands of songs that debuted in 2014? I honestly, truthfully do not have an answer to that question. The opening keys catch my interest, and Steve Sparrow's accent is worth a listen as well. Perhaps it is the clever lyrical play that the band employs and the simplistic message of the chorus. "Make angels in the snow, love a little more, live with no regrets for everything you do". "Everything you are, everything you were, everything you've been is not everything you'll be". It is definitely a strong lyrical showing from the band, who use a lot of cerebral imagery to get their message across. The video features the band performing with their instruments in an array of colors and artistic backdrops. It's actually a sort of mental trip filled with flashy colors and dark grays mixed with Sparrow's stand-still singing face.
For what it's worth, this song was carrying the #1 banner for the majority of the year. From beginning of the year to the very end, it was a powerful song that carried an explosive amount of airplay in my car and in my head. But... it's #2. Who will be #1? Does alternative rock reign supreme? Does metal finally clinch the title? Or will a different style make it's way to the top spot? Tune in tomorrow at 4pm EST to find out!
Title: Alienation
Artist: Morning Parade
Album: Pure Adulterated Joy
Previous #2s
2013: Aeon Zen - Warning
2012: Meshuggah - Do Not Look Down
2011: Owl City - Galaxies
2010: Periphery - Icarus Lives!
2009: August Burns Red - Rationalist
Thursday, December 18, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #3
#3 - Future Islands - Seasons (Waiting For You)
Well folks, it's been a great year for the countdown. Lots of great music as always, but we do eventually have to come to completion. With that I bring you... wait, what? We're not at #1 yet? Oh crap. My mistake. Then the question I may pose here is how in the hell did this song wind up at #3?! When I look back at 2014 there is only one song that I immediately ran to the computer and listened to a dozen times on repeat after first hearing it. I mean, when I first heard "Seasons", it kind of glazed over me, but the next day I was lying in bed and it just hit me. Like, bang. Go listen to this song. Go listen to this CHORUS. Over and over and over and over again. "Seasons" has a massive soaring chorus where lead singer Samuel T. Herring pours all of his being into crooning over a love that has gone unrequited. You can feel the passion drip from the lyrics, even if you don't know or understand what he's saying. The lyrics seem a little odd, but the point has been conveyed; the singer has been waiting and waiting through the change of seasons for a love that will surely never come. Most of us can relate to this plight, but not all can express it in such a grandiloquent way.
The song is so massive. The keys soar along with Herring's vocals, as the drum and bass carry you along the path. The unfortunate thing about "Singles" (an awfully bold title) is that the album starts with it's best track and only goes downhill from there. How do you follow up a song that big, though? You can't, especially when you're band consists of keys, drums, bass and a singer. If you listen to it enough, "Singles" is a fairly good album with a few good tracks ("A Dream Of Me And You" being the next one to catch your ear, although it's unfortunately the last song), but all in all it ends up being a rather boring album that fails to drive as hard as the first single. And the video contains absolutely nothing of substance to go with the song, but the band did end up making an appearance on Letterman which ended up being one of the most viewed songs on Youtube for the show. In the video, you find Herring dancing around with child-like enthusiasm and a powerful voice that unfortunately loses it's wind half-way through and also at the end. I've seen other live videos of the band, and you can really feel the passion and emotion that flows through the song. But as it took the band 8 years to get signed and have a big single, I feel that they have reached their apex with this song. But what a song it is. I have both the official video (where you can hear the album sound) and the live Letterman debut, which was given quite a deal of praise when it originally aired.
(official)
(live)
Title: Seasons (Waiting On You)
Artist: Future Islands
Album: Singles
Previous #3s
2013: The Airborne Toxic Event - Timeless
2012: Walk the Moon - Anna Sun
2011: Matt and Kim - Good for Great
2010: Fear Factory - Final Exit
2009: Owl City - Fireflies
Well folks, it's been a great year for the countdown. Lots of great music as always, but we do eventually have to come to completion. With that I bring you... wait, what? We're not at #1 yet? Oh crap. My mistake. Then the question I may pose here is how in the hell did this song wind up at #3?! When I look back at 2014 there is only one song that I immediately ran to the computer and listened to a dozen times on repeat after first hearing it. I mean, when I first heard "Seasons", it kind of glazed over me, but the next day I was lying in bed and it just hit me. Like, bang. Go listen to this song. Go listen to this CHORUS. Over and over and over and over again. "Seasons" has a massive soaring chorus where lead singer Samuel T. Herring pours all of his being into crooning over a love that has gone unrequited. You can feel the passion drip from the lyrics, even if you don't know or understand what he's saying. The lyrics seem a little odd, but the point has been conveyed; the singer has been waiting and waiting through the change of seasons for a love that will surely never come. Most of us can relate to this plight, but not all can express it in such a grandiloquent way.
The song is so massive. The keys soar along with Herring's vocals, as the drum and bass carry you along the path. The unfortunate thing about "Singles" (an awfully bold title) is that the album starts with it's best track and only goes downhill from there. How do you follow up a song that big, though? You can't, especially when you're band consists of keys, drums, bass and a singer. If you listen to it enough, "Singles" is a fairly good album with a few good tracks ("A Dream Of Me And You" being the next one to catch your ear, although it's unfortunately the last song), but all in all it ends up being a rather boring album that fails to drive as hard as the first single. And the video contains absolutely nothing of substance to go with the song, but the band did end up making an appearance on Letterman which ended up being one of the most viewed songs on Youtube for the show. In the video, you find Herring dancing around with child-like enthusiasm and a powerful voice that unfortunately loses it's wind half-way through and also at the end. I've seen other live videos of the band, and you can really feel the passion and emotion that flows through the song. But as it took the band 8 years to get signed and have a big single, I feel that they have reached their apex with this song. But what a song it is. I have both the official video (where you can hear the album sound) and the live Letterman debut, which was given quite a deal of praise when it originally aired.
(official)
(live)
Title: Seasons (Waiting On You)
Artist: Future Islands
Album: Singles
Previous #3s
2013: The Airborne Toxic Event - Timeless
2012: Walk the Moon - Anna Sun
2011: Matt and Kim - Good for Great
2010: Fear Factory - Final Exit
2009: Owl City - Fireflies
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #4
#4 - Eye of the Enemy - The Shift
This really has been an exceptional year for music. In a rare twist, the majority of the albums that accompany the songs on the countdown have also been outstanding. With the only exception being the Cut Copy album, almost all of the discs (minus the just released Walk the Moon) had multiple songs rocketing through my MP3 player. Intriguingly, that trend comes to a grinding halt at #4. It's not to say that Eye of the Enemy's disc "The Vengeance Paradox" is bad, but when you say "Melodic Death Metal", you kind of get the picture on what the majority of bands who play that style sound like. In fact, this band actually bears a striking resemblance in musical style to the now defunct This Ending with their album "Dead Harvest", which landed the #7 song in our inaugural countdown, "Machinery". But the Australian quartet did bang out a major hit in our #4 song, "The Shift".
I don't suppose it's hard to tell why this song is ranked so high. 2013's #2 song was a progressive track from the band Aeon Zen called "Warning", which features the greatest 2:43 intro that I have ever heard. Well, "The Shift" starts off with a soft acoustic guitar, which is joined by a second and the play off of each other until the 1 minute mark, when the amps are plugged in and the cymbals crash. The opening plugged riff on this song was easily my favorite riff of the year. But by comparison to "Warning", the actual song content on "The Shift" is far superior. The bass thunders, the guitars soar and the drums pummel through six minutes and ten seconds of power. Sadly, there is no video as the band is actually a very small act who have just barely pushed their way off the Australian continent. The lyrics seem to suggest a troubled father (perhaps a soldier) guiding his son through life. Even if you don't listen to the words, this song is a melodic killer and well worth it's spot in the top 5.
Title: The Shift
Artist: Eye of the Enemy
Album: The Vengeance Paradox
Previous #4s
2013: New Politics - a) Harlem; b) Goodbye Copenhagen
2012: Garbage - Beloved Freak
2011: Matt Nathanson - Kiss Quick
2010: The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio
2009: Alice in Chains - Check My Brain
This really has been an exceptional year for music. In a rare twist, the majority of the albums that accompany the songs on the countdown have also been outstanding. With the only exception being the Cut Copy album, almost all of the discs (minus the just released Walk the Moon) had multiple songs rocketing through my MP3 player. Intriguingly, that trend comes to a grinding halt at #4. It's not to say that Eye of the Enemy's disc "The Vengeance Paradox" is bad, but when you say "Melodic Death Metal", you kind of get the picture on what the majority of bands who play that style sound like. In fact, this band actually bears a striking resemblance in musical style to the now defunct This Ending with their album "Dead Harvest", which landed the #7 song in our inaugural countdown, "Machinery". But the Australian quartet did bang out a major hit in our #4 song, "The Shift".
I don't suppose it's hard to tell why this song is ranked so high. 2013's #2 song was a progressive track from the band Aeon Zen called "Warning", which features the greatest 2:43 intro that I have ever heard. Well, "The Shift" starts off with a soft acoustic guitar, which is joined by a second and the play off of each other until the 1 minute mark, when the amps are plugged in and the cymbals crash. The opening plugged riff on this song was easily my favorite riff of the year. But by comparison to "Warning", the actual song content on "The Shift" is far superior. The bass thunders, the guitars soar and the drums pummel through six minutes and ten seconds of power. Sadly, there is no video as the band is actually a very small act who have just barely pushed their way off the Australian continent. The lyrics seem to suggest a troubled father (perhaps a soldier) guiding his son through life. Even if you don't listen to the words, this song is a melodic killer and well worth it's spot in the top 5.
Title: The Shift
Artist: Eye of the Enemy
Album: The Vengeance Paradox
Previous #4s
2013: New Politics - a) Harlem; b) Goodbye Copenhagen
2012: Garbage - Beloved Freak
2011: Matt Nathanson - Kiss Quick
2010: The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio
2009: Alice in Chains - Check My Brain
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #5
#5 - Chvrches - The Mother We Share
Perhaps the most amazing of the pleasantly surprising alt-rock bands, Chvrches exploded onto the US scene late in 2013 and haven't looked back. The gorgeous Lauren Mayberry fronts the Scottish synth-poppers and she is flanked by the equally talented Iain Cook and Martin Doherty. All who know me know I have a soft spot for beautiful Scottish female vocalists (Sharleen Spiteri, Annie Lennox, Shirley Manson, etc) and Mayberry is no exception. Her voice hits beautiful highs in every song she graces as she weaves notes together in perfect harmony. The same could be said about the two men manning the synths. Each song is almost perfectly layered and alternates between bouncy, happy synths and serious, sullen pieces that mix into a beautiful symphony. Mayberry's voice also translates wonderfully live, which is often a rarity in female synth voices. My favorite tracks off of "The Bones of What You Believe" are "Gun" (which is musically the top of the line), "Strong Hand", "Under The Tide", "We Sink", and "Recover".
But the best and most impactful song from 2014 is the opening track and lead single, "The Mother We Share". It opens with Mayberry's "oh"s looped as the dual synths kick in with a thumping drum'n'bass section. The verses aren't overly complicated but the choruses soar behind the bouncy keys. The verses tell a lonely tale that could be construed as a brother-sister falling out or a love story gone wrong. It isn't expressly stately whom "The mother we share" is and whether that is a maternal person or a figurative mother. Either way, the video shows a lonely girl walking through the city, mixed with the beautiful singing face of Miss Mayberry. This is one of those songs that can amplify both happiness and sadness, but the most powerful verse is the final, "Into the night for once, we're the only ones left. I bet you even know where we could go, oh oh. When it all fucks up, you put your head in my hands. It's a souvenir for when you go, oh oh." It really hit me in the feels earlier this year when I was down on myself, but this is a song for every mood. Well done, Chvrches. You were all over the place in 2014.
Title: The Mother We Share
Artist: Chvrches
Album: The Bones Of What You Believe
Previous #5s
2013: Born of Osiris - M∆chine
2012: The Shins - Simple Song
2011: Cold - The Break
2010: Matt and Kim - Cameras
2009: Michael Bublé - Just Haven't Met You Yet
Perhaps the most amazing of the pleasantly surprising alt-rock bands, Chvrches exploded onto the US scene late in 2013 and haven't looked back. The gorgeous Lauren Mayberry fronts the Scottish synth-poppers and she is flanked by the equally talented Iain Cook and Martin Doherty. All who know me know I have a soft spot for beautiful Scottish female vocalists (Sharleen Spiteri, Annie Lennox, Shirley Manson, etc) and Mayberry is no exception. Her voice hits beautiful highs in every song she graces as she weaves notes together in perfect harmony. The same could be said about the two men manning the synths. Each song is almost perfectly layered and alternates between bouncy, happy synths and serious, sullen pieces that mix into a beautiful symphony. Mayberry's voice also translates wonderfully live, which is often a rarity in female synth voices. My favorite tracks off of "The Bones of What You Believe" are "Gun" (which is musically the top of the line), "Strong Hand", "Under The Tide", "We Sink", and "Recover".
But the best and most impactful song from 2014 is the opening track and lead single, "The Mother We Share". It opens with Mayberry's "oh"s looped as the dual synths kick in with a thumping drum'n'bass section. The verses aren't overly complicated but the choruses soar behind the bouncy keys. The verses tell a lonely tale that could be construed as a brother-sister falling out or a love story gone wrong. It isn't expressly stately whom "The mother we share" is and whether that is a maternal person or a figurative mother. Either way, the video shows a lonely girl walking through the city, mixed with the beautiful singing face of Miss Mayberry. This is one of those songs that can amplify both happiness and sadness, but the most powerful verse is the final, "Into the night for once, we're the only ones left. I bet you even know where we could go, oh oh. When it all fucks up, you put your head in my hands. It's a souvenir for when you go, oh oh." It really hit me in the feels earlier this year when I was down on myself, but this is a song for every mood. Well done, Chvrches. You were all over the place in 2014.
Title: The Mother We Share
Artist: Chvrches
Album: The Bones Of What You Believe
Previous #5s
2013: Born of Osiris - M∆chine
2012: The Shins - Simple Song
2011: Cold - The Break
2010: Matt and Kim - Cameras
2009: Michael Bublé - Just Haven't Met You Yet
Monday, December 15, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #6
#6 - Lo-Fang - When We're Fire
Inevitably, we reach a point in every countdown where we start hitting the potential #1s. A song so highly regarded that for a considerable amount of time, it could have possibly held the year-end #1 spot. This one is the first, and with that let's take a few minutes to talk about Matthew Hemerlein, aka Lo-Fang. As I understand it, he started writing this album in Cambodia and wrote the bits and piece over a span of several years while globe-trotting. The album is brilliantly produced, with Hemerlein playing the part of every musician in the ensemble, from violin to banjo to piano, and so forth. It's a captivating album musically, and his voice (which to me resembles a mix between James Blake and a lot of smoke) is equally captivating as well. Some of the lyrics on this album can be confusing, but you can tell that the man is filled with pain and regret, and of course "Animal Urges". Other great tracks include the one-night stand themed "Light Year", "Blue Film", and the cover of "Boris", another sexually charged affair of a song.
But the title of #6 falls to the track "When We're Fire". Usually I can tell you the first time I heard a countdown track, especially one with the power of this. But, I truly have no idea. I don't know when it first hit me that this was the song, either. But somewhere along the way, the line "Even when you won't believe me, try to make it easy" struck me right through the soul, and the pounding bassline in the beginning eruprts the song into your eardrums and keeps you hooked. And I can honestly say that Mr Fang is delivering a message that I haven't truly deciphered either. Is it about the end of a failing relationship? The difficulty of finding love? The video has the handsome Hemerlein singing to a lovely heroine in a pink kimono, with a whole lot of red and blue light. It is as intriguingly artistic as the song and entire album. I'm in no way doubting his abilities as a producer and songwriter, but it will be very interesting to see how his songwriting and singing abilities mature in years to come.
Title: When We're Fire
Artist: Lo-Fang
Album: Blue Film
Previous #6s
2013: Tegan and Sara - Closer
2012: Lamb of God - King Me
2011: Nine Lashes - Anthem of the Lonely
2010: Them Crooked Vultures - Mind Eraser, No Chaser
2009: Kelly Clarkson - Already Gone
Inevitably, we reach a point in every countdown where we start hitting the potential #1s. A song so highly regarded that for a considerable amount of time, it could have possibly held the year-end #1 spot. This one is the first, and with that let's take a few minutes to talk about Matthew Hemerlein, aka Lo-Fang. As I understand it, he started writing this album in Cambodia and wrote the bits and piece over a span of several years while globe-trotting. The album is brilliantly produced, with Hemerlein playing the part of every musician in the ensemble, from violin to banjo to piano, and so forth. It's a captivating album musically, and his voice (which to me resembles a mix between James Blake and a lot of smoke) is equally captivating as well. Some of the lyrics on this album can be confusing, but you can tell that the man is filled with pain and regret, and of course "Animal Urges". Other great tracks include the one-night stand themed "Light Year", "Blue Film", and the cover of "Boris", another sexually charged affair of a song.
But the title of #6 falls to the track "When We're Fire". Usually I can tell you the first time I heard a countdown track, especially one with the power of this. But, I truly have no idea. I don't know when it first hit me that this was the song, either. But somewhere along the way, the line "Even when you won't believe me, try to make it easy" struck me right through the soul, and the pounding bassline in the beginning eruprts the song into your eardrums and keeps you hooked. And I can honestly say that Mr Fang is delivering a message that I haven't truly deciphered either. Is it about the end of a failing relationship? The difficulty of finding love? The video has the handsome Hemerlein singing to a lovely heroine in a pink kimono, with a whole lot of red and blue light. It is as intriguingly artistic as the song and entire album. I'm in no way doubting his abilities as a producer and songwriter, but it will be very interesting to see how his songwriting and singing abilities mature in years to come.
Title: When We're Fire
Artist: Lo-Fang
Album: Blue Film
Previous #6s
2013: Tegan and Sara - Closer
2012: Lamb of God - King Me
2011: Nine Lashes - Anthem of the Lonely
2010: Them Crooked Vultures - Mind Eraser, No Chaser
2009: Kelly Clarkson - Already Gone
Sunday, December 14, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #7
#7 - Impending Doom - Hellhole
What words can I use to describe Impending Doom's release "Death Will Reign"? Thunderous. Crushing. In-freaking-sane. I don't think there was a better metal album released. That makes 3 tremendous albums in a row for Brook Reeves and the boys, and they seem to just keep getting better. "Death Will Reign" marks the return of founding guitarist Manny Contreras, and he crushes deep low riffs throughout the release. "Ravenous Disease", "My Own Maker", "Endless", and so on. There are a few songs where the riffs become a little repetitive, but throughout the album there are some solid high-points where the band brings both a fierce technicality and a strumming finesse that crushes the eardrums and nods the neck.
The opening riff on "Hellhole", however is one of my favorite riffs of the year. To top it, they bring a crushing verse riff and the unstoppable message "I WOULD BE TERRIFIED IF YOUR SOUL WAS MINE". Reeves has often used his words to call out others with a ferocity unlike many other singers in the deathcore genre. The song isn't overly complex but it does itself well when it jumps around. To top it off, Reeves finishes by the song by screaming "Burn in your hellhole, burn for what you've done" over the lowest tunage of guitars you'll find. It's always good to have some strong metal in the top 10, and this won't be the last of it. Enjoy!
Title: Hellhole
Artist: Impending Doom
Album: Death Will Reign
Previous #7s
2013: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - If You Didn't See Me (Then You Weren't On The Dancefloor)
2012: One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful
2011: The Airborne Toxic Event - All I Ever Wanted
2010: Iyaz - Replay
2009: This Ending - Machinery
What words can I use to describe Impending Doom's release "Death Will Reign"? Thunderous. Crushing. In-freaking-sane. I don't think there was a better metal album released. That makes 3 tremendous albums in a row for Brook Reeves and the boys, and they seem to just keep getting better. "Death Will Reign" marks the return of founding guitarist Manny Contreras, and he crushes deep low riffs throughout the release. "Ravenous Disease", "My Own Maker", "Endless", and so on. There are a few songs where the riffs become a little repetitive, but throughout the album there are some solid high-points where the band brings both a fierce technicality and a strumming finesse that crushes the eardrums and nods the neck.
The opening riff on "Hellhole", however is one of my favorite riffs of the year. To top it, they bring a crushing verse riff and the unstoppable message "I WOULD BE TERRIFIED IF YOUR SOUL WAS MINE". Reeves has often used his words to call out others with a ferocity unlike many other singers in the deathcore genre. The song isn't overly complex but it does itself well when it jumps around. To top it off, Reeves finishes by the song by screaming "Burn in your hellhole, burn for what you've done" over the lowest tunage of guitars you'll find. It's always good to have some strong metal in the top 10, and this won't be the last of it. Enjoy!
Title: Hellhole
Artist: Impending Doom
Album: Death Will Reign
Previous #7s
2013: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - If You Didn't See Me (Then You Weren't On The Dancefloor)
2012: One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful
2011: The Airborne Toxic Event - All I Ever Wanted
2010: Iyaz - Replay
2009: This Ending - Machinery
Saturday, December 13, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #8
#8 - Sleeper Agent - Waves
It's officially time to get ridiculously serious. The countdown is often segmented into 3 different parts. Good songs, great songs, and OMG songs. We've reached the OMG portion. And nowhere else is there more a surprising artist on this countdown then at #8 with Sleeper Agent. In 2011 they released their major debut disc "Celebrasion" and upon hearing Alex Kandel's intriguing voice, I decided that this was a band that I probably would not enjoy going forward. Fast forward to 2014 and the album "About Last Night", which is a similarly built but more mature and potent record. The alt-rocking sextet jump right out with the sexually charged track "Be Brave" and continue to pulse with songs like "Eat You Up" and "Take It Off", but they also show a different side with the song "Waves"
"Waves" is in many ways a painful song. It serves as a reminder that summer is gone and responsibilities need to be tended. It's a song about having fun, and finding love that you never knew existed, only to have to leave it behind. It opens up slowly and builds into a lovely guitar riff surrounded by hand-claps. If you only listen to it once you might miss it, but the song definitely reached inside of you after the second listen and finds all the right heartstrings to pull. "Can you hold me to it, I think I would. Love me? Won't but I know I think I could". The song finishes by saying "At least we made some waves...". It's an interesting look back on times passed, and hopefully a reminder to push forward in love. The only unfortunate thing about the video is that it swirls. But honestly, I feel like it captures the song better by swirling.
Title: Waves
Artist: Sleeper Agent
Album: About Last Night
Previous #8s
2013: Paper Route - Letting You Let Go
2012: Demon Hunter - Dead Flowers
2011: Emmure - Children of Cybertron
2010: 30 Seconds to Mars - Kings and Queens
2009: Jordin Sparks - Battlefield
It's officially time to get ridiculously serious. The countdown is often segmented into 3 different parts. Good songs, great songs, and OMG songs. We've reached the OMG portion. And nowhere else is there more a surprising artist on this countdown then at #8 with Sleeper Agent. In 2011 they released their major debut disc "Celebrasion" and upon hearing Alex Kandel's intriguing voice, I decided that this was a band that I probably would not enjoy going forward. Fast forward to 2014 and the album "About Last Night", which is a similarly built but more mature and potent record. The alt-rocking sextet jump right out with the sexually charged track "Be Brave" and continue to pulse with songs like "Eat You Up" and "Take It Off", but they also show a different side with the song "Waves"
"Waves" is in many ways a painful song. It serves as a reminder that summer is gone and responsibilities need to be tended. It's a song about having fun, and finding love that you never knew existed, only to have to leave it behind. It opens up slowly and builds into a lovely guitar riff surrounded by hand-claps. If you only listen to it once you might miss it, but the song definitely reached inside of you after the second listen and finds all the right heartstrings to pull. "Can you hold me to it, I think I would. Love me? Won't but I know I think I could". The song finishes by saying "At least we made some waves...". It's an interesting look back on times passed, and hopefully a reminder to push forward in love. The only unfortunate thing about the video is that it swirls. But honestly, I feel like it captures the song better by swirling.
Title: Waves
Artist: Sleeper Agent
Album: About Last Night
Previous #8s
2013: Paper Route - Letting You Let Go
2012: Demon Hunter - Dead Flowers
2011: Emmure - Children of Cybertron
2010: 30 Seconds to Mars - Kings and Queens
2009: Jordin Sparks - Battlefield
Friday, December 12, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #9
#9 - Aurelio Voltaire - Captains All
My admiration for Aurelio Voltaire is well documented, from this blog to my personal pages and into my own personal circles. After seeing him live for the first time several years ago, I looked up his catalog and have not been disappointed. And while his 2012 disc "BiTrektual" failed to garner any hits on that countdown, he has truly outdid himself with 2014's "Raised By Bats". From the opening title track to the very final effort, it's chock full of what makes Voltaire great. Humor, spooky sounds, creepy lyrics, and above all a true respect for all creatures. In this album, he put together another great conglomerate of stellar musicians, including Brian Viglione, Ray Toro, Julia Marcell, and more. Standout tracks (all 10, please) include "Oh My Goth!", "Raised By Bats", "The Devil and Mr Jones", "Sacrifice"... okay, I need to stop.
Number 9 this year is one of my favorite sing-a-long songs about being yourself and not letting the world get you down, no matter how different you are. Voltaire has always preached in favor of the outcasts, freaks, and the general goth crowd in his life, and he has been found on major news outlets as well as the smaller circuits. When we saw him live, he announced that this song with his "Ode to Adam Ant" and the song "Prince Charming", where Ant reminds others to "Respect yourself and all of those around you". It's a great fun track that bounces around and is tailored to the crowd of strange. It resonates well with me, and could possible be a hit even if it weren't recorded by one of the all-time greatest recording artists. Yo ho oh oh! Enjoy!
Title: Captains All
Artist: Aurelio Voltaire
Album: Raised By Bats
Previous #9s
2013: Deadlock - The Arsonist
2012: Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks
2011: The Limousines - Internet Killed The Video Star
2010: Dan Black - Symphonies
2009: The Killer and the Star - Living With Musicians
My admiration for Aurelio Voltaire is well documented, from this blog to my personal pages and into my own personal circles. After seeing him live for the first time several years ago, I looked up his catalog and have not been disappointed. And while his 2012 disc "BiTrektual" failed to garner any hits on that countdown, he has truly outdid himself with 2014's "Raised By Bats". From the opening title track to the very final effort, it's chock full of what makes Voltaire great. Humor, spooky sounds, creepy lyrics, and above all a true respect for all creatures. In this album, he put together another great conglomerate of stellar musicians, including Brian Viglione, Ray Toro, Julia Marcell, and more. Standout tracks (all 10, please) include "Oh My Goth!", "Raised By Bats", "The Devil and Mr Jones", "Sacrifice"... okay, I need to stop.
Number 9 this year is one of my favorite sing-a-long songs about being yourself and not letting the world get you down, no matter how different you are. Voltaire has always preached in favor of the outcasts, freaks, and the general goth crowd in his life, and he has been found on major news outlets as well as the smaller circuits. When we saw him live, he announced that this song with his "Ode to Adam Ant" and the song "Prince Charming", where Ant reminds others to "Respect yourself and all of those around you". It's a great fun track that bounces around and is tailored to the crowd of strange. It resonates well with me, and could possible be a hit even if it weren't recorded by one of the all-time greatest recording artists. Yo ho oh oh! Enjoy!
Title: Captains All
Artist: Aurelio Voltaire
Album: Raised By Bats
Previous #9s
2013: Deadlock - The Arsonist
2012: Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks
2011: The Limousines - Internet Killed The Video Star
2010: Dan Black - Symphonies
2009: The Killer and the Star - Living With Musicians
Thursday, December 11, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #10
#10 - Cut Copy - We Are Explorers
Cut Copy hail from Australia and already have landed a #1 record in their home country, despite never cracking the top 45 in America. "Free Your Mind" made it as high as #98 on the Billboard charts (#19 in AUS) but except for minor airplay on CD102.5, they were not to be seen around these parts. It's a shame, because the album is exceptionally produced and could easily be held as a standard for what dance-pop should sound like. The band toured heavily through Australia, the US and Europe in support of this "Free Your Mind", and despite the lack of major catchy singles, the album is very strong and well worth a listen.
"We Are Explorers" is actually a very fun song that starts with flashy synths before dropping into a bouncy bass mix. The verses may sound similar but a closer listen shows complex patterns that will kick around your head all night if you're not careful. The coolest thing (by far) about this song is the video, which features glowing inch-high figures printed from a 3D printer in stop motion animation making their way through New York City. It's definitely a unique video and a very fun song to boot. And I think FUN is necessary once you've reached the top 10!
Title: We Are Explorers
Artist: Cut Copy
Album: Free Your Mind
Previous #10s
2013: The 1975 - The City
2012: Animal Kingdom - Strange Attractor
2011: FM Static - F.M.S.T.A.T.I.C
2010: Muse - Resistance
2009: Five Finger Death Punch - Bad Company
Cut Copy hail from Australia and already have landed a #1 record in their home country, despite never cracking the top 45 in America. "Free Your Mind" made it as high as #98 on the Billboard charts (#19 in AUS) but except for minor airplay on CD102.5, they were not to be seen around these parts. It's a shame, because the album is exceptionally produced and could easily be held as a standard for what dance-pop should sound like. The band toured heavily through Australia, the US and Europe in support of this "Free Your Mind", and despite the lack of major catchy singles, the album is very strong and well worth a listen.
"We Are Explorers" is actually a very fun song that starts with flashy synths before dropping into a bouncy bass mix. The verses may sound similar but a closer listen shows complex patterns that will kick around your head all night if you're not careful. The coolest thing (by far) about this song is the video, which features glowing inch-high figures printed from a 3D printer in stop motion animation making their way through New York City. It's definitely a unique video and a very fun song to boot. And I think FUN is necessary once you've reached the top 10!
Title: We Are Explorers
Artist: Cut Copy
Album: Free Your Mind
Previous #10s
2013: The 1975 - The City
2012: Animal Kingdom - Strange Attractor
2011: FM Static - F.M.S.T.A.T.I.C
2010: Muse - Resistance
2009: Five Finger Death Punch - Bad Company
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #11
#11 - Meg Myers - Desire
There are many things I could write about this song. But it goes without saying that this is the sultriest, sexiest song to ever reach the countdown. But Meg Myers doesn't have to be writhing around on her bed singing about all the great and terrible things she wants to do with me to achieve that. It's the voice. The voice, the eyes, the everything. The entire EP (all 4 amazing songs) showcase Myers' unique sultry voice and clever perspective on life and love. But it is "Desire" that the entire world is focusing on, so here we are.
Honestly, I've had half a year to compose some great paragraph about what to say about "Desire", and I've got next to nothing. But here are the facts: Meg Myers wants to feel me in her bones. She wants to kill me; specifically to skin me with her tongue. She wants to break me, tear into my soul and throw me to the hounds. So why am I (along with millions of others) so turned on? Seriously. This is the hottest song I've ever listened to, and all that sex is oozing over a bass guitar that threatens to set the entire affair on fire. If that wasn't enough, Meg is screaming "How do you want me?" over and over again. And just to make sure you're blown away, there's a screaming guitar solo at the end. That's all I've got. I can't handle it any more. Whew.
Title: Desire
Artist: Meg Myers
Album: Make A Shadow
Previous #11s
2013: Vampire Weekend - Diane Young
2012: Swimming With Dolphins - Sleep To Dream
2011: Power Quest - Glorious
2010: Taio Cruz - Dynamite
2009: Kings of Leon - Use Somebody
There are many things I could write about this song. But it goes without saying that this is the sultriest, sexiest song to ever reach the countdown. But Meg Myers doesn't have to be writhing around on her bed singing about all the great and terrible things she wants to do with me to achieve that. It's the voice. The voice, the eyes, the everything. The entire EP (all 4 amazing songs) showcase Myers' unique sultry voice and clever perspective on life and love. But it is "Desire" that the entire world is focusing on, so here we are.
Honestly, I've had half a year to compose some great paragraph about what to say about "Desire", and I've got next to nothing. But here are the facts: Meg Myers wants to feel me in her bones. She wants to kill me; specifically to skin me with her tongue. She wants to break me, tear into my soul and throw me to the hounds. So why am I (along with millions of others) so turned on? Seriously. This is the hottest song I've ever listened to, and all that sex is oozing over a bass guitar that threatens to set the entire affair on fire. If that wasn't enough, Meg is screaming "How do you want me?" over and over again. And just to make sure you're blown away, there's a screaming guitar solo at the end. That's all I've got. I can't handle it any more. Whew.
Title: Desire
Artist: Meg Myers
Album: Make A Shadow
Previous #11s
2013: Vampire Weekend - Diane Young
2012: Swimming With Dolphins - Sleep To Dream
2011: Power Quest - Glorious
2010: Taio Cruz - Dynamite
2009: Kings of Leon - Use Somebody
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #12
#12 - Walk The Moon - Shut Up And Dance
Keeping with the Ohio trend, Walk The Moon (Cincinnati) are back for their second showing on the countdown. They surfaced in 2012 with the #3 song "Anna Sun" and have once again released a massive earworm that will surely garner insane amounts of airplay in 2015. In fact, the only reason that this song is at #12 and not higher is because it was only just released two months ago! The only time in countdown history that a song has risen so quickly so late was in 2010 when "Cameras" by Matt and Kim launched up to #5 in only 1 month of airplay.
I'm here to tell you folks - "Shut Up And Dance" is the real deal for Walk The Moon. The song blasts off with an obsessive riff and kicks right in to the sing-a-long chorus. The soaring guitars are matched with a pulsing bassline and an airy layer of synths that immediately lift the listener up. The song tells of love at first sight, found on the dance floor. The video has singer Nicholas Petricca finding his true love and being knocked out by her amazingness. Both the song and video are filled with so much fun and positive energy, it's almost impossible to ignore them. I cannot wait for this album to be released so I can get some more of this!
Title: Shut Up And Dance
Artist: Walk The Moon
Album: Talking is Hard
Previous 12s
2013: Shining - I Won't Forget
2012: (tie) Florence and the Machine - What the Water Gave Me; Shake It Out
2011: Fitz and the Tantrums - Don't Gotta Work it Out
2010: Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man
2009: Breathe Carolina - Show Me Yours
Keeping with the Ohio trend, Walk The Moon (Cincinnati) are back for their second showing on the countdown. They surfaced in 2012 with the #3 song "Anna Sun" and have once again released a massive earworm that will surely garner insane amounts of airplay in 2015. In fact, the only reason that this song is at #12 and not higher is because it was only just released two months ago! The only time in countdown history that a song has risen so quickly so late was in 2010 when "Cameras" by Matt and Kim launched up to #5 in only 1 month of airplay.
I'm here to tell you folks - "Shut Up And Dance" is the real deal for Walk The Moon. The song blasts off with an obsessive riff and kicks right in to the sing-a-long chorus. The soaring guitars are matched with a pulsing bassline and an airy layer of synths that immediately lift the listener up. The song tells of love at first sight, found on the dance floor. The video has singer Nicholas Petricca finding his true love and being knocked out by her amazingness. Both the song and video are filled with so much fun and positive energy, it's almost impossible to ignore them. I cannot wait for this album to be released so I can get some more of this!
Title: Shut Up And Dance
Artist: Walk The Moon
Album: Talking is Hard
Previous 12s
2013: Shining - I Won't Forget
2012: (tie) Florence and the Machine - What the Water Gave Me; Shake It Out
2011: Fitz and the Tantrums - Don't Gotta Work it Out
2010: Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man
2009: Breathe Carolina - Show Me Yours
Monday, December 8, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #13
#13 - Beartooth - Beaten in Lips
Doing Columbus Ohio proud, Beartooth rose from the ashes of famed electro-hardcore band Attack Attack!. Caleb Shomo and company exploded onto the scene in 2013 with their EP "Sick" and then blasted off summer 2014 with their full length LP "Disgusting". The album is a full-on punk/metal assault on your eardrums with painfully honest lyrics and ear-ripping screams. Standout tracks include "In Between", "The Lines" and "Sick and Disgusting", which might be the most painful track of all.
But the album shines brightest on it's hit single, "Beaten In Lips". The moment the guitars kick in, Shomo screams "Every thing that I say won't mean anything less when I'm down in a grave and you put me to rest", which signifies just how powerful and personal this song is about to get. The song is a brutal point-of-view account of child abuse, where Shomo urges the listener to "keep living loud and proud". The line that struck me hardest was in the crushing breakdown, where he screams "Listen to the sound of the lives you're ruining!". It hits me personally, not on a physical abuse level but on an emotional and psychological one. Either way, it's an incredibly strong song; 3:33 of fast-paced adrenaline and madness. The video, in typical hardcore fashion, has the band playing in a tiny room filled with headbanging fans, and is intermixed with shots of abused teenagers. Big time stuff from a band that will surely explode with their next release.
Title: Beaten In Lips
Artist: Beartooth
Album: Disgusting
Previous 13s
2013: The Mowgli's - San Francisco
2012: Veil of Maya - Punisher
2011: Red - Feed the Machine
2010: Haste the Day - White as Snow
2009: Gorilla Zoe - Echo
Doing Columbus Ohio proud, Beartooth rose from the ashes of famed electro-hardcore band Attack Attack!. Caleb Shomo and company exploded onto the scene in 2013 with their EP "Sick" and then blasted off summer 2014 with their full length LP "Disgusting". The album is a full-on punk/metal assault on your eardrums with painfully honest lyrics and ear-ripping screams. Standout tracks include "In Between", "The Lines" and "Sick and Disgusting", which might be the most painful track of all.
But the album shines brightest on it's hit single, "Beaten In Lips". The moment the guitars kick in, Shomo screams "Every thing that I say won't mean anything less when I'm down in a grave and you put me to rest", which signifies just how powerful and personal this song is about to get. The song is a brutal point-of-view account of child abuse, where Shomo urges the listener to "keep living loud and proud". The line that struck me hardest was in the crushing breakdown, where he screams "Listen to the sound of the lives you're ruining!". It hits me personally, not on a physical abuse level but on an emotional and psychological one. Either way, it's an incredibly strong song; 3:33 of fast-paced adrenaline and madness. The video, in typical hardcore fashion, has the band playing in a tiny room filled with headbanging fans, and is intermixed with shots of abused teenagers. Big time stuff from a band that will surely explode with their next release.
Title: Beaten In Lips
Artist: Beartooth
Album: Disgusting
Previous 13s
2013: The Mowgli's - San Francisco
2012: Veil of Maya - Punisher
2011: Red - Feed the Machine
2010: Haste the Day - White as Snow
2009: Gorilla Zoe - Echo
Sunday, December 7, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #14
#14 Weird Al Yankovic - (a) Handy + (b) Foil
As has become tradition over the past two years, there have been albums with multiple songs that I felt absolutely necessary to include in the countdown. The 2014 double feature comes from arguably the best album of the year, Weird Al's "Mandatory Fun". After 20+ years of relative obscurity and only claiming fame in the most nerdy of circuits, Weird Al scored a fairly big hit in 2006 with "White & Nerdy". But it wasn't until 2014's "Mandatory Fun" that he truly struck gold. Unless you were living under a rock, you knew that Weird Al was releasing a big album this year. The reason behind this with a brilliant marketing strategy that featured a daily music video for 8 days leading up to the album's release date. Each video premiered on a different platform (YouTube, Yahoo, Funny or Die, etc) and each were met with humongous support and adoration. "Mandatory Fun" immediately shot up to #1 and Yankovic was given his long overdue day in the sun. As far as the best tracks off this album, where should I begin? I can't think of an album that I don't love, so let's skip to my two favorites.
First and foremost, my favorite video was Al's spoof of Iggy Azalea's "Fancy", entitled "Handy". The song is basically a 3 minute advertisement for a jack-of-all-traders, of which Al plays in the video, dancing with two other middle aged plumbers in the video. The song was actually cobbled together after Yankovic had already put together a solid album. In interviews he said that the most unfortunate thing about making his albums was that he had to wait to release them and allow the songs to date themselves, so he took a fairly popular song from 2014 and made a solid track from it.
Secondly, we have a parody of Lorde's mega 2013 hit "Royals". In the first verse, Yankovic starts by singing about how he uses aluminum foil to keep all of his leftovers fresh, before jumping into a second verse laced with conspiracy and finishing with the silly singer stating that he covers his head with aluminum foil to keep his brain from being probed. It features Patton Oswalt as the director of a cooking show in which Al takes center stage. It's great. It's amazing. It's pure Weird Al. I've written enough. Enjoy!
Title: Foil, Handy
Artist: Weird Al Yankovic
Album: Mandatory Fun
Previous 14s
2013: Atlas Genius - If So
2012: Metric - Clone
2011: Crystal Castles - Not In Love (ft Robert Smith)
2010: Nevermore - Moonrise (Through Mirrors of Death)
2009: Red - Out From Under
As has become tradition over the past two years, there have been albums with multiple songs that I felt absolutely necessary to include in the countdown. The 2014 double feature comes from arguably the best album of the year, Weird Al's "Mandatory Fun". After 20+ years of relative obscurity and only claiming fame in the most nerdy of circuits, Weird Al scored a fairly big hit in 2006 with "White & Nerdy". But it wasn't until 2014's "Mandatory Fun" that he truly struck gold. Unless you were living under a rock, you knew that Weird Al was releasing a big album this year. The reason behind this with a brilliant marketing strategy that featured a daily music video for 8 days leading up to the album's release date. Each video premiered on a different platform (YouTube, Yahoo, Funny or Die, etc) and each were met with humongous support and adoration. "Mandatory Fun" immediately shot up to #1 and Yankovic was given his long overdue day in the sun. As far as the best tracks off this album, where should I begin? I can't think of an album that I don't love, so let's skip to my two favorites.
First and foremost, my favorite video was Al's spoof of Iggy Azalea's "Fancy", entitled "Handy". The song is basically a 3 minute advertisement for a jack-of-all-traders, of which Al plays in the video, dancing with two other middle aged plumbers in the video. The song was actually cobbled together after Yankovic had already put together a solid album. In interviews he said that the most unfortunate thing about making his albums was that he had to wait to release them and allow the songs to date themselves, so he took a fairly popular song from 2014 and made a solid track from it.
Secondly, we have a parody of Lorde's mega 2013 hit "Royals". In the first verse, Yankovic starts by singing about how he uses aluminum foil to keep all of his leftovers fresh, before jumping into a second verse laced with conspiracy and finishing with the silly singer stating that he covers his head with aluminum foil to keep his brain from being probed. It features Patton Oswalt as the director of a cooking show in which Al takes center stage. It's great. It's amazing. It's pure Weird Al. I've written enough. Enjoy!
Title: Foil, Handy
Artist: Weird Al Yankovic
Album: Mandatory Fun
Previous 14s
2013: Atlas Genius - If So
2012: Metric - Clone
2011: Crystal Castles - Not In Love (ft Robert Smith)
2010: Nevermore - Moonrise (Through Mirrors of Death)
2009: Red - Out From Under
Saturday, December 6, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #15
#15 - Five Iron Frenzy - I Am Jack's Smirking Revenge
How often is it that a band from your childhood, who has been broken up for (officially) 10 years, comes back out of nowhere with a tour and brand new album? Not too often, I'd guess. And it's even more rare for the band to be just as good (if not better) as they were before they disbanded. Enter Five Iron Frenzy, a massively popular ska band in the late 90s/early 2000s who called it quits after one final tour in 2003. The members performed in various side projects (most notably Brave Saint Saturn) but in 2011 they suddenly announced that they were back and released the song "It Was A Dark Stormy Night" to tide the fanbase over until the release of the album, which finally dropped November of last year. I was fortunate enough to see them on their reunion tour in 2013 and also this spring on their tour promoting the album "Engine of a Million Plots". The album is outstanding, and in fact far better than I could have imagined it would be. Along with "Dark Stormy Night", standout releases include "Into Your Veins", "We Own The Skies", and the purely FIF track "Battle Dancing Unicorns With Glitter".
But it was the pummeling horns and drums of "I Am Jack's Smirking Revenge" that immediately caught my ears upon first listen. The title alludes to a quote from "Fight Club", uttered by Ed Norton right before punching himself in the face. The song itself actually hints towards scriptural passages in where Christ is asking for his followers trust, and also telling them not to be driven by material possessions. Musically, the song is driven by the 3 headed horn section of Jeff, Brad and Dennis, just as any great Five Iron song should be. It's a phenomenal song with an incredibly powerful and humbling message, and it goes to show that FIF are the same band that all have come to know and love over the years. I don't know what their future plans are, but if they keep putting out great music, then the fanbase will surely continue to support and follow.
Title: I Am Jack's Smirking Revenge
Artist: Five Iron Frenzy
Album: Engine Of A Million Plots
Previous 15s
2013: The Features - This Disorder
2012: A Plea for Purging - Heart of a Child
2011: Texas in July - Magnolia
2010: Day of Fire - Lately
2009: Silversun Pickups - It's Nice To Know You Work Alone
How often is it that a band from your childhood, who has been broken up for (officially) 10 years, comes back out of nowhere with a tour and brand new album? Not too often, I'd guess. And it's even more rare for the band to be just as good (if not better) as they were before they disbanded. Enter Five Iron Frenzy, a massively popular ska band in the late 90s/early 2000s who called it quits after one final tour in 2003. The members performed in various side projects (most notably Brave Saint Saturn) but in 2011 they suddenly announced that they were back and released the song "It Was A Dark Stormy Night" to tide the fanbase over until the release of the album, which finally dropped November of last year. I was fortunate enough to see them on their reunion tour in 2013 and also this spring on their tour promoting the album "Engine of a Million Plots". The album is outstanding, and in fact far better than I could have imagined it would be. Along with "Dark Stormy Night", standout releases include "Into Your Veins", "We Own The Skies", and the purely FIF track "Battle Dancing Unicorns With Glitter".
But it was the pummeling horns and drums of "I Am Jack's Smirking Revenge" that immediately caught my ears upon first listen. The title alludes to a quote from "Fight Club", uttered by Ed Norton right before punching himself in the face. The song itself actually hints towards scriptural passages in where Christ is asking for his followers trust, and also telling them not to be driven by material possessions. Musically, the song is driven by the 3 headed horn section of Jeff, Brad and Dennis, just as any great Five Iron song should be. It's a phenomenal song with an incredibly powerful and humbling message, and it goes to show that FIF are the same band that all have come to know and love over the years. I don't know what their future plans are, but if they keep putting out great music, then the fanbase will surely continue to support and follow.
Title: I Am Jack's Smirking Revenge
Artist: Five Iron Frenzy
Album: Engine Of A Million Plots
Previous 15s
2013: The Features - This Disorder
2012: A Plea for Purging - Heart of a Child
2011: Texas in July - Magnolia
2010: Day of Fire - Lately
2009: Silversun Pickups - It's Nice To Know You Work Alone
Friday, December 5, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #16
#16 - Winds of Plague - Say Hello To The Undertaker
A late 2013 release, "Resistance" by Winds of Plague served as an early head-banger to get me through the ice cold winter months in early 2014. As a bad that I hadn't really listened to before, I was pleasantly surprised with WoP's mix of deathcore metal and symphonic elements. There are also some solid guest vocalists including Vincent Bennett of The Acacia Strain. Other standout tracks include "One Foot In The Grave", "Time to Reap", and "No Man is My Master". It is definitely one of my top 5 metal discs of the year.
As far as "Say Hello..." goes, it kicks off with a great opening solo and has pounding drums that lead it to it's crescendo chorus "Say hello to the undertaker; your debts are now paid". But what sets this song apart from the rest on this album (and any other song this year, for that matter) is the crushing gang vocal of "I AM RELENTLESS!" The entire song keeps a frantic pace going and continues to pummel until the last cymbal has been smashed. The video features the band rocking out and (of course) demonic lead singer Johnny Plague playing the role as undertaker, leading a female heroin to the devil. It's a great workout track and a great track to fly down the highway with. Ha...
Title: Say Hello To The Undertaker
Artist: Winds of Plague
Album: Resistance
Previous 16s
2013: Colossus - Beacons
2012: Imagine Dragons - It's Time
2011: Amaranthe - Hunger
2010: Gorillaz - Superfast Jellyfish
2009: Chris Isaak - We Let Her Down
A late 2013 release, "Resistance" by Winds of Plague served as an early head-banger to get me through the ice cold winter months in early 2014. As a bad that I hadn't really listened to before, I was pleasantly surprised with WoP's mix of deathcore metal and symphonic elements. There are also some solid guest vocalists including Vincent Bennett of The Acacia Strain. Other standout tracks include "One Foot In The Grave", "Time to Reap", and "No Man is My Master". It is definitely one of my top 5 metal discs of the year.
As far as "Say Hello..." goes, it kicks off with a great opening solo and has pounding drums that lead it to it's crescendo chorus "Say hello to the undertaker; your debts are now paid". But what sets this song apart from the rest on this album (and any other song this year, for that matter) is the crushing gang vocal of "I AM RELENTLESS!" The entire song keeps a frantic pace going and continues to pummel until the last cymbal has been smashed. The video features the band rocking out and (of course) demonic lead singer Johnny Plague playing the role as undertaker, leading a female heroin to the devil. It's a great workout track and a great track to fly down the highway with. Ha...
Title: Say Hello To The Undertaker
Artist: Winds of Plague
Album: Resistance
Previous 16s
2013: Colossus - Beacons
2012: Imagine Dragons - It's Time
2011: Amaranthe - Hunger
2010: Gorillaz - Superfast Jellyfish
2009: Chris Isaak - We Let Her Down
Thursday, December 4, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #17
#17 - Foster the People - Coming of Age
Foster the People found themselves on the outside looking in with their 2011 hit "Helena Beat", but at the time I was less than impressed with their CD "Torches". Fast forward to 2014, and Mark Foster and the boys have put together a great follow-up pop disc. "Supermodel" is just as weird as it's predecessor and almost has a Vampire Weekend feel in it's weirdness, but Foster the People have carved out a unique sound of their own which mixes dancy synths, poppy choruses and pulsing drums. Other standout tracks include "Are You What You Want To Be?", "Ask Yourself", "A Beginner's Guide To Destroying The Moon", and the '80s themed "Coming of Age".
From the opening keys, you know that you're going to be in for a fun song with "Coming of Age". The guitars are airy, the snare is loud, and the message is potent. The video has a crazy '80s flair to it as well, with throwback clothes and graphics and lots of bright colors to boot. It follows a bunch of teenagers around as they struggle to deal with their "coming of age", and the song brings an interesting retrospect into Mark Foster's life and recent years. It's a very personal song, and despite it's fun and fancy sound, it definitely hits home with anyone who has looked back on their life and realized that everything around them is changing and they have to move to keep up with those changes. The message also works well with the band as their sound and lyrical work matures. I look forward to whatever Mr Foster and the boys have coming next.
Title: Coming of Age
Artist: Foster the People
Album: Supermodel
Previous #17s
2013: Sevendust - Decay
2012: Morning Parade - Headlights
2011: Lonely Island - Jack Sparrow (Ft Michael Bolton)
2010: Slash - Baby Can't Drive (ft Alice Cooper + Nicole Scherzinger)
2009: DevilDriver - Another Night In London
Foster the People found themselves on the outside looking in with their 2011 hit "Helena Beat", but at the time I was less than impressed with their CD "Torches". Fast forward to 2014, and Mark Foster and the boys have put together a great follow-up pop disc. "Supermodel" is just as weird as it's predecessor and almost has a Vampire Weekend feel in it's weirdness, but Foster the People have carved out a unique sound of their own which mixes dancy synths, poppy choruses and pulsing drums. Other standout tracks include "Are You What You Want To Be?", "Ask Yourself", "A Beginner's Guide To Destroying The Moon", and the '80s themed "Coming of Age".
From the opening keys, you know that you're going to be in for a fun song with "Coming of Age". The guitars are airy, the snare is loud, and the message is potent. The video has a crazy '80s flair to it as well, with throwback clothes and graphics and lots of bright colors to boot. It follows a bunch of teenagers around as they struggle to deal with their "coming of age", and the song brings an interesting retrospect into Mark Foster's life and recent years. It's a very personal song, and despite it's fun and fancy sound, it definitely hits home with anyone who has looked back on their life and realized that everything around them is changing and they have to move to keep up with those changes. The message also works well with the band as their sound and lyrical work matures. I look forward to whatever Mr Foster and the boys have coming next.
Title: Coming of Age
Artist: Foster the People
Album: Supermodel
Previous #17s
2013: Sevendust - Decay
2012: Morning Parade - Headlights
2011: Lonely Island - Jack Sparrow (Ft Michael Bolton)
2010: Slash - Baby Can't Drive (ft Alice Cooper + Nicole Scherzinger)
2009: DevilDriver - Another Night In London
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #18
#18 - Bleachers - I Wanna Get Better
Bleachers is the brainchild of former Steel Train frontman and current Fun. guitarist Jack Antonoff. Apparently it all came together while Fun. was on tour, which goes to show just how much time people apparently have while touring? Just kidding. But Antonoff had plenty of great stuff going for him in Steel Train and has done a fairly good job with Nate Reuss and co in Fun, who landed the #1 hit in 2012 with "Some Nights". The album "Strange Desire" was entirely recorded by Antonoff, and after seeing Fun. live, I am sure he has plenty of other great ideas for a (hopeful) follow up album. As far as "Strange Desire" goes, other highlight tracks are "Wake Me", "Rollercoaster", and "Who I Want You To Love". It's an album that might take a few listens to really appreciate, but it's wonderfully done in the end.
As far as "I Wanna Get Better" goes, it was one of those songs that I knew was going to be a big hit the first time I heard it. The "race home and immediately find it on YouTube/download it" type of song. The opening piano bounces around and pushes it's way into a brilliant sing-a-long chorus. The video features Antonoff as a therapist who has just come from a broken relationship and is trying to fix others. It's an amusing little piece of work and further supports the awesomeness of the song. In the end, it was the heavily distorted solo and the line "so I put a bullet where I should've put a helmet, and I crashed my car cuz I wanna get carried away" that really hit me. The future is bright for Antonoff, regardless of whether he is doing Bleachers, Fun., or anything else he should decide is worth his time.
Title: I Wanna Get Better
Artist: Bleachers
Album: Strange Desire
Previous #18s
2013: Biffy Clyro - Black Chandelier
2012: Santigold - Disparate Youth
2011: House of Heroes - Galveston
2010: Rammstein - Fruhling in Paris
2009: Sick Puppies - I Hate You
Bleachers is the brainchild of former Steel Train frontman and current Fun. guitarist Jack Antonoff. Apparently it all came together while Fun. was on tour, which goes to show just how much time people apparently have while touring? Just kidding. But Antonoff had plenty of great stuff going for him in Steel Train and has done a fairly good job with Nate Reuss and co in Fun, who landed the #1 hit in 2012 with "Some Nights". The album "Strange Desire" was entirely recorded by Antonoff, and after seeing Fun. live, I am sure he has plenty of other great ideas for a (hopeful) follow up album. As far as "Strange Desire" goes, other highlight tracks are "Wake Me", "Rollercoaster", and "Who I Want You To Love". It's an album that might take a few listens to really appreciate, but it's wonderfully done in the end.
As far as "I Wanna Get Better" goes, it was one of those songs that I knew was going to be a big hit the first time I heard it. The "race home and immediately find it on YouTube/download it" type of song. The opening piano bounces around and pushes it's way into a brilliant sing-a-long chorus. The video features Antonoff as a therapist who has just come from a broken relationship and is trying to fix others. It's an amusing little piece of work and further supports the awesomeness of the song. In the end, it was the heavily distorted solo and the line "so I put a bullet where I should've put a helmet, and I crashed my car cuz I wanna get carried away" that really hit me. The future is bright for Antonoff, regardless of whether he is doing Bleachers, Fun., or anything else he should decide is worth his time.
Title: I Wanna Get Better
Artist: Bleachers
Album: Strange Desire
Previous #18s
2013: Biffy Clyro - Black Chandelier
2012: Santigold - Disparate Youth
2011: House of Heroes - Galveston
2010: Rammstein - Fruhling in Paris
2009: Sick Puppies - I Hate You
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #19
#19 - Destiny Potato - Take A Picture
I have often found that there are two major flaws to most djent bands. The first is that all the riffs seem to be copying off of each other, and the second is that most of the vocalists are just terrible screamers. When I heard there was a djent band with a female vocalist, I figured it would just be another bad screamer. Enter Aleksandra Djelmas. She can sing your face off. And throughout this album, you'll find interesting riffs and odd little bits of instrumentation, including accordions (?). I suppose we should expect the unexpected from the first ever Serbian band to make the list. I mean, come on; the band is called Destiny Potato.
There are some solid songs on "LUN" ("Indifferent", "Lunatic", "Love Song"), but the opening riff on "Take a Picture" is what really takes the cake. The song verses make it very accessible and the chorus launches it into another realm. It's a good blueprint for the album. Some may argue that it's too poppy and not metal enough, but I feel like it blends different sounds well. Also, the limited amount of screams is a welcomed addition to a tired genre. I look forward to seeing this band following this independent release with bigger and better things.
Title: Take A Picture
Artist: Destiny Potato
Album: LUN
Previous #19s
2013: Relient K - PTL
2012: Silversun Pickups - Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)
2011: The Knux - Razorblade
2010: Demon Hunter - Collapsing (ft Bjorn Strid)
2009: Parachute - She Is Love
I have often found that there are two major flaws to most djent bands. The first is that all the riffs seem to be copying off of each other, and the second is that most of the vocalists are just terrible screamers. When I heard there was a djent band with a female vocalist, I figured it would just be another bad screamer. Enter Aleksandra Djelmas. She can sing your face off. And throughout this album, you'll find interesting riffs and odd little bits of instrumentation, including accordions (?). I suppose we should expect the unexpected from the first ever Serbian band to make the list. I mean, come on; the band is called Destiny Potato.
There are some solid songs on "LUN" ("Indifferent", "Lunatic", "Love Song"), but the opening riff on "Take a Picture" is what really takes the cake. The song verses make it very accessible and the chorus launches it into another realm. It's a good blueprint for the album. Some may argue that it's too poppy and not metal enough, but I feel like it blends different sounds well. Also, the limited amount of screams is a welcomed addition to a tired genre. I look forward to seeing this band following this independent release with bigger and better things.
Title: Take A Picture
Artist: Destiny Potato
Album: LUN
Previous #19s
2013: Relient K - PTL
2012: Silversun Pickups - Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)
2011: The Knux - Razorblade
2010: Demon Hunter - Collapsing (ft Bjorn Strid)
2009: Parachute - She Is Love
Monday, December 1, 2014
The 2014 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #20
#20 - I, The Breather - Swine:Cult (ft Ricky Armellino)
Starting with a metal tingle, #20 this year comes from Sumerian Record slammers I, The Breather. The band underwent a few lineup changes leading up to the recording of "Life Reaper" (In fact, vocalist Shawn Spann is the only remaining original member), but it didn't show in their songwriting abilities. From top to bottom, each song is equal parts slamming and melodic, with chugging riffs, powerful vocals and choruses that will stick in your head for days. Best tracks include "Life: Reaper", "Demon: Dreams", "Chain: Breaker", and of course our opening song on the countdown "Swine: Cult".
The song opens up with pulsing drums and roaring feedback before Spann begins his vocal assault on your eardrums. Once the guitars start chugging, your neck will definitely need to be replaced. This song is fast, heavy and powerful. If you re-attach your neck and listen to the lyrics, you'll hear a tale of a person who is showing the face of an innocent and perfect individual, despite having a disgusting soul underneath ("you're just a pig dressed like a sheep, the role you're playing doesn't end with forgiveness"). Ricky Armellino of Century and This Or The Apocalypse provides the vocals on the 2nd verse and did most of the production work on the album as well.
All in all, it was a perfectly crushing track for summer and a great song to kick into the 2014 Top 20 Countdown. Metal will play a large role this year, but will it take #1? Stay tuned!
Title: Swine: Cult (ft Ricky Armellino)
Artist: I, The Breather
Album: Life Reaper
Previous #20s
2013 - Grouplove - Ways To Go
2012 - Reptar - Stuck in My Id
2011 - Avril Lavigne - What The Hell
2010 - Dark Tranquility - The Fatalist
2009 - Collective Soul - Staring Down
Starting with a metal tingle, #20 this year comes from Sumerian Record slammers I, The Breather. The band underwent a few lineup changes leading up to the recording of "Life Reaper" (In fact, vocalist Shawn Spann is the only remaining original member), but it didn't show in their songwriting abilities. From top to bottom, each song is equal parts slamming and melodic, with chugging riffs, powerful vocals and choruses that will stick in your head for days. Best tracks include "Life: Reaper", "Demon: Dreams", "Chain: Breaker", and of course our opening song on the countdown "Swine: Cult".
The song opens up with pulsing drums and roaring feedback before Spann begins his vocal assault on your eardrums. Once the guitars start chugging, your neck will definitely need to be replaced. This song is fast, heavy and powerful. If you re-attach your neck and listen to the lyrics, you'll hear a tale of a person who is showing the face of an innocent and perfect individual, despite having a disgusting soul underneath ("you're just a pig dressed like a sheep, the role you're playing doesn't end with forgiveness"). Ricky Armellino of Century and This Or The Apocalypse provides the vocals on the 2nd verse and did most of the production work on the album as well.
All in all, it was a perfectly crushing track for summer and a great song to kick into the 2014 Top 20 Countdown. Metal will play a large role this year, but will it take #1? Stay tuned!
Title: Swine: Cult (ft Ricky Armellino)
Artist: I, The Breather
Album: Life Reaper
Previous #20s
2013 - Grouplove - Ways To Go
2012 - Reptar - Stuck in My Id
2011 - Avril Lavigne - What The Hell
2010 - Dark Tranquility - The Fatalist
2009 - Collective Soul - Staring Down
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