The 2015 Jester One Music Recap!

Greetings!

First things first, here's a recap of the Top 20 Countdown:

20. Florence + The Machine - Ship To Wreck
19. The Frozen Ocean - Kerosene
18. New Found Glory - Selfless
17. Big Data - The Business of Emotion (feat White Sea)
16. Ghost Ship Octavius - Silence
15. Foo Fighters - Something from Nothing
14. Spoon - New York Kiss
13. Passion Pit - Lifted Up (1985)
12. Fear Factory - Expiration Date
11. Catfish and the Bottlemen - Cocoon
10. The Wombats - Give Me A Try
9. TV on the Radio - Careful You
8. Ellie Goulding - Love Me Like You Do
7. Matty Mullins - More Of You
6. Lamb of God - 512
5. August Burns Red - Identity
4. Jason Derulo - Want To Want Me
3. Slipknot - Skeptic/The Devil In I
2. Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness - Cecilia and the Satellite
1. Purity Ring - Heartsigh


Solid stuff! With the exception of the Ellie Goulding, I am rather pleased. At the end it got close in the upper numbers, and the 7-4 was a flux for about a month before the order was settled. Purity Ring and Andrew McMahon had a good battle going during the summer, but the overwhelming positive vibes of "Heartsigh" eventually conquered the beautiful melodies of "Cecilia...". After 5 consecutive years of finding alt-rock bands at #1, Cadets dropped a Christian space-synth pop jam last year, and Purity Ring brought a dance-pop anthem to the top for 2015. It's also the first time a female-fronted group took the #1 spot. Shirley Manson and Garbage had reached #4 in 2012 with "Beloved Freak" previously. Also having 4 metal songs in the top 10 equals the most since the 2009 countdown, where August Burns Red (#2), Alice in Chains (4), This Ending (7) and Five Finger Death Punch (10) thundered through. Usually the countdown is back-loaded with solid heavy stuff, but this year it surged forward in spite of not placing higher than #3.

But let's talk about groups that didn't make it to the countdown this year. The Airborne Toxic Event had landed a #3 and #7 on their last two discs but fell woefully short this time around. 2013's #1 Surfer Blood put out an indie release that felt a little flat to me, while 2010's #2 Periphery dropped a double album that failed to make much movement on the chart. Perhaps the biggest disappointment was Owl City, another perennial powerhouse who dropped what could be considered their worst album. For a band who had been the runner up twice previously, I expected much more from "Mobile Orchestra" but the album felt like an absolute step back from everything Adam Young has done previously. Another major disappointment came from Matt & Kim, who had a #3 and #5 in their previous repertoire.  Red also had a new album that had some fairly good songs, but most of them had tedious intros that hurt them from a catchiness standpoint.

There were plenty of bands I loved from the past who got back together in 2015. Breaking Benjamin put out a comeback album that made a few waves but really didn't have much firepower past their initial single "Failure". Coal Chamber came exceptionally close, and "Rivals" was a tremendous album that I enjoyed greatly. Haste the Day reformed as well with "Coward", a musically solid album that just didn't have enough catchy riffs to really make it back to the big show. Pillar's new disc was somewhat of a throwback to what they were doing when I was in high school, but it just didn't catch well enough for me


2016 already has some exciting releases from prior charting bands like Metric, Sevendust and Born of Osiris working, and I'm excited for Christmas music to pass so I can focus on getting things rolling from that standpoint. Let's not leave 2015 in the dust just yet though. Let's talk about some songs that shaped the 2015 landscape that were released in previous years. Usually, the songs that get played the most in any given year are either new releases or classic songs that I have not heard in several years and hit me in a new way. As far as those old songs coming back around, here's a few that stuck with me throughout the year.



For what ever reason, I found a new appreciation for the Beatles in 2015. I think that their music started really hitting me after my job crisis in the summer. The old muzak list at work played 7-8 Beatles songs, and eventually I just realized that I liked every single one they played.  My sister was always the big Beatles fan in the family, but I'm glad they finally truly sunk in on me. Also, this video is absolutely hilarious.




Sometimes I'm looking through the great vault of music from my past and I stumble across something filled with intrigue. "Here's a song I haven't heard in a while" says the little voice in my head. I'll give it a spin and be blown away at how something like this ever made it on any radio station. It's always old RadioU stuff, like Send the Beggar or Guardian or something along those lines. Bill Mallonee and this jam makes that list. But then I listened to it, and the words, and it takes me back to where I used to be when I was listening to that stuff. And it finds new life in the here and now. And... there we go!



At some point in 2015, I heard this song and it dawned on me that this was essentially the first Eagles song that anyone ever heard. First album, first track, first single. First Eagles. I started wondering what it was like back in 1972 when the album dropped, and how it must have felt to hear history like that. A song and album that essentially shaped how rock music was made and changed the lives of millions.



Alright. Good times, good feelings. Before we get to the most played song of 2015, let's look at the top 10 albums of 2015. I feel that I must start with the Anberlin Live albums recorded on their final tour in New York. It was almost perfect that the boys performed my favorite album "Never Take Friendship Person", but then they did "Cities" as well. I didn't know they were going to be recorded, but I immediately pre-ordered them when the word came down. It's nothing new, but it's so beautiful. A few of the songs brought new meaning to themselves when hearing Stephen introduce or just sing them live. Funny the way that works.

Anyways, here's the last of the lists...

10. Spoon - They Want My Soul 
9. Ghost Ship Octavius - Ghost Ship Octavius
8. Lamb of God - VII: Sturm und Drang
7. Big Data - 2.0
6. August Burns Red - Found in Far Away Places
5. The Frozen Ocean - Skeleton Key
4. Passion Pit - Kindred
3. Slipknot - .5: The Gray Chapter
 2. Purity Ring - Another Eternity
1. The Wombats - Glitterbug






Surprise! It's all bands from the Top 20! I can honestly say that that never happens. There were many great albums with tons of great songs. I touched on each of them already, but I have to say that almost each of these albums were great, top to bottom. No filler on the Wombats album at all. Just outstanding. All of these are great albums filled with great songs, but now we must move on to the greatest song of all of them.

Well, maybe not. This jam does hold the title of the most played song from 2015, however, and that should be worth something, right?




Plushgun - Sarah's Locker





Plushgun is a band that my fiancee loves but I had never really given a second listen to until this summer. Enter Pandora and their wonderful way of throwing bands I've never listened to into my life. I'd say I average 300-400 songs listened to on Pandora every month, depending on how much I use it at work.  I've customized most of my favorite stations to a point where I can go to any number of places for any number of moods. I had initially used an Owl City station to try and find other bands that sound somewhat like them (there aren't any) and I eventually decided that I knew a couple of bands that sounded somewhat like them, and that Plushgun was one of them. And, if the misses found them acceptable, I probably could as well. As luck would have it, the first song played on the newly christened "Sparkles and Twinkles" station was in fact "Sarah's Locker". The song hit me in every available feel and pulled out parts of my soul that I didn't even know were there. I think I probably listened to it 20 times that day. 20 more the next. I just kept listening to it over and over again. In the car, at work, at home, in my sleep. It says all the things I feel, and makes me feel all the things I didn't even know I knew.  It made it's mark on the year in a way that I could not have imagined.



Thank you again, friends, for going on this journey with me. Love music, love yourself, love the world. Be blessed.

-j1

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #1

#1 - Purity Ring - Heartsigh


Let's face it. If I had known about Purity Ring in 2012 when "Shrines" was released, the song "Crawlersout" would have probably been top 3, and if the album had qualified for 2013, it would have almost certainly been the runner up to Surfer Blood's "Demon Dance". But, I didn't find the album until almost a year after it was released, when the artist name and song titles caught me eye. The best anecdote I have for the electronica duo is that I got their album around the same time that I purchased the game "Warhammer 40k: Space Marine". I would be playing through levels, slaying orcs and jamming to Purity Ring. Therefor, "Shrines" became my orc-slayer music, and I would always find myself listening to them when I was playing later multiplayer levels and such. It was a bizarre combination, but the band stuck with me for the next year as well, with the songs "Fineshrine" and "Crawlersout" being staples of my life.

Anyways, I was super excited to hear that a new Purity Ring album was coming in 2015 and jumped out of my seat when I heard the first single "Push Pull". The album is absolutely fantastic; a sonic jump forward from "Shrines", with extra fancy polish and glitter. Even more so was I shocked when our local alternative station CD 102.5 played "Stranger than Earth" on one of their programs, and ended up picking up the track "Bodyache". Sadly, the duo didn't last long on their airwaves, but from the moment I first heard the album I was hooked. Past the aforementioned tracks, the album shines on with songs like "Begin Again", "Repetition" and "Flood on the Floor". The duo is pushed forward by Megan James' high pitched, high volume voice and Corrin Riddick's mastery behind the keys. It is dance-pop at it's finest, and nowhere is it more exemplified than in the opening track of the album.

Aptly, it is once again that opening track that immediately hooks you. Like "Crawlersout" before it, you're immediately hit with a haunting fade-in that leads to a heavy snare drop and pulsing bass. When James' voice comes in, you know that you're in for a truly magical ride. The song is as lovely as the singer is, and I was almost caught off guard by how quickly my mind snapped into this song. It was as if 2015 had already been decided, and this was going to be the only song I needed. Now, before you cry corruption, I must say that that has happened almost every single year, and all of those songs have fallen off the table or burned themselves up far too fast. "Heartsigh" is not that song. I fall in love every time she swoons "Whisk away your heartsigh; bury it in mine" and the keys amplify. The folks at PR were also kind enough to release a music video just six days ago, so you get to enjoy that as well! The video is essentially what you would see if you were watching the duo live and in concert.

Surprisingly, for the first time since Morrissey in 2009, it's a band that I am actually familiar with who takes the #1 spot. And an album I was anticipating that took the highest honor of them all. I like it when all the pieces fall into place like that. This year was closer at the top than any year since the epic Young the Giant-Owl City slugfest of 2011, and this is a fitting ending to what has truly been a wonderful year in Jester One Music! Thanks again! I have one more blog coming in a few days highlighting some other things from the year that was 2015!







Title: Heartsigh
Artist: Purity Ring
Album: Another Eternity



Previous #1s
2014: Cadets - A Drop In The Ocean
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
 

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #2

#2 - Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness - Cecilia and the Satellite







Everything that Andrew McMahon has ever done has centered around his piano. Be it the pop-punk stylings of Something Corporate, the emo feel of Jack's Mannequin, or his newly formed solo project Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, McMahon hasn't gone far without his 88 keys. The Wilderness project has all but abandoned any sort of punk attitude and has focused on the man himself. Unfortunately, McMahon himself stands for everything I've been against most of my life, and I probably would not have even listened to the album if not for the lead single. I'm glad I did, as "Canyon Moon" and "High Dive" are pretty songs. It's an entire album of pretty piano songs, and not nearly as whiny as I thought it would be. The album ended up landing at #21 on the Billboard charts and all the way up to #3 on the Independent album list.

But there really is only one song that stands out, and boy does it ever.  I remember driving home and hearing the song start on one the "X" alternative station we have here in Columbus. I remember thinking the opening line was a little gimmicky and I was about to change the channel when the line "for all the things my eyes have seen, the best by far is you" hit me. Being a man not immune to clever love songs, I persevered and was hit with what is by far the most beautiful vocal harmony that I've heard in years. The song was stuck in my head all night and I had to figure out just what I had heard. But it wasn't for another week or two before I heard it again and found what I was dealing with. It's a beautiful song. Absolutely gorgeous. Not a song that I sung more in 2015.  It's odd to say "here's an artist I dislike, but what a beautiful song!" But here we are! The video features Albanian model Anastasia Krivosheeva dancing around in a literal wilderness.

The penultimate spot in our countdown has often held heavy metal acts from bands who I adore (Meshuggah, ABR, Periphery). Of course in 2011 we had Owl City, and last year a second showing from the now defunct Morning Parade. But in a year of love songs, this one stood out the brightest and earned itself a spot at #2. And it was a great battle for #1, but I guess you'll have to wait until tomorrow to hear about that.













Title: Cecilia and the Satellite
Artist: Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness
Album: Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness


Previous #2s
2014: Morning Parade - Alienation
2013: Aeon Zen - Warning
2012: Meshuggah - Do Not Look Down
2011: Owl City - Galaxies
2010: Periphery - Icarus Lives!
2009: August Burns Red - Rationalist

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #3

#3 - Slipknot - (A) Skeptic; (B) The Devil in I




The first time I ever did anything like a music countdown was in 2004. I kept track of my plays via Windows Media Player, made weekly lists of the songs that were stuck in my head, and kept a mental tabulation of what songs I listened to on my Walkman.  That year, "Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses" was released, and Slipknot was everywhere that I was. "Vermillion" and "The Blister Exists" were runaway top songs, but the band has had a rocky road since then. They took a break after releasing "All Hope Is Gone" in 2008, and bassist Paul Gray passing in 2010 put a definite hiatus on the group. In that time, other members were pursuing other musical efforts (Murderdolls and Stone Sour being the major musical players) and in 2013 drummed Joey Jordison had a somewhat unceremonious exit from the group. For a band that is known for chaos and secrecy, their public lives began to eat them alive but they soldiered on and began writing for the album that would become ".5: The Gray Chapter". The title is an obvious tribute to Gray, and many of the songs touch on his legacy and passing. The album is an absolute throwback to the sheer brutality from their first two albums that put them on the map. Guitarist Jim Root took over the primary musical songwriting direction (that had rested with Jordison and Gray) and the remaining second swallowed up a "temporary" bassist and drummer to put everything together. They seem to be as strong as ever on this album, with crushing tracks like "Custer", "Lech" and "Sarcastrophe", while bringing beautiful ballads in "Killpop" and "XIX".

I was concerned when the first single, "The Negative One" was released. It almost felt like an extension of Stone Sour, which many of the songs on "All Hope As Gone" suffered from. It wasn't super disappointing, but all of my doubts were eased when the next single "The Devil In I" dropped. The song starts out unassumingly enough, but drops a thunderous percussion beat in with the dueling guitars. There are equal parts melody, chaos and brutality in a relentless sonic assault that lyrically touches on inner turmoil. The video is equally vicious, finding the band being maimed or self-mutilating themselves in an old mental asylum. The two new members are found in wheelchairs passing each member as they are disfigured and dismembered before they are finally shown playing with the band.

But I'm here to tell you, there wasn't a better and more poignant metal song in 2015 than "Skeptic" The song is 100% Paul Gray and 200% frenetic. The entire song is a tribute to Gray, his life and what he meant to the band. You can feel the pain in Corey Taylor's voice as he screams lyrics like "He was the best of us!" "I won't let you disappear, I will keep your soul alive if I can't have you here" "I'm so fucking pissed at all of this, you gotta know that you are sorely missed" and the haunting chorus "The world will never see another crazy motherfucker like you, the world will never know another man as amazing as you". It's such a painfully beautiful and brutal song. It touches every inch of my soul and reminds me of people I have lost in my lifetime, and gives me of an image of how I might even feel if I ever lost anyone that close.

It was a solid year for Slipknot and I'm super grateful that they soldiered on through the losses and departures to find themselves even stronger on the other side. Keep on killing it, fellas.














Title: (A) Skeptic; (B) The Devil in I
Artist: Slipknot
Album: .5: The Gray Chapter








Previous #3s
2014: Future Islands - Seasons (Waiting On You)
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

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #4

#4 - Jason Derulo - Want To Want Me


Another pop song? At least this one has a few redeeming qualities. Jason Derulo has been putting out big hits for the past few years, beginning with the #1 hits "Whatcha Say" and "In My Head" off of his self-titled debut. Derulo's music can be generalized as "dance-pop" and his lyrical themes generally revolve around finding love, being in love, and making love. Of all of the mostly offensive new wave of "R&B" singers, Derulo is one of the least offensive. He's also a great dancer to boot, and a rather handsome gentleman who doesn't use the majority of his words to talk down to women. It's somewhat refreshing. The album "Everything is 4" coincidentally debuted at #4 on the Billboard chart and features a couple of intriguing collaborations, including "Try Me" featuring J-Lo and "Broke" featuring Stevie Wonder and Keith Urban, plus the hit single "Cheyenne".

The biggest hit off of the album so far has definitely been "Want To Want Me", a tale of a girl that Jason is lusting over. The song tells the tale of how much he wants her, and what he does to get to see her. It's fairly simple concept of finding love and the video features the singer and model Tianna Gregory in various steamy states of undress and sensuality. It's definitely a hot video, and I was mesmerized by Deluro's dancing during the chorus. The song went platinum in the US, reached #5 in the Hot 100 and reached #1 in 8 charts worldwide, including the US Dance and Mainstream Top 40 charts.

At first I was caught off guard hearing the song because it almost has a Maroon 5 feel, combined with the high notes sang throughout. But after hearing them both at work on the muzak in a 3 song period, I did some research and found that this was actually a damn good song. Fun to sing, fun to dance to, and one of those songs that just brought happiness into 2015 for me. Occasionally I will hear a good new song or two on the muzak at work. Bravo, guys. Lol







Title: Want To Want Me
Artist: Jason Derulo
Album: Everything Is 4

Previous #4s
2014: Eye of the Enemy - The Shift
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

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #5

#5 - August Burns Red - Identity


Speaking of familiar faces, here we find one of the better metal bands to grace the countdown in August Burns Red. The boys found themselves runner-up in the inaugural countdown with "Rationalist" and just barely missed the spot in 2011 with "Poor Millionaire". Their 2013 release "Rescue and Restore" was something of a step back in my opinion, with the track "Fault Line" being another almost track. While the album wasn't a total flop for me, 2015's "Found in Far Away Places" found the band on a new record label (Fearless) and with a new determination to throttle ears and bang necks. They absolutely did not disappoint.  The album topped the US Rock, Hard Rock, Christian and Underground Album Charts while making it all the way up to #9 on the Billboard 200. For my money, this album is as good as anything they've put out in their career, with heavy hitters like "Martyr", "The Wake", and "Majoring in the Minors".

But it was "Identity" that really pulsed through my veins in 2015. The album features all of ABR's signature sounds -  Jacob Luhrs' hard-biting lyrics ("I've never felt so free, and it kills me, to hear you say you 'choose to love me'. I was hoping that would be a given, given our history"), JB Brubaker's soaring guitars, and of course two crushing breakdowns that will un-hinge your neck and leave you blown away. There are some interesting timing changes early, but through and through this is a metal classic. "Identity" was the 2nd song ABR released online and I immediately latched on without even paying attention to the lyrics. The boys have such a potent combination of lyrics and music that they are seemingly unstoppable in the world of metalcore.  This song, like "512" before it was also nominated for the "Best Metal Performance" at the 2015 Grammy's. The video features the band members playing in a bright, cartoony underwater scene where they fight sharks, are crushed by toxic waste and all end up as mermen.

Because why not? It's actually one of the more bizarrely entertaining videos of the year, and while it probably will not take home that Grammy, it's huge to see one of my favorite bands being nominated and (of course) making the countdown once more!








Title: Identity
Artist: August Burns Red
Album: Found in Far Away Places


Previous #5s
2014: Chvrches - The Mother We Share
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

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #6

#6 - Lamb of God - 512

Well, would you look at that? A familiar face at #6, Lamb of God landed here in 2012 with the crushing hit "King Me". Mark this as their second consecutive album to reach the countdown, and hopefully not the last. Unfortunately, the events of the past few years had many wondering if there would even be another LoG classic. Lead singer Randy Blythe was arrested in the Czech Republic and held in a Czech prison while awaiting trial on manslaughter chargers of which he was later acquitted. The events and emotional toll of that trial and prison stay led directly to the album "VII: Sturm und Drang". Songs like "Footprints", "Still Echoes", and "Embers" show emotional pains as well as emotional maturity, as Blythe grew through his trials. The album is as good as anything LoG has ever put out, reached #3 on the Billboard 200, and shows that no matter what you do, you cannot keep the American metal machine down.

"512" might be the most directly related of all the prison-themed songs. "512" was Blythe's cell number, and the song tells of his time spent in solitary confinement. It was the second song released from the album and I'll never forget how I was knocked off my seat the first time I heard it. The song opens with a blaring loud riff and a classic Blythe spoken word intro. After the high notes cease, the crushing double bass thunders through your eardrums. This song embodies everything LoG does well: crushing heavy riffs, pounding drums, and Blythe's signature growl. There's even a tasty solo in the middle to keep you rolling. There's no denying that this song deserves it's Grammy nomination, and I would count it among LoG's 5 best ever. The video features the band playing, and a story-line following the murder of a teenager whose body is found washed up from a creek.








Title: 512
Artist: Lamb of God
Album:VII: Sturm und Drang



Previous #6s
2014: Lo-Fang - When We're Fire
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

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #7

#7 - Matty Mullins - More Of You




Matty Mullins is the lead singer and keyboardist of the metalcore outfit Memphis May Fire, with his shrieky voice and their crushing guitars. I wasn't sure what his solo project would sound like, as a lot of people in similar people follow the roots of what they were before when they form a new project. Last year, we had Caleb Shomo (formerly of Attack Attack!) and Beartooth land at #14 with a project for similar than different from his previous roots. Well, Mullins took a lot of the angst and thunderousness of MMF and put it to the side for his solo effort. He also focused heavier on his spirituality on this ambitious project, which has a significant layer of keyboards over top any guitars that you may find. In fact, the album was almost sickeningly soft and whiny. While MMF may not be my style of things, Matty's solo is even less so, with the exception of the other single "My Dear".

But with "More of You", we find a screaming guitar intro accompanied with thumping bass before the chorus launched you into the sky. It's a crushing song with a screaming message of following Jesus and giving all you have to him. Very poignant in a time where I was struggling with my own self, but the music was what caught me off guard. It's essentially the only "heavy" song the album, and it flat out rocks. It shows the creative genius of Mullins, and why MMF thrives in a tired metalcore scene. Most importantly, it shows that hope can be found even in the lowest of places.






Title: More Of You
Artist: Matty Mullins
Album: Matty Mullins


Previous #7s
2014: Impending Doom - Hellhole
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

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #8

#8 - Ellie Goulding - Love Me Like You Do



Yeah, yeah yeah.... Get it all out right now. The shock, the surprise, the horror. I had to dig to see the last time a "pop" hit of this... "poppitude" was on the countdown (2011 had "Kiss Quick" by Matt Nathanson at #4 and "What the Hell" by Avril Lavigne at #20). Is it embarrassing? Absolutely. The guiltiest of guilty pleasures. But let's get down to the numbers, shall we? In an era where gold records are more the exception than the norm, this single went double platinum in the US alone and topped an astonishing 35 charts spanning 30 countries.  In was nominated for an absurd amount of awards and the video has a ridiculous 840 MILLION views on YouTube. Ridiculous! This song was as big as any song not called "Uptown Funk" (spoiler, not in the countdown, thank goodness) in 2015 and... I suppose with all of those numbers, it deserves a spot in the Top 20, right?

Maybe. Maybe not. Probably not. Lol. The thing is, Ellie Goulding is a decent pop-star. She is mostly inoffensive, despite making bubblegum dance-pop. She's cute, in a plain Jane sort of way, and she doesn't have to shove her tits in your face or wear 18 lbs of makeup to get her point across. And she can actually sing, except that she has this one quirk that always shuns me away from her. She tends to breathe all over her words. Her first chart-topper, "Lights" was a song that I initially liked except that her breathiness hurts my ears. I always figured that if she could make a song where she isn't gasping for air over every syllable, it might actually be a really good song.

Well, enter "Love Me Like You Do". The song is about sex. Sex sex sex. It's from the "50 Shades of Grey" soundtrack, and that's really all you need to know as far as that goes. The lyrics are obviously meant for the sexually shocking film, but in a not-so-obscene way. In that regard, it's tolerable. It's likable. It's fun. It's #8. What the hell do you want me to say? I obviously did not see "50 Shades" or even bother putting a listen to it's soundtrack. You're lucky I put this many words into describing the damned thing. 2014's 8 spot was Sleeper Agent. How did we get from Point A to B there?

Moving on.








Title: Love Me Like You Do
Artist: Ellie Goulding
Album: Delirium




Previous #8s

2014: Sleeper Agent - Waves
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

  

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #9

#9 - TV On The Radio - Careful You




TV on the Radio are an extremely popular indie group who layer heavy synths and loops into exciting distorted guitars and the unmistakable voice of singer Babatunde Adebimpe. The boys are best known for their 2006 single "Wolf Like Me" and follow up album "Dear Science", which landed at #12 on the Billboard 200. The band have had a consistent lineup for their entire existence, but took a small break in 2011 when their bassist passed away. Their newest album "Seeds" is easily one of my favorite discs of the year, despite being a band that normally flew under my radar for being a bit too experimental. The album shoots all over the place and pulses through you like a thousand watts of aural excitement. Other great tracks include the hit single "Happy Idiot" (#27 on the US Modern Rock chart), "Lazerray", "Quartz", "Trouble", and the slow mystic trance that is "Test Pilot"

But the from the moment I heard the song "Careful You", with it's super-syrupy synth opening that drizzles drum and bass together with mysterious French lyrics in the opening line, I was hooked. I honestly only gave the disc a spin because I knew they were one of those bands who could pump out a hit single every here and there (almost like The Shins). But "Careful You" was a pulsing anthem that blasted through my head for the better part of the first half of this year. It's a love song that doesn't feel like a love song. A song about rescuing a broken relationship in which both parts care for each other. A true #1 contender that fell off late but still managed to splash in at #9. I must have listened to this chorus on repeat a dozen times in a row when Kelly and I were driving to Michigan this summer.

It's nothing but heavy hitters from here on out, although I have quite the surprise for you all at #8. Stay tuned!




Title: Careful You
Artist: TV On The Radio
Album: Seeds





Previous #9s
2014: Aurelio Voltaire - Captains All
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
 

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #10

#10 - The Wombats - Give Me A Try


Another band I am highly grateful to have in the countdown this year. The Wombats are a band that I didn't care too much for before hearing a remixed version of their hit "Techno Fan" and then actually getting to meet the guys before their set in Columbus three years ago. Ever since then, they've been a favorite and I had been eagerly hanging on for the release of "Glitterbug" after they released the track "Your Boy is a Weapon" way back in 2013. Finally at the end of 2014 they slated a release date for what could be considered the most fun album of 2015; an equal mix of catchy hooks and dance beats. The Wombats mix together the sounds of many other bands to make a unique an exciting sound that is also showcased in the tracks "Headspace", "Emoticons", "Greek Tragedy", and "This Is Not A Party". The album is chock full of goodness and is a must-listen for anyone who enjoys good upbeat tunes.

The first time I listened to the disc, I got a distinct feeling from the aforementioned tracks, but most of all from "Give Me A Try".  The song kicks with a catchy vocal harmony before the keyboards begin to layer in and the bass drum starts thumping. But it isn't until the secondary synths and guitars drop in that the song reaches it's apex. It was the perfect sing-a-long chorus for the summer and a song that always meant a good time. The obvious lyrical theme rotates around a man chasing a woman he's desperately trying to start a solid relationship with. The protagonist definitely believes that the two would be a perfect couple, if only she would give him a try. The video features a bunch of outcast people trying to have their number called on Tindr. A few end up going out on miserable dates and they resort back to the dating app, hoping someone will (you guessed it) give them a try.

One of the highlights of my musical year was getting to see these guys this spring in concert. They put on an absolutely tremendous show. Having met them and seen them live, they seem like really great dudes and I cannot wait to see what they bring in the future. Also this marks 5 years in a row with dance-pop stylings at the #10 spot. Interesting indeed.






Title: Give Me A Try
Artist: The Wombats
Album: Glitterbug







Previous #10s
2014: Cut Copy - We Are Explorers
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

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #11

#11 - Catfish and the Bottlemen - Cocoon


Sometimes I will find a band with a name that I absolutely cannot pass up. Catfish and the Bottlemen is just that band. The name comes from a street performer in Australia, although the band calls Wales home. These young rockers show a lot of promise with their debut album "The Balcony", which was certified gold in the UK and reached #9 in the US alternative charts. The band mixes fast-paced hooks, loud guitars, sing (or perhaps yell)-a-long choruses and youthful exuberance together for a solid alternative sound. Their harmonies are very polished for a group of relative youngsters. The best charting single "Kathleen" reached #17 in the alternative charts, but only "Cocoon" made much more of a splash in either the US or UK.

"Cocoon" begins with an immediate drum kick and blasts off with an anticipatory guitar riff. The song tells the tale of two young lovers who are frowned upon and seem to struggle getting through that criticism. It may not be the prettiest of love songs, but from the opening few seconds it hooks you in and tells you a solid tale. The video features the band in an insane asylum, with lead singer Van McCann trying to perpetuate a relationship with a seemingly lifeless girl. In the end, he tries to make a run and seems to be lobotomized. Very bizarre, but what do you expect from a bunch of young alternative rockers? These guys should have some creative staying power in their strings.








Title: Cocoon
Artist: Catfish and the Bottlemen
Album: The Balcony






Previous #11s
2014: Meg Myers - Desire
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

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #12

#12 - Fear Factory - Expiration Date


Fear Factory make a triumphant return to the countdown after their last album "The Industrialist" failed to make a splash in 2012. The band is essentially just Burton C Bell and Dino Cazares right now, but that doesn't stop them from perfectly blending thrash and industrial metal into a sound that is unmistakably theirs. The only knock that can be given to the boys at FF is that their sound may evolve but they do pump out a lot of similar sounding songs with equally similar lyrical themes. Fortunately, they are good enough at their craft that they carve out their own path with each passing album. Other hot tracks on this disc include "Dielectric", "Protomech", and "Church of Execution".

Of course, we saw Fear Factory in 2010 with the mega-hit "Final Exit", an 8:48 ballad about assisted suicide through the eyes of outsiders. "Expiration Date" could almost be portrayed at "Final Exit" part 2, from the eyes of the soon-to-be deceased. Both were the final track off of their respective albums, and this one is a brilliantly written and exceptionally haunting ballad that slowly pulses through you. The only thing this song is missing are Dino's signature biting thrashy guitars. In their place is a heavy dose of creepy synthesizers and, of course, haunting quotes about death.  "It's a shame you won't live, but then again who does?". Burton doesn't even need to scream to get his point across. The song is poetry, plain and simple. I keep going back to the word "Haunting" because the entire thing is just a creepy terrifying ode to the end of life. Bravo, boys. Bravo.








Title: Expiration Date
Artist: Fear Factory
Album: Genexus 





Previous 12s
2014: Walk the Moon - Shut Up And Dance
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
 

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #13

#13 - Passion Pit - Lifted Up (1985)



Passion Pit strikes again! Make it 3 solid albums in a row for the genius that is Michael Angelakos. "Take A Walk" just missed in 2011, but the band was not to be denied with their most recent release, "Kindred". The one know I had on Passion Pit in previous years was that the albums would have 3 or 4 really good singles and a bunch of electronic bubbly filler. Not this time. From the opening track til the end, this album is simply wonderful. The synths bounce, the bass drives, and Angelakos' peculiar voice ties it all together. Not too bad from a project that was initially just to impress a girlfriend. Other favorite tracks include "Until We Can't (Let's Go)", "Five Foot Ten (I)", and "Ten Feet Tall (II)".

"Lifted Up (1985)" tells the tale of a life that once was. A happiness that is never forgotten. A love lost, yet still burning. There is a simply secondary synth that sort of hops and bounces amongst the noise in the background, and the usual bass-line helps to push forward. I should probably point out that any song that references 1985 is also alright by me, since it was the year of my birth. The video has Angelakos trying to dodge a crowded mosh-pit scene while singing in strobe lights. This was the first song that really brought happiness into 2015, and one of the songs I was sure would land in the top 10. Not quite a "#1 maybe" qualifier, but a phenomenal song just the same.













Title: Lifted Up (1985)
Artist: Passion Pit
Album: Kindred




Previous 13s

2014: Beartooth - Beaten In Lips
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

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #14

 #14 - Spoon - New York Kiss



Spoon have been pumping out catchy indie albums since 1996, enjoying major success with the album "Ga Ga Ga Ga" in 2007, including the hit single "The Underdog".  The band took some time off in 2010, and chances are if you knew someone who loved super indie/alt rock, you knew someone who was missing Spoon. The band reunited in 2014 to start working on their newest effort, entitled "They Want My Soul". The album debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 and received positive reviews from critics across the landscape. The song "Do You" reached #28 on the US Rock charts, and my other favorite tracks include "Knock Knock Knock" and "Rainy Taxi".

I'll be honest with you. There was a giant swing of excitement when this album dropped late last year. The moment I heard Britt Daniel's grainy voice on "Do You", I was reminded of why I didn't much care for the band in the beginning. Catchy hooks can only go so far when you have a voice like that. But some time this spring, I was driving to work when I caught the unmistakably urgent opening keys and guitar on "New York Kiss". Lyrically, the song describes the excitement of a kiss from a lover, one that stays in your memory and leads you through a million different feelings. The bassline bounces around and the guitars and keys keep you in the feeling to the very last second. It's the kind of song you can listen to for most occasions; equal parts happy, sad and powerful. A great offering from a band who made a definite impression on me in 2015.










Title: New York Kiss
Artist: Spoon
Album: They Want My Soul




Previous 14s
2014: Weird Al Yankovic - A) Foil; B) Handy
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

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #15

#15 - Foo Fighters - Something from Nothing



Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters don't need much of a backstory from me. We all know the band formed after Kurt Cobain committed suicide, and exploded into mainstream history with their 1997 offering, The Colour and the Shape. The band has gained a ton of momentum in their 20+ years of existence, and are one of the biggest rock'n'roll bands in all of the world these days. Sonic Highways is one of the more ambitious albums of the 2010s, with the band recording each of the 8 songs in different locations across America, incorporating different musicians on each track and adding a little flavor from each locale. The album debuted (and peaked) at #2 on the Billboard 200, while taking the #1 spot in the Alternative, Hard Rock and Rock Albums charts in America, while knotting a #1 over in Australia. The band did an 8 part HBO special chronicling their travels, and my favorite tracks on the album include "What Did I Do? / God as My Witness" and "I Am A River".

The biggest charting single from the album fell on the Chicago-influenced "Something from Nothing". Amusingly, the opening lyrical theme seems to be the Great Chicago Fire. The song reached #1 in Canada, on the US Bubbling Under chart, as well as the Rock/Metal, Alternative Songs and Mainstream Rock charts. It has such a basic intro and bridge that you'd swear it would never be a huge hit on your first listen. The chord progression is almost too simple, but as usual the band kicks it up a notch and drops down some Stevie Wonder-esque keys in the second half of the song. Once Dave starts screaming, the song explodes and by the end of it, you're convinced you've heard a piece of rock'n'roll perfection. As only the Foos can do it, of course. The video features the band playing in a darkened room with Cheap Trick's  Rick Nielsen throwing down delicious licks with the boys. With 3 albums released during the countdown history, it's about time the Foos made it, and I'm hoping they'll be here again with their next release!










Title:Something from Nothing
Artist:Foo Fighters
Album:Sonic Highways



Previous 15s
2014: Five Iron Frenzy - I Am Jack's Smirking Revenge
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

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #16

#16 -  Ghost Ship Octavius - Silence


Ghost Ship Octavius was one of those band names that I just couldn't pass on when I saw them on the list of new metal bands in 2015. The name is derived from an 18th century "ghost ship" that was doomed at sea; it's crew frozen below deck. As it turns out, the band are the brainchild of former Nevermore drummer Van Williams and God Forbid guitarist Matt Wicklund. When their respective bands called it quits, the boys came together and found a singer in newcomer Adōn Fanion, and kickstarted the hell out of a project that came together with a thundering self-titled effort. Fanion is able to work his way around the higher notes and help lay down crushing riffs with Wicklund, who shows no cease in churning out heavy riffs all over the album. It definitely isn't much of a mix of the two previous bands, but it does sound like the trio had been working together for years. The musicianship shown throughout the album is second to none, and it definitely falls as one of my favorite metal albums of the year. Other standout tracks include "In Dreams",  "Saturn and Skies", "Bloodcaster", and "Epitaph". 

But for me, the standout track is absolutely "Silence". The haunting piano intro is immediately blasted by a guitar riff that will break your neck clear off your shoulders, with Williams pummeling alongside throughout. The song is creepy and crushing and poetic, all wrapped together in one brilliant metal track. The future looks bright for GSO, and if they put out anything as delicious as this album, I will be all too pleased to rock the hell out of that disc, as well.









Title: Silence
Artist: Ghost Ship Octavius
Album: Ghost Ship Octavius





Previous 16s
2014: Winds of Plague - Say Hello To The Undertaker
2013: Colossus - Beacons
2012: Imagine Dragons - It's Time
2011: Amaranthe - Hunger
2010: Gorillaz - Superfast Jellyfish
2009: Chris Isaak - We Let Her Down

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #17

#17 - Big Data - The Business Of Emotion (ft White Sea)


Big Data, which is the work of producer Alan Wilkis, burst on the scene in 2013 with the song "Dangerous" featuring Joywave. The song was a major hit, and in early 2015 he dropped their his debut LP, 2.0. All but one of the songs features guest vocals from other big indie acts, including River Cuomo of Weezer, Kimbra, and Bear Hands. The album jumped up to #75 on the Billboard chart and features other fun tracks like "Snowed In", "Sick For Me", and "Clean". The synths are heavy and well layered, and almost all of the guest vocalists provide a special twist on each song. I did not expect that I would enjoy this album as much as I did, but it was a pleasant surprise for the spring season.

The track "The Business of Emotion" has a quick build-up and pounds you with heavy bass and distortion throughout. The vocal harmony of Wilkis and White Sea (Morgan Kibby of M83) flows on the chorus, which is perfect for sing-a-longs. I remember hearing the song in my car driving home from work on a snowy evening and being shocked that it was the same band that brought me "Dangerous", which was a song that I did not particularly enjoy. Kibby's vocals go perfectly with the up-tempo beat that pushes the song forward. The video is a bizarre dance scene where the "sexy dancers" are glitching out until they end up with digital Big Data faces... hooray special effects!

2015 was a big year for DJ's and producers like Wilkis, Mark Ronson, and others. This might be a trend in music going forward, but I enjoy the dynamic of having multiple singers on an album with a single producer guiding them.






Previous #17s
2014: Foster The People - Coming of Age
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

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #18

#18 - New Found Glory - Selfless



New Found Glory have been pumping out solid pop-punk anthems since the late '90s, and they made a successful comeback in late 2014 with the album Resurrection. The album peaked at #25 on the Billboard Top 200, and #6 on the Rock chart. It features NFG's traditional poppy hooks and song about love, all woven together by singer Jordan Pundik's sing-a-long choruses and lyrics. Other songs that I loved on this album are "Vicious Love", "Degenerate", and "The Worst Person".

"Selfless" has a slow build, but when the guitars drop in, you immediately know you're listening to a New Found Glory track. The lyrics talk about the band wanting to make the world a better place by living a selfless life, contributing their gifts and living every day like it's their last. The video has two themes - the band playing on a somewhat trippy fractured screen, and the guys doing what they do best; goofing off. They may be a little older now, but they still seem like a pretty fun bunch. The song is ultra-positive and loads of fun. A fitting return to a band who has been doing this type of thing for a long time now.







Title: Selfless
Artist: New Found Glory
Album: Resurrection


Previous #18s


2014: Bleachers - I Wanna Get Better
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

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #19

 #19 - The Frozen Ocean - Kerosene


It's always nice when you find an artist who you truly love, and they release an album that you anticipate greatly, and it ends up being phenomenal. too many times in life, we're confronted with high expectations that are impossible to meet, especially when it comes to music. Well, in 2008 I found a fantastic self-titled album from a band called The Frozen Ocean. The band is the side project of guitarist Dave Swanson, former guitarist for T+N artist Life In Your Way. Anyways, Dave's first album was a highly experimental, ambient, indie release that incorporated a load of different stylings, but it was an album that I loved from the first listen. The song "Ghosts" has been on my MP3 player ever since I first heard it, and I figured the album would just be a one-off. But in May 2014, Dave announced a Kickstarter project for a new album entited "Skeleton Key". The album was funded over the timespan, and released this January. The album is still an indie masterpiece with a lot of ambient elements, but a lot of the crazier elements of the self-titled disc have gone away. Still, stand-out tracks include "Skeleton Key", "Grey Town", "Harvest of my Heart", and "Light Years".

But from the moment I first heard the disc, it was "Kerosene" that stood out to me. It starts out with a slow acoustic guitar accompanied by haunting keys that slowly pace through the song. It tells a tale of a man who loved too much, and found that his love was not reciprocated. There is an absolutely beautiful harmony on the bridge followed by what I feel is the line of the year: "We are tiny worlds of evil born with violence in our blood. Our words can heal the broken and our words can bring a flood". Dave puts all of his heart into every song of the album, and it really has a wonderful feel to it.

But the best story I have comes from when I purchased the disc. For whatever reason, I missed the crowdfund and didn't end up buying the album until this summer. I made my purchase and got the (what I felt was) obligatory followed up "Thank You For Your Purchase" e-mail. However, the next day I received another e-mail from Dave. This one let me know that he was about to start a summer merch sale and wanted to send me a shirt for purchasing the album. I e-mailed him back and lo and behold he sent me an awesome shirt along with the album. It was a really cool gesture and we spoke a little on his Facebook page after the fact. It just caught me off guard that a musician would do something seemingly unnecessary for the benefit of a fan. Either way, I'm a fan for life. I hope you enjoy as well! 










Title: Kerosene
Artist: The Frozen Ocean
Album: Skeleton Key



Previous #19s
2014: Destiny Potato - Take A Picture
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

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #20

#20 - Florence and the Machine - Ship To Wreck





We kick off the 2015 Countdown with a familiar face. Florence and the Machine barely missed making it into the inaugural countdown in 2009 and surfaced at #12 in 2012 with "What The Water Gave Me" and "Shake It Off" (the first double). While I didn't find the new album as good as the last two, there were still many of the traditional Florence elements, and I found enjoyment in the tracks "What Kind Of Man" and "Hiding"

"Ship to Wreck" is a wonderfully upbeat tune considering the self-loathing lyrical matter, in which Florence sings about setting her life up for failure. The bass-line bounces all over the song and complements the rest of the instruments as Florence wails about the life she's lived while referencing multiple animal similes. It's a bit odd at first, but rather brilliant. The video features a frazzled Florence dealing with the chaos and craziness of her life. It's always good to kick off the countdown on a familiar note, and I hope you all enjoy what's coming up the next 20 days!









Title: Ship To Wreck
Artist: Florence and the Machine
Album: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful





Previous #20s
2014 - I, The Breather - Swine:Cult (ft Ricky Armellino)
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

The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - Intro and Songs That Didn't Make It

Another year, another 20 songs. Another exciting month of preparation leading in to a holiday countdown. 2015 was an interesting year for the countdown, as midway through the season, my hard drive crashed and I lost all of my countdown data. I knew things were getting a little haywire and I had thought about getting everything backed up, but it was too little too late once the pieces fell. All of my data was lost, including anticipated releases, previous countdowns, and the old school file that contained all of the code I had to write just to make the first two countdowns on Xanga. It was a dark time, but fortunately the majority of that data is stored inside of my head, and I was able to cobble everything back together and get the countdown wheels turning again.

I'm glad it's almost December. By any measurable standard, this year had been unbelievably frustrating and difficult. For many months I suffered through painful emotional abuse, and once again it was the music that helped carry me through it all. This actually might be a rather surprising countdown, as many of the songs are not typical to what you would usually find in a J1 countdown. But when has the year end celebration ever been typical? Last year we had our first non alt-rock champion, and this will be lucky year number 7, so who's up for a good time? I also want to say that if you are following along with me, I appreciate you being here. And not just you, Pete. Lol

I won't bang around the usual disappointments and anticipatory albums. Instead, let's jump right in with the songs that just missed the cut. I had a difficult time trimming down the excess fat this year. There were plenty of couldas and shouldas, but in the end there can only be 20!

Without further ado...


Papa Roach - Falling Apart


Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix seems to have turned a spiritual corner in his life and is now singing about the love of Jesus, or perhaps just referencing it. It's a weird twist for a band that has made their money singing about heartbreak, pain and suicide. The band has also adopted a palm-mute styling in some of their songs which has a lot of idiots labeling them as "djent". It's a shame that the genre Meshuggah pioneered has been lowered to the level of Papa Roach, but this song is actually really great and hit me at a really low spot in my life.





Sullivan - You Don't Mean It

Former Tooth and Nail alums Sullivan return with a indie-emo revival of their old sound with their new album "Heavy is the Head". This song got more plays than any other song that didn't make it to the countdown, and the boys can hang their hat on that at the end of the day. The song has a poignant message about the words we say to each other and how they affect our lives.





Genevieve - Colors

I really enjoy Genevieve Schatz and her music. Although I was never a big fan of Company of Thieves, I've enjoyed her solo efforts so far and I was happy that her first new single was so upbeat, fun, and full of self expression. Lots of fun dancing and silliness in the video as well, which makes for a good J1 hit.





 Coal Chamber - The Bridges You Burn

 You better believe I was pretty damn excited when one of the bands from my teenage years, Coal Chamber announced they were getting back together after Dez Fafara's successful tour with DevilDriver (also a countdown alum). I was pleasantly surprised with how Coal Chamber was definitely their own entity, even after all these years.  I was hoping this song would garner enough momentum, and I really did like the new album, but in the end it just fell a few spots short.






Walk the Moon - Shut Up And Dance

Hey, maybe one of these years a song will repeat, eh? In the end, this song was on my last nerve by spring and never really gained any momentum down the stretch. One can dream, though...







Honorable mention: Matt and Kim - Get It; Cold War Kids - First; Incubus - Absolution Calling; Fall of Carthage - Dawn of the Enemy; Robert Delong - Long Way Down; Zao - Xenophobe; BØRNS - Electric Love; My Morning Jacket  - Big Decisions; Kamelot - Veil of Elysium; Bring Me The Horizon - Happy Song

#tbt - The Ghost of the Countdown

Happy Thanksgiving to all who read. I had an idea in July to start looking at where the songs from the 2014 countdown were in my life.  It wasn't a very well thought out idea, so I figured I'd shore it up with a handy-dandy look back on the 5 years of countdowns that have come in the past.

So let's get started on the fun, shall we?

2009
20. Collective Soul - Staring Down
19. Parachute - She Is Love
18. Sick Puppies - I Hate You
17. Devildriver - Another Night In London
16. Chris Isaak - We Let Her Down
15. Silversun Pickups - It's Nice To Know You Work Alone
14. Red - Out From Under
13. Gorilla Zoe - Echo
12. Breathe Carolina - Show Me Yours
11. Kings of Leon - Use Somebody
10. Five Finger Death Punch - Bad Company
9. The Killer and the Star - Living With Musicians
8. Jordin Sparks - Battlefield
7. This Ending - Machinery
6. Kelly Clarkson - Already Gone
5. Micheal Buble - Just Haven't Met You Yet
4. Alice in Chains - Check My Brain
3. Owl City - Fireflies
2. August Burns Red - Rationalist
1. Morrissey - I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris

Before Facebook was the big thing, I posted countdowns to Xanga. This countdown was compiled exclusively in my head, which made for issues once the end of the year was reached. Either way, the majority of these songs were either big workout songs for me, or huge sing-a-longs. The best autobiographical tale comes with the #4 gem, "Check My Brain" by Alice in Chains. The first time I heard it on the radio, I actually had to pull my car off the road (on Taylor headed towards 256 in Reynoldsburg) so I could fully engage on the sheer overwhelming nature of the first AIC song in ages. Jordin Sparks? Chris Isaak? Parachute and Gorilla Zoe? It was at this time that many new songs that I heard came from the muzak at work, so there falls a heavy selection of pop hits. The Morrissey tune was unquestionably my favorite song of the year, but if I applied 2015 Countdown logic and decision making, 1 and 2 would probably go to ABR and Owl City.

2010
20. Dark Tranquility - The Fatalist
19. Demon Hunter - Collapsing (ft Bjorn Strid)
18. Rammstein - Fruhling in Paris
17. Slash - Baby Can't Drive (ft Alice Cooper + Nicole Scherzinger)
16. Gorillaz - Superfast Jellyfish (ft Gruff Rhys + De La Soul)
15. Day of Fire - Lately
14. Nevermore - Moonrise (Through Mirrors of Death)
13. Haste the Day - White as Snow
12. Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man
11. Taio Cruz - Dynamite
10. Muse - Resistance
9. Dan Black - Symphonies
8. 30 Seconds To Mars - Kings and Queens
7. Iyaz - Replay
6. Them Crooked Vultures - Mind Eraser, No Chaser
5. Matt and Kim - Cameras
4. The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio
3. Fear Factory - Final Exit
2. Periphery - Icarus Lives!
1. Hockey - Song Away

Should you ever find yourself in a place where you needed to be equal parts happy and depressed, 2010 is here for you. This countdown was back-ended with heaviness and featured a couple of gorky "hip-hop" songs as well. Matt and Kim released their album in November, which made an immediate and humongous impact on the way 2010 ended, but Hockey ended up in the top spot as it was the song that picked me up from my deepest depressions this year. "Icarus Lives!" was gigantic as well but didn't have the "happy" factor that "Song Away" did, and this made two consecutive years where alt-rock beat out metal for the top spot. Autobiographically, I remember driving to work at 5am and just being blown away by the sheer beauty of "Bloodbuzz Ohio". I saw Day of Fire in concert with Cold, and picked up their album that night. And I can only assume that if Them Crooked Vultures decide to make another album, it'll have a place in said countdown as well.


2011
20. Avril Lavigne - What The Hell
19. The Knux - Razorblade
18. House of Heroes - Galveston
17. Lonely Island - Jack Sparrow (ft Michael Bolton)
16. Amaranthe - Hunger
15. Texas in July - Magnolia
14. Crystal Castles - Not in Love (ft Robert Smith)
13. Red - Feed the Machine
12. Fitz and the Tantrums - Don't Gotta Work It Out
11. Power Quest - Glorious
10. FM Static - F.M.S.T.A.T.I.C.
9. The Limousines - Internet Killed The Video Star
8. Emmure - Children of Cybertron
7. The Airborne Toxic Event - All I Ever Wanted
6. Nine Lashes - Anthem of the Lonely
5. Cold - The Break
4. Matt Nathanson - Kiss Quick
3. Matt and Kim - Good for Great
2. Owl City - Galaxies
1. Young the Giant - My Body

I fear we may never see a countdown quite like 2011 again. A new Cold album slowly simmered through the year before "The Break" dove into the top 5. Old favorites like Matt Nathanson, Red and Avril Lavigne peeked their heads into the collective foray, and Matt and Kim landed a second song off of their 2010 release "Sidewalks", making it the only album/artist to feature songs on consecutive countdowns. It was the 1978 Belmont all over again. Other horses may have ran, but you would only know of the top 2, neck and neck until the very last second with all the marbles on the line. And it wasn't even close. You can shuffle the deck and throw Emmure, the Limousines and Crystal Castles anywhere you want on any given day, but nobody is anywhere near Owl City and Young the Giant. It came down to the last week, last two days where I sat down at the computer and had to choose one as a winner and one as a runner up. Owl City had finished #3 in 2009 and on any other given year might have been able to take the #1 spot. But it was again the song that soared with happiness in "My Body" that took the top placement. I honestly feel that this was  one of the weaker countdowns outside of the top 2, with many songs that wouldn't be anywhere near a countdown in 2015. But that's how the year shook out, and that's where it will forever stand.

2012
20. Reptar - Stuck in My Id
19. Silversun Pickups - Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)
18. Santigold - Disparate Youth
17. Morning Parade - Headlights
16. Imagine Dragons - It's Time
15. A Plea For Purging - Heart of a Child
14. Metric - Clone
13. Veil of Maya - Punisher
12. Florence and the Machine - (A.) What the Water Gave Me; (B.) Shake It Out
11. Swimming With Dolphins - Sleep to Dream
10. Animal Kingdom - Strange Attractor
9. Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks
8. Demon Hunter - Dead Flowers
7. One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful
6. Lamb of God - King Me
5. The Shins - Simple Song
4. Garbage - Beloved Freak
3. Walk the Moon - Anna Sun
2. Meshuggah - Do Not Look Down
1. Fun. - Some Nights

One of the more interesting things about  2012 is that I had 19 songs that were very good and very much deserving, but when it came time to write the list, I was left with a mighty big "...and?". But this countdown had some massive titans making good on promises and another solid battle at the end. This would end up being the third year of 4 on the countdown where alt-rock beat out metal, with strong challenges from newbies Walk the Moon, the old school flair of Garbage, and that once-per-album charm of The Shins rounding out the heaviest hitters. And yes, that is the One Direction dropping in at #7. Forgive me for being in love. All in all, 2012 was filled with songs that I would hear and just jump out of my chair for once they were finished. I was faced with an odd spot with Florence and the Machine giving me two songs with equal play and equal meaning on the year. There was no distinguishing them in a field of greatness, so I started the double, which has happened every year since. A lot of good albums begat great songs, and another memorable year ended with the happiest song taking the top spot. Oh, how I yearned for my favorite metal act Meshuggah to take #1, but there was no justification in putting it ahead of Fun. this year.


2013
20. Grouplove - Ways To Go
19. Relient K - PTL
18. Biffy Clyro - Black Chandelier
17. Sevendust - Decay
16. Colossus - Beacons
15. The Features - This Disorder
14. Atlas Genius - If So
13. The Mowgli's - San Francisco
12. Shining - I Won't Forget
11. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young
10. The 1975 - The City
9. Deadlock - The Arsonist
8. Paper Route - Letting You Let Go
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - If You Didn't See Me (Then You Weren't On The Dancefloor)
6. Tegan and Sara - Closer
5. Born of Osiris - M?chine
4. New Politics - (A.) Harlem; (B.) Goodbye Copenhagen
3. The Airborne Toxic Event - Timeless
2. Aeon Zen - Warning
1. Surfer Blood - Demon Dance

This year, the trend; right? #1 alt, #2 metal. Although 2013 definitely did not finish how I thought it would. For the longest time, Tegan and Sara were running away with things, but New Politics and Aeon Zen managed to work their way in, and The Airborne Toxic Event scored their second top 10 hit with an early release that gained steam late. But it was the song that danced me in my car and apartment that landed at #1 once again.  This was a difficult year to cobble things together because there were just too many good songs bouncing around in my world. Vampire Weekend started hot, Paper Route managed to keep me out of the shower long enough to make an immediate splash in the summer,  and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. managed to drop the wackiest of the wacky songs on this year. But there was no unseating Surfer Blood once November and December rolled around, and they took a commanding lead into the end stretch. I would say that all 20 of the songs that actually made it got a solid amount of play this year, be it in my car, at work, or lying around the house. Truly a tremendous year all around.


2014
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
14. Weird Al - (A.) Foil; (B.) Handy
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 (Waiting On You)
2. Morning Parade - Alienation
1. Cadets - A Drop In The Ocean

I don't really need to spend too much more time reminiscing about 2015, but boyo what a heavy lineup at the top. We also got the triumphant return of Weird Al and an amazing showing from my favorite live artist, Aurelio Voltaire. The thing that I might be most proud of in 2014 is that there really isn't a "WTF?!" song on this list.  Two years in a row, top to bottom solidity.  Plus, the return of FIF! You couldn't ask for terribly much more, and this year was the first to ever end with #1 not  being an alt-rock jam. There also wasn't a metal track at #2, although on any other year Eye of the Enemy would definitely have been able to make it's case.






We are T-minus 4 days and counting on the 2015 Countdown! Let there be music!

#tbt - The 2014 Countdown - Where Are They Now? #1

#1 - Cadets - A Drop In The Ocean



I'm trying to remember a year where a #1 was so easily identified. This song is absolutely colossal and has not left my playlist since I went and bought it the first time I heard it. Humongous stuff. It is not at all a slight to Morning Parade, Future Islands, Eye of the Enemy, Chvrches or Lo-Fang that this song had such a huge lead at the end of the year.  But when I sat down, there was no question in my mind who the top 3 were. In a year of greatness, there was one phenomenal song that topped them all.

Next week, I'll be doing one last special TBT for the season, and then come Monday the 30th it'll be Countdown on! Woohoo!

Stuck In My Head - November 2015

The lyrics in this song are so painfully relevant to so many things in my life. Just wow. Sometimes it's right down to my soul.



Jewel is such a beautiful person with a lovely voice. There are a couple songs of hers that will always get stuck in my head, and this one falls into that category.



Love is the answer.

#tbt - The 2014 Countdown - Where Are They Now? #2

#2 - Morning Parade - Alienation




I love the autobiographical story about this one. Heard it on the way to work and told myself to look it up. First song in the car on the way home. How great is that? From the moment it hit the waves it was destined to reach #1 until the eventual champion was crowed. But what of 2015? This song has gotten such little play, and the only thing I can think of is that the album was so bad that it soured everything for me. It's a shame that any song get such treatment, and in listening to it now I see why I loved it so much.

Buuut... life goes on, I suppose? 2014 of course marked the first year where alt-rock didn't claim the top spot in the countdown, and a rare year where metal didn't take the penultimate spot (2011 being the only other year where it happened).

So yeah. We're close. Reeeeeeeeeal close. I have a lot of work to do. Lol

#tbt - The 2014 Countdown - Where Are They Now? #3

#3 - Future Islands - Seasons (Waiting On You)



This song is a juggernaut. It steamrolled through 2014 and has kept on peppering through 2015. It's a difficult song to skip once the opening bass-line starts. I'm anxiously anticipating any sort of follow up, and hope that their taste of fame in 2014 hasn't spoiled their creative machine. If nothing else, you know Samuel T Herring will always put on one hell of a show. The world needs more musicians who pour every ounce of themselves into a performance.

Only two massive ditties left from last year.

#tbt - The 2014 Countdown - Where Are They Now? #4

#4 - Eye of the Enemy - The Shift



Unstoppable. The opening acoustic and heavy riffs up to 1:25 have continued to play over and over and over and over and over again. It's as if "Warning" by Aeon Zen had a child and it kept on kicking in your eardrums. Great song, lackluster album. But, great song. Metal will be prevalent in the 2015 countdown.

So stay tuned!

Stuck In My Head - October 2015

I can watch Jason Derulo dance all day.




Buildings with 100 floors, swingin' round revolving doors. Tell me, Kelly. Tell me.




Pet Shop Boys. Not my favorite of the 80s, but this song is incredibly good. And Dusty Springfield gives it a lovely touch.