Monday, November 30, 2015

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

Thursday, November 26, 2015

#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!

Thursday, November 19, 2015

#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!

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

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.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

#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

Thursday, November 5, 2015

#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.