Tuesday, December 20, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #1

#1 - DMA's - Lay Down


It's here, it's finally here! December 20th, the day of #1! Are you as excited as I am?
Probably not. I'll be honest here - writing the Top 20 can be exhausting. At most I can blurb out 4 or 5 songs per day, and more often than not no more than 2. It is fun to reflect but the yearly toll wears me down and I'm grateful that the month of December is overtaken by Christmas music. But, enough of that droll! It's time for #1!

If we look back on the history of #1s, it is mostly dominated by new bands making an immediately big splash. Hockey, Young the Giant and Cadets had just started their lives, while Purity Ring, Fun. and Surfer Blood were working on huge sophomore efforts. DMA's follows suit in being a brand new band who just released their first full length LP in February. The Aussie alt-rockers give Oceania a strong one-two punch for the countdown and continue the theme of trios dominating the landscape. The band first broke out with the single "Laced" which would not be lost on an Oasis album, and quickly dropped an EP in 2015 featuring the single "Delete". The new album Hills End featured our #1 hit as it's only single and doesn't really have a ton of other standout material on it.


Our #1, "Lay Down" is absolutely a bust out summer smash. It's upbeat, exciting and filled with soaring guitars and splashy cymbals. It bursts out of your speakers and makes you nod and dance and just enjoy life. Despite it's upbeat demeanor, it's a song that struck true in all moods of 2016, be it happiness, sadness or otherwise. It's just a really fun song and it accompanied by a trippy video featuring members of the band going through their lives with crazy special effects and such. I think my two favorite parts of the song are the guitar solo before the 2nd verse and at the very end when singer Tommy O'Dell yells "Lay Down" in the background. It's nothing but good for the first second to the last. It truly is a deserving #1 and I believe it will stand the test of time come next year.

Thanks for tuning in! I'll have a recap whipped together in a few days including my favorite albums and other musical nuggets. Hope to see you then!





Title: Lay Down
Artist: DMA's
Album:Hills End




Previous #1s

2015: Purity Ring - Heartsigh
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

Monday, December 19, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #2

#2 - Broods - Free



Broods is a definitely interesting case for me. The Nott siblings dropped their debut album in 2014 which features the hits "Bridges" and "Mother and Father". The duo are wildly popular in their native New Zealand and Australia, and have been gaining traction in the US the past 3 years. I didn't really get into their first release, but for Conscious they again teamed up with Lorde's producer and co-writer Joel Little and churned out a gem. Georgia Nott had really found her singing ability between all the breathiness that she forced upon listeners on their debut disc Evergreen. Conscious has an edgier, more mature sound that is quite excellent. The album dropped at #1 in NZ, #2 in Australia and #52 on the Billboard Top 200. Other hits include "Heartlines" and "We Had Everything".

Our #2 song started slow on the year. The pulsing drums, driving synths and super infectious chorus all caught my ears, but the wailing in between verses caught me off guard the first few times I listened. I was driving to work early on a cold May morning before the wedding and somehow this song just exploded into me. It's about being allowed to express yourself and not wanting to be held down. But the chorus... holy cow. One of the greatest choruses I've ever heard. It absolutely drives the song to heart.

"Gritting your teeth, you hold onto me
It's never enough, I'm never complete
Tell me to prove, expect me to lose
Push it away,;I'm trying to move
Hoping for more, wishing for less
When I didn't care was when I did best
I'm desperate to run, desperate to leave
If I lose it all at least I'll be free"

The song made it up to #47 on the Hot Rock Songs chart but here in J1 it battled in the top 3 immediately after it's release, and inevitably ended up just barely on the outside looking in. The video features Georgia Nott in captivity and being subjected to virtual torture while a scintillating black-clad Nott accompanies with singing and dancing. She truly looks and sounds fantastic. With all that in mind it's almost amazing that this song (or POP ETC) before it didn't make it to #1. Who did end up taking our top spot? Check in tomorrow to see, and as always have a wonderful day!











Title: Free
Artist: Broods
Album: Conscious


Previous #2s
2015: Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness - Cecilia and the Satellite
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

Sunday, December 18, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #3

#3 - POP ETC - What Am I Becoming?




POP ETC are another small band making big waves on the J1 scene. Formerly known as The Morning Benders, this California trio have been bubbling around touring with bigger bands and caught a break a few years back on the Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 soundtrack. Their most recent disc Souvenir features a bouncy and atmospheric blend of indie synth pop sounds and melodic singing. The album did not make a huge impression on me except for the songs "Please Don't Forget Me" and our #3. The album sounds like it's almost there, and the band just needs a little more polish to make it big.

It's hard to argue with our #3 hit, "What Am I Becoming?". It dropped early in January and has been blasting through the year leaving little to doubt. For a long time I considered it to be the absolute best song of 2016 and was surprised that two years in a row a song from early in the year would take the overall crown. The title tells the tale - it's a story about a person who finds love and is changed by it, except that they are changed in a bad way. "I couldn't smell the smoke, and now I watch the flames" singer Jonathan Chu laments. Easily one of my favorite choruses on the year, and an all around pounder, especially for those who have been through such a life. The video features the daily exploits of a shut-in man whose life is deteriorating. He brushes his teeth, chills on the couch, and orders copious amounts of takeout. It somewhat goes along with the song in it's bizarre nature. At the very end he decides to make a run for it, which is what the actual song essentially hints at needing to happen.

 It's such a great song. Enjoy!













Title: What Am I Becoming?
Artist: POP ETC
Album: Souvenir





Previous #3s
2015: Slipknot - (A) Skeptic; (B) The Devil in I
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

Saturday, December 17, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #4

#4 - Graceful Closure - Choices



Graceful Closure is another fantastic band out of Columbus that is starting to make waves around the States. I live in an exciting state for bubbling musical bands, especially with the explosion of twenty one pilots and the rising popularity of Beartooth. I can only hope that Graceful Closure is a band that can reach such heights because they bring such a wonderful message and are such cool guys. Singer/guitarist Jared Condon is always preaching about hope, strength, and not giving up. It's a beautiful message. The trio put out their first EP last year and it included the hit "Chasing Fears" as well. They just released a new single "Unknown Land" and are working on new material for 2017.

The song "Choices" burst onto the RadioU scene early in 2016 and immediately caught my attention. It's powerful, positive and a potent combination of strong keyboards and driving drums. It's a fun song with a great message; not being held down despite your beliefs. The video features the guys rocking out in an old abandoned house. Personally, I am super excited to hear what comes next for these fellas. Regardless of what it might sound like, you know it's going to be positive and uplifting. Hurray local scene!







Title: Choices
Artist: Graceful Closure

 Album: Rév

Previous #4s
2015: Jason Derulo - Want To Want Me
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

Friday, December 16, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #5

#5 - blink-182 - Built This Pool



No, really. #5 is blink-182. Remember how I said everyone knows 3 Doors Down? You could say the same for blink. In fact, I'd hope that more people knew about them before all of the drama happened. If you don't know the story - blink-182 went on hiatus back in '05 because guitarist Tom DeLonge and bassist Mark Hoppus essentially hated each other. There's no use beating around the bush on that one; the two couldn't get along and make music together, so they branched out and worked on their own semi-successful side projects. In 2011 they released Neighborhoods, which was a fairly good album for the amount of friction that existed between the 3 members of the band. They had planned a follow up album but the animosity dragged on until 2015 when DeLonge was fired from the band and replaced with an equally successful punk-rocker in Matt Skiba from Alkaline Trio. The trio quickly put together California, a brilliant throwback to their older more punky roots. The album is one of my favorites from the year and it shot up to #1 on the Billboard 200 as well as the US Rock and Alternative rock charts as well as landing at #1 in Canada and the UK.

The first single released was titled "Bored to Death", which is a brilliant track that sounds like it was pulled off of Enema of the State. Hearing Skiba's voice ringing through the 2nd verse will definitely throw you off at first, but he plays really well off of Hoppus. The best song for me that Skiba sings mainly on is "Los Angeles", but the album is chock full of great tracks. "No Future", "Kings of the Weekend", "Rabbit Hole"... I could go on. Travis Barker's drumming is brilliant, the writing dynamic is phenomenal, and it honestly sounds like what blink-182 should sound like.

So yeah. "Built This Pool'. Have you heard it? Well, it's 16 seconds long.

Yup. 16 seconds of a song. There was a fierce internal debate on whether I should include a song that shord in the countdown, or whether I should use it as part of the yearly double. There's actually 2 amusing short songs on the album, the second titled "Brohemian Rhapsody", which weighs in at a comparatively bulky 30 seconds. Both songs have 1 line. The line for our #5 is "I wanna see some naked dudes, that's why I built this pool".

Yes, that's it. It starts, it sings, it's over. That's really it. And how does a song like that end up in our Top 20? Probably because it was hilariously awesome and I literally played it every day after the album dropped. The lyric video for the song (that's hilarious guys) has over 1.6 million plays, and equally amusingly they also released a 10 hour loop of it. I'm actually going to attach that video, because quite honestly you need to listen to the song over and over again. You really do. Everything about it is everything you want it to be. My friend Josh and I even started using the phrase "Why I build this pool" to tack on to reasons why we were doing things. It is what 2016 should have been. Thank you, blink-182.








Title:Built This Pool
Artist:blink-182
Album: California


Previous #5s
2015: August Burns Red - Identity
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

Thursday, December 15, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #6

#6 - Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown - Loaded Dice and Buried Money



One of the reasons that I love internet radio stations is the fact that you're essentially able to listen to just about anything that is out there. There are stations that feature just about any variety of music, as opposed to the usual classic rock, country, pop and urban stations that you'll get in most cities. Especially in Ohio, we're stuck with what the big corporations like Clear Channel want us to hear. It's not always bad but it leaves some variety to be desired.  One of the best places to find music on the internet is through TuneIn and the TuneIn app. I've found many a good station, be they rock, classical, jazz, indie, etc. The possibilities seem limitless, and from those possibilities I found the #6 song on our countdown. Tyler Bryant may only be 25 but he's been across the country and around the world as a solo artists and is a brilliant up-and-coming bluesy rock guitarist. He and his band put out a solid EP late last year and are looking to record a full-length album soon.

"Loaded Dice and Buried Money" kicks off with a brilliant hook which punches it's way through the entire track. It crunches while it soars, and Bryant's pained voice tells the story of a volatile woman who will surely be the death of you, if not for the worth of it. It's a great cautionary tale that straight up rocks. It definitely kept my toe tapping and my head bobbing throughout the 2016 season. Here's to more of that good old sound they provide. This is also the 1st song on that countdown that I might have penciled in at #1 at some point in the year. Bang, bang, bang. Let's go! Enjoy!








Title: Loaded Dice and Buried Money
Artist: Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown
Album: The Wayside


Previous #6s
2015: Lamb of God - 512
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

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #7

#7 - Justin Timberlake - Can't Stop The Feeling!




Justin Timberlake definitely brings the highest credentials to our countdown this year. We all know about N'sync, at the very least. Timberlake as a solo artist has surprisingly only released 3 full length LPs, and stopped making music from 2006-20012 to focus on his acting career. That acting career jet-propelled him into even higher fame, as if he needed it. All 3 of his albums have at least gone platinum and have had multiple #1 songs. His resume notwithstanding, he seems like a legitimately cool guy and he makes really good music everywhere he goes.

The amazing thing about all of that is that "Can't Stop The Feeling" might be his best song yet. It's upbeat, it's catchy, it's a ton of fun, and it's featured in an animated film. All of those combined give you a #1 debut, over 4 million copies sold, and a chart ascension that placed him #1 in an absurd 32 different charts including (just in the US) Top 40, Adult Contemporary, Dance Club, Dance/Show Mix, and Mainstream Top 40. Give me a minute to catch my breath here.... see what I mean? Dude is an unstoppable force. "Can't Stop The Feeling" is just a wonderful song, and it's accompanied by a wonderful video to boot. JT travels across America to normal, every day locations and sings and dances with normal, every day people along with the song. It's really an interesting slice of life shown on a huge stage. Although his last album didn't chart, I'm looking forward to whatever comes next with him.








Title: Can't Stop The Feeling!
Artist: Justin Timberlake
Album: Trolls OST


Previous #7s
2015: Matty Mullins - More of You
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

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #8

#8 - Jess Lamb and The Factory - End of the Line



I went to a lot of great concerts in 2016. I got to tick off a few bands from my band bucket list, including August Burns Red, Scar Symmetry, and finally Assemblage 23. The latter of those three played a show in Ketucky a few months ago which I could definitely consider one the best of all of them for the year. All of the bands were solid, but the one who made the biggest impact on me was absolutely Jess Lamb and her backing band, The Factory. Jess herself has such a beautiful aura and beautiful persona that we immediately clicked. Her show was absolutely riveting; a mix of soulful pop music mixed with haunting keys and drums. Even though I had came to see Assemblage, I found that Jess + The Factory were the runaway best concert performance in 2016. I'll admit that I felt strongly connected to her after the show, but as a performer she holds nothing back and provides a blueprint for how music really should be done; with all of your heart and soul.

Her set included several songs off of her most recent EP, End of the Line, as well as a fantastic cover of Bill Withers' hit "Ain't No Sunshine". The song that made the biggest impression on me from the set (as well as the EP) was the title track. Most of the songs on the EP revolve around the central theme of loving, and truly all 6 of the songs are fantastic. "End of the Line" jumps out at you with Jess' amazing voice and the pounding drum and bass provided by Warren Harrison and Kasey Williams (aka The Factory). It's just an overwhelming song that will drill right into your soul. I would absolutely recommend checking her out. I'm disappointed in myself for being so unaware of the phenomenal artists coming out of the Cincinnati scene, even though it's just a few short hours from me. Anyways... give this song a spin, grab the EP or give her some love on Spotify.









Title: End of the Line
Artist: Jess Lamb and The Factory
Album: End of the Line





Previous #8s
2015: Ellie Goulding - Love Me Like You Do
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

Monday, December 12, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #9

#9 - Bleached - Wednesday Night Melody


We all know Tooth and Nail alums Bleach, and of course Nirvana's debut album Bleach, but let me introduce you to Bleached, which I guess would come after all of those? Haha. Bad humor. Bleached bring a very California pop-punk sound with infectious grooves and fun, fast-paced guitar licks. The band rose from the ashes of garage rockers Mika Miko, and carried their garage/indie sound through to their debut album Ride Your Heart in 2013. Their most recent disc Welcome the Worms made it up to #15 on the Billboard Heatseakers chart. The album has a more polished sound without losing it's edginess or fun.

Honestly, there are so many Top 20 stories that begin with "I was driving to/from work and the first song I heard on the radio...". This particular story is from the drive home, when I simply got caught by the opening riff and there it was. "Wednesday Night Melody". The opening riff drives through the song and the drums pulse while singer Jennifer Clavin sings about being adventurous and letting music find the best things in your life. "Drag a needle on the groove today and waste away". Just get out there and let your life happen! It's a fun song with a goofy little video to roll along with it. This song got tons of play throughout the year, and everything going forward is nothing but heavy hitters. Enjoy!






Title: Wednesday Night Melody
Artist: Bleached
Album: Welcome the Worms



Previous #9s

2015: TV On The Radio - Careful You
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

Sunday, December 11, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #10

#10 - Miike Snow - Genghis Khan


It seems that we're following a familiar story arc here in the 2016 Countdown. Familiar bands from the past coming back with great new songs! As much as I love discovering new artists, it's always nice to find out that the bands I used to love are still plugging away and making great music. Miike Snow are a Swedish synth-pop trio that jumped out to big success in 2009 with their debut self-titled disc, containing hits "Black and Blue", "Animal", and "Song For No One". Their follow-up in 2012 received much critical success but was not terribly favorable for my ears. I figured the guys were just another one and done indie outfit, but they bounced back with their third album, aptly titled "iii". Other solid tracks include "My Trigger" and "Back of the Car".



"Genghis Khan" was the biggest charting single off of the album, rising to #7 on the US Alternative chart. It's a fun and bouncy track telling a tale of a jealous lover who refuses to give up on their love. The chorus line "I don't want you to get it on with nobody else but me" tells all of the tale that you need to know. The video is probably my favorite from 2016 and featured a James Bond-esque story telling where a spy breaks into an evil villain's lair only to be captured. He is later freed but years to return to the "love" he found with the captor, much to the chagrin of his wife. There is loads of great dancing in the video and lip-syncing to the song.







Title: Genghis Khan
Artist: Miike Snow
Album: iii







Previous #10s

2015: The Wombats - Give Me A Try
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

Saturday, December 10, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #11

#11 - Circle of Dust - Contagion



Every passing countdown brings us bands with interesting stories. This year we've had old faces returning (Metric, Chvrches, House of Heroes), new favorites arise (Mad Anthony, Safemode), and even some surprising returns (3 Doors Down, Trivium). But none are more surprising than the phoenix rising from the ashes that is Circle of Dust. CoD's last album Disengage was released way back in 1998 and can easily be considered one of my all-time favorite discs. The band was laid to rest after the album with frontman Klayton persevering with a new musical project, Celldweller. The latter project received much critical acclaim but it seems that Klayton missed his old work with Circle of Dust. It was revealed last November that he had finally re-acquired all of the old tapes that he made ages ago for CoD and was planning on remastering and re-releasing all of his previous albums throughout 2016, culminating with a new album being released late 2016. Dude has been one of my musical idols and I had long lamented the presumed extinction of CoD until the news broke that he was finally bringing it back.

The album has yet to drop, but Klayton has released 4 new tracks since announcing the new disc. The first of those tracks was "Contagion", which features an updated take on CoD's old sound; pulsing beats, heavy guitars, electronic riffs, and of course old-school samples. The song deals with the upcoming technological takeover of the world and man's relationship with said technology. The lyrics are brilliant and the music is both beautiful and brutal all wrapped together in a perfect industrial bundle. I am perfectly willing to bet that a song off of Machines of Our Disgrace will be featured in the 2017 Countdown. For now, enjoy this beautifully mastered piece of industrial madness!








Title: Contagion
Artist: Circle of Dust
Album: Machines of Our Disgrace






Previous #11s
2015: Catfish and the Bottlemen: Cocoon
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

Friday, December 9, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #12

#12 - 3 Doors Down - The Broken



Hey guys and gals, remember 3 Doors Down? I almost don't feel the need to write an introduction paragraph on the band because EVERYONE knows 3 Doors Down. Their debut album The Better Life went 6x platinum and featured hits like "Kryptonite" and "Loser", their 2nd album Away From The Sun sold another 4 million copies and featured the album everyone loves to hate "Here Without You". You and I both know 3 Doors Down. So let's get past that and see what they've been up to. You probably hadn't heard much of them lately as they haven't released an album since 2011 due to the death of their lead guitarist and arrest (and subsequent firing) of their bassist for a vehicular homicide charge in 2013. The band had ideas for a new album but kept pushing it back until Us And The Night was released in March with the explosive lead single "In The Dark". This album packs a punch and somewhat leaves their more poppier sound behind for the grittier, grungier sound from their debut disc. I was legitimately shocked that Brad Arnold and the boys still had this amount of rock left in them.

"The Broken" is the lead track on the album which immediately gets you going with the shoutout - "This is the call to the broken!". The song is quick, powerful and has a crushing message about how the world won't be there for you when you need it the most. Stand up for yourself and make things better. "Stand up and take back your world today".  The only downside of this song is that it clocks in at 2:46 and it's almost over before you even realize it. Arnold tells the listener that he's been through what they've been through and reminds them to keep striving towards changing the world for better. If you overlooked this disc upon it's release, I would definitely suggest giving it a shot. You might be surprised. Rock on!









Title: The Broken
Artist: 3 Doors Down
Album:Us And The Night






Previous 12s

2015: Fear Factory - Genexus
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

Thursday, December 8, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #13

#13 - Mad Anthony - Sad Songs (ft Steve Wethington)



One of my favorite back stories this year is this band and song. As many know, I finally got married in May of this year (hence the lack of content on this page) and we made our honeymoon trip to a cabin out in Hueston Woods, a state park in southern Ohio. Hueston Woods is named after Matthew Hueston, who served with "Mad" Anthony Wayne, a general in the Revolutionary War. Anyways, we were driving from our cabin to one of the attractions in the park and flipping through the local radio stations. We found a good new rock station and they debuted a new song from a Cincinnati band called Mad Anthony. Coincidences everywhere, right? Anyways, I immediately was hooked on the song and decided to look the band up once we got home from our trip. What I found was one of the most ambitious musical projects I had ever seen. Mad Anthony (the band) had decided to release a brand new song every week for 52 weeks. You read that right; a brand new song every week for an entire year. It's a crazy undertaking that was only made better by the fact that they included musicians that they knew and had toured with or met in their history as a band. Every song has a different bit of flair added by the guest musician and as a whole it's a really great project. I took some time to listen to most of the songs a month ago and there are a LOT of gems in there. I would suggest you check out their Mad Anthology page for more details and a list of all the songs and guests they featured.

Anyways, that's a LOT of reading up there so let's get down to the song. "Sad Songs" is easily characterized by it's chorus line, which simply says "I've got a lot of sad songs, I've got a reason I can sing'em." It opens with a catchy guitar line that chugs all the way through the song and has a basic structure that could get almost anyone nodding their head and singing along. We all have sad songs inside of us, right? Anyways, give it a spin and give these boys a listen!










Title: Sad Songs (ft Steve Wethington)
Artist: Mad Anthony
Album: Mad Anthology




Previous 13s
2015: Passion Pit - Lifted Up (1985)
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

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #14

#14 - Chvrches - Leave A Trace



We have another J1 alumnus at #14 this year. Chvrches exploded onto the scene and shot all the way up to #5 in 2014 with "The Mother We Share". Make it two albums and two chart appearances for the female-fronted Scottish synthpop trio. And while The Bones Of What You Believe was one of my favorite albums two years ago, I felt a strange sort of disconnect towards Every Open Eye. The album was a commercial and critical success and made it all the way up to #8 on the Billboard 200 while grabbing the top slot in the Alternative and Rock charts along the way. There are a few other tracks I enjoyed on this disc, including "Never Ending Circles" and "Make Them Gold", but for some reason I felt that it was a little too angry for me. Lauren Mayberry has a beautiful voice but she is definitely a feminist freedom fighter, and her rage shines through on several tracks on this album.

Of course, "Leave A Trace" is the angriest of all of them. Mayberry calls it a "middle finger mic drop", and although it starts with a simple and slow synth line, it quickly picks up pace and turns into a no-holds barred anthem about leaving the past behind and moving forward. The line that struck me the hardest was "you talk far too much for someone so unkind". Deep, dark and brooding, the song filled me with a passion and angst unlike any other song on the 2016 Countdown. The video features Mayberry singing in several dark and foggy locations, belting out the anthemic chorus line "take care to bury all that you can, take care to leave a trace of a man". It really is a great song and it rolled all the way through the end of 2015 and into 2016. I am once again eagerly awaiting what comes next for the band.







Title: Leave A Trace
Artist:Chvrches
Album: Every Open Eye




Previous 14s
2015: Spoon - New York Kiss
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

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #15

#15 - Brian Fallon - A Wonderful Life


Brian Fallon is best known as the leader singer and guitarist for New Jersey rockers The Gaslight Anthem. Fallon's grainy, gritty voice and straight-forward rock'n'roll style has often been compared to the likes of Bruce Springsteen, but he has definitely carved a good niche for himself as well. The Gaslight Anthem have had a few big hits including "The '59 Sound" and "45", and last year they announced they would be going on hiatus after a long tour. Fallon's debut solo album Painkillers worked it's way up to #30 on the Billboard 200, #2 on the Alternative Album chart and #3 on the Rock chart. Fallon and producer Butch Walker play the majority of the instruments on the album and it has a good solid sound to it, not too far from Gaslight Anthem but enough to give it it's own unique place in his catalogue. One of my favorite things about this album is that every song seems to tell a different special story from Fallon's perspective.

The opening track and single is titled "A Wonderful Life", and is easily enough noticed by it's pounding drums and piano opening intermixed with Fallon's signature guitar sound. The chorus booms out "I want a life on fire, going mad with desire, I don't wanna survive, I want a wonderful life". It's a powerful song with a wonderful message of making your life better and stronger. The video features Fallon playing guitar in an empty theater intermixed with people living their own versions of "A Wonderful Life". It's a good positive tune that helped me through the tougher times in 2016.








Title: A Wonderful Life
Artist: Brian Fallon
Album: Painkillers



Previous 15s
2015: Foo Fighters - Something from Nothing
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

Monday, December 5, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #16

#16 - van Canto - Time And Time Again




After several years of pushing, the amazing a cappella "hero metal" act van Canto finally broke through to land at #16 on the 2016 Countdown. The German sextet consist of a male and female singer, a drummer and three singers doing a cappella metal guitar vocals (bass, high guitar and low guitar). It makes for a wonderfully unique sound and the band is quite prolific in their writing, releasing an album every two years since 2006. Voices of Fire is an epic metal opera narrated by the one and only John Rhys-Davies. Each song begins with a prologue telling the tale of 5 heroes as they travel through battle, betrayal and finally triumph to find harmony where it was once broken. Other stand-out tracks include "The Oracle", "Battledays Dawn", and "The Bardcall". Honestly there isn't a terrible song on the record, and hearing John Rhys-Davies narrate almost makes it all worthwhile even without the music.


"Time And Time Again" starts out with a solid heavy bassline and kicks into a tale of finding the courage to head back into battle and find the hero within you. It also features an excellent (actual) guitar solo.  If you've never had the pleasure of enjoying some van Canto, I would suggest you sit back, relax, crack open an ale and let your ears be the judge of this awesomeness!








Title:Time and Time Again
Artist: van Canto
Album: Voices of Fire




Previous 16s
2015: Ghost Ship Octavius - Silence
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

Sunday, December 4, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #17

#17 - Trivium - Until The World Goes Cold



Trivium have been kicking around the metal scene since their outstanding debut disc Ascendancy in 2005. I can honestly say that I hadn't paid much attention to them since 2008, but now that Matt Heafy has embraced the clean singing lifestyle, it seems the band has matured to a point where they're ready to reign the metal scene once more. Silence in the Snow got up to #19 on the Billboard 200 and #3 on the Hard Rock and Rock charts as well. Other standout tracks include "Silence in the Snow" and "The Thing That's Killing Me".


"Until The World Goes Cold" opens with a slow guitar and drum pace, then the chugging guitars drop a heavy load on your head and don't stop pummeling for the next 5 minutes. Heafy's clean voice tells a tale of fighting a battle to rise up to the top. It's a great crushing song with a solid pace and loud guitars. It's nice to see Trivium back on top of the mountain and I hope they'll be able to keep rocking for years to come. It's hard to think that Matt Heafy is now 30, as he was only 17 when Trivium was signed.








Title: Until The World Goes Cold

Artist: Trivium
Album: Silence in the Snow

Previous #17s
2015: Big Data - The Business of Emotion (ft White Sea)
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

Saturday, December 3, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #18

#18 - House of Heroes - In The End




Another year, another AMAZING HoH album! The Columbus boys have built up a solid reputation on releasing knock-out discs and Colors takes it to a new level. Of course, this isn't the fellas first jaunt into the countdown. Coincidentally they also landed at #18 in 2011 with their track "Galveston". Surprisingly their follow-up disc Cold Hard Want did not feature any songs, but I could have put one of many off of Colors in this years countdown. Amazingly the album was a crowd-funded effort, showing that smaller bands can do huge things with the right amount of direction. "God" is a raw emotional ballad, "Colors Run" is an upbeat rock track, and "We Make Our Stars" is uplifting and powerful; almost a "We Were Giants 2.0".

But the song that captivated me the most in 2016 was the softest and most beautiful song of all. "In The End" has the most amazing vocal harmonies of any song in the countdown to accompany a soft acoustic guitar and very little other instrumentation. Lead singer Tim Skipper sings a beautiful ballad which seems to be about a daughter or lover. It's such a beautiful song and when it hit me I must have listened to it 20 times in a row. These guys know how to make awesome music and it doesn't hurt that most of them go to my church as well.









Title: In The End
Artist: House of Heroes
Album: Colors



Previous #18s
2015: New Found Glory - Selfless
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

Friday, December 2, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #19

 #19 - Metric - The Shade



Canadian rockers Metric return to the Countdown after coming in at #14 in 2012 with "Clone". Their previous effort Fantasies almost landed on the countdown in 2009 as well.  Both of those previous albums are excellent and beautiful and melodic and perfectly fantastic. Emily Haines might be in her 40's now but she still has such a beautiful voice. Unfortunately, this album was a definite letdown in my book, and over time even "The Shade" started to wear on me. There are a few other tracks that I enjoy, including "Lie Lie Lie" and "Too Bad, So Sad". Pagans in Vegas just doesn't seem to capture the same emotion and excitement that usually comes from a Metric record.

"The Shade" is probably the most interesting song on the countdown, story-wise. When I first heard it I was annoyed by the bloops and Haines' chanting "I want it all" on the chorus, but after hearing it a few times I realized it is a pretty little love song. Plus the sensual way she says "Baby, there's no better time" and the driving keys keep the song afloat. I've learned to appreciate the bloops and bleeps, but as the year waned on I found that they were less attractive after hearing the song multiple times. If Metric does release another album soon, I hope that it'll have a little more spunk to it.









Title: The Shade
Artist:
Metric
Album:
Pagans in Vegas



Previous #19s
2015: The Frozen Ocean - Kerosene
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

Thursday, December 1, 2016

The 2016 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #20

#20 - Safemode - Hold On




#20 is always an interesting spot on the countdown. Some years there are so many songs that it's impossible to really fill out the lower spots without feeling bad about leaving certain songs out. Other years you're kind of reaching and you look back and scratch your head about the final few.  Don't get me wrong; there's never a lack of quality songs by the end of the year. It's just sometimes I look back and wonder just where I was at the right time.

Anyways, this year we have Safemode taking the opening spot on our countdown. The Swedish metalcore trio are known for their melodic vocals and crunching guitars. In 2013 their song "Another Day Will Haunt You" gained a large amount of airplay on RadioU and they've continued forward with the track "Hold On" in 2016. The album Colorblind features a few decent songs but all in all "Hold On" is definitely the strongest track, and preaches a message of staying strong in the difficult times. It was a good song to get me through the year and I'm hopeful to hear a musical maturation from the band in the coming years.







Title: Hold On
Artist: Safemode
Album: Colorblind





Previous #20s
2015: Florence and the Machine - Ship to Wreck
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