All of our work can be found at the Music in Motion - Columbus website.
These are my contributions. A few aren't ones that I specifically wrote, but contributed on.
January
- Unfortunately I spent most of January preparing for our yearly inventory at my day job. Stay tuned!
February
The Music In Motion Columbus Birthday Bash 2018
What better way to cap off our first year as a music magazine than with a birthday show! Illogic, Lizard McGee (of Earwig fame), We Are The Movies,
Orion and the Constellations, and Red Skylark played at the Big Room Bar at CD102.5. It was a wonderfully eclectic show with the pop-punk ferocity of We Are The Movies, straight-forward lyrics from Illogic, bluesy jazzy stylings of Orion and the Constellations, the "emotional butter" of Lizard McGee, and the 90s inspired rock sounds of Red Skylark.
Music In Motion Columbus Releases Compilation Album
What I believe to be our crowning achievement for our first year of operation, Rick slaved tirelessly on this project. 18 tracks, including 7 that were specifically recorded for the compilation, titled "The Fog That Surrounds Us". The album was released at our first birthday show.
Late Night Double Feature with Miller and The Hunks and The Turbos at The Shrunken Head – 2/17/18
In what ended up being a great show to kick off Year 2 of MiM for me, I got to hang out with some old friends and make new friends covering Miller and the Hunks again. My boys Courtney from Work were there as well. It's always a good night of music at the Shrunken Head. MATH had the crowd more pumped than any show I've been to in a while.
Stopping the Stigma with MAELSTRØM MAGNET
It took some work, but I was finally able to catch up with Mael and we talked over the course of a week and a few e-mails about anxiety, music, and what it's like to be a female musician. When I started writing this article, I honestly felt like I was kind of lost, but it ended up being one of my more favorite articles I've written.
March
Full-Throttle Rock and Locked-in with Columbus' Henodus
My old friend Brandon introduced me to the guys from Henodus and we got together for maximum shenanigans! We talked about the origin of the band and their sucky future. His words, not mine... haha
April
United in Concert: Autism Awareness Fundraiser – Henodus Rocks BRP
My friend Brandon and I talked about this show for a few months before he got all of the details hammered out. I knew that I had to do my part to help promote not only the show, but the importance of awareness towards issues surrounding the autism spectrum. Also, Henodus kicked ass.
May
Jesse Clendenin Earns Promotion to Associate Editor of Music In Motion Columbus
Hello, it's me. We worked so hard in 2017 and against some odds we persevered. Year two got off to a slower start than we anticipated, but Rick and I are going to bang heads to make things bigger and better this year!
Review - Cairo Knife Fight at The Shrunken Head - 5/25/18
I took a vacation to celebrate 2 years of marriage to my beautiful wife mid-May and told Rick I'd be ready to get the ball rolling again after a couple of stagnant months. As fate would have it, my first day back I was called on to cover LA's Cairo Knife Fight. It ended up being a really cool night despite the low turnout.
Podcast The Cat Club Podcast Memorial Day All-Local Special 2018 – Episode 55
I got to head back to Casa Gethin to join Rick for another exciting podcast episode! He mistakenly states that I hadn't been on the podcast since last Memorial Day, forgetting out exciting shenanigans in Episode 24. This time around things were much more somber, but it was good to be back in studio for another round.
June
Album Review – Threat Level Midnight Earn Passing Grade
This was an album that I had had my eyes on for several months before finally getting the chance to review it. I had asked Rick about it after it was released but everything lapsed between all the madness happening at work in January and February. Finally having the chance to sit down and give it a good spinning, I found myself more than excited for the potential this band shows.
REVIEW – DAYMARE Return With A Vengeance at The Spacebar – 6/9/18
I've known Dustin from Daymare for 13 years and even now he still surprises me sometimes with his musical gumption. I was grateful to have a chance to enjoy this show and to put some closure on our friend Malena's death. Also, this band is just fantastic.
The Raquels Want To Be A Little Different
I had been following The Raquels online after hearing a few of their singles on Spotify. I had no idea they'd be so cool to hang out with, but that's what this business is all about. They are about to embark on a major tour that might make or break them, and I'll definitely be rooting for them.
The Raquels Take Flight at Spacebar – 6/23/18
A quick turnaround is always nice on an interview, and as it happened the guys from The Raquels had one more Columbus show before heading out on their huge tour. What a great time!
July
Buckle up for the Radio Free Conspiracy Theory
This one kind of got kicked around because Rick was busy working his jobs and I was busy moving. Once we were finally settled into our new place and had internet, I made sure to put the finishing touches on one of the more intriguing records I have reviewed.
August
Threat Level Midnight Bids Farewell After Two Year Run
I was super sad to find out that my first opportunity to see TLM was going to be my last, but the band made the best of it. What a great show. I hope that some of them stick around Columbus and continue to make great music here in the 614!
ALBUM REVIEW – Letters of Transit Quickly Mesh with Release of Debut EP
In what ended up being my last piece for the year, I got the chance to listen to Letters of Transit's solid debut EP. I'm looking forward to big things from these guys going forward.
stay tuned...
\\\\
That's all for now! Keep your eyes on the Music in Motion Columbus page for more great reviews and articles from myself, Rick, Susie, Jamie, Chase, Quinton, and our entire team! Support Local!
Monday, December 31, 2018
Sunday, December 23, 2018
2018 Jester One Christmas!
My feeling for Christmas haven't changed since the last time around, but I was feeling a new group of songs this time around.
Starting things off this year is my all-time favorite Christmas song, Tiffany's Christmas Tree by Irwin Icon. My wife is still a little perplexed that my favorite Christmas song is kind of a stalker song about a guy who delivers a Christmas tree to an unsuspecting woman who he felt a connection with. I just think it's a great fun song, lyrical theme aside. Video
Amy Grant's version of Hark! the Herald Angels Sing is required listening every year for me. I just love how her voice sounds, and Hark! has always been one of my favorite carols. Video
My Christmas tastes always vary between the classic carols and the modern madness, which brings us to Do You Hear What I Hear? by Bing Crosby. Wouldn't be Christmas without the ol Binger, right? Video
The first time I heard The Real Meaning Of Christmas by The Winans this year, I really felt moved emotionally. It reminded me of Pastor Simon, and of course listening to The Winans always puts me in a good place. Video
Of course, Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer has come under fire this year for various reasons, including its theme of bullying. The movie seems more and more ridiculous with each passing year, but it was what it was at the time, and it's a classic for me. Bowling for Soup decided to put their own spin on the misfit song Rudolph and Hermey sing - We're A Couple of Misfits. It's a perfect song for a band like those guys. Video
Bing Crosby appears again with The Secret Of Christmas, which I feel is an ever-important message in the current world we live in. Video
Of course it wouldn't be Christmas without Nat King Cole, either. Here's his rendition of the lovely Caroling, Caroling. Something about Christmas bells gets me going every year. Video
I feel like Leona Lewis has a beautiful voice and can really hit the notes. The biggest downfall for her, IMO is that she seems to be trying to be a 2000s version of Whitney Houston. It just doesn't work. One More Sleep is a catchy, fun Christmas tune though - well worth the ridiculous amount of plays I've given it. Video
Jim Brickman's version of The Gift is definitely my favorite version of the song, but something about how Peabo Bryson sings it in this version with the incomparable Roberta Flack really hit me this year. Video
Relient K has two amazing Christmas CDs with both original and classic Christmas hits. In Like A Lion (Always Winter) is one that found new life for me, again with the passing of Pastor Simon. It's interesting how many things have found new life in such a tragic event. Video
Great Big Sea are a group that get a lot of love from me around St Patrick's Day, so it was a pleasant surprise to find a "Christmas" song from them in Seven Joys Of Mary. They do a wonderful job on this traditional hit. Video
I literally don't know anything about Mr. Little Jeans other than the fact that hearing Dear Santa at work for the last month has been an absolute treat. Not that I'm a big fan of songs asking (or, usually demanding) Santa for specific gifts, but this one hits the spot in 2018. Video
I kept hearing Johnny Cash on the work muzak throughout this year and decided that I should see what his Christmas music is all about. I found a stirring version of The Christmas Guest, which is one of those songs that you just cannot skip once you get started. Video
Diana Krall could sing me a page from the Yellow Pages and I'd just be melting all over it. What a voice. Her Christmas album was one of the most anticipated ones for me to revisit this year, including What Are You Doing New Years Eve? So so good. Video
I love Nick Lachey's voice. I just do. 98 Degrees comes up enough times in my life because of it. This Gift is cheesy and corny but at least it's a song written specifically for Christmas, as opposed to a love song with the word Christmas added to it. Video
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals always bring the fun wherever they go. It's nice to see the Krampus side of things on Naughty Naughty Children (Better Start Actin' Nice), as opposed to the present demanding world we live in. Video
Another surprise ditty from the work muzak - Asher Angel giving a little dance groove to the holiday season with Snow Globe Wonderland. I suppose not all of those little Disney starts are intolerable. Video
You knew I would have some Trans-Siberian Orchestra on here. Obviously everyone knows this song to the point where it's almost cliche for me to include it, but Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 really hits you good. There's a reason why they play it twice during their live sets. Video
Aaand last but surely not least, my Christmas anthem, This Christmas (I'll Burn It To The Ground) by Set It Off. It's just not December til I hear this one. Lol. Video
I hope you all have a great holiday!! Hit shuffle and enjoy!
-J1
Starting things off this year is my all-time favorite Christmas song, Tiffany's Christmas Tree by Irwin Icon. My wife is still a little perplexed that my favorite Christmas song is kind of a stalker song about a guy who delivers a Christmas tree to an unsuspecting woman who he felt a connection with. I just think it's a great fun song, lyrical theme aside. Video
Amy Grant's version of Hark! the Herald Angels Sing is required listening every year for me. I just love how her voice sounds, and Hark! has always been one of my favorite carols. Video
My Christmas tastes always vary between the classic carols and the modern madness, which brings us to Do You Hear What I Hear? by Bing Crosby. Wouldn't be Christmas without the ol Binger, right? Video
The first time I heard The Real Meaning Of Christmas by The Winans this year, I really felt moved emotionally. It reminded me of Pastor Simon, and of course listening to The Winans always puts me in a good place. Video
Of course, Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer has come under fire this year for various reasons, including its theme of bullying. The movie seems more and more ridiculous with each passing year, but it was what it was at the time, and it's a classic for me. Bowling for Soup decided to put their own spin on the misfit song Rudolph and Hermey sing - We're A Couple of Misfits. It's a perfect song for a band like those guys. Video
Bing Crosby appears again with The Secret Of Christmas, which I feel is an ever-important message in the current world we live in. Video
Of course it wouldn't be Christmas without Nat King Cole, either. Here's his rendition of the lovely Caroling, Caroling. Something about Christmas bells gets me going every year. Video
I feel like Leona Lewis has a beautiful voice and can really hit the notes. The biggest downfall for her, IMO is that she seems to be trying to be a 2000s version of Whitney Houston. It just doesn't work. One More Sleep is a catchy, fun Christmas tune though - well worth the ridiculous amount of plays I've given it. Video
Jim Brickman's version of The Gift is definitely my favorite version of the song, but something about how Peabo Bryson sings it in this version with the incomparable Roberta Flack really hit me this year. Video
Relient K has two amazing Christmas CDs with both original and classic Christmas hits. In Like A Lion (Always Winter) is one that found new life for me, again with the passing of Pastor Simon. It's interesting how many things have found new life in such a tragic event. Video
Great Big Sea are a group that get a lot of love from me around St Patrick's Day, so it was a pleasant surprise to find a "Christmas" song from them in Seven Joys Of Mary. They do a wonderful job on this traditional hit. Video
I literally don't know anything about Mr. Little Jeans other than the fact that hearing Dear Santa at work for the last month has been an absolute treat. Not that I'm a big fan of songs asking (or, usually demanding) Santa for specific gifts, but this one hits the spot in 2018. Video
I kept hearing Johnny Cash on the work muzak throughout this year and decided that I should see what his Christmas music is all about. I found a stirring version of The Christmas Guest, which is one of those songs that you just cannot skip once you get started. Video
Diana Krall could sing me a page from the Yellow Pages and I'd just be melting all over it. What a voice. Her Christmas album was one of the most anticipated ones for me to revisit this year, including What Are You Doing New Years Eve? So so good. Video
I love Nick Lachey's voice. I just do. 98 Degrees comes up enough times in my life because of it. This Gift is cheesy and corny but at least it's a song written specifically for Christmas, as opposed to a love song with the word Christmas added to it. Video
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals always bring the fun wherever they go. It's nice to see the Krampus side of things on Naughty Naughty Children (Better Start Actin' Nice), as opposed to the present demanding world we live in. Video
Another surprise ditty from the work muzak - Asher Angel giving a little dance groove to the holiday season with Snow Globe Wonderland. I suppose not all of those little Disney starts are intolerable. Video
You knew I would have some Trans-Siberian Orchestra on here. Obviously everyone knows this song to the point where it's almost cliche for me to include it, but Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 really hits you good. There's a reason why they play it twice during their live sets. Video
Aaand last but surely not least, my Christmas anthem, This Christmas (I'll Burn It To The Ground) by Set It Off. It's just not December til I hear this one. Lol. Video
I hope you all have a great holiday!! Hit shuffle and enjoy!
-J1
Thursday, December 20, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #1
#1. Florence + The Machine - Sky Full Of Song
I suppose there are a few absolutes in life - death, taxes, and Florence + The Machine making the Jester One Top 20 Countdown. The inaugural edition had "Kiss With A Fist" being on the honor roll, 2012 saw "Shake It Out" and "What The Water Gave Me" doubling at 12, and "Ship To Wreck" landed at #20 in 2015. Florence + Co are known for their massive sound, blending orchestral soundscapes, Isabella Summers' talent behind a keyboard and of course Florence Welch's enormous voice. Along the way, their 4 albums have hit #1 in a combined 8 countries and have been certified several times platinum. I could go on and on talking about the accolades that the band has been given and the awards they've won, but this is 2018, so let's talk about their current body of work.
High As Hope is a different kind of beast for Florence. You won't find the colossal firepower of songs like "Shake It Off" and "Dog Days Are Over" anywhere there. Instead, the work is stripped down and dialed back - many of the songs seem to feature just Florence, a keyboard and a flutter of sounds. It is a deep and emotional record, reaching deeper inside of Welch's heart and soul to pull out the pain of the last few years for herself. The second single "Hunger" features one of the darker lines that I've ever heard from the group - "At seventeen, I started to starve myself, I thought that love was a kind of emptiness, and at least I understood then the hunger I felt, and I didn't have to call it loneliness". It is uttered almost candidly, as if Welch herself is better than what she has written and knows that music is her way to work through these things and persevere. Other standout tracks include "Grace", "South London Forever", and "100 Years". It only reached #2 in most of the charts it usually tops (UK, US, Australia, NZ), but if you really want to understand love, you ought to give this record a spin.
The day that "Sky Full Of Song" was released was a day that inevitably changed 2018 for me. The song popped up on my Spotify "Release Radar" channel and I excitedly put it in my queue for the morning. The moment it came on I had to stop playing the game I was entertaining myself with. The second you hear Welch wail "How deeply are you sleeping, or are you still awake", you know you're onto something amazing. The first 20 seconds of the song are just Welch before she is joined by a soft bass and the twinkle of a harp. There isn't a whole lot to the song musically - it's simply Florence against the world. She sounds as amazing as ever as she sings about the difficuly of performing and how music takes her to another place. There wasn't some bubbling up process for me; it was an immediate dawning. I listened to the song over and over again, just trying to grasp every emotion Welch was throwing at me. I actually had to pull myself away from the song for a few days, just to come back and re-imagine what I was feeling all over again. Even without the usual exploding orchestral, it's a humongous song for the band. The song cracked out 25m streams on Spotify and its video has another 12m views while showing an anguished Florence sitting on the floor, singing in black and white in an empty room surrounded by small flowers.
This is the first time a returning band reached #1. I am fairly sure that Florence + The Machine will be back whenever they decide to release another record as well. "Pain" and "Sky Full Of Song" were back and forth throughout most of the summer but the English juggernaut was not to be denied. Two years in a row we have a female led alternative rock act with a softer, heart-stirring #1. What a great time to be around. Thank you again everyone for turning in :-)
Favorite line: "I thought I was flying, but maybe I'm dying tonight."
Title: Sky Full Of Song
Artist: Florence + The Machine
Album: High As Hope.
Previous #1s
2017: Morning Theft - Skeleton Twins
2016: DMA's - Lay Down
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
I suppose there are a few absolutes in life - death, taxes, and Florence + The Machine making the Jester One Top 20 Countdown. The inaugural edition had "Kiss With A Fist" being on the honor roll, 2012 saw "Shake It Out" and "What The Water Gave Me" doubling at 12, and "Ship To Wreck" landed at #20 in 2015. Florence + Co are known for their massive sound, blending orchestral soundscapes, Isabella Summers' talent behind a keyboard and of course Florence Welch's enormous voice. Along the way, their 4 albums have hit #1 in a combined 8 countries and have been certified several times platinum. I could go on and on talking about the accolades that the band has been given and the awards they've won, but this is 2018, so let's talk about their current body of work.
High As Hope is a different kind of beast for Florence. You won't find the colossal firepower of songs like "Shake It Off" and "Dog Days Are Over" anywhere there. Instead, the work is stripped down and dialed back - many of the songs seem to feature just Florence, a keyboard and a flutter of sounds. It is a deep and emotional record, reaching deeper inside of Welch's heart and soul to pull out the pain of the last few years for herself. The second single "Hunger" features one of the darker lines that I've ever heard from the group - "At seventeen, I started to starve myself, I thought that love was a kind of emptiness, and at least I understood then the hunger I felt, and I didn't have to call it loneliness". It is uttered almost candidly, as if Welch herself is better than what she has written and knows that music is her way to work through these things and persevere. Other standout tracks include "Grace", "South London Forever", and "100 Years". It only reached #2 in most of the charts it usually tops (UK, US, Australia, NZ), but if you really want to understand love, you ought to give this record a spin.
The day that "Sky Full Of Song" was released was a day that inevitably changed 2018 for me. The song popped up on my Spotify "Release Radar" channel and I excitedly put it in my queue for the morning. The moment it came on I had to stop playing the game I was entertaining myself with. The second you hear Welch wail "How deeply are you sleeping, or are you still awake", you know you're onto something amazing. The first 20 seconds of the song are just Welch before she is joined by a soft bass and the twinkle of a harp. There isn't a whole lot to the song musically - it's simply Florence against the world. She sounds as amazing as ever as she sings about the difficuly of performing and how music takes her to another place. There wasn't some bubbling up process for me; it was an immediate dawning. I listened to the song over and over again, just trying to grasp every emotion Welch was throwing at me. I actually had to pull myself away from the song for a few days, just to come back and re-imagine what I was feeling all over again. Even without the usual exploding orchestral, it's a humongous song for the band. The song cracked out 25m streams on Spotify and its video has another 12m views while showing an anguished Florence sitting on the floor, singing in black and white in an empty room surrounded by small flowers.
This is the first time a returning band reached #1. I am fairly sure that Florence + The Machine will be back whenever they decide to release another record as well. "Pain" and "Sky Full Of Song" were back and forth throughout most of the summer but the English juggernaut was not to be denied. Two years in a row we have a female led alternative rock act with a softer, heart-stirring #1. What a great time to be around. Thank you again everyone for turning in :-)
Favorite line: "I thought I was flying, but maybe I'm dying tonight."
Title: Sky Full Of Song
Artist: Florence + The Machine
Album: High As Hope.
Previous #1s
2017: Morning Theft - Skeleton Twins
2016: DMA's - Lay Down
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
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #2
#2. The War On Drugs - Pain
One of the most wonderful things about music is that it always has the power to surprise me. Whether it be artist, album, song or performance, you never really know what to expect when something new comes along. Even older artifacts of the musical landscape can hit you in ways you weren't ready for, and bring about new life to themselves. Personally, I am not a fan of The War On Drugs, and A Deeper Understanding is not an album that I am going to rave about. Every other song in the top 10 actually comes from an album that I truly enjoyed. That in and of itself is surprising as there's usually a handful of 1 hit wonders sprinkled in, regardless of the year. But TWAD have always been a hand that made me roll my eyes, and that did not change with this recording. It picked up a heap of critical acclaim, culminating with them beating out Metallica and Mastodon for Best Rock Award at the Grammy Awards. The album is painfully long with droning songs, screaming guitars, and annoyingly whispered vocals from brainchild Adam Granduciel. There's also all sorts of pretense and meaninglessness - basically everything you'd expect from an album by the Philadelphia based rockers.
And then, there is "Pain". I was surprised that our local rock alternative station didn't pick it up as soon as it was released, and I didn't actually hear the song until it was almost winter time. The opening electric guitar riff is dreamy; one of those things that you just want to play over and over again. The vocals seem less whispered and more angst-driven, singing a song about suffering. There are noises dotting the ethereal soundscape - a splashy cymbal here, a guitar twang there, a piano note jumping out to kiss your ears. It's truly a song among songs - a great booming epic that carried me through most of the summer before fizzling away. Lyrically, it's difficult to choose just one line as my favorite - the whole damn thing is incredibly written. It's one of those songs that will probably be on my daily playlist for a long, long time. The song ends the year with a healthy 21.8m streams on Spotify and features a video with 4 million plays of its own. In the video the band is playing on a boat while showing scenes of diversity from around the city.
Who will be #1? I'll give you a hint... they've graced the J1 Top 20 before, twice in fact! Stay tuned tomorrow!!
Favorite line: "I met a man with a broken back, he had a fear in his eyes that I could understand. I can't even shake the hand without breaking it."
Title: Pain
Artist: The War On Drugs
Album: A Deeper Understanding
Previous #2s
2017: Future Islands - Ran
2016: Broods - Free
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
One of the most wonderful things about music is that it always has the power to surprise me. Whether it be artist, album, song or performance, you never really know what to expect when something new comes along. Even older artifacts of the musical landscape can hit you in ways you weren't ready for, and bring about new life to themselves. Personally, I am not a fan of The War On Drugs, and A Deeper Understanding is not an album that I am going to rave about. Every other song in the top 10 actually comes from an album that I truly enjoyed. That in and of itself is surprising as there's usually a handful of 1 hit wonders sprinkled in, regardless of the year. But TWAD have always been a hand that made me roll my eyes, and that did not change with this recording. It picked up a heap of critical acclaim, culminating with them beating out Metallica and Mastodon for Best Rock Award at the Grammy Awards. The album is painfully long with droning songs, screaming guitars, and annoyingly whispered vocals from brainchild Adam Granduciel. There's also all sorts of pretense and meaninglessness - basically everything you'd expect from an album by the Philadelphia based rockers.
And then, there is "Pain". I was surprised that our local rock alternative station didn't pick it up as soon as it was released, and I didn't actually hear the song until it was almost winter time. The opening electric guitar riff is dreamy; one of those things that you just want to play over and over again. The vocals seem less whispered and more angst-driven, singing a song about suffering. There are noises dotting the ethereal soundscape - a splashy cymbal here, a guitar twang there, a piano note jumping out to kiss your ears. It's truly a song among songs - a great booming epic that carried me through most of the summer before fizzling away. Lyrically, it's difficult to choose just one line as my favorite - the whole damn thing is incredibly written. It's one of those songs that will probably be on my daily playlist for a long, long time. The song ends the year with a healthy 21.8m streams on Spotify and features a video with 4 million plays of its own. In the video the band is playing on a boat while showing scenes of diversity from around the city.
Who will be #1? I'll give you a hint... they've graced the J1 Top 20 before, twice in fact! Stay tuned tomorrow!!
Favorite line: "I met a man with a broken back, he had a fear in his eyes that I could understand. I can't even shake the hand without breaking it."
Title: Pain
Artist: The War On Drugs
Album: A Deeper Understanding
Previous #2s
2017: Future Islands - Ran
2016: Broods - Free
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
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #3
#3. Vesperteen - Medicine
For the better part of 2018, the Top 20 Countdown was a 3 horse race, with equal parts Curse of Cassandra, #s 2 and 1 bucking for the top spot. Slowly but surely, Vesperteen rode along side and surged forward at the end of the year to take the top Ohio spot on our list. Vesperteen is the solo project of Colin Rigsby, drummer for House of Heroes. HoH are a Columbus institution, and have made this list twice (2011 and 2016), while back in 2016, Rigsby made the Honorable Mention list with "Shatter in the Night", a song that served as a launching platform for his solo career. He has also greatly profited in his association with the boys from local heroes Twenty One Pilots. I first met him way back after I graduated from high school when we went to the same church, and we actually still go to a similar off-shoot from that church. In seeing him on Sundays I can tell you that he is a fantastic man and a wonderful father to his awesome kids, but that's not what we're here for is, it is?
Vesperteen has built his empire around catchy hooks and party-pop sensibilities while still writing poignant and important lyrics. The Hype Is Dead opens with a dagger of a track titled "Fifteen Minutes", calling out people who are riding their own self-inflated popularity for too long. It closes with "Blue", a slower number about fighting through depression. The entire record digs in much deeper than his first EP and has been moderately successful despite much local radio support. Fortunately Rigsby brings an incredible live show, generally singing while drumming and bouncing off of all the walls. He also does wonderfully re-imagined covers and brings his trademark smile to every performance.
A week before The Hype Is Dead dropped, "Medicine" was released as a single. I'll admit that when it started I kind of glossed over it, listening but not really feeling. But when the bridge hit and I had to stop what I was doing to play it over and over again. The entire focus of the song changes when Rigsby utters the line "take my words with water, choke back tidal waves, send you hope in bottles, counting down the days" and then repeats it along with the chorus "we could be alright, I could be your medicine". It really launches the song into another dimension. I was going through an emotional time and the song gave me hope and strength to get through those springtime blues. It became even more prevalent after the passing of Pastor Simon, where it became a battle cry against the dark times surrounding his passing. It was one of those songs that just continually became better the more I listened to it, all the way up to #3. I was grateful to see Colin at church a few weeks after its release and thank him for writing such a powerful, life-altering song. It racked up 30k streams on Spotify and showed that Rigsby has stand-alone power as a star on his own.
Favorite line: "Take my words with water, choke back tidal waves. Send you hope in bottles, counting down the days."
Title: Medicine
Artist: Vesperteen
Album: The Hype Is Dead
Previous #3s
2017: The Naked and Famous - Medicine
2016: POP ETC - What Am I Becoming?
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
For the better part of 2018, the Top 20 Countdown was a 3 horse race, with equal parts Curse of Cassandra, #s 2 and 1 bucking for the top spot. Slowly but surely, Vesperteen rode along side and surged forward at the end of the year to take the top Ohio spot on our list. Vesperteen is the solo project of Colin Rigsby, drummer for House of Heroes. HoH are a Columbus institution, and have made this list twice (2011 and 2016), while back in 2016, Rigsby made the Honorable Mention list with "Shatter in the Night", a song that served as a launching platform for his solo career. He has also greatly profited in his association with the boys from local heroes Twenty One Pilots. I first met him way back after I graduated from high school when we went to the same church, and we actually still go to a similar off-shoot from that church. In seeing him on Sundays I can tell you that he is a fantastic man and a wonderful father to his awesome kids, but that's not what we're here for is, it is?
Vesperteen has built his empire around catchy hooks and party-pop sensibilities while still writing poignant and important lyrics. The Hype Is Dead opens with a dagger of a track titled "Fifteen Minutes", calling out people who are riding their own self-inflated popularity for too long. It closes with "Blue", a slower number about fighting through depression. The entire record digs in much deeper than his first EP and has been moderately successful despite much local radio support. Fortunately Rigsby brings an incredible live show, generally singing while drumming and bouncing off of all the walls. He also does wonderfully re-imagined covers and brings his trademark smile to every performance.
A week before The Hype Is Dead dropped, "Medicine" was released as a single. I'll admit that when it started I kind of glossed over it, listening but not really feeling. But when the bridge hit and I had to stop what I was doing to play it over and over again. The entire focus of the song changes when Rigsby utters the line "take my words with water, choke back tidal waves, send you hope in bottles, counting down the days" and then repeats it along with the chorus "we could be alright, I could be your medicine". It really launches the song into another dimension. I was going through an emotional time and the song gave me hope and strength to get through those springtime blues. It became even more prevalent after the passing of Pastor Simon, where it became a battle cry against the dark times surrounding his passing. It was one of those songs that just continually became better the more I listened to it, all the way up to #3. I was grateful to see Colin at church a few weeks after its release and thank him for writing such a powerful, life-altering song. It racked up 30k streams on Spotify and showed that Rigsby has stand-alone power as a star on his own.
Favorite line: "Take my words with water, choke back tidal waves. Send you hope in bottles, counting down the days."
Title: Medicine
Artist: Vesperteen
Album: The Hype Is Dead
Previous #3s
2017: The Naked and Famous - Medicine
2016: POP ETC - What Am I Becoming?
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
Monday, December 17, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #4
#4. Curse of Cassandra - Re-Bind (Retro Binding Mix)
Curse of Cassandra hail from Dayton, Ohio and have made a huge name for themselves in the past few years with relentless touring, a unique sound and a feverish live show, led by singer and sole original member Nicole Richter. I had the pleasure of meeting them last year and doing a show review for them, where I got to experience the full-on frenetic feline fury that Richter brought to the stage. It's truly something you need to experience for yourself if you ever see them coming to your town. The group actually crowd-funded their most recent record, Nekonomicon (the sacred book of cats), hitting their goal quickly and putting together both a beautiful record and book to stroke your ears and eyes with.
When Nekonomicon dropped back in November of 2017, I knew that I had a genuine bonafide hit on my hands. I knew that there was a distinct possibility that it would be my favorite album for the coming year and would probably feature a song on the 2018 Countdown. The only question was, which song? (you can read my review here). Would it be the sexually-charged "Grimhilde", with blistering saxophone and a sultry call-repeat dynamic? Perhaps "Bellatrix", named after Lestrange and filled with rave-level synths, or even the cat anthem, "Bastet"?
Actually, there was never really any doubt. It was more of a question of would a female-led Ohio act land at #1 again? As it happens, "Re-Bind" found a home at #4. It is a re-imagined version of the song "Binding" from their debut EP. The tempo is similar and the words are mostly the same, but otherwise the song was stripped down and zapped with new life in the form of extra harsh synths, pummeling drums and steamier vocals. Even if you didn't like dancing, this is one of those songs that will move your body. It is a staple at their scintillating live act, where Nicole's dancing brings even more life to the track. Even though she works as a solo artist now with a rotating cast of help on keys, the future looks bright for the group as they continue to build steam in the underground communities. Look for their remix EP out soon!
Favorite line: "I will exorcise your love tonight."
Title: Re-Bind (Retro Binding Mix)
Artist: Curse of Cassandra
Album: Nekonomicon
Previous #4s
2017: The Birthday Massacre - All of Nothing
2016: Graceful Closure - Choices
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
Curse of Cassandra hail from Dayton, Ohio and have made a huge name for themselves in the past few years with relentless touring, a unique sound and a feverish live show, led by singer and sole original member Nicole Richter. I had the pleasure of meeting them last year and doing a show review for them, where I got to experience the full-on frenetic feline fury that Richter brought to the stage. It's truly something you need to experience for yourself if you ever see them coming to your town. The group actually crowd-funded their most recent record, Nekonomicon (the sacred book of cats), hitting their goal quickly and putting together both a beautiful record and book to stroke your ears and eyes with.
When Nekonomicon dropped back in November of 2017, I knew that I had a genuine bonafide hit on my hands. I knew that there was a distinct possibility that it would be my favorite album for the coming year and would probably feature a song on the 2018 Countdown. The only question was, which song? (you can read my review here). Would it be the sexually-charged "Grimhilde", with blistering saxophone and a sultry call-repeat dynamic? Perhaps "Bellatrix", named after Lestrange and filled with rave-level synths, or even the cat anthem, "Bastet"?
Actually, there was never really any doubt. It was more of a question of would a female-led Ohio act land at #1 again? As it happens, "Re-Bind" found a home at #4. It is a re-imagined version of the song "Binding" from their debut EP. The tempo is similar and the words are mostly the same, but otherwise the song was stripped down and zapped with new life in the form of extra harsh synths, pummeling drums and steamier vocals. Even if you didn't like dancing, this is one of those songs that will move your body. It is a staple at their scintillating live act, where Nicole's dancing brings even more life to the track. Even though she works as a solo artist now with a rotating cast of help on keys, the future looks bright for the group as they continue to build steam in the underground communities. Look for their remix EP out soon!
Favorite line: "I will exorcise your love tonight."
Title: Re-Bind (Retro Binding Mix)
Artist: Curse of Cassandra
Album: Nekonomicon
Previous #4s
2017: The Birthday Massacre - All of Nothing
2016: Graceful Closure - Choices
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
Sunday, December 16, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #5
#5. Andrew W.K. - Music Is Worth Living For
Speaking of huge comebacks, it was honestly just a matter of time before Andrew W.K. came out with a new record. After all, it had been 12 years since he recorded a new record in the United States and 8 years since he had released one. Andrew's debut record ranks among my all-time favorite discs and his follow up The Wolf has some great jams on it as well. You could tell through Mother of Mankind and Close Calls With Brick Walls that he was literally just trying to make something, anything of his previous life. Unfortunately he had been embroiled in a legal battle which made it almost impossible for him to even use his own name for his recordings, and shrunk away from music in favor of motivational speaking. It's somewhat strange to think of the man behind hits like "Party Hard", "We Want Fun" and "Party til You Puke" to be doing speaking tours about the power of self-belief as a means to defeating depression, but here he was, and he was brilliant at it.
From the musical side of things, W.K. is absurdly talented. He's a beast behind the drum kit, a solid guitarist and (obviously, if you've ever listened) a piano virtuoso. When I first heard him sing way back in 2000 I found his voice annoying, but a second listen gave me someone who was just fun to listen to and sing along with. One of the cool things he has done over the years is use his "party first" mentality as a way of squashing his own personal demons. It doesn't seem as much of a "let's get wasted and forget" type of mentality; more like "party as a mindset for strength". You're Not Alone provides a lyrical and musical bulwark for fighting against the forces of the world that would have you brought down. Other great tracks include "Ever Again", "Break the Curse", "Give Up On You", as well as 3 spoken word interludes.
"Music Is Worth Living For" is a pretty simple call to arms, lyrically. Musically, the drums slam you into the song as W.K. screams and calls you along with him. There are flailing keys, driving guitars, and a jack-ton of sound. It's everything that he was in his first album, doubled. It's a massive humongous song - a figurative (and perhaps literal) lightning rod of positivity. It's exactly what you'd expect from a man who wears white khaki's every day of his life while playing a pizza-shaped guitar. The song garnered over 1.2m streams on Spotify while You're Not Alone made it to 197 on the Billboard 200, climbing as high as #9 on the Top Hard Rock Albums. I couldn't have imagined it to be this good, but sure enough here it is at #5. Long live the party!
Favorite line: "And I bet you never thought we had the strength inside. Yeah we almost died, and we kept on going"
Title: Music Is Worth Living For
Artist: Andrew WK
Album: You're Not Alone
Previous #5s
2017: Chris Cornell - The Promise
2016: blink-182 - Built This Pool
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
Speaking of huge comebacks, it was honestly just a matter of time before Andrew W.K. came out with a new record. After all, it had been 12 years since he recorded a new record in the United States and 8 years since he had released one. Andrew's debut record ranks among my all-time favorite discs and his follow up The Wolf has some great jams on it as well. You could tell through Mother of Mankind and Close Calls With Brick Walls that he was literally just trying to make something, anything of his previous life. Unfortunately he had been embroiled in a legal battle which made it almost impossible for him to even use his own name for his recordings, and shrunk away from music in favor of motivational speaking. It's somewhat strange to think of the man behind hits like "Party Hard", "We Want Fun" and "Party til You Puke" to be doing speaking tours about the power of self-belief as a means to defeating depression, but here he was, and he was brilliant at it.
From the musical side of things, W.K. is absurdly talented. He's a beast behind the drum kit, a solid guitarist and (obviously, if you've ever listened) a piano virtuoso. When I first heard him sing way back in 2000 I found his voice annoying, but a second listen gave me someone who was just fun to listen to and sing along with. One of the cool things he has done over the years is use his "party first" mentality as a way of squashing his own personal demons. It doesn't seem as much of a "let's get wasted and forget" type of mentality; more like "party as a mindset for strength". You're Not Alone provides a lyrical and musical bulwark for fighting against the forces of the world that would have you brought down. Other great tracks include "Ever Again", "Break the Curse", "Give Up On You", as well as 3 spoken word interludes.
"Music Is Worth Living For" is a pretty simple call to arms, lyrically. Musically, the drums slam you into the song as W.K. screams and calls you along with him. There are flailing keys, driving guitars, and a jack-ton of sound. It's everything that he was in his first album, doubled. It's a massive humongous song - a figurative (and perhaps literal) lightning rod of positivity. It's exactly what you'd expect from a man who wears white khaki's every day of his life while playing a pizza-shaped guitar. The song garnered over 1.2m streams on Spotify while You're Not Alone made it to 197 on the Billboard 200, climbing as high as #9 on the Top Hard Rock Albums. I couldn't have imagined it to be this good, but sure enough here it is at #5. Long live the party!
Favorite line: "And I bet you never thought we had the strength inside. Yeah we almost died, and we kept on going"
Title: Music Is Worth Living For
Artist: Andrew WK
Album: You're Not Alone
Previous #5s
2017: Chris Cornell - The Promise
2016: blink-182 - Built This Pool
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
Saturday, December 15, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #6
#6. Turnspit - Walk Away
One of the most surprising breakouts for the 2018 version of the J1 Countdown was the meteoric rise of Turnspit and their debut album Desire Paths. The Chicago-based pop-punk quartet made a record that is exactly what punk rock should sound like in 2018. Guitarists Gillian McGhee and Jason Swearingen share the vocal duties, with the former giving great wails and range to her voice, and the later bringing gruff rage and power to the bands upbeat catalogue. I'm not even sure how the band ended up on my Spotify Discover a few weeks before the album dropped, but I was immediately impressed with the potent vocal combination and the earnest lyrical effort put forth by both of the singers. "Irish Name" is the song that I saw get the most attention, but I loved "Midsentence" and the heart-wrenching "Skin" as well.
"Walk Away" features one of my favorite opening riffs of any song I encountered in 2018, bar none. The song drives forward as McGhee laments the end of a great relationship that neither party wanted to see come to conclusion. The instruments pummel you while the words cut through the hardest of hearts. If nothing else, it's one of those songs that you absolutely cannot skip after it starts, because everyone has lived through it and knows that they need to hear it to help them through the pain. The song fell just short of 4k streams on Spotify, and the album averaged about 2500 streams per song without a video or any single releases.
Desire Paths actually begs the question of what the band can do for a follow up. You can feel the angst in both of the singers and you wonder what else might come from their tortured minds. Either way, this is one hell of an album - definitely a top 5 for me in 2018.
Favorite line:literally the entire song, both Jason and Gillian's lines "This is gonna hurt me as much as it hurts you,
but sometimes good things just end because they have to. This is something that I never thought I’d have to say."
Title: Walk Away
Artist: Turnspit
Album: Desire Paths
Previous #6s
2017: Assemblage 23 - Bravery
2016: Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown - Loaded Dice and Buried Money
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
One of the most surprising breakouts for the 2018 version of the J1 Countdown was the meteoric rise of Turnspit and their debut album Desire Paths. The Chicago-based pop-punk quartet made a record that is exactly what punk rock should sound like in 2018. Guitarists Gillian McGhee and Jason Swearingen share the vocal duties, with the former giving great wails and range to her voice, and the later bringing gruff rage and power to the bands upbeat catalogue. I'm not even sure how the band ended up on my Spotify Discover a few weeks before the album dropped, but I was immediately impressed with the potent vocal combination and the earnest lyrical effort put forth by both of the singers. "Irish Name" is the song that I saw get the most attention, but I loved "Midsentence" and the heart-wrenching "Skin" as well.
"Walk Away" features one of my favorite opening riffs of any song I encountered in 2018, bar none. The song drives forward as McGhee laments the end of a great relationship that neither party wanted to see come to conclusion. The instruments pummel you while the words cut through the hardest of hearts. If nothing else, it's one of those songs that you absolutely cannot skip after it starts, because everyone has lived through it and knows that they need to hear it to help them through the pain. The song fell just short of 4k streams on Spotify, and the album averaged about 2500 streams per song without a video or any single releases.
Desire Paths actually begs the question of what the band can do for a follow up. You can feel the angst in both of the singers and you wonder what else might come from their tortured minds. Either way, this is one hell of an album - definitely a top 5 for me in 2018.
Favorite line:
Title: Walk Away
Artist: Turnspit
Album: Desire Paths
Previous #6s
2017: Assemblage 23 - Bravery
2016: Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown - Loaded Dice and Buried Money
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
Friday, December 14, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #7
7. Jukebox the Ghost - Everybody's Lonely
Generally around this point in the Countdown we get to a song that could have made its way to the top spot. Unfortunately this year was essentially a 3 song race that had some fun kickers, and the most fun song of them all came from Jukebox the Ghost, who definitely have the most fun name of any group in the Top 20 as well. Best name, most fun music, most upbeat record. The band made it to #5 on the Heatseekers chart with Off To The Races while "Everybody's Lonely" made its way to #22 on the US Alternative charts. Lead singer Ben Thornewill has a wonderful voice and the band really works around his piano to keep things upbeat. Other great songs from the record include "Fred Astaire" and "People Go Home".
"Everybody's Lonely" seems like a pretty simple topic, and I think that's why the band chose to put a fairly upbeat spin on it. The song starts with a ditty piano number before the rest of the band joins in. It's a perfect sing-a-long of a track, with easy lyrics and fun harmonies. The song garnered 3.7 million streams on Spotify. The video for the song has the band playing on toy instruments while chaos breaks out around them; dancers, balloons, confetti, and so on. It really was one of the most uplifting songs I had this year, it just didn't have enough steam to make it to the top. What will be next? Stay tuned!
Favorite line: "Are we programmed for broken romance? Everything just sounds the same... why's every song about love, or drinking too much? Well maybe that's because, everybody's lonely!"
Title: Everybody's Lonely
Artist: Jukebox the Ghost
Album: Off To The Races
Previous #7s
2017: Cold War Kids - Can We Hang On ?
2016: Justin Timberlake - Can't Stop The Feeling!
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
Generally around this point in the Countdown we get to a song that could have made its way to the top spot. Unfortunately this year was essentially a 3 song race that had some fun kickers, and the most fun song of them all came from Jukebox the Ghost, who definitely have the most fun name of any group in the Top 20 as well. Best name, most fun music, most upbeat record. The band made it to #5 on the Heatseekers chart with Off To The Races while "Everybody's Lonely" made its way to #22 on the US Alternative charts. Lead singer Ben Thornewill has a wonderful voice and the band really works around his piano to keep things upbeat. Other great songs from the record include "Fred Astaire" and "People Go Home".
"Everybody's Lonely" seems like a pretty simple topic, and I think that's why the band chose to put a fairly upbeat spin on it. The song starts with a ditty piano number before the rest of the band joins in. It's a perfect sing-a-long of a track, with easy lyrics and fun harmonies. The song garnered 3.7 million streams on Spotify. The video for the song has the band playing on toy instruments while chaos breaks out around them; dancers, balloons, confetti, and so on. It really was one of the most uplifting songs I had this year, it just didn't have enough steam to make it to the top. What will be next? Stay tuned!
Favorite line: "Are we programmed for broken romance? Everything just sounds the same... why's every song about love, or drinking too much? Well maybe that's because, everybody's lonely!"
Title: Everybody's Lonely
Artist: Jukebox the Ghost
Album: Off To The Races
Previous #7s
2017: Cold War Kids - Can We Hang On ?
2016: Justin Timberlake - Can't Stop The Feeling!
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
Thursday, December 13, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #8
#8. Miller and the Hunks - Gravity
I first met Miller and the Hunks late last year at their release party for their EP "And Jeff, Pt. 1". In just hearing their soundcheck, I knew I was in for a group that was here to really kick things up a notch. The band actually ended up releasing two EPs over the course of a few months, "And Jeff, Pt. 2" being the other. All together it's 14 solid tracks; the first half being a little lighter while the second half drives a stake into you. Colin Miller writes from the depths of his soul and pours himself into his tortured voice on songs like "Wicked Tongue", "Sided System", "Sex Ain't Love", and of course the amusing "Bath Haus" outro to Pt 1. The second time I saw the band, they had packed every inch of The Shrunken Head bar and had the crowd swaying and singing along to the entirety of their set.
"Gravity" actually ended up being one of the "local gems" selected by our alternative station CD102.5. You can immediately feel the seriousness of the song as the guitar and bass descend upon you. Miller starts to tell the tale of a failed relationship that threatens to destroy him. You can feel his rage as he belts out "the fuck do you want me to do now? Wait 3 more years as you figure it out?". The chorus line of "This hurts me but I've got Gravity" became a rallying cry for the year of 2018 and a call to strength during every time where I felt pain. The song features a screaming keyboard solo as well as a snappy interlude. The video features the boys walking around Columbus in the winter time as well as cuts of them playing their instruments. "Gravity" picked up over 6k streams on Spotify, easily their most listened to song of the year, and the video had over 1000 views as well
Miller and the Hunks is the first of 3 Ohio acts in the top 10, who will be next? Stay tuned!
Favorite line: "You taught me living poor is much more than just poverty"
Title: Gravity
Artist: Miller and the Hunks
Album: And Jeff, Pt. 1
Previous #8s
2017: Circle of Dust - Machines of our Disgrace
2016: Jess Lamb and The Factory - End of the Line
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
I first met Miller and the Hunks late last year at their release party for their EP "And Jeff, Pt. 1". In just hearing their soundcheck, I knew I was in for a group that was here to really kick things up a notch. The band actually ended up releasing two EPs over the course of a few months, "And Jeff, Pt. 2" being the other. All together it's 14 solid tracks; the first half being a little lighter while the second half drives a stake into you. Colin Miller writes from the depths of his soul and pours himself into his tortured voice on songs like "Wicked Tongue", "Sided System", "Sex Ain't Love", and of course the amusing "Bath Haus" outro to Pt 1. The second time I saw the band, they had packed every inch of The Shrunken Head bar and had the crowd swaying and singing along to the entirety of their set.
"Gravity" actually ended up being one of the "local gems" selected by our alternative station CD102.5. You can immediately feel the seriousness of the song as the guitar and bass descend upon you. Miller starts to tell the tale of a failed relationship that threatens to destroy him. You can feel his rage as he belts out "the fuck do you want me to do now? Wait 3 more years as you figure it out?". The chorus line of "This hurts me but I've got Gravity" became a rallying cry for the year of 2018 and a call to strength during every time where I felt pain. The song features a screaming keyboard solo as well as a snappy interlude. The video features the boys walking around Columbus in the winter time as well as cuts of them playing their instruments. "Gravity" picked up over 6k streams on Spotify, easily their most listened to song of the year, and the video had over 1000 views as well
Miller and the Hunks is the first of 3 Ohio acts in the top 10, who will be next? Stay tuned!
Favorite line: "You taught me living poor is much more than just poverty"
Title: Gravity
Artist: Miller and the Hunks
Album: And Jeff, Pt. 1
Previous #8s
2017: Circle of Dust - Machines of our Disgrace
2016: Jess Lamb and The Factory - End of the Line
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
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #9
#9. mind.in.a.box - Attack
For my money, mind.in.a.box are one of the most brilliant artists out there right now. For the past 14 years the band has been telling the story of 4 people: Mr Black, Mr White, The Friend, and Night. Everything is carefully composed by musician Stefan Poiss and writer Markus Hadwiger and tells a long tale of a government agent who (midway through the story) begins to suffer from amnesia and fights to figure out who he truly is and what he is doing in his life. It really is a remarkable story, and if you enjoy futurepop/dark electronica I would highly recommend starting at the beginning and working your way through it. In Broken Legacies, the story zips back in time, essentially as a prequel to everything that has already happened and answering several questions while opening new doors for future musical projects. Other favorite songs on the record include "Command: Decode", "World of Promises" and "Icebox".
"Attack" is a one of the songs that truly drives the engine for the record. Poiss' dark voice and the pummeling synthesizers thrust you into the formation of the Rebels group. The continual mission statement of "We want control" pulses throughout as the song metaphorically attacks your eardrums throughout. There are so many fantastic layers of sound in the song that it's a wonder it only ended at #9 for me. The song garnered 35k streams on Spotify, but sadly does not have a music video attached to it. In fact, one of my biggest curiosities for this year was as to why MIAB did not make any videos for this fantastic record, considering their abilities to create landscapes.
Favorite line: "no regrets for the destruction, as flames rise with sweet seduction..."
Title: Attack
Artist: mind.in.a.box
Album: Broken Legacies
Previous #9s
2017: Bebe Rexha - The Way I Are (Dance With Somebody)
2016: Bleached - Wednesday Night Melody
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
For my money, mind.in.a.box are one of the most brilliant artists out there right now. For the past 14 years the band has been telling the story of 4 people: Mr Black, Mr White, The Friend, and Night. Everything is carefully composed by musician Stefan Poiss and writer Markus Hadwiger and tells a long tale of a government agent who (midway through the story) begins to suffer from amnesia and fights to figure out who he truly is and what he is doing in his life. It really is a remarkable story, and if you enjoy futurepop/dark electronica I would highly recommend starting at the beginning and working your way through it. In Broken Legacies, the story zips back in time, essentially as a prequel to everything that has already happened and answering several questions while opening new doors for future musical projects. Other favorite songs on the record include "Command: Decode", "World of Promises" and "Icebox".
"Attack" is a one of the songs that truly drives the engine for the record. Poiss' dark voice and the pummeling synthesizers thrust you into the formation of the Rebels group. The continual mission statement of "We want control" pulses throughout as the song metaphorically attacks your eardrums throughout. There are so many fantastic layers of sound in the song that it's a wonder it only ended at #9 for me. The song garnered 35k streams on Spotify, but sadly does not have a music video attached to it. In fact, one of my biggest curiosities for this year was as to why MIAB did not make any videos for this fantastic record, considering their abilities to create landscapes.
Favorite line: "no regrets for the destruction, as flames rise with sweet seduction..."
Title: Attack
Artist: mind.in.a.box
Album: Broken Legacies
Previous #9s
2017: Bebe Rexha - The Way I Are (Dance With Somebody)
2016: Bleached - Wednesday Night Melody
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
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #10
#10. The Night Game - The Outfield
The Night Game are a "alternative new wave" group out of Boston, MA with a sound similar to a lot of their contemporaries. Despite the fact that you could auto-generate most of these alt-synth-pop acts (see Miike Snow, The Band Camino, St Lucia, etc), they managed to put out a fairly solid record debut, with other hits like "The Photograph" and "Bad Girls Don't Cry". Apparently the band came to the national focus when John Mayer (of all people) said he liked their single. Other bands in recent years have been vaulted into popularity for this same reason; I suppose that is just the world we live in now. Amusingly, I was actually searching to the 80s group The Outfield when I stumbled upon The Night Game and their recently released single with the same name. Being a baseball fan, I figured I might as well give the song a shot before getting back to what I was initially searching.
It was one of those "omg, remember this" moments (for reference, I was on the couch playing Destiny 2, fighting off the underground Vex prison guards on my day off, a Tuesday). It was a song that I felt the need to spin about six more times before moving on and deciding to listen to the record. Martin Johnson has a nice voice and can hit a wide variety of notes that blend together with the keyboards and drums of the song. The song is about chasing a lover who is difficult to get, and the chorus call of "far away" makes for the perfect summer sing-a-long. Due to Mayer's mention, the song racked up 5 million streams (3m more than the next most played song) and looks to be a solid springboard for future music making. The video follows a man around a rainy town with captions reading lyrics along the bottom in multiple languages.
Favorite line: "I always swore that I would get to you some day, I'm getting closer but I'm still so far away, you got me standing in the outfield".
Title: The Outfield
Artist: The Night Game
Album: The Night Game
Previous #10s
2017: The National - Carin at the Liquor Store
2016: Miike Snow - Genghis Khan
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
The Night Game are a "alternative new wave" group out of Boston, MA with a sound similar to a lot of their contemporaries. Despite the fact that you could auto-generate most of these alt-synth-pop acts (see Miike Snow, The Band Camino, St Lucia, etc), they managed to put out a fairly solid record debut, with other hits like "The Photograph" and "Bad Girls Don't Cry". Apparently the band came to the national focus when John Mayer (of all people) said he liked their single. Other bands in recent years have been vaulted into popularity for this same reason; I suppose that is just the world we live in now. Amusingly, I was actually searching to the 80s group The Outfield when I stumbled upon The Night Game and their recently released single with the same name. Being a baseball fan, I figured I might as well give the song a shot before getting back to what I was initially searching.
It was one of those "omg, remember this" moments (for reference, I was on the couch playing Destiny 2, fighting off the underground Vex prison guards on my day off, a Tuesday). It was a song that I felt the need to spin about six more times before moving on and deciding to listen to the record. Martin Johnson has a nice voice and can hit a wide variety of notes that blend together with the keyboards and drums of the song. The song is about chasing a lover who is difficult to get, and the chorus call of "far away" makes for the perfect summer sing-a-long. Due to Mayer's mention, the song racked up 5 million streams (3m more than the next most played song) and looks to be a solid springboard for future music making. The video follows a man around a rainy town with captions reading lyrics along the bottom in multiple languages.
Favorite line: "I always swore that I would get to you some day, I'm getting closer but I'm still so far away, you got me standing in the outfield".
Title: The Outfield
Artist: The Night Game
Album: The Night Game
Previous #10s
2017: The National - Carin at the Liquor Store
2016: Miike Snow - Genghis Khan
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
Monday, December 10, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #11
Perhaps one of the most surprising re-emerging acts for the 2018 edition of the Top 20 Countdown is Power Quest. Coincedentally, they landed at #11 in 2011 with their massive hit "Glorious", The band experienced several lineup changes and broke up early in 2013. Not much was heard from the group on their hiatus, but they re-emerged late in 2016 with yet another new lineup and the promise of new music. With new guitarists and a new vocalist, I wasn't entirely sure how well it would go over, but it was nice to see an old familiar face releasing a record. I suppose it's worth noting that "Glorious" was really the only song I liked off of the last record, but that's neither here nor there anymore.
As it happens, the first two tracks off of Sixth Dimension ("Lords of Tomorrow" and "Starlight City") are fantastic. But it was the attack of the synthesizers on "No More Heroes" that truly caught my attention. Lyrically it is the strongest track on the disc, almost prophetically speaking about the future downfall of the world while searching for hope. Given the current climate of the country we live in, it definitely hit home for me. The song seems to be searching for hope to build the listener up with. The song carved out 35k streams on Spotify with the record grabbing over 250k for itself, showing that power metal still has something to say in this world.
Favorite Line: "What have we done to our beloved pleasant land? Instead of fighting, can't we just reach out a hand?"
Title: No More Heroes
Artist: Power Quest
Album: Sixth Dimension
Previous #11s
2017: Haim - Want You Back
2016: Circle of Dust - Contagion
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
Sunday, December 9, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #12
#12. Fashion Week - Tell Me Something
When I first met the guys from Fashion Week, they had just released their hit single "Scars" and were about to start working on new material. "Scars" just missed sneaking into the 2017 Countdown but I was sure that if new music was released in 2018, it would definitely make it in. The guys have done their part to establish a strong online presence and are well known for their energetic live act. They've also worked hard to set themselves apart from their local contemporaries in both sound and in the cohesiveness of their music.
I had the pleasure of seeing them live when they were still working out the kinks of "Tell Me Something". I could tell at that moment that I was witness to something musically special. It's a slower song by FW's standards, with a big thumpy bass-line taking the lead and driving the song forward. There are ethereal keys and guitars sprinkled throughout, but it is the lyrics of the song that really puncture you. The song deals with struggling through depression and trying to find a light at the end of the tunnel. At the end of the song, singer Jason Turner admits that "tell me it will be alright, cuz it's not tonight, no it's not tonight". The song found new meaning for me when my pastor and father figure died suddenly at age 45 last month. I'm pretty sure the two songs will be forever linked there for me, but in better news the band released their newest EP Mood this week, which means you might even see the guys in next years countdown! As for "Tell Me Something", it has amassed almost 11k streams on Spotify and has a video featuring a man walking around town at night with a photograph of someone he has lost in his hand. Here's to more great rocking tunes from these fellas going forward.
Favorite line: "because I want to believe, and I want to be well, but my heart is sick, and I'm scared as hell"
Title: Tell Me Something
Artist: Fashion Week
Album: Tell Me Something single
Previous 12s
2017: Incubus - No Fun
2016: 3 Doors Down - The Broken
2015: Fear Factory - Expiration Date
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
When I first met the guys from Fashion Week, they had just released their hit single "Scars" and were about to start working on new material. "Scars" just missed sneaking into the 2017 Countdown but I was sure that if new music was released in 2018, it would definitely make it in. The guys have done their part to establish a strong online presence and are well known for their energetic live act. They've also worked hard to set themselves apart from their local contemporaries in both sound and in the cohesiveness of their music.
I had the pleasure of seeing them live when they were still working out the kinks of "Tell Me Something". I could tell at that moment that I was witness to something musically special. It's a slower song by FW's standards, with a big thumpy bass-line taking the lead and driving the song forward. There are ethereal keys and guitars sprinkled throughout, but it is the lyrics of the song that really puncture you. The song deals with struggling through depression and trying to find a light at the end of the tunnel. At the end of the song, singer Jason Turner admits that "tell me it will be alright, cuz it's not tonight, no it's not tonight". The song found new meaning for me when my pastor and father figure died suddenly at age 45 last month. I'm pretty sure the two songs will be forever linked there for me, but in better news the band released their newest EP Mood this week, which means you might even see the guys in next years countdown! As for "Tell Me Something", it has amassed almost 11k streams on Spotify and has a video featuring a man walking around town at night with a photograph of someone he has lost in his hand. Here's to more great rocking tunes from these fellas going forward.
Favorite line: "because I want to believe, and I want to be well, but my heart is sick, and I'm scared as hell"
Title: Tell Me Something
Artist: Fashion Week
Album: Tell Me Something single
Previous 12s
2017: Incubus - No Fun
2016: 3 Doors Down - The Broken
2015: Fear Factory - Expiration Date
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
Saturday, December 8, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #13
#13. Marshmello & Bastille - Happier
I know that I've spent a lot of time ripping DJs in recent years. There is this explosive trend in the music industry where artists are getting by solely by their name and not by their musical talent, ability, or ambition. DJs seem to be exploiting this niche more than any other area, with millions of fans flocking to see artists simply so they can say "I SAW xx AND THEY WERE AMAZING OMG". It's just the world we live in now. That doesn't mean that there aren't legitimately talent people behind the turntables; Avicii (RIP), Calvin Harris and Armin Van Buuren are names that I see often remixing and making their own music, and doing a fantastic job. But then you've got DJs literally just throwing garbage at the wall and attaching their names to other popular artists without really doing a whole lot to better the musical landscape.
But let's not hash around that for too long. Marshmello had 2 freaking billion streams on Spotify this past year. Regardless of his ability, people seem to love him, and getting together with Bastille has given both acts their highest charting Billboard single (#3) of their careers. It's an interesting mix of artists - the song gets play on Top 40 because of Marshmello but also gets on alternative stations and Hot AC formats due to Bastille being included. All in all, the song is a juggernaut, amassing 363 million streams on Spotify since its release in August. 363 million in just 4 months.With good reason - it tells the tale of a relationship that is falling apart. The protagonist is realizing that he is the one doing the damage and wants to make things better, even if it causes the relationship to end. I wasn't a huge fan of Bastille's last record, so its good to see that they (or at least singer Dan Smith) are working back towards a more positive direction.
Fair warning - the video will make you weep. It features a young girl getting a puppy as a present, and the puppy comforting the girl as she makes her way through awkward adolescence. That's as much as I'll tell you. Enjoy!
Favorite line: "I wanna raise your spirits, I want to see you smile but know that means I'll have to leave"
Title: Happier
Artist: Marshmello & Bastille
Album: Happier single
Previous 13s
2017: Greeley Estates - Calling All The Hopeless
2016: Mad Anthony - Sad Songs (ft Steve Wethington)
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
I know that I've spent a lot of time ripping DJs in recent years. There is this explosive trend in the music industry where artists are getting by solely by their name and not by their musical talent, ability, or ambition. DJs seem to be exploiting this niche more than any other area, with millions of fans flocking to see artists simply so they can say "I SAW xx AND THEY WERE AMAZING OMG". It's just the world we live in now. That doesn't mean that there aren't legitimately talent people behind the turntables; Avicii (RIP), Calvin Harris and Armin Van Buuren are names that I see often remixing and making their own music, and doing a fantastic job. But then you've got DJs literally just throwing garbage at the wall and attaching their names to other popular artists without really doing a whole lot to better the musical landscape.
But let's not hash around that for too long. Marshmello had 2 freaking billion streams on Spotify this past year. Regardless of his ability, people seem to love him, and getting together with Bastille has given both acts their highest charting Billboard single (#3) of their careers. It's an interesting mix of artists - the song gets play on Top 40 because of Marshmello but also gets on alternative stations and Hot AC formats due to Bastille being included. All in all, the song is a juggernaut, amassing 363 million streams on Spotify since its release in August. 363 million in just 4 months.With good reason - it tells the tale of a relationship that is falling apart. The protagonist is realizing that he is the one doing the damage and wants to make things better, even if it causes the relationship to end. I wasn't a huge fan of Bastille's last record, so its good to see that they (or at least singer Dan Smith) are working back towards a more positive direction.
Fair warning - the video will make you weep. It features a young girl getting a puppy as a present, and the puppy comforting the girl as she makes her way through awkward adolescence. That's as much as I'll tell you. Enjoy!
Favorite line: "I wanna raise your spirits, I want to see you smile but know that means I'll have to leave"
Title: Happier
Artist: Marshmello & Bastille
Album: Happier single
Previous 13s
2017: Greeley Estates - Calling All The Hopeless
2016: Mad Anthony - Sad Songs (ft Steve Wethington)
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
Friday, December 7, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #14
14. Solar Fake - The Pain That Kills You Too
Solar Fake is a German electronic act led by Sven Friedrich. Back in 2015, He dropped Another Manic Episode, which over time has arguably become one of my all-time favorite electronic discs. I was super excited to see that a new disc was coming from the group, and I was definitely not let down. A lot of the songs delve into personal issues that I have struggled with in my life the past few years, and You Win. Who Cares? takes all the pain of the previous disc and adds an extra dose of anger on the other end. Friedrich seems to understand my life on a personal level in his writing, which I find is a rarity in music. Other standout tracks inclide "Sick of You", "A Bullet Left For You", and "Fuck U". Sensing a theme?
"The Pain That Kills You Too" dials the tempo back with a soft piano mixed in to a harsher guitar synth. The song seems to deals with someone whose struggles with depression and isolation pushes their loved ones away, to the extent that it is metaphorically killing the both of them. Friedrich's voice perfectly illustrates pain and struggling, and the backing layers of keys help to push the song down. It's a powerful song that continually crept up the charts before landing at 14. I feel like it's going to be another one of those songs and albums that just gets better and better as time passes and experiences mount in life. If nothing else, it's great to see groups that are able to put out more than 1 or 2 great releases in their careers.
Favorite line: "If I would even bother, if I would even truly care, I could have chosen other ways, but I had nothing left to share. So I try to try harder, and I breathe underwater, I don’t know if you feel it too, I don’t think you ever knew. "
Title: The Pain That Kills You Too
Artist: Solar Fake
Album: You Win. Who Cares?
Previous 14s
2017: DREAMCAR - Kill for Candy
2016: Chvrches - Leave a Trace
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
Solar Fake is a German electronic act led by Sven Friedrich. Back in 2015, He dropped Another Manic Episode, which over time has arguably become one of my all-time favorite electronic discs. I was super excited to see that a new disc was coming from the group, and I was definitely not let down. A lot of the songs delve into personal issues that I have struggled with in my life the past few years, and You Win. Who Cares? takes all the pain of the previous disc and adds an extra dose of anger on the other end. Friedrich seems to understand my life on a personal level in his writing, which I find is a rarity in music. Other standout tracks inclide "Sick of You", "A Bullet Left For You", and "Fuck U". Sensing a theme?
"The Pain That Kills You Too" dials the tempo back with a soft piano mixed in to a harsher guitar synth. The song seems to deals with someone whose struggles with depression and isolation pushes their loved ones away, to the extent that it is metaphorically killing the both of them. Friedrich's voice perfectly illustrates pain and struggling, and the backing layers of keys help to push the song down. It's a powerful song that continually crept up the charts before landing at 14. I feel like it's going to be another one of those songs and albums that just gets better and better as time passes and experiences mount in life. If nothing else, it's great to see groups that are able to put out more than 1 or 2 great releases in their careers.
Favorite line: "If I would even bother, if I would even truly care, I could have chosen other ways, but I had nothing left to share. So I try to try harder, and I breathe underwater, I don’t know if you feel it too, I don’t think you ever knew. "
Title: The Pain That Kills You Too
Artist: Solar Fake
Album: You Win. Who Cares?
Previous 14s
2017: DREAMCAR - Kill for Candy
2016: Chvrches - Leave a Trace
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
Thursday, December 6, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #15
#15. Plushgun - Lukewarm
Alright, well I guess this entire countdown is shaping up to be blasts from the past. Plushgun is a band that was introduced to me by my wife at the time we started dating. The band had a minor hit in 2009 with "Just Impolite" and released their sophomore effort in 2012 without a ton of fanfare, while still holding a strong online presence and cult following. The band's sound had evolved from almost straight electronic music to incorporate more guitars and drums, but suddenly the band went on hiatus. They claimed that they were working on new material without any releases from 2012 until this April. The band even had gone silent on social media for almost two years, and then without warning dropped a new single and video.
Unfortunately, they've been mostly silent since the release of the song. But what a song it is. For a band built around bubbly synthesizers, it caught me off to hear a track that only featured an electric guitar, male and female harmony, and a light string section. It's a beautiful love song that tugs at the heartstrings and makes you wonder if a) the band is actually making new music and b) if this is the direction they'll be headed. Either way, hearing Dan Ingala sing like that really made me want more and more of what he was serving me. The video for the song features a girl goofing around in what looks like a photo shoot with lyrics from the song popping up from time to time. I can only hope there will at least be an accompanying EP in the next year for these guys.
Favorite line: "You say embrace the things that make you most scared..."
Title: Lukewarm
Artist: Plushgun
Album: Lukewarm Single
Previous 15s
2017: Ex-Nihilo - Enemy
2016: Brian Fallon - A Wonderful Life
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
Alright, well I guess this entire countdown is shaping up to be blasts from the past. Plushgun is a band that was introduced to me by my wife at the time we started dating. The band had a minor hit in 2009 with "Just Impolite" and released their sophomore effort in 2012 without a ton of fanfare, while still holding a strong online presence and cult following. The band's sound had evolved from almost straight electronic music to incorporate more guitars and drums, but suddenly the band went on hiatus. They claimed that they were working on new material without any releases from 2012 until this April. The band even had gone silent on social media for almost two years, and then without warning dropped a new single and video.
Unfortunately, they've been mostly silent since the release of the song. But what a song it is. For a band built around bubbly synthesizers, it caught me off to hear a track that only featured an electric guitar, male and female harmony, and a light string section. It's a beautiful love song that tugs at the heartstrings and makes you wonder if a) the band is actually making new music and b) if this is the direction they'll be headed. Either way, hearing Dan Ingala sing like that really made me want more and more of what he was serving me. The video for the song features a girl goofing around in what looks like a photo shoot with lyrics from the song popping up from time to time. I can only hope there will at least be an accompanying EP in the next year for these guys.
Favorite line: "You say embrace the things that make you most scared..."
Title: Lukewarm
Artist: Plushgun
Album: Lukewarm Single
Previous 15s
2017: Ex-Nihilo - Enemy
2016: Brian Fallon - A Wonderful Life
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
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #16
#16. Good Charlotte - Shadowboxer
Speaking of bands that I never imagined seeing on the Countdown, my interest in Good Charlotte essentially dropped off the map when they started making auto-tuned dance tracks like "I Don't Wanna Be In Love". Their first record after coming back from hiatus was led by a single titled "40oz Dream", which is essentially all you need to know about that song and record. Long gone are the days of the multi-platinum selling The Young and The Hopeless, but the band switched things up on me this year with Generation Rx. The album has a little more edge to it than I'd expect from a pop-punk outfit like GC. The lyrics have a little more depth. And even though it's the same band-members they've had since their more famous days, it seems a little different.
Intriguingly, I might not have even checked out the record if not for "Shadowboxer". It's a huge song with a soaring chorus riff and perfectly splintered piano parts slicing through the drums and guitars. The song deals with inner demons and the video features the band playing in an old house while showing different struggling people looking at their reflections. Instead of being tongue-in-cheek, the band decided to really go introspective and deal with mental health issues this time around. Even though it's been 16 years and the Madden brothers are almost 40, it's good to see the band kicking back to where they need to be.
Favorite line: "All this hate will burn your life down, all the pain, you cause your own suffering"
Title: Shadowboxer
Artist: Good Charlotte
Album: Generation Rx
Previous 16s
2017: Demon Hunter - Raining Down
2016: van Canto - Time and Time Again
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
Speaking of bands that I never imagined seeing on the Countdown, my interest in Good Charlotte essentially dropped off the map when they started making auto-tuned dance tracks like "I Don't Wanna Be In Love". Their first record after coming back from hiatus was led by a single titled "40oz Dream", which is essentially all you need to know about that song and record. Long gone are the days of the multi-platinum selling The Young and The Hopeless, but the band switched things up on me this year with Generation Rx. The album has a little more edge to it than I'd expect from a pop-punk outfit like GC. The lyrics have a little more depth. And even though it's the same band-members they've had since their more famous days, it seems a little different.
Intriguingly, I might not have even checked out the record if not for "Shadowboxer". It's a huge song with a soaring chorus riff and perfectly splintered piano parts slicing through the drums and guitars. The song deals with inner demons and the video features the band playing in an old house while showing different struggling people looking at their reflections. Instead of being tongue-in-cheek, the band decided to really go introspective and deal with mental health issues this time around. Even though it's been 16 years and the Madden brothers are almost 40, it's good to see the band kicking back to where they need to be.
Favorite line: "All this hate will burn your life down, all the pain, you cause your own suffering"
Title: Shadowboxer
Artist: Good Charlotte
Album: Generation Rx
Previous 16s
2017: Demon Hunter - Raining Down
2016: van Canto - Time and Time Again
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
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #17
#17. Superorganism - Everybody Wants To Be Famous
Have you ever seen an 8 member lo-fi synth-pop group? I feel ridiculous even writing that, but it's the best I can do to explain Superorganism to you. The band is absolutely an art-form, flowing between the musical and the theatrical side of things. The band essentially revolves around singer Orono Noguchi, who channels a host of other pop songstresses into her style. The band hit it big last year with the single "Something For Your M.I.N.D." and again struck gold in 2018 with "Everybody Wants To Be Famous".
I'm not sure where to start on describing the song, though. It's like trying to describe something Gorillaz did. Like all of their songs it incorporates bizarre and bouncy synths. The lyrics are chopping and nonsensical, with a chorus repeating over and over again. But the melody and the vibe are unavoidable. It was a song I immediately fell in love with this spring and listened to over and over again for a few weeks. The song reached #29 on the US Alternative Charts as well as #6 in Japan and #11 in Mexico, so apparently I was not the only one.
There is a seizure warning with the video. Honestly, everything visual the band does should come with a seizure warning. It's a preposterous video of excess and ridiculousness. If you didn't know any better, you'd think it was put together by a 14 year old trying out flash for the first time for a school project, and acing it. It definitely defines what the band is to see it.
Favorite line: "I'm calling the shots, so - see you over at Mars, it - doesn't matter the cost, seems like everybody wants to be..."
Title: Everybody Wants To Be Famous
Artist: Superorganism
Album: Superorganism
Previous #17s
2017: Tinashe - Flame
2016: Trivium - Until The World Goes Cold
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
Have you ever seen an 8 member lo-fi synth-pop group? I feel ridiculous even writing that, but it's the best I can do to explain Superorganism to you. The band is absolutely an art-form, flowing between the musical and the theatrical side of things. The band essentially revolves around singer Orono Noguchi, who channels a host of other pop songstresses into her style. The band hit it big last year with the single "Something For Your M.I.N.D." and again struck gold in 2018 with "Everybody Wants To Be Famous".
I'm not sure where to start on describing the song, though. It's like trying to describe something Gorillaz did. Like all of their songs it incorporates bizarre and bouncy synths. The lyrics are chopping and nonsensical, with a chorus repeating over and over again. But the melody and the vibe are unavoidable. It was a song I immediately fell in love with this spring and listened to over and over again for a few weeks. The song reached #29 on the US Alternative Charts as well as #6 in Japan and #11 in Mexico, so apparently I was not the only one.
There is a seizure warning with the video. Honestly, everything visual the band does should come with a seizure warning. It's a preposterous video of excess and ridiculousness. If you didn't know any better, you'd think it was put together by a 14 year old trying out flash for the first time for a school project, and acing it. It definitely defines what the band is to see it.
Favorite line: "I'm calling the shots, so - see you over at Mars, it - doesn't matter the cost, seems like everybody wants to be..."
Title: Everybody Wants To Be Famous
Artist: Superorganism
Album: Superorganism
Previous #17s
2017: Tinashe - Flame
2016: Trivium - Until The World Goes Cold
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
Monday, December 3, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #18
#18. The Raquels - Just a Txt
The Raquels are an up and coming 4 piece act out of Columbus that I had the pleasure of covering earlier this year. They like to call their sound "new-new wave" and "a DIY boy band", even if they sound nothing like the stereotypical 1990s boy band you'd imagine. Instead they blend a mix of bands like The 1975 and Two Door Cinema Club to create and fun and unique sound. Their live show is second to none as far as energy and excitement go, and they also embarked on a US tour this summer, going as far as New Orleans, New York and Florida. The band also released 5 singles over the last 12 months and are working on their debut EP.
Long before I met them, I first heard "Just a Txt" on Spotify's Local Discover channel.
The song has bouncy guitars, sparkly synths and a thumping bass riff from keyboardist Dave Butler. Guitarist Gabe Ritz uses his smoky voice to sing lead on the track, which touches on how we communicate, or perhaps how bad we are at communicating truthfully in 2018. It's about knowing that you're ghosting someone, but feeling somewhat bad about it. The 5 songs on the EP have over 25k streams on Spotify and the band has been known to sell-out venues around town, showing that they have staying power. Here's to more music from them in the future!
The song has bouncy guitars, sparkly synths and a thumping bass riff from keyboardist Dave Butler. Guitarist Gabe Ritz uses his smoky voice to sing lead on the track, which touches on how we communicate, or perhaps how bad we are at communicating truthfully in 2018. It's about knowing that you're ghosting someone, but feeling somewhat bad about it. The 5 songs on the EP have over 25k streams on Spotify and the band has been known to sell-out venues around town, showing that they have staying power. Here's to more music from them in the future!
Favorite line: "They'll get the message with no message at all"
Title: Just a Txt
Artist: The Raquels
Album: Just a Txt Single
Previous #18s
2017: Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness - Fire Escape
2016: House of Heroes - In The End
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
Sunday, December 2, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #19
#19. Rick Springfield - In The Land of the Blind
Needless to say, I don't think I ever assumed Rick Springfield would be on my Countdown. Yes, that's the same Springfield of "Jessie's Girl" fame, a song of which I am intimately familiar. That was 1981, and Springfield hasn't had a charting hit 2005. Springfield is still chugging away - album #17 dropped when he was a ripe 68 years old. Long removed from 4 consecutive platinum records, he still sounds and looks like a much younger man. I suppose it's fitting to have something Jesse related in the countdown, eh?
The Snake King is a rather dark record, spending a lot of time questioning the evils of the world and the existence of God. It has a more bluesier feel to most of the songs than previous Springfield records, but all in all it's a solid record. "In The Land of the Blind" seems to be taking shots at the president and other leaders around the world, with each pressing lyric weighing heavier than the one before. The guitars just keep going and going and your feet just keep tapping and tapping. It really is a great track, but at 4:51 is runs just a little long to be one that I could really love at the end of the year. The video follows 2 girls who have run away from home and are traveling through the desert.
Favorite line: "You're looking for someone to lead you through this, I'm standing here let's do this, throw my hat into the ring"
Title: In The Land of the Blind
Artist: Rick Springfield
Album: The Snake King
Previous #19s
2017: The Head and the Heart - Rhythm & Blues
2016: Metric - The Shade
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
Needless to say, I don't think I ever assumed Rick Springfield would be on my Countdown. Yes, that's the same Springfield of "Jessie's Girl" fame, a song of which I am intimately familiar. That was 1981, and Springfield hasn't had a charting hit 2005. Springfield is still chugging away - album #17 dropped when he was a ripe 68 years old. Long removed from 4 consecutive platinum records, he still sounds and looks like a much younger man. I suppose it's fitting to have something Jesse related in the countdown, eh?
The Snake King is a rather dark record, spending a lot of time questioning the evils of the world and the existence of God. It has a more bluesier feel to most of the songs than previous Springfield records, but all in all it's a solid record. "In The Land of the Blind" seems to be taking shots at the president and other leaders around the world, with each pressing lyric weighing heavier than the one before. The guitars just keep going and going and your feet just keep tapping and tapping. It really is a great track, but at 4:51 is runs just a little long to be one that I could really love at the end of the year. The video follows 2 girls who have run away from home and are traveling through the desert.
Favorite line: "You're looking for someone to lead you through this, I'm standing here let's do this, throw my hat into the ring"
Title: In The Land of the Blind
Artist: Rick Springfield
Album: The Snake King
Previous #19s
2017: The Head and the Heart - Rhythm & Blues
2016: Metric - The Shade
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
Saturday, December 1, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #20
#20. Ghost - Dance Macabre
Ghost is one of the more interesting bands in rock music these days. They created an image for themselves shrouded in mystery while making fairly solid rock'n'roll. For one reason or another, they skyrocketed to fame and have even won a Grammy award in 2016. For their newest record they continued their bizarre anti-Catholic outfits and brought out a new singer, this one nicknamed "Cardinal Copia". The singer has since been revealed to be Tobias Forge, formerly of Magna Carta Cartel. I had never really spent a lot of time listening to the group because their sudden vault in popularity made them so polarizing that I chose to ignore them. Foolish, I know. Lesson learned.
My friend David told me I absolutely had to hear this new song from the group, and since I had enjoyed a few of their other singles I decided to give it a shot. Most of what I had heard in the past was good enough, not awful, but not really my style. The opening riff on "Dance Macabre" changed that, for sure. It's a catchy song about death and dying, with just the right amount of keys sprinkled into a poppy guitar-drum progression. The song features one of my favorite guitar solos of the year, but is also somewhat silly in how Forge pronounces "I just wanna be, wanna bewitchu...". All of that put together cemented the group in the 2018 Countdown. The video follows two gentlemen into a vampire party with bizarre dancing and costumes. Definitely the strangest video I saw this year. 19.5m streams on Spotify to its credit - I don't think the Ghost machine is slowing down any time soon.
Favorite line: "How could it end like this? There's a sting in the way you kiss me. Something within your eyes said it could be the last time..."
Title: Dance Macabre
Artist: Ghost
Album: Prequelle
Previous #20s
2017: Liam Gallagher - Wall of Glass
2016: Safemode - Hold On
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
Ghost is one of the more interesting bands in rock music these days. They created an image for themselves shrouded in mystery while making fairly solid rock'n'roll. For one reason or another, they skyrocketed to fame and have even won a Grammy award in 2016. For their newest record they continued their bizarre anti-Catholic outfits and brought out a new singer, this one nicknamed "Cardinal Copia". The singer has since been revealed to be Tobias Forge, formerly of Magna Carta Cartel. I had never really spent a lot of time listening to the group because their sudden vault in popularity made them so polarizing that I chose to ignore them. Foolish, I know. Lesson learned.
My friend David told me I absolutely had to hear this new song from the group, and since I had enjoyed a few of their other singles I decided to give it a shot. Most of what I had heard in the past was good enough, not awful, but not really my style. The opening riff on "Dance Macabre" changed that, for sure. It's a catchy song about death and dying, with just the right amount of keys sprinkled into a poppy guitar-drum progression. The song features one of my favorite guitar solos of the year, but is also somewhat silly in how Forge pronounces "I just wanna be, wanna bewitchu...". All of that put together cemented the group in the 2018 Countdown. The video follows two gentlemen into a vampire party with bizarre dancing and costumes. Definitely the strangest video I saw this year. 19.5m streams on Spotify to its credit - I don't think the Ghost machine is slowing down any time soon.
Favorite line: "How could it end like this? There's a sting in the way you kiss me. Something within your eyes said it could be the last time..."
Title: Dance Macabre
Artist: Ghost
Album: Prequelle
Previous #20s
2017: Liam Gallagher - Wall of Glass
2016: Safemode - Hold On
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
Friday, November 30, 2018
The 2018 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - Intro and Songs That Didn't Make It
We're back! 10th anniversary!!
It's weird for me to think that I've been doing Top 20 Countdowns for 10 years. It was never my intention to create an institution - I simply wanted a better way of keeping track of the music I enjoyed. I wanted to watch my musical tastes evolve, as well as keep better track of what was out there. This was before the likes of Spotify and Apple Music dominating the way we access and absorb music. This was back when I had a little 4GB Walkman MP3 player and listened to the radio for hours on end. You know - the good old days.
These days, I only spend an hour or so per week with the radio. Everything has been pushed online, and the ways to access artists have exploded. People are getting famous off of YouTube performances and Soundcloud accounts. Local bands still plug away and record labels still crush those whom they snatch up, but the landscape of music has changed significantly from when I started doing the countdown.
Fortunately, we've still got YouTube to link the videos, and a blog platform to share them. These days everything is shared through social media as well, but in recent years I've noticed a lot less chatter about music on those platforms. Back in the MySpace days (dating myself, I know) it was fairly constant, whereas now social media is more about how many clicks can corporations and websites get, as opposed to sharing our lives together. It's a bizarre intertwining spiral, and it honestly does feel like something straight out of the dystopian epics of the 80s. Advertising always wins, hell even in music advertising is working its way into the lyrics of the most popular acts. Yuck.
Anyways, it's Year 10 and it's time to get started. I'm going to stick with the format I've used in recent years - every day at noon, starting tomorrow (December 1st). As we always do, we begin with a handful of songs that were on the cusp this year but didn't quite break through. There's actually a lot more to work with this year than I had last year, which is definitely a breath of fresh air. There are several new bands this year, plus a few returning acts that might surprise you. The only way to find out is.... to stay tuned!
Here we go!
Breaking Benjamin - Psycho
Album: Ember
Despite being an all-time favorite band of mine, Breaking Benjamin has never actually made the countdown on account of being on hiatus and not releasing album from 2009-15. They came close this time around, with an excellent album that surpasses their last two releases (both pre and post breakup). "Red Cold River" was the first song to be released and immediately punched the rock world int he mouth. "Psycho" was my personal favorite, and I'm hoping the band has more in the tank for one or two more great releases going forward.
Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness - Ohio
Album: Upside Down Flowers
Didn't Andrew McMahon just just land at #18 last year on an entirely different album? Yes! But, apparently he's back with a bunch of new material that just couldn't wait, so here's another record! The album was released two weeks ago, giving it the opportunity to make a splash on next years Countdown, but McMahon usually has just 1 song per record that I enjoy. This one is a sweet little ditty though!
Red Sun Rising - Fascination
Album: Thread
Make that two great Red Sun Rising albums and two almost's on the Countdown. "Fascination" is the lead track on one of my favorite records of the year, spawning the massively popular single "Deathwish". It's pretty cool that an Ohio band is turning rock music back in the right direction.
Machine Head - Beyond the Pale
Album: Catharsis
Catharsis is another crushing album from Robb Flynn and the guys at Machine Head. The band has 25 years under their belt and show no sign of stopping. "Beyond the Pale" has everything you'd expect from a MH song - screaming solos, crunchy guitars, angsty lyrics and lots of faced paced, in your face action. Freaks and zeroes, baby!
DREAMERS - Screws
Album: Launch EP
DREAMERS is a fun little 3 piece outfit who has started making waves among the alternative crowds with their catchy lyrics and fuzzy guitars. They're also another band who is bucking LPs for releasing multiple EPs.
Honorable Mention: Beck - Up All Night; Toni Cornell - Nothing Compares 2 U (featuring Chris Cornell); August Burns Red - King of Sorrow; Gorillaz - Humility (featuring George Benson); Miller and the Hunks - Sided System; Marc Gunn - Why Do You Torture Me?; NF - Let You Down; Kamelot - Amnesiac; Pop Evil - Waking Lions; Pettidee - Off Hiatus.
It's weird for me to think that I've been doing Top 20 Countdowns for 10 years. It was never my intention to create an institution - I simply wanted a better way of keeping track of the music I enjoyed. I wanted to watch my musical tastes evolve, as well as keep better track of what was out there. This was before the likes of Spotify and Apple Music dominating the way we access and absorb music. This was back when I had a little 4GB Walkman MP3 player and listened to the radio for hours on end. You know - the good old days.
These days, I only spend an hour or so per week with the radio. Everything has been pushed online, and the ways to access artists have exploded. People are getting famous off of YouTube performances and Soundcloud accounts. Local bands still plug away and record labels still crush those whom they snatch up, but the landscape of music has changed significantly from when I started doing the countdown.
Fortunately, we've still got YouTube to link the videos, and a blog platform to share them. These days everything is shared through social media as well, but in recent years I've noticed a lot less chatter about music on those platforms. Back in the MySpace days (dating myself, I know) it was fairly constant, whereas now social media is more about how many clicks can corporations and websites get, as opposed to sharing our lives together. It's a bizarre intertwining spiral, and it honestly does feel like something straight out of the dystopian epics of the 80s. Advertising always wins, hell even in music advertising is working its way into the lyrics of the most popular acts. Yuck.
Anyways, it's Year 10 and it's time to get started. I'm going to stick with the format I've used in recent years - every day at noon, starting tomorrow (December 1st). As we always do, we begin with a handful of songs that were on the cusp this year but didn't quite break through. There's actually a lot more to work with this year than I had last year, which is definitely a breath of fresh air. There are several new bands this year, plus a few returning acts that might surprise you. The only way to find out is.... to stay tuned!
Here we go!
Breaking Benjamin - Psycho
Album: Ember
Despite being an all-time favorite band of mine, Breaking Benjamin has never actually made the countdown on account of being on hiatus and not releasing album from 2009-15. They came close this time around, with an excellent album that surpasses their last two releases (both pre and post breakup). "Red Cold River" was the first song to be released and immediately punched the rock world int he mouth. "Psycho" was my personal favorite, and I'm hoping the band has more in the tank for one or two more great releases going forward.
Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness - Ohio
Album: Upside Down Flowers
Didn't Andrew McMahon just just land at #18 last year on an entirely different album? Yes! But, apparently he's back with a bunch of new material that just couldn't wait, so here's another record! The album was released two weeks ago, giving it the opportunity to make a splash on next years Countdown, but McMahon usually has just 1 song per record that I enjoy. This one is a sweet little ditty though!
Red Sun Rising - Fascination
Album: Thread
Make that two great Red Sun Rising albums and two almost's on the Countdown. "Fascination" is the lead track on one of my favorite records of the year, spawning the massively popular single "Deathwish". It's pretty cool that an Ohio band is turning rock music back in the right direction.
Machine Head - Beyond the Pale
Album: Catharsis
Catharsis is another crushing album from Robb Flynn and the guys at Machine Head. The band has 25 years under their belt and show no sign of stopping. "Beyond the Pale" has everything you'd expect from a MH song - screaming solos, crunchy guitars, angsty lyrics and lots of faced paced, in your face action. Freaks and zeroes, baby!
DREAMERS - Screws
Album: Launch EP
DREAMERS is a fun little 3 piece outfit who has started making waves among the alternative crowds with their catchy lyrics and fuzzy guitars. They're also another band who is bucking LPs for releasing multiple EPs.
Honorable Mention: Beck - Up All Night; Toni Cornell - Nothing Compares 2 U (featuring Chris Cornell); August Burns Red - King of Sorrow; Gorillaz - Humility (featuring George Benson); Miller and the Hunks - Sided System; Marc Gunn - Why Do You Torture Me?; NF - Let You Down; Kamelot - Amnesiac; Pop Evil - Waking Lions; Pettidee - Off Hiatus.
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