I've decided to make a list of my 40 favorite local songs of the
last decade! I decided to stick with the smaller acts for this list. I
love bands like House of Heroes, The National, The Devil Wears Prada and
Relient K, but I wanted to focus on smaller acts here.
#s 40-31 can be found here
#s 30-21 can be found here
#s 20-11 can be found here
10. The Wet Darlings - Used To Be Better
Album: Beautiful Things (2015)
Location: Columbus
One of the best albums released in the decade from Columbus, the Wet Darlings have been on somewhat of a hiatus for the last year or so. Jenny Lute has a voice that will knock you off your feet, and the band flat-out rocks. I need them back in my life, but in the mean-time there's always Beautiful Things. The line "I'm good, but I used to be better" is a rallying cry that keeps me sane to this day.
9. Curse of Cassandra - Dragon on a Leash
Album: Cult of Cats (2016)
Location: Dayton
It was this album that started my love affair with Curse of Cassandra. If you know me you've read plenty about it. Coincidentally, this wasn't even my favorite song from Cult of Cats until after their most recent record, Nekonomicon was released. It is what it is, I suppose. You've got pulsing beats, sultry meows, and a drop that'll kick any dance floor into a frenzy.
8. Jocef Michael Band - My Door
Album: Gray Matter (2016)
Location: Columbus
Joe has since become a great friend of mine, but this was the song that hooked me the first time I saw him perform live. Every time I've seen him live he's had a different show, but the passion you feel on this album is always there. This song is split into two parts; the piano-driven love ballad for the first 4+ minutes, and the throw-down dance outro, which he NEVER plays live. Hopefully there will be new JMB in 2020!
7. Lydia Loveless - To Love Somebody
Album: Somewhere Else (2014)
Location: Columbus
Lydia Loveless is a huge deal these days, but in the mid 2010's she was cutting straight through my heartstrings with her country-twang voice and tremendous songwriting ability. "I never did want you to be mine, well, at least not all the time... but I wanna be on your mind" gah, this song especially rips me to shreds. What a jam. I'm not much for any type of "country" music in the 2000s, but I cannot avoid how great Lydia is. She's one of the few artists on this list that I've never actually seen live, and definitely the highest of them.
6. Curse of Cassandra - Re-Bind (Retro Binding Mix)
Album: Nekonomicon (2017)
Location: Dayton
What, did you think there'd only be one Curse song in the Top 10? Heck, with how much time I spend with the band, I could've had Falling, Bastet, and Carpe Noctem on the list, but I'm sticking to one song per release to be fair. This song makes me happier than any other song in the Curse catalogue, which is filled with jams that pick me up at my worst of times. If I'm not mistaken, they've played this song live at every live show I've seen them at, which is now in the double digits. I did some number crunching earlier this year, and I've now seen Curse perform more times than any other band in my life. That's pretty friggen great, for a random band that I only found after scrolling through 10 pages of Facebook events on a day that Rick needed me to fill in on the calendar.
See video for the true live experience -->
5. Jess Lamb and the Factory - End of the Line
Album: End of the Line (2016)
Location: Cincinnati
Nobody on this planet has a voice like Jess Lamb. I'm gonna attach a live video as well as the studio version of this song just so you can truly appreciate how amazing she is. For making dark music, her voice radiates and has beamed through any and every dark obstacle I have been through in my life since meeting her in 2016. She is a relentless performer in Cincinnati, and I would give just about anything to get her down to Columbus for a few shows. As it stands, I've only actually seen her perform the one time, and it absolutely changed my life and the way I view a lot of things. I strive to "live my art" like Jess does, and I use that motto as a way to make myself a better writer for Music in Motion. But I digress. Go listen to the song! If your voice doesn't quiver like her voice, I will give you double your money back.
(live)
(studio)
4. Morning Theft - Skeleton Twins
Album: ...these terraformed ends (2017)
Location: Columbus
I've told the story a dozen times before, but it bears repeating. I was planning on killing myself the day I met Morning Theft. I had already scripted what I was going to do, and had started writing my goodbyes. I was crying my eyes out at an Arby's in Upper Arlington, contemplating whether I should even cover the show I was sent to do by my editor. I decided that I'd do one last concert, write my piece and call it a life. And then I heard this song, met these people.... well, that was two years ago and I'm still here. This song is the embodiment of my struggle with mental illness throughout my entire life; a bastion of strength in the difficult times, and a poignant lyrical reminder that I am certainly not alone in my fight. I am eternally grateful to Nick and Jenelle for keeping me around til almost 4am that night, even though they had no idea they were saving my life.
3. The Broken Relics - Where The Creatures Roam
Album: With Reverence (2019)
Location: Youngstown/Columbus
Here's that recency bias question again - is Where The Creatures Roam more of a favorite song to me than Skeleton Twins? Skeleton Twins was #1 on the 2017 Top 20, while WTCR was #2 this year. I think a good argument could be made for either song, but WTCR makes me feel things that even Skeleton Twins hasn't done to me in the last three years. You never really expect that, though. I didn't wake up that morning and say "hey, I'm gonna hear a song today that will go down in the annals of ALL TIME FAVORITE". I suppose I can always hope for that, but this one was a song that absolutely knocked me off my feet and took me by storm in 2019. The crazy thing is, the more I listen to it the more I find that I like about it. Of course, it also has a beautiful piano reprise that I would argue could be listen to both before and after, but that is beside the point. I am utterly thrilled that music this good is being made and performed here in Columbus.
2. Truslow - Hurricane
Album: Hurricane (2014)
Location: Columbus
I've written a lot of things about Truslow in the last 3 years, but even I have a difficult time putting into words how this song moves me. I remember binge-listening to ADHD when I first found Truslow, and kind of skittering around the other songs on this EP. Guess what? They're all fantastic, from top to bottom. 6 worthy songs for this list, but none moreso than Hurricane. Something about the way James yells "You carry me" just makes my heart explode. The simplicity of the piano opening, the sing-along chorus, the ever-expanding musical base of the song... it all works together to make the perfect song for every occasion. The fact that there was a better local song in the 2010s is almost mind-boggling, but I could say that about every song from 4 onwards on here.
1. So Long, Stargazer - Fall Behind
Album: Look Up (2016)
Location: Columbus
When Spotify gave me my decade-end data, there was 1 local song on my most-streamed list, and it was this one. That is the list of all the songs I have listened to since I started using Spotify. That's over 15 thousand individual songs. That just boggles my mind. In writing this list, I had to take a step back and ask myself; what makes Fall Behind so great? Look Up is a tremendous record, with songs like Rewind, Ready/Up, Sky Breathe, Weightless, and other gems that make for just under and hour's worth of good listening. But for Fall Behind, it's Kristen's piano and mournful voice, Nick's simple drum beat, and Chase's passion that really kicked me in the heart. It's absolutely the best duet they have written together, but it is on this song that Kristen really shines. I probably listened to her part over and over and over again when I first got this record. There are other songs that better highlight the rest of the band individually, but on this one the singers truly flourish with the keys. It's a song that I needed to make it through a lot of tough days in the latter part of this decade. It really was the only choice for #1 on this top 40 list.
That's it, that's all. Thanks everyone for reading!! Support Local! Ohio Rocks!!
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Jester One Music - Top Local Songs of the Decade: 20-11
I've decided to make a list of my 40 favorite local songs of the
last decade! I decided to stick with the smaller acts for this list. I
love bands like House of Heroes, The National, The Devil Wears Prada and
Relient K, but I wanted to focus on smaller acts here.
#s 40-31 can be found here
#s 30-21 can be found here
20. Van Dale - Bed of Bricks (Isn't It)
Album: Van Dale (2013)
Location: Columbus
The ultimate mellow out, kick you in the rocks song. Van Dale are what a bunch of great 90s fuzz-rock bands like Hum would sound like in the 2010s. Something about this song always catches me, and I've never ever been able to put my finger on it. I think it might be because it literally sounds like Hum. Haha.
19. Miller and the Hunks - Gravity
Album: And Jeff, Pt 1 (2017)
Location: Columbus
The most polarizing group of 2019 on this list, for all the wrong reasons, unfortunately. This song is tremendous, and every time I've seen it performed live I've had it stuck in my head for days. Colin Miller doesn't have the voice you'd expect for a rock star, but I think that's what makes his voice so great.
18. Fashion Week - Tell Me Something
Album: Tell Me Something (2018)
Location: Columbus
Make it two for Fashion Week. This song is a bass-driven life anthem for me, even moreso since the passing of Pastor Simon. Coincidentally, Jason and the boys also go to church there. This song has filled me up in the most empty times of my life and has pushed me through tougher times than I could ever imagine.
17. Graceful Closure - Choices
Album: Rév
Location: Columbus
One of those oddities where I don't necessarily like the band or their music, but I love the one song. Graceful Closure are a huge deal around here and recently broke up, but have reformed and are looking to tackle 2020 in a new act called Euvoia. I can only assume it will be similar, but I love surprises :)
16. Mary Lynn - Space
Album: My Animal (2016)
Location: Columbus
When we started Music in Motion, Mary Lynn was one of the first bands I told Rick we had to do a feature on. I'm beyond stoked that she's finally working on a new record that will hopefully be out in 2020! Her voice is what really makes the band soar, and the talented group around her know how to keep things rolling.
15. Truslow - Liar
Album: Truslow (2013)
Location: Columbus
You just try and not sing along when James goes "cuz you're a li-i-i-i-iaaar". You can't. It's impossible. He's the absolute KANG of writing choruses. Never even mind how great the lyrics and music are! Is there anything musically this dude cannot do?
14. The Lovebenders - All About This
Album: Crime & Poetry (2011)
Location: Columbus
When they formed, The Lovebenders were out to change the way great music was written. They went in a few different musical directions over their lifespan, and sadly announced they were hanging things up for good just yesterday. Crime & Poetry is definitely a gem, and I hope that the members continue making music in the future.
13. Daymare - Bleed Out
Album: Daymare (2016)
Location: Columbus
Daymare is the band that brought me back to Columbus music, in a huge way. I'd known Dustin for ages and I was glad that I found him again in this band. This song is absolutely colossal, and with good reason got a LOT of play in Columbus radio when it was released. Also, this video doesn't make a damn lick of sense because Austin is playing patty-cake with his drum-set. It's just not realistic.
12. The Orphan, The Poet - Starlight
Album: Starlight (2014)
Location: Dayton
So... apparently something happened between TOTP's old lineup and their current ensemble, that prevents them for having this song shared anywhere. I chatted with them online earlier this year about it and apparently it's not something that is to be discussed. That is most unfortunate, because it's an absolute gem and a song that I listened to on repeat for several years. Heck, you might not even believe it exists outside of the fact that its lyrics are still out there. The band also calls Columbus their hometown now.
https://genius.com/The-orphan-the-poet-starlight-lyrics
11. Vesperteen - Medicine
Album: The Hype Is Dead (2018)
Location: Columbus
I mean, you ever just know? That first time when you hear a song and it just rattles your bones? Yeah, that's Medicine. I wish Colin nothing but the best now that he's signed to a semi-major label. Hopefully he will still wield enough creative control to make more gems like this!
#'s 19-10 coming soon, stay tuned!!
#s 40-31 can be found here
#s 30-21 can be found here
20. Van Dale - Bed of Bricks (Isn't It)
Album: Van Dale (2013)
Location: Columbus
The ultimate mellow out, kick you in the rocks song. Van Dale are what a bunch of great 90s fuzz-rock bands like Hum would sound like in the 2010s. Something about this song always catches me, and I've never ever been able to put my finger on it. I think it might be because it literally sounds like Hum. Haha.
19. Miller and the Hunks - Gravity
Album: And Jeff, Pt 1 (2017)
Location: Columbus
The most polarizing group of 2019 on this list, for all the wrong reasons, unfortunately. This song is tremendous, and every time I've seen it performed live I've had it stuck in my head for days. Colin Miller doesn't have the voice you'd expect for a rock star, but I think that's what makes his voice so great.
18. Fashion Week - Tell Me Something
Album: Tell Me Something (2018)
Location: Columbus
Make it two for Fashion Week. This song is a bass-driven life anthem for me, even moreso since the passing of Pastor Simon. Coincidentally, Jason and the boys also go to church there. This song has filled me up in the most empty times of my life and has pushed me through tougher times than I could ever imagine.
17. Graceful Closure - Choices
Album: Rév
Location: Columbus
One of those oddities where I don't necessarily like the band or their music, but I love the one song. Graceful Closure are a huge deal around here and recently broke up, but have reformed and are looking to tackle 2020 in a new act called Euvoia. I can only assume it will be similar, but I love surprises :)
16. Mary Lynn - Space
Album: My Animal (2016)
Location: Columbus
When we started Music in Motion, Mary Lynn was one of the first bands I told Rick we had to do a feature on. I'm beyond stoked that she's finally working on a new record that will hopefully be out in 2020! Her voice is what really makes the band soar, and the talented group around her know how to keep things rolling.
15. Truslow - Liar
Album: Truslow (2013)
Location: Columbus
You just try and not sing along when James goes "cuz you're a li-i-i-i-iaaar". You can't. It's impossible. He's the absolute KANG of writing choruses. Never even mind how great the lyrics and music are! Is there anything musically this dude cannot do?
14. The Lovebenders - All About This
Album: Crime & Poetry (2011)
Location: Columbus
When they formed, The Lovebenders were out to change the way great music was written. They went in a few different musical directions over their lifespan, and sadly announced they were hanging things up for good just yesterday. Crime & Poetry is definitely a gem, and I hope that the members continue making music in the future.
13. Daymare - Bleed Out
Album: Daymare (2016)
Location: Columbus
Daymare is the band that brought me back to Columbus music, in a huge way. I'd known Dustin for ages and I was glad that I found him again in this band. This song is absolutely colossal, and with good reason got a LOT of play in Columbus radio when it was released. Also, this video doesn't make a damn lick of sense because Austin is playing patty-cake with his drum-set. It's just not realistic.
12. The Orphan, The Poet - Starlight
Album: Starlight (2014)
Location: Dayton
So... apparently something happened between TOTP's old lineup and their current ensemble, that prevents them for having this song shared anywhere. I chatted with them online earlier this year about it and apparently it's not something that is to be discussed. That is most unfortunate, because it's an absolute gem and a song that I listened to on repeat for several years. Heck, you might not even believe it exists outside of the fact that its lyrics are still out there. The band also calls Columbus their hometown now.
https://genius.com/The-orphan-the-poet-starlight-lyrics
11. Vesperteen - Medicine
Album: The Hype Is Dead (2018)
Location: Columbus
I mean, you ever just know? That first time when you hear a song and it just rattles your bones? Yeah, that's Medicine. I wish Colin nothing but the best now that he's signed to a semi-major label. Hopefully he will still wield enough creative control to make more gems like this!
#'s 19-10 coming soon, stay tuned!!
Jester One Music - Top Local Songs of the Decade: 30-21
I've decided to make a list of my 40 favorite local songs of the
last decade! I decided to stick with the smaller acts for this list. I
love bands like House of Heroes, The National, The Devil Wears Prada and
Relient K, but I wanted to focus on smaller acts here.
#s 40-31 can be found here
30. Nick Tolford & Company - Until I Walk Away
Album: Extraordinary Love (2010)
Location: Columbus
Nick Tolford has one of the greatest voices of anyone I've ever heard sing in my fair city. So much grizzly soul in there - like a modern day Otis Redding. I'd love to see those guys make a comeback.
29. Vesperteen - Operate
Album: Operate (2018)
Location: Columbus
The difficulty of making an "End of Decade" list is avoiding the recency bias. But Operate is a humongous song that has helped me get over the death of Pastor Simon, and for that I can't imagine it fading on any of my lists.
28. Angela Perley & The Howlin' Moons - Hurricane
Album: Hey Kid (2014)
Location: Columbus
Angela Perley is one of the coolest rockstars on the planet. Also, there's no one out there with a voice quite like hers. She has a new album out this year, so if you haven't heard her, consider this your introduction!
27. Ex-Nihilo - Enemy
Album: Ex-Nihilo (2016)
Location: Columbus
Ex-Nihilo is the ultimate testament to the fleeting nature of local bands. They came together quickly, released a smash-hit EP, played some huge showed, and had big plans for the future before internal conflicts caused them to dissolve quiety. After seeing them live for the first time, the opening riff to this song was stuck in my head for weeks.
26. Micah Schnabel - The Interview
Album: Your New Normal Rockwell (2017)
Location: Columbus
Micah's solo work has been top notch, and everyone I know who has ever seen him has raved about his songwriting abilities. This song is the ultimate "get to know me" as he interviews himself and shows off a special part of his quirky mind.
25. Fashion Week - Scars
Album: Scars (2017)
Location: Columbus
Fashion Week is another one of those bands that just seems to get bigger and bigger as time passes. I'm glad I latched onto them when I did so I can watch the ride unfold. They're a pretty sweet group of dudes as well.
24. Cosmo's Elephant - The End of the Ocean
Album: Room Full Of Sky (2017)
Location: Columbus
As I compiled this list, I thought to myself "what would be the most unknown song out of everything on here, if an outsider were to look at my list". I'm pretty sure it would be this one. This album was released, the band played a release show, and immediately went on hiatus, with most of their members playing in other projects. Amy Kies' voice invades your soul on this one, whew.
23. Mad Anthony - Sad Songs
Album: Mad Anthology Pt 2 (2018)
Location: Cincinnati
This one for me has always been "the honeymoon song", because we heard it on a station from Oxford, Ohio while on our honeymoon in 2016. My wife hates it because the chorus is literally about why the singer sings his sad songs, and because she first heard on it on a happy occasion. BUT IT'S A GREAT SONG! More curiously, we were at a state park that was named after a soldier who served with General "Mad" Anthony.
22. The Odds Of Being Born - Fall into My Engine
Album: Fall into My Engine (2015)
Location: Columbus
I first heard this song on CD102.5 when it came out, and immediately fell in love. I didn't even know they were from Columbus until I started doing Music in Motion. The line "fall into my infantile obsession of you" is one of my all-time favorites for local music. Chris Albert is another one of those vocalists whose voice just sticks to you like syrup.
21. Colin Gawel - Superior
Album: Superior (2010)
Location: Columbus
Everyone knows Colin. He's a great dude, a fantastic musician, and one of the biggest Columbus supporters in the world. For all the great musical projects he's been involved with (Watershed, Dead Schembechlers, etc), I feel like this song is his crowning achievement.
#'s 20-11 coming soon, stay tuned!!
#s 40-31 can be found here
30. Nick Tolford & Company - Until I Walk Away
Album: Extraordinary Love (2010)
Location: Columbus
Nick Tolford has one of the greatest voices of anyone I've ever heard sing in my fair city. So much grizzly soul in there - like a modern day Otis Redding. I'd love to see those guys make a comeback.
29. Vesperteen - Operate
Album: Operate (2018)
Location: Columbus
The difficulty of making an "End of Decade" list is avoiding the recency bias. But Operate is a humongous song that has helped me get over the death of Pastor Simon, and for that I can't imagine it fading on any of my lists.
28. Angela Perley & The Howlin' Moons - Hurricane
Album: Hey Kid (2014)
Location: Columbus
Angela Perley is one of the coolest rockstars on the planet. Also, there's no one out there with a voice quite like hers. She has a new album out this year, so if you haven't heard her, consider this your introduction!
27. Ex-Nihilo - Enemy
Album: Ex-Nihilo (2016)
Location: Columbus
Ex-Nihilo is the ultimate testament to the fleeting nature of local bands. They came together quickly, released a smash-hit EP, played some huge showed, and had big plans for the future before internal conflicts caused them to dissolve quiety. After seeing them live for the first time, the opening riff to this song was stuck in my head for weeks.
26. Micah Schnabel - The Interview
Album: Your New Normal Rockwell (2017)
Location: Columbus
Micah's solo work has been top notch, and everyone I know who has ever seen him has raved about his songwriting abilities. This song is the ultimate "get to know me" as he interviews himself and shows off a special part of his quirky mind.
25. Fashion Week - Scars
Album: Scars (2017)
Location: Columbus
Fashion Week is another one of those bands that just seems to get bigger and bigger as time passes. I'm glad I latched onto them when I did so I can watch the ride unfold. They're a pretty sweet group of dudes as well.
24. Cosmo's Elephant - The End of the Ocean
Album: Room Full Of Sky (2017)
Location: Columbus
As I compiled this list, I thought to myself "what would be the most unknown song out of everything on here, if an outsider were to look at my list". I'm pretty sure it would be this one. This album was released, the band played a release show, and immediately went on hiatus, with most of their members playing in other projects. Amy Kies' voice invades your soul on this one, whew.
23. Mad Anthony - Sad Songs
Album: Mad Anthology Pt 2 (2018)
Location: Cincinnati
This one for me has always been "the honeymoon song", because we heard it on a station from Oxford, Ohio while on our honeymoon in 2016. My wife hates it because the chorus is literally about why the singer sings his sad songs, and because she first heard on it on a happy occasion. BUT IT'S A GREAT SONG! More curiously, we were at a state park that was named after a soldier who served with General "Mad" Anthony.
22. The Odds Of Being Born - Fall into My Engine
Album: Fall into My Engine (2015)
Location: Columbus
I first heard this song on CD102.5 when it came out, and immediately fell in love. I didn't even know they were from Columbus until I started doing Music in Motion. The line "fall into my infantile obsession of you" is one of my all-time favorites for local music. Chris Albert is another one of those vocalists whose voice just sticks to you like syrup.
21. Colin Gawel - Superior
Album: Superior (2010)
Location: Columbus
Everyone knows Colin. He's a great dude, a fantastic musician, and one of the biggest Columbus supporters in the world. For all the great musical projects he's been involved with (Watershed, Dead Schembechlers, etc), I feel like this song is his crowning achievement.
#'s 20-11 coming soon, stay tuned!!
Jester One Music - Top Local Songs of the Decade: 40-31
I've decided to make a list of my 40 favorite local songs of the last decade! I decided to stick with the smaller acts for this list. I love bands like House of Heroes, The National, The Devil Wears Prada and Relient K, but I wanted to focus on smaller acts here.
40. Emily Keener - Lorelei
Album: Breakfast (2016)
Location: Cleveland
Emily Keener was featured on The Voice back in 2016, when she was all of 16 years old. You listen to this song and tell me she's 16 years old. It's cute while still being poignant and relevant to any age bracket.
39. The Skashank Redemption - Whatever Happened?
Album: To Victory! (2013)
Location: Columbus
It's a shame Skashank broke up a few years ago. This album is absolute gold, even if their sophomore effort didn't hold up. It's such a fleeting genre, as addressed by the song. I saw them open for Five Iron Frenzy (with House of Heroes, damn what a show) several years ago and they were as good as the headliners.
38. Maelstrom Magnet - I Wouldn't Stop Ya
Album: I Wouldn't Stop ya (2017)
Location: Columbus
I did an interview with Mael a few years ago, and we talked about mental health. Last year she moved away from Ohio and deactivated all of her band activities without much warning. It's a real bummer - I enjoyed listening to her and I still play around with this song from time to time.
37. Digisaurus - Without Me
Album: No More Room For Love (2015)
Location: Columbus
Digisaurus hangs out in LA these days, trying to make a bigger and better name for himself. Right after this album came out, someone played this song as a Guest DJ on CD102.5. It's a great poppy bouncy number that leaves you wanting more.
36. Erica Blinn - Whiskey Kisses
Album: Lovers In The Dust (2014)
Location: Columbus
I miss watching Erica perform. I think I saw her 3 or 4 times at random bars at random times before she shipped off to Nashville. She has a fantastic voice and is such a cool cat. This is one of those songs that I never seem to put on intentionally, but it pops up in playlists and I always enjoy it.
35. Label Me Lecter - Someday
Album: Dreams (2018)
Location: Columbus
I will always be grateful for CD102.5 and their local gems they play every hour. There are some bands on there that even I might not have found working in the scene. This album is great, and I'm expecting some huge things from these two dudes going forward.
34. Two Cow Garage - Jackson, Don't You Worry
Album: Sweet Saint Me (2010)
Location: Columbus
Both Shane and Micah from Two Cow Garage are insanely talented musicians and songwriters, so it's no surprise that TCG was so big, at least around these parts. This song is a throwback to the mellow early times of this decade for me.
33. Threat Level Midnight - Gullible
Album: Threat Level Midnight (2018)
Location: Hilliard
The demo version of this song is what initially turned me onto this band. I remember hearing it and telling myself that if they could find some good production, they could be a helluva band. I didn't realize they were high-schoolers at the time, lol. What a cool bunch of kids they were.
32. Forever Unknown - Bury Me
Album: Study Hall (2019)
Location: Columbus
This year's group of amazing high-schoolers for me is Forever Unknown, possibly the youngest collective band I've ever met. If you saw me dancing with tears on my face in my car at any point in the last few months, it was probably to this song.
31. The Raquels - Just A Txt
Album: Just A Txt (2017)
Location: Columbus
Arguably the most fun interview I've ever had with Music In Motion, the Raquels have started releasing new music again and are poised to push the envelope even further in 2020. Just A Txt is one of their songs with the sultry Gabe Ritz on vocals.
#'s 30-21 coming soon, stay tuned!!
40. Emily Keener - Lorelei
Album: Breakfast (2016)
Location: Cleveland
Emily Keener was featured on The Voice back in 2016, when she was all of 16 years old. You listen to this song and tell me she's 16 years old. It's cute while still being poignant and relevant to any age bracket.
39. The Skashank Redemption - Whatever Happened?
Album: To Victory! (2013)
Location: Columbus
It's a shame Skashank broke up a few years ago. This album is absolute gold, even if their sophomore effort didn't hold up. It's such a fleeting genre, as addressed by the song. I saw them open for Five Iron Frenzy (with House of Heroes, damn what a show) several years ago and they were as good as the headliners.
38. Maelstrom Magnet - I Wouldn't Stop Ya
Album: I Wouldn't Stop ya (2017)
Location: Columbus
I did an interview with Mael a few years ago, and we talked about mental health. Last year she moved away from Ohio and deactivated all of her band activities without much warning. It's a real bummer - I enjoyed listening to her and I still play around with this song from time to time.
37. Digisaurus - Without Me
Album: No More Room For Love (2015)
Location: Columbus
Digisaurus hangs out in LA these days, trying to make a bigger and better name for himself. Right after this album came out, someone played this song as a Guest DJ on CD102.5. It's a great poppy bouncy number that leaves you wanting more.
36. Erica Blinn - Whiskey Kisses
Album: Lovers In The Dust (2014)
Location: Columbus
I miss watching Erica perform. I think I saw her 3 or 4 times at random bars at random times before she shipped off to Nashville. She has a fantastic voice and is such a cool cat. This is one of those songs that I never seem to put on intentionally, but it pops up in playlists and I always enjoy it.
35. Label Me Lecter - Someday
Album: Dreams (2018)
Location: Columbus
I will always be grateful for CD102.5 and their local gems they play every hour. There are some bands on there that even I might not have found working in the scene. This album is great, and I'm expecting some huge things from these two dudes going forward.
34. Two Cow Garage - Jackson, Don't You Worry
Album: Sweet Saint Me (2010)
Location: Columbus
Both Shane and Micah from Two Cow Garage are insanely talented musicians and songwriters, so it's no surprise that TCG was so big, at least around these parts. This song is a throwback to the mellow early times of this decade for me.
33. Threat Level Midnight - Gullible
Album: Threat Level Midnight (2018)
Location: Hilliard
The demo version of this song is what initially turned me onto this band. I remember hearing it and telling myself that if they could find some good production, they could be a helluva band. I didn't realize they were high-schoolers at the time, lol. What a cool bunch of kids they were.
32. Forever Unknown - Bury Me
Album: Study Hall (2019)
Location: Columbus
This year's group of amazing high-schoolers for me is Forever Unknown, possibly the youngest collective band I've ever met. If you saw me dancing with tears on my face in my car at any point in the last few months, it was probably to this song.
31. The Raquels - Just A Txt
Album: Just A Txt (2017)
Location: Columbus
Arguably the most fun interview I've ever had with Music In Motion, the Raquels have started releasing new music again and are poised to push the envelope even further in 2020. Just A Txt is one of their songs with the sultry Gabe Ritz on vocals.
#'s 30-21 coming soon, stay tuned!!
Friday, December 20, 2019
The 2019 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #1
#1. VNV Nation - Only Satellites
As I look back on the list of previous #1's, I see there has recently been a unique trend of firsts. Last year, we had our first repeat band take the #1 spot with Florence + The Machine. Morning Theft made history being the 1st local band, and Purity Ring made history in 2015 being the first female-fronted group to take the top spot. VNV Nation doesn't really tick any of those boxes, but I suppose it falls into its own unique category: it's the first time one of my favorite bands has taken the #1 spot. Several of the previous notches were groups I had never listened to before (Morning Theft, DMA's in 2016, Young the Giant and Hockey in '11 and '10 respectively), or bands that I had liked before (Florence and Purity Ring obviously fit that mold), but there's never been a band that I really loved.
I suppose it's worth noting that just because they are a band I adore doesn't mean that automatically qualifies them for the Countdown, or immediately thrusts them into the top spot. In fact, the band (which is essentially a solo project by singer Ronan Harris) did not even come close to charting with their last release, Transnational back in 2013. More often than not, the albums I look forward to the most are the ones that end up letting me down the heaviest. For reference, Slipknot's new album was nowhere near charting this year, either, which honestly shocks the pants off of me after they catapulted their way into 3rd back in 2015. As far as anticipation goes, I barely even knew this record was coming before it dropped, and I had to give myself a week or two to actually let myself get ready for it before I could listen. I generally do this any time one of my favorite bands releases a record.
For the sake of Noire, Ronan suggested that his fans listen to it from top to bottom all the way through, to truly experience the journey he was trying to paint with the album. The record is just astonishingly good, with rage bangers like "A Million" and "Immersed", emotionally charged numbers like "Collide" and "Armour", and of course the staple of any VNV (that's Victory, Not Vengeance) record, the instrumental gold of "Nocturne #7", "Guiding", and "Requiem for Wires". Those are generally the main categories when I try to distinguish his music, as well as separating the lyrically strong with the musically transcendent.
Is it silly that I use a word like "transcendent" to describe music, though? Perhaps ascendant is the word you're looking for with "Only Satellites", which I have to say in 20+ years of making music might musically be his best work. On my first listen through the record, I set aside 3 songs to go back and listen to again - "Armour", "Collide", and our #1. It was this one that made the biggest impact and immediately became my go-to track for the year. The opening synths before the drums punch in, the layered keys that make you feel like you are literally orbiting the Earth, and the eerie opening vocals that punctuate the silence. "No voices here above a small and fragile sphere - hang one every word, but no one hears us speak". Are the lyrics great? Absolutely. But my absolute favorite part of music from the entire year comes at the 2:56 moment, as everything slowly subsides, only to be built back up for the next 45 seconds or so. There is a single key press among the ambiance, and then at 3:56, as if shot out of a cannon, the song absolutely explodes.
It honestly does not get any better than that. I rewound to that moment over and over and over again. Where did it come from? How does Ronan know to pile on the great electronic beeps and blips? It is truly a genius song, and was the runaway #1 this year, despite massively strong competition behind it from The Broken Relics and Smith & Thell. Either of those songs would have made a fine #1 on any given year, but the fact that "Only Satellites" had 20 +more scrobbles than any other song for me this year is truly telling. It was the everything song for every day this year. It was my strength when I needed healing, it was my darkness when I needed solitude. It was greatest and it was tremendousness. It was what a #1 should be. Bravo, Ronan Harris. May you ever blow my mind.
Favorite Line: "So it's only left to ask, is change too great a task? From the smallest steps, waves transform the Earth"
Title: Only Satllites
Artist: VNV Nation
Album: Noire
Previous #1s
2018: Florence + The Machine - Sky Full Of Song
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
As I look back on the list of previous #1's, I see there has recently been a unique trend of firsts. Last year, we had our first repeat band take the #1 spot with Florence + The Machine. Morning Theft made history being the 1st local band, and Purity Ring made history in 2015 being the first female-fronted group to take the top spot. VNV Nation doesn't really tick any of those boxes, but I suppose it falls into its own unique category: it's the first time one of my favorite bands has taken the #1 spot. Several of the previous notches were groups I had never listened to before (Morning Theft, DMA's in 2016, Young the Giant and Hockey in '11 and '10 respectively), or bands that I had liked before (Florence and Purity Ring obviously fit that mold), but there's never been a band that I really loved.
I suppose it's worth noting that just because they are a band I adore doesn't mean that automatically qualifies them for the Countdown, or immediately thrusts them into the top spot. In fact, the band (which is essentially a solo project by singer Ronan Harris) did not even come close to charting with their last release, Transnational back in 2013. More often than not, the albums I look forward to the most are the ones that end up letting me down the heaviest. For reference, Slipknot's new album was nowhere near charting this year, either, which honestly shocks the pants off of me after they catapulted their way into 3rd back in 2015. As far as anticipation goes, I barely even knew this record was coming before it dropped, and I had to give myself a week or two to actually let myself get ready for it before I could listen. I generally do this any time one of my favorite bands releases a record.
For the sake of Noire, Ronan suggested that his fans listen to it from top to bottom all the way through, to truly experience the journey he was trying to paint with the album. The record is just astonishingly good, with rage bangers like "A Million" and "Immersed", emotionally charged numbers like "Collide" and "Armour", and of course the staple of any VNV (that's Victory, Not Vengeance) record, the instrumental gold of "Nocturne #7", "Guiding", and "Requiem for Wires". Those are generally the main categories when I try to distinguish his music, as well as separating the lyrically strong with the musically transcendent.
Is it silly that I use a word like "transcendent" to describe music, though? Perhaps ascendant is the word you're looking for with "Only Satellites", which I have to say in 20+ years of making music might musically be his best work. On my first listen through the record, I set aside 3 songs to go back and listen to again - "Armour", "Collide", and our #1. It was this one that made the biggest impact and immediately became my go-to track for the year. The opening synths before the drums punch in, the layered keys that make you feel like you are literally orbiting the Earth, and the eerie opening vocals that punctuate the silence. "No voices here above a small and fragile sphere - hang one every word, but no one hears us speak". Are the lyrics great? Absolutely. But my absolute favorite part of music from the entire year comes at the 2:56 moment, as everything slowly subsides, only to be built back up for the next 45 seconds or so. There is a single key press among the ambiance, and then at 3:56, as if shot out of a cannon, the song absolutely explodes.
It honestly does not get any better than that. I rewound to that moment over and over and over again. Where did it come from? How does Ronan know to pile on the great electronic beeps and blips? It is truly a genius song, and was the runaway #1 this year, despite massively strong competition behind it from The Broken Relics and Smith & Thell. Either of those songs would have made a fine #1 on any given year, but the fact that "Only Satellites" had 20 +more scrobbles than any other song for me this year is truly telling. It was the everything song for every day this year. It was my strength when I needed healing, it was my darkness when I needed solitude. It was greatest and it was tremendousness. It was what a #1 should be. Bravo, Ronan Harris. May you ever blow my mind.
Favorite Line: "So it's only left to ask, is change too great a task? From the smallest steps, waves transform the Earth"
Title: Only Satllites
Artist: VNV Nation
Album: Noire
Previous #1s
2018: Florence + The Machine - Sky Full Of Song
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
Thursday, December 19, 2019
The 2019 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #2
#2. The Broken Relics - Where The Creatures Roam
Looking back through the first 10 years of the Countdown, the #2 spot has always been a curiosity. Some years, the battle for #1 is neck and neck all the way down the wire, and some years it's more of a runaway. In 2015, Purity Ring was literal miles ahead of any other song released, while in 2011 I didn't actually decide on the final two spots until the day that I wrote the blurb. One of the more intriguing things about 2019 is that the top 4 songs all had valid claims to the #1 spot at one point or another, but in the end it still ended up being a landslide. That is in no way indicative to how big or small our #2 was this year, however.
It started back in February, when I was flipping through our local rock station's Facebook page to try and discover new local acts for Music in Motion to cover. This process usually causes me to tune out, hearing uninspired and uninteresting acts over and over again, but I was immediately smitten by the sound of The Broken Relics' first single, "Don't Look Back". I e-mailed their manager, and ended up setting up a meeting with the band the next day. I very quickly became enamored with the band, both in their strength of character but also in the way that we all connected on a musical level. You can read that interview here. The guys were gracious enough to allow me to preview a rough copy of their upcoming EP, With Reverence, and that was where the true love affair began. Each song holds its own against the other, and none of them should ever be skipped. I also wrote a review for the record here, and it was my highest reviewed new release of 2019. If you want excitement, listen to "Don't Look Back" or "Got Away". If you want lyrical passion and poignancy, listen to "The Mortal" or "Lost Again". And, if you want one of the best local songs I've ever heard released, check out "Where The Creatures Roam".
And that's really saying something, right? Two years ago Morning Theft took the #1 spot, and last year we had Curse of Cassandra and Vesperteen landing in the top 5. But if I were to take all of the local music I've absorbed in the last 3 years, I think this one would take the crown. The opening guitar sets the somber tone for the record, and singer Bryce Warmouth's voice tells a story of pain, heartache, and the need for absolution. Warmouth told me earlier this year that the beauty of the song is that it wasn't written with one specific instance in mind; instead relating to several different trials that he had gone through and needed to expunge from within. It's a slower song compared to its compatriots on the EP, but it makes up in sheer musical and vocal power, with the rest of the band building their instruments around Warmouth's wail. After 4 minutes of passionate anguish, you're treated to a soaring, resplendent guitar solo from Bryce's older brother Zach. The EP then transitions to a piano interlude of the song, in case all of that emotion was a little too much for you.
I'll tell you this - it was the perfect emotional song for the entirety of 2019 for me. From the first time I heard (and hit repeat six or seven times) it, to writing this review in the present, the song never lost any relevance to me. Each line hits differently and on any given day it's a different one that lays waste to the barriers surrounding my heart. The opening riff makes the song almost impossible to skip, and with the exception of the singles on the record, it has the most streams on Spotify. The band is poised for bigger and better things after rocketing through their first year, and I think you might end up seeing them on here again in the near future.
Favorite Line: "The pain keeps conquering me, I can't find refuge; I'm so damn sorry"
Title: Where The Creatures Roam
Artist: The Broken Relics
Album: With Reverence
Previous #2s
2018: The War On Drugs - Pain
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
Looking back through the first 10 years of the Countdown, the #2 spot has always been a curiosity. Some years, the battle for #1 is neck and neck all the way down the wire, and some years it's more of a runaway. In 2015, Purity Ring was literal miles ahead of any other song released, while in 2011 I didn't actually decide on the final two spots until the day that I wrote the blurb. One of the more intriguing things about 2019 is that the top 4 songs all had valid claims to the #1 spot at one point or another, but in the end it still ended up being a landslide. That is in no way indicative to how big or small our #2 was this year, however.
It started back in February, when I was flipping through our local rock station's Facebook page to try and discover new local acts for Music in Motion to cover. This process usually causes me to tune out, hearing uninspired and uninteresting acts over and over again, but I was immediately smitten by the sound of The Broken Relics' first single, "Don't Look Back". I e-mailed their manager, and ended up setting up a meeting with the band the next day. I very quickly became enamored with the band, both in their strength of character but also in the way that we all connected on a musical level. You can read that interview here. The guys were gracious enough to allow me to preview a rough copy of their upcoming EP, With Reverence, and that was where the true love affair began. Each song holds its own against the other, and none of them should ever be skipped. I also wrote a review for the record here, and it was my highest reviewed new release of 2019. If you want excitement, listen to "Don't Look Back" or "Got Away". If you want lyrical passion and poignancy, listen to "The Mortal" or "Lost Again". And, if you want one of the best local songs I've ever heard released, check out "Where The Creatures Roam".
And that's really saying something, right? Two years ago Morning Theft took the #1 spot, and last year we had Curse of Cassandra and Vesperteen landing in the top 5. But if I were to take all of the local music I've absorbed in the last 3 years, I think this one would take the crown. The opening guitar sets the somber tone for the record, and singer Bryce Warmouth's voice tells a story of pain, heartache, and the need for absolution. Warmouth told me earlier this year that the beauty of the song is that it wasn't written with one specific instance in mind; instead relating to several different trials that he had gone through and needed to expunge from within. It's a slower song compared to its compatriots on the EP, but it makes up in sheer musical and vocal power, with the rest of the band building their instruments around Warmouth's wail. After 4 minutes of passionate anguish, you're treated to a soaring, resplendent guitar solo from Bryce's older brother Zach. The EP then transitions to a piano interlude of the song, in case all of that emotion was a little too much for you.
I'll tell you this - it was the perfect emotional song for the entirety of 2019 for me. From the first time I heard (and hit repeat six or seven times) it, to writing this review in the present, the song never lost any relevance to me. Each line hits differently and on any given day it's a different one that lays waste to the barriers surrounding my heart. The opening riff makes the song almost impossible to skip, and with the exception of the singles on the record, it has the most streams on Spotify. The band is poised for bigger and better things after rocketing through their first year, and I think you might end up seeing them on here again in the near future.
Favorite Line: "The pain keeps conquering me, I can't find refuge; I'm so damn sorry"
Title: Where The Creatures Roam
Artist: The Broken Relics
Album: With Reverence
Previous #2s
2018: The War On Drugs - Pain
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
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
The 2019 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #3
#3. Smith & Thell - Forgive Me Friend (ft Swedish Jam Factory)
Following in the steps of duos like Matt and Kim, Tegan and Sara, and The Naked and Famous, Smith & Thell provided my summer with a much needed boost of excitement. The group is Maria Jane Smith and Victor Thell, who have wonderful harmonies and catchy pop music with folk influences. Unlike the previous duos, they are not a strictly electronic act, although our #3 song did involve a little extra production to kick it up a notch. It also features Swedish Jam Factory, which if you can believe it, is a tap-dancing duo (hence the extra percussion). The Telephone Wires EP is cute, with 4 catchy tunes that are upbeat and intriguing. I'm actually kind of disappointed that I had never listened to the group before this year, but I probably would have dismissed them as just another folk-pop act trying to sound like the rest.
As much as I enjoyed the EP, the band hasn't really done much for me in 2019 outside of this song. Perhaps it is a case of this being a song that was that big, but I'm not complaining. Apparently this song was a massive hit in Poland (of all places), landing at #1 and going gold in record sales. I didn't really hear it much outside of CD102.5's playlist for a few months, and then it was gone. The song did rack up 46.6M streams, which is probably the most that has ever come from a song that explicitly featured tap-dancing.
As it happens, I was checking out our local alternative station's playlist and listening to each song, as where I was living I was unable to pull their radio signal. The jangly opening guitar of "Forgive Me Friend" immediately perked my ears, and the undeniable harmony of Smith & Thell's voices caught me off guard. There just aren't a whole lot of male/female duos doing it quite like that any more; splitting vocal duties fairly evenly. The song tells of a relationship that is crumbly due to both ends being overly selfish. Neither side wants to let go or move on, and so they struggle through the conversation. It's surprisingly upbeat for what is essentially a breakup song. The video has the duo singing to each other while the dancers kick and tap away. The memories I will take away from listening to this song over and over again this summer with forever be entrenched in my mind. It is truly a massive song, worthy of #1 in many other years.
That means that tomorrow's song is going to be even better. How is that even possible? AND there's one more after that! What a great year for music!!
Favorite Line: "cause in the end, I didn't want this to end. Can you forgive me friend, forgive my ugly heart?"
Title: Forgive Me Friend
Artist: Smith & Thell
Album: Telephone Wires
Previous #3s
2018: Vesperteen - Medicine
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
Following in the steps of duos like Matt and Kim, Tegan and Sara, and The Naked and Famous, Smith & Thell provided my summer with a much needed boost of excitement. The group is Maria Jane Smith and Victor Thell, who have wonderful harmonies and catchy pop music with folk influences. Unlike the previous duos, they are not a strictly electronic act, although our #3 song did involve a little extra production to kick it up a notch. It also features Swedish Jam Factory, which if you can believe it, is a tap-dancing duo (hence the extra percussion). The Telephone Wires EP is cute, with 4 catchy tunes that are upbeat and intriguing. I'm actually kind of disappointed that I had never listened to the group before this year, but I probably would have dismissed them as just another folk-pop act trying to sound like the rest.
As much as I enjoyed the EP, the band hasn't really done much for me in 2019 outside of this song. Perhaps it is a case of this being a song that was that big, but I'm not complaining. Apparently this song was a massive hit in Poland (of all places), landing at #1 and going gold in record sales. I didn't really hear it much outside of CD102.5's playlist for a few months, and then it was gone. The song did rack up 46.6M streams, which is probably the most that has ever come from a song that explicitly featured tap-dancing.
As it happens, I was checking out our local alternative station's playlist and listening to each song, as where I was living I was unable to pull their radio signal. The jangly opening guitar of "Forgive Me Friend" immediately perked my ears, and the undeniable harmony of Smith & Thell's voices caught me off guard. There just aren't a whole lot of male/female duos doing it quite like that any more; splitting vocal duties fairly evenly. The song tells of a relationship that is crumbly due to both ends being overly selfish. Neither side wants to let go or move on, and so they struggle through the conversation. It's surprisingly upbeat for what is essentially a breakup song. The video has the duo singing to each other while the dancers kick and tap away. The memories I will take away from listening to this song over and over again this summer with forever be entrenched in my mind. It is truly a massive song, worthy of #1 in many other years.
That means that tomorrow's song is going to be even better. How is that even possible? AND there's one more after that! What a great year for music!!
Favorite Line: "cause in the end, I didn't want this to end. Can you forgive me friend, forgive my ugly heart?"
Title: Forgive Me Friend
Artist: Smith & Thell
Album: Telephone Wires
Previous #3s
2018: Vesperteen - Medicine
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
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
The 2019 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #4
#4. VHS Collection - Sign
VHS Collection seem to be one of those bands that your trendy indie friends know about. They aren't on any major labels, aren't being featured on any huge tours, and certainly haven't seen any airplay on any of the Top 40 stations near me. What the band did do is spend a few years building up a cult following in the synth-pop communities and getting their songs onto club playlists and percolated up enough interest that when it was finally time to release a record, they were able to grab a couple of decent producers and embark on a small tour across the US. Everything I've read on them seems to lean towards them wanting to stay a smaller, independent artist who just makes catchy music.
It's always interesting how we access media. I often write about when I first heard a song, or how I found a certain band. Amusingly, all I did to find New York's VHS Collection is take my daily listening playlist on Spotify and use the "create similar playlist" function back in January. I wanted to see what Spotify thought would be a good "companion" playlist, if you will. I figured, at the very least I'd listen to what was "similar" so what I already listened to on a daily basis. The list had a lot of songs I knew, a few songs that were already on some of my other playlists, and several others from bands I hadn't explored. To be 100% honest, the only one that was new to me that really stuck was "Sign".
The real story of "Sign" happened a few days later when it came back on while I was driving to a different store to fill in for a day. The moment the chorus hit me, I knew I was hooked. I played the song over and over and over again; basically the entire drive to that store was just me and "Sign". The song's peculiar vocoder opening almost caused me to turn it off, but I was intrigued. The moment the drum kicks in it's almost impossible to pass the song off as a momentary glitch in your mind. The synths pulse through you, and the lyrics get progressively better. With each utterance of "just give me a sign" I would find myself stronger. It was an amazing feeling listening to it over and over and over again. The truth about 2019 is that it was a 3 song race most of the year, with "Sign" hovering near the top most of the spring. It's a huge, massive #4; as big as "Check My Brain" in '09 or "All Of Nothing" from 2017 were, but in the end there were 3 songs that were a significant jump better.
What will they be? Stay tuned!
Favorite Line: "If we've got something to say, then now is the time. Just give me a sign"
Title: Sign
Artist: VHS Collection
Album: Retrofuturism
Previous #4s
2018: Curse of Cassandra - Re-Bind (Retro Binding Mix)
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
VHS Collection seem to be one of those bands that your trendy indie friends know about. They aren't on any major labels, aren't being featured on any huge tours, and certainly haven't seen any airplay on any of the Top 40 stations near me. What the band did do is spend a few years building up a cult following in the synth-pop communities and getting their songs onto club playlists and percolated up enough interest that when it was finally time to release a record, they were able to grab a couple of decent producers and embark on a small tour across the US. Everything I've read on them seems to lean towards them wanting to stay a smaller, independent artist who just makes catchy music.
It's always interesting how we access media. I often write about when I first heard a song, or how I found a certain band. Amusingly, all I did to find New York's VHS Collection is take my daily listening playlist on Spotify and use the "create similar playlist" function back in January. I wanted to see what Spotify thought would be a good "companion" playlist, if you will. I figured, at the very least I'd listen to what was "similar" so what I already listened to on a daily basis. The list had a lot of songs I knew, a few songs that were already on some of my other playlists, and several others from bands I hadn't explored. To be 100% honest, the only one that was new to me that really stuck was "Sign".
The real story of "Sign" happened a few days later when it came back on while I was driving to a different store to fill in for a day. The moment the chorus hit me, I knew I was hooked. I played the song over and over and over again; basically the entire drive to that store was just me and "Sign". The song's peculiar vocoder opening almost caused me to turn it off, but I was intrigued. The moment the drum kicks in it's almost impossible to pass the song off as a momentary glitch in your mind. The synths pulse through you, and the lyrics get progressively better. With each utterance of "just give me a sign" I would find myself stronger. It was an amazing feeling listening to it over and over and over again. The truth about 2019 is that it was a 3 song race most of the year, with "Sign" hovering near the top most of the spring. It's a huge, massive #4; as big as "Check My Brain" in '09 or "All Of Nothing" from 2017 were, but in the end there were 3 songs that were a significant jump better.
What will they be? Stay tuned!
Favorite Line: "If we've got something to say, then now is the time. Just give me a sign"
Title: Sign
Artist: VHS Collection
Album: Retrofuturism
Previous #4s
2018: Curse of Cassandra - Re-Bind (Retro Binding Mix)
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
Monday, December 16, 2019
The 2019 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #5
#5. Within Temptation - In Vain
First of all, I just have to say that 2019 has been a fantastic year for Rock and Metal acts in the Countdown. I don't really listen to the metal genre like I used to, but it's refreshing to see bands of that ilk populating the top 10 and beyond.
With that being said, Within Temptation is not a band that I expected to see this high on the Countdown. Although I certainly appreciate a good Dutch female led symphonic metal act (see: Epica, Nightwish, Delain etc), I never really caught on to their blend of neo-celtic/goth style. A lot is made of female fronted metal acts, and I appreciate the hell out of Sharon den Adel, but I've always felt like their music was kind of dull compared to their contemporaries. Anyways, the band continues to score well received records in Europe, but are 15 years removed from their huge breakthrough album The Silent Force, which went gold in 8 countries. Their most recent record Hydra made it as far as #16 in the United States, debuting at #1 in their home country of The Netherlands. Their 2019 release Resist made it to #5 in the US Top Hard Rock albums and #129 on the Billboard 200.
One of the things I enjoy the most about music is that a band that I don't overly care for can sneak up with a great song and scale the chart fairly quickly. In Vain was released back in January and immediately made an impact on the dreary, snow filled winter months of 2019. The song has a softer guitar opening that leads through a less harsh first verse. It isn't until the chorus that the band's traditional big symphonic sound explodes through, with den Adel singing about a relationship living through its final days. I've always found her voice a little too quirky, but it works really when she says "all in vain" on the chorus. Despite not being a major single release, the song did rack almost 2m streams on Spotify, and showed that the band has a staying power that will surely outlive critics such as myself.
At the end of the day, it was a really great song to dive into on depressing AM drives to work. Songs like that are always rattling around the top of the charts, and I'm wondering how the rest of the top 5 will play out from here.
Favorite Line: ""Everything we tried to say, up until the final day... I guess we said enough, said enough to know it's all in vain""
Title: In Vain
Artist: Within Temptation
Album: Resist
Previous #5s
2018: Andrew WK - Music Is Worth Living For
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
First of all, I just have to say that 2019 has been a fantastic year for Rock and Metal acts in the Countdown. I don't really listen to the metal genre like I used to, but it's refreshing to see bands of that ilk populating the top 10 and beyond.
With that being said, Within Temptation is not a band that I expected to see this high on the Countdown. Although I certainly appreciate a good Dutch female led symphonic metal act (see: Epica, Nightwish, Delain etc), I never really caught on to their blend of neo-celtic/goth style. A lot is made of female fronted metal acts, and I appreciate the hell out of Sharon den Adel, but I've always felt like their music was kind of dull compared to their contemporaries. Anyways, the band continues to score well received records in Europe, but are 15 years removed from their huge breakthrough album The Silent Force, which went gold in 8 countries. Their most recent record Hydra made it as far as #16 in the United States, debuting at #1 in their home country of The Netherlands. Their 2019 release Resist made it to #5 in the US Top Hard Rock albums and #129 on the Billboard 200.
One of the things I enjoy the most about music is that a band that I don't overly care for can sneak up with a great song and scale the chart fairly quickly. In Vain was released back in January and immediately made an impact on the dreary, snow filled winter months of 2019. The song has a softer guitar opening that leads through a less harsh first verse. It isn't until the chorus that the band's traditional big symphonic sound explodes through, with den Adel singing about a relationship living through its final days. I've always found her voice a little too quirky, but it works really when she says "all in vain" on the chorus. Despite not being a major single release, the song did rack almost 2m streams on Spotify, and showed that the band has a staying power that will surely outlive critics such as myself.
At the end of the day, it was a really great song to dive into on depressing AM drives to work. Songs like that are always rattling around the top of the charts, and I'm wondering how the rest of the top 5 will play out from here.
Favorite Line: ""Everything we tried to say, up until the final day... I guess we said enough, said enough to know it's all in vain""
Title: In Vain
Artist: Within Temptation
Album: Resist
Previous #5s
2018: Andrew WK - Music Is Worth Living For
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
Sunday, December 15, 2019
The 2019 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #6
#6. Rammstein - Radio
Speaking of bands who were on indefinite hiatus, Rammstein didn't break up at any time between their releases, they were just quiet. Instead, guitarist Richard Z Kruspe worked on his side project Emigrate, Till Lindemann founded his eponymous side project, and the band played select major festivals. Of course, the major media outlets would ask when the band were planning on releasing music, but the band kept insisting that they would do it on their own time. I've seen many of their members talk about how recording as the band can be difficult because each member has equal say in how they do things, and also because they are older now and have their own lives to live. I don't think any of them were in any hurry, but I'm sure they were working on what they had in their minds all the while. Late last year, the word started the spread that the band was wrapping up the record, and back in January they announced a release date in the spring.
The band did what they always do - they released things in the manor that they deemed fit, and kept fans and critics on their toes. The album has never been given an official name from the band, and so has been deemed Rammstein and Untitled. The group released two controversial singles a month apart, both shining a light on the more controversial sides of Germany's history, and both being accompanied by graphic videos. It just wouldn't be a Rammstein record without massive controversy and critical acclaim, would it? The album shot right to #1 in 14 different countries, #2 in 5 more and also made it all the way to #9 on the Billboard 200. It was a force to be reckoned with among critics as well, scoring rave reviews across the country. Other great tracks include "Hallomann", "Puppe", and "Deutschland".
The second single released was titled "Radio", and dealt with East German censorship after World War 2. The East German government banned all forms of media that wasn't to their liking, but occasionally Western media would leak through. The song opens with a bouncy keyboard before the rest of the band jumps in with their signature chugging guitars. Everything they record is truly machine-like, and this song is no different with its driving electronic beat and Lindemann's almost whispered verses, which seem to amplify the taboo nature of what he is singing. The video features the band playing in 60s attire, while women are shown liberating themselves to the music as an army marches to find where the band is performing. The song scored over 45 million streams on Spotify, with the video grabbing 65m views. Although "Radio" wasn't as big of a hit as its predecessor "Deutschland", it did chart in several countries and made it up to #27 on the US Hot Rock tracks.
The band has said that this record may indeed be their last, and if that is the case, they certainly ended on a fantastic note. As it stands, they have released 2 albums in the Countdown era and both have charted, with "Fruhling in Paris" landing at #18 in 2010.
Favorite line: "Radio, mein Radio, Ich lass' mich in den Äther saugen"
Title: Radio
Artist: Rammstein
Album: Untitled
Previous #6s
2018: Turnspit - Walk Away
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
Speaking of bands who were on indefinite hiatus, Rammstein didn't break up at any time between their releases, they were just quiet. Instead, guitarist Richard Z Kruspe worked on his side project Emigrate, Till Lindemann founded his eponymous side project, and the band played select major festivals. Of course, the major media outlets would ask when the band were planning on releasing music, but the band kept insisting that they would do it on their own time. I've seen many of their members talk about how recording as the band can be difficult because each member has equal say in how they do things, and also because they are older now and have their own lives to live. I don't think any of them were in any hurry, but I'm sure they were working on what they had in their minds all the while. Late last year, the word started the spread that the band was wrapping up the record, and back in January they announced a release date in the spring.
The band did what they always do - they released things in the manor that they deemed fit, and kept fans and critics on their toes. The album has never been given an official name from the band, and so has been deemed Rammstein and Untitled. The group released two controversial singles a month apart, both shining a light on the more controversial sides of Germany's history, and both being accompanied by graphic videos. It just wouldn't be a Rammstein record without massive controversy and critical acclaim, would it? The album shot right to #1 in 14 different countries, #2 in 5 more and also made it all the way to #9 on the Billboard 200. It was a force to be reckoned with among critics as well, scoring rave reviews across the country. Other great tracks include "Hallomann", "Puppe", and "Deutschland".
The second single released was titled "Radio", and dealt with East German censorship after World War 2. The East German government banned all forms of media that wasn't to their liking, but occasionally Western media would leak through. The song opens with a bouncy keyboard before the rest of the band jumps in with their signature chugging guitars. Everything they record is truly machine-like, and this song is no different with its driving electronic beat and Lindemann's almost whispered verses, which seem to amplify the taboo nature of what he is singing. The video features the band playing in 60s attire, while women are shown liberating themselves to the music as an army marches to find where the band is performing. The song scored over 45 million streams on Spotify, with the video grabbing 65m views. Although "Radio" wasn't as big of a hit as its predecessor "Deutschland", it did chart in several countries and made it up to #27 on the US Hot Rock tracks.
The band has said that this record may indeed be their last, and if that is the case, they certainly ended on a fantastic note. As it stands, they have released 2 albums in the Countdown era and both have charted, with "Fruhling in Paris" landing at #18 in 2010.
Favorite line: "Radio, mein Radio, Ich lass' mich in den Äther saugen"
Title: Radio
Artist: Rammstein
Album: Untitled
Previous #6s
2018: Turnspit - Walk Away
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
Radio, mein Radio
Ich lass' mich in den Äther saugen
https://lyricstranslate.com/en/radio-radio.html-33
Radio, mein Radio
Ich lass' mich in den Äther saugen
https://lyricstranslate.com/en/radio-radio.html-33Saturday, December 14, 2019
The 2019 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #7
#7. Cold - Shine
As with most years, there was a simmering anticipation for new music at the beginning of this year. I knew that several of my favorite artists were planning on releasing new records, and as with every previous year, I was hoping that my favorite band Cold would also release a record. There had been online rumblings for months, but Cold fans had heard it all before. All the way back in 2017, the band said they were planning on going into studio, even though the only apparent "official" members were singer Scooter Ward and bassist Lindsay Manfredi. It was kind of like Guns 'n Roses Chinese Democracy or the new Tool record. Some noise, but very little substance. And then it happened - the bubbles quickly rose to the top and a new single was announced and released, and them the train started chugging along. Two more singles dropped and suddenly, we had a new record.
The Things We Can't Stop paints a new direction for the band. Where the musical synergy between Ward, Manfredi and guitarist Nick Coyle (of Lifer) is undeniable, the album again deviates from its predecessors to find new life of its own. There are elements of each of their previous records - "Without You" sounds like it was scooped from their Gold discs 13 Ways To Bleed Onstage or Year Of The Spider, while "Snowblind" sounds like the natural progression of their debut record back in 1998. Meanwhile "Better Human" sounds like an outtake from their most recent release, 2011's Superfiction. There's even a wicked cover of Snow Patrol's "Run".
As with the previous disc, it has taken time for this record to really grow on me. Unlike Superfiction, which garnered the #5 hit in 2011 with "The Break", I immediately knew which song was my favorite. I had stayed up late to hear "Shine" at midnight and must've listened to it 5 or 6 times before heading to bed that night. The drums build the song up and work their way throughout the entire song. Ward's lyrical content is fairly clear - rising above bullying. Coyle even has a soaring solo that punctuates the song midway through. The video touches on bullying statistics in children and teenagers, painting a poignant picture about something that direly needs to be changed in this world. As a survivor of severe bullying throughout my school years (to the point that my parents homeschooled me for several years), it was a song that deeply resonated with me every time I heard it. It didn't have to be a song sung by my favorite band to make it into the top 10, but that certainly didn't hurt. As with any great release, I can only hope that it won't be another 8 years before a follow up comes.
Favorite Line: "I wanna see you love your life again, for you"
Title: Shine
Artist: Cold
Album: The Things We Can't Stop
Previous #7s
2018: Jukebox the Ghost - Everybody's Lonely
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
As with most years, there was a simmering anticipation for new music at the beginning of this year. I knew that several of my favorite artists were planning on releasing new records, and as with every previous year, I was hoping that my favorite band Cold would also release a record. There had been online rumblings for months, but Cold fans had heard it all before. All the way back in 2017, the band said they were planning on going into studio, even though the only apparent "official" members were singer Scooter Ward and bassist Lindsay Manfredi. It was kind of like Guns 'n Roses Chinese Democracy or the new Tool record. Some noise, but very little substance. And then it happened - the bubbles quickly rose to the top and a new single was announced and released, and them the train started chugging along. Two more singles dropped and suddenly, we had a new record.
The Things We Can't Stop paints a new direction for the band. Where the musical synergy between Ward, Manfredi and guitarist Nick Coyle (of Lifer) is undeniable, the album again deviates from its predecessors to find new life of its own. There are elements of each of their previous records - "Without You" sounds like it was scooped from their Gold discs 13 Ways To Bleed Onstage or Year Of The Spider, while "Snowblind" sounds like the natural progression of their debut record back in 1998. Meanwhile "Better Human" sounds like an outtake from their most recent release, 2011's Superfiction. There's even a wicked cover of Snow Patrol's "Run".
As with the previous disc, it has taken time for this record to really grow on me. Unlike Superfiction, which garnered the #5 hit in 2011 with "The Break", I immediately knew which song was my favorite. I had stayed up late to hear "Shine" at midnight and must've listened to it 5 or 6 times before heading to bed that night. The drums build the song up and work their way throughout the entire song. Ward's lyrical content is fairly clear - rising above bullying. Coyle even has a soaring solo that punctuates the song midway through. The video touches on bullying statistics in children and teenagers, painting a poignant picture about something that direly needs to be changed in this world. As a survivor of severe bullying throughout my school years (to the point that my parents homeschooled me for several years), it was a song that deeply resonated with me every time I heard it. It didn't have to be a song sung by my favorite band to make it into the top 10, but that certainly didn't hurt. As with any great release, I can only hope that it won't be another 8 years before a follow up comes.
Favorite Line: "I wanna see you love your life again, for you"
Title: Shine
Artist: Cold
Album: The Things We Can't Stop
Previous #7s
2018: Jukebox the Ghost - Everybody's Lonely
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
Friday, December 13, 2019
The 2019 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #8
#8. Billie Eilish - You Should See Me In A Crown
We've reached the point in the Countdown where a random pop song seems to rise out of nowhere and ascend into the top 10. It's happened six times before, but this year feels a little different. Unless you've been living under a rock the last two years, you've probably ran into someone who has a strong opinion on Billie Eilish. Good music? Trendsetter? Overthrowing the bad pop empire? Just plain annoying? If nothing else, she's become a cultural phenomenon unlike any other pop star we've seen in recent years. She and her brother write all of her songs, and they definitely don't sound like what you'd expect on a pop station. She purposefully wears huge baggy clothing to keep people from body shaming or sexualizing her. Oh, and she's 17. If nothing else, she's been a fascinating sociological study in how we react to different stimuli throughout the last few years.
Musically? I've heard it called trap-pop, avant-garde pop, electro-pop, alternative pop... take your pick on what you want to call her. She mumbles, she whispers, and she has simplistic piano twinkles and bass kicks that generally don't overwhelm her songs. There are so many opinions on what popular music should sound like, but she and her brother have found a way to capture something that is bizarrely unique and easily accessible at the same time. I wouldn't say I love it, but I appreciate the fact that it breaks up the Swift/Grande/Beyonce wannabes populating the top 40 stations. Regardless of how you feel about the girl or the music, her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? was a massive success, hitting double platinum in the US and landing at #1 on 24 different charts worldwide, taking the #1 spot for the year on Billboard. Massive is an understatement.
"You Should See Me In A Crown" (which, like all of her songs, is normally stylized in all lowercase when found online) is really the only song that latched on for me, but it blew up in a big way over the summer. Interestingly, it performed worse than most of the other singles released on the record, only getting to #41 on the Billboard Hot 100 but still selling over 1 million units. The song definitely has trap stylings, with a thundering bass drum rattling the chorus while Eilish sings about destroying those who stand before her. She says the song was inspired by an episode of "Sherlock", and lyrically it is relevant to anyone who wants to overcome obstacles in their life. "Watch me make em bow one by one" was a lyric that bounced around my head the entire year. The video features Eilish in her trademark baggy garb with spiders and tarantulas crawling all over her and her crown. It is definitely not for the arachnophobics out there.
Favorite Line: "Tell me which one is worse, living or dying first? Sleeping inside a hearse."
Title: you should see me in a crown
Artist: Billie Eilish
Album: when we all fall asleep, where do we go?
Previous #8s
2018: Miller and the Hunks - Gravity
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
We've reached the point in the Countdown where a random pop song seems to rise out of nowhere and ascend into the top 10. It's happened six times before, but this year feels a little different. Unless you've been living under a rock the last two years, you've probably ran into someone who has a strong opinion on Billie Eilish. Good music? Trendsetter? Overthrowing the bad pop empire? Just plain annoying? If nothing else, she's become a cultural phenomenon unlike any other pop star we've seen in recent years. She and her brother write all of her songs, and they definitely don't sound like what you'd expect on a pop station. She purposefully wears huge baggy clothing to keep people from body shaming or sexualizing her. Oh, and she's 17. If nothing else, she's been a fascinating sociological study in how we react to different stimuli throughout the last few years.
Musically? I've heard it called trap-pop, avant-garde pop, electro-pop, alternative pop... take your pick on what you want to call her. She mumbles, she whispers, and she has simplistic piano twinkles and bass kicks that generally don't overwhelm her songs. There are so many opinions on what popular music should sound like, but she and her brother have found a way to capture something that is bizarrely unique and easily accessible at the same time. I wouldn't say I love it, but I appreciate the fact that it breaks up the Swift/Grande/Beyonce wannabes populating the top 40 stations. Regardless of how you feel about the girl or the music, her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? was a massive success, hitting double platinum in the US and landing at #1 on 24 different charts worldwide, taking the #1 spot for the year on Billboard. Massive is an understatement.
"You Should See Me In A Crown" (which, like all of her songs, is normally stylized in all lowercase when found online) is really the only song that latched on for me, but it blew up in a big way over the summer. Interestingly, it performed worse than most of the other singles released on the record, only getting to #41 on the Billboard Hot 100 but still selling over 1 million units. The song definitely has trap stylings, with a thundering bass drum rattling the chorus while Eilish sings about destroying those who stand before her. She says the song was inspired by an episode of "Sherlock", and lyrically it is relevant to anyone who wants to overcome obstacles in their life. "Watch me make em bow one by one" was a lyric that bounced around my head the entire year. The video features Eilish in her trademark baggy garb with spiders and tarantulas crawling all over her and her crown. It is definitely not for the arachnophobics out there.
Favorite Line: "Tell me which one is worse, living or dying first? Sleeping inside a hearse."
Title: you should see me in a crown
Artist: Billie Eilish
Album: when we all fall asleep, where do we go?
Previous #8s
2018: Miller and the Hunks - Gravity
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
Thursday, December 12, 2019
The 2019 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #9
#9. Sleeping With Sirens - Leave It All Behind
One of the more surprising entries to this year's list, Sleeping With Sirens join a long list of Sumerian Records alums to reach the top 10. The Orlando based quartet has been kicking it for over 10 years now and had a top 10 release back in 2013, but they never really had a sound that I cared for. Perhaps it was singer Kellin Quinn's high tenor pitch that scratched my ears wrong. They've switched musical gears a few times between now and then, and they've gotten away from juvenile songwriting antics that plagued them int heir younger years. Perhaps it was signing to a heavier label that caused their most recent shift, but the band managed to write an extremely poignant album about not letting the demons of this world get you down. Other favorite's from the disc include "Another Nightmare" and "Medicine (Devil In My Head)".
"Leave It All Behind" starts innocently enough with a drum machine-esque kick and a scratchy guitar before the rest of the group jumps in. Musically the song is one of the strongest ones on the record, but it is again Quinn's voice that manages to both excite and annoy. Initially I had passed over this song when I first heard it but the lyrical content kept me coming back until it was firmly entrenched on my long drives to work early in the morning. The song is about fighting the demons that are screaming at you to end your life. I don't suppose there could be a more relevant song for me in 2019. In listening to the rest of How It Feels To Be Lost I found that to be a common lyrical theme, which only made me appreciate the band even more. The music video has Quinn walking through an abandoned hotel while singing, and then jumping out a window to his "death", only to be reborn with the rest of his band-mates playing in a dark underground room.
It really wouldn't be a Top 20 Countdown without songs that touch on mental health issues. More and more we see bands exploring these topics, and hopefully finding ways to reach fans who are struggling.
Favorite Line: ""But I won't quit on the people I love, so I'll say I'm fine until the day I see the fucking light"
Title: Leave It All Behind
Artist: Sleeping With Sirens
Album: How It Feels To Be Lost
Previous #9s
2018: mind.in.a.box - Attack
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
One of the more surprising entries to this year's list, Sleeping With Sirens join a long list of Sumerian Records alums to reach the top 10. The Orlando based quartet has been kicking it for over 10 years now and had a top 10 release back in 2013, but they never really had a sound that I cared for. Perhaps it was singer Kellin Quinn's high tenor pitch that scratched my ears wrong. They've switched musical gears a few times between now and then, and they've gotten away from juvenile songwriting antics that plagued them int heir younger years. Perhaps it was signing to a heavier label that caused their most recent shift, but the band managed to write an extremely poignant album about not letting the demons of this world get you down. Other favorite's from the disc include "Another Nightmare" and "Medicine (Devil In My Head)".
"Leave It All Behind" starts innocently enough with a drum machine-esque kick and a scratchy guitar before the rest of the group jumps in. Musically the song is one of the strongest ones on the record, but it is again Quinn's voice that manages to both excite and annoy. Initially I had passed over this song when I first heard it but the lyrical content kept me coming back until it was firmly entrenched on my long drives to work early in the morning. The song is about fighting the demons that are screaming at you to end your life. I don't suppose there could be a more relevant song for me in 2019. In listening to the rest of How It Feels To Be Lost I found that to be a common lyrical theme, which only made me appreciate the band even more. The music video has Quinn walking through an abandoned hotel while singing, and then jumping out a window to his "death", only to be reborn with the rest of his band-mates playing in a dark underground room.
It really wouldn't be a Top 20 Countdown without songs that touch on mental health issues. More and more we see bands exploring these topics, and hopefully finding ways to reach fans who are struggling.
Favorite Line: ""But I won't quit on the people I love, so I'll say I'm fine until the day I see the fucking light"
Title: Leave It All Behind
Artist: Sleeping With Sirens
Album: How It Feels To Be Lost
Previous #9s
2018: mind.in.a.box - Attack
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
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
The 2019 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #10
#10. Fit For A King - When Everything Means Nothing
Sometimes there are bands in life where I look back and ask myself, how did they never make it to the Countdown before? While bands like Demon Hunter and August Burns Red have been staples in the Countdown for years, Fit For A King have been a "close, but no cigar" for quite some time. While other metalcore acts have broken through in recent years (I The Breather, Greeley Estates, etc), FFAK were on the outside looking in with "Deathgrip" in 2016. Never a band to rest on their laurels, vocalist Ryan Kirby they toured relentlessly while putting together what is absolutely their best disc to date in Dark Skies, released late last September. The album has some absolutely crushing tracks like "Oblivion" "Tower of Pain", and their biggest hit to date "The Price Of Agony".
The second highest streamed track from the new record is "When Everything Means Nothing", a song about holding on in the worst of circumstances. The musical side of things punches all doubts in the face while Kirby's blend of clean and harsh vocals make the song both potent and poignant. The chorus line "I was born in the rain" became a rallying cry for me this year as I worked through a tough winter and spring, and I remember playing this song 4 or 5 times in a row one day while driving home from work in the rain. It may sound corny, but it's the kind of song that brings strength from within that you don't realize you have until it's there in front of you. The video for the song follows a female protagonist while the band plays on in stormy conditions. The song scored over 5.6m streams on Spotify alone, an impressive achievement as none of their previous songs had ever even reached the 5m mark before Dark Skies was released.
Favorite Line: "I try to smile, try to fight, just to say I'm okay, but every day feels like a hurricane - yeah I was born in the rain"
Title: When Everything Means Nothing
Artist: Fit For A King
Album: Dark Skies
Previous #10s
2018: The Night Game - The Outfield
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
Sometimes there are bands in life where I look back and ask myself, how did they never make it to the Countdown before? While bands like Demon Hunter and August Burns Red have been staples in the Countdown for years, Fit For A King have been a "close, but no cigar" for quite some time. While other metalcore acts have broken through in recent years (I The Breather, Greeley Estates, etc), FFAK were on the outside looking in with "Deathgrip" in 2016. Never a band to rest on their laurels, vocalist Ryan Kirby they toured relentlessly while putting together what is absolutely their best disc to date in Dark Skies, released late last September. The album has some absolutely crushing tracks like "Oblivion" "Tower of Pain", and their biggest hit to date "The Price Of Agony".
The second highest streamed track from the new record is "When Everything Means Nothing", a song about holding on in the worst of circumstances. The musical side of things punches all doubts in the face while Kirby's blend of clean and harsh vocals make the song both potent and poignant. The chorus line "I was born in the rain" became a rallying cry for me this year as I worked through a tough winter and spring, and I remember playing this song 4 or 5 times in a row one day while driving home from work in the rain. It may sound corny, but it's the kind of song that brings strength from within that you don't realize you have until it's there in front of you. The video for the song follows a female protagonist while the band plays on in stormy conditions. The song scored over 5.6m streams on Spotify alone, an impressive achievement as none of their previous songs had ever even reached the 5m mark before Dark Skies was released.
Favorite Line: "I try to smile, try to fight, just to say I'm okay, but every day feels like a hurricane - yeah I was born in the rain"
Title: When Everything Means Nothing
Artist: Fit For A King
Album: Dark Skies
Previous #10s
2018: The Night Game - The Outfield
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
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
The 2019 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #11
#11. Demon Hunter - The Negative
Life, death, Demon Hunter in the Countdown? Like Florence + The Machine, DH have been downright prolific over the years. #16 in 2017, #8 in 2012, #19 in 2010, while entirely missing out in 2014 (although revisionist history would place "I Will Fail You" in the company of favorite songs from that year). Whether it be ballad or harder rock piece, the Washington-based quintet are simply an institution here. Even though singer Ryan Clark is the only remaining original member, the group still manages to capture the essential sound of their previous records with each passing disc, releasing (now) 11 albums since 2002. While I don't listen to their new stuff quite as much as their older material, there still always stands to be 1 or 2 songs off of every album that stick with me. It's generally been the ballads in more recent year, which is one of the things that perked my interest when the band announced they'd be double a double release in 2019.
As a matter of fact, they split the harder songs from the more ballad-esque tunes into a two album package, aptly titled War and Peace. The downside of a band who has already released 9 albums trying to churn out 20 songs is that you're going to have a lot of filler. I wouldn't say either record is terrible, but I think if they just did, say, 12 or 13 songs on a single album it would've been much stronger than the two separate discs. That's just my opinion, and of course there were several songs I enjoyed including "More Than Bones" and "Loneliness" from Peace, and "Cut To Fit", "On My Side", and "The Negative" from War. It wasn't the first track that caught my ear, and honestly I enjoyed "More Than Bones" the most when the albums first dropped, but the chorus "Everyone, everyone starts in the negative with me" kept bouncing around in my head. It was almost too simple for me to wrap myself around it, but the song punishes you from Clark's immediate screaming at the beginning to the pummeling drums and, of course, the catchy chorus. If there's one thing DH is great at, it's making a chorus that you won't forget. The video is a wonderfully artistic concept with shadows of Clark and the band playing in shades of red, white and black. It's definitely one of my favorite videos of 2019.
Back to back heavy tracks cap off the first half of 2019. What lies ahead? Will a metal act finally claim the top spot, or will it be another female fronted act for the third consecutive year? Stay tuned!
Favorite Line: "Everyone starts in the negative with me"
Title: The Negative
Artist: Demon Hunter
Album: War
Previous #11s
2018: Power Quest - No More Heroes
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
Life, death, Demon Hunter in the Countdown? Like Florence + The Machine, DH have been downright prolific over the years. #16 in 2017, #8 in 2012, #19 in 2010, while entirely missing out in 2014 (although revisionist history would place "I Will Fail You" in the company of favorite songs from that year). Whether it be ballad or harder rock piece, the Washington-based quintet are simply an institution here. Even though singer Ryan Clark is the only remaining original member, the group still manages to capture the essential sound of their previous records with each passing disc, releasing (now) 11 albums since 2002. While I don't listen to their new stuff quite as much as their older material, there still always stands to be 1 or 2 songs off of every album that stick with me. It's generally been the ballads in more recent year, which is one of the things that perked my interest when the band announced they'd be double a double release in 2019.
As a matter of fact, they split the harder songs from the more ballad-esque tunes into a two album package, aptly titled War and Peace. The downside of a band who has already released 9 albums trying to churn out 20 songs is that you're going to have a lot of filler. I wouldn't say either record is terrible, but I think if they just did, say, 12 or 13 songs on a single album it would've been much stronger than the two separate discs. That's just my opinion, and of course there were several songs I enjoyed including "More Than Bones" and "Loneliness" from Peace, and "Cut To Fit", "On My Side", and "The Negative" from War. It wasn't the first track that caught my ear, and honestly I enjoyed "More Than Bones" the most when the albums first dropped, but the chorus "Everyone, everyone starts in the negative with me" kept bouncing around in my head. It was almost too simple for me to wrap myself around it, but the song punishes you from Clark's immediate screaming at the beginning to the pummeling drums and, of course, the catchy chorus. If there's one thing DH is great at, it's making a chorus that you won't forget. The video is a wonderfully artistic concept with shadows of Clark and the band playing in shades of red, white and black. It's definitely one of my favorite videos of 2019.
Back to back heavy tracks cap off the first half of 2019. What lies ahead? Will a metal act finally claim the top spot, or will it be another female fronted act for the third consecutive year? Stay tuned!
Favorite Line: "Everyone starts in the negative with me"
Title: The Negative
Artist: Demon Hunter
Album: War
Previous #11s
2018: Power Quest - No More Heroes
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
Monday, December 9, 2019
The 2019 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #12
#12. Bloody Hammers - From Beyond The Grave
2019 has been a good year for returning popular acts, and although Bloody Hammers have been rocking out for almost a decade, I never actually stumbled upon them until this summer, when I found "From Beyond The Grave" on a Spotify New Metal channel. I was immediately hooked on their dirty gothic/doom sound and drawn in by singer Anders Manga's deep croon. The band is essentially Manga and a keyboard/organist known only as Devallia. The band is currently signed to Napalm Records, who blew up a lot of buzz for their newest record, The Summoning. With good reason - it's a solid mix of sludgy gothic psych-rock, which the band calls "Southern Gothic Mountain Fuzz", and Manga's voice draws it all together. The band seems to center their lyrics around witchy black magic themes, and according to Spotify are massively popular in the Scandanavian countries.
While most of the songs on The Summoning resemble dirges, "From Beyond The Grave" has an upbeat guitar and creepy keys that filter throughout it around a pulsing drum. I think it was Manga's voice that first caught me, but it was one of those "I have to listen to this song several times" moments that really got me hooked on the band. It's definitely a creepy track that would fit into any Halloween themed playlist; it obviously deals with resurrection, and perhaps zombies and life after death. While not being released as a single, the song racked up 105k streams on Spotify, good for third most for the band all-time. The video features a recently deceased Manga attempting to return to a grief-stricken Devallia as a spirit, shot like an old-time silent film. It will definitely fulfill any creepy desires you have.
Favorite Line: "I'll be with you far beyond the grave"
Title: From Beyond The Grave
Artist: Bloody Hammers
Album: The Summoning
Previous 12s
2018: Fashion Week - Tell Me Something
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
2019 has been a good year for returning popular acts, and although Bloody Hammers have been rocking out for almost a decade, I never actually stumbled upon them until this summer, when I found "From Beyond The Grave" on a Spotify New Metal channel. I was immediately hooked on their dirty gothic/doom sound and drawn in by singer Anders Manga's deep croon. The band is essentially Manga and a keyboard/organist known only as Devallia. The band is currently signed to Napalm Records, who blew up a lot of buzz for their newest record, The Summoning. With good reason - it's a solid mix of sludgy gothic psych-rock, which the band calls "Southern Gothic Mountain Fuzz", and Manga's voice draws it all together. The band seems to center their lyrics around witchy black magic themes, and according to Spotify are massively popular in the Scandanavian countries.
While most of the songs on The Summoning resemble dirges, "From Beyond The Grave" has an upbeat guitar and creepy keys that filter throughout it around a pulsing drum. I think it was Manga's voice that first caught me, but it was one of those "I have to listen to this song several times" moments that really got me hooked on the band. It's definitely a creepy track that would fit into any Halloween themed playlist; it obviously deals with resurrection, and perhaps zombies and life after death. While not being released as a single, the song racked up 105k streams on Spotify, good for third most for the band all-time. The video features a recently deceased Manga attempting to return to a grief-stricken Devallia as a spirit, shot like an old-time silent film. It will definitely fulfill any creepy desires you have.
Favorite Line: "I'll be with you far beyond the grave"
Title: From Beyond The Grave
Artist: Bloody Hammers
Album: The Summoning
Previous 12s
2018: Fashion Week - Tell Me Something
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
Sunday, December 8, 2019
The 2019 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #13
#13. Vesperteen - Operate
Vesperteen actually landed in last year's Countdown at #3 with "Medicine", and joins a rare company in bands who have had songs in consecutive years. "Operate" was released as a stand-alone single just six months after his last record, The Hype Is Dead dropped. In the changing musical landscape, more and more we're seeing singles released by themselves with no plan to be added to a record, or in between records as self promotion. Since that release, he was signed by KIDinaKorner records, who host mega-acts Imagine Dragons and X Ambassadors. His sound definitely fits the vibes that the label promotes, and I can only assume that a full length record will be coming after this summer's EP Summer Sun. The project is still helmed by House of Heroes drummer Colin Rigsby, who has worked tirelessly to continually perfect his electronic craft.
"Operate" actually mirrors "Medicine" in how it deals with loss and pain, something which Rigsby has certainly been ultra-familiar with in the last 12 months. I don't know whether the song specifically was written for the topic (as Colin goes to my church and was equally close), but for me the song has been hyper-relevant surrounding the sudden death of my pastor last November. Lyrically the song can be taken to mean a host of things; broken relationships, lost love, deep rooted pain. Musically, the synths soar throughout the chorus and the drums explode, catching your ear and sticking itself in your head. It was one of those songs for a few months after its release that was constantly bouncing around my head when I'd wake up in the morning. Impressively, the song has become one of Vesperteen's most streamed songs on Spotify, rivaling both of his most recent releases with over 210k streams. The video for the song features a female protagonist who is walking through a wintery field, pouring out a bottle of wine, and seeming to let something from her past go.
Favorite Line: "We lost a lot of blood last year, your smile is just a band-aid."
Title: Operate
Artist: Vesperteen
Album: Operate single
Previous 13s
2018: Marshmello & Bastille - Happier
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
Vesperteen actually landed in last year's Countdown at #3 with "Medicine", and joins a rare company in bands who have had songs in consecutive years. "Operate" was released as a stand-alone single just six months after his last record, The Hype Is Dead dropped. In the changing musical landscape, more and more we're seeing singles released by themselves with no plan to be added to a record, or in between records as self promotion. Since that release, he was signed by KIDinaKorner records, who host mega-acts Imagine Dragons and X Ambassadors. His sound definitely fits the vibes that the label promotes, and I can only assume that a full length record will be coming after this summer's EP Summer Sun. The project is still helmed by House of Heroes drummer Colin Rigsby, who has worked tirelessly to continually perfect his electronic craft.
"Operate" actually mirrors "Medicine" in how it deals with loss and pain, something which Rigsby has certainly been ultra-familiar with in the last 12 months. I don't know whether the song specifically was written for the topic (as Colin goes to my church and was equally close), but for me the song has been hyper-relevant surrounding the sudden death of my pastor last November. Lyrically the song can be taken to mean a host of things; broken relationships, lost love, deep rooted pain. Musically, the synths soar throughout the chorus and the drums explode, catching your ear and sticking itself in your head. It was one of those songs for a few months after its release that was constantly bouncing around my head when I'd wake up in the morning. Impressively, the song has become one of Vesperteen's most streamed songs on Spotify, rivaling both of his most recent releases with over 210k streams. The video for the song features a female protagonist who is walking through a wintery field, pouring out a bottle of wine, and seeming to let something from her past go.
Favorite Line: "We lost a lot of blood last year, your smile is just a band-aid."
Title: Operate
Artist: Vesperteen
Album: Operate single
Previous 13s
2018: Marshmello & Bastille - Happier
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
Saturday, December 7, 2019
The 2019 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #14
#14. Rome - Uropia O Morte
Sometimes it's not what you know, but whom. It was actually my wife who introduced me to Luxembourg's Jerome Reuter, aka Rome. She was quite obsessed with him when we first started dating, and while i didn't quite understand his sound or style, I've come to appreciate him more and more with each passing release. The man is quite prolific - he generally seems to release an album every year. Most have a similar theme - maritime war, sociopolitical commentary, love and loss. I've read interviews with him where he says he's not trying to be political, but he cannot ignore what is going on in the world. It's difficult to describe his sound, but Wikipedia calls him "experimental neofolk and martial industrial". Yeah, you figure it out. What I do know is that he has an amazing voice and a clever eye to the world going on around him. "One Lion's Roar" was the first song released for the new record and for a while I thought that was going to be the song that made it to the Countdown this year.
And then I heard "Uropia O Morte". Heavy percussion and acoustic guitar, two mainstays in Rome's music, open the song before his brooding voice sings about what seems to be the decline of a man or country destroyed by war. I have scoured the interwebs trying to find what "Uropia" might be, but it seems to translate loosely to "the death of Europe". I saw one critic say that "Uropia" is probably a mash of Europe and Utopia. Rome writes his songs in several different languages and often uses German as a secondary to English. The entire record is brilliant, but this song seems to have the more heartfelt passion and longing behind it. Having seen Rome live, I can tell you that he pours himself into his craft. We drove 9 hours to see him perform at a festival last year and his performance alone was worth the trip.
Favorite Line: "You said we didn't bleed enough, are we bleeding enough for you now?"
Title: Uropia O Morte
Artist: Rome
Album: Le Ceneri di Heliodoro
Previous 14s
2018: Solar Fake - The Pain That Kills You Too
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
Sometimes it's not what you know, but whom. It was actually my wife who introduced me to Luxembourg's Jerome Reuter, aka Rome. She was quite obsessed with him when we first started dating, and while i didn't quite understand his sound or style, I've come to appreciate him more and more with each passing release. The man is quite prolific - he generally seems to release an album every year. Most have a similar theme - maritime war, sociopolitical commentary, love and loss. I've read interviews with him where he says he's not trying to be political, but he cannot ignore what is going on in the world. It's difficult to describe his sound, but Wikipedia calls him "experimental neofolk and martial industrial". Yeah, you figure it out. What I do know is that he has an amazing voice and a clever eye to the world going on around him. "One Lion's Roar" was the first song released for the new record and for a while I thought that was going to be the song that made it to the Countdown this year.
And then I heard "Uropia O Morte". Heavy percussion and acoustic guitar, two mainstays in Rome's music, open the song before his brooding voice sings about what seems to be the decline of a man or country destroyed by war. I have scoured the interwebs trying to find what "Uropia" might be, but it seems to translate loosely to "the death of Europe". I saw one critic say that "Uropia" is probably a mash of Europe and Utopia. Rome writes his songs in several different languages and often uses German as a secondary to English. The entire record is brilliant, but this song seems to have the more heartfelt passion and longing behind it. Having seen Rome live, I can tell you that he pours himself into his craft. We drove 9 hours to see him perform at a festival last year and his performance alone was worth the trip.
Favorite Line: "You said we didn't bleed enough, are we bleeding enough for you now?"
Title: Uropia O Morte
Artist: Rome
Album: Le Ceneri di Heliodoro
Previous 14s
2018: Solar Fake - The Pain That Kills You Too
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
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