#1 - Morning Theft - Skeleton Twins
A countdown wouldn't be complete without
a really great story to go with one of the higher ranking songs.
Actually this tale picks up where the #3 song left off - with the
suicide of Chris Cornell. Cornell was found dead on May 18th of this
year and it kicked me back into a bad spiral of depression. I had
already been struggling with a new and abusive boss as work, plus the
shocking realization that I had been married for an entire year without
actually knocking it was causing me to lose my marbles each and every
night. I couldn't sleep for 3 or 4 days after the suicide, and I felt my
mental abilities declining very quickly with each passing day. There
were multiple nights where I would drive home by the river and tell
myself that it would be so easy just to swerve over and call it a life.
Things came to an impasse on May 27th when my boss, in no uncertain
terms, told me that I wasn't worth training for the job and thought it
to be a waste of her time to have to deal with me.
Rough
stuff, I know. I remember going to Arby's to grab some food before the
concert I knew I was going to have to cover, and I was crying in my car
and wiping away the tears when I got there. I felt bad for the poor
clerk because he kept coming to check on me, hoping that it wasn't
something that the restaurant had done to upset me. I sat there for a
good 2 hours just talking myself into meeting with my photographer,
going to the show, writing my article and then ending my life. I was
ready. May 28th was going to be my last day on Earth. And then....
Morning Theft happened. The article I wrote for that night can be found here,
but the crux of it is that I stayed at that bar until almost 4am
talking to Nick and Jenelle (guitarist and singer) from Morning Theft
about life, death, depression, suicide, and especially music. Those two
literally convinced me to stay alive that night, and for that I will
always be grateful.
That story is important in writing
about this song, as well. It deals with mental illness, depression and
suicidal thoughts. Jenelle Rowland's voice pierces through the atmospheric wail of Nick McKenzie's guitar hitting high and deep notes at a rate that would make even the most accomplished vocalist blush. The backbeat of Cody Reynolds' drum and J.D. Johnston's bass drives the song forward at a slow and mournful pace and Rowland tells her story, as if pieced together from an asylum journal. It's a tremendous song, and for good reason it has more than twice the amount of plays on Spotify as any other song off of their most recent EP, "...these terraformed ends". The EP title comes from a poem McKenzie wrote and features 4 solid tracks led by the single Decry. The sound is experimental and artistic, as if all 4 are trying to paint an exquisitely tortured portrait. I've also heard them perform several of their new songs live and I have to say - this is a band that is only getting better as they continue writing.
Despite working for a publication covering local music in 2017, I certainly did not anticipate a local song capturing the #1 spot in this countdown. Regardless of the above story, there were still other great songs encompassing 2017 that could have made it to the top of the mountain, but no song spent more time in my ears and on my mind than this one. It just goes to show the amazing impact that music has on our lives, and how a single event can alter a life in such a critical and fantastic way. Thank you, 2017 for helping me find my way.
Title: Skeleton Twins
Artist: Morning Theft
Album: ...these terraformed ends.
Previous #1s
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
Showing posts with label 2017 Top 20 Countdown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2017 Top 20 Countdown. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #2
#2 - Future Islands - Ran
Future Islands find themselves back in the countdown and close to the top once more after landing at #3 with Seasons in 2014. That article can be found here and the recurring theme between both songs is once again how in the hell did this song not end up at #1?! Seasons was a massive hit right off of the bat and propelled the band to unknown stardom literally overnight after an appearance on the David Letterman Show. The band followed up with 2017's "The Far Field", which is a decent album, although I wouldn't say it's better or worse than the previous effort of 2014's "Singles". It definitely follows the same synth and bass combo that has worked for the band for several years, while all of the songs are obviously build around Samuel T Herring's soaring voice. The album reached #52 on the Billboard 200 and managed to appear on charts in 13 other countries as well.
As the story goes, I was driving to work and when I heard the opening keys and bassline of Ran. Herring's familiar voice took over the airwaves as he sang other the ethereal blend of keys, and I found myself entranced. Could this be happening again? Was this to be another supermassive hit for the year of 2017? I couldn't help but look up the song in my car after it had finished playing on the radio. It again features an absolutely massive chorus with Herring literally willing himself to finish the final line "...ran 'round the wailing world". The song tells a heartbroken tale - "what's a song without you, when every song I write's about you?" - and is once again too short and too sweet a season. It demands to be replayed over and over again, and did end up being the most played song for me in 2017. On Spotify it racked up an impressive 13M streams despite failing to chart on Billboard.
The question later became "how does this song stack up to Seasons?". Was it at all possible that any song could reach that sort of level, much less from the same band? That song, despite landing at #3, will always be considered an all-time classic. I tried to listen to the two of them back-to-back several times this year, trying to distinguish which song was better. In the end, it seemed that there might have been better songs in 2014, but Ran stacks up just as good as Seasons any day of the week, and in any other year either song could have risen to the ranks of #1. I am also grateful that the band decided to make an actual video for the song, featuring the always emotive Herring running through the woods and highways of his home state of Maryland while the band plays in a practice space. Also, I found you a really good video of the boys performing live, showcasing what makes Herring so amazing as a frontman.
(live)
Title: Ran
Artist: Future Islands
Album: The Far Field
Previous #2s
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
Future Islands find themselves back in the countdown and close to the top once more after landing at #3 with Seasons in 2014. That article can be found here and the recurring theme between both songs is once again how in the hell did this song not end up at #1?! Seasons was a massive hit right off of the bat and propelled the band to unknown stardom literally overnight after an appearance on the David Letterman Show. The band followed up with 2017's "The Far Field", which is a decent album, although I wouldn't say it's better or worse than the previous effort of 2014's "Singles". It definitely follows the same synth and bass combo that has worked for the band for several years, while all of the songs are obviously build around Samuel T Herring's soaring voice. The album reached #52 on the Billboard 200 and managed to appear on charts in 13 other countries as well.
As the story goes, I was driving to work and when I heard the opening keys and bassline of Ran. Herring's familiar voice took over the airwaves as he sang other the ethereal blend of keys, and I found myself entranced. Could this be happening again? Was this to be another supermassive hit for the year of 2017? I couldn't help but look up the song in my car after it had finished playing on the radio. It again features an absolutely massive chorus with Herring literally willing himself to finish the final line "...ran 'round the wailing world". The song tells a heartbroken tale - "what's a song without you, when every song I write's about you?" - and is once again too short and too sweet a season. It demands to be replayed over and over again, and did end up being the most played song for me in 2017. On Spotify it racked up an impressive 13M streams despite failing to chart on Billboard.
The question later became "how does this song stack up to Seasons?". Was it at all possible that any song could reach that sort of level, much less from the same band? That song, despite landing at #3, will always be considered an all-time classic. I tried to listen to the two of them back-to-back several times this year, trying to distinguish which song was better. In the end, it seemed that there might have been better songs in 2014, but Ran stacks up just as good as Seasons any day of the week, and in any other year either song could have risen to the ranks of #1. I am also grateful that the band decided to make an actual video for the song, featuring the always emotive Herring running through the woods and highways of his home state of Maryland while the band plays in a practice space. Also, I found you a really good video of the boys performing live, showcasing what makes Herring so amazing as a frontman.
(live)
Title: Ran
Artist: Future Islands
Album: The Far Field
Previous #2s
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
Monday, December 18, 2017
The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #3
#3 - The Naked and Famous - Higher
The Naked and Famous are an international force to be reckoned with, and it's about time they landed on the Top 20. I'd say #3 is a pretty great place to debut yourself on a countdown like this as well. The band is the brain-child of guitarist Thom Powers and singer Alisa Xayalith and garnered massive alternative hits in 2010 with Young Blood and Punching in a Dream. Their previous album "In Rolling Waves" featured the song Hearts Like Ours, which just missed out on our 2013 version of the countdown. I felt that that album was not as strong as their debut work "Passive You, Aggressive Me", but I still found myself listening to their newest effort "Simple Forms" while decorating last year for Christmas and falling in love with the band all over again. It was the first song to be considered for the 2017 Countdown and never left the top 3.
The band has always been synth and chorus-heavy and relied on the high-pitched shrieks of Xayalith, similar to contemporaries like Chvrches and Passion Pit. Powers provides fantastic harmonies and also sings lead on a few songs per album, shining on My Energy this time around. The only downside I have with the album is that it seems like every song seems to shoot for the stars when the chorus comes around, and sometimes there just isn't enough power behind them to make an impact. I also enjoyed the harmonious Falling and the stripped versions they released of Last Forever and Higher. "Simple Forms" debuted at 110 on the Billboard 200 and made it up to #10 on the US Alternative and #9 on the US Independent charts.
Higher is the opening track from the New Zealanders and it immediately drops bouncy synths and Xayalith's ability to capture ears with her range. There's beeping keys and a clapping bassline that pushes you forward. The absolute line of 2017 comes from the songs refrain - "better believe the sea of changes, and put these battered bones to rest. Nothing invisible or nameless - leave no reason to confess". The song doesn't let up until the final note drops and is well worth the almost 18M streams it garnered on Spotify. The song made it to #39 on the US Alternative list while rocketing up to #2 on the New Zealand Heatseeker chart.
Title: Higher
Artist: The Naked and Famous
Album: Simple Forms
Previous #3s
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
The Naked and Famous are an international force to be reckoned with, and it's about time they landed on the Top 20. I'd say #3 is a pretty great place to debut yourself on a countdown like this as well. The band is the brain-child of guitarist Thom Powers and singer Alisa Xayalith and garnered massive alternative hits in 2010 with Young Blood and Punching in a Dream. Their previous album "In Rolling Waves" featured the song Hearts Like Ours, which just missed out on our 2013 version of the countdown. I felt that that album was not as strong as their debut work "Passive You, Aggressive Me", but I still found myself listening to their newest effort "Simple Forms" while decorating last year for Christmas and falling in love with the band all over again. It was the first song to be considered for the 2017 Countdown and never left the top 3.
The band has always been synth and chorus-heavy and relied on the high-pitched shrieks of Xayalith, similar to contemporaries like Chvrches and Passion Pit. Powers provides fantastic harmonies and also sings lead on a few songs per album, shining on My Energy this time around. The only downside I have with the album is that it seems like every song seems to shoot for the stars when the chorus comes around, and sometimes there just isn't enough power behind them to make an impact. I also enjoyed the harmonious Falling and the stripped versions they released of Last Forever and Higher. "Simple Forms" debuted at 110 on the Billboard 200 and made it up to #10 on the US Alternative and #9 on the US Independent charts.
Higher is the opening track from the New Zealanders and it immediately drops bouncy synths and Xayalith's ability to capture ears with her range. There's beeping keys and a clapping bassline that pushes you forward. The absolute line of 2017 comes from the songs refrain - "better believe the sea of changes, and put these battered bones to rest. Nothing invisible or nameless - leave no reason to confess". The song doesn't let up until the final note drops and is well worth the almost 18M streams it garnered on Spotify. The song made it to #39 on the US Alternative list while rocketing up to #2 on the New Zealand Heatseeker chart.
Title: Higher
Artist: The Naked and Famous
Album: Simple Forms
Previous #3s
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
Sunday, December 17, 2017
The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #4
#4 - The Birthday Massacre - All of Nothing
If you've ever listened to The Birthday Massacre before, you know that they have three trademark sounds that you will hear in every single one of their songs. There's heavy doses of synthesizers, there's overly programmed guitar work, and of course there's Chibi's sultry voice. There's a lot of programming that goes into making the band sound like they do, and I've always enjoyed how heavy they are able to make their music through the use of electronics. But the be-all for the Toronto-based group revolves around the fact that Chibi has a beautifully haunting voice that turns her songs into personal stories which inevitably pull you in closer to their music. The band has been an underground hit among the EBM and Dark-wave communities since 1999, dropping 7 records and spawning hits like In The Dark, Red Stars and Violet.
Their newest album is titled "Under Your Spell" and it's an exceptionally personal and powerful record that digs even deeper to the talented singer's soul. The band has had the same 3 core songwriters (Chibi and guitarists Rainbow and Michael Falcore) since their inception and they always write incredibly tight riffs and tend to puncture the darkness with their glimmering synths and sparkles. There's catchy hits like Without You and One, thumping jams like Hex and Counterpane, and of course the deepest and most emotional song of all, All of Nothing.
The song opens with an airy dose of atmosphere before the synths bite in and the guitars drop low. The opening line of "once upon a waste of time, all I had was never mine" doesn't even begin to prepare you for the chorus of "you were like a dream, cuz you never came true". It's nothing short of massive and mournful, to the point where you might actually believe that it is your heart that is being ripped out from within you. I can honestly say throughout 2017 that I listened to this chorus over and over again, just letting the music dig through and shred my heart. It's so beautiful and full of pained soul. And although none of the songs on the record scored over 400k streams on Spotify, I would definitely say that it was another successful crowd fund for the Canadian sextet.
Title: All of Nothing
Artist: The Birthday Massacre
Album: Under Your Spell
Previous #4s
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
If you've ever listened to The Birthday Massacre before, you know that they have three trademark sounds that you will hear in every single one of their songs. There's heavy doses of synthesizers, there's overly programmed guitar work, and of course there's Chibi's sultry voice. There's a lot of programming that goes into making the band sound like they do, and I've always enjoyed how heavy they are able to make their music through the use of electronics. But the be-all for the Toronto-based group revolves around the fact that Chibi has a beautifully haunting voice that turns her songs into personal stories which inevitably pull you in closer to their music. The band has been an underground hit among the EBM and Dark-wave communities since 1999, dropping 7 records and spawning hits like In The Dark, Red Stars and Violet.
Their newest album is titled "Under Your Spell" and it's an exceptionally personal and powerful record that digs even deeper to the talented singer's soul. The band has had the same 3 core songwriters (Chibi and guitarists Rainbow and Michael Falcore) since their inception and they always write incredibly tight riffs and tend to puncture the darkness with their glimmering synths and sparkles. There's catchy hits like Without You and One, thumping jams like Hex and Counterpane, and of course the deepest and most emotional song of all, All of Nothing.
The song opens with an airy dose of atmosphere before the synths bite in and the guitars drop low. The opening line of "once upon a waste of time, all I had was never mine" doesn't even begin to prepare you for the chorus of "you were like a dream, cuz you never came true". It's nothing short of massive and mournful, to the point where you might actually believe that it is your heart that is being ripped out from within you. I can honestly say throughout 2017 that I listened to this chorus over and over again, just letting the music dig through and shred my heart. It's so beautiful and full of pained soul. And although none of the songs on the record scored over 400k streams on Spotify, I would definitely say that it was another successful crowd fund for the Canadian sextet.
Title: All of Nothing
Artist: The Birthday Massacre
Album: Under Your Spell
Previous #4s
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
Saturday, December 16, 2017
The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #5
#5 - Chris Cornell - The Promise
It's hard to believe that there are 5 songs bigger from 2017 than #6, but you better believe that it's nothing but serious whammies from here on down. However, this is going to be a difficult one to write.
When musicians and actors die, we often tend to romanticize the last thing that they contributed to society. Would "The Dark Night" be as big of a hit as it was without Heath Ledger dying before it was released? Would the new Linkin Park album be on anyone's year end charts if not for Chester Bennington's passing? I don't think so on either case, and the passing of Chris Cornell doesn't make his last album any better or worse than it already is. (it's pretty damn good, btw). But you simply cannot avoid the impact that these celebrities have on our lives.
Cornell is no different for me. His work with Soundgarden is legendary, but I honestly didn't love him until I really listened to Audioslave. His solo work truly digs into the tortured genius, and that genius is no bigger on display than on The Promise. The song was written for the ill-fated movie which shares its name, and is really the only bright spot from that bomb. It is lyrically brilliant, and its music is constantly digging into you as Cornell screams "no matter the price, a promise to survive, persevere and fly". Did he know he was writing his final song? Was it his final cry for help? Even the soft orchestral parts of the song cause the soaring chorus to be even more powerful.
I remember the day he died. I ended up having to call off of work because I was so overwhelmed with shock and grief; something I told myself would never happen with the death of a celebrity I had never met. But like Tom Shear, Cornell was someone who I could always relate to through his music, and someone who helped carry me through the darkest times of my life. His constant use of metaphorical language often stirred new thoughts within me, and I know I'm not the only one who still mourns his passing. Dead or alive, The Promise is still a phenomenal song and well worth cracking the top 5. Its video features Cornell playing his acoustic while heart-breaking Syrian refugee videos play in the fore and background. Cornell announced that all proceeds from the song would go to support the refugees and their children.
Title: The Promise
Artist: Chris Cornell
Album: The Promise
Previous #5s
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
It's hard to believe that there are 5 songs bigger from 2017 than #6, but you better believe that it's nothing but serious whammies from here on down. However, this is going to be a difficult one to write.
When musicians and actors die, we often tend to romanticize the last thing that they contributed to society. Would "The Dark Night" be as big of a hit as it was without Heath Ledger dying before it was released? Would the new Linkin Park album be on anyone's year end charts if not for Chester Bennington's passing? I don't think so on either case, and the passing of Chris Cornell doesn't make his last album any better or worse than it already is. (it's pretty damn good, btw). But you simply cannot avoid the impact that these celebrities have on our lives.
Cornell is no different for me. His work with Soundgarden is legendary, but I honestly didn't love him until I really listened to Audioslave. His solo work truly digs into the tortured genius, and that genius is no bigger on display than on The Promise. The song was written for the ill-fated movie which shares its name, and is really the only bright spot from that bomb. It is lyrically brilliant, and its music is constantly digging into you as Cornell screams "no matter the price, a promise to survive, persevere and fly". Did he know he was writing his final song? Was it his final cry for help? Even the soft orchestral parts of the song cause the soaring chorus to be even more powerful.
I remember the day he died. I ended up having to call off of work because I was so overwhelmed with shock and grief; something I told myself would never happen with the death of a celebrity I had never met. But like Tom Shear, Cornell was someone who I could always relate to through his music, and someone who helped carry me through the darkest times of my life. His constant use of metaphorical language often stirred new thoughts within me, and I know I'm not the only one who still mourns his passing. Dead or alive, The Promise is still a phenomenal song and well worth cracking the top 5. Its video features Cornell playing his acoustic while heart-breaking Syrian refugee videos play in the fore and background. Cornell announced that all proceeds from the song would go to support the refugees and their children.
Title: The Promise
Artist: Chris Cornell
Album: The Promise
Previous #5s
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
Friday, December 15, 2017
The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #6
#6 - Assemblage 23 - Bravery
With how much time I have spent listening to this band in the past 7-8 years, it's hard to believe there was a time when I didn't love Tom Shear and Assemblage 23. His song topics generally touch on depression, suffering and occasionally on a bad relationship with his father. But before I met my future wife in 2009, I was much less in to electronic music, and I have her to thank for the introduction. In 2010 the band missed out with Smoke while completely (and surprisingly) failing to register any songs off of his 2012 album "Bruise". Late last year Shear took his traveling band on the road to promote his newest album "Endure", which I honestly did not spend a lot of time with in the first two months after its release.
Suddenly I found out that the Washington native was taking show on the road with his touring bandmates, and that they were coming to a venue just 3 hours away from me. My wife and I hit the road and found ourselves at an old church in Newport KY, called Southgate House Revival. We were treated to some heavy industrial noise, some beautiful gothic music, and finally to Assemblage 23. They played almost all of my favorite A23 hits, and some of the better songs off of the new album, including Afterglow, Salt the Earth, and December. The immediate song that jumped out to me was the tale of our #6 song, Bravery.
The album title of Endure is almost antithetical to the message of hopelessness that Shear often waves into his songs, but Bravery is the perfect example of just what it means to endure. It opens with a bouncy high-pitched synth that intersperses itself into the driving drum backbeat and is layered perfectly with a number of joining electrical noises. The song tells the tale of the strength it takes to make it through each passing day:
"a fount of strength is flowing like blood from open veins
a cache of courage to brace against the blinding pain
each one of us fights battles no one else can see
some days just waking up is an act of bravery"
If nothing else, a lot of times Shear sings about fighting through the suicidal voices inside of his head. It's quite terrifying to see how many of his songs touch on the same personal struggles that I go through, but I was definitely grateful that I had a chance to meet him and thank him for his music last winter. I honestly thought this song would crack the top 3 for most of the year, but it still made an indelible mark on 2017 for me and deservedly lands at #6.
Title: Bravery
Artist: Assemblage 23
Album: Endure
Previous #6s
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
With how much time I have spent listening to this band in the past 7-8 years, it's hard to believe there was a time when I didn't love Tom Shear and Assemblage 23. His song topics generally touch on depression, suffering and occasionally on a bad relationship with his father. But before I met my future wife in 2009, I was much less in to electronic music, and I have her to thank for the introduction. In 2010 the band missed out with Smoke while completely (and surprisingly) failing to register any songs off of his 2012 album "Bruise". Late last year Shear took his traveling band on the road to promote his newest album "Endure", which I honestly did not spend a lot of time with in the first two months after its release.
Suddenly I found out that the Washington native was taking show on the road with his touring bandmates, and that they were coming to a venue just 3 hours away from me. My wife and I hit the road and found ourselves at an old church in Newport KY, called Southgate House Revival. We were treated to some heavy industrial noise, some beautiful gothic music, and finally to Assemblage 23. They played almost all of my favorite A23 hits, and some of the better songs off of the new album, including Afterglow, Salt the Earth, and December. The immediate song that jumped out to me was the tale of our #6 song, Bravery.
The album title of Endure is almost antithetical to the message of hopelessness that Shear often waves into his songs, but Bravery is the perfect example of just what it means to endure. It opens with a bouncy high-pitched synth that intersperses itself into the driving drum backbeat and is layered perfectly with a number of joining electrical noises. The song tells the tale of the strength it takes to make it through each passing day:
"a fount of strength is flowing like blood from open veins
a cache of courage to brace against the blinding pain
each one of us fights battles no one else can see
some days just waking up is an act of bravery"
If nothing else, a lot of times Shear sings about fighting through the suicidal voices inside of his head. It's quite terrifying to see how many of his songs touch on the same personal struggles that I go through, but I was definitely grateful that I had a chance to meet him and thank him for his music last winter. I honestly thought this song would crack the top 3 for most of the year, but it still made an indelible mark on 2017 for me and deservedly lands at #6.
Title: Bravery
Artist: Assemblage 23
Album: Endure
Previous #6s
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
Thursday, December 14, 2017
The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #7
#7 - Cold War Kids - Can We Hang On ?
Cold War Kids make their debut appearance on the countdown after just missing out in 2014 with their massive hit First. They're a band who usually has 1 song per album that just knocks me off my feet, but are often a little too artsy for my tastes. Their music is always solid and well produced, and they do a great job melding driving guitars and drums with piano strokes. The main knock I have on their music is that sometimes lead singer Nathan Willett almost puts too much of himself into the music, making it overpowering and somewhat off-putting. All the same, the band sells a lot of records being a trend-setter in alternative music, and "LA Divine" climbed up to #69 on the Billboard 200 while breaking into the Top 10 once again in US Alternative and US Rock.
I really only found two songs that I enjoyed on this record, which was somewhat of a disappointment because I could their previous release "Hold My Home" to be their best to date. As it stands, they released another hit single in Love is Mystical before dropping our #7 hit Can We Hang On ?, which immediately hooks you in with its screaming guitar and piano combination in the first few seconds. Willett proves himself as a songwriter with every line in the song, reaching a paramount with "would you be mine forever, just in case it exists?". It's a song about a broken home and relationship, and the struggle to make things persevere. The song didn't chart but it still chalked up 4.5M streams on Spotify, and has a video with a man dancing by himself with the music along El Porto Beach in LA.
Lost amongst the wave of upbeat and heavier hits from this year is the fact that I spent a major portion of the year fighting severe depression. In knowing myself it is difficult to imagine a year where new songs didn't help to guide my moods, and so of course there is usually a song that is darker or more dramatic than others ranking fairly high. Can We Hang On ? is a perfect song for those moods, and it was one of those songs that could have easily risen higher than #7 on any given year. It's only slammers from here on out!
Title: Can We Hang On ?
Artist: Cold War Kids
Album: LA Divine
Previous #7s
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
Cold War Kids make their debut appearance on the countdown after just missing out in 2014 with their massive hit First. They're a band who usually has 1 song per album that just knocks me off my feet, but are often a little too artsy for my tastes. Their music is always solid and well produced, and they do a great job melding driving guitars and drums with piano strokes. The main knock I have on their music is that sometimes lead singer Nathan Willett almost puts too much of himself into the music, making it overpowering and somewhat off-putting. All the same, the band sells a lot of records being a trend-setter in alternative music, and "LA Divine" climbed up to #69 on the Billboard 200 while breaking into the Top 10 once again in US Alternative and US Rock.
I really only found two songs that I enjoyed on this record, which was somewhat of a disappointment because I could their previous release "Hold My Home" to be their best to date. As it stands, they released another hit single in Love is Mystical before dropping our #7 hit Can We Hang On ?, which immediately hooks you in with its screaming guitar and piano combination in the first few seconds. Willett proves himself as a songwriter with every line in the song, reaching a paramount with "would you be mine forever, just in case it exists?". It's a song about a broken home and relationship, and the struggle to make things persevere. The song didn't chart but it still chalked up 4.5M streams on Spotify, and has a video with a man dancing by himself with the music along El Porto Beach in LA.
Lost amongst the wave of upbeat and heavier hits from this year is the fact that I spent a major portion of the year fighting severe depression. In knowing myself it is difficult to imagine a year where new songs didn't help to guide my moods, and so of course there is usually a song that is darker or more dramatic than others ranking fairly high. Can We Hang On ? is a perfect song for those moods, and it was one of those songs that could have easily risen higher than #7 on any given year. It's only slammers from here on out!
Title: Can We Hang On ?
Artist: Cold War Kids
Album: LA Divine
Previous #7s
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
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #8
#8 - Circle of Dust - Machines of our Disgrace
I spent so many years talking about how Circle of Dust was one of those bands that I would absolutely love to see revived. I never assumed it would actually happen, or that it would be this good. Last year we got a peek into the mind of Klayton and what he had been doing in reviving his original project. Contagion dropped at #11 on our countdown (read here) and I predicted that there would probably be a song off of the full-length release come 2017. The album is chock-full of crunching guitars and electric synths that pound and pulverize you into following whatever path it may lead you down. Outside In reminds you of the more ballad-esque hits on "Disengage" while k_OS and Hive Mind blend the industrial and electronica sides of Klayton's brain to perfection.
The two most crushing tracks on the record (after Contagion) are Humanarchy and the title track. Machines opens and is dotted with old-school sci-fi excerpts and builds itself up with blistering guitars before utterly crushing you on the verses. Perhaps my favorite line of the year comes on the 2nd verse -
"Metastasizing in such a willing host - the real disease has been mis-diagnosed.
Dehumanizing and difficult to face - we build our own destruction; the machines of our disgrace".
Yikes. The song itself is a warning about the power of technology overtaking us all, and the video features Klayton playing all of the instruments while two people are walking through life completely entranced by their phones. The sonic battery doesn't cease until the song is over, and if you're like me you'll probably find yourself immediately scrambling to replay the song, just in case you missed any of the madness. Machines chalked up 160k streams on Spotify, and the man behind the madness has already started making plans to release another album, perhaps as soon as next year!
You know I'll be there!
Title: Machines of our Disgrace
Artist: Circle of Dust
Album: Machines of our Disgrace
Previous #8s
2016: Jess Lamb and The Factory - End of the Line
2015: Ellie Goulding - Love Me Like You Do
2014: Sleeper Agent - Waves
2013: Paper Route - Letting You Let Go
2012: Demon Hunter - Dead Flowers
2011: Emmure - Children of Cybertron
2010: 30 Seconds to Mars - Kings and Queens
2009: Jordin Sparks - Battlefield
I spent so many years talking about how Circle of Dust was one of those bands that I would absolutely love to see revived. I never assumed it would actually happen, or that it would be this good. Last year we got a peek into the mind of Klayton and what he had been doing in reviving his original project. Contagion dropped at #11 on our countdown (read here) and I predicted that there would probably be a song off of the full-length release come 2017. The album is chock-full of crunching guitars and electric synths that pound and pulverize you into following whatever path it may lead you down. Outside In reminds you of the more ballad-esque hits on "Disengage" while k_OS and Hive Mind blend the industrial and electronica sides of Klayton's brain to perfection.
The two most crushing tracks on the record (after Contagion) are Humanarchy and the title track. Machines opens and is dotted with old-school sci-fi excerpts and builds itself up with blistering guitars before utterly crushing you on the verses. Perhaps my favorite line of the year comes on the 2nd verse -
"Metastasizing in such a willing host - the real disease has been mis-diagnosed.
Dehumanizing and difficult to face - we build our own destruction; the machines of our disgrace".
Yikes. The song itself is a warning about the power of technology overtaking us all, and the video features Klayton playing all of the instruments while two people are walking through life completely entranced by their phones. The sonic battery doesn't cease until the song is over, and if you're like me you'll probably find yourself immediately scrambling to replay the song, just in case you missed any of the madness. Machines chalked up 160k streams on Spotify, and the man behind the madness has already started making plans to release another album, perhaps as soon as next year!
You know I'll be there!
Title: Machines of our Disgrace
Artist: Circle of Dust
Album: Machines of our Disgrace
Previous #8s
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
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #9
#9 - Bebe Rexha - The Way I Are (Dance With Somebody)
Look, I'm not gonna beat around the bush here. Am I a fan of pop-stars like Bebe Rexha? No, absolutely not. A quick look at the "related artists" tab next to her name shows a graveyard of formulated popstars who all use the same hooks, same beats, and "sing" about essentially the same thing. Heck, some of them are almost as goofy looking as the flag-bearer, Iggy Azalea. You can blame Rihanna, you can blame Fergie, but the blame falls squarely on record label execs who have taken the "stuff that sells to teenage girls" genre and blown it horrifically out of proportion. A true sign of the end came when Danielle Bregoli, aka the "cassh me outside girl" from Dr Phil, was signed to a major record deal under the name "Bhad Bhabie".
It was essentially announcing the end. Labels have stopped signing acts for their ability to make music - more for their ability to quickly make money and be easily pushed away. More and more, the popular music charts are littered with collaborations between multiple artists who honestly aren't strong enough to make their own good music. As an avid discoverer of new music, I spent many days and nights this year scouring the charts to try and find some hope amongst the popular music avenues, only to find it overstuffed with bad mumbly rap, awful autotune and overly-breathy pop starlettes. And Ed Sheeran. He's alright.
All the same, here's #9. Literally all of Bebe Rexha's hits feature some sort of goofy rap collaboration, as her own voice is all too annoying to make an entirely good song. Don't worry, I'm almost off my soapbox. As it stands, The Way I Are is actually catchy and, when avoid the addition of Lil Wayne's dopey pitch-shifting 2nd verse, you actually find a song worth a dance. Fortunately, Rexha released the non-Wayne version as it's own single, cutting out the "lighting up a blunt" sound effect at the beginning as well. UNFORTUNATELY in trying to find a video version without the rapping, I once again found another of my biggest pet peeves - people who put the wrong lyrics into "lyric" videos.
Don't let them bury me too close to the ground - I don't want zombie Jester to have to hear any of this garbage.
Title: The Way I Are (Dance With Somebody)
Artist: Bebe Rexha
Album: The Way I Are (Dance With Somebody) Single
Previous #9s
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
Here lies Jesse Jester - lover of two separate pop songs in the same year.
Look, I'm not gonna beat around the bush here. Am I a fan of pop-stars like Bebe Rexha? No, absolutely not. A quick look at the "related artists" tab next to her name shows a graveyard of formulated popstars who all use the same hooks, same beats, and "sing" about essentially the same thing. Heck, some of them are almost as goofy looking as the flag-bearer, Iggy Azalea. You can blame Rihanna, you can blame Fergie, but the blame falls squarely on record label execs who have taken the "stuff that sells to teenage girls" genre and blown it horrifically out of proportion. A true sign of the end came when Danielle Bregoli, aka the "cassh me outside girl" from Dr Phil, was signed to a major record deal under the name "Bhad Bhabie".
It was essentially announcing the end. Labels have stopped signing acts for their ability to make music - more for their ability to quickly make money and be easily pushed away. More and more, the popular music charts are littered with collaborations between multiple artists who honestly aren't strong enough to make their own good music. As an avid discoverer of new music, I spent many days and nights this year scouring the charts to try and find some hope amongst the popular music avenues, only to find it overstuffed with bad mumbly rap, awful autotune and overly-breathy pop starlettes. And Ed Sheeran. He's alright.
All the same, here's #9. Literally all of Bebe Rexha's hits feature some sort of goofy rap collaboration, as her own voice is all too annoying to make an entirely good song. Don't worry, I'm almost off my soapbox. As it stands, The Way I Are is actually catchy and, when avoid the addition of Lil Wayne's dopey pitch-shifting 2nd verse, you actually find a song worth a dance. Fortunately, Rexha released the non-Wayne version as it's own single, cutting out the "lighting up a blunt" sound effect at the beginning as well. UNFORTUNATELY in trying to find a video version without the rapping, I once again found another of my biggest pet peeves - people who put the wrong lyrics into "lyric" videos.
Don't let them bury me too close to the ground - I don't want zombie Jester to have to hear any of this garbage.
Title: The Way I Are (Dance With Somebody)
Artist: Bebe Rexha
Album: The Way I Are (Dance With Somebody) Single
Previous #9s
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
Monday, December 11, 2017
The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #10
#10 - The National - Carin at the Liquor Store
The National first showed up on the 2010 J1 countdown at #4 with Bloodbuzz Ohio, from the record "High Violet". It was absolutely and unquestionably the record of the year for me, beating out heavyweights like Demon Hunter, Them Crooked Vultures and Rammstein, but it unfortunately set the stage for an impossible follow-up. 2013's "Trouble Will Find Me" is a really good record by itself, but nothing could reach the level of "High Violet" for me, although the song "Don't Swallow The Cap" almost made it into the 2013 Countdown. Despite the lack of glamour surrounding their last record, you had better believe that I was stoked to hear about a new National album coming, and this album blew away any expectations I could have possibly had. "Sleep Well Beast" got to #2 on the Billboard Top 200 while hitting #1 in 5 different countries while topping the US Top Alternative and Top Rock charts. You could go top to bottom on this one - "Day I Die", "The System Only Sleeps in Total Darkness", "Born to Beg", "Dark Side of the Gym", etc.
Carin at the Liquor Store is almost a perfect part 2 to Exile Vilify, a song form the Portal 2 soundtrack in 2011. Matt Berninger's distinctive baritone shines as he pushed the song forward along with a mournful piano. It's a simple song that pushes through all the BS of bad relationships and reaches the inevitable end in painful sorrow. "it's gonna be different after tonight, you're gonna see me in a different light - it's a foregone conclusion" seems to resonate the deepest with me, but in reality it's the entire song. Bryan Devendorf dials back his usual pounding drums and the rest of the instruments almost lay silent until a surprisingly screachy guitar solo penetrates the haze near the end. The video for the song has the band playing the song in negative color and the song picked up 5.5m Spotify streams. I don't know how The National do it, but they seem to be able to champion every musical effort they set to their mind. Right now, I honestly cannot imagine how they'll top this album, but I will as always be ready to be drawn in once the time arrives.
Title: Carin at the Liquor Store
Artist: The National
Album: Sleep Well Beast
Previous #10s
2016: Miike Snow - Genghis Khan
2015: The Wombats - Give Me A Try
2014: Cut Copy - We Are Explorers
2013: The 1975 - The City
2012: Animal Kingdom - Strange Attractor
2011: FM Static - F.M.S.T.A.T.I.C
2010: Muse - Resistance
2009: Five Finger Death Punch - Bad Company
The National first showed up on the 2010 J1 countdown at #4 with Bloodbuzz Ohio, from the record "High Violet". It was absolutely and unquestionably the record of the year for me, beating out heavyweights like Demon Hunter, Them Crooked Vultures and Rammstein, but it unfortunately set the stage for an impossible follow-up. 2013's "Trouble Will Find Me" is a really good record by itself, but nothing could reach the level of "High Violet" for me, although the song "Don't Swallow The Cap" almost made it into the 2013 Countdown. Despite the lack of glamour surrounding their last record, you had better believe that I was stoked to hear about a new National album coming, and this album blew away any expectations I could have possibly had. "Sleep Well Beast" got to #2 on the Billboard Top 200 while hitting #1 in 5 different countries while topping the US Top Alternative and Top Rock charts. You could go top to bottom on this one - "Day I Die", "The System Only Sleeps in Total Darkness", "Born to Beg", "Dark Side of the Gym", etc.
Carin at the Liquor Store is almost a perfect part 2 to Exile Vilify, a song form the Portal 2 soundtrack in 2011. Matt Berninger's distinctive baritone shines as he pushed the song forward along with a mournful piano. It's a simple song that pushes through all the BS of bad relationships and reaches the inevitable end in painful sorrow. "it's gonna be different after tonight, you're gonna see me in a different light - it's a foregone conclusion" seems to resonate the deepest with me, but in reality it's the entire song. Bryan Devendorf dials back his usual pounding drums and the rest of the instruments almost lay silent until a surprisingly screachy guitar solo penetrates the haze near the end. The video for the song has the band playing the song in negative color and the song picked up 5.5m Spotify streams. I don't know how The National do it, but they seem to be able to champion every musical effort they set to their mind. Right now, I honestly cannot imagine how they'll top this album, but I will as always be ready to be drawn in once the time arrives.
Title: Carin at the Liquor Store
Artist: The National
Album: Sleep Well Beast
Previous #10s
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
Sunday, December 10, 2017
The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #11
#11 - Haim - Want You Back
Making their debut after skittering around the 2013 Countdown, quirky sister trio Haim continue to make waves in popular music with their second offering "Something To Tell You". The sisters have all grown up a little and have offered a much deeper and more complex record without losing their individual traits that blend together and make their music so easily accessible and enjoyable. The album marched right up to #7 on the Billboard Top 200 while again landing at #2 on the Alternative Rock and Top Rock charts. In an age where popstars and chart-toppers are pumping out garbage records every other year, it almost seems unthinkable that a band would take 4 years between releases, but Haim found a way to significantly improve upon their craft and polish things up for a catchy and creative new sound. Whether is it the string arrangement on Found in Silence, the layered guitars on You Never Know, or the fun pulsing beat of Nothing's Wrong, the band show again that they seemingly have limitless possibilities together.
The immediate thing that has made this band stand out for me is the trio's ability to harmonize, which is best showcased in their lead single Want You Back. The song builds slow with an opening piano and incorporates more hand-claps and percussive beats that seem to meld together in a winning combination. Whatever it is that resonates in my ears when the three of them sing together; I knew I had a Top 20 hit the moment I heard this song. The bass skips around, the acoustic guitar on the verses does just enough to fill the air, and the chorus is an easy sing-a-long - "just know that I want you back" is a line that resonates with just about anyone. The video for the song has the girls walking down Ventura Blvd and dancing/playing air instruments to the song. It's really a fun one to go with a surprisingly energetic song. The song registered just short of 25M streams on Spotify while "Something To Tell You" sold a healthy 26k records in its opening week.
Title: Want You Back
Artist: Haim
Album: Something To Tell You
Previous #11s
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
Making their debut after skittering around the 2013 Countdown, quirky sister trio Haim continue to make waves in popular music with their second offering "Something To Tell You". The sisters have all grown up a little and have offered a much deeper and more complex record without losing their individual traits that blend together and make their music so easily accessible and enjoyable. The album marched right up to #7 on the Billboard Top 200 while again landing at #2 on the Alternative Rock and Top Rock charts. In an age where popstars and chart-toppers are pumping out garbage records every other year, it almost seems unthinkable that a band would take 4 years between releases, but Haim found a way to significantly improve upon their craft and polish things up for a catchy and creative new sound. Whether is it the string arrangement on Found in Silence, the layered guitars on You Never Know, or the fun pulsing beat of Nothing's Wrong, the band show again that they seemingly have limitless possibilities together.
The immediate thing that has made this band stand out for me is the trio's ability to harmonize, which is best showcased in their lead single Want You Back. The song builds slow with an opening piano and incorporates more hand-claps and percussive beats that seem to meld together in a winning combination. Whatever it is that resonates in my ears when the three of them sing together; I knew I had a Top 20 hit the moment I heard this song. The bass skips around, the acoustic guitar on the verses does just enough to fill the air, and the chorus is an easy sing-a-long - "just know that I want you back" is a line that resonates with just about anyone. The video for the song has the girls walking down Ventura Blvd and dancing/playing air instruments to the song. It's really a fun one to go with a surprisingly energetic song. The song registered just short of 25M streams on Spotify while "Something To Tell You" sold a healthy 26k records in its opening week.
Title: Want You Back
Artist: Haim
Album: Something To Tell You
Previous #11s
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
Saturday, December 9, 2017
The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #12
#12 - Incubus - No Fun
What is to be said of Incubus? They've sold 20+ million records worldwide, including major smashes with 1999's "Make Yourself" and 2001's "Morning View". Unless you were living under a rock, you almost certainly know their smash hit Drive, but it had been 7 years between studio albums for the band, and I personally had wondered whether they were still in the music business before they dropped their "Trust Fall" EP two years back. That EP actually featured an almost-hit in Absolution Calling, which had me thirsting for a new record. It seems like every time they drop a record, it's just quirky and deep enough to spawn a few hit singles and songs that I thoroughly enjoy. And they've largely kept the same lineup since their first album dropped 22 years ago.
"8" is probably one of my favorite albums of the year. I heard the first single Nimble Bastard and knew I had to check it out. Immediately upon popping in the disc you are treated to the driving guitar and slamming drums on No Fun. The drums absolutely explode on this song as Brandon Boyd sings about a string of constantly failing relationships. "Hey, you're no fun, you're a song I never want to hear again!" is a fantastic line of separation on one of the most crisp songs produced in 2017. The band released a fun little lyric video to accompany the song, and it racked up almost 3 million streams on Spotify. As for "8", I also loved the songs Loneliest, Glitterbomb, and Love An A Time Of Surveillance.
Title: No Fun
Artist: Incubus
Album: 8
Previous 12s
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
What is to be said of Incubus? They've sold 20+ million records worldwide, including major smashes with 1999's "Make Yourself" and 2001's "Morning View". Unless you were living under a rock, you almost certainly know their smash hit Drive, but it had been 7 years between studio albums for the band, and I personally had wondered whether they were still in the music business before they dropped their "Trust Fall" EP two years back. That EP actually featured an almost-hit in Absolution Calling, which had me thirsting for a new record. It seems like every time they drop a record, it's just quirky and deep enough to spawn a few hit singles and songs that I thoroughly enjoy. And they've largely kept the same lineup since their first album dropped 22 years ago.
"8" is probably one of my favorite albums of the year. I heard the first single Nimble Bastard and knew I had to check it out. Immediately upon popping in the disc you are treated to the driving guitar and slamming drums on No Fun. The drums absolutely explode on this song as Brandon Boyd sings about a string of constantly failing relationships. "Hey, you're no fun, you're a song I never want to hear again!" is a fantastic line of separation on one of the most crisp songs produced in 2017. The band released a fun little lyric video to accompany the song, and it racked up almost 3 million streams on Spotify. As for "8", I also loved the songs Loneliest, Glitterbomb, and Love An A Time Of Surveillance.
Title: No Fun
Artist: Incubus
Album: 8
Previous 12s
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
Friday, December 8, 2017
The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #13
#13 - Greeley Estates - Calling All The Hopeless
Greeley Estates is a long-established metalcore act out of Phoenix who were recently on hiatus until coming back together to release their EP "Calling All The Hopeless". They announced plans to make a new record back in 2015 and finally dropped the lead single back in the spring of 2017. It immediately feels like a mix between metalcore contemporaries A Plea For Purging, Haste the Day and perhaps Wrench In The Works, with chugging riffs and crunchy choruses. Although the band pondered breaking up before putting this record together, it would be a shame if this was their final offering. The only knock I have for it is that you can absolutely tell that there is only one guitarist handling lead and rhythm on the record, but there are other bands that are able to get away with that; E.G. Veil of Maya, 36 Crazyfists.
The title track finds its way onto our countdown at #13, which is one that has had a huge dose of metal on it in the past as well (2014, '12, '11 and '10). There's no beating around the bush - this song is a straight up bruiser. It's a song about getting through depression and overcoming your past. "The life you used to lead is not the person you are now - live life and learn from your pain" is a lyric that absolutely resonates within the depths of my depressed soul. If you're not head-banging to this one, you probably don't have a neck.
Title: Calling All The Hopeless
Artist: Greeley Estates
Album: Calling All The Hopeless
Previous 13s
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
Greeley Estates is a long-established metalcore act out of Phoenix who were recently on hiatus until coming back together to release their EP "Calling All The Hopeless". They announced plans to make a new record back in 2015 and finally dropped the lead single back in the spring of 2017. It immediately feels like a mix between metalcore contemporaries A Plea For Purging, Haste the Day and perhaps Wrench In The Works, with chugging riffs and crunchy choruses. Although the band pondered breaking up before putting this record together, it would be a shame if this was their final offering. The only knock I have for it is that you can absolutely tell that there is only one guitarist handling lead and rhythm on the record, but there are other bands that are able to get away with that; E.G. Veil of Maya, 36 Crazyfists.
The title track finds its way onto our countdown at #13, which is one that has had a huge dose of metal on it in the past as well (2014, '12, '11 and '10). There's no beating around the bush - this song is a straight up bruiser. It's a song about getting through depression and overcoming your past. "The life you used to lead is not the person you are now - live life and learn from your pain" is a lyric that absolutely resonates within the depths of my depressed soul. If you're not head-banging to this one, you probably don't have a neck.
Title: Calling All The Hopeless
Artist: Greeley Estates
Album: Calling All The Hopeless
Previous 13s
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
Thursday, December 7, 2017
The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #14
#14 - DREAMCAR - Kill for Candy
There are some interesting rock supergroups out there, and a lot of them don't make sense. Grunge superstar Chris Cornell singing with the guys from Rage Against The Machine? Absurd. Scott Weiland with GnR? No way. But I do believe I was most caught off guard when I heard that emo-rocker Davey Havok of AFI would be teaming up with the poor, forgotten members of No Doubt not named Gwen to make a record. Especially considering AFI had just released a new record at the beginning of 2017, I was unsure whether this unholy union would be successful. But you know what? It actually has an intriguing new-wave/80s sound to it that could slide along with Duran Duran or Simple Minds. It's a fun record with standout tracks like After I Confessed and All of the Dead Girls.
The album may have only bubbled up to 115 on the Top 200, but Kill for Candy was an immediate smash, jumping up to 28 on the US Alternative chart and racking up 1.2M plays on Spotify. I wouldn't call it a "great" record, but the lead single is definitely a head-bobber. You can immediately feel Havok's influential vocals on the track as well as the bouncy echoing guitars from Tony Kanal. The opening riff explodes out of the gate and compels you to get up and enjoy yourself while listening. And although I'm not entirely sure, the song might just be about a sweets addiction . The video is shot from the point of view of each of the different band members as they get ready to rehearse and play the song. It's nice to see the guys from No Doubt actually playing instruments again as opposed to just taking a back-seat to their ever-popular frontwoman. Also... look at Havok's mustache.... whew. Hahahahaa...
Title: Kill for Candy
Artist: DREAMCAR
Album: DREAMCAR
Previous 14s
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
There are some interesting rock supergroups out there, and a lot of them don't make sense. Grunge superstar Chris Cornell singing with the guys from Rage Against The Machine? Absurd. Scott Weiland with GnR? No way. But I do believe I was most caught off guard when I heard that emo-rocker Davey Havok of AFI would be teaming up with the poor, forgotten members of No Doubt not named Gwen to make a record. Especially considering AFI had just released a new record at the beginning of 2017, I was unsure whether this unholy union would be successful. But you know what? It actually has an intriguing new-wave/80s sound to it that could slide along with Duran Duran or Simple Minds. It's a fun record with standout tracks like After I Confessed and All of the Dead Girls.
The album may have only bubbled up to 115 on the Top 200, but Kill for Candy was an immediate smash, jumping up to 28 on the US Alternative chart and racking up 1.2M plays on Spotify. I wouldn't call it a "great" record, but the lead single is definitely a head-bobber. You can immediately feel Havok's influential vocals on the track as well as the bouncy echoing guitars from Tony Kanal. The opening riff explodes out of the gate and compels you to get up and enjoy yourself while listening. And although I'm not entirely sure, the song might just be about a sweets addiction . The video is shot from the point of view of each of the different band members as they get ready to rehearse and play the song. It's nice to see the guys from No Doubt actually playing instruments again as opposed to just taking a back-seat to their ever-popular frontwoman. Also... look at Havok's mustache.... whew. Hahahahaa...
Title: Kill for Candy
Artist: DREAMCAR
Album: DREAMCAR
Previous 14s
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
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #15
#15 - Ex-Nihilo - Enemy
Ex-Nihilo was one of the first bands I covered for Music in Motion - Columbus (see article here). I was immediately impressed by their self-titled EP as well as their on-stage energy and musical abilities. They're a relatively young band who are currently working on making new music and playing the occasional gig around town when they can to promote themselves. The EP has two other tracks that I loved this year - Industry and Zoning Out. All together it's a great bit of music and hard to discern that it was produced and recorded locally. And trust me - this isn't just a homer pick. These guys are legitimately fantastic.
Enemy is the obvious standout track, with more than twice as many streams on Spotify than any other song on the record. It opens with a poppy chanting chorus line before guitarist Joel Sheppard launches a screaming opening chord that is featured through the entire song. It's one of those songs that made me happy every time I heard it this year, and deserves more recognition than it is given around town. The band put together a video of them performing at a show from earlier this year for the song. It highlights singer Austin Hafner's on-stage charisma that makes the songs pop live even more than they might sound like on the record. I'm hoping that the group sticks together for more than a few years and drops several more red-hot singles like this one!
Title: Enemy
Artist: Ex-Nihilo
Album: Ex-Nihilo
Previous 15s
2016: Brian Fallon - A Wonderful Life
2015: Foo Fighters - Something from Nothing
2014: Five Iron Frenzy - I Am Jack's Smirking Revenge
2013: The Features - This Disorder
2012: A Plea for Purging - Heart of a Child
2011: Texas in July - Magnolia
2010: Day of Fire - Lately
2009: Silversun Pickups - It's Nice To Know You Work Alone
Ex-Nihilo was one of the first bands I covered for Music in Motion - Columbus (see article here). I was immediately impressed by their self-titled EP as well as their on-stage energy and musical abilities. They're a relatively young band who are currently working on making new music and playing the occasional gig around town when they can to promote themselves. The EP has two other tracks that I loved this year - Industry and Zoning Out. All together it's a great bit of music and hard to discern that it was produced and recorded locally. And trust me - this isn't just a homer pick. These guys are legitimately fantastic.
Enemy is the obvious standout track, with more than twice as many streams on Spotify than any other song on the record. It opens with a poppy chanting chorus line before guitarist Joel Sheppard launches a screaming opening chord that is featured through the entire song. It's one of those songs that made me happy every time I heard it this year, and deserves more recognition than it is given around town. The band put together a video of them performing at a show from earlier this year for the song. It highlights singer Austin Hafner's on-stage charisma that makes the songs pop live even more than they might sound like on the record. I'm hoping that the group sticks together for more than a few years and drops several more red-hot singles like this one!
Title: Enemy
Artist: Ex-Nihilo
Album: Ex-Nihilo
Previous 15s
2016: Brian Fallon - A Wonderful Life
2015: Foo Fighters - Something from Nothing
2014: Five Iron Frenzy - I Am Jack's Smirking Revenge
2013: The Features - This Disorder
2012: A Plea for Purging - Heart of a Child
2011: Texas in July - Magnolia
2010: Day of Fire - Lately
2009: Silversun Pickups - It's Nice To Know You Work Alone
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #16
#16 - Demon Hunter - Raining Down
This marks the 5th consecutive year that a metal song has rang in at #16. Demon Hunter is no stranger to the countdown, coming in at #8 in 2012 (Dead Flowers) and #19 in 2010 (Collapsing). I can honestly say that, with the exception of 2014's "Extremist" (which I eventually learned to love), every album they have ever released ended up being one of the most played for me in that given year. In fact, it would have been quite difficult to pick just one (or two, or three) songs on 2007's "Storm the Gates of Hell", but I digress. They've been one of my favorite bands for a long time, and even though their sound has evolved with each album they've still been able to churn out hits and ride up the charts. They reached #2 on the Hard Rock Charts for the third time in their careers, and also landed at #25 on the Billboard Top 200, while impressively debuting at #1 on the US Indie list.
Raining Down is one of many songs that I enjoyed off of "Outlive", including singles Cold Winter Sun, Died in My Sleep, as well as Jesus Wept and One Less. Raining Down opens with keys and a thumping drum number. It's a suprisingly melodic number on a heavier disc, but it follows the typical Demon Hunter formula for their more ballad-esque rock pieces. It's a song about perseverance and strength in the face of adversity. Solid State released a lyric video for the song featuring a single light shining into a dark room. It's hard to believe that the band is 8 albums deep into their career right now, but I'm excited to see that they're still able to punch home a meaningful and powerful record.
Title: Raining Down
Artist: Demon Hunter
Album: Outlive
Previous 16s
2016: van Canto - Time and Time Again
2015: Ghost Ship Octavius - Silence
2014: Winds of Plague - Say Hello To The Undertaker
2013: Colossus - Beacons
2012: Imagine Dragons - It's Time
2011: Amaranthe - Hunger
2010: Gorillaz - Superfast Jellyfish
2009: Chris Isaak - We Let Her Down
This marks the 5th consecutive year that a metal song has rang in at #16. Demon Hunter is no stranger to the countdown, coming in at #8 in 2012 (Dead Flowers) and #19 in 2010 (Collapsing). I can honestly say that, with the exception of 2014's "Extremist" (which I eventually learned to love), every album they have ever released ended up being one of the most played for me in that given year. In fact, it would have been quite difficult to pick just one (or two, or three) songs on 2007's "Storm the Gates of Hell", but I digress. They've been one of my favorite bands for a long time, and even though their sound has evolved with each album they've still been able to churn out hits and ride up the charts. They reached #2 on the Hard Rock Charts for the third time in their careers, and also landed at #25 on the Billboard Top 200, while impressively debuting at #1 on the US Indie list.
Raining Down is one of many songs that I enjoyed off of "Outlive", including singles Cold Winter Sun, Died in My Sleep, as well as Jesus Wept and One Less. Raining Down opens with keys and a thumping drum number. It's a suprisingly melodic number on a heavier disc, but it follows the typical Demon Hunter formula for their more ballad-esque rock pieces. It's a song about perseverance and strength in the face of adversity. Solid State released a lyric video for the song featuring a single light shining into a dark room. It's hard to believe that the band is 8 albums deep into their career right now, but I'm excited to see that they're still able to punch home a meaningful and powerful record.
Title: Raining Down
Artist: Demon Hunter
Album: Outlive
Previous 16s
2016: van Canto - Time and Time Again
2015: Ghost Ship Octavius - Silence
2014: Winds of Plague - Say Hello To The Undertaker
2013: Colossus - Beacons
2012: Imagine Dragons - It's Time
2011: Amaranthe - Hunger
2010: Gorillaz - Superfast Jellyfish
2009: Chris Isaak - We Let Her Down
Monday, December 4, 2017
The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #17
#17 - Tinashe - Flame
I don't have a whole lot to say about our #17 artist, Tinashe. Unlike previous R&B acts on the countdown, she's not an artist I care terribly much more. Her most recent album features a lot of unnecessary swearing and bizarre dark song topics, and her most recent single is amusingly titled Me So Bad. The album Joyride is now two years in the making and still has only spawned two singles, so I can't really touch on that either. As it stands, I was scrolling through the music channels on TV and landed on this song on VH1.
Flame was released back in the spring of '17 and failed to chart in the US. It features a genre-shift for the singer, who usually sticks to rap and R&B on her songs. Her singing voice reminds me of a less annoying, more intelligent Keri Hilson. The song is about a relationship that has seen better days, and Tinashe's attempt to re-ignite the passion. The video features her singing to her disenchanted lover in varying degrees of sultry lingerie. She ends up setting her apartment on fire in the end, making you wonder if she's just a psycho ex who wants to torment her lover, no matter how much he gives to her. Despite the lack of promotion, the song did register 15.6M streams on Spotify this year.
Title: Flame
Artist: Tinashe
Album: Joyride
Previous #17s
2016: Trivium - Until The World Goes Cold
2015: Big Data - The Business of Emotion (ft White Sea)
2014: Foster The People - Coming of Age
2013: Sevendust - Decay
2012: Morning Parade - Headlights
2011: Lonely Island - Jack Sparrow (Ft Michael Bolton)
2010: Slash - Baby Can't Drive (ft Alice Cooper + Nicole Scherzinger)
2009: DevilDriver - Another Night In London
I don't have a whole lot to say about our #17 artist, Tinashe. Unlike previous R&B acts on the countdown, she's not an artist I care terribly much more. Her most recent album features a lot of unnecessary swearing and bizarre dark song topics, and her most recent single is amusingly titled Me So Bad. The album Joyride is now two years in the making and still has only spawned two singles, so I can't really touch on that either. As it stands, I was scrolling through the music channels on TV and landed on this song on VH1.
Flame was released back in the spring of '17 and failed to chart in the US. It features a genre-shift for the singer, who usually sticks to rap and R&B on her songs. Her singing voice reminds me of a less annoying, more intelligent Keri Hilson. The song is about a relationship that has seen better days, and Tinashe's attempt to re-ignite the passion. The video features her singing to her disenchanted lover in varying degrees of sultry lingerie. She ends up setting her apartment on fire in the end, making you wonder if she's just a psycho ex who wants to torment her lover, no matter how much he gives to her. Despite the lack of promotion, the song did register 15.6M streams on Spotify this year.
Title: Flame
Artist: Tinashe
Album: Joyride
Previous #17s
2016: Trivium - Until The World Goes Cold
2015: Big Data - The Business of Emotion (ft White Sea)
2014: Foster The People - Coming of Age
2013: Sevendust - Decay
2012: Morning Parade - Headlights
2011: Lonely Island - Jack Sparrow (Ft Michael Bolton)
2010: Slash - Baby Can't Drive (ft Alice Cooper + Nicole Scherzinger)
2009: DevilDriver - Another Night In London
Sunday, December 3, 2017
The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #18
#18 - Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness - Fire Escape
Through all of that, it IS still a vintage McMahon hit. Catchy sing-a-long parts, jingly piano overtones, booming chorus. It's a classic love song with the bizarre "swingin' from the fire escape" imagery woven in. The video tells the tale of two wacky waving tube people falling in love and causing general mayhem everywhere they go. It's definitely a sweet video and I would say it's probably my favorite from 2017. In an age where bands don't put much thought into turning videos into stories, McMahon has done a wonderful job making something cute and hilarious. This song fell just a few hundred thousand short of 10 million itself.
Title: Fire Escape
Artist: Ander McMahon in the Wilderness
Album: Zombies on Broadway
Previous #18s
2016: House of Heroes - In The End
2015: New Found Glory - Selfless
2014: Bleachers - I Wanna Get Better
2013: Biffy Clyro - Black Chandelier
2012: Santigold - Disparate Youth
2011: House of Heroes - Galveston
2010: Rammstein - Fruhling in Paris
2009: Sick Puppies - I Hate You
Saturday, December 2, 2017
The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #19
#19 - The Head and the Heart - Rhythm & Blues
There are a lot of folksy alternative groups who owe their current success to The Head and the Heart and their eponymous debut album from 2010. Since then, the band has been an indie rocket ship, and their most recent album "Signs of Light" peaking at #5 on the Billboard Top 200. The production has been ramped up and the band has forsaken much of their dialed-back, independent sound, but it's still a solid disc with lead singer All We Ever Knew climbing to the top of the US Alternative and Adult Alternative charts. I had the pleasure of seeing the band perform an intimate acoustic performance a few years back and I was quite impressed with the amount of passion this band pours into their art.
Rhythm & Blues has a pulsing back-beat of drums and piano accompanying Josiah Johnson and Jonathan Russell's harmonious voices. As is typical with many of the songs on the record, there seems to be a lot going on in this song, but at no point does it become disjointed or lack precision. In fact, for a folk song it's exceptionally tightly produced. I also love the line "stepped on my blue suede shoes, you made Elvis go crazy". The video is peculiarly strung together and features the band performing to a mostly-empty auditorium in costumes that could only have been purchased at a local thrift store hours before the shoot. The song itself reached #2 on the Adult Alternative charts and finished up the year with just short of 11 million streams on Spotify.
Title: Rhythm & Blues
Artist: The Head and the Heart
Album: Signs of Light
Previous #19s
2016: Metric - The Shade
2015: The Frozen Ocean - Kerosene
2014: Destiny Potato - Take A Picture
2013: Relient K - PTL
2012: Silversun Pickups - Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)
2011: The Knux - Razorblade
2010: Demon Hunter - Collapsing (ft Bjorn Strid)
2009: Parachute - She Is Love
There are a lot of folksy alternative groups who owe their current success to The Head and the Heart and their eponymous debut album from 2010. Since then, the band has been an indie rocket ship, and their most recent album "Signs of Light" peaking at #5 on the Billboard Top 200. The production has been ramped up and the band has forsaken much of their dialed-back, independent sound, but it's still a solid disc with lead singer All We Ever Knew climbing to the top of the US Alternative and Adult Alternative charts. I had the pleasure of seeing the band perform an intimate acoustic performance a few years back and I was quite impressed with the amount of passion this band pours into their art.
Rhythm & Blues has a pulsing back-beat of drums and piano accompanying Josiah Johnson and Jonathan Russell's harmonious voices. As is typical with many of the songs on the record, there seems to be a lot going on in this song, but at no point does it become disjointed or lack precision. In fact, for a folk song it's exceptionally tightly produced. I also love the line "stepped on my blue suede shoes, you made Elvis go crazy". The video is peculiarly strung together and features the band performing to a mostly-empty auditorium in costumes that could only have been purchased at a local thrift store hours before the shoot. The song itself reached #2 on the Adult Alternative charts and finished up the year with just short of 11 million streams on Spotify.
Title: Rhythm & Blues
Artist: The Head and the Heart
Album: Signs of Light
Previous #19s
2016: Metric - The Shade
2015: The Frozen Ocean - Kerosene
2014: Destiny Potato - Take A Picture
2013: Relient K - PTL
2012: Silversun Pickups - Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)
2011: The Knux - Razorblade
2010: Demon Hunter - Collapsing (ft Bjorn Strid)
2009: Parachute - She Is Love
Friday, December 1, 2017
The 2017 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #20
#20 - Liam Gallagher - Wall of Glass
For being the lead singer of one of the most popular groups in the 1990s, Liam Gallagher has kept a fairly low profile since his brother Noel quit Oasis. Beady Eye (which was essentially Oasis minus his brother Noel) had some critical success, while Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds garnered major headlines. Liam had been uncharacteristically quiet the last few years before finally announcing a tour and new album coming in 2017. I wouldn't call it an Oasis clone, although there are some songs that bear unmistakable resemblance to classic hits, and I would go as far to say that For What It's Worth is essentially a re-imagining of mega-hit Don't Look Back In Anger. It's not a bad album though, with other standout tracks being Paper Crown and I Get By.
Wall of Glass was a song I first heard at work on our alternative rock muzak station, leading me to believe that Oasis had gotten back together without my knowledge. Of course, such a thing would essentially be impossible. The song has an unmistakable harmonica opening and catchy guitar riffs featured throughout. The video shows that Liam is still just as sassy and snarky as ever, throwing around lines like "...the stone you throw will turn back in it's path..." and "...anyone can see right through your eyes". The video features him singing in several different locales, many of which feature mirrors, and even shows him wearing his trademark tinted glasses. Even at 45, you can tell he still fancies himself a major rockstar, and why not? Dude can flat-out sing and write catchy music. This song also has a whopping 17 million plays on Spotify for the year, which is the most of any of the songs on the countdown this year.
Title: Wall of Glass
Artist: Liam Gallagher
Album: As You Were
Previous #20s
2016: Safemode - Hold On
2015: Florence and the Machine - Ship to Wreck
2014: I, The Breather - Swine:Cult (ft Ricky Armellino)
2013: Grouplove - Ways To Go
2012: Reptar - Stuck in My Id
2011: Avril Lavigne - What The Hell
2010: Dark Tranquility - The Fatalist
2009: Collective Soul - Staring Down
For being the lead singer of one of the most popular groups in the 1990s, Liam Gallagher has kept a fairly low profile since his brother Noel quit Oasis. Beady Eye (which was essentially Oasis minus his brother Noel) had some critical success, while Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds garnered major headlines. Liam had been uncharacteristically quiet the last few years before finally announcing a tour and new album coming in 2017. I wouldn't call it an Oasis clone, although there are some songs that bear unmistakable resemblance to classic hits, and I would go as far to say that For What It's Worth is essentially a re-imagining of mega-hit Don't Look Back In Anger. It's not a bad album though, with other standout tracks being Paper Crown and I Get By.
Wall of Glass was a song I first heard at work on our alternative rock muzak station, leading me to believe that Oasis had gotten back together without my knowledge. Of course, such a thing would essentially be impossible. The song has an unmistakable harmonica opening and catchy guitar riffs featured throughout. The video shows that Liam is still just as sassy and snarky as ever, throwing around lines like "...the stone you throw will turn back in it's path..." and "...anyone can see right through your eyes". The video features him singing in several different locales, many of which feature mirrors, and even shows him wearing his trademark tinted glasses. Even at 45, you can tell he still fancies himself a major rockstar, and why not? Dude can flat-out sing and write catchy music. This song also has a whopping 17 million plays on Spotify for the year, which is the most of any of the songs on the countdown this year.
Title: Wall of Glass
Artist: Liam Gallagher
Album: As You Were
Previous #20s
2016: Safemode - Hold On
2015: Florence and the Machine - Ship to Wreck
2014: I, The Breather - Swine:Cult (ft Ricky Armellino)
2013: Grouplove - Ways To Go
2012: Reptar - Stuck in My Id
2011: Avril Lavigne - What The Hell
2010: Dark Tranquility - The Fatalist
2009: Collective Soul - Staring Down
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