July 2021 Recap

Yeah yeah, I'm late again...........

July was a month that I had figured would be a big time blow up for scrobbles. I spent most of the month sitting on the couch or doing activities to heal from knee surgery, but I really didn't spend a lot of extra time listening to music. I was more invested in watching TV and such, so the numbers were a bit down. 

1984 scrobbles is actually the lowest for any month since October of 2019. It equals out to 64 per day, which I guess is still a lot, all things considered. 1612 tracks from 544 artists, equalling out to a beefy 2.963 per artist. 

Metal was the top genre for the first time in my memory, and it's the first non "rock" month since March. Rock, Industrial, Futurepop and Nu Metal filled out the top 5, with 1pm, 12pm and 2pm being the most popular hours. 

 

Top Tracks for July

 

10. Superchick - Get Up

Don't ask me where I started listening to that album again. Something spiked in the back of my head, and so this was a big song for that month.

9. Eisbrecher - Vergissmeinnicht

When I first started dating my wife, this was a song that she used to play all the time. I had no idea that it was really atypical to Eisbrecher's style, but it's still one that bops for me.

8. Common Children - Strange Rain

Jamming to Common Children 20+ years later really is something strange. But they were great songwriters with a tremendous sound. Honestly one of those albums and bands that should've been bigger.

7. Apoptygma Berzerk - Kathy's Song (Victoria Remix by VNV Nation)

This song is the ultimate 7 minute comfort blanket for me.

 

6. Acceptance - At The Edge of the Earth

This song just keeps kicking hard through the year. I guarantee it's top 10 for the Countdown this year.

5. Zeta- Transcend

One day I will meet someone else who knows this band and this album. Until then, it's almost like my own beautiful hidden treasure.

 

4. Wrench in the Works - Gethsemane

I was talking to my buddy Matt about the old Christian metalcore scene and I remembered one of my all-time favorite records. It still holds up, too. Brutal stuff.

 

3. Icon of Coil - Dead Enough for Life

This song pops up on just about every EBM playlist I ever find. Just a timeless bop.

 

2. Teenage Wrist - Taste of Gasoline

I think the winds are changing on what Teenage Wrist song will be on the Countdown.

 

1. The Struts - Another Hit of Showmanship (ft Albert Hammond)

I don't love love this album, but this song pumps me up every time I hear it.

 

 

Top Artists for July

 

10. Assemblage 23

That new album is really clicking with me right now.

 

9. Eisbrecher

The NDH Metal playlist was fully activated for July

 

8. VNV Nation

There are so many months where I just listen to VNV and Assemblage 23 without even noticing it. Haha

 

7. Wrench in the Works

The odd thing about Wrench for me is that Decrease/Increase is a top 5 all time metal album for me, while Lost Art of Heaping Coal is wholly mediocre in my book. 

6. Unheilig

Considering how much I listen to NDH stuff and how much my wife loves this band, I was surprised to realize that I had never actually listened to any of their albums. Oops.

 

5. Rammstein

4. Megaherz

One begats the other, right?

 

3. Icon of Coil

 Icon of Coil is an interesting one for me, because I really don't like much of anything Combichrist does, but the Machines Are Us album is so fantastic, I just can't believe they abandoned the project for a different sound.

 

2. Psychostick

At one point I was listening to P-Stick and I realized that a lot of their "skit" material isn't actually on streaming sites. Fortunately I own all of their albums, and so I spent a lot of time in July catching up with them.

 

1. Slipknot

In spite of the fact that it happened at the end of the month, the passing of Joey Jordison made Slipknot the most important artist for me for July, and they had almost twice as many as any other artist.

Thanks to Last.FM and The Universal Scrobbler.

June 2021 Recap

 Alright... we're all caught up for now. June!

2493 scrobbles... I kind of thought not being at work that I'd spend more time listening to music, but that was not the case, as it was only 83 per day. 2095 tracks from 862 artists, for a hearty 2.430 per. 

Top genres... Rock, Alternative Rock, Industrial, Nu Metal, and Alternative. The oldies definitely fell off from the lack of work, which makes for a curious comparison between the time spent between the two. 12p was the most popular hour, followed closely by 9 and 10pm.

Top Tracks for June

 

10. Megaherz - 5. Marz

Megaherz has some bops but this song always stands out for me and gets me amped up.

 

9. Goodnight Fear - Anxious

8. Goodnight Fear - Open Road

7. Goodnight Fear - 10

I did an album review for Goodnight Fear in June, and it was a pretty solid record. I think this is more of a statement that not too many songs got a lot of plays.

 

6. Cold - Rain Song

I really don't remember spending a lot of time with this song, but I listen to so much Cold that anything is possible lol.

 

5. Neuroticfish - Illusion of Home

I'm pretty sure Neuroticfish will show up on the top artists at years end. I have really been leaning into them and especially this song.

 

4. Goodnight Fear - Write My Own Story

This was the standout track on the GF album for me.

 

3. The OC Supertones - Dedication

It was a Supertones refresher month, and honestly they were better than I remembered. Those first five albums were just fantastic.

 

2. Oomph! - Tausend Neue Lugen

Still chugging along, and bringing more NDH with it!

 

1. Cold - Cure My Tragedy

 This song has steadily increased its presence over the last few months. I mean, there's a reason why it's almost always Cold's most streamed song at the end of the year.

 

Top Artists for June

 

10. Matchbox Twenty

 One of the things I've been doing a lot of since I was sidelined with surgery was listening to old albums that I loved. M20's first 3 albums are simply that. Brilliant records.

9. Lamb of God

In listening to LoG's newer stuff, I needed to remind myself of how much I enjoyed their earlier stuff. And by earlier, I mean Ashes of the Wake and Sacrament.

 

8. Sevendust

You know, I don't remember listening to this much 7D?

 

7. Puddle of Mudd

A friend of mine told me her band was getting the chance to open for Puddle of Mudd and so I knew I had to look back on their early stuff. They're a running joke now, but those first two records had some jams.

 

6. Voltaire

 I was wondering when the Captain would make another appearance here. He's actually had a fairly steady presence this year.

 

5. Kidneythieves

It hit me midway through June that I had never actually listened to a full Kidneythieves record, for as much as I enjoyed tracks off of Zerospace. Well, I learned that hard way that that album is all I can tolerate from them. But it's SO good!

 

4. Goodnight Fear

It did feel good doing an album review again.

3. Cold

For not specifically focusing on Cold this month, they still registered the third most scrobbles, just behind the Supertones.

2. The OC Supertones

 So good. Ska forever, man.

 

1. Korn

 The thing about Korn is that I still fully enjoy all of their albums up until Untitled. And even after that, there's good stuff to be found. I'm not angry like I was back then, but I still feel the power of those riffs and such.

Thanks to Last.FM and The Universal Scrobbler.

May 2021 Recap

 A new month, another strong showing of scrobbles. Lots of time at work to spend listening, but also a lot of time spent outside enjoying the weather now that things have started opening again. 3217 scrobbles, equaling a hearty 104 per day, and 8 days 14h worth of music. 1120 artists doing 2407 individual songs, an average of 2.149 per artist. 

Rock, Oldies, 60s, Soul and Alternative Rock continued their runs as the top genres. 12pm was the most prolific hour, just edging by 9 and 10am. Nothing really jumped out as a time where there were a heavier amount of songs being played, which is somewhat unusual.

Top Tracks for May

So here's a fun sidenote... there were 21 songs tied for 8th this month. Highly unusual.... so I guess I'll have to flip some coins for where they land. 

Random spin initiated... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1....

T8. Sam Cooke - Chain Gang

There were actually 4 Sam Cooke songs tied at 8, including Twistin' the Night Away, Wonderful World and Bring It On Home To Me. A good week for soul.

T8. Cold - Insane

Amusingly, there were also two Cold songs, along with Sad Happy. I love the self-titled love, though.

T8. Argyle Park - Leave Me Alone

The angstier I feel, the more I listen to Circle of Dust and Argyle Park.

7. The Wallflowers - One Headlight

Feels like every time I flipped on a playlist that wasn't oldies, this song popped up. It's the one I want played at my funeral. lol

6. Teenage Wrist - Earth is a Black Hole

The TW assault continues. This album is better than anything I've heard in the last two years.

 

5. Oomph! - Tausend Neue Legend

Fell back in love with Oomph while working in the garage in May. This song is a thousand hammers, for sure.

4. Carole King - So Far Away

Boy, you couldn't pick two more disparate songs to come back to back, huh?

3. beabadoobie - Last Day On Earth

This one came out of nowhere. I was looking at our local alt station's playlist and suddenly I was listening to it on repeat.

2. Bill Haley and His Comets - See You Later, Alligator

Bill Haley was just fun, fun music back then. I wish I could've lived in the days where this was the norm.

1. Teenage Wrist - Taste of Gasoline

The opening track off of this record hits harder sometimes. It's a bit poppier but it slams just the same.

Top Artists for May

T11. Johnny Cash
T11. KMFDM

Oh, sure, two artists from complete opposite ends of the spectrum. Why not? Lol. So many ties this month, what gives??

9. Audioslave

I mentioned Cornell Forever last month, and so here we are. I'd expect the other two to be here as well.

8. Anberlin

Anberlin is red hot in 2021 for me. I mean, they always are, but just the same. The flame is continually fed.

7. Sam Cooke

I genuinely thought Sam would be higher this month.

 

6. Argyle Park

See above for angst.

5. Cold

Cold was way ahead the last two months, but slid back a little. They still have a massive lead on the year, unsurprisingly.

 

4. Chris Cornell

For whatever reason, there's always a time for Soundgarden and Audioslave in my daily life, but not usually his solo work. Not because it isn't great, it just doesn't fit into the nooks and crannies of my normal day to day operations.

3. Evanescence

In anticipation of their new album, Amy + Co got some spins in May.

 

2. Oomph!

Oomph actually almost landed at #1, which would have been a massive surprise...

 

1. Soundgarden

...considering it was Cornell Forever month. Still, there was just 3 scrobbles between the two.

I'm almost caught up, lol

 

Thanks to Last.FM and The Universal Scrobbler.