The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #18

#18. The Foxies - Overrated

 

Title: Overrated
Artist: The Foxies
Album: Who Are You Now, Who Were You Then?

The first time I heard The Foxies, I knew I loved Julia Lauren Bullock's voice and delivery. I just get so tired of the mumbly, whispery female singers that have over-saturated the radio, so when I hear signers like that (or Aimee Interruptor) I get excited. Their album just dropped in September and has a few bonafide bops that might make their way into the 2023 Countdown, but the lead single "Overrated" was what caught my ear in '22. Fun, upbeat, and talking about someone who immediately wants too much out out of a relationship. I can only hope their live show is as energetic as the video for this song.

Favorite Line: "One day you will wake up and the things that made you happy make you numb - is that really living now?"

 

 

Last five #18s:

2021: Daymare - Control
2020: Little Hurt - Alaska
2019: James Truslow - Overwhelmed
2018: The Raquels - Just a Txt
2017: Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness - Fire Escape

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #19

#19. Bad Omens - Like A Villain

 

Title: Like A Villain

Artist: Bad Omens

Album: The Death of Peace of Mind

It's always interesting seeing the twists and turns that a Top 20 Countdown will take. Sometimes it's songs from bands I love, and sometimes it's an artist I don't care for from an album I didn't even like. It only takes one, right? I honestly haven't listened to a lot of Bad Omens in my life because I usually can't get too far into their songs, but the moment the chorus of this song hit, I knew I was in love. The lyrics hook me in and the passion in singer Noah Sebastian's voice resonates deep within me. The album landed at #2 on the US Heatseekers chart and #11 on the US Hard Rock chart as well.

Favorite Line: "I don't wanna know all your secrets cuz I'll tell - it's hard enough being alone with myself. I don't know how long I'll be holding on."

 

Last five #19s:

2021: Royal Blood - Typhoons
2020: The Broken Relics - Goodbye Tennessee
2019: Sigrid - Sucker Punch
2018: Rick Springfield - In The Land of the Blind
2017: The Head and The Heard - Rhythm & Blues

The 2022 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #20

 #20. Halestorm - The Steeple

Title: The Steeple

Artist: Halestorm

Album: Back From the Dead

 

I wasn't a huge fan of Halestorm when they first came out - in fact, I felt like they were just going to be a flash in the pan. But they have steadily grown on me since their 2nd album dropped and Back From the Dead might be their best offering yet, with hits like "Strange Girl", "Back From the Dead" and "I Come First". The album landed at 36 in the US and #2 in the Hard Rock charts while hitting #9 in the UK. Lzzy Hale is a true rock queen, a warrior for women's rights and a mental health champion, and I admire the hell out of her. I wish more bands had a sound more like theirs these days, but at the end of the day this song just flat out rocks. 

Favorite Line: "A choir's singing in my heart today, like a thousand angels breaking the silent parade. To the ones I call my own, I'm back where I belong."

Last five #20s:

2021: Grabbitz - Pigs in the Sky
2020: Seether - Dangerous
2019: Vampire Weekend - Harmony Hall
2018: Ghost - Dance Macabre
2017: Liam Gallagher - Wall of Glass