August 2021 Recap

 Back to work meant a hearty 67% increase on streams, with 3295. That's also the highest number for any single month in 2021. 2412 tracks from 1170 artists meant more exploration, with the average only being 2.062 for the month.

Top genre was Rock again, followed by the old guard of Classic Rock, Oldies, 60s and Pop. 10am and 11am were the top hours, with 5pm rounding out the top three. 

Top Tracks for August

 

10. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone

The oldies influx was back after spending two months away.

 

9.  Acceptance - At the Edge of the Earth

This song continues to climb as the year pushes forward. For being a band I never really cared for, I am definitely surprised at their ability to put out such a bop-worthy jam.

8. '68 - Bad Bite

I'm disappointed in myself for not listening to this album for four months after its release. Shame, shame. This song is a ROCKET.

7. Eagles - Take it Easy

6. Asia - Heat of the Moment

5. Everly Brothers - Bye Bye Love

Like I said... it was an oldies/classic rock reunion party with all the old bros showing back up.

4. Manchester Orchestra - Bed Head

This song is as good as this album is bad. Every now and then there'll be a song on the Countdown that ends up really high in spite of me hating the record it's from.

 

3. Dexter Freebish - Leaving Town

I mean, this is my all-time favorite song, right?

 

2. Assemblage 23 - Factory

So, so good. Oh my stars, Tom Shear can write some slamming sad music.

 

1. The Stuts - Another Hit of Showmanship (feat Albert Hammond Jr)

At the rate this song is going, it might end up the #1 played song as well as the top entry in the 2021 Top 20 Countdown.

Top Artists for August

 

10. Sam Cooke

It wouldn't be an oldies-heavy month without The Man Who Invented Soul.

9. VNV Nation

8. Cold

Cold definitely wants their crown back from VNV this year.

7. Joy Electric

"Who haven't I listened to much in the last two decades that I used to love?"

6. Fashion Week

First concert back after a year and a half? My old friends Fashion Week, who I think are looking to move up on the Local Artists list at the end of the year.

5. Vanessa Carlton

-see Joy Electric-

 

4. The Rolling Stones

There are some years where I love The Beatles more, there are some years I prefer The Stones. Who knows what that is.

3. Dead Schembechlers

Ohio State football was back so I figured I'd give Ohio State's unofficial band a good spin.

2. Assemblage 23

That new record... whew. I put it down for a few months but it's in full rotation right now.

1. John Reuben

Listen, Linda. When I saw my current friends Fashion Week announcing a show at my church with an artist I grew up obsessed with, I had to get back on the Reubonic train. He was SO good live, and I'm not just saying that because it was the first concert I had attended since last March.

Thanks to Last.FM and The Universal Scrobbler.

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.