New Countdown: Can You Still Be SPOOOKY in November?

Death Cab For Cutie

Wrapping up October in the SPOOOOOKIEST way possible: with a return to our regularly scheduled programming :)

This is a good one. Lots of great music from up and coming bands as well as a song by a particular established act (pictured above)!


Countdown #268

***Featuring***
AWOLNATION
Cold War Kids
Coleman Hell
Death Cab For Cutie
Elle King
Jack White
Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
The Struts
twenty one pilots
Walk the Moon
X Ambassadors

Festive Fifty 2012 Top Ten

The new Festive Fifty will be out soon. Here's the top ten of the 2012 list to tide you over. Click the "Festive Fifty" tag to see previous years!

10. First Aid Kit - Emmylou
9. The Lumineers - Ho Hey
8. Jack White - I'm Shakin'
7. Adele - Skyfall
6. Father John Misty - Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings
5. Alabama Shakes - Hold On

4. Gotye featuring Kimbra - Somebody That I Used to Know

3. Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks

2. Tame Impala - Elephant

1. fun. - Some Nights

2015 Best Alternative Music Album Nominees Announced

So the Grammy announcements are going on today and they just announced the 5 nominees for Best Alternative Music Album (the award that we just spent a couple years going through every winner on the podcast). The nominees are:

• This Is All Yours – alt-J
• Reflektor – Arcade Fire
• Melophobia – Cage the Elephant
• St. Vincent – St. Vincent
• Lazaretto – Jack White

I'm pulling for St. Vincent to win this one, but really, I'd be ok with Jack White or Cage the Elephant to win, as well. The other two are contenders, but I can't say I'm really pulling for them.

In any case, we'll see what album we're looking at for the month when the Grammy Awards happen on February 8th on CBS

New Countdown: Beginning of the End!

Gotye and Kimbra

As I type this, it is 10:00 am. So this one will be a little late, but hopefully a couple of minutes doesn't make or break the experience for you!

This post marks the beginning of the run-up to the end of the year. Summer Holiday was last week and now we're on our way to the Fall and Winter! Happy August everyone :)

Countdown #208

***Featuring***
Arctic Monkeys
Bastille
Big Data featuring Joywave
The Black Keys
Bleachers [featuring Grimes]
Coldplay
The Dirty Heads
Gotye featuring Kimbra
Jack White
KONGOS
Vance Joy

New Countdown: Posted by a Sleep-Hungry Zombie!

Coldplay

My birthday was quite enjoyable and my son's was as well! We had his party today (even though his b-day was on Thursday) and so I'm feeling super tired. My sister and I stayed up way too late last night, got up to take the little guy to the Little Gym and then partied and partied. But this is a very enjoyable countdown, if you ask me!

Countdown #207

***Featuring***
Arctic Monkeys
Bastille
Big Data featuring Joywave
The Black Keys
Bleachers
Bon Iver
Coldplay
Fitz  & the Tantrums
Jack White
KONGOS
Vance Joy

New Countdown: Looking Forward to Remembering When

Bon Iver circa 2011

It's a big week around our household and so the air is crackling with excitement. Some of us are turning 1 and some of us are turning more than 1. It's all very confusing as to who's turning what.

I'll be doing the Birthday podcast again this year, so that means my birthday will be spent saving blog posts by people and then sorting through them and seeing which songs I like best and all of that. I love it, even if it can be a little daunting.

It's a good countdown this week and I really hope you enjoy it. These are always the episodes I love best. The ones in the middle of summer when the songs are the most nostalgia inducing. Someday we'll hear "Do I Wanna Know" and think "Ah, that takes me back to the summer of...was it 2014? Those were the days..." and it'll be great :)

Countdown #206

***Featuring***
Alan Wilkis
Arctic Monkeys
Bastille
Big Data featuring Joywave
The Black Keys
Bleachers
Bon Iver
Fitz & the Tantrums
Jack White
KONGOS
The Temper Trap
Vance Joy

New Countdown: Missed Connection

Bleachers

Happy Birthday to America and my Dad!

It's a great countdown this week. New albums to look at. New songs to listen to. And a surprising connection between this blog and one of the bands on the countdown!!

Countdown #205

***Featuring***
Alan Wilkis
Arctic Monkeys
Bastille
Big Data featuring Joywave
The Black Keys
Bleachers
Bon Iver
Fitz & the Tantrums
Jack White
KONGOS
Vance Joy

New Countdown: Brain Revolt

Bear Hands

Started very strong on this one, but then I started falling all over my tongue as it got later and later and my brain began to revolt in favor of sleep. Silly brain.

As I mention in the episode, this week marks the halfway mark of the year so I guess it's a "the year's half started/the year's half over" sort of situation. Pick a side!

Countdown #204

***Featuring***
Arctic Monkeys
Bastille
Bear Hands
Big Data featuring Joywave
The Black Keys
Bleachers
Cage the Elephant
Fitz & the Tantrums
Jack White
KONGOS

New Countdown: R.I.P. Casey

The Black Keys

So, I wouldn't say this episode is a "tribute" to the late, great Casey Kasem. I do PAY tribute to him, though. This was a very fun one. I like to think Casey had fun doing his show, just like I have fun doing mine. I know it can be a grind sometimes, but it feels so worth it.

Hey Happy Summer, everyone!

Countdown #203

***Featuring***
Arctic Monkeys
Bastille
Bear Hands
Big Data
The Black Keys
Bleachers
Fitz & the Tantrums
Jack White
KONGOS
Marvin Gaye
Three Dog Night

New Countdown: Now I Wanna Wish You a Happy Father's Day!

Bleachers

First off, Happy Father's Day to all you Dads out there. I know I've got a couple of great Dads and a great Father-in-Law that deserve lots of accolades!

This one was a pretty fun one with a huge bonus feature at the end. I hope you'll stick with it to the very end!

Also, have you noticed how many "B" bands are on the countdown these days?!

Countdown #202

***Featuring***
Arctic Monkeys
Bastille
Bear Hands
Big Data
The Black Keys
Bleachers
Fitz & the Tantrums
Jack White
KONGOS
The Ramones