New Countdown: Hittin' Those T's!

X Ambassadors

Well here's another countdown for you enjoyment this Thanksgiving (if you're in America) or Same as Normal (if you're not in America) week!

Listen for me hitting the middle T in "twenty" for twenty one pilots in a weirdly enunciated way!

Enjoy!




Countdown #271

***Featuring***
All-Time Quarterback
Atlas Genius
AWOLNATION
Cold War Kids
Coleman Hell 
Death Cab For Cutie
Diet Cig
Doomtree
Elle King
Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
Silversun Pickups
twenty one pilots
X Ambassadors

New Countdown and a Look Back at Summer Jams

The Neighbourhood

Do you realize how hard it is to be named James and type the word "jams"??

Anyway, it's the first countdown of the Calendar Fall and I've been playing with the spreadsheets, so that gets a lot of discussion in this episode. I really enjoyed the retrospection. I hope you did too!

If you DO enjoy retrospection, you should come back for a Very Special Countdown next week (HUGE HINT) :) See you then

Countdown #165

***Featuring***
Atlas Genius
Bastille
Capital Cities
Coldplay
Fitz & the Tantrums
Grouplove
Imagine Dragons
Kings of Leon
Lorde
The Neighbourhood
New Politics

New Countdown: When I'm 164...(doot doo)

Capital Cities

This was one of those weeks where it felt like the podcast had been in production FOREVER. It was really only a couple of days, but I feel like it has literally been months since I started recording #164.

We're also in one of those waves where the bands on the countdown (with a few minor exceptions) aren't that well known, so it gives me the feeling that I'm really sharing some NEW music. Which I like :)

Speaking of which, I am pondering starting a series for Mondays called "Mailbag Mondays" where I play songs by bands who I first heard about because they emailed me. So, you heard it here first. And if it doesn't come to pass, then you get first dibs on the ridicule and shaming.

Countdown #164

***Featuring***
Atlas Genius
Bastille
Capital Cities
Fitz & the Tantrums
Grouplove
Imagine Dragons
Lorde
The Neighbourhood
New Politics
Radiohead

New Countdown 17 Years in the Making!!

Capital Cities

Yes, this episode was a long time coming, but I think it's going to end up being one of my favorites. I hope it's one of yours, too!!!

Countdown #163

***Featuring***
Alanis Morissette
Atlas Genius
Bastille
Capital Cities
Fitz & the Tantrums
Grouplove
Imagine Dragons
Lorde
The Neighbourhood
New Politics
Tracy Bonham

New Countdown: James's Bonus Song Emporium!

Imagine Dragons

If you were looking for the nonsensical, seemingly random ravings of a madman, you're in the wrong place, bub! But if you want a podcast where sometimes we have more than 2 bonus songs, then step right in, my friend, have I got the podcast for you!!!

The weather is becoming increasingly fall-like and we're going to have to start to accept the fact that our summer anthem this year was a song about needing to put on a sweater because the weather is too chilly.....which I think we can all do. I'm really excited for some fall weather, actually.

Countdown #162

***Featuring***
Atlas Genius
Capital Cities
Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams
Fitz and the Tantrums
Grouplove
Imagine Dragons
Lorde
The Neighbourhood
New Politics
Radiohead

New Countdown, or, a Descent into Madness

Fitz and the Tantrums

Here's another episode where you hear me in various states of consciousness/fatigue. Which can either be a fun ride or a descent into madness....no, not the Muse song. :)

I'm really loving the songs on the countdowns of late. I hope you are too!

Countdown #161

***Featuring***
Atlas Genius
Capital Cities
Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams
Fitz and the Tantrums
Grouplove
Imagine Dragons
Lorde
The Neighbourhood
New Politics
Radiohead

NEW COUNTDOWN: Looks Like We Made It!

The Neighbourhood

This show has everything: volume problems (and volume solutions), dance lyrics that don't translate to spoken word very well, pop-unders. Just everything! But I promise you it all works out in the end! :)

Oh I also have a very special co-host for the first half. He's the strong, silent type.

Countdown #160

***Featuring***
Atlas Genius
Beck
Capital Cities
Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams
Dessa
Fitz & the Tantrums
Imagine Dragons
Lorde
The Neighbourhood
New Politics
Nine Inch Nails

New Countdown From the Road

Muse

I am writing this from Room 201 of the Best Western in Harrisonburg. I have driven down here with my wife to attend the wedding of a dear, dear college friend and now I'm going to write this post and watch Veronica Mars for the rest of the night!

I really kick the Radiohead flashbacks into overdrive on this one :)


Countdown #151

***Featuring***
Atlas Genius
Capital Cities
Easy Star All-Stars featuring Kirsty Rock
Fall Out Boy
Imagine Dragons
The Lumineers
Muse
The Neighbourhood
Of Monsters and Men
Radiohead
Thirty Seconds to Mars

New Countdown. The Rise and Gradual Fall of a Still Frail Voice

Imagine Dragons

Pay close attention to this episode. You can hear my voice start strong, proving that my health is almost back to normal, and then get gradually weaker as the evening that I recorded most of it progresses and you start to hear how I sound when I've been up for too long!

At this point, it's going to be weird when a new song DOESN'T debut on an episode. We're on the third episode in a row to have a new song on the chart :)

Countdown #147

***Featuring***
Atlas Genius
Beck
Capital Cities
Imagine Dragons
The Lumineers
Mumford and Sons
Muse
Of Monsters and Men
Silversun Pickups
Taking Back Sunday
Thirty Seconds to Mars

New Countdown: Feeling Stronger Everyday!

Atlas Genius

I don't know if you'll believe it based on the quality of my voice at some points in this podcast, but I am actually feeling better! It's just that annoying thing where the remnants of colds stick around for weeks. So annoying.

Hopefully you won't be annoyed by this week's countdown, though! (I don't know why you would be....I mean, it's a pretty silly thing to be annoyed at. I was just making a smooth transition.) April's "Debut-Every-Week" trend continues!

Enjoy it!

Countdown #146

***Featuring***
Atlas Genius
Beck
The Black Keys
Capital Cities
Imagine Dragons
The Lumineers
Mumford and Sons
Muse
Of Monsters and Men
Silversun Pickups

Counting Down the Alternative Songs AND the minutes before my throat falls off!

Of Monsters and Men

I'm just really happy that I was able to get this one recorded and posted. My larynx is about to abandon my body and try to make it on the streets of New York City as the apprentice to a con artist a la Robert Redford in The Sting. On a related note, my throat really does sting at this juncture.

I hope you enjoy the episode!

Countdown #145

***Featuring***
Atlas Genius
The Black Keys
Capital Cities
Dessa
fun.
Imagine Dragons
The Lumineers
Mumford and Sons
Muse
Nirvana
Of Monsters and Men
Silversun Pickups

New Countdown and a Lost Time Travel Analogy

Well I started titling this blog like that because I couldn't remember what the time travel analogy I make during the course of the show was. But when I started to write "Lost Time Travel Analogy" I realized that I had unassumingly found the answer. That's a good tip for the future, kids. Stop trying to think of the thing you're trying to think of and give your subconscious room to THINK. It'll come up with the answer. Or it won't and you'll be tormented for the rest of your days.

.....Countdown time!

Well, as I mention in the episode, this will be the last new countdown until the week after next. Next week will be a Flashback Countdown and it's a good one. So come back for that!

Countdown #144

***Featuring***
Atlas Genius
The Black Keys
fun.
Imagine Dragons
The Lumineers
Mumford & Sons
Muse
Nirvana
Of Monsters and Men
Silversun Pickups

This Podcast is Madness (Nah, Nevermind it isn't)

So, my sister gave me a hand with this one. But we were both tired and sugared up and kind of loopy. It definitely makes for a very interesting countdown, to say the least! But I know that many of you have said that you like hearing me punchy and this is not only me punchy but also my sister punchy and us egging eachother on and all of that. So you'll almost certainly LOVE it!

Countdown #143

***Featuring***
Atlas Genius
The Black Keys
fun.
Imagine Dragons
The Lumineers
Mumford & Sons
Muse
Nirvana
Of Monsters and Men
Silversun Pickups

Change Comes to the Countdown!

Yes, after weeks and weeks with not a lot of movement, we enter the first countdown of March with the scent of change on the air.

Lots of movement this week. Some expected. Some unexpected, though now maybe it'll be expected because I said it was unexpected. I don't know how your mind works. Anything could happen.

It's late, so I'm not going to make this a big humdinger of an introduction, but I hope you enjoy the episode!

Countdown #142

***Featuring***

Atlas Genius
The Black Keys
fun.
Imagine Dragons
The Lumineers
Mumford & Sons
Muse
Nirvana
Of Monsters and Men
Silversun Pickups

New Countdown: Let's Hear It For Squandered Time!

So, I finished last week's countdown pretty much as early as I possibly could. I thought that that might mean I would also be able to finish THIS week's early and get myself into a situation where I was always way ahead of the recording schedule.

But here it is, 1:17 am on Sunday morning and I'm finally getting around to posting the countdown I just finished recording. Oh well. Things come up, you know? And I'm sure I used the extra time that recording early freed up in very productive and efficient ways....

Anyways, here's the countdown! It has 3 bonus songs and is only slightly longer than last week's! Craziness!

Countdown #141

***Featuring***

Atlas Genius

The Black Keys

Frightened Rabbit

fun. 

Green Day

Imagine Dragons

The Lumineers

Mumford & Sons

Muse

Of Monsters and Men

Silversun Pickups

You Guys, I Recorded This Podcast SO FREAKIN EARLY

As I mention at various points in this episode, I was inspired by the Grammys and I actually couldn't stop myself. I only intended to do ONE intro! But then BOOM. All of the intros were done and I was a zombie the next day.

But how could I not? So many songs/bands/albums that we feature on the countdown this week were part of the Grammys, so there was a lot to talk about! Hope you enjoy it!

Countdown #140

***Featuring***
Atlas Genius
The Black Keys
fun.
Green Day
Imagine Dragons
The Lumineers

Mumford & Sons
Muse
Of Monsters and Men

Silversun Pickups

I Recorded this New Countdown on Thursday And I'm happy I did!

I had such a busy couple of days and I just wouldn't have been able to have this week's post up on time if I hadn't recorded early. Let's hear it for doing things earlier than the last minute!

*Applause Break*

So, here's the new countdown. It's quite enjoyable and good and fun.

One last thing: If you can watch the Grammys tonight, I'd recommend it. I think it's going to be a pretty great show. The nominees in the categories I noted are amazing. So check it out. I'll even tell you when/where it's on...It's on CBS at 8 pm ET/PT (Because, screw you Mountain Time). So check it out!

Countdown #139

***Featuring***

Atlas Genius

The Black Keys

fun.

Green Day

Imagine Dragons

The Lumineers

Of Monsters and Men

Mumford & Sons

Muse

Passion Pit

Silversun Pickups

New Countdown, EXACT Same Duration!

So it just so happens that I got the exact same recording time for this one, TO. THE. SECOND. I mean, did I realize that it was probably going to work out that way when I was recording the last intro? Yes, I did. It's still cool, you guys. You don't see this kind of thing very often.

Countdown #138

***Featuring***
Atlas Genius
The Black Keys
fun.
Green Day
Imagine Dragons
The Lumineers
Mumford & Sons
Muse
Of Monsters and Men
Passion Pit
Silversun Pickups

New Countdown! Same Layout!

Well, Billboard changed the layout of their site between Friday night and Saturday morning. It's so disorienting but I'm managing. Thanks for your concern :)

Countdown #137

***Featuring***
Atlas Genius
The Black Keys
fun.
Imagine Dragons
The Lumineers
Mumford & Sons
Muse
Of Monsters and Men
Silversun Pickups
U2

New Countdown: "I Have a Dream" Version

Hey everyone!

Well, for the first year, I will be acknowledging the holiday on Monday. Not because I have made a point of not acknowledging it before, but because this is the first time that I've remembered that the holiday is on its way in time to make note of it on the show!

This is a good show, if I do say so myself, but there are one or two intros that I think I may have let my mind lead my tongue way off the beaten path. Oh well, such is life, I suppose :)

Countdown #136

***Featuring***
Atlas Genius
The Black Keys
fun.
Imagine Dragons
The Lumineers
Mumford and Sons
Muse
Of Monsters and Men
Passion Pit
Silversun Pickups
U2