Top Ten Artists:
1.
Iona - 628 Plays
I kinda danced around getting into them, but something finally convinced me to take the plunge. The lyrics sometimes reek of ultra-christian cheese and are often times just prayers themselves, the music is adventurous, eventful, ethereal, and always engaging. Joanne Hogg has a tremendous voice, and the musicianship is phenomenal. Too much to love from this celtic-prog-new age group.
2.
Ulver - 524 Plays
Who doesn't love Ulver? If I had to make a list of the most influential artists in my creative life, these guys would top it. So much is happening in their music, and thanks to the mostly subtle approach they take, there's always more to look into. Unless it's
Operator, then its an onslaught of aural intensity, and must be listened to full blast. If any song was to destroy my eardrums, I'd want it to be that one.
3.
Franz Liszt - 404 Plays
The guy was a rock-star in his day. Women flocked to see him perform with ridiculous skill, and would ask for locks of his hair as souvenirs. He was a showman, sure, but I feel its unfair that people label him as all flair. There's a beauty in his work. It's his own, and he strove above all (its the way he taught) to be an expressionist, and not just a spectacle. His later life-work is some of the most traumatizing solo piano work I've heard. He's also become something of an idol to me.
4.
Devin Townsend - 402 Plays
How can anyone hate this guy? I know I'm preaching to a choir of zero, but I read a fan review that said Devy is the reviewers least favorite personality next to Steven Wilson, which is strange. Devy is a chill guy, really cool, has an original sense of humor, and does look at his music as achieving some sort higher purpose that transcends art. He is passionate about what he does, but it's all from the heart. You might not like his music, fine, but how can you listen to his music and decided that you hate him? But yeah,
Ki is a grower, but its been slowly revealing itself, and
Addicted is, well, a lot of fun, even if it doesn't have tremendous lasting power.
T-5.
Tim Hecker - 331 Plays
Great sleeping and walking music. It's very understated stuff, sometimes becoming so obscured by its technique that it takes quite a bit of effort to discern, but it's entirely worth it. There are so many people that try to do electronic and ambient stuff, but most of them just throw together cheesy synth riffs and boring song structures, complete with terrible mixes and cheap effects. Hecker understands the balance of mood and melody, and he grasps better than anyone I know the power of glitch. It can work as Background music, but it'd get lost in the shuffle of the day. It has to be listened to attentively to be appreciated. Which is why I guess I don't get as much sleep as I'd like.
T-5.
Edvard Grieg - 331 Plays
His lyric pieces almost seem like they need to be expanded. Some of them are really good, and then, some of them are astoundingly fully realized (
March of the Trolls is one that springs to mind). But above all, the 3rd movement of his Piano Concerto in A Minor has this element to it. I don't know what it is, but I feel like it was written for me. I can't explain it any other way, but I've adopted it as my leitmotif, if you will. It has the bittersweet-triumph quality to it; part glorious, part sacrificial. It's the music my dreams are made of.
7.
Woven Hand - 300 Plays
Saw them live in October, which rejuvenated my interest, although I can't say my interest ever truly waned. But I did get
Mosaic on Vinyl, which is pretty cool. One thing I learned to appreciate is that in his alt-country approach, he reveals mother nature in his works. So many acts fail to ground their music in something real, and he's found an almost mystic connection to the roots of the land. I guess drawing on Native American music will do that.
8.
16 Horsepower - 276 Plays
Read Above, but just add the adjective "rockin' " next to every noun, and you get the idea.
9.
Camille Saint-Saëns - 273 Plays
Ah,
Danse Macabre, to the graveyard! Raise up the skeletons, summon the witches, and howl at the moon! Seriously, this is like Golden-Age era Disney magical. You know, when Disney did shorts rather than feature-length films? The good stuff? I'm surprised the never did this one. (They did do the afformentioned "March of the Trolls" by Grieg, though, so I guess it's all good).
10.
Electric Light Orchestra - 243 Plays
They take their poppy-prog rock with their small orchestra, and they write probably the most infectious tunes. Seriously, every song on the double-LP
Out of the Blue could have been a hit if it weren't for over-saturation. The lyrics are almost always laughable, but the music has an excitement that reaches beyond the limits of my imagination. Not a whole lot of substance, but it's always something I will sing-a-long to if I ever hear it on the radio.
The Next Ten:
11.
Jackson Browne - 220 Plays
What is with me finding music this year that all seems to be a window into myself? And I don't mean I just "relate" to it, but I'd be damned if he didn't have me in mind when writing
Late For The Sky.
12.
Mostly Autumn - 199 Plays
On the strength of one song,
Passengers, these guys have inspired me in many ways. The rest gets a bit tiresome, but not to the point of annoyance.
13.
Primordial - 185 Plays
Nothing new. Still a great band. Maybe we'll see something new soon, though they've been touring a lot.
14.
Slim Cessna's Auto Club - 183 Plays
Like a lesser Jay Munly, but it's always fun to play every now and then.
15.
Drudkh - 182 Plays
Microcosmos might just be my album of the year.
16.
Faith No More - 179 Plays
Maybe the recent regrouping will inspire a new album? Mike Patton is clearly still in the business of making great music, so to say I'd be excited would be a huge understatement.
17.
Mike Oldfield - 176 Plays
Like Primordial: nothing new, still amazing.
18.
Antonin Dvorak - 171 Plays
Oh, he wrote tone poems, too? Yes, indeed!
19.
Rush - 170 Plays
How
A Farewell To Kings eluded me for so long, I do not know.
20.
Jay Munly - 169 Plays
He has a new band together, and the pre-release press is whetting my appetite. Let's see this through already!
Top Ten Albums
1. Iona -
Open Sky - 281 Plays
This album has a special place in my heart. There are no gimmicks here. The cheese of their previous albums are gone, and what's left is the work of transcendental genius. It takes me to a lonely shore waiting in the night, an I'm gazing over the sea, watching the waves crash against the rocks, counting the stars glimmering faintly in the sky, and finding peace at last. I'm often left speechless when the album concludes.
2. Iona -
Beyond These Shores - 189 Plays
Obviously a very good record in it's own right, but it just pales in comparison to Open Sky. It's more straight-forward, which I feel brings it down. But then
Murlough Bay plays, and I am reminded about just how special this band is, and the cathartic power the band has.
3. Slim Cessna's Auto Club
The Bloudy Tenent Truth Peace - 183 Plays
As I said before, it's practically Jay Munly-lite. Slim writes some catchy tunes of equal grimness, but it lacks the cohesion of Munly's best stuff. Slim's still infectious, and it's always a good time.
4. Tim Hecker -
Harmony in Ultraviolet - 168 Plays
Honestly, I don't even know what the middle third of the album is like. I usually listen to the first third (or last third just to keep my stats in check, because I sometimes care too much), basking in it, but since I like to fall asleep to it, I rarely get to actually hear those middle tracks. I guess there's more to discover, then!
5. Mostly Autumn -
Passengers - 167 Plays
Like I said above, it's the title track that carries the album. There is some other good stuff on here, and Distant Train can sometimes cross into "great", but some of it feels a bit too pedestrian. Nice folky flavors, of course. Side-note: I feel like I'm being harsh on any album that isn't Open Sky now.
6. Tim Hecker -
Radio Amor - 163 Plays
For some reason, the album reminds of of the city of Nashville. It has this nostalgic-feel to it that not always pretty, but always real. Again, Hecker demonstrates his mastery of sound, even if it ends a bit too short. It's a bit more minimalistic, but in a theme and variations sort-of-way that keeps me listening.
7. Iona -
Journey into the Mourn - 158 Plays
This is the middle ground between the two albums of theirs above, and again, it's the more straight-forward stuff which feels tacky and bland. But it also has it's own Murlough Bay in
Lindisfarne as well as the equally impressive title track.
8.
Camille Saint-Saëns -
Tone Poems - 153 Plays
Not really an album, but a collection. Still, these are creative, imaginative works that are largely forgotten by history. His music has this care-free touch to it that is a nice breath of fresh air from the overwhelming grip his peers demanded.
9.
Franz Liszt -
Hungarian Rhapsodies - 151 Plays
I can't decide what's more impressive: how ridiculously talented anyone must be to play these, or how Liszt was able to compose such fantastic pieces without ever falling into pretension. Never a dull moment. We all know the famous 2nd one, but the rest all have their merits. It's almost intimidating knowing just how much my own skills compare to his.
10.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky -
The Nutcracker - 147 plays.
We all know this from Fantasia, and if not, we know the various dances from all sorts of holiday tributes and commercials. Still, there's value to these, and the lesser known movements carry their own charm as well. It's all very colorful, which is always a welcome.
Top Ten Tracks (max 2 per artist):
T-1. Iona -
Songs Of Ascent (Part 1) - 32 Plays
The whole album seemed to build towards this moment or absolute bliss. Joanne Hogg's voice is unleashed, and the summit or beauty is reached. It captures the entire album in just a few moments, and when it's gone, it gives you a chance to recover from it's glory.
T-1. Iona -
Friendship's Door - 32 Plays
Despite it's corny name, the songs lyrics are incredible. The music is very meditative, but retains the ethereal quality left by Songs of Ascent, and indeed the rest of the album. What a great closer from one of my favorite albums.
3. Camille Saint-Saëns -
Danse Macabre, Op. 40 - 27 Plays
If Garm was still with Arcturus, I could seem them doing a fantastic job of covering this.
4. Camille Saint-Saëns -
Phaéton, Op. 39 - 25 Plays
This sounds an awful lot like Dvorak, and that's fine by me. It's actually rather similar to Danse Macabre, minus the waltz, and perhaps more contained, but it never loses it's appeal, and has a truly moving string section.
T-5. Mostly Autumn -
Passengers - 20 Plays
It's a very pretty song, with a powerful chorus. I don't usually care for the verse-chorus structure, but it works here. I also want to do a claymation short that uses this as it's soundtrack and draws its plot from its lyrics. Heather Findlay has a lovely voice.
T-5 Franz Liszt -
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C sharp minor - 20 Plays
Yes, this is
that one. The one from the Tom and Jerry short. And yes, is amazing. It's become my favorite classical work, rewarding on every musical level. It's technical demands are outrageous (it's used to separate the boys from the men when it comes to classically-trained pianist), but it never reaches the point of being for its own sake. Liszt was a genius, for sure.
7. Mostly Autumn -
Distant Train - 19 Plays
Sometimes the production gets to me, but usually, I'm just carried away by the guitar. Yes, its all about the guitar. It's not a shred-fest, though. It's actually rather laid-back, yet still very moving. Good follow-up to "Passengers".
T-8. Tim Hecker -
The Star Compass - 18 Plays
I'm actually surprised it's this one that makes the list. It's good, for sure. It sounds very rainy and dreary. Not the best from the album. I'd have to go with
Spectral for that one.
T-8. Ulver -
Operator - 18 Plays
Absolute Chaos. This is something which is missing from some much music. This full embrace of onslaught. It never lets up. The drums are relentless, the whatever-that-horn-or-siren-thing berates until it leaves you a bloody pulp, the lyrics are desperate, the singing is maddening. There are no words for the mayhem. Can't...get...enough.
T-8. Slim Cessna's Auto Club -
He, Roger Williams - 18 Plays
This is an ode to the founder the "first baptist church in America!". I don't know if it's ironic, semi-ironic, or entirely genuine, but, quite frankly, I don't think it matters. He's got a soul! This song has a soul!
Complete Stat breakdown:
Weekly Winners:
Jan 4, 2009: Arcturus
Jan 11, 2009: Iona
Jan 18, 2009: Ulver
Jan 25, 2009: Franz Liszt
Feb 1, 2009: Edvard Grieg
Feb 8, 2009: Edvard Grieg
Feb 15, 2009: Electric Light Orchestra
Feb 22, 2009: Edvard Grieg
Mar 1, 2009: Slim Cessna's Auto Club
Mar 8, 2009: Electric Light Orchestra
Mar 15, 2009: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Mar 22, 2009: Electric Light Orchestra
Mar 29, 2009: Ulver
Apr 5, 2009: Franz Liszt
Apr 12, 2009: Devin Townsend
Apr 19, 2009: Mike Oldfield
Apr 26, 2009: Antonin Dvorak
May 3, 2009: Iona
May 10, 2009: Iona
May 17, 2009: Slim Cessna's Auto Club
May 24, 2009: Barry Ryan
May 31, 2009: Iona
June 7, 2009: Camille Saint-Saëns
June 14, 2009: Camille Saint-Saëns
June 21, 2009: Mostly Autumn
June 28, 2009: Woven Hand
July 5, 2009: Savatage, Mostly Autumn
July 12, 2009: Mostly Autumn
July 19, 2009: Mostly Autumn
July 26, 2009: Franz Liszt
Aug 2, 2009: Franz Liszt
Aug 9, 2009: Ulver
Aug 16, 2009: Charlie Daniels Band
Aug 23, 2009: Tim Hecker
Sept 6, 2009: Ulver
Sept 13, 2009: Steve Vai
Sept 20, 2009: Eagles
Sept 27, 2009: Edvard Grieg
Oct 4, 2009: Tool
Oct 11, 2009: Ulver
Oct 18, 2009: Woven Hand
Oct 25, 2009: Ulver
Nov 1, 2009: Tim Hecker
Nov 8, 2009: 16 Horsepower
Nov 15, 2009: Iona
Nov 22, 2009: Ulver
Nov 29, 2009: Woven Hand
Dec 6, 2009: Tim Hecker
Dec 13, 2009: Tim Hecker
Dec 20, 2009: Devin Townsend
Dec 27, 2009: Ulver
Total Weekly Wins:
Ulver - 8
Iona - 5
Tim Hecker - 4
Mostly Autumn - 4
Franz Liszt - 4
Edvard Grieg - 3
Woven Hand - 3
Electric Light Orchestra - 3
Camille Saint-Saëns - 2
Devin Townsend - 2
Slim Cessna's Auto Club - 2
Mike Oldfield - 1
16 Horsepower - 1
Tool - 1
Barry Ryan - 1
Eagles - 1
Savatage - 1
Charlie Daniels Band - 1
Steve Vai - 1
Antonin Dvorak - 1
Arcturus - 1
Most Consecutive Weekly Wins:
Mostly Autumn - 3
Most Artists in a Week:
66 - Sept 27, 2009
Most Artist Plays:
55 - Ulver (Nov 22, 2009), Tim Hecker (Dec 6, 2009)
Total Top Ten Appearances:
Iona - 32
Ulver - 28
Franz Liszt - 24
Devin Townsend - 21
Camille Saint-Saëns - 16
Edvard Grieg - 16
Electric Light Orchestra - 15
16 Horsepower - 15
Woven Hand - 15
Jay Munly - 14
Tim Hecker - 11
Jackson Browne - 11
Slim Cessna's Auto Club - 10
Mostly Autumn - 10
Neurosis - 10
Tool - 10
Antonin Dvorak - 8
Bohren & der Club of Gore - 8
Arcturus - 8
Queensryche - 8
Raison d'être - 8
Mike Oldfield - 8
Primordial - 8
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - 7
Barry Ryan - 7
Drudkh - 7
Faith No More - 7
Strapping Young Lad - 6
Oregon - 6
Rush - 6
Shadow Gallery - 6
Fates Warning - 6
Alabama - 6
Swans - 6
Rik Emmett - 5
Dälek - 5
Mechanical Poet - 5
Dream Theater - 5
Sigh - 5
Pain of Salvation - 5
Mr. Bungle - 4
Ved Buens Ende - 4
Atheist - 4
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - 4
OSI - 3
Type O Negative - 3
Mundanus Imperium - 3
Maurice Ravel - 3
Talib Kweli - 3
Steve Vai - 3
Eagles - 3
Yngwie Malmsteen - 3
Ridge Runner - 3
Johannes Brahms - 3
Savatage - 3
Nektar - 3
Breaks Co-op - 3
Billy Joel - 3
Garth Brooks - 3
Miriam Stockley - 3
Charlie Daniels - 3
Frederic Chopin - 2
Virus - 2
Kamelot - 2
Elend - 2
Opeth - 2
Dark Angel - 2
Emperor - 2
Sonata Arctica - 2
The Kovenant - 2
Fleurety - 2
Felix Mendelssohn - 2
Mike Patton - 2
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky - 2
Jeff Buckley - 2
Moonsorrow - 2
Porcupine Tree - 2
Triumph - 2
Duke Ellington - 2
Fantomas - 2
Gabriel Faure - 1
Big & Rich - 1
DIablo Swing Orchestra - 1
Axamenta - 1
Alamaailman Vasarat - 1
César Franck - 1
Tarbox Ramblers - 1
Katatonia - 1
Soundgarden - 1
Tomahawk - 1
Tenhi - 1
Van Morrison - 1
Marty Robbins - 1
Journey - 1
Keiko Matsui - 1
Coil - 1
Steve Martin - 1
Therion - 1
Gojira - 1
Montgomery Gentry - 1
Conception - 1
Exoskeleton - 1
maudlin of the Well - 1
Marty Friedman - 1
Symphony X - 1
Ayreon - 1
Iron Maiden - 1
Restless Heart - 1
Dr. Octagon - 1
Gioacchino Rossini - 1
Robert Schumann - 1
Boston - 1
Hayes Carll - 1
Wishbone Ash - 1
Jimmy Eat World - 1
Candlemass - 1
Talib Kweli - 1
16 Horsepower - 1
Green Carnation - 1
Tim and Eric - 1
Album of the Week:
Jan 4, 2009: Arcturus - Aspera Hiems Symfonia
Jan 11, 2009: Iona - Open Sky
Jan 18, 2009: Restless Heart - Big Dreams In A Small Town
Jan 25, 2009: Franz Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsodies
Feb 1, 2009: Edvard Grieg - Lyric Pieces Op. 54
Feb 8, 2009: Edvard Grieg - Lyric Pieces Op. 54
Feb 15, 2009: Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue
Feb 22, 2009: Edvard Grieg - Peer Gynt Suites
Mar 1, 2009: Slim Cessna's Auto Club - The Bloudy Tenent Truth Peace
Mar 8, 2009: Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue
Mar 15, 2009: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker
Mar 22, 2009: Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue
Mar 29, 2009: Iona - Open Sky
Apr 4, 2009: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker
Apr 12, 2009: Devin Townsend - Ki
Apr 19, 2009: Mike Oldfield - The Songs of Distant Earth
Apr 26, 2009: Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue
May 3, 2009: Iona - Beyond These Shores
May 10, 2009: Iona - Beyond These Shores
May 17, 2009: Slim Cessna's Auto Club - The Bloudy Tenent Truth Peace
May 24, 2009: Barry Ryan - Sings Paul Ryan
May 31, 2009: Iona - Open Sky
June 7, 2009: Ulver - Themes from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
June 14, 2009: Woven Hand - Ten Stones
June 21, 2009: Mostly Autumn - Passengers
June 28, 2009: Faith No More - Angel Dust
July 5, 2009: Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King, Mostly Autumn - Passengers
July 12, 2009: Mostly Autumn - Passengers
July 19, 2009: Mostly Autumn - Passengers
July 26, 2009: Porcupine Tree - Deadwing, Dälek - Absence, Rik Emmett - The Spiral Notebook
Aug 2, 2009: Franz Liszt - Les Années De Pélerinage
Aug 9, 2009: Mostly Autumn - The V Shows
Aug 16, 2009: Charlie Daniels Band - Full Moon
Aug, 23, 2009: Tim Hecker - Radio Amor
Aug, 23, 2009: Iona - Journey Into the Morn
Sept 6, 2009: Oregon - Out of the Woods
Sept 13, 2009: Shadow Gallery - Room V
Sep 20, 2009: The Eagles - Hotel California
Sept 27, 2009: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker
Oct 4, 2009: Miriam Stockley - Miriam
Oct 11, 2009: Ulver - Blood Inside
Oct 18, 2009: Woven Hand - Mosaic
Oct 25, 2009: Woven Hand - Mosaic
Nov 1, 2009: Tim Hecker - Harmony in Ultraviolet
Nov 8, 2009: Miriam Stockley - Miriam, Breaks Co-Op - The Sound Inside, Gabriel Faure - 13 Nocturnes, Katatonia - Tonight's Decision, Diablo Swing Orchestra - The Butcher's Ballroom
Nov 15, 2009: Tim Hecker - Harmonoy in Ultraviolet
Nov 22, 2009: Ulver - Themes From William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
Nov 29. 2009: Woven Hand - Mosaic
Dec 6, 2009: Tim Hecker - Harmony in Ultraviolet
Dec 13, 2009: Tim Hecker - Harmony in Ultraviolet
Dec 20, 2009: Tim Hecker - Harmony in Ultraviolet
Dec 27, 2009: Ulver - Shadows of the Sun
Most Consecutive Album Wins:
3 - Mostly Autumn - Passengers, Tim Hecker - Harmony in Ultraviolet
Most Overall Album Wins:
5 - Tim Hecker - Harmony in Ultraviolet
Most Album Plays:
45 - Tim Hecker - Harmony in Ultraviolet (Dec 6, 2009)
Song of the Week (Minimum 2 plays, no more than one tie):
Feb 22, 2009: Edvard Grieg - Shepherd Boy
Mar 1, 2009: Slim Cessna's Auto Club - He, Roger Williams
Mar 8, 2009: Slim Cessna's Auto Club - Providence, New Jersey, Slim Cessna's Auto Club - He, Roger Williams
Mar 22, 2009: Electric Light Orchestra - Wild West Hero
Apr 19, 2009: Fates Warning - A Pleasant Shade of Gray
May 10, 2009: Iona - Murlough Bay
June 7, 2009: Billy Joel - Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
June 28, 2009: Camille Saint-Saëns - Danse Macabre, Camille Saint-Saëns - Phaéton
July 12, 2009: Drudkh - Ars Poetica
Aug 9, 2009: Neurosis - The Eye of Every Storm
Sept, 20, 2009: Iona - Lindisfarne
Nov 1, 2009: Neurosis - Aeon
Nov 8, 2009: 16 Horsepower - Hutterite Mile
Nov 22, 2009: Devin Townsend - Numbered!, Devin Townsend - The Way Home!
Dec 20, 2009: Nektar - Remember the Future: Part II
Most Track WIns:
2 - Slim Cessna's Auto Club - He, Roger Williams
Most Total Track Plays:
569 - Sept 27, 2009
Most Single Track Plays:
4 - Iona - Murlough Bay, Drudkh - Ars Poetica, Iona - Lindisfarne, Nektar - Remember the Future: Part II
No. 1 Singles:
Slim Cessna's Auto Club - 3
Iona - 2
Camille Saint-Saëns - 2
Neurosis - 2
Devin Townsend - 2
Edvard Grieg - 1
Drudkh - 1
16 Horsepower - 1
Billy Joel - 1
Nektar - 1
Fates Warning - 1
Electric Light Orchestra - 1
Mike Oldfield
A
