The JAM Yearbook

This week Matt and Jim go allllllll the way back.....to last year?!? It's a short trip back this week. There were lockdowns during a pandemic and the world was not moving as it normally would. How would this affect music? More albums were recorded at home or over long distances. A wave of nostalgia flew into households. The Pop machine? It just kept doing its thing. Come listen to Matt and Jim try to avoid sounding like old fuddy duddies as they dive into the music of 2021.

This week the wayback machine fast forwards from 1977 to 2008. The entire music landscape is changing. Indie folk and hipster beards begin their rise. New pop icons begin to see their star rise. And somehow, AC/DC is still hitting number one. 'Tune in' as Matt talks about finding a comfort zone and Jim talks about singing on top of a port-a-potty with Rivers Cuomo.

Punk, disco, reggae, (now) classic rock, and Star Wars! Studio 54, CBGBs, and 3 of the top selling albums of all time! Matt and Jim pull the  carpet back on 1977 and discover there is still a party going on. Even if sometimes overplayed, so much music from this year has stood the test of time and is still being celebrated today. Join them as they 'accidently' discover a big year.

We're in the 90s now! In this episode, Matt and Jim have left the roost and moved out of their family homes. The world around them completely changed. But surprise! They meet back up in the same town 200 miles away. It was the sophomore season for grunge, hip-hop was starting to go mainstream, and MTV went unplugged. Radio stations still ruled as a classic era of alternative radio was beginning and hanging out at the local record shop was still a cool thing to do. Jim does his Meatloaf impersonation and Matt sings along to country music. So put a tip into the stereo fund and join the guys as they roll through 1993!

It's 2012 and the world didn't end! Jim spends his first full year in Scotland and his world of music is turned upside down, or right side up depending on your perspective. Matt is in autopilot parenting mode: work, school, and sports but reminds us all that doing more is always better. The ranting starts early in this as they discuss the metal tree (how many 'cores' do we really need?) and genres of all kinds. Everything comes with a label and prejudging is hard to avoid. Matt and Jim just refuse to place one on themselves and find they are open to more than expected.

The year is 2002 and what happened? Matt and Jim became full fledged adults! (We kind of, but does that ever really happen?) Join them as they fast forward to 2002 and Matt discovers that he might not have been as aligned with music as he thought in his early adult years. He couldn't help but notice what was happening though. Matt chronicles the year by listing nearly every band that released an album for fear of leaving something out while Jim is living vicariously and still feeling young at heart due to the world surrounding him. On this episode they brush past the Disney kids coming-of-age, mega women pop stars, Matt discovers Sparks and Jim seeks no redemption from his 'cool' friends for liking a Coldplay album.

Welcome to 1980! Jump into the 'wayback machine' with us as Matt and Jim explore the start of a new decade. Sadness surrounds much of the year as the world loses musical icons. Disco arrives at the end of an era, but new wave and ska are about to jump in and take over. The rock and pop sound of a new decade begins its transition influenced heavily by Phil Collins and his new drum sound. There are so many classic albums Matt and Jim feel tempted to turn it into a sing-a-long episode. Music legends, musical films, and a good slice of cheesy music all make their way into the discussion this week so come and join the fun!

It's our second episode! Are you ready for big hair, synth pop, and that signature 80s sound? We thought we were, but discover that we may have overestimated nostalgia. There is still a lot to talk about though. Ding-ding! We have some rivalries! Metallica vs Megadeth, Van Halen vs David Lee Roth. Rap music was bursting onto the scene and into living rooms across the USA. If your rock band used a ton of hairspray, Matt was going to buy your album. Join our big dig through old cassette and 45rpm collections and discuss where we were in life as teenagers and what the sound of 1986 sounds like to us today.