The JAM Yearbook

This week Matt and Jim are at the start of the last decade of a millenium: 1990. Holy nostalgia overload! Matt is out of high school and facing the realities of the real world. Jim is finding his identity on stage starring in a production of Grease, working at summer camp for the first time, and buying his first guitar. Jim was hanging out a lot with Matt and his brother at their place and Matt puts Jim through music therapy for being lovelorn and never shutting up about his heartbreak. If you know, you know. Join the guys on a really fun show about one of the most unique years in music. Hair metal has reached it peaked, the alternative nation has arrived, and parachute pants are still fashionable. Ah, the 90s. Let the fun begin.

This week Matt and Jim go back to a year more unique than any experienced. Welcome to the lockdown episode. 2020 was a year of loss, fear and hope. This reflected between the music and the world around them. Jim began a deep dive each week into new release playlists in search of a new sound. Matt found himself opening up to modern rap shared with him by his sons. Too many music icons of their youth were lost. What they discovered in retrospect though, is that the music world changed and the next generation were rejecting the pop sound of the previous 20 years. New artists were emerging who embraced nostalgic sounds of 80s synth and new wave, 90s grunge and slacker rock, and a touch of 70s punk and singer-songwriters. The phrase 'old is new' took firm hold while the music sounded inspired without ripping off the previous generations. The guard has changed and without this show, Matt and Jim might have been too disconnected by age to notice. 

It's March and it's madness time. Instead of sports, Matt and Jim are going to take on metal and mayhem. They've invited their good friend Sandy back and created a challenge. Sandy is a successful metal blogger and has some expertise on the genre. Matt and Jim have taken 64 of some of his favorite songs and pit them against one another until in the end the most ultimate metal song of all time is crowned champion of them all. It's not an easy task for Sandy and the guys relish in him sweating out some of his choices. Warning: Some bands and song titles are vulgar, offensive, or profane.....but that's metal!

Fresh in from riding their bikes down Electric Avenue, Matt and Jim get ready to dive into their 45s and cassettes. In 1982 the world caught a bad case of Pac-Man Fever and the jukebox still reigned supreme. Sometimes they talk about big albums, but this was the year of Thriller. The Clash, Duran Duran and Willie Nelson release their biggest albums. Matt finds a hero in Tom Petty while Jim has the Eye of the Tiger. Revisiting the 80s is always fun, so grab your quarters and get ready to load up the tunes. There are so many great ones to choose from!

This week Matt and Jim go back in time and revisit 1985. Hair metal is rising, Phil Collins gets everyone's attention and The Hoff (David Hasselhoff!) releases his debut album. Matt and JIm make a bet and the loser has to give us a review. Charity is the word as USA for Africa aligns the stars for the biggest single of the 1980s and Live Aid brings as cross continent event to our televisions. Dire Straits wants my MTV and creates a great music video, but A-Ha says "hold my beer." Whitney debuts! So dance with somebody, or...err, just give this show a listen.