We Don't Walk Slow

Bands and Songs

Hottest Songs of Right Now – 7/14/15

You can actually follow my Spotify Playlist here. I know you won’t but I promise I deliver songs before they become hits.

I’m more up to date than the radio. That’s not true. I’m actually good at hearing a song when it first comes out on the radio and then gauging its popularity.

1. Cold Cold Man by Saint Motel – In all fairness, this song was out almost a year ago but with the rousing success of My Type, people started listening to their other songs. Lucky us. Plus I got favorited by the band themselves.

If you aren’t listening to Cold Cold Man by @SaintMotel, you should be . #firejam https://t.co/aHEl0SVtch

— Tom Stortz (@rnningfool) July 14, 2015

2. Unsteady by X-Ambassadors – Slow and gripping. The other song off VHS is Fear with Imagine Dragons, but this one is better.

3. Search Party by Sam Bruno – I’ve never heard of the movie Paper Towns but I know when you get Vance Joy (Great Summer…if you haven’t heard it yet, you will), Vampire Weekend, and Grouplove on a soundtrack, you should listen to it. This song (along with Radio by Santigold) caught my ear.

There you go Gourlay. That’s how you do a Tune Time Tuesday and don’t have Deer Tick for 3 months.

By Tom Stortz|2015-07-14T23:07:05-04:00July 14th, 2015|Music|1 Comment

Kanye West vs Freddy Mercury

I don’t think much about Kanye or what he’s up to but this video has to make you laugh. He’s covering a top 10 song of all time and doing a poor job which makes me wonder what on Earth is he thinking. Facial reactions from Freddy make the video.

Freddy Mercury on the other hand is an unbelievable talent whose singing voice is one in a million. A video like this is supposed to make Kanye look dumb and tons of Kanye fans came to his defense with great comments:

“Who the fuck is Freddie Mercury and why is he trying to cover Kanye’s song”
“Here’s an idea, i’ll just let the crowd sing it because i can’t.”
“Yo Kanye, imma let you finish but Freddie did the best Bohemian Rhapsody ever”

By Tom Stortz|2015-06-30T15:45:45-04:00June 30th, 2015|Music|0 Comments

Some Actual Feedback

In my never ending quest to get blog traffic, I posted my Best Albums of the 90’s on Reddit. Reddit is a smart site with tons of traffic so I was pretty happy that I got a comment from a human being who wasn’t my friend to give actual critique of the blog. Here is what he wrote:

Neat blog. Some comments/criticism:
1) I like some of the picks on the list, but I wish you went more in-depth about the music and why you like it so much, the biggest example being Nevermind, where you spent just as much time talking about a documentary on Kurt as you did talking about the actual music. That’s one of the several examples where you went off-topic, something I feel is just too important to ignore.
2) Your writing style is, for the most part, basic and limited to simple sentences. This is by no means a bad thing, but it’s something I recommend you work on.
3) “I’m sort of cheating on this album because I never listened to it in its entirety.” Why put the Smashing Pumpkins on the list, then? Better yet, why make a list of best albums if you blatantly acknowledged the fact that you have never fully listened to all of these albums? This, combined with the fact that nearly all of the top tracks are lead singles, leads me to assume that you didn’t put much thought into your picks.
I like the idea of your blog, I really do, and it’s enjoyable enough to read. However, there’s a ton of things you can do to improve your blog and make it even more pleasing to read. I hope you, as a fellow critic, will be able to acknowledge my criticism properly. 🙂

He’s right. If I was really trying to make this a good post, I could have enhanced it by integrating some of the points he made. More reasons why I like the music. Improving my writing, which I know is not my strong suit, but aside from taking writing classes, I’m sort of stuck with what I got. The final point is hard to understand because it’s not like I ever make a post with the understanding that it’s going to be read by, well, anyone. As I read this now it seems ridiculous to post music of albums I’ve never even heard but at the time of writing it, I didn’t even think twice. This is all good stuff though and I figured I’d share a critique of my work by an objective source.

By Tom Stortz|2016-10-29T12:27:45-04:00June 15th, 2015|Music|0 Comments

14 More Top Albums of the 90’s

My first post ranking the top 15 albums was met with quite a bit of feedback. With 10 years of material in a post that I put together in 3 hours, it’s clear I missed a few gems. That is why I’ve decided to come out with more top albums of the 90’s and then compile them into one more final list which I’ll consider complete. Orders will be shifted and albums replaced. Here are 15 more top albums of the 90’s.

Dave Matthew Band – Under the Table and Dreaming (1994)
Top Tracks – What Would You Say, Satellite, Ants Marching

First off, take a moment to admire the album cover and remember the swings at a carnival. Great ride. How I missed DMB the first go around I’m not entirely sure as this album is classic. The first song, The Best of What’s Around, (with John Popper of Blues Travelers) is probably my favorite and was overshadowed by the tracks I listed above. In middle and high school I never liked the kids who liked DMB for an inexplicable reason (probably because of their unbridled love that I wasn’t experiencing) but as I’ve gotten older I can appreciate the greatness that is this album and the band.

Sold: 6 million copies

Live – Throwing Copper (1994)
Top Tracks – Selling the Drama, I Alone, Lightning Crashes, All Over You

Oh now feel it, comin’ back again. Without a doubt I can say that Lightning Crashes was my favorite song for about 3 months straight in middle school. The pace of the intro followed by the hook had me hooked. I purchased the album specifically for this song and was treated to more excellent music. I grew to love Selling the Drama and I Alone. Follow up albums were never quite as good as Throwing Copper but still produced hits like Pain Lies on the Riverside and Overcome. Bud used to call Shit Towne, “S” Towne.

Sold: 8 million copies

Offspring – Smash (1994)
Top Tracks – Gotta Get Away, Come Out and Play, Self Esteem

I have to be honest, I did not own this album. The songs that I know are the most popular ones. Self Esteem was was played any and everywhere in 1994. After listening to the entire album once through recently, I’d have to pick Bad Habit as my favorite track. All of the songs are high energy with hard drum beats and all sort of sound the same. Smash was the contemporary to Dookie in 1994.

Sold: 11 million copies worldwide

Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream (1993)
Top Tracks – Cherub Rock, Today, Disarm

Joe Kenefic (someone I went to high school with but we never hung out outside of) commented on my list noted that I picked the wrong Smashing Pumpkins album. He is 100% right. I wrote that I didn’t listen to Mellon Collie and picked it because of the 4 songs I knew. I recently listened to Siamese Dream in its entirety and loved the feel of the album. I heard of the top tracks I listed but Mayonaise and Hummer blew me away. I’m happy I gave this one a chance because each and every track is worth listening to.

Sold: 4 million copies

Blink 182 – Enema of the State (1999)
Top Tracks – What’s My Age Again, Adam’s Song, All The Small Things

Another album I didn’t own but know the top tracks. Since I don’t want to just add albums I’ve never listened to, I go through each one to hear every track to get a feel for the music and see how the album stacks up in its entirety. I enjoyed the pace of Enema of the State and how the songs flow into each other. Each track is under 3 minutes and the album hits its groove in the middle. There aren’t many songs that struck me as “this sucks, change it” but that could be because they are short. Adam’s Song is the zenith for me. I also like how this wasn’t their debut album so they had to work to get to this point of success. Blink is also a weird band when it comes to band relationships with Travis Barker nearly dying and Mark Hoppus playing in Angels and Airwaves.

Sold 15 million copies worldwide

Jay Z – Hard Knock Life (1998)
Top Tracks – Hard Knock Life, Money Cash Hoes, Can I Get A

In 1998 I was into Rap. I probably listened through this album 100 times from A-Z. I learned to hate Hard Knock Life and that nauseating chorus. Fortunately the tracks on this album could be a greatest hits list. I liked If I Should Die more than the hits. Coming of Age and It’s Alright with Memphis Bleek are unheard of songs that shouldn’t be. The 14th and final track is Money Ain’t a Thang which was a monster hit with Jermaine Dupri. How many artists save one of their most popular tracks for last? Hova.

Sold: 5.4 million copies

Sublime – Sublime (1996)
Top Tracks – What I Got, Wrong Way, Santeria

Bradley Nowell died too young. He was 28 when he passed from a heroin overdose 7 days after getting married. It isn’t an easy decision choosing between Sublime (released after Bradley’s death and self titled) and 40 oz to Freedom but my opinion is this album is a little more polished. I must point out though that I find Badfish a song that can be played to favorable reviews in any environment, anywhere. It’s hard to argue though that What I Got & Santeria aren’t two of the finest, most played songs of the 90’s. I’m not up to date on other tracks on this album but this album deserves recognition for it’s Ska-Punk flavor.

Sold: 5 million copies

Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
Top Tracks – Under the Bridge, Give it Away, Breaking the Girl

I’m going to come out and say it, I don’t like the Chilli Peppers that much. I find their hits nice to listen to but their secondary songs are fingernails on a chalkboard to me. I can rarely understand the lyrics hidden under the barrage of guitar and bass playing. Under the Bridge is a great song. Give it Away is ok. If I could combine One Hot Minute to this list I’d add My Friends as another great track. Hard to Concentrate is a great song from Stadium Arcadium. Not a band that I gel with.

Sold: 13 million copies

Third Eye Blind – Third Eye Blind (1997)
Top Tracks – Semi-Charmed Life, Jumper, How’s It Going To Be

Third Eye Blind still tours and put out an awesome single in Everything is Easy this year. The Self Title album Third Eye Blind was also awesome. Semi-Charmed Kind of Life is known by every human being who listens to music. I like the album because it’s easy listening but lacks the punching power on its secondary tracks. It should be noted though that the guys from Workahoilcs use Jumper to its utmost height in this clip.

Sold: 6 million copies

U2 – Achtung Baby (1991)
Top Tracks – One, Mysterious Ways, Even Better Than the Real Thing

If it’s not The Joshua Tree by U2, I probably won’t like it as much. When U2 released The Joshua Tree in 1987, they set the bar high, like 9 ft high (the world record is 8 ft in the high jump). Every track on that album is a smash. Actung Baby is better than 95% of the albums released in the 90’s but wasn’t as good as Joshua Tree and for that reason it gets swept under the carpet. One is an incredible song. Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses is a diamond in the rough. I didn’t listen to this album until I started doing this research so I apologize if I’m a bit off on the star appeal.

Sold: 18 million copies

Backstreet Boys – Millennium (1999)
Top Tracks – Larger Than Life, I Want It That Way, Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely

I know this album by osmosis. Laura had it would listen to it. A lot. Combine that with the fact that it was on TRL everyday, all day, and these tracks make your head spin. This album was released in 1999 which started the boy band era. N’Sync, No Strings Attached, was probably the “better” album but was released in 2000. I’m sure this could be hotly debated. I honestly don’t know how to rank this in terms of musical appeal. I can’t tell if it was pure image and infatuation from teenage girls that propelled this band but the music had to be at least decent. Their last song on this album is called “The Perfect Fan”. Now if that’s not knowing your audience, I don’t know what is. After I listened to this for “research” purposes, I’d give the music a D.

Sold: 30 million copies

Radiohead – OK Computer (1997)
Top Tracks – Paranoid Android, Karma Police

Ever notice that ears and hear are so similar? You’ll have to excuse my ears because they don’t get it. I enjoy Radiohead’s top tracks Paranoid Android and Karma Police as they would both make any playlist I’d make. The other tracks make me feel like I’m in 2050 with robot ears. It’s a lot of whining and off noises. OK Computer. There are hardly any hooks and the lyrics are inaudible. I feel the same way about Bends. High and Dry and Fake Plastic Trees are wonderful songs but I can’t get into the rest. I’m obviously not getting it though because Radiohead is regarded by top musicians as ground breaking so I’ll just show myself the exit.

Sold: 5 million copies

Aerosmith – Get a Grip (1993)
Top Tracks – Cryin, Crazy, Amazing

This album suffers from the U2 “Joshua Tree” syndrome. Aerosmith put out so many classic albums (this is their 11th) and have so many greatest hits that this doesn’t live up to expectations which are impossible to achieve. Amazingly, this is a solid album that produced classic tracks of the 90’s but with only 4 “hits”, it was deemed a failure by Aerosmith standards. Plus it comes with one of the hottest music videos of the 90’s with Alicia Silverstone looking dynamite.

Sold: 7 million copies

Barenaked Ladies – Gordon (1992) & (Stunt 1998)
Top Tracks – Brian Wilson, One Week, It’s All Been Done

I’m not going to lie, I struggled to get to 15 and keep up quality. I was considering Blue Travelers Four or Collective Soul’s self titled album but settled on joining two Barenaked Ladies albums. What starts to happen is that there are a few hits but then the music, well, starts to suck. I went with Gordon & Stunted because of Brian Wilson alone and the success of One Week. Brian Wilson is “a song that tells the story of a man whose life parallels that of Beach Boys member Brian Wilson, particularly during his time spent with psychologist Eugene Landy after Wilson was diagnosed with mental illness, and, more generically, with lyrics about suffering from comorbid mental illness and obesity.” The live version is better. Also, who can’t remember trying to learn the words and singing along to One Week? Sorry, I fizzled out at the end of this list.

By Tom Stortz|2015-06-13T13:56:31-04:00June 13th, 2015|Music|3 Comments

Top 15 Albums of the 90’s

First and foremost, this is my list. You probably won’t agree with it. My choices are made based on how they affected me as I grew up with strong consideration to what songs I actually like. This post is a ranking. The only album that was left off of this list that should be on is OK Computer by Radiohead. I just don’t like Radiohead that much. Any comments on your favorite albums are always welcome. The 90’s weren’t that bad for music and here are 14 more 90’s albums that could have made the list.

15. Wallflowers – Bringing Down the Horse

Top Tracks : One Headlight, 6th Ave Heartache, Three Marlenas, The Difference

Jacob Dylan is Bob Dylan’s son. If you weren’t aware, this is a pretty big deal because Bob is considered the greatest song writer of all time. To live in the shadows of an icon like this must suck because your always being compared to a level that is incomparable. Knowing this, one must believe that Jacob would have a shot at success even if he was only ok. Fortunately, Bringing Down the Horse was a tremendous album.

That’s a good looking power couple.

14. No Doubt – Tragic Kingdom (1995) & Bush – Sixteen Stone (1994)

Top Tracks – Spiderwebs, Just a Girl, Don’t Speak, Glycerine, Machinehead, Comedown

Each album on its own wasn’t good enough to make this list but considering they are married in real life, it made sense to combine two staple albums of the mid 90’s. The 6 songs listed were mammoth hits and played non-stop. Spiderwebs and Glycerine were probably top 100 tracks of the entire 90’s popularity wise. The fact that they are beautiful people only made it that much easier to like their strong music.

13. Boys 2 Men – II (1994)

Top Tracks – I’ll Make Love To You, Water Runs Dry, I’ll Make Love To You

Overlooked as a top album in 1994, II was a by yourself, singalong classic. A lovey, dovey album that won’t fit the mood in every atmosphere but contains tracks that you lock yourself in your room and weep to. I’ll Make Love To You ruled MTV’s air waves for months. It was also the 3rd best selling album of 1995 and moved 12 million copies.

12. Nas – It Was Written (1996)

Top Tracks- The Message, If I Ruled the World, Street Dreams

You know when a white suburban kid is buying a rap album, it is reaching a wide audience. How am I placing a Nas album ahead of more classic albums like Dr Dre’s the Chronic and Snoop Doggy Dogg’s Doggfather? You’d be right to ask that question but this album was what I listened to when I did my homework in middle school. The Message should be a top track of the decade. If I Ruled the World is also a song that if you play among a group of people, no one will change it and everyone will comment on how good your music selection is. Nas balanced intelligent lyrics with catchy hooks and brought an album that put him on the map.

11. REM – Automatic For The People (1992)

Top Tracks – Drive, Everybody Hurts, Nightswimming

Michael Stipe struck a chord with people all over the world with this kick ass, high point album for REM. This album can be listened to in its entirety and every song is solid. I would consider putting Nightswimming as a top 100 song of all time I like it that much. I also think that I probably like REM more than the average person. Most people probably can’t name 5 songs. However, their relatively unknown songs would be hits for other bands but they get lost in the shuffle. This album is one that I would start from track 1 and wouldn’t change it. It is the opposite of an album which has 3 hot tracks and a bunch of shit after.

10. Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)

Top Tracks – Tonight, Tonight, Zero, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, 1979

I’m sort of cheating on this album because I never listened to it in its entirety. However, I don’t think it’s fair to not have Smashing Pumpkins on a list of best albums of the 90’s because there hits are top notch. Tonight, Tonight and 1979 are incredible tracks that deserve as much recognition as they receive. This particular album was a double that included 28 tracks and won 7 grammy’s. So even though I probably haven’t heard 24 of the tracks on it, the 4 I have heard make it classic.

9. Pearl Jam – VS (1993)

Top Tracks -Daughter, Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town

Ten is one of the finest debut album’s by a band but VS was a true follow up masterpiece. Pearl Jam’s music was played fast and loud and Eddie Vedder’s distinctive yell and mumbling made it very easy to sing along to. My personal favorite Pearl Jam song is Better Man off of Vitalogy but VS is a more complete album. Elderly Woman also vaults this album because it is probably a top 25 song of the decade. I’d be a fool to not mention Daughter as well.

8. Counting Crows – August and Everything After (1993)

Top Tracks – Round Here, Omaha, Mr Jones

Those 3 tracks start this album. Fire. Not to mention that they all have their own unique flavor. For a time I would even say that Rain King was my favorite track off of the album. Plus who didn’t hear the rumor that Adam Duritz named his penis Mr. Jones in the song? This album still holds up today and went 7x Platinum.

7. Alanis Morrisette – Jagged Little Pill (1995)

Top Tracks – Hand In My Pocket, Ironic, You Oughta Know

If my list was based on most sales of the 90’s, Jagged Little Pill would be #1. These songs were everywhere because the audience was universal because men and woman alike loved the music. Singles kept getting pulled off as hits month after month which kept it current for what felt like forever. You Oughta Know was the lead single but I’ll never feel that Ironic wasn’t the most popular song off the album. I count 6 booming hits that people are still listening to today.

6. Oasis – What’s The Story Morning Glory (1995)

Top Tracks – Wonderwall, Don’t Look Back in Anger, Champagne Supernova

The ever-feuding Gallagher brothers were able to make an album back in 1995 that have tracks that will never die. Wonderwall’s opening is known by virtually everyone on the planet. Champagne Supernova made us ask the question, “where were you while we were getting high?” Some Might Say would be my sleeper on the album. In 2010, Rolling Stone commented that “the album is a triumph, full of bluster, bravado and surprising tenderness. Morning Glory capped a true golden age for Britpop.

5. Dr Dre – 2001 (1999)

Top Tracks – Still Dre, What’s The Difference, Forgot About Dre, The Next Episode

This album was released in November of 1999 which means that it barely makes the cut as a 90 album. Vaulted by the untouchable jam Forgot About Dre, this album was Dre’s crown jewel. He was the beat master before anyone else could even be considered. The rhymes are equally strong with Eminem providing the hottest lyrics that anyone had ever heard. This album is a treasure that I’ll always associate with listening to on the school bus to track meets in my Sony Discman.

4. Eminem – The Slim Shady LP (1999)

Top Tracks – My Name Is, Guilty Conscience, Just Don’t Give a Fuck

The white boy who changed Hip Hop. This album was meteoric in influence and originality. Being backed by Dr. Dre also didn’t hurt. My Name Is is probably the best title for an introduction track that I can think of. Guilty Conscience told a story in a manner that hadn’t been done before with a back and forth conversation between good vs evil. There is also a ton of profanity which the world wasn’t ready for at the time. Eminem launched into super stardom after the release of this album which shows an immediate impact.

3. Green Day – Dookie (1994)

Top Tracks – Basketcase, Longview, When I Come Around, Welcome to Paradise

Dookie is Green Day’s 3rd album that sold over 20 million albums to date. The 3 minute shot out of the cannon in Basketcase started Green Day’s movement into mainstream. Not a single track is over 4 minutes and most hover under the 3 minute mark. She is my favorite track outside of the hits and who can forget the hidden track where you had to let F.O.D run for a few minutes in order to hear All By Myself. I remember in 6th grade when a class I had asked what was your favorite song and half the class said Basketcase…a track I embarrassingly had never heard of.

2. Nirvana – Nevermind (1991)

Top Tracks – Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come As You Are, Lithium

I recently watched the Showtime Documentary on Kurt Cobain and his life was short and sad. His heroin addiction overtook his life and turned a once in a lifetime talent into a man with a hole in his head. This album, with its controversial album cover, was game changing. Leading the grunge era was Kurt Cobain and sidekick Dave Grohl. The fact that Dave Grohl played second fiddle in this band (along with the bass player who know one knows) should be a strong indicator on how talented Kurt Cobain was. I recently found Drain You on this album and find it an incredible track to go along with the mainstays.

1. Weezer – Blue Album (1994)

Top Tracks – Buddy Holly, Undone – The Sweater Song, Say It Ain’t So

I specifically bought this album for Buddy Holly. The short 2:39 song whose music video featured a concert at the Happy Days diner was electric. Who knew what other gems were on this 10 track album. Not a single bad song. The top tracks are not even the best songs. Every song could be considered the best song on the album. My personal favorite is The World Has Turned and Left Me Here. Concluding it with the 8 minute Only in Dreams was the perfect conclusion to this masterpiece.

By Tom Stortz|2015-06-15T12:07:04-04:00June 5th, 2015|Music|10 Comments

The Power of the Re-Tweet

Oh, you mean the REAL Taio Cruz re-tweeted this tweet to 2 million followers?!?!

What does this do to the amount of impressions?

Only 9,000 people saw that tweet? And what did I get out of it? 1 new follower and 1 favorite. Come flippin on.

Now consider that the stock of Twitter dropped by 20% over the last few days (of course I own shares), maybe this isn’t that big of a deal.

It’s still fun though to think that Taio (or Taio’s PR person) re-tweeted my tweet. DYNAMITE!

A few other hot jams.

By Tom Stortz|2015-04-30T11:54:57-04:00April 30th, 2015|Music|0 Comments

Imagine Dragons – Smoke & Mirrors

The new Imagine Dragons album was released on 2/17/15. I read the 2 star review in Rolling Stone and wondered, “huh?” Night Visions is possibly a top 20 album of the entire 2000’s, how could they have fallen off so far? Not to mention Rolling Stone has a weird rating system. Unless you are Bob Dylan, the Beatles, or Led Zeppelin, you rarely see a 5 star review. However, it’s equally rare to see 1 star review. 2 stars is pretty bad

With the opportunity to listen through the 13 tracks today…I was equally disappointed. I’m not a music guru but I know what I like quickly. The sound was no Night Visions. It was harder and the lyrics seemed less important. I can 180 quickly and I’ll continue to give the tracks more listens. Shots and I Bet My Life were above average releases but won’t carry the album. Polaroid and It Comes Back To You are my favorite tracks. The last 6 songs are all forgettable except Trouble.

Even though I believe it’s a step back from Night Visions, it’s still a good album and certainly not 2 stars. I named 5 tracks out of 13 that I would consider good. Most artists are lucky to get 2.

By Tom Stortz|2015-02-19T09:13:08-05:00February 19th, 2015|Music|2 Comments

Do You Know Freddie Mercury?

Could you pick him out of this line up? I’m not tricking you. This is Queen.

* It goes 1 left, 2 is top middle, 3 is bottom middle, 4 is right

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By Tom Stortz|2015-02-04T15:10:29-05:00February 4th, 2015|Music|2 Comments

Top 21 Spotify Artists of 2014

Just before I banged her.

Rolling Stone asked me to follow around the band Stillwater for a piece in the upcoming issue. Lester Bangs has been giving me some confusing advice while I’m trying to understand my job. Aside from Penny overdosing on Quaaludes and our plane almost crashing, it’s been pretty a fun time.

That story was going to suck so I decided to publish my own article on which artists have the most followers on Spotify. Last year’s Spotify post was well received so why not repeat what works.

Top 21 Spotify Artists of 2014

21. Taylor Swift – 48.5 million Twitter followers- Making headlines by pulling her music from Spotify, my list needed to be expanded one spot for the long legged damsel in distress. Her album 1989, selling in conjunction with smashes Blank Space and Shake It Off, certainly helped her rise from a year ago. She’s red hot right now and I wouldn’t be surprised to see her in the top 10 next year if she reverses her decision.

20. Justin Bieber – 57.9 million Twitter followers – The Biebs is going to be a polarizing character. Even with his negative press he managed to add about 400,000 followers from last year. His album Journals was released about a year ago and his music is becoming secondary when compared to his relationship status and interactions with Floyd Mayweather and the money team. Why focus on music when you can make a living being a bad boy?

19. Beyonce – 13.7 million Twitter followers – Sasha Fierce didn’t make the list last year and her appeal is every woman on the planet. Jay Z has a mere 1.3 million Spotify followers so it’s clear who wears the pants in this marriage. Drunk in Love has over 100 million listens but that’s relatively small when compared to the bigs on this list. Her new album Beyonce was a major reason for her jump.

18. Adele – 21.4 million Twitter followers – By far the biggest surprise on the list. Adele hasn’t released new music since 2011 and still increased her following by over 300,000. Ryan Tedder (One Republic’s frontman) is working on her new album which may be released this year. He says it’s going to be insane and there will be millions of people waiting.

17. Calvin Harris 5.1 million Twitter followers – New to the list but with the summer smash Summer and consistent hits, Calvin is hot in the EDM world. His collaborations with Ellie Goulding have been wildly successful. From not making this list last year to #17 this year, expect the rise to continue.

16. Fun. – 685k Twitter followers – No new music in 2014 but that should give a good explanation of how strong Some Nights was. The band has been working on new material but nothing in the way of an album yet. It should also be noted that Jack Antenoff released an album with Bleachers which was well received.

My Ana…garden snake don’t want none.

15. Nicki Minaj – 18.5 million Twitter followers- Adding about 600k Spotify followers is nothing to sneeze at. Nicki had a busy year releasing a new record (the Pinkprint), making bootylicious videos, and even appearing on SNL. With easily the most jaw dropping body in the industry, Nicki is a combination of song and showmanship which is impossible to ignore.

14. Bruno Mars – 19.4 million Twitter followers – The definition of a cool, ladies man. Bruno was well received following the Super Bowl performance and continued to grow even without producing many songs. Mark Ronson’s (w/ Bruno) new jam Uptown Funk will hit the airwaves nationwide (if it hasn’t already) and he’ll once again be climbing the charts. He is on of the top artists under 30 and receives little negative press.

13. One Direction – A new album Four helps propel the boy band to almost a million new Spotify followers. It’s common knowledge that you name your 4th album 4 (Led Zeppelin, Huey Lewis, Beyonce) if you want it to be big. Whether One Direction had this is mind is unknown but a million new female followers is marketing power. The band’s logo over last year shows a band growing up.

12. Ed Sheeran – 11.4 million Twitter followers – A HUGE album drop in 2014 with Don’t. 4 songs on the album have over 100 million listens which is incredible. He’s worked with Taylor Swift and One Direction before so it’s nice to see him going out on his own. Pretty impressive year for Red Sheeran at only 23.

11. Drake – 18.7 million Twitter followers – Drake seemed a bit out of the 2014 action but still managed to add 700k followers. I’m sure he’s being asked to collaborate on many projects and a solid 2015 is almost guaranteed even though his new album has not begun being worked on.

10. Lana Del Rey – 4.8 million Twitter followers – Inexplicable following. This number must be a huge global number because the popularity doesn’t feel that way in the States. Rumors surrounded her and James Franco, which we’re denied by him, but he’d still have sex with her. Her new album Ultraviolence was released this year.

9. Skrillex – 3.92 million Twitter followers – As noted with Calvin Harris, this music sector is the fasting growing, most popular segment on Spotify. Skrillex is on of the top draws and not surprising added 500k followers with much anticipation for his album Recess. He did fall to #9 on the list from #5 so his publicist is probably not pleased.

8. Katy Perry – 61.5 million Twitter followers – Adding around 900k followers and maintaining the #8 spot on the list. Dark Horse was one of the most played jams of the year with over 200 million plays. Prism didn’t even come out in 2014 and didn’t have as many hits as previous albums. It’s not her music that is driving her, it’s the total package. Looks, concerts, philanthropy, MASSIVE twitter following, and now dating Diplo. She gets it done.

7. Eminem – 18.9 million Twitter followers – A 1.2 million add to his Spotify totals is substantial. Big numbers from Eminem who is seemingly ageless. Any time Eminem speaks, people listen.

6. Avicii – 1.5 million Twitter followers – Also adding around 1.2 million followers, Avicii is coming in strong even with health rumors flying all over the place. Nobody can deny Wake Me Up and Hey Brother as some of the biggest songs of the year. With the Days / Nights coming out recently, he is still making music that everyone is listening to.

5. Flo Rida – 5.58 million Twitter followers – Please fall off this list. The king of the hook and making bad music that everyone keeps singing. This is a strategy to sell records but his staying power will fade. There were basically 0 followers added this year.

4. Coldplay – 13.6 million Twitter followers – Adding over a million followers, Coldplay isn’t going anywhere soon. Magic and A Sky Full of Stars show their ability to adapt and evolve with the current music trends. Well done Chris Martin. Good luck with Jennifer Lawrence.

3. Maroon 5 – 9.3 million Twitter followers – A new album “V” hit the charts this year and a few hits, Maps and Animals, were produced. Adam Levine on the Voice is boosting the band’s popularity as another 800k followers were added. Maroon 5 is very poppy and appeals to a huge audience. Trending upward.

2. Rihanna – 38.4 million Twitter followers – A staple of music and that’s what was seen in 2014 – doing nothing keeping everything together. No new music was released and almost 700,000 followers were added. This is because anyone who downloads Spotify knows to follow Rihanna. Although not much was produced, her brand is so strong she’ll be firing on all cylinder whenever she chooses.

1. David Guetta – 16.1 million Twitter followers- The powerhouse of Spotify and it’s not even close. 1.1 million followers added and an 18 track album that keeps everyone happy. He works with the biggest names and his formula is the most popular in the world. He has huge global appeal and he won’t be leaving the Spotify list anytime soon.

Off The List?
Usher, Kanye, Pitbull, Gotye, and Mumford and Sons were removed from the top 20

Too Lazy to Change Their Logo?

Fun, Adele, Rihanna, Drake, Katy Perry, Flo Rida, and Justin Bieber

By Tom Stortz|2014-12-16T18:33:42-05:00December 16th, 2014|Music|3 Comments

I Specifically Like…

BOB PORTER So tell me. What’s your favorite song of his?

MICHAEL Hmm. I, I, I don’t know. I mean, I guess, I sorta like ’em all.

It’s easy to tell a phony when they give answers that have no specifics. I could say my favorite movie is Office Space and I better damn well know the minimum pieces of flair at Chotchkies. The link to strong connections is in the details. This post will give you my details.

My favorite music is New Wave followed closed by current Alt music. I wouldn’t list any New Wave artist as my favorite but as a category it’s the bees knees. For my money, I don’t know if it gets any better than when the Cure sing, “Just Like Heaven.” I certainly can’t name every song by every artist which doesn’t put me in the top 1% of fans but hanging out I would never decline The Smiths, New Order, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Talking Heads, or Tears for Fears. I’m pretty hip to all music and would probably slide Classic Rock into these top 3 categories but this is my #1 genre. Shout out to the Saturday Night Safety Dance hosted by DJ Bueller.
Hey Peter, man, check out channel 9, check out this chick. HBO, ShowTime, and AMC produce the best TV series. It isn’t even close. If you are a network TV watcher and never get a chance to check out real TV, I feel sorry for you. Cursing, nudity, violence, and epic storylines bring TV to a level that has never been seen before. You can read about a battle in a book but these networks bring these ideas to a screen to be witnessed. My personal favorite shows are The Wire, Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, and True Detective. Flight of the Conchords, Silicon Valley, and Curb Your Enthusiasm also show well for comedies.
I like waking up under the comforter on cold days. This feeling is ruined more often than not by 2 things: having to work or being hungover. When I wake up in the morning and can only enjoy this warmth for a few minutes before getting up, it sucks. When I wake up on weekends anytime I want, my head is slamming into itself. On very select days I’ll be able to wake up feeling like a million bucks and not have to get out of bed. I then like flipping on the TV to watch some ridiculous sitcom or movie like Mr. Ed or Blue Streak. Nothing better.
People hate running on a treadmill but I love it. Controlling my speed and forcing myself to run is exhilarating. Plus it’s always consistent which means that I can compare myself to myself every single time I’m on it. This gives a good base of what shape I’m in. Also when babes start running next to me I just jack the machine up the 12 mph and hope to god I don’t fall off. High risk maneuver. Can’t you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people?
I rarely eat junk food. That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard in my life, Tom. It may take me a 2 months to eat a bag of Chips Ahoy. I can never finish a whole bag of anything unless it’s a 99 cent bag of Smartfood. The taste of the food doesn’t offset the unhealthiness of it for me. However, I do like Oreo Blizzards from Dairy Queen. Because I have no concerns about my weight, anytime I’m in the mood for a DQ blizzard, I’ll get it. I also like BBQ sunflower seeds.