The JAM Yearbook

As the year winds down, Matt and Jim notice there are fewer new releases and a lot of eyebrows raised. The Beatles are back! Kind of. AI certainly deserves a discussion. Dolly becomes a Rockstar. Andre 3000 returns VERY unexpectedly. So many bands are releasing singles and EPs long before the album comes along. Is this the new trend? A fellow Vermonter is on the rise and getting radio airplay in S...

"Are we there yet?" Has this thought ever crossed your mind deep into a song you thought would never end? There are a lot of well-known long songs that are loved by many, but just can't finish soon enough for others. From long guitar solos and repetitive choruses to false intros and songs that don't know how to end, many of the songs we talk about are the backbone of classic rock...

The sugar rush wears off, the clocks go back, and the trees are all shedding their final leaves. This doesn't stop the new releases from flowing strong across October's airwaves. We are literally "sweating to the oldies" as Ringo, The Stones, Waters, and Van release new music. 80s icons make a strong comeback. Matt and Jim discover Jizz Jazz...er....what? As usual there is also a...

It's October and that time of year when we all ask why we are seeing Christmas decorations already when it's Halloween and the season of ghouls, ghosts and goblins. Nothing has been more popular in recent years than zombies. So what about zombie bands? A core member of the band has passed into the beyond the the remaining members decide to plug someone into their place. From Queen to AC/DC...

It's that time of year again: The daylight is fading. The air becomes crisp. Leaves begin to fall from the trees. Music is still fresh though and Matt and Jim do not find themselves short of anything to talk about with the new music releases in September. There are pleasant surprises from older acts that they may have dismissed. A new all-time Worst Band Name of All Time may be in the running...

Grab your popcorn and fountain sodas, Matt and Jim are making a soundtrack to their lives. Wait a minute! Didn't these guys just do this year by year? Well, kind of. This time they are less focused on the best songs in their lives and focus more on the times the music followed them through life. Music shaped them both in many ways through social circles and making life choices. Sometimes it wa...

August 2023 has come and gone. What are you doing still listening to music from 1982? There's a lot of great new music that's been released! Ok. It's not all great, but a lot still is. A young Van Halen emerges. Al Green returns. Matt and Jim discover new female artists are absolutely killing it with great releases. Looking for something new to listen to? We've got you covered. Com...

Put on your captain's hat and hop aboard as Matt and Jim take everyone on a cruise through the seas of smooth 70s and 80s jams. Where did the term Yacht Rock come from? How long has it been around? There are some big names you're sure to remember and artists you may think you've never heard of, but you'll know every lyric to their hit song. Has Yacht Rock ever influenced modern day...

Welcome to the new format of The JAM Yearbook! The refresh button has been pushed and Matt and Jim begin their exploration of new music by recapping the best (and worst) that 2023 has offered from January through July. Avoiding the charts is intentional. Their goal is to help you find what might not be right on the surface. They have a lot of praise for some aging rockers, but the gloves come off...

After going through as much music as they could within the years of their lifetime, it's time for Matt and Jim to look ahead. They can't move on however, without one final wrap-up. They invited listeners to add one more song to their massive playlist and were not disappointed. One more episode to tidy it all up. There are also a lot of people to thank for the support they've received. The 65 episo...

Matt and Jim have come full circle. They began the show with Version 1971 and now they are completing the years of music in their lifetime in 1972. Like other years in the 1970s, '72 does not disappoint. There were HUGE debuts and highly influential albums released. Matt and Jim celebrate what may have been the best year of Soul music they have stumbled across. Just saying some of the names of...

It's now Matt and Jim's final year in the 80s. Did they save the best for last? Well, that's a tough call because the 1980s were a huge part of their musical development. It goes without saying though that some of these albums from 1987 have become legendary. Women dominated the pop charts, hair metal was peaking, and alternative music was beginning its slow rise to the top. So join in as they wea...

It's another special! While the USA and the UK have dominated Matt and Jim's musical development, there's no doubt that growing up on the Canadian border also had an influence. When they weren't eating poutine or watching The Littlest Hobo, Matt and Jim were tuned into CBC and CHOM for videos and classic rock. So join them as they revisit the biggest stars and some of the best music that crossed t...

This week Matt and Jim arrive in the year 1994. Grunge and alternative radio is practically the new pop. The world is stunned by the loss of Kurt Cobain. Mud slinging fun dominates Woodstock '94 while Jim catches a rose from Wayne and a set by the Beastie Boys at Lollapolooza. Matt thinks 1994 might be fatigued, but finds some gems from the past. Jim attends the Throwing Copper album release p...

The 2000s are a wrap! This week Matt and Jim go to 2003 and cover the final year from the 2000s. It's not unlike most of the other years from the 2000s with some good music to take away and some better left behind. The sounds are shifting as nu metal peaks but the emo/pop-punk scene is ready to reach over and take the wheel. 2003 just may be the year that women stole the crown on pop music. Wh...

Tito....get me a tissue! It's 2011 and a year chock full of sentiment for Matt and Jim. With the music though? Not so much. This was the year Jim moved to Scotland and started a new adventure, but not without 8 months of playing music and finishing it all in style. One of his biggest highlights was rejoining Matt on stage again for one final show together. But fear not, they do address the mus...

The 1970s have been a complete gift for Matt and Jim. Each year has been full of classic music from an array of genres to explore and reminisce over. Amazingly, it all shared the radio at the same time. Growing up in the 70s, their entertainment was dominated by K-Tel Records and Dynamite Magazine. They may have been too young to be choosing what they were listening to all of the time, but 1978 ha...

It's summer and there's no better time than blockbuster season to bring you a blockbuster episode. Matt and Jim grab a seat in the back row at the local theater and sing along with all of their favorite songs from soundtracks through the years. From soundtrack driven storylines to fictional bands, they weave their way through the magic of music in movies. A good soundtrack can lift a movie...

This barely scratched the surface. Have we arrived in one of the greatest years ever? It almost feels like it. From Lionel to Ozzy or Elton to Bowie, there hasn't been a year more packed with 80s superstars. Matt and Jim try to get through it all, but it's a tall order. Alternative music builds its roots with debuts from REM and Violent Femmes. Cyndi Lauper 'bops' while the Talking Heads burn down...

The early 90s are once again filled with nostalgia for Matt and Jim. The best part of 1992 may have been when they stepped back into each other's lives and wound up in a band together. These were the days of road trips and singing along. Pop and alternative music had interweaved and a lot of the commercial stuff was actually very cool. There were a lot of albums Matt and Jim enjoyed, so instea...

Ever stand in a room and not want to feel bad talking about anyone? That's how Matt and Jim feel looking at the music of 2017. It's a year with some challenges and they've had to look beyond their normal perceptions. Along the way they discover Paramore is multidimensional, P!NK is still ruling pop music and hip-hop rediscovers its roots. Radio killed the video star and a baby voice sample ruins m...

It's 1973 and Matt and Jim are a couple of babies speaking gibberish and dancing in their diapers. Even though they were too young to live the music from this year in the moment, it has followed them throughout their lives. Names like Zeppelin, Floyd, Marley, Dead, Gaye, Skynyrd, and Wonder were dominating the music world with classics that are still on the radio today. Two piano men, Elton and Bi...

It's time for some crazy nostalgia as Matt and Jim arrive this week in 1996. Did Jim ever tell you he used to be in a band? Has he ever shut up about it? Don't worry, Matt reels him in and they both have a great discussion about one of the most classic years in alternative radio. KISS returns in full makeup. The original lineup of Van Halen appears together for the first time in over a decade. Gir...

The year 2013 has arrived and... uh oh.... Matt and Jim get a little nervous. 6+7 equals 13 and those years were not the easiest to find happy places in music. Fortunately they get lucky with some good sounds. Daft Punk 'punks' the Grammys and indie darlings HAIM hit the mainstream. The guys discover that emo/pop/punk CAN mature and have an unexpected reaction to the Paramore album. Some c...

Welcome to the 50th episode! The show has reached its first anniversary and Matt and Jim are practically toddlers in podcasting now. It's been a rollercoaster ride as they've explored their lives and the soundtrack that has brought them here. Lessons have been learned over time and they've made a huge effort to improve the show along the way. Sometimes prejudging has backfired and as the show has...