On my lat blog, I lamented that except for a couple of new bands (Temples, and Hospitality),. there wasn't much out there to listen to. Enter my good friend Brian Sniatkowski, who started rattling off some other great stuff out there: Beck, Phantogram, Broken Bells, Dum Dum Girls, Stephen Malkmus...just to name a few. And lo and behold, they are all on my list. Yeah, there's a lot of good stuff out and it's time I make a concerted effort to listen to it all.
HAPPY: Unless you've been living under a rock the last couple of months, the big pop song out there now is "Happy" by Pharrell Williams. It's featured in the movie Despicable Me 2, in a much of commercials, news features...and of course on the radio. It's been the number one song on Billboard for weeks now and there is no letting up. It's the perfect pop song for the time. It's got soul and is a bit of a throwback to the 1960's. Many say James Brown, but for me it's Ray Charles. I feel that soulful vibe that Charles always sang with. This song is a bit Charles-lite, but compared to other things out there now, it's a good choice. It reminds me a bit of Outkast's "Hey Ya" from 12 years ago that had a similar vibe. In it's second appearance on my SNS chart (3rd week), it jumps from a debut of #37 to the top 10. And it'll be close to the top soon enough.
DEFENDING U2: In my last blog, I mentioned that the Irish band U2 performed on the first night of the new Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. Their new single, "Invisible" jumps from #83 to #49, and will be from a planned new album (their 13th studio effort) to be produced by Danger Mouse, currently in my top 20 as part of Broken Bells, also of the huge SNS hit with Daniele Luppi on "Two Against One", as well as his legendary stint with Cee Lo Green in Gnarls Barkley.
As a result of the Fallon performance, not to mention the band's recent visibility, there have been many potshots thrown their way. Some of it is justified, mainly because of Bono's outspoken activism. But when it comes to the music, those critics have crossed a line. The band's only crime was that they came from the 1980's, instead of the decades before that, which to some people is the requisite of credibility. But in that arena, give the band a break. They came across in the new wave, recorded meaningful songs, social commentary during a time when it may not have been desirable.
Then, in the face of grunge, they changed their style. Then changed it again as they were a chameleon band throughout the 1990's constantly reinventing themselves. They stabilized a bit in the 2000's, but "Vertigo" and their New Orleans Katrina tribute with Green Day, "The Saints Are Coming" were among my favorites of that decade. Say what you will about Bono, but musically they're one of the best. My opinion, anyway.
IN A NUTSHELL: I added the follow-up to Cage The Elephant's Billboard Alternative and SNS #1 song, "Come A Little Closer". "Take It or Leave It", also from the band's latest, Melophobia, is another gutsy winner. Expect another quick jump in the top 10. Golden Void's b-side to their current standalone single "Rise to the Out of Reach", is "Smiling Raven", another retro-jam that takes you though classic rock and psychedelia in one full swoop. Love the guitar work on it.
Bowling Green, Kentucky gave us Cage the Elephant, and now Sleeper Agent, whose new one "Waves", hailing from their new set About Last Night. Their last set, 2011's Celebrasion, yielded a top 10 SNS song, "That's My Baby". This one is some more uptempo jangly dream pop.
Finally there's John Legend's current pop hit "All of Me". His "Green Light" was one of my favorites of 2008, and this one is a worth successor. A nice, piano and vocal ballad.
Finally, I am hoping to get this out with more frequency. I feel like I'm falling behind the times as some friends are posting new songs and getting reaction to them. I need to get back into the loop.
And finally, Fitz & the Tantrums' "Out of My League" has been on my chart for 54 weeks now. Wonder why? More than just a dream indeed!
So, until next time...happy listening!
Scenes 'n' Soundwaves 100
March 9 & 16, 2014
.
.
This Week
|
Last Week
|
ARTIST-Title
|
Weeks on List
|
1
|
3
|
NUMBER ONE:
YOUNG THE GIANT
"It's About Time"
Album: Mind Over Matter
|
15
|
2
|
4
|
Tired Pony - All Things All At Once
|
16
|
3
|
2
|
Fitz and the Tantrums - The Walker
|
18
|
4
|
5
|
Shannon Marsyada Trio - What You Do To Me
|
17
|
5
|
8
|
Foster the People - Coming of Age
|
8
|
6
|
6
|
Caveman - Shut You Down
|
15
|
7
|
1
|
Capital Cities - Kangaroo Court
|
13
|
8
|
9
|
Phantogram - Fall in Love
|
10
|
9
|
7
|
Haim - Forever
|
17
|
10
|
37
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
PHARRELL WILLIAMS
"Happy"
Album: G I R L
|
3
|
11
|
10
|
Broken Bells - Holding On For Life
|
14
|
12
|
13
|
Paul Czekaj - Elvis in Heaven
|
10
|
13
|
11
|
Man Man - Pyramids
|
15
|
14
|
16
|
Lorde - Team
|
14
|
15
|
18
|
Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know
|
13
|
16
|
12
|
Eminem f. Rihanna - The Monster
|
13
|
17
|
23
|
Hellogoodbye - Everything Is Debatable
|
10
|
18
|
14
|
Katy Perry - Unconditinally
|
14
|
19
|
17
|
Field Mouse - How Do You Know
|
30
|
20
|
15
|
Wild Belle - Backslider
|
18
|
.
21
|
22
|
Dum Dum Girls - Lost Boys and Girls Club
|
12
|
22
|
19
|
Zedd f. Foxes - Clarity
|
25
|
23
|
20
|
Eli Young Band - Drunk Last Night
|
12
|
24
|
30
|
Bruce Springsteen - High Hopes
|
10
|
25
|
26
|
The Fray - Love Don't Die
|
16
|
26
|
34
|
King Tuff - Sun Medallion
|
19
|
27
|
33
|
Those Darlins - In the Wilderness
|
11
|
28
|
36
|
Of Monsters and Men - Dirty Paws
|
13
|
29
|
25
|
Portugal. the Man - Modern Jesus
|
14
|
30
|
29
|
Ylvis - The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)
|
16
|
31
|
40
|
Wild Belle - It's Too Late
|
6
|
32
|
43
|
Rachel Allyn- Triggerman
|
6
|
33
|
28
|
Emiliana Torrini -Speed of Dark
|
19
|
34
|
32
|
Cate Le Bon - Are You With Me Now
|
17
|
35
|
38
|
Zedd f. Hayley Williams - Stay the Night
|
8
|
36
|
31
|
New Politics - Tonight You're Perfect
|
14
|
37
|
35
|
Alt J - Tesselate
|
15
|
38
|
42
|
Kings of Leon - Temple
|
14
|
39
|
21
|
San Cisco - Fred Astaire
|
21
|
40
|
55
|
Beck - Blue Moon
|
6
|
41
|
27
|
Cold War Kids - Lost That Easy
|
21
|
42
|
39
|
Phoenix - SOS in Belaire
|
8
|
43
|
24
|
Capital Cities - Safe and Sound
|
30
|
44
|
---- |
TOP DEBUT:
CAGE THE ELEPHANT
"Take It Or Leave It"
Album: Melophobia
|
1
|
45
|
60
|
Hospitality - Going Out
|
6
|
46
|
49
|
Vance Joy - Riptide
|
8
|
47
|
84
|
MOVER OF THE WEEK:
LUCIUS
"Turn It Around"
Album: Wildewoman
|
12
|
48
|
52
|
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Lariat
|
8
|
49
|
83
|
U2 - Invisible
|
3
|
50
|
62
|
Silversun Pickups - Cannibal
|
7
|
51
|
54
|
Of Montreal - Fugitive Air
|
18
|
52
|
57
|
Franz Ferdinand - Bullet
|
11
|
53
|
59
|
Imagine Dragons - On Top of the World
|
8
|
54
|
67
|
Kongos - Come With Me Now
|
6
|
55
|
44
|
Terraplane Sun - Get Me Golden
|
31
|
56
|
77
|
Hospitality - Rockets and Jets
|
3
|
57
|
45
|
Fitz and the Tantrums - Keeping Our Eyes Out
|
27
|
58
|
58
|
Wild Club - Thunder Clatter
|
10
|
59
|
76
|
Temples - Shelter Song
|
7
|
60
|
66
|
Grouplove - Shark Attack
|
7
|
61
|
92
|
Sam Roberts Band - We're All in This Together
|
3
|
62
|
---- |
Golden Void - Smiling Raven
|
1
|
63
|
46
|
Cage the Elephant - Come A Little Closer
|
29
|
64
|
65
|
Mind Spiders - The Steady
|
12
|
65
|
41
|
Lorde - Royals
|
28
|
66
|
50
|
Cut Copy - We Are Explorers
|
15
|
67
|
53
|
Man Man - Head On
|
30
|
68
|
71
|
Augustines - Walkabout
|
6
|
69
|
64
|
Arcade Fire - Afterlife
|
10
|
70
|
87
|
Papa - Put Me to Work
|
3
|
71
|
51
|
Florence + the Machine - Spectrum (Say My Name)
|
28
|
72
|
93
|
Temples - Keep In the Dark
|
3
|
73
|
48
|
Sara Bareilles - Brave
|
38
|
74
|
80
|
Avicii - Hey Brother
|
7
|
75
|
---- |
Sleeper Agent - Waves
|
1
|
76
|
86
|
Birdy - Skinny Love
|
6
|
77
|
89
|
Brick + Mortar - Locked In A Cage
|
6
|
78
|
---- |
Bad Suns - Cardiac Arrest
|
1
|
79
|
61
|
Golden Void - Rise to the Out of Reach
|
29
|
80
|
88
|
Lost in the Trees - Past Life
|
7
|
81
|
68
|
Wild Belle - Keep You
|
51
|
82
|
56
|
Jagwar Ma - Come Save Me
|
17
|
83
|
70
|
Fitz and the Tantrums - Out of My League
|
54
|
84
|
91
|
Bear Hands - Giants
|
7
|
85
|
98
|
Lady Gaga - Do What U Want
|
3
|
86
|
---- |
Crosses - The Epilogue
|
1
|
87
|
47
|
Passenger - Let Her Go
|
32
|
88
|
74
|
Twin Forks - Cross My Mind
|
16
|
89
|
----
|
Bruno Mars - Young Girls
|
1
|
90
|
69
|
Eagulls - Nerve Endings
|
19
|
91
|
75
|
St. Lucia - Elevate
|
11
|
92
|
81
|
Valerie June - You Can't Be Told
|
16
|
93
|
94
|
Basic Vacation - I Believe
|
6
|
94
|
---- |
John Legend - All of Me
|
1
|
95
|
63
|
The Joy Formidable - Silent Treatment
|
18
|
96
|
----
|
White Sea - They Don't Know
|
1
|
97
|
----
|
Blitzen Trapper -Thirsty Man
|
1
|
98
|
90
|
Courtney Barnett - Avant Gardner
|
7
|
99
|
79
|
The Satelliters - Where Do We Go
|
25
|
100
|
----
|
Katy Perry - Dark Horse
|
1
|
TREMORS:
101. Tegan & Sara, Everything's Awesome
