So, Was It Worth the Wait? (SoundRaves week of 6/27/2011)

It could be a long-awaited movie sequel.  Or maybe a new season of a favorite TV program.    Or, your favorite band has finally put out a new album after a three-year hiatus or simply a few months after you became a big fan.  The anticipation is killing you.   And when it does come out, you're probably waiting in line at the box office, or have the channel tuned in several minutes beforehand so you don't miss the opening, or you're rushing in the record store grabbing that new CD before anyone can lay a hand on it.

And, chances are you haven't yet listened or viewed it!     Yeah, it's amazing what we look forward to in life when something new comes out even though it may ultimately wind up being a disappointment.

I really had no idea what to write about this week, until I logged on the computer this afternoon to put in my usual overtime working from home.    I peeked at my Facebook News Feed to see what was going down.    Friends were posting pictures of a 'reunion event' down the shore at Point Pleasant last Sunday, another was putting scenes around our hometown of Roselle Park.   Still others were beaming about their kids graduations.     A longtime friend of mine was contemplating taking some demos, and recording an actual album.     Many friends (or kids of same) talked about the Dave Matthews Band Caravan last weekend in Atlantic City.  And of course those artists pages.    Plan B has a new video out (and a damn good one at that, "Love Goes Down", by the way).    Erik Ofgang of those Celtic rock sensations MacTalla Mor posted pictures from a concert he went to involving Grace Potter & the Nocturnals (boy, it didn't take too long before we mentioned THEM again, didn't it?), and the kicker, that MTM themselves played with Grace and the boys a couple years back.   Now I have to see them, even if it means travelling up north to their Grand Point North festival in Burlington VT.

Anyway, continuing to look at the News Feed, taking me by surprise was Avi Buffalo's new single called "How Come", which dropped Tuesday on iTunes.     Now, for those who have just started reading my blog and scratching, this is a big deal.     Avi who?  you may ask....    Well, Avi Buffalo was, at the time, a West Coast quartet on the Sub Pop label (the legendary Seattle company responsible for many new up and coming artists) who put out a critically-acclaimed album last year, eponymously titled.   It contained a single, "What's In it For?" that my musically-inclined collegue Brian Sniatkowski graciously made his Song of the Week last August.    It was immediate for me, a psychedelic sixties throwback song, with a video a cross between something from 1967 and the movie Avitar     It debuted on my SoundRaves chart at #21 (still a record), hit #1 for 5 weeks (also a record), and stayed on for 32 weeks (also a record....which most likely will be broken either by Fitz & the Tantrums or Adele...but that's a story for another day).

So...what do you do for an encore?    And, if you're a fan, how long do you wait for the next record?    Keeping in mind that Avi Buffalo for me was like waiting for a new Beatles single in the 60's, a new Led Zeppelin LP in the 70's, perhaps a new Michael Jackson video on MTV in the 80's...or simply a new season of The Sopranos, or that latest Harry Potter movie.   

Well, "How Come" is out!   And it's excellent....although upon first listen, it's not as immediate as "What's In it For"? but nonetheless an infectious song.     Upon listening to it a second and third time, I think it's getting pretty addictive.     Stripped down to a duo after the departure of keyboardist Rebecca Coleman and bassist Arin Fazio (for the band Pagents), it is really a showcase for frontman Avidor Zahner-Isenberg.    It appeared that he would release a solo album, but apparently this is the lead single for a new Avi album due later this year.    To me, the song retains its sixties edge while showing an influence from alt-band The Flaming Lips.     It comes in at #48 at the top debut this week.

So, in this case, (and of course, with Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" when that came out, the wait was well worth it.  There of course have been anticipated duds that didn't live up to expectations.  I will leave those instances up to you, but there are many.

TOP 100:   We have a new song at the top, "Save Me San Francisco" which takes the #1 spot from Adele, the fourth single from the album of the same name; however right on its heels is Rachel Allyn's "Say Hello to Goodbye", which slips in at #2.   Still no word on when that video will be released, but it should be interesting to check out.  "Rumour Has It" drops to #3, but another big gainer is "Get Some" by Swede Lykke Li, which reminded me of the girl-group and new wave classic "I Want Candy".  Her album is Wounded Rhymes.  She'll be doing a concert in Central Park on August 1, then play Lollapalooza in Chicago four days later, along with a stint with Foster the People the same day.

Katy Perry and Fitz & the Tantrums both take big leaps into the top 20.   The latter is an album cut that is growing on me; although I may add their new single "Don't Gotta Work It Out" in a couple of weeks  as well.  The Perry song jumped to #4 on the Hot 100 last week, and she is  very close to becoming the first woman (and second artist overall) to pull five number #1's from a single album (Michael Jackson did it with Bad in 1987-88).   And, after 28 weeks in the top 10, "Rolling in the Deep" finally drops to #11.   It's still at the top of Billboard, and a label executtive did alude to "Someone Like You" being the next single here.   As that one already spent a couple weeks at the top for me, I may add "Set Fire to the Rain" or "Lovesong" (The Cure remake), stay tuned.   Incidentally, she has been cleared to resume her tour in August, with a date in Atlantic City in October.

Aside from the aforementioned Avi Buffalo and Plan B, other debuts include indie-rockers Sleeper Agent, Wild Flag, and Yacht.   Sleeper Agent is from Washington DC, Yacht from Portland, and Wild Flag contains members from both areas.    And I had no idea of that connection until I just looked that up; go figure!

SOUND-RAVES 100 for Week of June 27, 2011

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	2	TRAIN "Save Me San Francisco" Album: Save Me San Francisco	8
2	4	Rachel Allyn - Say Hello To Goodbye	5
3	1	Adele - Rumour Has It	10
4	10	Lykke Li - Get Some	7
5	3	Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi-Two Against One	12
6	9	Florence + the Machine - You Got the Love	7
7	11	My Morning Jacket - Holdin' On to Black Metal	6
8	22	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: KATY PERRY "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)" Album: Teenage Dream	3
9	6	Death Cab for Cutie - You are A Tourist	12
10	23	MOVER OF THE WEEK:   FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS "Dear Mr. President" Album: Pickin' Up the Pieces	3
11	5	Adele - Rolling In the Deep	29
12	8	Cage the Elephant - Around My Head	9
13	7	The Wombats - Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)	11
14	13	Foster the People - Houdini	9
15	12	Adele - Someone Like You	10
16	17	The Strokes - Taken For A Fool	7
17	14	The Vaccines - Post Break-up Sex	16
18	16	Dom - Living In America	12
19	20	Kate Voegele - Heart In Chains	7
20	19	Lady Gaga - Judas	8

21	15	Florence + the Machine - Dog Days are Over	17
22	26	Fleet Foxes - Grown Ocean	7
23	24	Fleet Foxes - Battery Kinzie	7
24	27	Ray Lamontagne & the Pariah Dogs - Repo Man	6
25	21	Rachel Allyn - Gettin' By	24
26	29	The Raveonettes - Apparitions	5
27	25	Peter Bjorn & John - Dig A Little Deeper	7
28	31	Cold War Kids - Skip the Charades	7
29	33	Neon Trees - Your Surrender	10
30	34	Drive-By Truckers - Everybody Needs Love	9
31	32	Sam Roberts Band - The Last Crusade	6
32	59	Lady Gaga - The Edge of Glory	3
33	41	The Black Keys - Everlasting Light	3
34	28	Chk Chik Chick - Wannagain Wannagain	14
35	18	The Raveonettes - Recharge and Revolt	13
36	36	Middle Brother - Me Me Me	9
37	50	Foo Fighters - Walk	3
38	30	Ben Harper - Rock n' Roll is Free	12
39	38	Ke$ha - Blow	6
40	39	Christina Perri - Arms	6
41	37	Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks	23
42	54	Portugal the Man - Got It All	3
43	44	The Kills - Future Starts Slow	5
44	48	Shontelle - Say Hello to Goodbye	5
45	52	Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall	4
46	58	Paramore - Monster	4
47	51	Arcade Fire - Month of May	7
48	----	TOP DEBUT: AVI BUFFALO "How Come" (Single Only)	1
49	57	Gomez - Options	5
50	35	Brother - Darling Buds of May	11
51	49	Scars on 45 - Give Me Something	19
52	62	Flogging Molly - Revolution	4
53	87	Best Coast - Something In The Way	2
54	61	Scotty McCreery - I Love You This Big	5
55	67	Arctic Monkeys - Don't Sit Down "Cause I Moved Your Chair	5
56	81	The Lonely Forest - We Sing In Time	2
57	69	Kenny Chesney f. Grace Potter - You & Tequila	4
58	70	Zac Brown Band f Jimmy Buffet - Knee Deep	8
59	43	Mt. Desolation - Bitter Pill	20
60	68	Noah & the Whale - L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.	6
61	42	Lucinda Williams - Buttercup	19
62	40	The Drums - The New World	10
63	78	Brett Dennon - Comeback Kid	3
64	53	The Raveonettes - Forget That You're Young	7
65	56	Eddie Vedder - Longing to Belong	9
66	76	Rise Against - Make It Stop	3
67	85	We Are Augustines - Chapel Song	2
68	73	Kings of Leon - Back Down South	3
69	65	Fitz and the Tantrums - Money Grabber	30
70	75	Sublime with Rome - Panic	5
71	60	Leila - Hush Little Baby	19
72	72	Boxer Rebellion - The Runner	7
73	74	Austra - Beat and the Pulse	7
74	80	Los Lonely Boys - Fly Away	10
75	84	Givers - Up Up Up	3
76	46	Michael Franti & Spearhead - I'll Be Waiting	14
77	89	Linkin Park - Iridescent	2
78	----	Plan B- Love Goes Down	1
79	47	Plan B - She Said	8
80	55	Bell X1 - Velcro	10
81	83	311 - Sunset in July	4
82	----	Sleeper Agent - Get It Daddy	1
83	45	The Cars - Sad Song	14
84	66	Augustana - Steal Your Heart	11
85	88	10 Years - Fix Me	4
86	----	Wild Flag - Romance	1
87	63	Telekinesis - Please Ask for Help	12
88	95	The Naked and Famous - Punching In A Dream	2
89	64	Interpol - Try It On	8
90	77	Cold War Kids - Louder Than Ever	25
91	97	Grace Potter & the Nocturnals - Paris(ooh lala)	20
92	----	Yacht - Dystopia	1
93	91	Taylor Swift - The Story of Us	3
94	----	KT Tunstall - Glamour Puss	1
95	100	Hot Chelle Rae - Tonight Tonight	2
96	----	The Head and the Heart - Lost In My Mind	1
97	99	The Belle Brigade - Losers	2
98	86	Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues	21
99	94	Miranda Lambert - Heart Like Mine	4
100	98	Adelitas Way - Sick	3

The Soul of the Jersey Shore (Sound-Raves Week of 6/20/2011)

The first week of summer took place this week; it marked the longest day of the year.   Believe it or not, they start to get shorter until December, but to many---especially schoolkids---the hot fun has just begun.    The popular destination, of course is the Jersey Shore, with its great array of beaches, boardwalks, and of course nightlife.     Other states have their entertainment, but that of the Jersey Shore is unique; there is nothing like it.     Whether it's the strip on Seaside Heights, the venerable Headliner in Neptune, Jenks or Martell's in Point Pleasant Beach, or of course the legendary Stone Pony (not to mention other Asbury bars), chances are you can see your favorite band play somewhere.     Mike Dalton, Billy Lawlor, La Bamba & the Hubcaps, and The Nerds are just some past and present cover bands playing the Shore circuit.  And that is just the tip of the iceberg as there are many original bands patroling the shoreline as well.   I invite you to check them out.

Chances are, you can thank Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band (whose name is taken from a street in Belmar where one of the original members lived).     They, above anyone else, put Jersey on the map, and paved the way for acts like Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes and later, Bon Jovi.      The music lives on, but it will have to without part of its soul.

As you may know, Jersey lost one of its own last week:   Saxophonist Clarence Clemons, aka the "Big Man", passed away due to complications from a stroke he suffered.     You can recognize his work very easily...that wailing sax just screams the Shore.     Whether it's a last half of a classics like "Rosalita" or something like "Glory Days", Clemons kicked butt on the sax.    Bruce may be the face of the sound, but Clarence (along with Little Steven) provided its soul.    You know where you are, (or what you're thinking about) when you hear it.    

I confess I have never seen him live; something I regret, but he's played on so many recordings that it's hard not to miss him.    Southside Johnny (who I HAVE seen live many times) got a boost from The Big Man on his debut "I Don't Want to Go Home".  He also appeared on albums by Gary U.S. Bonds, bandmate Little Stevens, Aretha Franklin and even Twisted Sister.     Perhaps his last project was on Lada Gaga's new album "Born This Way", including a solo on the diva's latest hit 'The Edge of Glory" which jumps from #90 to #59 on this weeks SoundRaves 100 chart.   You can hear him during the second half of that song.    And, in a duet with Jackson Browne, he hit the top 20 in 1985 with "You're A Friend of Mine".      Clarence had his own band for awhile ("CC and the Red Bank Rockers") as well as a club in that town, the aptly named "Big Man's West".

But of course, it's with the E Street Band that he made his mark and defined that sound.     He was on many Springsteen albums, but it is his live performances that could really put you away.     If you take away his sax, something would be definitely missing.  

One of my favorite holiday songs is Darlene Love's "All Alone for Christmas", from the movie Home Alone 2, where she is backed by the E Street Band, and where Clarence's sax is prominently played.     And, as Bruce says, hopefully Santa has brought him a new sax.    There's talent where he's going!

Unfortunately, the way we're going, Clarence may well be joined by another soulful figure....Amy Winehouse.    As you may know, the Brit songstress, noted for her bouts with the law, drugs and alcohol, stumbled thru an embarassing performance in Belgrade, and wound up cancelling the remainder of her tour.    A few years ago, she predicted she, (like other rock icons just as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Kobain) may die by 27.    Let's hope a talent like her spends much more time in rehab before its too late.    Clemons' 69 years were too young enough, 27 is downright horrible.    Clean up your act, Amy.

TOP 100:   One of Winehouse's comtemporaries who has for the most part, stayed clear of trouble, Adele, continues to rule the charts.  She's back at the top on the Album list, has a fifth week at the top on the Hot 100...and now spends a second week at #1 on SoundRaves with "Rumour Has It".    "Rolling In the Deep", down to #10 a couple weeks ago, continues to surge back into the top 5.  

Adele's latest rein may end next week, as two strong songs are making bids: Train's "Save Me San Francisco", and "Say Hello to Goodbye" by Rachel Allyn; it's a matter of which will get there first.    If it's the latter, Rachel will equal Adele's record of #3 SoundRaves #1's.   And speaking of Ms. Allyn ( as we always seem to do each week), my wife and I caught her and her band live for the first time at Attilio's Lounge in Dover.     It was an awesome performance and I encourage you to see the entire band play.    She performed the song for the first time; this week she is making a video for this song.  It would be great if it was released when (see how confident I am?) it hits #1.

Though there were a few decent moves in the top 20, there was only one new entry, and that just squeaks in on the bottom rung: "Heart in Chains" by Kate Voegele; the singer and actress who has a recurring role in One Tree Hill.    She has hit the road this summer, mostly out west this month, and down South in July; hopefully she'll make it this way after that.   Her "99 Times" in 2009 was in my year-end Top 10.

Two big movers just outside the top 20: Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night (TGIF)" with a huge jump from #60 to #22, buoyed by that 80's themed video that I mentioned last week; and "Dear Mr. President" by Fitz & the Tantrums.   Although the retro-souled band (which logs a 29th week with "MoneyGrabber" at #65) has released a follow-up single, "Don't Gotta Work It Out", I'll be sticking to the album track for a while.   After all, it took about six months for "Money Grabber" to get some mainstream airplay; a few more weeks won't make a difference.    FATT (as they're referred to), will be playing the Dave Matthews Band Caravan in Atlantic City next weekend, as well as a concert in Central Park in September.

Lady Gaga, whose "Judas" holds at #19, has her follow-up "The Edge of Glory", which as mentioned above, features Clarence Clemons on sax.  Both tracks are from her Born This Way set, which a couple weeks ago sold $1.1 million, thanks mostly to Amazon.com selling the set for 99 cents.    She becomes the latest pop act to be parodied by "Weird Al" Yankovic.

The top debut and pick of the week is by a band called The Lonely Forest, "We Sing in Time", which is also Brian Sniatkowki's Song of the Week.  They are a 4-piece indie-rock band from the Seattle area.  Their third full-length album, released this year is Arrows.  Their tour will take them to New York's Terminal 5 on September 15.

Finally, after six months off the chart, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, who seem to be playing every festival there is (including the recent Bonneroo affair out west), reentered with "Paris".   The song, which I had burned out of back in January, was back in my mind, so I figured it'd be worth the while to hear it again.    Along with her band, she'll be doing some dates with Kenny Chesney, who she duets with on "Tequila & Me" (#69).    And, probably not a surprise, they will be headling their own festival in her native Vermont later this year.

The SoundRaves 100 for Week of 6/20/2011:

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	1	ADELE "Rumour Has It" Album: 21 (2nd week)	9
2	4	Train - Save Me San Francisco	7
3	2	Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi-Two Against One	11
4	12	Rachel Allyn - Say Hello To Goodbye	4
5	7	Adele - Rolling In the Deep	28
6	8	Death Cab for Cutie - You are A Tourist	11
7	3	The Wombats - Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)	10
8	6	Cage the Elephant - Around My Head	8
9	15	Florence + the Machine - You Got the Love	6
10	16	Lykke Li - Get Some	6
11	13	My Morning Jacket - Holdin' On to Black Metal	5
12	5	Adele - Someone Like You	9
13	17	Foster the People - Houdini	8
14	10	The Vaccines - Post Break-up Sex	15
15	9	Florence + the Machine - Dog Days are Over	16
16	11	Dom - Living In America	11
17	20	The Strokes - Taken For A Fool	6
18	14	The Raveonettes - Recharge and Revolt	12
19	19	Lady Gaga - Judas	7
20	22	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:     KATE VOEGELE "Heart In Chains" Album: Gravity Happens	6

21	18	Rachel Allyn - Gettin' By	23
22	60	MOVER OF THE WEEK: KATY PERRY "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)" Album: Teenage Dream	2
23	51	Fitz and the Tantrums - Dear Mr. President	2
24	28	Fleet Foxes - Battery Kinzie	6
25	25	Peter Bjorn & John - Dig A Little Deeper	6
26	27	Fleet Foxes - Grown Ocean	6
27	30	Ray Lamontagne & the Pariah Dogs - Repo Man	5
28	23	Chk Chik Chick - Wannagain Wannagain	13
29	33	The Raveonettes - Apparitions	4
30	24	Ben Harper - Rock n' Roll is Free	11
31	39	Cold War Kids - Skip the Charades	6
32	41	Sam Roberts Band - The Last Crusade	5
33	32	Neon Trees - Your Surrender	9
34	42	Drive-By Truckers - Everybody Needs Love	8
35	21	Brother - Darling Buds of May	10
36	40	Middle Brother - Me Me Me	8
37	36	Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks	22
38	46	Ke$ha - Blow	5
39	47	Christina Perri - Arms	5
40	26	The Drums - The New World	9
41	58	The Black Keys - Everlasting Light	2
42	29	Lucinda Williams - Buttercup	18
43	37	Mt. Desolation - Bitter Pill	19
44	55	The Kills - Future Starts Slow	4
45	34	The Cars - Sad Song	13
46	38	Michael Franti & Spearhead - I'll Be Waiting	13
47	31	Plan B - She Said	7
48	57	Shontelle - Say Hello to Goodbye	4
49	45	Scars on 45 - Give Me Something	18
50	72	Foo Fighters - Walk	2
51	54	Arcade Fire - Month of May	6
52	61	Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall	3
53	48	The Raveonettes - Forget That You're Young	6
54	78	Portugal the Man - Got It All	2
55	35	Bell X1 - Velcro	9
56	53	Eddie Vedder - Longing to Belong	8
57	63	Gomez - Options	4
58	66	Paramore - Monster	3
59	90	Lady Gaga - The Edge of Glory	2
60	44	Leila - Hush Little Baby	18
61	65	Scotty McCreery - I Love You This Big	4
62	73	Flogging Molly - Revolution	3
63	43	Telekinesis - Please Ask for Help	11
64	52	Interpol - Try It On	7
65	59	Fitz and the Tantrums - Money Grabber	29
66	50	Augustana - Steal Your Heart	10
67	69	Arctic Monkeys - Don't Sit Down "Cause I Moved Your Chair	4
68	71	Noah & the Whale - L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.	5
69	75	Kenny Chesney f. Grace Potter - You & Tequila	3
70	70	Zac Brown Band f Jimmy Buffet - Knee Deep	7
71	49	Rihanna - S&M	13
72	68	Boxer Rebellion - The Runner	6
73	81	Kings of Leon - Back Down South	2
74	79	Austra - Beat and the Pulse	6
75	84	Sublime with Rome - Panic	4
76	86	Rise Against - Make It Stop	2
77	62	Cold War Kids - Louder Than Ever	24
78	98	Brett Dennon - Comeback Kid	2
79	64	The Kills - Satellite	14
80	83	Los Lonely Boys - Fly Away	9
81	----	TOP DEBUT: THE LONELY FOREST "We Sing In Time" Album: Arrows	1
82	56	Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise	10
83	88	311 - Sunset in July	3
84	94	Givers - Up Up Up	2
85	----	We Are Augustines - Chapel Song	1
86	77	Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues	20
87	----	Best Coast - Something In The Way	1
88	93	10 Years - Fix Me	3
89	----	Linkin Park - Iridescent	1
90	80	Peter Bjorn & John - Second Chance	20
91	99	Taylor Swift - The Story of Us	2
92	67	Foo Fighters - Rope	16
93	89	Mumford and Sons - Roll Away Your Stone	5
94	96	Miranda Lambert - Heart Like Mine	3
95	----	The Naked and Famous - Punching In A Dream	1
96	82	Helvetia - Arise Pt 1	16
97	RE-ENTRY	Grace Potter & the Nocturnals - Paris(ooh lala)	19
98	97	Adelitas Way - Sick	2
99	----	The Belle Brigade - Losers	1
100	----	Hot Chelle Rae - Tonight Tonight	1