I then took a look last week's blog and looked at my SoundRaves chart. And I saw desolation, loneliness! Except for "Rope" by Foo Fighters, and "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People, there wasn't much for rock fans to be excited about. There's of course Adele, but she's everywhere. Who, exactly is Danger Mouse (conveniently forgetting the fact that he is one-half responsible for the 2005 gem, "Crazy'). Or for that matter, The Wombats? The Vaccines? You get the picture.
I started to get the idea of adding more pop songs, but aside from the ones I have now ("Judas" by Lady Gaga and the latest by Rihanna and Ke$ha), I just can't do it! Then I thought about country music.
Zac Brown Band, The Band Perry, Lady Antellebum, Taylor Swift, and of course local favorite Rachel Allyn have been major entries on my list. And I guess this was meant to be: Aside from Rachel's new single, we now have American Idol winner Scotty McCreery's coronation song, and, especially, the new Kenny Chesney single features current rock favorite Grace Potter. And Rachel, who plays at Mohican Sun this week, has raved about another key artist playing the casino the same night: Miranda Lambert (both Chesney and Lambert debut this week).
Country is a viable genre, ever since I've gotten mildly into it ten years ago (thank you, Sherry Lawson!), but I decided that I gotta go with Alternative, either the regular or adult varieties. Enter my niece, Bailey Kennett.
We are very proud of our 22 year-old niece, who just graduated with honors from Eckerd College down in Tampa Florida. Her studies have taken her around the world. And she's well versed (as you'd expect, having been exposed to college radio) in new music. Death Cab for Cutie and Augustana, both on my chart this week, I found out through her. Of course, once they have any inkling of success, she moves on to the next "thing". This past weekend she recommended an act called the Heart and the Head, from, of all places, Seattle, who have toured with the likes of Dave Matthews, Vampire Weekend, The Decemberists, among others (and see below for a festival they will be playing at).
We talked about Mountain Jam going on not too far away at Hunter, discussed the band "My Morning Jacket" (who she's heard somewhat of, and knows that they've actually been around for a while) and a few others. Talking with her confirmed what I knew....that although it's not on the top echelon of the charts, doesn't mean it's not good music. Grace Potter, Edward Sharpe, Foster the People, Michael Franti, Fleet Moxes (which outsold Jennifer Lopez's album the week it came out) and Ray LaMontagne are just some of the acts touring and getting the buzz.
I'll still add the better pop and country sounds, but the SoundRaves 100 will always be primarily an Alternative chart.
TOP 100: And one of those acts, Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi, featuring Jack White, remains a top the SoundRaves 100 for a second week. It's been a very competitve week as the top 4 are closely ranked together. Adele takes spots 2 and 3, with the latter, her album track "Rumor Has It", gathering some buzz as it's been getting airplay in its own right (WEQX, and Triple-A stations, for example). I'm wondering when (or if, as it's spending week 4 atop the Billboard Hot 100 and other charts), "Rolling In the Deep" (#10, spending its 25th week in the top 10) runs its course, will she go to this midtempo chugger, or the scheduled next single, the more somber "Someone Like You".
Train makes a major move to #12 this week with the title track from their album Save Me San Francisco. It is a very catchy song, and is kind of a cross between Rod Stewart's "Hot Legs" and Kid Rock's "All Summer Long". It's the fourth single from that album, and the second to make the top 20. "Hey Soul Sister" was #16 on my very first Top 20, no doubt it would have been higher had I begin my poll weeks earlier. The next two singles "If It's Love" and "Marry Me" made it to #31 and #59 respectively, but it's this uptempo song that reverses the bands fortunes for me. Their holiday entry "Christmas Lights" reached #24 on SoundRaves.
Rachel Allyn becomes the latest artist to have two songs in the top 20 as her new single "Say Hello to Goodbye" jumps from 45 to 18, joining "Gettin' By", which in itself has been in the top echelon for 20 weeks. The song is also on the list by Shontelle, moving up to #66. The story on how this came out is that the powers-that-be of the Shontelle song (her third single from No Gravity which had already spawned the top 20 national hit "Impossible") approached Rachel to release a country version of the song. This is not uncommon: "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" (Tony Orlando & Dawn, Johnny Carver), and "I Swear" (John Michael Montgomery , All-For-One), hit number one pop and country, respectively. Neither version of "Say Hello..." has charted yet, but hopefully it's just a matter of time.
The top debut is "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" by Coldplay. The single from the Brit band led by Chris Robinson debuted last Friday, but has really taken off in that short amount of time. It will be from an upcoming album (no title or release date yet); their first studio set since Vida La Vida in 2008. "Christmas Lights", last season's holiday entry, reached #24 on my chart. Also entering is the new Paramore single "Monster" from the Tennessee-based band; two singles from their previous effort landed on my Top 100 list last year ("The Only Exception", "Brick By Boring Brick").
The next big concert event is the annual Dave Matthews Band Caravan, to be held in Atlantic City for 3 days later this month. Aside from the DMB, bands scheduled to perform include Ray Lamontagne & the Pariah Dogs, G. Love and Special Sauce, Bailey-approved The Head and the Heart, Guster, Fitz & the Tantrums, Michael Franti & Spearhead, and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, who seem to be everywhere these days. Sounds like one helluva weekend to be down there.
Thoughts to Ponder: Speaking of both Fitz & the Tantrums and Grace Potter, their last singles have taken so long to catch on (both are on multiple charts) that it's been almost half a year since a new single release. I'm thinking of going to some album cuts from each of them (especially since the Potter Facebook page recommended the Tantrum's "Dear Mr. President" which is just as awesome as "Money Grabber" which rises back up the chart in its 27th week). I also heard "Paris" on WPLJ last week and forgot what a great song it is; this was a top 10 record for me last December and am thinking about re-adding it now.
SoundRaves 100 for week of June 6, 2011
This Week | Last Week | ARTIST-Title | Weeks on List |
1 | 1 |  DANGER MOUSE & DANIELE LUPPI featuring JACK WHITE "Two Against One" Album: Rome (2nd Week) | 9 |
2 | 2 | Adele - Someone Like You | 7 |
3 | 5 | Adele - Rumour Has It | 7 |
4 | 4 | The Wombats - Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves) | 8 |
5 | 6 | Florence + the Machine - Dog Days are Over | 14 |
6 | 3 | The Raveonettes - Recharge and Revolt | 10 |
7 | 7 | The Vaccines - Post Break-up Sex | 13 |
8 | 9 | Death Cab for Cutie - You are A Tourist | 9 |
9 | 10 | Cage the Elephant - Around My Head | 6 |
10 | 8 | Adele - Rolling In the Deep | 26 |
11 | 11 | Dom - Living In America | 9 |
12 | 21 | TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:  TRAIN "Save Me San Francisco" Album: Save Me San Francisco | 5 |
13 | 16 | Foster the People - Houdini | 6 |
14 | 18 | Florence + the Machine - You Got the Love | 4 |
15 | 12 | The Drums - The New World | 7 |
16 | 13 | Rachel Allyn - Gettin' By | 21 |
17 | 20 | Lykke Li - Get Some | 4 |
18 | 45 | MOVER OF THE WEEK:  RACHEL ALLYN "Say Hello To Goodbye" (Single Only) | 2 |
19 | 36 | My Morning Jacket - Holdin' On to Black Metal | 3 |
20 | 14 | The Cars - Sad Song | 11 |
21 | 15 | Lucinda Williams - Buttercup | 16 |
22 | 19 | Brother - Darling Buds of May | 8 |
23 | 24 | Lady Gaga - Judas | 5 |
24 | 27 | Chk Chik Chick - Wannagain Wannagain | 11 |
25 | 28 | Ben Harper - Rock n' Roll is Free | 9 |
26 | 17 | Mt. Desolation - Bitter Pill | 17 |
27 | 32 | The Strokes - Taken For A Fool | 4 |
28 | 25 | Bell X1 - Velcro | 7 |
29 | 26 | Michael Franti & Spearhead - I'll Be Waiting | 11 |
30 | 30 | Plan B - She Said | 5 |
31 | 33 | Kate Voegele - Heart In Chains | 4 |
32 | 29 | Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks | 20 |
33 | 35 | Peter Bjorn & John - Dig A Little Deeper | 4 |
34 | 23 | Leila - Hush Little Baby | 16 |
35 | 22 | Telekinesis - Please Ask for Help | 9 |
36 | 44 | Fleet Foxes - Grown Ocean | 4 |
37 | 40 | Fleet Foxes - Battery Kinzie | 4 |
38 | 34 | Neon Trees - Your Surrender | 7 |
39 | 31 | Rihanna - S&M | 11 |
40 | 47 | Middle Brother - Me Me Me | 6 |
41 | 58 | Ray Lamontagne & the Pariah Dogs - Repo Man | 3 |
42 | 39 | Scars on 45 - Give Me Something | 16 |
43 | 49 | Cold War Kids - Skip the Charades | 4 |
44 | 41 | Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise | 8 |
45 | 43 | Augustana - Steal Your Heart | 8 |
46 | 48 | Drive-By Truckers - Everybody Needs Love | 6 |
47 | 70 | The Raveonettes - Apparitions | 2 |
48 | 66 | Sam Roberts Band - The Last Crusade | 3 |
49 | 38 | Foo Fighters - Rope | 14 |
50 | 55 | The Raveonettes - Forget That You're Young | 4 |
51 | 37 | TV On the Radio - Will Do | 12 |
52 | 51 | Andrew Allen - Loving You Tonight | 6 |
53 | 50 | Cold War Kids - Louder Than Ever | 22 |
54 | 54 | The Kills - Satellite | 12 |
55 | 60 | Interpol - Try It On | 5 |
56 | 72 | Ke$ha - Blow | 3 |
57 | 79 | Christina Perri - Arms | 3 |
58 | 69 | Eddie Vedder - Longing to Belong | 6 |
59 | 65 | Fitz and the Tantrums - Money Grabber | 27 |
60 | 71 | Arcade Fire - Month of May | 4 |
61 | 42 | Dark Sacrament - Realm of Unlight | 9 |
62 | 46 | Helvetia - Arise Pt 1 | 14 |
63 | 52 | Duran Duran - All You Need Is Now | 9 |
64 | 56 | Redlight King - Old Man | 8 |
65 | 59 | Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues | 18 |
66 | 82 | Shontelle - Say Hello to Goodbye | 2 |
67 | 94 | The Kills - Future Starts Slow | 2 |
68 | 61 | The Thermals - Not Like Any Other Feeling | 5 |
69 | 57 | Peter Bjorn & John - Second Chance | 18 |
70 | 74 | Zac Brown Band f Jimmy Buffet - Knee Deep | 5 |
71 | 63 | Cake - Long Time | 7 |
72 | 81 | Boxer Rebellion - The Runner | 4 |
73 | ---- | TOP DEBUT:  COLDPLAY "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" (Single Only) | 1 |
74 | 80 | Noah & the Whale - L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. | 3 |
75 | 89 | Scotty McCreery - I Love You This Big | 2 |
76 | 92 | Gomez - Options | 2 |
77 | 86 | Arctic Monkeys - Don't Sit Down "Cause I Moved Your Chair | 2 |
78 | ---- | Paramore - Monster | 1 |
79 | 53 | Alexander - Truth | 10 |
80 | 64 | The Band Perry - You Lie | 13 |
81 | ---- | Kenny Chesney f.grace Potter - You & Tequila | 1 |
82 | 85 | Austra - Beat and the Pulse | 4 |
83 | 68 | The Holidays - Moonlight Hours | 20 |
84 | ---- | Flogging Molly - Revolution | 1 |
85 | 73 | Devotchka - 100 Other Lovers | 13 |
86 | 62 | Superhumanoids - Malta | 11 |
87 | 93 | Mumford and Sons - Roll Away Your Stone | 3 |
88 | 98 | Los Lonely Boys - Fly Away | 7 |
89 | 76 | Acrylics - Sparrow Song | 15 |
90 | 67 | Ra Ra Riot - Too Dramatic | 18 |
91 | 75 | Company of Thieves - Death of Communications | 11 |
92 | 100 | Sublime with Rome - Panic | 2 |
93 | 78 | Jack Johnson - From the Clouds | 17 |
94 | 83 | Colbie Calliat - I Do | 17 |
95 | ---- | 311 - Sunset in July | 1 |
96 | 77 | Kings of Leon - Pyro | 19 |
97 | RE-ENTRY | Sixx: AM - Lies of the Beautiful People | 2 |
98 | ---- | Miranda Lambert - Heart Like Mine | 1 |
99 | ---- | 10 Years - Fix Me | 1 |
100 | 84 | My Chemical Romance - Bulletproof Heart | 9 |
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