Music Review - Week of 8/29/2011

First up, I hope all of you have survived the wrath of Hurricane Irene.  Several days later, many people are still experiencing power outages, and many homes are still flooded, and that goes for the entire eastern seaboard from North Carolina up to Vermont.  

NEW THIS WEEK:   My Pick of the Week is the 3rd single from Cage The Elephant's latest set Thank You, Happy Birthday, "Aberdeen", coming in at #60.  The first two singles hit the top 10: "Shake Me Down" and "Around My Head" both hit #6.  The former was at #1 Billboard alt-rock hit, but the latter stalled at #15.    As with those previous singles, the band seems to have shifted to a more emo feel, although with this new single there seems to be a lot going on here.    The song seems to be all over the place, even more than the previous single, but still has that infectious quality that could take the British band to my top 20 for a third straight time.   

Also new this week is "Not Broken" by Thom Sebastian & the Hounds of Winter.    Sebastian hails from Danbury CT, and has been around since the early 1980's.    Playing drums is Tom Corea, who I profiled a couple weeks back in a segment about musicians from my hometown of Roselle Park.    Sebastian has been in and out of various bands over the last three decades, but you can tell his music is influenced by early 80's new wavers like Elvis Costello.    

Also entering this week is the fourth single from Lady Gaga, "You and I", as the diva tries to diversity her sound, this one is slightly slower this time out.    It's from her album Born This Way, if it follows the pattern of her previous singles, it should do well....her previous efforts, the title track, "Judas" and  "The Edge of Glory", went to #31, 19, and 15......I've also added the Thompson Square "I Got You".   The track is the third single from the debut released last year, which also includes a #1 country hit "Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not".    They played Six Flags Great Adventure last Tuesday (8/23), with Rachel Allyn opening for them.


CHART ACTION:   Wilco makes it three weeks at #1 as the infectious "I Might" holds off a charge from Fitz & the Tantrums' "Pickin' Up the Pieces.   Once again, the top 10 is every strong, with Red Hot Chili Pepper's addictive "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" jumping to #3, and The Kooks "Junk of the Heart" moving from 11 to 5.  

Unlike last week, there are four new entries in the Top 20.    Michelle Branch tops that list, with the Impact award for "Loud Music" coming in at #17...it's the first single in years from the songstress who debuted in 2001 with "Everywhere" at the age of 18.   At the time she was lumped in with other young female singers like Avril Lavagne and Christina Aguilera, and showed promise.   Her duet with Santana "The Game of Love", was my #1 song of 2002.    She then had success with her next album "Hotel Paper", but then formed The Wreckers, a country duo with Jessica Harp, which had success on the country charts, but garnered an unaccountable backlash from the general public.    So this is a comeback single for her, and it took a while for me to get used to it, but I definitely have now.  The Antlers and Jayhawks also enter, and there's of course, Rachel Allyn, who for the third time, has entered the top 20 in just the second week with her latest "Lovely Lily".     With Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain" apparently peaking at #9, breaking her string of #1's, Rachel is poised to make it a record 4-for-4 at the top.   The competition, though, is real tough right now unlike earlier this year, can she do it?     Rachel is set to play "Ladies Night" at the venerable Stanhope House in early October.

Scenes & Soundwaves 100 for week of 8/29/2011:

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	1	WILCO "I Might" Album: The Whole Love (3 weeks at #1)	6
2	2	Fitz and the Tantrums - Pickin' Up the Pieces	5
3	4	Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie	7
4	3	Plan B- Love Goes Down	10
5	12	The Kooks - Junk of the Heart	8
6	8	Best Coast - Something In The Way	11
7	10	Lykke Li - Rich Kids Blues	6
8	7	Avi Buffalo - How Come	10
9	9	Brilliant Colors - How Much Younger	8
10	11	Los Lonely Boys - 16 Monkeys	7
11	6	Fleet Foxes - Grown Ocean	16
12	14	Fitz and the Tantrums - Don't Gotta Work It Out	6
13	5	Katy Perry - Last Friday Night	12
14	13	Rachel Allyn - Say Hello To Goodbye	14
15	16	Maroon 5 f. Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger	7
16	15	Adele - Set Fire To the Rain	9
17	25	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:   MICHELLE BRANCH "Loud Music" Album: West Coast Time	8
18	23	The Antlers - Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out	5
19	54	MOVER OF THE WEEK:   RACHEL ALLYN "Lovely Lily" (Single Only)	2
20	24	The Jayhawks - She Walks In So Many Ways	5

21	22	SuperHeavy - Miracle Worker	6
22	21	Wild Flag - Romance	10
23	28	Bush - The Sound of Winter	4
24	17	Florence + the Machine - You Got the Love	16
25	18	Foster the People - Helena Beat	8
26	20	We Are Augustines - Chapel Song	11
27	47	Anna Calvi - Blackout	3
28	26	Zac Brown Band f Jimmy Buffet - Knee Deep	17
29	49	Death Cab For Cutie - Stay Young Go Dancing	4
30	31	PJ Harvey - Let England Shake	7
31	68	Florence + the Machine - What the Water Gave Me	2
32	19	Fitz and the Tantrums - Dear Mr. President	12
33	62	The Big Troubles - Bite Yr Tongue	3
34	58	The Airborne Toxic Event - All I Ever Wanted	4
35	40	Trevor Hall - Brand New Day	6
36	33	Scotty McCreery - I Love You This Big	14
37	27	Cee Lo Green - Bright Lights, Bigger City	9
38	39	Lenny Kravitz - Stand	8
39	36	Yacht - Dystopia	10
40	30	Adele - Rolling In the Deep	38
41	29	Portugal the Man - Got It All	12
42	38	Kenny Chesney f. Grace Potter - You & Tequila	13
43	34	Generationals - Ten Twenty Ten	9
44	52	Jason Aldean - Dirt Road Anthem	5
45	42	Adele - Rumour Has It	19
46	72	Macy Gray - Kissed It	3
47	37	My Morning Jacket - Holdin' On to Black Metal	15
48	46	Gomez - Options	14
49	63	Incubus - Promises, Promises	7
50	66	Haley Reinhart - House of the Rising Sun	3
51	53	Holy Ghost! - Do It Again	5
52	32	The Black Keys - Everlasting Light	12
53	69	Grouplove - Colours	6
54	35	Arcade Fire - Month of May	16
55	41	Train - Save Me San Francisco	17
56	43	Foo Fighters - Walk	12
57	60	Adele - Someone Like You	19
58	65	The Band Perry - If I Die Young	9
59	74	The Rosebuds - Second Bird of Paradise	4
60	----	TOP DEBUT:   CAGE THE ELEPHANT "Aberdeen" Album: Thank You, Happy Birthday	1
61	45	Lady Gaga - The Edge of Glory	12
62	59	The Lonely Forest - We Sing In Time	11
63	64	Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks	32
64	87	Evanescence - What You Want	2
65	50	Neon Trees - Your Surrender	19
66	56	Beastie Boys - Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win	8
67	89	Mister Heavenly - Mister Heavenly	3
68	51	KT Tunstall - Glamour Puss	10
69	55	Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi-Two Against One	21
70	44	Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall	13
71	57	Arctic Monkeys - Don't Sit Down 'Cause I Moved Your Chair	14
72	67	Goo Goo Dolls - All That You Are	8
73	76	Mutemath - Blood Pressure	4
74	98	Cults - Go Outside	2
75	48	Sleeper Agent - Get It Daddy	10
76	80	Surfer Blood- Swim	4
77	88	The Drums - Money	2
78	95	Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside - I Swear	2
79	73	Colbie Calliat - Brighter Than the Sun	8
80	81	Lady Antebellum - Just A Kiss	3
81	61	The Strokes - Taken For A Fool	16
82	82	O.A.R.- Heaven	5
83	----	Thom Sebastian & the Hounds of Winter - Not Broken	1
84	78	Young the Giant - Cough Syrup	9
85	83	Alter Bridge - Ghost of Days Gone By	4
86	77	Ray Lamontagne & the Pariah Dogs - Repo Man	15
87	91	Lauren Alaina - Like My Mother Does	2
88	70	Kate Voegele - Heart In Chains	16
89	86	The Mountain Goats - Estate Sale Sign	4
90	----	Oberhofer - Gotta Go	1
91	----	Little Dragon - Shuffle a Dream	1
92	71	Lykke Li - Get Some	16
93	79	The Decemberists - Calamity Song	6
94	----	Lady Gaga - You and I	1
95	----	Imdela May - Mayhem	1
96	----	Thompson Square - I Got You	1
97	75	Brett Dennon - Comeback Kid	12
98	94	Jane's Addiction - Irresistable Force	3
99	----	White Denim - Drug	1
100	----	Gillian Welch - The Way It Goes	1