FATT and Adele Continue Domination (Music Review Week of 9/12/2011)

An interesting week with some well-known artists as well as some semi-newbies, so let's get right to it.

Fitz & the Tantrums' "Picking Up the Pieces of Love" finally dethrones Wilco's "I Might" to take the #1 spot on the Scenes'n'Soundwaves 100.   It's the soul outfit's second #1 on my chart, following the four-week run of "MoneyGrabber" last winter.    Wilco, after 4 weeks at the summit, drops to #2, but enters the top 10 on the Triple-A formatted radio chart run by Billboard.

But I think it would be a gross understatement if we didn't call 2011 the "Year of Adele".    Last week, the British soul singer added another feature to her cap, with her riveting performance of her current single "Someone Like You" at the VMA's.  As a result, that single jumped from 19 to 1 on the Hot 100, as mentioned last week.     It also resurges from 55 to 38 on my chart.  It had spent two weeks at the top last spring.     This is the week I also added another song from her best-selling 21 album, "I'll Be Waiting", a mid-tempo chugger recommended by a friend.    It's the fifth song from that album I have added, tying Arcade Fire's Grammy-winning The Suburbs for most tracks on my list.     All five of her songs are still here, including "Rolling In the Deep", now in its 40th week.


The top 5 is still solid this week, as The Kooks' "Junk of the Heart" is still growing on me, and switches places with the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "..Rain Dance Maggie".  Michelle Branch, Florence + the Machine, and Rachel Allyn enter the top 10 (the fourth such honor for Ms. Allyn, tying her with FATT and Adele for most appearances there)

The top 20 is entered this week by Death Cab for Cutie (2nd in a row), Anna Calvi, Bush (also second in a row), and an outfit called The Big Troubles, who are based in Ridgewood NJ.    Their song, "Bite Yr Tongue", a lush-wall-of-sound new wave entry by them.   Check them out in Brooklyn on September 22.  Their video for this song features some Jersey places, see if you can recognize some of them.  White Manna, anyone?

ELSEWHERE:   The top two debuts are follow-ups to top 10 songs.  As Best Coast's "Something In the Way" hangs in the top 5; their follow-up, "Our Deal" is the top debut and Pick of the Week at #55.    Apparently this is a big play for national airplay; the video was directed by actress Drew Barrymore and is going for airplay on VH-1, although it hasn't hit any charts yet.  As their name suggests, they are from the west coast (although we all know the best coast is right here in the east, right?).  Along with many other bands, they have embraced the "surf rock" revival sound, with a bit of British Invasion thrown in for good measure, and has sort of a 'sentimental sound'.  This is another winner and should join its predecessor in the top 5 pretty shortly.

The second highest entry belongs to Dom, the follow-up to "Living In America".  This one is called "Happy Birthday Party".  It's the first single from their new set Family of Love, a rhythmic, bouncy, new wave-ish kind of thing going on here.  Adele is next, followed by two bands who I often get confused with each other, Coldplay and Snow Patrol.    Coldplay's new single is "Paradise" and comes from their upcoming set Mylo Xyloto, due on October 24.    The first single, "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall", reached #22 on my chart.  This one, more in line with their style (not that the previous one was that drastic), is a slow moving piece rather orchestral in nature.  Coldplay was supposed to play here at PNC Bank Arts Center last Sunday, but was canceled.  Hopefully it'll be rescheduled soon.

Snow Patrol's new one is from their forthcoming album, Fallen Empires, due late this year or early 2012.  A great chugging, emotional uptempo entry from them entitled "Called Out in the Dark".   Worthy of several spins.  The band is touring overseas, but will be here in 2012.  


Scenes 'n' Soundwaves 100 for Week of September 19, 2011

1	2	FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS "Pickin' Up the Pieces of Love" Album: Pickin' Up the Pieces	7
2	1	Wilco - I Might	8
3	4	The Kooks - Junk of the Heart	10
4	3	Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie	9
5	5	Best Coast - Something In The Way	13
6	7	Lykke Li - Rich Kids Blues	8
7	6	Plan B- Love Goes Down	12
8	12	Michelle Branch - Loud Music	10
9	15	Florence + the Machine - What the Water Gave Me	4
10	14	Rachel Allyn - Lovely Lily	4
11	8	Avi Buffalo - How Come	12
12	10	Fitz and the Tantrums - Don't Gotta Work It Out	8
13	11	Los Lonely Boys - 16 Monkeys	9
14	24	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:   DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE "Stay Young Go Dancing" Album: Codes and Keys	6
15	22	Anna Calvi - Blackout	5
16	9	Brilliant Colors - Value Lines	10
17	21	Bush - The Sound of Winter	6
18	26	The Big Troubles - Bite Yr Tongue	5
19	17	SuperHeavy - Miracle Worker	8
20	13	Fleet Foxes - Grown Ocean	18

21	19	The Antlers - Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out	7
22	27	The Airborne Toxic Event - All I Ever Wanted	6
23	20	Maroon 5 f. Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger	9
24	23	Adele - Set Fire To the Rain	11
25	25	The Jayhawks - She Walks In So Many Ways	7
26	16	Rachel Allyn - Say Hello To Goodbye	16
27	43	MOVER OF THE WEEK:   SALLIE FORD AND THE SOUND OUTSIDE "I Swear" Album: Dirty Radio	4
28	18	Katy Perry - Last Friday Night	14
29	40	Thom Sebastian & the Hounds of Winter - Not Broken	3
30	29	PJ Harvey - Let England Shake	9
31	36	Cage the Elephant - Aberdeen	3
32	34	Macy Gray - Kissed It	5
33	32	Trevor Hall - Brand New Day	8
34	28	Zac Brown Band f Jimmy Buffet - Knee Deep	19
35	33	Foster the People - Helena Beat	10
36	31	Florence + the Machine - You Got the Love	18
37	41	Grouplove - Colours	8
38	55	Adele - Someone Like You	21
39	39	Haley Reinhart - House of the Rising Sun	5
40	30	Wild Flag - Romance	12
41	42	Incubus - Promises, Promises	9
42	47	Evanescence - What You Want	4
43	54	Mister Heavenly - Mister Heavenly	5
44	50	Cults - Go Outside	4
45	62	Oberhofer - Gotta Go	3
46	60	Surfer Blood- Swim	6
47	61	The Drums - Money	4
48	48	The Rosebuds - Second Bird of Paradise	6
49	35	Lenny Kravitz - Stand	10
50	38	Scotty McCreery - I Love You This Big	16
51	45	Adele - Rolling In the Deep	40
52	56	Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks	34
53	59	Mutemath - Blood Pressure	6
54	37	We Are Augustines - Chapel Song	13
55	----	TOP DEBUT:     BEST COAST "Our Deal" Album: Crazy For You	1
56	69	Lady Gaga - You and I	3
57	79	Imdela May - Mayhem	3
58	46	Kenny Chesney f. Grace Potter - You & Tequila	15
59	49	Jason Aldean - Dirt Road Anthem	7
60	53	Generationals - Ten Twenty Ten	11
61	73	Carolina Liar - Drown	2
62	75	Thompson Square - I Got You	3
63	44	Cee Lo Green - Bright Lights, Bigger City	11
64	68	Little Dragon - Shuffle a Dream	3
65	84	Bell X1 - 4 Minute Mile	2
66	----	Dom - Happy Birthday Party	1
67	65	Lady Antebellum - Just A Kiss	5
68	89	Man Man - Knuckle Down	2
69	52	Portugal the Man - Got It All	14
70	57	Adele - Rumour Has It	21
71	72	O.A.R.- Heaven	7
72	91	Kelly Clarkson - Mr. Know It All	2
73	51	Fitz and the Tantrums - Dear Mr. President	14
74	96	Kate Voegele - Sandcastles	2
75	78	Alter Bridge - Ghost of Days Gone By	6
76	90	Needtobreathe - Drive All Night	2
77	58	The Band Perry - If I Die Young	11
78	66	My Morning Jacket - Holdin' On to Black Metal	17
79	82	Lauren Alaina - Like My Mother Does	4
80	95	Gillian Welch - The Way It Goes	3
81	----	Adele - I'll Be Waiting	1
82	71	Arctic Monkeys - Don't Sit Down 'Cause I Moved Your Chair	16
83	88	The Mountain Goats - Estate Sale Sign	6
84	64	Train - Save Me San Francisco	19
85	94	White Denim - Drug	3
86	63	Yacht - Dystopia	12
87	74	Neon Trees - Your Surrender	21
88	----	Coldplay - Paradise	1
89	----	Washed Out - Eyes Be Closed	1
90	70	Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi-Two Against One	23
91	77	Goo Goo Dolls - All That You Are	10
92	----	Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman - It Begins Tonight	1
93	----	Snow Patrol - Called Out In the Dark	1
94	86	Foo Fighters - Walk	14
95	83	The Lonely Forest - We Sing In Time	13
96	RE-ENTRY	Kopecky Family Band - Howlin' At the Moon	4
97	----	The Chills - Blue October	1
98	----	Rihanna - Cheers	1
99	----	Sublime with Rome - Take It Or Leave It	1
100	76	Arcade Fire - Month of May	18