Ridgewood-stock? (Music Review week of 10/24/2011)

A couple weeks ago, my wife, a fan of The Food Network, among other things, wanted me to drive her to Ridgewood NJ.   Seems that one of that cable channel's personalities, Paula Deen, was in town to sign copies of her latest book at the town's bookstore, Bookends.    Now I know authors do this all the time, but I wondered, Ridgewood?   A nice town, mind you, in the bosoms of suburbia, but it's not exactly the hot place to be.

But then, I remembered something.     A couple months ago, my friend Craig Young posted a video by a band called The Big Troubles, "Bite Yr Tongue".    I loved it, and it has been ensconced in my top 10 for several weeks now, and the follow up "She Smiles for Pictures" is this week's third highest debut, coming in at #85.   Fine and good.    But then last week, I came across a band that was getting airplay on radio station WFUV's The Alternative Side, called Real Estate.    The song, "It's Real", entered last week at #88 and is the Mover of the Week at #50 this go-round, was by another band from, you guessed it, Ridgewood.    So I wondered, could this Bergen County town be the next San Francisco, Seattle, or even Brooklyn?

I tried finding a website that may clue me in...On the NPR site http://www.npr.org/ , an article written by Sami Yenigun dated last August (coincidentally, when I started blogging), explored why music scenes grow where they do.    The article lists, aside from Real Estate, acts such as Family Portrait, Senses Fail, and Vivian Girls, and they interview Real Estate's Alex Bleeker.     The jist of the article indicates that despite the towns image as an upscale-class suburban town, the school system had a great music program.    It seems that their high school hosted some kind of open-mic nights, which gave the towns aspiring musicians a shot to show and develop their musical abilities and identities.

Immediately, it reminded me of my own town, Roselle Park, and how we had battle of the bands and things quite similar.    I wrote a blog entry back in August talking about our music, which, even though you don't hear on the radio, was a big part of growing up.     And I wish those living in Ridgewood the same.

The full article can be accessed here:   http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2010/08/12/129162870/ridgewood-n-j-why-here-why-now


THIS WEEK:  We have a new number 1 song on SnS,  LA based indie band Dum Dum Girls reach the zenith with "Coming Down", in its fifth week on the list, probably not surprising given its historic jump a couple weeks back.    Several of my friends love this slow, haunting song, which really does grab hold of you.    It sounds like a possible lengthy run, but there are several other strong songs making a statement that may curtail that reign on top.     Making bids for the top spot are Death Cab for Cutie's beautiful "Stay Young, Go Dancing" (#2),  Omnia's "What's Become of Us" (#6), Sarah Jean's "Hometown"(#10) and Mayer Hawthorne's soulful "The Walk", the Impact song this week jumping to #11 in its third week.    These songs, particularly the last three are making big impressions.    The acoustic-ness of the Omnia and Sarah Jean entries are very gratifying; one doesn't need decibels to make it these days.     Should be an interesting watch in the weeks to come.

MOVIN' ON UP:  Big movers this week include Ellie Goulding's "Lights".   A British singer, the song is from her 2010 album Lights/Bright Lights.  A catchy mix of mainstream and indie-pop sensibilities, this is becoming her breakthrough song (after several single attempts).   She has been compared to the likes of Lykke Li and Bjork, among others...not a bad group to be in!   And she will have even more exposure in the coming months, when she'll open for Katy Perry, and that will include November 16 at Madison Square Garden.     

Two Door Cinema Club, which has made the SnS top 10 twice thus far, had put out its third single from Tourist History, released in 2010, "Undercover Martyn" is a more dancier kind of sound than displayed on the previous two songs.      It debuts at #79 as the Top Debut/Pick of the Week.    Another band to watch is Phantogram, debuting at #92 with 'Don't Move".     The duo, formed in 2007, hail from Saratoga Springs, NY.   This is a unique blend on synth-pop, with syncopated rhythms and horns thrown in for good measure.   They describe it as "street beats and psychedelic pop".   Their EP, Nightlife, will be released on November 1.    They have toured in the past with the following bands who have made my SnS chart:  The Antlers, Beach House, Metric, and Ra Ra Riot....a pretty good group right there.   No New York dates as of yet, the closest they will be is at Royale Boston November 19.  A good future for this outfit.

Finally, on the pop side, there's the aforementioned Katy Perry's sixth single from Teenage Dream, "The One That Got Away".    As you know, the first five all hit number one, the first female artist to do that from one album.     Those songs had a wide range of styles.   Two of them, "Firework" and "Last Friday Night" hit my top 3, but the others didn't perform as well.    This one is more down the center of the pop aisle.   It is what it is.    It's a notch or two behind the two faves I mentioned but well ahead of the others.   I don't think it'll hit the top of the national charts, though.

Scenes n' Soundwaves for the Week of October 24, 2011:

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	3	DUM DUM GIRLS "Coming Down" Album: Only In Dreams	5
2	4	Death Cab For Cutie - Stay Young Go Dancing	12
3	2	Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside - I Swear	10
4	1	Florence + the Machine - What the Water Gave Me	10
5	5	Rachel Allyn - Lovely Lily	10
6	11	Omnia - What's Become of Us?	5
7	8	Anna Calvi - Blackout	11
8	7	The Big Troubles - Bite Yr Tongue	11
9	6	The Kooks - Junk of the Heart	16
10	17	Sarah Jean - Hometown	6
11	21	IMPACT OF THE WEEK:   MAYER HAWTHORNE "The Walk" Album: How Do You Do?	3
12	9	Fitz and the Tantrums - Pickin' Up the Pieces	13
13	10	Bush - The Sound of Winter	12
14	15	Best Coast - Our Deal	7
15	12	Wilco - I Might	14
16	16	Cage the Elephant - Aberdeen	9
17	14	Thom Sebastian & the Hounds of Winter - Not Broken	9
18	19	Stephen Malkus and the Jicks - Tigers	6
19	13	Michelle Branch - Loud Music	16
20	22	Surfer Blood- Swim	12

21	25	Oberhofer - Gotta Go	9
22	18	Plan B- Love Goes Down	18
23	28	Adele - I'll Be Waiting	7
24	24	Dom - Happy Birthday Party	7
25	23	Mister Heavenly - Mister Heavenly	11
26	20	Imelda May - Mayhem	9
27	34	Coldplay - Paradise	7
28	40	Paul Czekaj - My Home New Jersey	6
29	52	Ellie Goulding - Lights	4
30	26	Best Coast - Something In The Way	19
31	35	Snow Patrol - Called Out In the Dark	7
32	36	Little Dragon - Shuffle a Dream	9
33	59	Florence + the Machine - Shake It Out	2
34	27	SuperHeavy - Miracle Worker	14
35	33	Carolina Liar - Drown	8
36	44	Omnia - Grace	5
37	38	Needtobreathe - Drive All Night	8
38	75	The Vaccines - Wetsuit	2
39	29	Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie	15
40	30	Cults - Go Outside	10
41	32	Man Man - Knuckle Down	8
42	37	Lady Gaga - You and I	9
43	39	Bell X1 - 4 Minute Mile	8
44	53	Duran Duran - Leave A Light On	4
45	63	Sara Bareilles - Gonna Get Over You	3
46	47	Washed Out - Eyes Be Closed	7
47	49	Scars on 45 - Heart on Fire	6
48	41	The Airborne Toxic Event - All I Ever Wanted	12
49	31	Macy Gray - Kissed It	11
50	88	MOVER OF THE WEEK:   REAL ESTATE "It's Real" Album: Days	2
51	69	Sleeper Agent- That's My Baby	3
52	50	Kate Voegele - Sandcastles	8
53	42	Avi Buffalo - How Come	18
54	51	Grouplove - Colours	14
55	56	Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman - It Begins Tonight	7
56	67	Daughtry - Crawling Back to You	4
57	68	Foo Fighters - These Days	3
58	70	Beirut - Santa Fe	5
59	43	The Jayhawks - She Walks In So Many Ways	13
60	55	Gillian Welch - The Way It Goes	9
61	58	Rachel Platten - 1,000 Ships	5
62	83	Zac Brown Band - Keep Me In Mind	2
63	74	St. Vincent - Cruel	5
64	81	Fruit Bats - Tangle and Ray	4
65	62	Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks	40
66	45	The Drums - Money	10
67	85	Blitzen Trapper - Love the Way You Walk Away	5
68	46	Trevor Hall - Brand New Day	14
69	66	Kelly Clarkson - Mr. Know It All	8
70	57	Adele - Someone Like You	27
71	79	Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse - Body and Soul	5
72	87	Dawes - Time Spent in Los Angeles	4
73	48	Lykke Li - Rich Kids Blues	14
74	54	Thompson Square - I Got You	9
75	61	Fleet Foxes - Grown Ocean	24
76	73	Incubus - Promises, Promises	15
77	60	Fitz and the Tantrums - Don't Gotta Work It Out	14
78	86	We Are Augustines - Book of James	3
79	----	TOP DEBUT:   TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB "Undercover Martyn" Album: Tourist History	1
80	64	The Antlers - Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out	13
81	78	Rachel Allyn - Say Hello To Goodbye	22
82	80	PJ Harvey - Let England Shake	15
83	76	Los Lonely Boys - 16 Monkeys	15
84	72	Adele - Set Fire To the Rain	17
85	----	The Big Troubles - She Smiles for Pictures	1
86	90	Kasabian - Days Are Forgotten	2
87	96	WU LYF - Spitting Blood	2
88	65	Mutemath - Blood Pressure	12
89	77	Brilliant Colors - Value Lines	16
90	82	Foster the People - Helena Beat	16
91	91	Funeral Party - NYC Moves to the Sound of LA	3
92	----	Phantogram - Don't Move	1
93	71	Maroon 5 f. Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger	15
94	99	Nickelback- Bottoms Up	2
95	----	Katy Perry - The One That Got Away	1
96	84	Sublime with Rome - Take It Or Leave It	7
97	----	The Fray - Heartbeat	1
98	----	Martin Solvag & Dragonette - Hello	1
99	----	Blink-182 - Up All Night	1
100	----	Simple Plan f. Natasha Bedingfield - Jet Lag	1

TREMORS:

101. Ryan Adams, Lucky Now
102. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Manic
103. Awolnation, Not Your Fault
104. Teddybears, Rocket Scientist
105. Redlight King, Bullet In My Hand