A Nice Windup to A Career (Music Review week of 11/7/2011)

First up, I just want to say thank you for those that hung around on Facebook last Friday night when I "counted" down my Top 10.  The comments I got on most of the songs were well appreciated.    I seem to have amassed a nice handful of people who are into new music.    I've seen more and more posts of relevant new stuff here and I'd like to say that I've contributed my share of new tunes to unearth.    With that said:

The big track for me this week is the new (and final) R.E.M. single, "We All Go Back to Where We Belong".  It's my Pick of the Week and Top Debut at #70.    It's the one new track from their upcoming compilation "Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage".   Let's put it this way, this is their best song in years.   It makes up for the lackluster material from their last studio album, Collapse Into Now.   It's a fitting sentimental song, reminicent of "Imitation of Life" (from Reveal) and the video features Kirsten Dunst (always a pleasure to look at!).    I blogged about them a couple months back about their effect on my life's activites, and now we have a final epiloge.   Worth checking out.

Close behind at #73 is a song that is not new, but I thought it was time to hear another Fleet Foxes song, the fourth to land in my survey.  "Lorelai", from Helplessness Blues, is another gem from this Seattle band, a bit more stated vocals, but still what you'd expect.    "Grown Ocean" no doubt will be one of my year's favorites, and this one will make a good supplement as well.

Two other bands that had made an impact earlier, debut in the 80's.    Joy Formidable had a big hit on SnS about a year ago called "Whirring", which landed at #11, and made my year-end list.    The track was from their album The Big Roar, released back in January.     It took this long for the follow-up, "A Heavy Abacus" only because the former song took a life of its own this year.    It stayed in rotation at WEQX in Manchester VT well into this summer, and reached #7 on Billboard's Alternative Chart, almost threatening to become another "Pumped Up Kicks".     The new single is a bit slower, but that only gives  a chance to emphasize the North Wales' band's singer Litzy Bryan's vocal abilities.   For those who forgot about this three-piece, this is a good way to reacquaint yourself.  As for a tour, they can't get much closer:  November 14th at Prudential Center in Newark.

Finally, there's Portugal. The Man, with their third entry onto SnS, called "So American".    Their previous efforts, "People Say" and "Got it All" hit #12 and #13 respectively, and I like this one's chances as well.   A little more emotional than the other two, but only a little, and it's catchy enough to crack the top 20 once again.  It's the second track off the Alaska band's latest, In the Mountain, In the Cloud.  

CHARTWISE:

The Dum Dum Girls' "Coming Down" hold for a third week at the top and I've been getting good feedback the last two times I've posted this video.    I haven't yet tired of the song and apparently others haven't either.   Hanging in there surprisingly at #2 is "Stay Young Go Dancing" by Death Cab For Cutie.   Drawing blanks the first time I posted the video, I put it up there twice, with many comments coming in.   Much of it has to do with their name, which I just learned was taken from a song by the Bonzo Doo Dog Band, as featured in the Beatles' movie Magical Mystery Tour. 

The top 5 is strong with Mayer Hawthorne jumping to #3 pushing Omnia down to #4.  However, "What's Become of Us" is not over by any means; it still has a good chance to equal her sister Leila's "Hush Little Baby" at the top spot.   The only new entry in the top 10 is the second hit from Best Coast, "Our Deal".

Several entries into the top 20, led by The Vaccines' "Wetsuit", their second; and a huge move by The Black Keys' "Lonely Boy", (57-17) which really isn't a surprise considering I like the band, it's a new song and some other friends have posted it.     Sneaking into the last two positions are Adele's "I'll Be Waiting" and Coldplay's "Paradise".    After stalling at #22 with their previous two singles this one makes it in.  

As for Adele, this is her record fifth song to make my top 20, all from her album 21.  You may have heard that once again, she had to cancel her tour dates due to an ongoing throat problem, in which she'll need surgery.    But her popularity remains unabated.  She once again hit the top album slot with 21, for a thirteenth week.    "Someone Like You", a former #1 here, just concluded a five week run at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100.     It has been announced that "Rumour Has It" will be the official third single.    Like the other two, "Rumour" hit #1 on SnS for two weeks in April.     "I'll be Waiting" was suggested to me from Facebook friend Keila Baez, and it is a great song.   I will be adding a sixth song, a cover of The Cure's "Lovesong" shortly.    


Scenes'n'Soundwaves 100 for Week of November 7, 2011.

1	1	DUM DUM GIRLS "Coming Down" Album: Only In Dreams (3 Weeks at #1)	7
2	2	Death Cab For Cutie - Stay Young Go Dancing	14
3	6	Mayer Hawthorne - The Walk	5
4	3	Omnia - What's Become of Us?	7
5	7	Sarah Jean - Hometown	8
6	4	Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside - I Swear	12
7	5	Florence + the Machine - What the Water Gave Me	12
8	8	Anna Calvi - Blackout	13
9	9	Rachel Allyn - Lovely Lily	12
10	12	Best Coast - Our Deal	9
11	10	The Big Troubles - Bite Yr Tongue	13
12	20	Florence + the Machine - Shake It Out	4
13	19	Ellie Goulding - Lights	6
14	11	The Kooks - Junk of the Heart	18
15	15	Cage the Elephant - Aberdeen	11
16	26	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:   THE VACCINES "Wetsuit" Album: What Did You Expect from The Vaccines	4
17	57	MOVER OF THE WEEK:   THE BLACK KEYS "Lonely Boy" Album: El Camino	2
18	16	Stephen Malkus and the Jicks - Tigers	8
19	21	Adele - I'll Be Waiting	9
20	22	Coldplay - Paradise	9

21	13	Bush - The Sound of Winter	14
22	25	Paul Czekaj - My Home New Jersey	8
23	17	Thom Sebastian & the Hounds of Winter - Not Broken	11
24	14	Fitz and the Tantrums - Pickin' Up the Pieces	15
25	18	Wilco - I Might	16
26	27	Snow Patrol - Called Out In the Dark	9
27	35	Real Estate - It's Real	4
28	37	Sleeper Agent- That's My Baby	5
29	28	Little Dragon - Shuffle a Dream	11
30	24	Oberhofer - Gotta Go	11
31	36	Sara Bareilles - Gonna Get Over You	5
32	33	Carolina Liar - Drown	10
33	61	Red Hot Chili Peppers - Monarch and Roses	2
34	34	Omnia - Grace	7
35	38	Duran Duran - Leave A Light On	6
36	23	Surfer Blood- Swim	14
37	47	Zac Brown Band - Keep Me In Mind	4
38	29	Plan B- Love Goes Down	20
39	43	Scars on 45 - Heart on Fire	8
40	60	Phantogram - Don't Move	3
41	42	Bell X1 - 4 Minute Mile	10
42	44	Washed Out - Eyes Be Closed	9
43	48	Foo Fighters - These Days	5
44	51	Dawes - Time Spent in Los Angeles	6
45	63	Two Door Cinema Club - Undercover Martyn	3
46	30	Michelle Branch - Loud Music	18
47	31	Dom - Happy Birthday Party	9
48	50	Daughtry - Crawling Back to You	6
49	56	Blitzen Trapper - Love the Way You Walk Away	7
50	49	Beirut - Santa Fe	7
51	32	Mister Heavenly - Mister Heavenly	13
52	41	Needtobreathe - Drive All Night	10
53	39	Best Coast - Something In The Way	21
54	75	Foster the People - Don't Stop	2
55	62	St. Vincent - Cruel	7
56	55	Fruit Bats - Tangle and Ray	6
57	40	Imelda May - Mayhem	11
58	69	The Big Troubles - She Smiles for Pictures	3
59	59	Rachel Platten - 1,000 Ships	7
60	46	Man Man - Knuckle Down	10
61	66	Kelly Clarkson - Mr. Know It All	10
62	54	Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman - It Begins Tonight	9
63	72	Gillian Welch - The Way It Goes	11
64	82	Katy Perry - The One That Got Away	3
65	45	SuperHeavy - Miracle Worker	16
66	77	Kasabian - Days Are Forgotten	4
67	80	Martin Solvag & Dragonette - Hello	3
68	68	Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse - Body and Soul	7
69	76	We Are Augustines - Book of James	5
70	----	TOP DEBUT:   R.E.M. "We All Go Back To Where We Belong" Album: Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982-2011	1
71	52	The Airborne Toxic Event - All I Ever Wanted	14
72	79	WU LYF - Spitting Blood	4
73	----	Fleet Foxes - Lorelai	1
74	58	Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie	17
75	83	The Fray - Heartbeat	3
76	95	Kathleen Edwards - Change the Sheets	2
77	53	Kate Voegele - Sandcastles	10
78	74	Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks	42
79	84	Funeral Party - NYC Moves to the Sound of LA	5
80	67	Avi Buffalo - How Come	20
81	92	Graffiti6 - Free	2
82	91	Blink-182 - Up All Night	3
83	87	Nickelback- Bottoms Up	4
84	----	Joy Formidable - A Heavy Abacus	1
85	65	Grouplove - Colours	16
86	64	Cults - Go Outside	12
87	70	Lady Gaga - You and I	11
88	----	Portugal. The Man - So American	1
89	71	Macy Gray - Kissed It	13
90	73	The Jayhawks - She Walks In So Many Ways	15
91	81	Adele - Someone Like You	29
92	98	Simple Plan f. Natasha Bedingfield - Jet Lag	3
93	99	Awolnation - Not Your Fault	2
94	RE-ENTRY	Ryan Adams - Lucky Now	4
95	----	Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Maniac	1
96	88	Fleet Foxes - Grown Ocean	26
97	----	First Aid Kit - Lion's Roar	1
98	89	Incubus - Promises, Promises	17
99	----	Rihanna - We Found Love	1
100	----	Ladytron - White Elephant	1

TREMORS:

101. Avenged Sevenfold, Buried Alive
102. Nicki Minaj, Super Bass
103. Bombay Bicycle Club, Shuffle
104. Redlight King, Bullet In My Head