Tennis, Anyone? (Music Review - 1/30/2012)

Well, it's another Friday night.   I sit here alone trying to get this blog out.    Our department at work had been feverishly trying all month to meet a deadline, which was this Tuesday, January 31, so all my weekday time was spend doing that.    I am happy to report that we met our goal.    Yet, here I am on a Friday night trying to get this blog thru the door.     Next week, though will be different.     Although you wouldn't know it from the weather, next Thursday night, I'll be heading up to Lake Placid for a ski weekend with some friends, so I will have to FORCE myself to get this done early.

"Origins" by the Denver duo Tennis, not surprisingly, grabs the top spot in only its fourth week, knocking out Rachel Allyn's "Ain't No Fun".    Both songs are still making gains, though.   Rachel played a happy hour set at the venerable Bar A in Lake Como, near Belmar, sponsored by Country radio station Thunder 106, which awarded Ms. Allyn and her band, the station's House Band, having won that contest late last summer.   Although I wanted to go, and that particular day saw the temperature get up into the 60's, alas it was not to be, those trips to the shore don't make too much sense during the week.   Oh well.    Looking at both Rachel's and Thunder's pic, it looked like a good time was had by all!

There is competition overall in the top 6 as all are making solid gains, but Atlas Sound, and the Cranberries make the big moves, while Omnia and Adele hold steady in the top five.  Sharon Von Etten's "Serpents" is the only new entry in the top 10, although Mayer Hawthorne's "The Walk", inches back into the 10 position, as the song moves up to #2 on Billboard's Triple-A chart, behind Florence + the Machine's "Shake It Out".  The big Impact song this week is "Tongue Tied" by Grouplove (23-14).  It's the LA band's first SnS top 20 song, their previous outing, "Colors" peaked at #33 last year.

The Top Debut and Pick of the Week is the second single by The Black Keys, "Gold in the Ceiling", at #60, from El Camino.  Just behind is another second single, that would be "At Last" (no relation to the late, great Etta James' song), from Sarah Teti (aka Sarah Jean), the follow-up to her #3 "Hometown".    While the former entry is acoustic heaven, this one is a nice ballad with some nice orchestration to it.   I like this one's chances.   Yet another second single, this one by Bush, "Baby Come Home" debuts at #66.

After those fast starts, come some new stuff, two by established stars, and two newbies.   Let's start off with Madonna's heralded new single "Give Me All Your Luvin'", at #69.    In case you have been hiding under a rock, the prima diva will perform at the half time show in Indianapolis, between the Patriots and Giants.     The new entry features Nicki Minaj (of "Superbass" fame), as well as M.I.A.   A bit of a new sound for her, although there are traces of vintage Madonna in there as well.

Two bands that I have not yet heard of come next.   Wild Nothing's "Nowhere" and Caveman's "Old Friend".   Wild Nothing, another one-man band (Jack Tatum) has been around since 2009 and the style is of the dream-pop nature.    And catchy, too.    Caveman, from New York City has a nice one as well with "Old Friend".  CoCo Beware is their latest, released last year. 

Finally, at #89 is the new single by Jack White, "Love Interruption".  After participating in bands such as The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather, not to mention his featured billing on "Two Against One" by Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi, finally goes solo.     His album, Blundergrass, is due on April 23.  The single is a big on the mellower, although uptempo.   First impressions are so-so, but then again, for me, it takes a while before I get used to a Jack White record.    And I'm sure that will happen here as well.  

This weekend, as I've mentioned is the Super Bowl, and I am going to a party hosted by Brian Sniatkowski, who is a Giants fan, but who also is into new music; the name is familiar as I have periodically referenced his picks of the week.     It is possible I may be introduced to some new music before the big game over at his place.   We shall see.


Scenes 'n' Soundwaves 100 for the week of January 30, 2012

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	3	TENNIS "Origins" Album: Young & Old	4
2	1	Rachel Allyn- Ain't No Fun	7
3	6	Atlas Sound - The Shakes	8
4	4	Omnia- Change This Place	7
5	5	Adele - One and Only	10
6	12	The Cranberries - Tomorrow	5
7	2	The Black Keys - Lonely Boy	13
8	10	Wilco - Dawned On Me	6
9	17	Sharon Van Etten - Serpents	7
10	11	Mayer Hawthorne - The Walk	16
11	15	The Knux - Razorblade	11
12	9	Red Hot Chili Peppers - Monarchy and Roses	13
13	7	Ellie Goulding - Lights	17
14	23	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:   GROUPLOVE "Tongue Tied" Album: Never Trush a Happy Song	7
15	14	Lana Del Rey - Video Games	7
16	19	Adele - Love Song	10
17	21	The Kooks - How'd You Like That	6
18	8	R.E.M. - We All Go Back To Where We Belong	12
19	20	Lady Gaga - Marry the Night	7
20	24	Silversun Pickups - Broken Bottles	5

21	37	Kelly Clarkson - Stronger	4
22	25	Fitz and the Tantrums - Breaking The Chains of Love	5
23	16	Phantogram - Don't Move	14
24	13	Graffiti6 - Free	13
25	18	Real Estate - It's Real	15
26	43	MOVER OF THE WEEK:     THE RAPTURE "How Deep Is Your Love" Album: In The Grace of Your Love	3
27	22	Blitzen Trapper - Love the Way You Walk Away	18
28	31	Snow Patrol - New York	5
29	28	Martin Solvag & Dragonette - Hello	14
30	26	Foster the People - Don't Stop (Colors on the Walls)	13
31	30	M83 - Midnight City	8
32	27	Kathleen Edwards - Change the Sheets	13
33	33	Expensive Looks - Nothing More	9
34	46	Pageants - Edible Rust	3
35	29	The Kooks - Junk of the Heart	29
36	36	Two Door Cinema Club - Undercover Martyn	14
37	45	Florence + the Machine - No Light, No Light	3
38	41	Fun f. Jarelli Monee - We Are Young	9
39	32	Fleet Foxes - Lorelai	12
40	44	Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks	6
41	47	The Shins - Simple Song	3
42	35	Dum Dum Girls - Coming Down	18
43	34	Scars on 45 - Heart on Fire	19
44	39	Florence + the Machine - What the Water Gave Me	23
45	38	Warren Haynes - River's Gonna Rise	11
46	42	The Big Troubles - She Smiles for Pictures	14
47	40	Sleeper Agent- That's My Baby	16
48	48	Death Cab for Cutie - Home Is A Fire	8
49	56	Train - Drive By	3
50	61	My Morning Jacket - First Light	4
51	49	Kasabian - Days Are Forgotten	15
52	84	Gotye - Somebody That I Used to Know	2
53	57	Mumford & Sons - Winter Winds	9
54	68	The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Heart Attack	3
55	51	Death Cab For Cutie - Stay Young Go Dancing	25
56	55	Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Maniac	12
57	72	Coldplay - Charlie Brown	3
58	73	Sleeper Agent - Get Burned	8
59	67	Adele - Set Fire To the Rain	29
60	----	TOP DEBUT:   THE BLACK KEYS "Gold On the Ceiling" Album: El Camino	1
61	76	Dr. Dog - That Old Black Hole	2
62	----	Sarah Jean - At Last	1
63	54	Carolina Liar - Drown	21
64	62	Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside - I Swear	23
65	53	Florence + the Machine - Shake It Out	15
66	----	Bush - Baby Come Home	11
67	52	Omnia - What's Become of Us?	18
68	81	Veronica Falls - Bad Feeling	17
69	----	Madonna - Give Me All Your Luvin'	1
70	50	Katy Perry - The One That Got Away	14
71	60	Sarah Jean - Hometown	19
72	74	Neon Trees - Everybody Talks	4
73	58	Zac Brown Band - Keep Me In Mind	15
74	63	Dawes - Time Spent in Los Angeles	17
75	59	Portugal. The Man - So American	12
76	----	Wild Nothing - Nowhere	1
77	87	Heartless Bastards - Parted Ways	2
78	64	Deer Tick - Let's All Go To the Bar	9
79	69	Man Man - Knuckle Down	21
80	85	Band of Skulls - Sweet Sour	4
81	86	Frank Turner - If I Ever Stray	3
82	----	Caveman - Old Friend	1
83	70	Paul Czekaj - My Home New Jersey	19
84	82	Mates of State - Maracas	6
85	65	St. Vincent - Cruel	18
86	89	Zac Brown Band - No Hurry	2
87	77	Fitz and the Tantrums - Pickin' Up the Pieces	26
88	80	Outasight - Tonight Is the Night	5
89	----	Jack White - Love Interruption	1
90	71	Adele - I'll Be Waiting	20
91	----	The Features - Big Mama Gonna Whip	1
92	----	Bon Iver - Holocene	1
93	66	Grace Potter & the Nocturnals - Naughty, Naughty Children	10
94	90	Shinedown - Bully	4
95	----	Gary Clark Jr - Bright Lights	1
96	75	Beirut - Santa Fe	18
97	78	First Aid Kit - Lion's Roar	12
98	92	Wilco - I Might	27
99	79	Blink-182 - Up All Night	14
100	83	Joy Formidable - A Heavy Abacus	12