First of all, I want to point out that this isn't my first anniversary of doing this music thing. It actually harkened back to August of 2010, when I decided that I wanted to embrace the music scene once again. So I took to writing Facebook notes about stuff I am listening to, and listing my top, favorite songs of the week as well.
As a person who loves to document various things going on in my life (and check out my photo albums if you don't believe me!), I always wanted to do some kind of blogging, especially since the practice has become rampant in the Internet era. I thought about somehow, relating my experiences of my life. But, like everything else, I put it on the back burner.
Then came April of 2011, when a good, longtime friend of mine, Trish Szymanski, decided I should do a blog, on music. She actually had suggested this a few weeks into doing my Facebook notes, but at the time I figured it was too much to set up, so maybe somewhere down the road. Well, when she said something again, I took a long, hard look at it. Writing Facebook notes was quick and simple, except when it came to (1) posting pictures, and (2) listing my Top 20 (and occasionally 100) songs of the week. You can't create tables in Facebook notes, so that was literally a pain in the ass.
So, in April of last year I tried writing a blog and taking my SNS 100 chart which I compile on a spreadsheet, and cutting and pasting into the blog. The result: Graphs! Boxes! YES! It was a go!
The next thing was settling on a name for the blog. The feeling was that I could combine two loves of mine: Music and the outdoors. I did a lot, especially in the 1990's, of backpacking, camping, whitewater rafting, and many other activities. Hence, a name that could encompass them both. I came up with the aliterative "Scenes 'n' Soundwaves", "scene" referring to scenes of my outdoor hikes, etc., while the "soundwaves" was about the music. So I had my name.
If you look thru the fifty plus prior blog entries, you will find one "outdoor" experience. That from a big rafting trip on the rain-swollen ("trip from hell") on the Upper Hudson river gorge in the Adirondacks of New York state. But that was it. Everything else was my music columns. So, what happened there?
Well, first of all, I didn't so any outdoor things recently (actually that part of my life has been on hold for years), and the music thing was just pumped out week after week, so guess what took charge? Then, I realized you can have more than one blog, so my reasoning was to create another one for the outdoors. Well, in spite of me taking up geocaching this year, that still hasn't happened. So it's still all about the music. If you noticed, I changed the blog statement to eliminate the "great outdoors" from it recently. And based on the response to the blog, I will keep on going with it until nobody looks at it anymore. And with 3,750 hits on this thing in the past year, it's time to keep rolling on.
This week, my Scenes'n'Soundwaves 100 chart looks even MORE like the Billboard Hot 100 as well as the Alternative chart. That's because Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" moves from #3 to #2 on the big chart. And, with that song (which was #1 on the Alternative chart the past few weeks), flip-flopping with fun.'s "We Are Young", all three charts are now the same, as those songs hold at #1 and #2 for four weeks now; with the fun. record still on top. I can't remember the last time two Alternative songs led the big parade (first time ever, perhaps?), but I am happy that they are two songs that I love. By the way, they are also the top two songs on the Triple-A chart (although Gotye is first, followed by fun.), and now on the Adult Top 40 chart, both are advancing in the top 10. These two songs could be at the top for weeks.
For me, however, I may have to leave the party next week. Moving into the #3 slot is "Screws Get Loose" by Those Darlins. I know songs get into your head, but this one is driving me up a wall. I love this one so much (and apparently a good handful of my Facebook friends do as well), that it's moving up. I expect this to move ahead of "Somebody That I Used to Know" and challenge "We Are Young" next week. Unfortunately, this song is NOT on any chart, and it's important that songs like this should be. Two indie songs at the top of the national charts are fine and all, but perhaps it'll break open the door for this one as well. Only one song in the twenty months I've done this has been on top a fifth week; stay tuned as this could get interesting next week.
Again, the top 10 is stagnant, with Those Darlins the only big mover, and no new entries in that upper echelon. However, we got some movement and action in the lower half; headed by the Swedish band Miike Snow, with "Paddling Out" up the chart creek at #15 in only three weeks. Also new in the Top 20 is the latest from Electric Guest, a bluesy number from Gary Clark, Jr. (it's about time I had a song on this on here), and not one, but TWO songs from E'lissa Jones, the talented artist we caught a while back, "Sweet Surrender" and "Best I Ever Had".
My Top Debut, is "One Engine" by The Decemberists; the song is a track on the soundtrack to the film The Hunger Games, and is the band's current single. I have loved this Portland OR-based indie rock band for a while, and this effort keeps it going further. If you like these guys, you won't be disappointed.
Next are two debuts from artists whose second efforts from their recent albums. The Shins, wose "Simple Song" peaked at #25 SNS and currently stands at #67, enter, with "The Rifle's Special", a Brian Sniatkowski Song of the Week. Not the new single (that would be "Bait and Switch"), but a great track which further showcases the New Mexico band's versatility. Port of Morrow, their current set, came out three weeks ago and debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 Album chart. Jack White's current set (and solo debut), Blunderbuss, still won't have a release date for a couple of weeks but the second single "Sixteen Saltines" has been released. The debut single, "Love Interruption" peaked here at #53 (currently at #88), and like most of White's work, it took a bit getting used to. The new single, while also having this characteristic is a bit more immediate. It's original, yet palatable enough to make an impression. I've said this before but I'll say it again; Jack White saved rock in the new millenium, and it's great to see him make new inroads in the 2010's.
Finally, Temper Trap's "Need Your Love" comes in at #87. It comes from their second, eponymous album to be relased May 18th. The Australian band's first set, 2009's Conditions, spawned two Alternative rock hits: "Sweet Disposition" (#9) and "Fader" (#16); the latter of the two was one of my early SNS hits, peaking at #4 in September, 2010. After touring in the UK this spring, they're on their way stateside, performing at New York's Terminal 5 on June 5th.
Scenes 'n' Soundwaves 100 for Week of April 9, 2012:
| This Week | Last Week | ARTIST-Title | Weeks on List |
| 1 | 1 |  FUN. featuring JANELLE MONAE "We Are Young" Album: Some Nights (4 weeks at #1) | 19 |
| 2 | 2 | Gotye f. Kimbra - Somebody That I Used to Know | 12 |
| 3 | 7 | Those Darlins - Screws Get Loose | 5 |
| 4 | 4 | Veronica Falls - Bad Feeling | 12 |
| 5 | 3 | The Rapture - How Deep is Your Love | 13 |
| 6 | 5 | Pageants - Edible Rust | 13 |
| 7 | 6 | Wild Nothing - Nowhere | 11 |
| 8 | 9 | The Black Keys - Gold On the Ceiling | 11 |
| 9 | 8 | Rachel Allyn- Ain't No Fun | 17 |
| 10 | 10 | Caveman - Old Friend | 11 |
| 11 | 11 | Nada Surf - Waiting For Something | 10 |
| 12 | 14 | Young the Giant - Apartment | 8 |
| 13 | 12 | Sarah Jean - At Last | 11 |
| 14 | 13 | Bush - Baby Come Home | 11 |
| 15 | 37 | TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:  MIIKE SNOW "Paddling Out" Album: Happy To You | 3 |
| 16 | 25 | E'lissa Jones - Best I Ever Had | 6 |
| 17 | 26 | Electric Guest - This Head I Hold | 6 |
| 18 | 15 | Snow Patrol - New York | 15 |
| 19 | 21 | E'lissa Jones - Sweet Surrender | 8 |
| 20 | 22 | Gary Clark Jr - Bright Lights | 11 |
| 21 | 29 | Fitz and the Tantrums - L.O.V. | 5 |
| 22 | 17 | The Cranberries - Tomorrow | 15 |
| 23 | 16 | Kelly Clarkson - Stronger | 14 |
| 24 | 19 | Grouplove - Tongue Tied | 17 |
| 25 | 27 | Omnia - Grace | 17 |
| 26 | 20 | Dr. Dog - That Old Black Hole | 12 |
| 27 | 56 | MOVER OF THE WEEK:  TY SEGALL & WHITE FENCE "I Am Not A Game" Album: Hair | 3 |
| 28 | 48 | Dante vs Zombies - Natural Disaster | 4 |
| 29 | 23 | Atlas Sound - The Shakes | 18 |
| 30 | 30 | Santigold - Disparate Youth | 7 |
| 31 | 18 | Tennis - Origins | 14 |
| 32 | 24 | Sharon Van Etten - Serpents | 17 |
| 33 | 36 | Beach House - Myth | 4 |
| 34 | 31 | Cloud Nothings - Stay Useless | 10 |
| 35 | 33 | My Morning Jacket - First Light | 14 |
| 36 | 28 | The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Heart Attack | 13 |
| 37 | 32 | Florence + the Machine - No Light, No Light | 13 |
| 38 | 52 | Toby Keith - Red Solo Cup | 3 |
| 39 | 35 | Ingrid Michaelson - Ghost | 9 |
| 40 | 57 | Garbage - Blood For Poppies | 3 |
| 41 | 77 | Lady Antebellum - Dancing Away With My Heart | 3 |
| 42 | 45 | Jessie J - Domino | 6 |
| 43 | 69 | Silversun Pickups - Bloody Mary | 2 |
| 44 | 40 | Delta Spirit - California | 7 |
| 45 | 41 | Leila - Black and White | 6 |
| 46 | 44 | Islands - Hallways | 8 |
| 47 | 47 | Florence + the Machine - Never Let Me Go | 5 |
| 48 | 34 | Wilco - Dawned On Me | 16 |
| 49 | 46 | Katy Perry - Part of Me | 8 |
| 50 | 43 | The Jayhawks - Mockingbird Time | 6 |
| 51 | 49 | That Ghost - Morning Now | 7 |
| 52 | 38 | Anna Calvi - Desire | 9 |
| 53 | 58 | Dirty Heads - Spread Too Thin | 4 |
| 54 | 79 | Colbie Caillat - Favorite Song | 3 |
| 55 | 39 | Adele - One and Only | 20 |
| 56 | 55 | The Wombats - Jump Into the Fog | 5 |
| 57 | 63 | Haley Reinhart - Free | 3 |
| 58 | 42 | Mayer Hawthorne - The Walk | 26 |
| 59 | 51 | Cage the Elephant - Always Something | 7 |
| 60 | 62 | The All American Rejects - Bee Keepers Daughter | 4 |
| 61 | 50 | Adele - Love Song | 20 |
| 62 | 64 | Norah Jones - Happy Pills | 5 |
| 63 | 83 | Maroon 5 - Come Away To the Water | 3 |
| 64 | 85 | Marriages - Ride In My Place | 2 |
| 65 | 90 | Town Hall - Good Boy | 2 |
| 66 | ---- | TOP DEBUT: THE DECEMBERISTS "One Engine" Album: The Hunger Games (Soundtrack) | 1 |
| 67 | 53 | The Shins - Simple Song | 13 |
| 68 | 76 | Eve6 - Victoria | 4 |
| 69 | ---- | The Shins- The Rifle's Spiral | 1 |
| 70 | 78 | Keane - Silenced by the Night | 3 |
| 71 | 67 | Howler - Back of Your Neck | 6 |
| 72 | 68 | Arctic Monkeys - R U Mine | 7 |
| 73 | 80 | The Hives - Go Right Ahead | 2 |
| 74 | 61 | James Durbin - Love Me Bad | 9 |
| 75 | 54 | Red Hot Chili Peppers - Look Around | 9 |
| 76 | 70 | Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks | 16 |
| 77 | 72 | Jason Mraz - I Won't Give Up | 7 |
| 78 | 75 | Walk the Moon - Anna Sun | 5 |
| 79 | 65 | The Kooks - Junk of the Heart | 39 |
| 80 | 66 | Heartless Bastards - Parted Ways | 12 |
| 81 | ---- | Jack White - Sixteen Saltines | 1 |
| 82 | 60 | Martin Solvag & Dragonette - Hello | 24 |
| 83 | 73 | The Wanted - Glad You Came | 7 |
| 84 | 89 | Fun. - Some Nights | 2 |
| 85 | 84 | Tribes - We Were Children | 6 |
| 86 | ---- | Twin Atlantic - Free | 1 |
| 87 | ---- | Temper Trap - Need Your Love | 1 |
| 88 | 59 | Jack White - Love Interruption | 11 |
| 89 | 74 | Madonna - Girl Gone Wild | 6 |
| 90 | 87 | Train - Drive By | 13 |
| 91 | 96 | Lana Del Ray - Born To Die | 2 |
| 92 | 71 | The Ting Tings - Hang It Up | 8 |
| 93 | 91 | White Rabbits - Heavy Metal | 3 |
| 94 | ---- | Lost in the Trees - Golden Eyelids | 1 |
| 95 | ---- | Tanlines - All of Me | 1 |
| 96 | 88 | Foster the People - Don't Stop (Colors on the Walls) | 23 |
| 97 | ---- | Kimbra - Settle Down | 1 |
| 98 | 100 | Alabama Shakes - Hold On | 4 |
| 99 | ---- | Kellie Pickler - 100 Proof | 1 |
| 100 | ---- | The Big Pink - Hit the Ground Superman | 1 |
TREMORS:
| 101 | 95 | Animal Kingdom - Strange Attractor |
| 102 | 102 | Demi Lovato - Give Your Heart A Break |
| 103 | 104 | Julia Holter - In the Same Room |
| 104 | 107 | John Mayer - Shadow Days |
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