That's All For Now! (Music Review - 4/16/2012)

If you're a follower of Rock 'n' Roll History, it probably wasn't the week for you.    During this week, we lost the last member of seminal folk-rocker The Band, the outfit which served as the back-up outfit for Bob Dylan, then became important in their own right.    Levon Helm, lead singer and drummer, passed away at age 71.     Less important, but still significant since they were hot in the early 80's, Men At Work, who had two #1 songs, lost their sax player Greg Ham.     Robin Gibb of the world-renouned Bee Gees has been in a coma since the end of last week; things do not look positive for that band's lead singer.    And then there's Dick Clark.

The "World's Oldest Teenager" passed away on Tuesday at the age of 82, of a massive heart attack, some seven and a half years after he suffered a stroke.    Clark, of course was a TV personality and announcer for the ages, hosting game shows, variety shows and bloopers, among other things.    He, of course counted down, for 40 years, the seconds leading to a new year, with his "New Year's Rockin' Eve".   But for me, he will always be the host of "American Bandstand", which he did for four decades.   He presented music, and that includes the rebellious rock 'n' roll, to audiences young and old.   

The show, originally from Philadelphia, ran five days a week, before moving to L.A. and the Saturday afternoon slot.    I vaguely remember, in the early 1960's, the show, not really knowing was it was about...just some teenagers dancing to music I didn't know about.    I do remember the announcer closing the show, and then afterwards, a news/public affairs show, appropriately titled "American Newsstand".  But it was the Saturday afternoon shows I remember, featuring a current act lip syncing to their latest hit.     Dick was the consummate announcer, and would ask some interesting questions after the performance.   

On American Idol, Ryan Seacrest paid homage to his inspiration this week, saying that if it weren't for Dick Clark, "shows like this would not exist".  He was definitely right.   Seacreast hosted the New Year's Rockin' Eve shows with Clark after his stroke, and his knowledge of the industry is a perfect handoff from a legend to the new kid.   We'll miss you, Dick Clark.

Back to the current music scene, one alternative song replaces another on Billboard's Hot 100 as Gotye's 'Somebody That I Used To Know" switches with fun.'s "We Are Young", ending the latter's six week run.     The songs are still reversed on the Alternative chart, though.     As for my Scenes'n' Soundwaves 100, after matching the top two last week (and the number one for the last four), I leave the party as "Screws Get Loose" by Those Darlins, a song which is not on any chart whatsoever, reaches the top spot.     Goyte, however, because of impressive reception from friends of the video of the hit that I posted, remains at #2 and resurges.   Fun, which loses a chance to tie the SNS record for most weeks at the top,  drops to #3.      Next week could be a dogfight between the current top two.

Once again, stagnation dominates the top 10, with the songs in positions 2 thru 9 all having between 12 and 20 weeks on the chart; however the next wave is coming in, led by "This Head I Hold", by Electric Guest, the duo from California.  Miike Snow, Ty Segall, and Dante vs. Zombies are also big movers and show all hit the top ten in a couple weeks or so.      The latter two enter the top 20, as does "L.O.V", by Fitz and the Tantrums, the sixth song from the retro-soul outfit's current album.   Only Adele (seven) has more top 20 hits since I started this back in August 2010.   

It's a very slow week for debuts, with only two entering the chart, and one of those at #100, Zack Heckendorf, a teenager from the West Coast, with "All The Right Places".   But the biggie is the entry at #60, the long-awaited single by Grace Potter & the Nocturnals "Never Go Back".

Potter has been one of the fruits of my musical labor of love which my blog has sprawned.   On my very first SNS chart, "Tiny Light", from the Vermonters self-titled album was #32; it would rise to #16, whic it's prog-rock jam towards the end of the song.   The follow-up, "Paris (Ooh La La)" would hit #10 that fall; the song re-entered the chart last summer as it appeared the song would break into pop playlists.    The summer of 2011 saw Potter playing any festival she could get her hand on (including one in her native Burlington that she hosted) ; her and her band also played at the Stone Pony as well.     Potter charted three more times on SNS:    Her duet with Kenny Chesney, "You and Tequila" made it to #38 last fall, and there were two holiday singles; one of these, "Naughty Naughty Children", became last season's favorite, peaking at #8.

This entry continues her foray into mainstream pop/rock, which I wasn't really fond of, but the song, a keeps the beat moving without caving in too much, while still catchy.    This should become a top 10 hit easily and could be her breakthru on the national charts as well.   The Lion The Beast The Beat is the title of the new album, due in June.     And it's a no brainer that the band will be out on tour to support the new record.   August 12 will see them opening up for her "Tequila" singing partner Chesney, along with HIS new partner Tim McGraw (whose new single "Feel Like a Rock Star" is a Tremor this week and should enter next week), at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.  Unfortunately, except for the aformentioned Grand Pointe North festival which they host in Vermont, no other festivals, or headlining shows of theirs are shown on the website.     I am pretty much worried that this band will sell out.  I guess time will tell.

Scenes 'n' Soundwaves 100 for Week of April 16, 2012:

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	3	THOSE DARLINS "Screws Get Loose" Album: Screws Get Loose	6
2	2	Gotye f. Kimbra - Somebody That I Used to Know	13
3	1	Fun. f. Janelle Monae - We Are Young	20
4	5	The Rapture - How Deep is Your Love	14
5	4	Veronica Falls - Bad Feeling	13
6	8	The Black Keys - Gold On the Ceiling	12
7	6	Pageants - Edible Rust	14
8	7	Wild Nothing - Nowhere	12
9	9	Rachel Allyn- Ain't No Fun	18
10	17	Electric Guest - This Head I Hold	7
11	15	Miike Snow - Paddling Out	4
12	12	Young the Giant - Apartment	9
13	11	Nada Surf - Waiting For Something	11
14	10	Caveman - Old Friend	12
15	27	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: TY SEGALL & WHITE FENCE "I Am Not A Game" Album: Hair	4
16	28	Dante vs Zombies - Natural Disaster	5
17	16	E'lissa Jones - Best I Ever Had	7
18	21	Fitz and the Tantrums - L.O.V.	6
19	13	Sarah Jean - At Last	12
20	20	Gary Clark Jr - Bright Lights	12

21	14	Bush - Baby Come Home	12
22	19	E'lissa Jones - Sweet Surrender	9
23	41	Lady Antebellum - Dancing Away With My Heart	4
24	25	Omnia - Grace	18
25	40	Garbage - Blood For Poppies	4
26	43	Silversun Pickups - Bloody Mary	3
27	22	The Cranberries - Tomorrow	16
28	24	Grouplove - Tongue Tied	18
29	30	Santigold - Disparate Youth	8
30	26	Dr. Dog - That Old Black Hole	13
31	33	Beach House - Myth	5
32	18	Snow Patrol - New York	16
33	38	Toby Keith - Red Solo Cup	4
34	35	My Morning Jacket - First Light	15
35	23	Kelly Clarkson - Stronger	15
36	37	Florence + the Machine - No Light, No Light	14
37	29	Atlas Sound - The Shakes	19
38	34	Cloud Nothings - Stay Useless	11
39	32	Sharon Van Etten - Serpents	18
40	53	Dirty Heads - Spread Too Thin	5
41	42	Jessie J - Domino	7
42	69	MOVER OF THE WEEK: THE SHINS "The Rifle's Spiral" Album: Port of Morrow	2
43	31	Tennis - Origins	15
44	39	Ingrid Michaelson - Ghost	10
45	54	Colbie Caillat - Favorite Song	4
46	66	The Decemberists - One Engine	2
47	45	Leila - Black and White	7
48	46	Islands - Hallways	9
49	47	Florence + the Machine - Never Let Me Go	6
50	63	Maroon 5 - Come Away To the Water	4
51	65	Town Hall - Good Boy	3
52	57	Haley Reinhart - Free	4
53	64	Marriages - Ride In My Place	3
54	36	The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Heart Attack	14
55	49	Katy Perry - Part of Me	9
56	44	Delta Spirit - California	8
57	51	That Ghost - Morning Now	8
58	56	The Wombats - Jump Into the Fog	6
59	68	Eve6 - Victoria	5
60	----	TOP DEBUT: GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS "Never Go Back" Album: The Lion The Beast The Beat	1
61	81	Jack White - Sixteen Saltines	2
62	60	The All American Rejects - Bee Keepers Daughter	5
63	70	Keane - Silenced by the Night	4
64	48	Wilco - Dawned On Me	17
65	50	The Jayhawks - Mockingbird Time	7
66	55	Adele - One and Only	21
67	58	Mayer Hawthorne - The Walk	27
68	62	Norah Jones - Happy Pills	6
69	73	The Hives - Go Right Ahead	3
70	52	Anna Calvi - Desire	10
71	59	Cage the Elephant - Always Something	8
72	72	Arctic Monkeys - R U Mine	8
73	61	Adele - Love Song	21
74	67	The Shins - Simple Song	14
75	71	Howler - Back of Your Neck	7
76	77	Jason Mraz - I Won't Give Up	8
77	87	Temper Trap - Need Your Love	2
78	94	Lost n the Trees - Golden Eyelids	2
79	76	Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks	17
80	74	James Durbin - Love Me Bad	10
81	86	Twin Atlantic - Free	2
82	78	Walk the Moon - Anna Sun	6
83	84	Fun. - Some Nights	3
84	91	Lana Del Ray - Born To Die	3
85	90	Train - Drive By	14
86	95	Tanlines - All of Me	2
87	99	Kellie Pickler - 100 Proof	2
88	85	Tribes - We Were Children	7
89	100	The Big Pink - Hit the Ground Superman	2
90	79	The Kooks - Junk of the Heart	40
91	89	Madonna - Girl Gone Wild	7
92	80	Heartless Bastards - Parted Ways	13
93	93	White Rabbits - Heavy Metal	4
94	97	Kimbra - Settle Down	2
95	75	Red Hot Chili Peppers - Look Around	10
96	83	The Wanted - Glad You Came	8
97	98	Alabama Shakes - Hold On	5
98	RE ENTRY	Julia Holter - In the Same Room	3
99	82	Martin Solvag & Dragonette - Hello	25
100	----	Zach Heckendorf - All the Right Places	1

TREMORS:

101	102	Demi Lovato - Give Your Heart A Break
102		Foo Fighters - Bridge Burning
103		The Fray - Run For Your Life

104

Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw - Feel Like A Rock Star

105		Brandi Carlile - That Wasn't Me
106		The Phenomenal Handclap Band - Radio Girls

107

101

Animal Kingdom - Strange Attractor

108

104

John Mayer - Shadow Days