But no, it's about the camaraderie among friends, some of them who have been doing this for 35 years. I, myself have partaken in this tradition for 18 of them. And yes, it's about the kegs of beer and shots, the campfire, the food and just chilling out in the mountains for three days. But it's also about the music.
Like last year, I will try to do an overview as to the music played at Roscoe, 2012 edition. Normally, the music is centered on the New Wave music of the late 70's and early 80's, and little of the current stuff, and this year is no exception, either. I was the first to arrive on Thursday morning, and got my camp set up before noon, shortly after, which my good friend Joe Lipani arrived. It was then that I spun my current Top 20. Well, if there was ever a reluctant audience, it would be Joe. Totally uninterested in anything on it. Ty Segall...you can have him. Electric Guest? Give him the chair. Metric? Silversun Pickups? Forget the fact that these bands broke thru last time out. Lady Antebellum? Joe give this his annual "Who is this bitch?" award (which last year went to Adele). He does admit he reads my blog (well we'll know for certain now if he really does!), and he does like my #1 song, "Screws Get Loose". OK then. He did have some interest in Paul Czekaj's "My Home New Jersey', so I'll give him that as well.
As other friends (and we'd have six of them by nightfall) arrived on the scene, I reverted to my Roscoe mix....a six hour marathon of classic rock, 60's and 70's pop, 80's new wave, along with some current stuff thrown in for good measure. This one got a better reception, thank goodness. Among the favorites in this list: "Turn to Stone" (ELO), "The Neighbors" (Jonathan Richman, a traditional favorite with this crew), "Boom Boom in the Zoom Zoom Room " (Blondie); "Roll On Down the Highway" (Bachman Turner Overdrive); "Down By the Water" (The Decemberists); "Twisting By the Pool" (Dire Straits); among others.
Friday brought us five more people joining us, and John Corso played stuff off his iPOD as well. His stuff was mostly classic rock, with a lot of emphasis on Crosby Stills Nash & Young and other similar artists. We did have a sort of impasse regarding Sweet's "Love Is Like Oxygen". The 1978 top ten hit is off the British band's "Level Headed" set, although John thinks it was Desolation Boulevard, the 1974 British and 1975 U.S. release which gave the band the hits "Fox on the Run" and "Ballroom Blitz". But soon, his brother Alan was on board. Alan, who is our resident DJ for our Jets tailgates, played his usual variety mix of traditional and eclectic stuff. This year it seemed he was playing hardcore versions of traditional party songs; I had never heard a version of "Build Me Up Buttercup" like the one he played. As you'd expect, The Ramones got a lot of play as well. Mike Hronrich had a CD with him, the soundtrack to Easy Rider. It says a lot about the technology that we did not have any CD player with us to play it; Alan, John and myself had iPODS. Joe did have a laptop, and was able to play Mike's CD, which, besides "Born to Be Wild", no one was really interested in. Joe did treat us to a medley of 1968 songs; apparently he got access to Billboard's Top 100 songs of each year from 1959 to 2003, I picked 1968 as I thought it was the best year musically.
Alan left to visit some other friends at another site down the road, so I took over the reins. At first, I favorite some pop oldies, like "Bend Me Shape Me", "Bye Bye Baby", "Don't Pull Your Love", "Indian Reservation" "Too Late To Turn Back Now" and "Crystal Blue Persuasion", but Tom Maloney yelled out "play some rock 'n' roll"....so, out came my classic rock: Foreigners' "Hot Blooded", Doobie Brothers' "China Grove", Deep Purple's "Hush", Edgar Winter's "Free Ride", Moody Blues' "I'm Just A Singer...", and Toto's "Hold the Line". It got pretty quiet, when I left the DJ tent to go to the fire area, ten guys were out like a light (although two of them the next morning said they didn't like the mix....a little too late, don't you think?)
Saturday, I let the others take control, and Alan played his usual New Wave and tailgating stuff. And yes, "Alice" paid a visit as well, much of the Saturday night music was rave-friendly, but there was rock as well. T.J., who we listened to play his guitar one night came over with his camp mates, and actually played along to some of the songs as well.
Roscoe for us is pretty much an escapist weekend, and when it comes to the music, that is very much true.
SCREWS TIGHTENED: The only current song of mine to get any kudos was my long-running #1, "Screws Get Loose" by Those Darlins. It was Craig Young, another guy on the trip who had gotten me into this Nashville indie-pop/rock band, and I had played it twice, and Craig did play it as well. This resulted in another increase, and thus it heads my SNS 100 for a record-extending seventh week. When I first talked about these girls, I had said they were sisters. Wrong. They are as much sisters as the Ramones were brothers. Craig had been to a gig of theirs and talked to their lead singer. They were very much down to earth; they thanked him to coming to their show. He's informed me that they will be returning to New York's Terminal 5 in July; perhaps I might be able to make this show. Stay tuned.
It's a close race at the top as Ty Segall's "I Am Not A Game" moves up to #2, with Electric Guest's "This Head I Hold" up to #3. Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know", #1 for five weeks now on the Billboard Hot 100, and runner-up here for 12 weeks, alas drops to #4.
Maroon 5's "Come Away To the Water" is the only new entry in the Top 10 moving 15-10, just ahead of The Decemberists' "Come Away To the Water" (13-11). If the latter can move up just one notch, The Hunger Games, whose soundtrack both songs appear, will have two SNS Top 10's, tying the Twilight: Eclipse set with that honor. That one contained Metric's "Eclipse (I'm Yours)" and Cee Lo Green's "What Part of Forever".
Speaking of Metric, the Canadian band's new one, "Youth Without Youth" jumps into the top 20; Jack White and Beach House also enter.
Out of the new entries, the Top Debut, at #71 is The Kooks' "Is It Me", the third single off the Brit band's Junk of the Heart set, but some other interesting songs debut this week. Next is "Nunca", by Trails and Ways, a song off the RCD LBL site. They hail from Oakland CA.
The third highest debut is "Home" by Phillip Phillips, the newest American Idol. Yes, I know a few weeks ago, I said that since my favorites Elise and Colton were voted off, that I wasn't going to add anyone from the remaining hopefuls, but that's before I heard Phillip's performance of this new song. I though Jessica Sanchez had this all sewn up until the last songs, which would become their first singles, should they win. Phillip blew them away with his performance. Many, including myself, just figured him as another cookie cutter male adult pop performer, a la David Cook, Kris Allen or Lee DeWyze. But, if he had more stuff like this, I could be eating my words. Congratulations to him.
Atlas Genius (presumably no relation to Atlas Sound) is next with "Trojans", they are from South Australia; Blind Pilot's "Half Moon", another from the Portland OR music hotbed; and the return of Canadian Alanis Morissette round out the newbies. Morissette, the toast of 1995 (along with Hootie & the Blowfish) with Jagged Little Pill, has a new set, Havoc and Bright Lights, her first since 2008.
ONE FINAL THOUGHT: A few weeks ago featured the Bamboozle festival, which was held in Asbury Park. The festival, which started out in this shore town ten years ago, only to move to the Meadowlands, came back this year for its tenth anniversary. Of course I had no idea about this until it was already underway; my friend Laura Whalen was providing up-to-the-minute traffic reports on cars flowing in and out of town (she lives on Route 33, one of the main arteries to the Shore). Saturday's headliner was Foo Fighters; Sunday's was Bon Jovi. There was a bit of a debate regarding who is the better band. And yes, there are pros and cons. If you're a fan of Alternative Rock, then hands down it's Dave Grohl and crew. But you have to like Jon and the boys as well. Both bands have roots in (and were the forefront of) major rock genre's: Grohl's band Nirvana spearheaded the Grunge movement; Bon Jovi did the same for the more campy Hair Metal genre. One of Laura's friends compared the Jersey band, unfavorably, to KISS. But you have to give kudos to them as they are still around, outliving their hair-metal contemporaries, as well as transcending their sounds thru the 1990's and the new millennium. So at least give that to them.
Scenes'n'Soundwaves 100 for Week of May 28, 2012:
|
This Week
|
Last Week
|
ARTIST-Title
|
Weeks on List
|
|
1
|
1
|
THOSE DARLINS
"Screws Get Loose"
Album: Screws Get Loose
(7 weeks at #1)
|
12
|
|
2
|
3
|
Ty Segall & White Fence - I Am Not A Game
|
10
|
|
3
|
4
|
Electric Guest - This Head I Hold
|
13
|
|
4
|
2
|
Gotye f. Kimbra - Somebody That I Used to Know
|
19
|
|
5
|
5
|
Dante vs Zombies - Natural Disaster
|
11
|
|
6
|
6
|
Garbage - Blood For Poppies
|
10
|
|
7
|
9
|
The Shins- The Rifle's Spiral
|
8
|
|
8
|
8
|
Lady Antebellum - Dancing Away With My Heart
|
10
|
|
9
|
7
|
Silversun Pickups - Bloody Mary
|
9
|
|
10
|
15
|
Maroon 5 - Come Away To the Water
|
10
|
|
11
|
13
|
The Decemberists - One Engine
|
8
|
|
12
|
14
|
Toby Keith - Red Solo Cup
|
10
|
|
13
|
21
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
METRIC
"Youth Without Youth"
Album: Synthetica
|
5
|
|
14
|
16
|
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals - Never Go Back
|
7
|
|
15
|
10
|
Miike Snow - Paddling Out
|
10
|
|
16
|
12
|
Fitz and the Tantrums - L.O.V.
|
12
|
|
17
|
11
|
Fun. f. Janelle Monae - We Are Young
|
26
|
|
18
|
20
|
Town Hall - Good Boy
|
9
|
|
19
|
23
|
Beach House - Myth
|
11
|
|
20
|
24
|
Jack White - Sixteen Saltines
|
8
|
|
21
|
18
|
The Rapture - How Deep is Your Love
|
20
|
|
22
|
19
|
The Black Keys - Gold On the Ceiling
|
18
|
|
23
|
22
|
Dirty Heads - Spread Too Thin
|
11
|
|
24
|
25
|
Florence + the Machine - No Light, No Light
|
20
|
|
25
|
17
|
E'lissa Jones - Best I Ever Had
|
13
|
|
26
|
26
|
Marriages - Ride In My Place
|
9
|
|
27
|
29
|
The Hives - Go Right Ahead
|
9
|
|
28
|
32
|
The Wombats - Jump Into the Fog
|
12
|
|
29
|
31
|
Eve6 - Victoria
|
11
|
|
30
|
46
|
Florence + the Machine - Breath of Life
|
3
|
|
31
|
34
|
Oberhofer - Away From You
|
6
|
|
32
|
42
|
Linkin Park - Burn It Down
|
5
|
|
33
|
39
|
The Offspring - Days Go By
|
3
|
|
34
|
41
|
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - That's What's Up
|
5
|
|
35
|
45
|
Mayer Hawthorne - Henny and Gingerale
|
3
|
|
36
|
40
|
Snow Patrol - This Isn't Everything You Are
|
6
|
|
37
|
27
|
Rachel Allyn- Ain't No Fun
|
24
|
|
38
|
28
|
Gary Clark Jr - Bright Lights
|
18
|
|
39
|
30
|
Young the Giant - Apartment
|
15
|
|
40
|
38
|
Lost n the Trees - Golden Eyelids
|
8
|
|
41
|
48
|
Grouplove - Tongue Tied
|
24
|
|
42
|
49
|
Norah Jones - Happy Pills
|
12
|
|
43
|
52
|
Train - Drive By
|
20
|
|
44
|
33
|
Pageants - Edible Rust
|
20
|
|
45
|
35
|
Veronica Falls - Bad Feeling
|
19
|
|
46
|
36
|
Wild Nothing - Nowhere
|
18
|
|
47
|
37
|
Caveman - Old Friend
|
18
|
|
48
|
51
|
Zach Heckendorf - All the Right Places
|
7
|
|
49
|
56
|
Smash Palace - Living It Lonely
|
5
|
|
50
|
47
|
Colbie Caillat - Favorite Song
|
10
|
|
51
|
65
|
Graffiti6 - Stare Into the Sun
|
3
|
|
52
|
43
|
Haley Reinhart - Free
|
10
|
|
53
|
54
|
The Fray - Run For Your Life
|
6
|
|
54
|
64
|
Maroon 5- Payphone
|
3
|
|
55
|
44
|
Nada Surf - Waiting For Something
|
17
|
|
56
|
60
|
Fun. - Some Nights
|
9
|
|
57
|
66
|
Chromatics - Kill For Love
|
5
|
|
58
|
83
|
Best Coast - The Only Place
|
2
|
|
59
|
93
|
MOVER OF THE WEEK:
PASSION PIT
"Take A Walk"
Album: Gossamer
|
2
|
|
60
|
68
|
Gotye - Eyes Wide Open
|
6
|
|
61
|
69
|
Foo Fighters - Bridge Burning
|
6
|
|
62
|
57
|
Florence + the Machine - Never Let Me Go
|
12
|
|
63
|
50
|
Jessie J - Domino
|
13
|
|
64
|
55
|
Temper Trap - Need Your Love
|
8
|
|
65
|
81
|
Alabama Shakes - Hold On
|
11
|
|
66
|
61
|
The Cranberries - Tomorrow
|
22
|
|
67
|
89
|
Allo Darlin - Capricornia
|
2
|
|
68
|
82
|
Morning Parade - Headlights
|
5
|
|
69
|
86
|
Alex Clare - Too Close
|
3
|
|
70
|
53
|
My Morning Jacket - First Light
|
21
|
|
71
|
----
|
TOP DEBUT:
THE KOOKS
"Is It Me"
Album: Junk of the Heart
|
1
|
|
72
|
59
|
Dr. Dog - That Old Black Hole
|
19
|
|
73
|
91
|
M83 - Reunion
|
2
|
|
74
|
74
|
Mayer Hawthorne - The Walk
|
33
|
|
75
|
----
|
Trails and Ways - Nunca
|
1
|
|
76
|
58
|
Omnia - Grace
|
24
|
|
77
|
63
|
Cloud Nothings - Stay Useless
|
17
|
|
78
|
71
|
Tanlines - All of Me
|
8
|
|
79
|
----
|
Phillip Phillips - Home
|
1
|
|
80
|
62
|
E'lissa Jones - Sweet Surrender
|
15
|
|
81
|
70
|
Atlas Sound - The Shakes
|
25
|
|
82
|
67
|
Sarah Jean - At Last
|
18
|
|
83
|
78
|
Sharon Van Etten - Serpents
|
24
|
|
84
|
----
|
Atlas Genius - Trojans
|
1
|
|
85
|
75
|
The Big Pink - Hit the Ground Superman
|
8
|
|
86
|
97
|
NeedtoBreathe - Keep Your Eyes Open
|
2
|
|
87
|
----
|
Reptor - Sebastian
|
1
|
|
88
|
77
|
Snow Patrol - New York
|
22
|
|
89
|
99
|
Colbie Caillat - Brighter Than the Sun
|
11
|
|
90
|
79
|
Lana Del Ray - Born To Die
|
9
|
|
91
|
----
|
Alanis Morissette - Guardian
|
1
|
|
92
|
88
|
Tennis - Origins
|
21
|
|
93
|
96
|
Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks
|
23
|
|
94
|
----
|
Blind Pilot - Half Moon
|
1
|
|
95
|
72
|
Santigold - Disparate Youth
|
14
|
|
96
|
85
|
Ingrid Michaelson - Ghost
|
16
|
|
97
|
----
|
The Gaslight Anthem - 45
|
1
|
|
98
|
73
|
Keane - Silenced by the Night
|
10
|
|
99
|
76
|
Bush - Baby Come Home
|
18
|
|
100
|
90
|
Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw - Feel Like A Rock Star
|
5
|
\
No comments:
Post a Comment