BACK AGAIN: Since I started my blogging on this platform in April, 2011, far and away my most popular entry came in June 2011. I really don't have any idea why, but I talked about the loss of WRXP, 101.9 on the FM band, and the only commercial terrestrial station in New York City that played any semblance of new rock. The station flipped to a news format in August of last year, as WEMP.
Well, all of sudden, this past Tuesday, WEMP wimped out and the station's owners dropped their low-rated news and went back to an Alternative Rock format, and will call itself WRXP once more, positioning itself as "New Rock 101.9". I have yet to listen to the station, as I have long ago jettisoned any thoughts of listening to music on FM radio. I do hope to in the future, however, and will blog on what I hear, but reports do have it playing what is current in the rock world. If done right (and not like WXRK--K Rock did in the late 1990's when it called itself alternative, but was everything alt-rock fans wanted to get away from in the first place) it could be a success. Frankly, this has caught me by surprise, as we have heard over and over that New York has never been a "rock town". Complicating that even more is that traditional rock has been very absent from the top of the pop charts as well.
But there have been signs that rock, in one form or another has been making a comeback. We've already seen fifteen weeks of alternative crossovers fun. and Gotye at the top of Billboard's Hot 100 chart, and songs like Grouplove's 'Tongue Tied", and the Lumineers "Hey Ho" are advancing in the middle portions of the chart. Add to that, more guitar-driven bands like The Black Keys and Linkin Park, and perhaps we may see a bit of a return to prominence.
REVOLVING CHARGES: For the fourth time in as many weeks, we have a different #1 song. This time, it's "Henny and Gingerale" by retro-soulster Mayer Hawthorne taking the reins. With all the bands and artists that I have listened to over the past two years, it's hard to have a certain act have multiple number one songs. This is Hawthorne's second #1, following "The Walk" late last year. He is only the second male solo artist to strike gold twice; Plan B also had two songs on top. The other multiple winners? Rachel Allyn (4), Adele (3), and The Black Keys, Fitz & the Tantrums, and Florence + the Machine. The top 5 of the chart is very competitive, and I could just flip a coin for next week. There hasn't been a really strong entry in a while; not since Those Darlin's "Screws Get Loose". Speaking of those girls, they performed at Terminal 5 earlier this week, and I heard it was a great show. I almost wound up going to the show, but had a prior commitment...one of these days, I will try to catch a show in the city.
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros hit the top 10 with "That's What's Up". The Black Keys enter the top 20 for the sixth time with "Little Black Submarines", while The Heavy is the big mover, going from #31 to #20. Gotye's huge "Somebody That I Used to Know" spends its 22nd week in my Top 20.
LEADING THE NEWBIES: My top debut this week goes to a band across the pond, Dignan Porch, with "Picking Up Dust", at #72. This five-piece band has put out two full length albums; this is from their forthcoming third set Nothing Bad Will Ever Happen. Their sound is sort of a cross between psychedelic rock and an R.E.M. thing going on. It comes on as a fresh sound, and I believe it can just grow on you. This is a band to watch. There is no tour information, the one date available is in their native UK, so you'll just have to dig this vibe for the time being.
Next up is A Place to Bury Strangers, and it's been awhile since I've featured bands from Brooklyn, but here is one, a band that I've heard before. In fact their "In Your Heart" from 2009's sophomore effort Exploding head is a staple on my Classic jams playlist on my iPod. They are in the noise-feedback rock genre, full of distorted guitars. Their new single, "You Are the One", a Brian Sniatkowski co-Song of the Week, tones down the noise at first, going to the trance side, with flashes of said distortion, but their trademark sound takes over shortly thereafter. It hails from the band's third album Worship, which came out last month. If you want to catch them live, do it quick. They will be at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, New York City on July 27th, shorty afterward, they'll go overseas.
By the time my next blog rolls around, I may have a couple of music events under my belt. This Saturday we plan on hitting the Rosendale Street Festival--74 mostly local acts on five stages around the town during two days. We will be there weather permitting. Then next Tuesday, Aerosmith and Cheap Trick invade the Izod Center at the Meadowlands. Talk about concert extremes!!!
SCENES "n' SOUNDWAVES 100 for Week of July 16, 2012:
|
This Week
|
Last Week
|
ARTIST-Title
|
Weeks on List
|
|
1
|
3
|
MAYER HAWTHORNE
"Henny and Gingerale"
Album: How Do You Do?
|
10
|
|
2
|
5
|
Trails and Ways - Nunca
|
8
|
|
3
|
1
|
The Shins- The Rifle's Spiral
|
15
|
|
4
|
2
|
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals - Never Go Back
|
14
|
|
5
|
6
|
The Kooks - Is It Me
|
8
|
|
6
|
10
|
M83 - Reunion
|
9
|
|
7
|
11
|
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - That's What's Up
|
12
|
|
8
|
4
|
Maroon 5 - Come Away To the Water
|
17
|
|
9
|
8
|
Passion Pit - Take A Walk
|
9
|
|
10
|
7
|
Metric - Youth Without Youth
|
12
|
|
11
|
14
|
Best Coast - The Only Place
|
9
|
|
12
|
9
|
The Wombats - Jump Into the Fog
|
19
|
|
13
|
12
|
Those Darlins - Screws Get Loose
|
19
|
|
14
|
13
|
Linkin Park - Burn It Down
|
12
|
|
15
|
16
|
Oberhofer - Away From You
|
13
|
|
16
|
21
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
THE BLACK KEYS
"Little Black Submarine"
Album: El Camino
|
5
|
|
17
|
15
|
Gotye f. Kimbra - Somebody That I Used to Know
|
26
|
|
18
|
20
|
Kelly Clarkson - Dark Side
|
7
|
|
19
|
19
|
Eve6 - Victoria
|
18
|
|
20
|
31
|
The Heavy - What Makes A Good Man
|
4
|
|
21
|
17
|
Florence + the Machine - No Light, No Light
|
27
|
|
22
|
24
|
Graffiti6 - Stare Into the Sun
|
10
|
|
23
|
25
|
Wolf Gang - The King and All His Men
|
7
|
|
24
|
18
|
Ty Segall & White Fence - I Am Not A Game
|
17
|
|
25
|
26
|
The Beach Boys - That's Why God Made the Radio
|
6
|
|
26
|
30
|
Phillip Phillips - Home
|
8
|
|
27
|
34
|
Fun. - Some Nights
|
16
|
|
28
|
35
|
Beach House - Lazuli
|
6
|
|
29
|
23
|
Lady Antebellum - Dancing Away With My Heart
|
17
|
|
30
|
36
|
Gossip - Move in the Right Direction
|
5
|
|
31
|
45
|
The Raveonettes - Observations
|
3
|
|
32
|
22
|
Electric Guest - This Head I Hold
|
20
|
|
33
|
32
|
Lost n the Trees - Golden Eyelids
|
15
|
|
34
|
46
|
Matchbox Twenty - She's So Mean
|
5
|
|
35
|
33
|
Maroon 5- Payphone
|
10
|
|
36
|
42
|
Ty Segall - I Brought My Eyes
|
7
|
|
37
|
69
|
MOVER OF THE WEEK:
P!NK
"Blow Me (One Last Kiss)"
Album: The Truth About Love
|
2
|
|
38
|
27
|
The Decemberists - One Engine
|
15
|
|
39
|
28
|
Toby Keith - Red Solo Cup
|
17
|
|
40
|
43
|
Train - 50 Ways to Say Goodbye
|
6
|
|
41
|
50
|
Dawes - If I Wanted Someone
|
4
|
|
42
|
29
|
Jack White - Sixteen Saltines
|
15
|
|
43
|
49
|
The Gaslight Anthem - 45
|
8
|
|
44
|
51
|
Of Monsters and Men - Mountain Sound
|
5
|
|
45
|
37
|
Florence + the Machine - Breath of Life
|
10
|
|
46
|
47
|
Grouplove - Tongue Tied
|
31
|
|
47
|
44
|
The Black Keys - Gold On the Ceiling
|
25
|
|
48
|
52
|
Gotye - Eyes Wide Open
|
13
|
|
49
|
38
|
Marriages - Ride In My Place
|
16
|
|
50
|
54
|
The Royal Concept - Gimme Twice
|
4
|
|
51
|
53
|
Public Image Ltd - One Drop
|
4
|
|
52
|
48
|
Snow Patrol - This Isn't Everything You Are
|
13
|
|
53
|
39
|
Silversun Pickups - Bloody Mary
|
16
|
|
54
|
65
|
Emeli Sande - Next To Me
|
4
|
|
55
|
40
|
The Offspring - Days Go By
|
10
|
|
56
|
41
|
Garbage - Blood For Poppies
|
17
|
|
57
|
80
|
Grassfight - Look Homeward Heathen
|
2
|
|
58
|
60
|
The Rapture - How Deep is Your Love
|
27
|
|
59
|
58
|
Fitz and the Tantrums - L.O.V.
|
19
|
|
60
|
61
|
Fun. f. Janelle Monae - We Are Young
|
33
|
|
61
|
66
|
Florence + the Machine - Never Let Me Go
|
19
|
|
62
|
55
|
Dante vs Zombies - Natural Disaster
|
18
|
|
63
|
68
|
Eric Hutchinson - Watching You Watch Him
|
6
|
|
64
|
76
|
Weeks - The House We Grew Up In
|
3
|
|
65
|
94
|
The Mungers - B School
|
2
|
|
66
|
79
|
Meiko - Leave the Lights On
|
3
|
|
67
|
71
|
Dead Sara - Weatherman
|
5
|
|
68
|
72
|
Rihanna - Where Have You Been
|
4
|
|
69
|
73
|
Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe
|
7
|
|
70
|
89
|
The Features - Another One
|
2
|
|
71
|
78
|
Silent Rider - I Was A Bomb
|
3
|
|
72
|
----
|
TOP DEBUT:
DIGNAN PORCH
"Picking Up Dust"
Album: Nothing Bad Will Ever Happen
|
1
|
|
73
|
56
|
Beach House - Myth
|
18
|
|
74
|
64
|
Zach Heckendorf - All the Right Places
|
14
|
|
75
|
57
|
Dirty Heads - Spread Too Thin
|
18
|
|
76
|
59
|
The Hives - Go Right Ahead
|
16
|
|
77
|
70
|
The Tallest Man on Earth - 1904
|
6
|
|
78
|
67
|
Foo Fighters - Bridge Burning
|
13
|
|
79
|
77
|
Dr. Dog - Lonesome
|
5
|
|
80
|
87
|
Rome - Dedication
|
3
|
|
81
|
----
|
A Place to Bury Strangers - You Are the One
|
1
|
|
82
|
62
|
Town Hall - Good Boy
|
16
|
|
83
|
85
|
Jacuzzi Boys - Automatic Jail
|
3
|
|
84
|
63
|
Alabama Shakes - Hold On
|
18
|
|
85
|
96
|
Ellie Goulding - Lights
|
26
|
|
86
|
95
|
White Violet - Lays Around Lazy
|
7
|
|
87
|
81
|
Alex Clare - Too Close
|
10
|
|
88
|
75
|
Katy Perry - Wide Awake
|
7
|
|
89
|
100
|
Jack White - I'm Shaken
|
2
|
|
90
|
----
|
The Killers - Runaways
|
1
|
|
91
|
----
|
The Avett Brothers - Live and Die
|
1
|
|
92
|
----
|
Daniel Powter - Cupid
|
1
|
|
93
|
99
|
Zac Brown Band - The Wind
|
3
|
|
94
|
88
|
Thompson Square - Glass
|
4
|
|
95
|
74
|
Miike Snow - Paddling Out
|
17
|
|
96
|
----
|
Hot Chip - Night and Day
|
1
|
|
97
|
86
|
The Phenomenal Handclap Band - Radio Girls
|
7
|
|
98
|
92
|
The Fray - Run For Your Life
|
13
|
|
99
|
----
|
311 - Time Bomb
|
1
|
|
100
|
98
|
Gary Clark Jr - Bright Lights
|
25
|
TREMOTS:
101, J.D.McPherson, North Side Gal
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