STAGED: This past Sunday, August 19, I attended what was the final day of a three day "festival" out in Delaware, NJ, near the Delaware River and not far from the Water Gap, called WNTI Summer Stage. My friends Steve Harris and Rene Marinich had told us about it last month and said they were going, and if we had wanted to join them. Myself, never getting my fill of music by obscure or up-and-coming artists, penciled in the date of August 18, the Saturday to go.
I have heard about festivals on the river, under the name of Knowlton Riverfest, referring to the township it resides, and figured this was it. I believe this was a different event, a bit more subdued, but still worth checking out. As it turned out, this is an offshoot of that classic festival put on by WNTI, which at the time took place across Route 46 along the Delaware River but was discontinued three years ago.
Figuring it was still going on, and taking place this weekend, I got pretty excited about going, and we penciled it in for yesterday. But when Steve changed his plans for Saturday, we shot for Sunday afternoon, which featured three bands on the main stage under a tent, near the Knowlton Lions Pavilion as well as an acoustic stage under that pavilion, along with the usual food and gift concessions associated with such events. Barb couldn't make it Sunday so it would be the three of us to spend an afternoon, which was cloudy at first, but the sun managed to break through later on. It was also a refereshingly cool day (mid 70's), a nice respite from the hot, muggy weather that has permeated the summer of 2012.
Before I recap what I heard, I just wanted to say a few words about WNTI. This is a station out of Hackettstown NJ, about 15 miles or so west of this area. It is a station that has been around since the 1950's, and belongs to Centenary College in that town. Originally broadcasting a few hours a day as per of student input, it eventually became a full 24/7 music-intenstive station. As with many college stations, the format is mostly Triple-A (Adult album alternative), similar to WFUV, or upstate's WDST. But like many of college radio, there are also speciality programs dealing with blues, jazz and other genres. Much of the spotlight has been obscure and local artists. A longtime friend of mine, Tom Sternadori (Sterno) has performed in their studios on many occasions, and was in fact, on the acoustic stage Saturday at Stage Fest, and yes, I was bummed I missed it.
But Sunday was the day I went, and checked out three bands on the main stage. Unlike the Rosendale (NY) Street Festival and Maplewoodstock earlier this summer, which featured mostly local talent, WNTI's concerts put the spotlight on bands outside the area who have been kicking around for awhile but hadn't broken thru to the mainstream.
Quincy Mumford and his band The Reason Why were already playing when I arrived. When I first heard the name I lit up, thinking that maybe there was some connection with him and the breaking new band Mumford and Sons. But alas, there was no connection. That band hailed from across the pond, while Quincy is from Allenhurst NJ (the only Garden State band of the day). He has played the shore bars, especially The Stone Pony many times. Quincy and the boys did every well, playing some tunes from his four released albums dating back to 2008. They rocked pretty gently throughout their set and encompassed many styles. They are very good and would check them out again. Mumford's latest studio album is 2011's Speak.
Next up was Aztec Two Step, a folk-rock trio hailing from Boston. The name sounded familiar to me as I believed this band once played at Montclair State when I went there in the mid 1970's, and sure enough, these guys have been around since 1972. Their music kind of sounds like a cross between The Eagles and Pure Prairie League, and this afternoon's set doesn't stray from that style. They played for well over an hour, with songs old and new. Believe it or not, their self-titled debut came out in '72, fifteen albums later, Cause and Effect was released this year.
Finally, James Maddock and his band hit the stage around 4:30, the final act on the bill. Maddock is from Britain, and about ten years ago, it appears he would break thru as a member of a band called "Wood". That band's debut album, Songs From Stamford Hill, was featured on several TV series such as Dawson's Creek, and he was on the verge of superstardom. That didn't happen, of course, but listening to his music, he should have. Definitely the best act on the bill this afternoon, the band jammed for over an hour and a half. His latest album, Sunrise on Avenue C is a varied album, but, like his performance this afternoon, he knows how to rock out as well. Hopefully he will be heard on a larger scale soon enough.
RACHEL, RACHEL: It's been a few weeks since "Ain't No Fun" dropped off the chart, and there's been hide nor hare of her new album which was supposed to drop last month. And what had looked like a year in which Rachel Allyn had been stuck in neutral, looks like she's finally shifting into overdrive.
I've mentioned her so many times since Barb and I discovered her over two years ago playing and singing to CD's at Kabob's on Lake Hopatcong. She was going to school in Nashville at the time and thought it was just a matter of time before her big break came. It looked like she was on the verge last year when she was featured on an Internet radio station, and then won shore station Thunder 106's "House Band" contest and opened for Thompson Square at Six Flags Great Adventure a year ago.
But this year, seemed uneventful...until a few weeks ago. Her dad, John, who we've had the pleasure of meeting (along with his wife, Sue), had been managering her career, booking several gigs in the Northwest New Jersey area for years, had officially "retired". Rachel then signed with the managment company "107 Productions". Well, let's just say that the young songstress has upped the ante on her career. This past week alone, she has played at Jenks in Point Pleasant, had a nighttime gig in Belmar at Connelly Station, and (thanks to this blog being late), openned up for country superstar Sara Evans at Yonkers Raceway for a concert. Suddenly, the Jefferson House (which she will return to September 1) is miles away. She's still doing gigs for Thunder 106 as well (I wondered if this reign as "house band" was only for a year until they had another contest, but so far, there's no indication of anything new, so Rachel and the guys will keep on keeping on).
As for the new album, a check of her website doesn't even mention it. Perhaps it's being saved until the right time. She knows what she's doing, and hopefully soon we'll have some cool new stuff to listen to. In the meantime, check out her website, her tour schedule is now varied and intensified.
THE CHARTS: Pink still reigns on the SNS 100 for a third week as "Blow Me (One Last Kiss" remains in the top spot, despite dropping yet another notch on the Hot 100, to #12, as again, anything with a rock flair is being held against it with the record-buying public these days. And what's with Kelly Clarkson's latest? "Dark Side" is a very good song, and enters my top 10 for her second consecutive time ("Stronger" hit #7 as well as #1 on Billboard), yet it wallows on the national chart at #44. Go figure. Two Door Cinema Club has its fourth consecutive top 20 song; Ty Segall his second, and the newbie in the Top 20 this week is The Royal Concept, a band from Sweden, from their debut EP, self-titled.
SWIFT SHIN: Farther down, the Top Debut is "It's Only Life", the latest effort from versatile band The Shins, and the follow to the #1 SNS "The Rifle's Spiral", both from the acts' latest, Port of Morrow. Just behind them is the new Taylor Swift single "We Are Never Getting Back Together", which takes the top spot in Billboard by jumping from #73 to #1, knocking out the latest Flo Rida single after a week at the top (and, unfortunately, Ellie Goulding's "Lights" which drops to #3, most likely ending any chance of a dual #1 on SNS and Billboard). I like Taylor, she is very much down to Earth, and has a great rapport with her fans; that is saying a lot these days she is not stuck up or anything like that at all, a big deal considering her great success. As for this song, sometimes, I think she is compromising her country based sound for something more contemporary poppish, but after a couple more listens, it is a decent song, and I will most likely advance it up my chart in the next couple of weeks.
SCENES 'N' SOUNDWAVES 100 for Week of August 20, 2012:
|
This Week
|
Last Week
|
ARTIST-Title
|
Weeks on List
|
|
1
|
1
|
P!NK
"Blow Me (One Last Kiss)"
Album: The Truth About Love
(3 weeks at #1)
|
7
|
|
2
|
2
|
The Heavy - What Makes A Good Man
|
9
|
|
3
|
6
|
Foxygen - Make It Known
|
5
|
|
4
|
7
|
Dignan Porch - Picking Up Dust
|
6
|
|
5
|
8
|
The Avett Brothers - Live and Die
|
6
|
|
6
|
3
|
Trails and Ways - Nunca
|
13
|
|
7
|
4
|
The Black Keys - Little Black Submarine
|
10
|
|
8
|
5
|
Best Coast - The Only Place
|
14
|
|
9
|
13
|
Kelly Clarkson - Dark Side
|
12
|
|
10
|
12
|
Beach House - Lazuli
|
11
|
|
11
|
11
|
Phillip Phillips - Home
|
13
|
|
12
|
18
|
The Raveonettes - Observations
|
8
|
|
13
|
20
|
Matchbox Twenty - She's So Mean
|
10
|
|
14
|
16
|
Fun. - Some Nights
|
21
|
|
15
|
22
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB
"Sleep Alone"
Album: Beacon
|
5
|
|
16
|
9
|
M83 - Reunion
|
14
|
|
17
|
10
|
The Kooks - Is It Me
|
13
|
|
18
|
17
|
Oberhofer - Away From You
|
18
|
|
19
|
24
|
The Royal Concept - Gimme Twice
|
9
|
|
20
|
26
|
Ty Segall Band - I Brought My Eyes
|
12
|
|
21
|
14
|
Mayer Hawthorne - Henny and Gingerale
|
15
|
|
22
|
15
|
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - That's What's Up
|
17
|
|
23
|
32
|
Green Day - Oh Love
|
5
|
|
24
|
29
|
Of Monsters and Men - Mountain Sound
|
10
|
|
25
|
41
|
Basement Batman - On A Streak
|
4
|
|
26
|
31
|
The Killers - Runaways
|
6
|
|
27
|
50
|
Rebecca Ferguson - Nothing's Real But Love
|
3
|
|
28
|
19
|
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals - Never Go Back
|
19
|
|
29
|
23
|
Linkin Park - Burn It Down
|
17
|
|
30
|
28
|
Grassfight - Look Homeward Heathen
|
7
|
|
31
|
30
|
Emeli Sande - Next To Me
|
9
|
|
32
|
21
|
The Shins- The Rifle's Spiral
|
20
|
|
33
|
43
|
Grouplove - Itchin' On A Photograph
|
3
|
|
34
|
39
|
Meiko - Leave the Lights On
|
8
|
|
35
|
40
|
A Place to Bury Strangers - You Are the One
|
6
|
|
36
|
25
|
Those Darlins - Screws Get Loose
|
24
|
|
37
|
42
|
The Features - Another One
|
7
|
|
38
|
46
|
No Doubt - Settle Down
|
5
|
|
39
|
45
|
The Mungers - B School
|
7
|
|
40
|
44
|
Weeks - The House We Grew Up In
|
8
|
|
41
|
33
|
Metric - Youth Without Youth
|
17
|
|
42
|
37
|
Gotye - Eyes Wide Open
|
18
|
|
43
|
27
|
Gossip - Move in the Right Direction
|
10
|
|
44
|
34
|
Maroon 5 - Come Away To the Water
|
22
|
|
45
|
35
|
Wolf Gang - The King and All His Men
|
12
|
|
46
|
36
|
Gotye f. Kimbra - Somebody That I Used to Know
|
31
|
|
47
|
38
|
Graffiti6 - Stare Into the Sun
|
15
|
|
48
|
48
|
Public Image Ltd - One Drop
|
9
|
|
49
|
62
|
Joanna Burns - Simply Speak
|
4
|
|
50
|
65
|
Snow Patrol - In the End
|
4
|
|
51
|
49
|
The Gaslight Anthem - 45
|
13
|
|
52
|
60
|
Chromatics - Into the Black
|
4
|
|
53
|
47
|
The Wombats - Jump Into the Fog
|
24
|
|
54
|
59
|
Dr. Dog - Lonesome
|
10
|
|
55
|
81
|
Dirty Beaches - Elizabeth's Theme
|
2
|
|
56
|
82
|
MOVER OF THE WEEK:
MUMFORD & SONS
"I Will Wait"
Album: Babel
|
2
|
|
57
|
75
|
Maroon 5 - One More Night
|
4
|
|
58
|
70
|
Rome - Dedication
|
8
|
|
59
|
51
|
Dawes - If I Wanted Someone
|
9
|
|
60
|
54
|
Ty Segall & White Fence - I Am Not A Game
|
22
|
|
61
|
53
|
Train - 50 Ways to Say Goodbye
|
11
|
|
62
|
77
|
The Lumineers - Hey Ho
|
8
|
|
63
|
74
|
Daniel Powter - Cupid
|
6
|
|
64
|
52
|
Passion Pit - Take A Walk
|
14
|
|
65
|
56
|
Electric Guest - This Head I Hold
|
25
|
|
66
|
67
|
Ellie Goulding - Lights
|
31
|
|
67
|
72
|
White Violet - Lays Around Lazy
|
12
|
|
68
|
76
|
Aerosmith - Legendary Child
|
4
|
|
69
|
73
|
Christina Perri f. Jason Mraz - Distance
|
5
|
|
70
|
83
|
Mayer Hawthorne - No Strings
|
2
|
|
71
|
55
|
Grouplove - Tongue Tied
|
36
|
|
72
|
66
|
Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe
|
12
|
|
73
|
63
|
Eve6 - Victoria
|
23
|
|
74
|
68
|
Eric Hutchinson - Watching You Watch Him
|
11
|
|
75
|
69
|
Lady Antebellum - Dancing Away With My Heart
|
22
|
|
76
|
61
|
Lost n the Trees - Golden Eyelids
|
20
|
|
77
|
71
|
Silent Rider - I Was A Bomb
|
8
|
|
78
|
80
|
Bloc Party - Octopus
|
4
|
|
79
|
84
|
Tristan Prettymen - My Oh My
|
2
|
|
80
|
58
|
Florence + the Machine - No Light, No Light
|
32
|
|
81
|
----
|
TOP DEBUT:
THE SHINS
"It's Only Life"
Album: Port of Morrow |
1
|
|
82
|
----
|
Taylor Swift - We Are Never Getting Back Together
|
1
|
|
83
|
93
|
Youngblood Hawke - We Come Running
|
2
|
|
84
|
87
|
Japandroids - The House That Heaven Built
|
3
|
|
85
|
57
|
The Beach Boys - That's Why God Made the Radio
|
11
|
|
86
|
64
|
Florence + the Machine - Never Let Me Go
|
24
|
|
87
|
78
|
The Black Keys - Gold On the Ceiling
|
30
|
|
88
|
91
|
Alex Clare - Too Close
|
13
|
|
89
|
99
|
Sean Rowe - Horses
|
2
|
|
90
|
----
|
Yeasayer - Henrietta
|
1
|
|
91
|
79
|
The Rapture - How Deep is Your Love
|
32
|
|
92
|
89
|
Dave Matthews Band - Mercy
|
7
|
|
93
|
----
|
Django Django - Default
|
1
|
|
94
|
90
|
Smashing Pumpkins - Celestials
|
3
|
|
95
|
----
|
Jack White - Freedom at 21
|
1
|
|
96
|
98
|
Slightly Stoopid - Top of the World
|
2
|
|
97
|
----
|
Coldplay - Hurts Like Heaven0
|
1
|
|
98
|
92
|
The XX - Angels
|
3
|
|
99
|
----
|
Keane - Sovereign Light Cafe
|
1
|
|
100
|
86
|
Fun. f. Janelle Monae - We Are Young
|
38
|
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