Much of the rather chilly weekend (blustery on Saturday and Sunday, with snow flurries!), was spent either indoors, or outside putting up Christmas decorations. There was a trip to a nearby mall on Black Friday, also, but that doesn't really count. And finally, on Saturday night, there was a pilgramage to my hometown of Roselle Park, where there was a gathering of high school friends, and listening to English Creek Road, a band who got their mark playing at dances and battles of the bands back in the day, and recently reforming and playing at many of our reunions. I've talked about them before; their playing (mostly classic songs from back in the day), is very awesome!
I also talked to many friends old and new about a lot of things. Hurricane Sandy of course is a big topic, as people are still recovering from that devastating storm. One friend of mine from Lacey Township, down in South Jersey described the area as a war zone, and to an extent, still is. But nonetheless, he and his wife made the trek northward sixty mile to hang out with us on that fantastic evening.
Another friend, whom I shared many current music with, told me one startling thing. Remember a few months ago, I heralded the return of WRXP, a modern rock station at 101.9 FM, in New York City, a town that traditionally shunned any kind of new rock? Well, she told me that after the power came back on earlier this month, the station was no more, it was some kind of talk station now. Huh? Well, driving home from the reunion I put it on....and what do you know? It was WFAN. Yes, the sports station at 660 AM that I primarly listen to (because all the music stations in town leave much to be desired).
Seems that the owner of WRXP, Merlin Communications, which had tried moving the music station to an ill-fated news outlet, only to flip back to pure Modern Rock, much to my delight, decided to sell the station to CBS, Inc, a company which already owns six radio stations in town (including 'FAN, WCBS-FM, the top 40 NOW FM (at 92.3), and a couple of news stations on the AM dial. And they decided to simulcast 'FAN on the FM side (they might flip the AM station in the future). And so, once again, we're without a modern rock station in the area. Easy come, easy go. But it's just as well. CBS did a hack job with their last so-called Modern Rock station, K-Rock (WXRK).
It's a bit of a shame, as, although the traditional guitar-driven rock has been absent from the upper regions of the Hot 100 for some time now, Alternative was making a comeback, with Gotye and fun. topping the chart much of the spring and early summer; and Alex Clare and now The Lumineers having Top 10 hits. Mumford and Sons also has broken through with the mainstream.
So, where do we go now? Well, there's of course satellite radio, or heck, just check out my SNS 100 chart below. But, where do I get my information? The answer is, well, anyway I can get it.
Here are some of the ways I get my music.
(1) Word of mouth from friends, usually on Facebook, but other outlets as well. Some friends will post on my wall, others on their wall, usually inviting me to check out some new song. Gin Wigmore, debuting at #84, with "Man Like That" is one such song suggested by a friend. Sometimes, it's the artist himself, such as the case with the Top Debut, "My Home New Jersey Part II" by local artist Paul Czekaj, which, incidentally I discussed a couple weeks back and is now available for download on the major websites. Django Django, The Satelliters, The Generationals, and Dinosaur Jr, all in the Top 20, were also recommended by friends.
(2) Billboard. I subscribe online to this trade magazine, which carries charts of every kind, reflecting both downloads, radio airplay, YouTube views, streaming websites and other methods. The charts I particularly look at are the Hot 100 (where I will select the very few pure pop songs that are near the top of the chart...that includes the new #1 song, "Diamonds", by Rihanna, which I added at #98), Alternative (formerly called Modern Rock), Triple-A (Adult Album Alternative), Adult Top 40, and occasionally Country (although only one country track is on the chart right now, Little Big Town).
(3) WEQX. This station is an alternative formatted outlet in Manchester VT and Albany NY. It has been around since 1984, and was our soundtrack to the years I was part of a ski house in Mt. Snow. Many memories have come via this independently-owned radio station, which has held its ground. The station has its weekly currents playlist, which I pick up many a song. Like Billboard, it's often sound-unseen; but thank goodness for the samples on Amazon.com and iTunes which allow you to check out part of the song before you buy it.
(4) The Alternate Side. Yes, 'RXP is gone, but the non-commercial WFUV is still around. They carry a show called The Alternate Side, which features the top 20 albums getting airplay on the station, many of them hailing from the area, most specifically the new music hotbed of Brooklyn. As they only chart albums, it's difficult to select one song. I will either check the single, the most popular track as shown on iTunes, or sample through the album to find a great track to download and chart. Last week's #1 song by Grizzly Bear, was via this source.
(5) RCD LBL. This is a great site for checking out music of any kind, mostly indie pop and rock, but also rap/hip-hop, electronic, dream pop, and even psychedelic rock. Many of them are available for free downloads. There are many offered songs, so pick and choose. Most of these songs haven't caught on nationally, but they're great, so who really cares? Songs from this source include the latest from Golden Void and Child Actor; Ty Segall, with two SNS Top 10's was also found this way. You can check this site out yourself: rcdlbl.com
There are other ways as well, such as performances on TV shows, etc. It just goes to show you can survive on current music without radio.
CHARTWISE: The commercially-poppish "Change" by Churchill, ascends to the top spot this week, pushing Grizzly Bear's "Yet Again" to #2, but the action is within the rest of the top 5, as three songs are making advances: "Skyfall" by Adele (5-3), "The Curve" by Golden Void (6-4), and "Stars" by Grace Potter & the Nocturnals (8-5).
NEVER SAY DIE: Then there's the persistency of "Home" by Phillip Phillps, which returns to the Top 20 after several weeks out of it. It's been exactly half a year since he won season 11 of American Idol; I added the record at the time. It debuted in the Top 10 on Billboard's chart, but quickly fell off the chart. Subsequent exposure on the Olympics telecase, moved it back to the Top 10, before again dropping back down. Radio, however, is finally on the song (it's #1 on Triple-A; something unheard of for an "Idol" artist), and Top 40 is playing itl the song is #12 and about to invade the Hot 100's Top 10 for a third time. On my chart, the song peaked at #11 back on August 13th. And I just can't get the song out of my head. The Joy Formidable ahve their second SNS top 20 with "This Ladder is Ours". "Whirring" peaked at #11 in November, 2010.
OUT OF STYLE?: Hurricane Sandy took its toll on a lot of people's lives, but it also seemed to take its toll on the fall's biggest dance craze. Psy's "Gangnam Style", drops down to #30 on SNS, and also dipps to the lower regions of the national Top 10. Well, it was fun while it lasted.
THE HOME STRETCH: It's only a few weeks until the end of another year, and once again, I will be compiling my Top 100 of the year. Will the top song be one that was nationally popular, as with Adele's 'Rolling in the Deep" last year, or will it be by an obscure artist found on RCD LBL or The Alternate Side? Think about which song from 2012 was your favorite.
SCENES 'N' SOUNDWAVES 100 for Week of November 19, 2012:
This Week
|
Last Week
|
ARTIST-Title
|
Weeks on List
|
1
|
2
|
NUMBER 1:
CHURCHILL
"Change"
Album: Change (EP)
|
11
|
2
|
1
|
Grizzly Bear - Yet Again
|
9
|
3
|
5
|
Adele - Skyfall
|
7
|
4
|
6
|
Golden Void - The Curve
|
7
|
5
|
8
|
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - Stars
|
11
|
6
|
3
|
The Satelliters - Lost in Time
|
12
|
7
|
7
|
Child Actor - If You Loved Me
|
7
|
8
|
4
|
Django Django - Default
|
14
|
9
|
11
|
ZZ Ward - Put the Gun Down
|
10
|
10
|
10
|
Rebecca Ferguson - Nothing's Real But Love
|
16
|
11
|
12
|
Leila - Mirror Mirror
|
7
|
12
|
20
|
Generationals - When They Fight They Fight
|
5
|
13
|
19
|
Dinosaur Jr. - Don't Pretend You Didn't Know
|
6
|
14
|
9
|
Dirty Beaches - Elizabeth's Theme
|
15
|
15
|
13
|
Maroon 5 - One More Night
|
17
|
16
|
15
|
Kopecky Family Band - Heartbeat
|
12
|
17
|
16
|
The Shins - It's Only Life
|
14
|
18
|
24
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
PHILLIP PHILLIPS
"Home"
Album: The World From the Side of the Moon
|
26
|
19
|
31
|
The Joy Formidable - This Ladder Is Ours
|
5
|
20
|
18
|
The Heavy - What Makes A Good Man
|
22
|
|
21
|
14
|
Mumford & Sons - I Will Wait
|
15
|
|
22
|
23
|
Silversun Pickups - The Pit
|
10
|
|
23
|
32
|
Alabama Shakes - I Ain't The Same
|
6
|
|
24
|
27
|
The Lumineers - Ho Hey
|
21
|
|
25
|
21
|
Yeasayer - Henrietta
|
14
|
|
26
|
29
|
Metric - Breathing Underwater
|
10
|
|
27
|
36
|
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - Runaway
|
5
|
|
28
|
28
|
Alex Clare - Too Close
|
26
|
|
29
|
30
|
Train - 50 Ways to Say Goodbye
|
23
|
|
30
|
17
|
Psy - Gangnam Style
|
9
|
|
31
|
22
|
Hedley -Kiss You Inside Out
|
13
|
|
32
|
25
|
Youngblood Hawke - We Come Running
|
15
|
|
33
|
26
|
Pink - Blow Me (One Last Kiss)
|
20
|
|
34
|
35
|
Green Day - Let Yourself Go
|
7
|
|
35
|
39
|
Pink - Try
|
5
|
|
36
|
34
|
Grassfight - Look Homeward Heathen
|
20
|
|
37
|
33
|
The Avett Brothers - Live and Die
|
19
|
|
38
|
49
|
Civil Twilight - River
|
6
|
|
39
|
44
|
Walk the Moon - Tightrope
|
12
|
|
40
|
37
|
Jack White - Freedom at 21
|
14
|
|
41
|
41
|
Neon Trees - Everybody Talks
|
19
|
|
42
|
46
|
Letting Up Despite Great Faults - Bulletproof
|
7
|
|
43
|
56
|
The Raveonettes - Curse the Night
|
3
|
|
44
|
38
|
Taylor Swift - We Are Never Getting Back Together
|
14
|
|
45
|
58
|
Tegan and Sara - Closer
|
3
|
|
46
|
70
|
The Vaccines - I Always Knew
|
2
|
|
47
|
42
|
Taylor Swift - Ronan
|
10
|
|
48
|
40
|
Ty Segall Band - I Brought My Eyes
|
25
|
|
49
|
84
|
MOVER OF THE WEEK::
MATT & KIM
"Let's Go"
Album: Lightning
|
2
|
|
50
|
53
|
Muse - The Madness
|
9
|
|
51
|
57
|
Fun - Carry On
|
5
|
|
52
|
52
|
Dirty Heads - Dance All Night
|
13
|
|
53
|
50
|
Grouplove - Itchin' On A Photograph
|
16
|
|
54
|
85
|
The Satelliters - Shake Shake Shake
|
2
|
|
55
|
45
|
Tristan Prettymen - My Oh My
|
15
|
|
56
|
47
|
Sean Rowe - Horses
|
15
|
|
57
|
59
|
Benjamin Gibbard - Teardrop Windows
|
6
|
|
58
|
----
|
TOP DEBUT:
PAUL CZEKAJ
"My Home New Jersey Part II"
(Single only)
|
1
|
|
59
|
43
|
Ellie Goulding - Anything Could Happen
|
10
|
|
60
|
48
|
Snow Patrol - In the End
|
17
|
|
61
|
71
|
Kelly Clarkson - Catch My Breath
|
3
|
|
62
|
64
|
Paul Czekaj - My Home New Jersey
|
24
|
|
63
|
63
|
The Soft Moon - Insides
|
11
|
|
64
|
77
|
Tame Impala - Apocalypse Dreams
|
3
|
|
65
|
51
|
Helvetia - Nothing in Rambling
|
11
|
|
66
|
54
|
Those Darlins - Mystic Mind
|
11
|
|
67
|
62
|
OneRepublic - Feel Again
|
10
|
|
68
|
76
|
Divine Fits - Would That Not Be Nice
|
6
|
|
69
|
68
|
Linkin Park - Lost In the Echo
|
13
|
|
70
|
60
|
Fun. - Some Nights
|
34
|
|
71
|
74
|
Of Monsters and Men - Mountain Sound
|
23
|
|
72
|
80
|
Blondfire - Where The Kids Are
|
7
|
|
73
|
89
|
The Offspring - Turning Into You
|
2
|
|
74
|
81
|
The XX - Chained
|
6
|
|
75
|
93
|
The Killers - Miss Atomic Bomb
|
2
|
|
76
|
55
|
Allen Stone - Sleep
|
12
|
|
77
|
67
|
Basement Batman - On A Streak
|
17
|
|
78
|
73
|
The Black Keys - Little Black Submarine
|
23
|
|
79
|
----
|
Thao & The Get Down Stay Down - Holy Roller
|
1
|
|
80
|
66
|
Dignan Porch - Picking Up Dust
|
19
|
|
81
|
65
|
Foxygen - Make It Known
|
18
|
|
82
|
69
|
Coldplay - Hurts Like Heaven
|
14
|
|
83
|
75
|
Imagine Dragons - Radioactive
|
11
|
|
84
|
----
|
Gin Wigmore - Man Like That
|
1
|
|
85
|
61
|
Two Door Cinema Club - Sleep Alone
|
18
|
|
86
|
82
|
Little Big Town - Pontoon
|
11
|
|
87
|
83
|
Aerosmith - What Could Have Been Love
|
3
|
|
88
|
----
|
Willy Moon - Yeah Yeah
|
1
|
|
89
|
87
|
Aerosmith - Legendary Child
|
17
|
|
90
|
----
|
Widowspeak - Ballad of the Golden Hour
|
1
|
|
91
|
88
|
I Am Dynamite - Where Will We Go
|
6
|
|
92
|
95
|
Ed Sheeran - The A Team
|
5
|
|
93
|
----
|
San Cisco - Awkward
|
1
|
|
94
|
98
|
Matchbox Twenty - Overjoyed
|
2
|
|
95
|
99
|
Titus Andronicus - In A Big City
|
2
|
|
96
|
78
|
Matchbox Twenty - She's So Mean
|
23
|
|
97
|
92
|
Those Darlins - Screws Get Loose
|
37
|
|
98
|
----
|
Rihanna - Diamonds
|
1
|
|
99
|
72
|
The Beach Boys - Isn't It Time
|
7
|
|
100
|
----
|
Shinedown - Enemies
|
1
|
