COME TO GRAMMY: This week, the nominees for the annual Grammy Awards, the highest honor in the recording industry were announced. Normally, I kind of just look the other way. After all, the thrill is actually on awards night as to who wins, and probably more importantly, who performs on the show. And it wasn't much too long ago that I never really cared about awards shows, particularly this one, since whoever won was probably somebody I didn't care for. Musically, I kind of went out on my own. And with the popular music scene the way it's been, there really haven't been too many bright spots to cheer about on the charts, anyway.
That's why I was pleasantly surprised when the announcement came out (in part, via a variety special on Wednesday, although I didn't watch). Many of the new alternative/indie/Americana acts garnered some key nominations. And even more spectacular, three current "hearthrob" acts--Justin Bieber, and the boy bands The Wanted and One Direction--didn't even get one nomination.
But, it really shouldn't have been that surprising, since acts crossing over from the Alternative, and Triple-A charts have landed in the upper regions of Billboard's Hot 100, infiltrating the likes of the current hip-hoppers, pop princesses and the aforementioned boy bands. Here are just a few of the nominees in some key categories.
RECORD OF THE YEAR: Let's start off with the biggie. Actually that would be "Album of the Year", but in the age of downloads, it really comes down to the song.
"Lonely Boy", The Black Keys
"Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)", Kelly Clarkson
"We Are Young", fun.
"Somebody That I Used to Know", Gotye
"Thinking About You", Frank Ocean
"We Are Never, Ever Getting Back Together", Taylor Swift
Although some may disagree with the catchy Swift song (which is OK), there really isn't one bad song in the bunch. I'm not that familiar with the Frank Ocean record, which is in the R&B field; it's the only one I didn't add (but it's something worth checking out). But two of these songs hit #1 on my SNS chart ("Lonely Boy", "We Are Young"), another was #2 for 12 weeks ("Somebody..."), and the Clarkson song hit #7 on my chart. Two of the more decent songstresses along with some key alternate acts.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR:
"El Camino", The Black Keys
"Some Nights", fun.
"Babel", Mumford & Sons
"Channel Orange", Frank Ocean
"Blunderpuss", Jack White
Again, wow. Once again, not familar with the Ocean record, but all of the others are well deserved. I have added three Black Keys songs from that set; all have reached my top 10. Two fun. songs have hit my top 20, with a third well on the way. I finally warmed up to Mumford & Sons this go round, with "I Will Wait" in my top 5. Jack White's first solo record is a bit varied (as is his musical style), but I have charted four songs with this record as well. A tough choice, to say the least.
BEST NEW ARTIST:
fun., Hunter Hayes, Frank Ocean, Alabama Shakes, The Lumineers
Ocean and Hayes are unknowns to me, but just the fact they are nominated shows that the academy doesn't go by who is popular. The other two, would definitely earn the honor if they won. The latter two are currently in my top 20. By the way, "Ho Hey", by The Lumineers has hit the #5 position on the Hot 100 and finally cracked my top 20 last week after half a year.
Some other of my "acts" that got nominated, include Florence + the Machine's "Shake It Out", in my top 10 late last year, for Best Pop/Duo or Group Performance, joining the Gotye, and fun. songs (and Maroon 5's "Payphone"); Pop Vocal album also has Florence and the gang's "Ceremonials".
The awards air this coming February.
CHRISTMAS ALL OVER AGAIN: This is the week that the holiday stuff came pouring out. Four new entries join the two that debuted last week. Fron and center is the latest entry by The Killers, "I Feel It In My Bones". This band releases a Christmas single every year (remember last year's "The Cowboys Christmas Ball"?). As good as that tune was, this year's model is just blowing me away. Debuting at a high #51, it doesn't really sound anything like a Christmas song, no jingle bells, nothing like that. In fact, if there wasn't any references to "naughty", "nice", or "Santa", you'd never know it. The video is a great one as well. The band had released their latest album, Battle Born, which contained the SNS top 20 "Runaways", as well as the latest single that is moving up, "Miss Atomic Bomb" (#61) . The band will be playing Madison Square Garden on December 14th, so it might be the perfec time to catch them; no doubt they'll be playing this song.
Right behind at #59 is the Christmas entry from The Hounds of Winter, "Come On Christmas". The band may not sound familiar, but they actually had two entries on my Top 100 of 2011. They backed singer/songwriter Sarah Jean Teti on the SNS #3 "Hometown" as well as the follow-up, the #11 "At Last", not to mention the top 20 presence of Thom Sebastian's "Not Broken". The Hounds are led by my friend Tom Corea, and recorded at his Babyfishmouth studio at his home in East Hanover. Their new Christmas CD is "The Hounds of Winter Ride Again". The band does its take on many of the classics as well as those song that have been around, but not necessarily considered staples. I love their take on Tom Petty's "Christmas All Over Again". I was going to add that song, but Tom kept posting some over great stuff.
The song I ultimately went with was something called "Come On Christmas". I am not familiar with this song, but it was released in 1997 by Dwight Yoakam. The Hounds' version is straight ahead indie-rock, a bit stripped down and raw, and they are really jamming here. For those who like their holiday tunes rocking, both the Killers and Hounds are the way to go.
Two other, more mainstream artists debut on the chart as well with their holiday offerings. Blake Sheldon, top country performer, as well as a coach on The Voice, had a great Christmas special last week, and released an album of holiday tunes, "Smile, It's Christmas". The song I'm going with here is a duet with Reba McIntire, "Oklahoma Christmas"(#80). Other duets on the disc are those with his wife Miranda Lambert, Kelly Clarkson, and Michael Buble, who released his own album last year.
Rod Stewart's new album, Merry Christmas Baby, is out this year as well, and the track "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" is the one getting airplay and is the song I'm adding. At #83, it's a nice, listenable version of this classic, and features jazz artist Dave Koz. Stewart is no stranger to holiday offerings; his duet with Dolly Parton, of "Baby It's Cold Outside" from one of his Great American Songbook releases, is a classic with me, and even the end of this new take on "Let It Snow...", he mentions the prior song.
BRIEFLY: Grace Potter & the Nocturnals advance to the top spot with "Stars", their first #1 on my chart. This is a great song, as proven by its performance on The Voice (by since-voted off Amanda Brown). The band, which I have been raving about since I started my blog in August, 2010, is slowly making inroads, and contantly touring. It would be nice to say that sometime in 2013 that they will have a big hit, and hopefully on their terms. Golden Void advances to #2, knocking "Change" by Churchill down to #4, and Adele's "Skyfall" down to #4, most likely denying her a fourth #1 song. Matt & Kim enter the top 20.
Scenes 'n' Soundwaves 100 for week of December 3, 2012:
|
This Week
|
Last Week
|
ARTIST-Title
|
Weeks on List
|
|
1
|
3
|
NUMBER 1:
GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS
"Stars"
Album: The Lion The Beast The Beat
|
13
|
|
2
|
4
|
Golden Void - The Curve
|
9
|
|
3
|
1
|
Churchill - Change
|
13
|
|
4
|
2
|
Adele - Skyfall
|
9
|
|
5
|
5
|
Grizzly Bear - Yet Again
|
11
|
|
6
|
8
|
Generationals - When They Fight They Fight
|
7
|
|
7
|
6
|
The Satelliters - Lost in Time
|
14
|
|
8
|
7
|
Child Actor - If You Loved Me
|
9
|
|
9
|
9
|
ZZ Ward - Put the Gun Down
|
12
|
|
10
|
11
|
Leila - Mirror Mirror
|
9
|
|
11
|
12
|
Dinosaur Jr. - Don't Pretend You Didn't Know
|
8
|
|
12
|
18
|
Alabama Shakes - I Ain't The Same
|
8
|
|
13
|
13
|
Rebecca Ferguson - Nothing's Real But Love
|
18
|
|
14
|
14
|
Maroon 5 - One More Night
|
19
|
|
15
|
10
|
Django Django - Default
|
16
|
|
16
|
15
|
The Joy Formidable - This Ladder Is Ours
|
7
|
|
17
|
20
|
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - Runaway
|
7
|
|
18
|
34
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
MATT & KIM
"Let's Go"
Album: Lightning
|
4
|
|
19
|
17
|
Phillip Phillips - Home
|
28
|
|
20
|
16
|
Dirty Beaches - Elizabeth's Theme
|
17
|
|
21
|
19
|
The Lumineers - Ho Hey
|
23
|
|
22
|
25
|
Green Day - Let Yourself Go
|
9
|
|
23
|
33
|
The Vaccines - I Always Knew
|
4
|
|
24
|
23
|
Alex Clare - Too Close
|
28
|
|
25
|
31
|
Pink - Try
|
7
|
|
26
|
41
|
Fun - Carry On
|
7
|
|
27
|
27
|
Psy - Gangnam Style
|
11
|
|
28
|
43
|
The Satelliters - Shake Shake Shake
|
4
|
|
29
|
24
|
The Heavy - What Makes A Good Man
|
24
|
|
30
|
26
|
Metric - Breathing Underwater
|
12
|
|
31
|
39
|
Paul Czekaj - My Home New Jersey Part II
|
3
|
|
32
|
40
|
The Raveonettes - Curse the Night
|
5
|
|
33
|
22
|
Kopecky Family Band - Heartbeat
|
14
|
|
34
|
21
|
The Shins - It's Only Life
|
16
|
|
35
|
29
|
Mumford & Sons - I Will Wait
|
17
|
|
36
|
38
|
Civil Twilight - River
|
8
|
|
37
|
28
|
Silversun Pickups - The Pit
|
12
|
|
38
|
32
|
Yeasayer - Henrietta
|
16
|
|
39
|
59
|
Thao & The Get Down Stay Down - Holy Roller
|
3
|
|
40
|
42
|
Tegan and Sara - Closer
|
5
|
|
41
|
30
|
Train - 50 Ways to Say Goodbye
|
25
|
|
42
|
47
|
Kelly Clarkson - Catch My Breath
|
5
|
|
43
|
35
|
Pink - Blow Me (One Last Kiss)
|
22
|
|
44
|
52
|
Tame Impala - Apocalypse Dreams
|
5
|
|
45
|
36
|
Hedley -Kiss You Inside Out
|
15
|
|
46
|
50
|
Benjamin Gibbard - Teardrop Windows
|
8
|
|
47
|
68
|
MOVER OF THE WEEK:
GARY CLARK JR.
"Ain't Messin' Around"
Album: Blak & Blu
|
2
|
|
48
|
37
|
Youngblood Hawke - We Come Running
|
17
|
|
49
|
49
|
Muse - The Madness
|
11
|
|
50
|
44
|
Grassfight - Look Homeward Heathen
|
22
|
|
51
|
----
|
TOP DEBUT:
THE KILLERS
"I Feel It In My Bones"
(Single Only)
|
1
|
|
52
|
45
|
Walk the Moon - Tightrope
|
14
|
|
53
|
75
|
Cee Lo Green - What Christmas Means to Me
|
2
|
|
54
|
74
|
Colbie Caillat - Christmas in the Sand
|
2
|
|
55
|
48
|
Letting Up Despite Great Faults - Bulletproof
|
9
|
|
56
|
46
|
The Avett Brothers - Live and Die
|
21
|
|
57
|
66
|
The Offspring - Turning Into You
|
4
|
|
58
|
70
|
Ra Ra Riot - Beta Love
|
2
|
|
59
|
----
|
The Hounds of Winter - Come on Christmas
|
1
|
|
60
|
51
|
Neon Trees - Everybody Talks
|
21
|
|
61
|
67
|
The Killers - Miss Atomic Bomb
|
4
|
|
62
|
57
|
Grouplove - Itchin' On A Photograph
|
18
|
|
63
|
58
|
Dirty Heads - Dance All Night
|
15
|
|
64
|
69
|
Gin Wigmore - Man Like That
|
3
|
|
65
|
55
|
Ty Segall Band - I Brought My Eyes
|
27
|
|
66
|
54
|
Sean Rowe - Horses
|
17
|
|
67
|
53
|
Taylor Swift - We Are Never Getting Back Together
|
16
|
|
68
|
56
|
Jack White - Freedom at 21
|
16
|
|
69
|
83
|
Capital Cities - Safe and Sound
|
2
|
|
70
|
76
|
Willy Moon - Yeah Yeah
|
3
|
|
71
|
77
|
Widowspeak - Ballad of the Golden Hour
|
3
|
|
72
|
79
|
San Cisco - Awkward
|
3
|
|
73
|
61
|
The Soft Moon - Insides
|
13
|
|
74
|
87
|
Shinedown - Enemies
|
3
|
|
75
|
65
|
Ellie Goulding - Anything Could Happen
|
12
|
|
76
|
88
|
Allen Stone - Unaware
|
2
|
|
77
|
84
|
Rihanna - Diamonds
|
3
|
|
78
|
----
|
Passion Pit - Carried Away
|
1
|
|
79
|
60
|
Taylor Swift - Ronan
|
12
|
|
80
|
----
|
Blake Shelton f. Reba - Oklahoma Christmas
|
1
|
|
81
|
71
|
Divine Fits - Would That Not Be Nice
|
8
|
|
82
|
86
|
Ed Sheeran - The A Team
|
7
|
|
83
|
----
|
Rod Stewart - Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
|
1
|
|
84
|
72
|
Those Darlins - Mystic Mind
|
13
|
|
85
|
63
|
Tristan Prettymen - My Oh My
|
17
|
|
86
|
64
|
Snow Patrol - In the End
|
19
|
|
87
|
73
|
OneRepublic - Feel Again
|
12
|
|
88
|
78
|
Of Monsters and Men - Mountain Sound
|
25
|
|
89
|
81
|
Linkin Park - Lost In the Echo
|
15
|
|
90
|
62
|
Paul Czekaj - My Home New Jersey
|
26
|
|
91
|
90
|
Matchbox Twenty - Overjoyed
|
4
|
|
92
|
----
|
Family of the Year - Hero
|
1
|
|
93
|
82
|
Blondfire - Where The Kids Are
|
9
|
|
94
|
----
|
Yeasayer - Reagen's Skeleton
|
1
|
|
95
|
----
|
Ke$ha - Die Young
|
1
|
|
96
|
85
|
Allen Stone - Sleep
|
14
|
|
97
|
97
|
Titus Andronicus - In A Big City
|
4
|
|
98
|
80
|
Helvetia - Nothing in Rambling
|
13
|
|
99
|
96
|
Aerosmith - Legendary Child
|
19
|
|
100
|
94
|
The Black Keys - Little Black Submarine
|
25
|
No comments:
Post a Comment