And chances are you have music. In the 1960's you'd bring your transistor radio on the beach. I used to go to Manasquan NJ growing up, and walking down along the beach walk, you could hear a popular song, be it "All You Need Is Love" in 1967, or "People Got to Be Free" a year later. And those didn't even have summer themes. Still who couldn't remember "Summer in the City", "Sunny Afternoon", "See You In September" from the summer of 1966? How about Sly & the Family Stone's '"Hot Fun in the Summer Time" (1969), Mungo Jerry's "In the Summertime" (1970), or War's "Summer" (1976)?. And don't, of course, forget the Beach Boys; the name alone conjures up memories of summers gone by.
As the years went on, the ways to listen to music changed. Boom boxes became the device of choice in the 1980's. It was less radio and more mix tapes and CD's in the 1990's, and finally, MP3 players today. But summer themed music just kept on coming. "Cruel Summer" (1984), "Summer Vacation" by The Party (1991), and a few others. The last real "summer" record came in 2008, via Kid Rock's "All Summer Long".
Well, the top debut is a high one which continues this tradition. And it's one that hits home with us here in New Jersey. At a lofty #32 comes the latest from the Garden State's song laureate, Paul Czekaj, called "At the Beach", of which you can click on the link to the video below. As you probably know by reading my blog, Paul hails from Flanders NJ, and has come up with a lot of songs about our great state. Most recently, he dedicated his song "Even Better Than Before" to the victims of Hurricane Sandy, with the promise of making it the best it can be, and to say Jersey Strong. That song peaked at #4 last week, and drops a notch this week to #5.
This one, is an upbeat, up-tempo song about the best feature of New Jersey, and the fun many of us have had down the shore. Good times on the boardwalks, bars, and of course on the sand. It's just a good time song in the vein of many of the Beach Boys classics, and I can also hear a bit of Freddy Cannon's "Palisides Park" (another song about a Jersey treasure) as well. Paul has been promoting the heck out of this song, and has had the song played on Hackettstown radio station WNTI. What was more impressive that it was played after Bruce Springsteen's cover of Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen" (the inspiration for "Surfin' USA"), and before the Beach Boys' "Dance Dance Dance", and Jan & Dean's "Ride the Wild Surf". Not a bad bit of company to be included with.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd93dZXatWk
FOLLOW-UPS. As SNS approaches its third birthday, some acts not heard of since the earlier times of my blog, come out with new songs. Mayer Hawthorne, the Michigan soul singer who has #1 SNS hits under his belt ("The Walk", "Henny & Gingerale") is back with a new song, "Her Favorite Song"., from his forthcoming set, Where Does This Door Go?. Here, he continues to explorer some of the classic soul, or in this case, funk of an earlier time. The song is firmly rooted in the 1970's and really crosses much of the R&B styles of that decade. But, like Adele and Fitz & the Tantrums latest, however, he relies less on totally sounding like that era, injecting a bit of the present. However this is the most retro sounding of those three artists. A worthy successor to his last album. The new album drops July 13. He'll be at The Bowery in New York City in two days after that.
When I did my first year end Top 100 on Facebook in 2009 (and the first such list since 2003), many people wondered why I left out Neko Case, the Tacoma, Washington singer/songwriter, whose album that year Middle Cyclone, debuted at #3 on the charts. When I started SNS in August, 2010, I quickly made up for that error. "Maneater" was on the original SNS chart, and it made the top 10 here, as well as the year-end 2010 list. This time around, I'm at the forefront, as her new single "Man" (I guess the "eater" was eaten!), comes on the chart at #80. The song hails from her new set (take a deep breath) The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You.
This song has a more fuller feel to it than the previous song, a lot more rocking and driving, but still with the gut and emotion of "Maneater". Definitely a song to keep the interest in her strong. The album drops on September 3, and on the 26th of this month, she'll be at Radio City Music Hall.
Remember Pepper, the Hawaii-based reggae band who hit #3 on SNS back in the fall of 2010 with "Wake Up"? Well, they're back with something called "Fkarnd" (not sure what that means, although the picture on the mp3 suggests it's a bit obscene!). It's from their forthcoming self-titled album. This time around it's less reggae and more of a hip-hop / pop-rockish vein. Whatever it lacks from a tropical standpoint it makes up for it in a catchy fun way. The pop approach this time keeps in the tone with their tour, in which they are opening up for Carly Rae Jepsen on the Canadian stretch of their latest tour. But in these parts, they're on their own, including a September 21 date at Webster Hall.
BRIEFLY AT THE TOP: It's a fourth week at the top for The Veils' "Through the Deep Dark Wood", but knocking on their door is Foxygen's "San Francisco" at #2. New Politics and Matthew Koma are the big movers within the top 20, and Daft Punk's red-hot "Get Lucky" is the only one to enter the top 20. It was a very competitive week.
Scenes 'n' Soundwaves 100
June 16, 2013
|
This Week
|
Last Week
|
ARTIST-Title
|
Weeks on List
|
|
1
|
1
|
NUMBER ONE:
THE VEILS
"Through the Deep Dark Wood"
Album: Time Stays, We Go
(4 Weeks at #1)
|
11
|
|
2
|
7
|
Foxygen - San Francisco
|
9
|
|
3
|
3
|
Calvin Harris f. Florence Welch - Sweet Nothing
|
11
|
|
4
|
9
|
New Politics - Harlem
|
16
|
|
5
|
4
|
Paul Czekaj - Even Better Than Before
|
10
|
|
6
|
6
|
Fitz and the Tantrums - Out of My League
|
18
|
|
7
|
5
|
Lana Del Rey - Ride
|
19
|
|
8
|
2
|
Pink f. Nate Ruess - Just Give Me A Reason
|
15
|
|
9
|
14
|
Matthew Koma - Parachute
|
9
|
|
10
|
8
|
Serena Ryder - Stompa
|
14
|
|
11
|
12
|
Rachel Allyn -October
|
8
|
|
12
|
11
|
Golden Void - Shady Grove
|
14
|
|
13
|
13
|
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Sacrilege
|
17
|
|
14
|
15
|
Hanson - Get the Girl Back
|
11
|
|
15
|
10
|
Leila - Monday
|
15
|
|
16
|
20
|
Omnia Hegazy - Aziza
|
5
|
|
17
|
17
|
Pageants - August Moon
|
9
|
|
18
|
16
|
Palma Violets - Last of the Summer Wine
|
12
|
|
19
|
26
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
DAFT PUNK featuring Pharrell Williams
"Get Lucky"
Album: Random Access Memories
|
8
|
|
20
|
18
|
The Satelliters - Gonna Get Away
|
11
|
|
21
|
23
|
Portugal. the Man - Evil Friends
|
5
|
|
22
|
21
|
Alabama Shakes - Hang Loose
|
12
|
|
23
|
22
|
Wild Belle - Keep You
|
15
|
|
24
|
27
|
Rihanna - Stay
|
8
|
|
25
|
19
|
Vicci Martinez f. Cee Lo Green- Come Along
|
19
|
|
26
|
30
|
Guards - Ready To Go
|
10
|
|
27
|
29
|
Alicia Keys - Girl on Fire
|
12
|
|
28
|
45
|
Lana Del Rey - Young and Beautiful
|
3
|
|
29
|
46
|
Kurt Vile - Waking on A Pretty Day
|
4
|
|
30
|
25
|
Dawes - From A Window Seat
|
15
|
|
31
|
28
|
Fun - Carry On
|
33
|
|
32
|
----
|
TOP DEBUT:
PAUL CZEKAJ
"At the Beach"
(Single Only)
|
1
|
|
33
|
24
|
Django Django - Hail Bop
|
17
|
|
34
|
37
|
Local Natives - Heavy Feet
|
14
|
|
35
|
38
|
The Black Angels - Don't Play With Guns
|
5
|
|
36
|
50
|
Waaves - Demon to Lean On
|
4
|
|
37
|
32
|
Phillip Phillips - Gone Gone Gone
|
18
|
|
38
|
34
|
Depeche Mode - Heaven
|
16
|
|
39
|
64
|
MOVER OF THE WEEK:
PHOENIX
"Trying to Be Cool"
Album: Bankrupt!
|
2
|
|
40
|
51
|
Dirty Beaches - I Dream In Neon
|
4
|
|
41
|
59
|
Cayucas - High School Lover
|
3
|
|
42
|
31
|
Pure X - Things In My Head
|
17
|
|
43
|
49
|
Dan Croll - From Nowhere
|
10
|
|
44
|
53
|
Churchill - The War Within
|
5
|
|
45
|
33
|
Grizzly Bear - Sleeping Ute
|
17
|
|
46
|
39
|
Phoenix - Entertainment
|
16
|
|
47
|
36
|
Leagues - Spotlight
|
20
|
|
48
|
35
|
Maroon 5 - Daylight
|
25
|
|
49
|
55
|
Kelly Clarkson - People Like Us
|
8
|
|
50
|
61
|
Candice Glover - I Am Beautiful
|
3
|
|
51
|
88
|
The Thermals - I Go Alone
|
2
|
|
52
|
40
|
Golden Void - The Curve
|
35
|
|
53
|
44
|
Chelsea Light Moving - Groovy and Linda
|
14
|
|
54
|
43
|
Avett Brothers - February Seven
|
21
|
|
55
|
48
|
Kurt Vile - Never Run Away
|
11
|
|
56
|
52
|
Depeche Mode - Soothering Soul
|
9
|
|
57
|
41
|
Rachel Allyn - Do It Yourself
|
19
|
|
58
|
84
|
KT Tunstall- Feel It All
|
2
|
|
59
|
54
|
Linkin Park - Castle of Grass
|
10
|
|
60
|
60
|
Vampire Weekend - Diane Young
|
8
|
|
61
|
63
|
Michael Franti and Spearhead - I'm Alive
|
5
|
|
62
|
42
|
Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside - They Told Me
|
18
|
|
63
|
68
|
Plain White T's - Should've Gone to Bed
|
3
|
|
64
|
47
|
Pageants - Musing of the Tide
|
21
|
|
65
|
71
|
Emeli Sande - Next To Me
|
24
|
|
66
|
82
|
Sara Bareilles - Brave
|
2
|
|
67
|
----
|
I Am Dynamite - Hey Girl
|
1
|
|
68
|
----
|
Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Under the Earth
|
1
|
|
69
|
----
|
Mayer Hawthorne - Her Favorite Song
|
1
|
|
70
|
65
|
Deathfix - Better Than Bad
|
14
|
|
71
|
66
|
Wild Feathers - The Ceiling
|
5
|
|
72
|
89
|
Little Green Cars - Harper Lee
|
2
|
|
73
|
58
|
Taylor Swift - 22
|
9
|
|
74
|
73
|
Maroon 5 - Love Somebody
|
3
|
|
75
|
56
|
Paramore - Now
|
19
|
|
76
|
72
|
Matchbox Twenty - Our Song
|
5
|
|
77
|
62
|
The Law Langhorne Slim - The Way We Move
|
10
|
|
78
|
75
|
Swedish House Mafia f. John Martin - Don't You Worry Child
|
5
|
|
79
|
96
|
Mumford and Sons - Babel
|
2
|
|
80
|
----
|
Neko Case - Man
|
1
|
|
81
|
95
|
Delta Rae - If I Loved You
|
2
|
|
82
|
57
|
Of Monsters and Men - King & Lionheart
|
12
|
|
83
|
79
|
Muse - Panic Station
|
8
|
|
84
|
78
|
Jay Arner - Don't Remind Me
|
8
|
|
85
|
83
|
MS MR - Hurricane
|
3
|
|
86
|
----
|
Pepper - Fkarnd
|
1
|
|
87
|
93
|
Jamie N Commons - Rumble & Sway
|
5
|
|
88
|
94
|
Ben Howard - Keep Your Head Up
|
3
|
|
89
|
87
|
The National - Don't Swallow the Cap
|
4
|
|
90
|
----
|
Atlas Genius - If So
|
1
|
|
91
|
92
|
Crystal Fightres - You and I
|
5
|
|
92
|
99
|
Jimmy Eat World - I Will Steal You Back
|
3
|
|
93
|
----
|
Savages - She Will
|
1
|
|
94
|
98
|
Said the Whale - I Love You
|
4
|
|
95
|
74
|
The XX - Sunset
|
10
|
|
96
|
81
|
Imagine Dragons - Demons
|
9
|
|
97
|
91
|
Imagine Dragons - Radioactive
|
28
|
|
98
|
80
|
Churchill - Change
|
39
|
|
99
|
70
|
Goo Goo Dolls - Rebel Beat
|
9
|
|
100
|
----
|
Case Studies - Everything
|
1
|
TREMORS:
101. Anna Kendrick, Cups
102. Dirty Heads, Cabin By the Sea
103. The Neighborhood, Afraid
104. Avril Lavigne, Here's To Never Growing Up
105. Lady Antebellum, Downtown
