ROSCOE ROLL: Since my last blog, the biggest news was the annual camping trip to Roscoe, New York. The annual Memorial Day weekend trip with my buddies went on as usual, despite the dismal weather. And I do mean dismal. Rain Thursday....and Friday.....and Saturday. Add wind and cold to the mix and well, it was...let's say...different. But we didn't let it stop us.
I arrived early on Thursday morning. Luckily it was just cloudy with just a spritz of rain, and my tent went up without a hitch. My buddy Joe Lipani joined me shortly thereafter. Once he got all his gear up, we tapped the keg of Yuengling, and I put on my tunes. As is traditional for me, I listened to my current top 20 on the way up, and I must say, there is some good stuff I'm listening to. Then came my broader "Currents" list, getting in a few more of my current top 100. Somehow music always sounds better when you're away than when you're at home or at work. I think the excitement just magnifies the tone and mood of what you're listening to. The latest from Portugal. The Man. , Guards, and Palma Violets benefitted from that experience, and they make good gains on my chart this week.
But, as is usual, I yielded the stereo to others, who lent us their mixes of songs new and old (mostly old), before it was Alan, no stranger to music, the deejay of our Jets tailgate crew, taking over. Some cool old stuff (The Raspberries, Jay & the Americans, anyone?), great stuff from the new wave era, and he surprised me a bit with two bands big on my blog: Django Django and Foxygen. Forget the fact that these two bands were recommended by mutual friend Brian Sniatkowski, but to hear them on this weekend adds a little credence to my playlist. Alan felt that "Default", a #2 peak on SNS late last year was a bit "overplayed" (now, I'm not sure what he means by that, since the radio I listen to doesn't even touch bands like this), but yeah, I overplayed it! Getting better reception was "Hail Bop", which rebounds to #12 this week. He also played "Shuggie" by Foxygen, and while I don't like that as much as "Make It Known" or the current "San Francisco", this is a great new band. Although bands like this aren't even on the popularity radar, for me, it's a "new" sound, along with Grizzly Bear (which did get some triple-A airplay), Child Actor, Golden Void, and my new #1, The Veils.
Gary McFall added some 90's flavor with Collective Soul's "Heavy", which I forget how great a song that was. The 1999 Dosage cut was heard a lot at my "Skihaus" that winter; the band performed outside the base lodge at Stratton in Vermont around that time. Other bands featured were Bush, The Modern Lovers, Camper Van Beethoven, and many others. What's great about camping trips like this is that many offer their musical input. So, in spite of the weather, we endured, largely because of the music.
As I mentioned earlier, The Veils take charge of the #1 position this week with "Through the Deep Dark Wood". The London indie-ricker's fourth set, Time Stays, We Go, was released on April 29th. This could be the fresh new face of rock, if and when they decide to move away from the banality that is current top 40 radio, or even alternative radio, which seems to be getting complacent...I mean "Radioactive" was number one on that chart for 13 weeks with almost 40 weeks on the chart? C'mon, already.
TRIPLE-A RATING: The Adult Album Alternative #1 is a bit better, with Canadian Serena Ryder's "Stompa" heading that list. The song hits my top 10 this week. A breath of fresh air, the song starts off like a mid-2000's era British artist on the soul side, such as Amy Winehouse or Duffy, but quickly settles into a midtempo chugger. It keeps at you. I predict this will be a pop hit soon (or later) as well. It does have a bit of a hip-hoppish beat without overdoing it, the poppiness and soulfulness takes over it. A must download.
RACHEL, RACHEL: The Top 20 Impact award goes to Rachel Allyn's "October", the second track from her Do It Yourself set. She's the queen of SNS, as this is her seventh consecutive song to made the top 20. The Ogdensburg. NJ native has definitely upped her game since signing on late last year with a new management company. She is doing gigs in Atlantic City's Bally's Mountain Bar, still doing her Thunder 106 "house-band" gigs at Bar A and other Jersey Shore venues, as well as those around the state, such as Hoboken's Bahama Mamas. Where you won't find her this year is anywhere around Lake Hopatcong; she is missing from the Jefferson House's schedule this year, after performing there for almost ten years.. Although it's sad, it means she getting on with her career. All the Jersey dates are fine, but the next stop would be to secure an opening slot on a tour with a major act going to many cities around the country. I'm sure that will be soon, so in the meantime, check out her website www.rachelallyn.com for her latest dates.
ELIZABETH!: A quiet week for debuts, so you have to go all the way down to #85 to find the top one; "I Dream In Neon" by Dirty Beaches. For those familiar with my blog, Dirty Beaches is actually Alex Zhang Hungtai , a Taiwanese Canadian from Quebec. He scored a #1 on SNS with the soothing, peaceful, "Elizabeth's Theme". He recently released a new set, Drifters/Love is the Devil, which contains this new track. Anyone expecting (or fearing, since I had some negative reaction to the earlier song) a repeat of the prior song will be in for a disappointment (or good news). This is definitely forceful music and not easy listening. It's got a bit of a "Personal Jesus", "Gold on the Ceiling" beat to it, and it's a few minutes of electronic heaven. Haunting and grooveful at the same time, this will take a little while to catch on, but it will grab hold of you eventually. Catch him at the Mercury Lounge in New York on June 29.
GOODBYE: It's late, of course, as I'm a week behind, but it does give me the chance to say goodbye to Thom Sebastian, who lost his battle with cancer last week. A journeyman artist who had played in many areas, he stopped in New Jersey along the way to jam with my friend Tom Corea and his Hounds of Winter ensemble in late 2011, which resulted in "Not Broken", which peaked at #14 late that year on SNS. I was looking forward to hearing more from him. It does look like he recorded in 2012; a video for a song "Angel" is out on YouTube. If it's commercially available for download, I will add it in the coming weeks. Rest in peace, Thom.
The other piece of sad news is the imminent closing of Maxwell's, the venerable rock club in Hoboken. It will be shutting its doors at the end of July. You have to wonder why this is happening. Clubs open and close all the time. The venerable CBGB's in New York's Bowery is no more. Asbury Park's Stone Pony has closed several times over the years. It's been cited that it could be due to changing lifestyles within Hoboken. It's no secret that new rock has been dormant, with the indie scene not making it past the underground. Sports bars are abounding these days, with patriots rather looking up at 20 TV screens that looking and listening to one band in the corner of the establishment. Brooklyn has been a thriving indie music scene in recent years, something that should have happened to Hoboken. But, perhaps, as Bruce Springsteen once again, "but maybe everything that dies someday comes back".
Let's hope so.
SCENES'N'SOUNDWAVES 100
May 25, 2013
|
This Week
|
Last Week
|
ARTIST-Title
|
Weeks on List
|
|
1
|
3
|
NUMBER ONE:
THE VEILS
"Through the Deep Dark Wood"
Album: Time Stays, We Go
|
8
|
|
2
|
1
|
Pink f. Nate Ruess - Just Give Me A Reason
|
12
|
|
3
|
2
|
Lana Del Ray - Ride
|
16
|
|
4
|
4
|
Fitz and the Tantrums - Out of My League
|
15
|
|
5
|
5
|
Leila - Monday
|
12
|
|
6
|
7
|
Calvin Harris f. Florence Welch - Sweet Nothing
|
8
|
|
7
|
8
|
Paul Czekaj - Even Better Than Before
|
7
|
|
8
|
6
|
Vicci Martinez f. Cee Lo Green- Come Along
|
16
|
|
9
|
9
|
Golden Void - Shady Grove
|
11
|
|
10
|
20
|
Serena Ryder - Stompa
|
11
|
|
11
|
11
|
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Sacrilege
|
14
|
|
12
|
15
|
Django Django - Hail Bop
|
14
|
|
13
|
16
|
Dawes - From A Window Seat
|
12
|
|
14
|
19
|
New Politics - Harlem
|
13
|
|
15
|
31
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
RACHEL ALLYN
"October"
Album: Do It Yourself
|
5
|
|
16
|
18
|
Hanson - Get the Girl Back
|
8
|
|
17
|
26
|
The Satelliters - Gonna Get Away
|
8
|
|
18
|
13
|
Maroon 5 - Daylight
|
22
|
|
19
|
10
|
Grizzly Bear - Sleeping Ute
|
14
|
|
20
|
35
|
Palma Violets - Last of the Summer Wine
|
9
|
|
21
|
36
|
Foxygen - San Francisco
|
6
|
|
22
|
14
|
Depeche Mode - Heaven
|
13
|
|
23
|
24
|
Pure X - Things In My Head
|
14
|
|
24
|
27
|
Fun - Carry On
|
30
|
|
25
|
23
|
Phillip Phillips - Gone Gone Gone
|
15
|
|
26
|
34
|
Pageants - August Moon
|
6
|
|
27
|
12
|
Leagues - Spotlight
|
17
|
|
28
|
30
|
Alabama Shakes - Hang Loose
|
9
|
|
29
|
28
|
Wild Belle - Keep You
|
12
|
|
30
|
21
|
Rachel Allyn - Do It Yourself
|
16
|
|
31
|
25
|
Avett Brothers - February Seven
|
18
|
|
32
|
17
|
Phoenix - Entertainment
|
13
|
|
33
|
22
|
Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside - They Told Me
|
15
|
|
34
|
38
|
Matthew Koma - Parachute
|
6
|
|
35
|
32
|
Golden Void - The Curve
|
32
|
|
36
|
29
|
Pageants - Musing of the Tide
|
18
|
|
37
|
42
|
Alicia Keys - Girl on Fire
|
9
|
|
38
|
33
|
Paramore - Now
|
16
|
|
39
|
61
|
MOVER OF THE WEEK:
OMNIA HEGAZY
"Aziza"
Album: Judgment Day (EP)
|
2
|
|
40
|
49
|
Guards - Ready To Go
|
7
|
|
41
|
53
|
Rihanna - Stay
|
5
|
|
42
|
45
|
Kurt Vile - Never Run Away
|
8
|
|
43
|
37
|
Bon Jovi - Because We Can
|
16
|
|
44
|
47
|
Of Monsters and Men - King & Lionheart
|
9
|
|
45
|
57
|
Daft Punk - Get Lucky
|
5
|
|
46
|
75
|
Portugal. the Man - Evil Friends
|
2
|
|
47
|
51
|
Local Natives - Heavy Feet
|
11
|
|
48
|
50
|
Chelsea Light Moving - Groovy and Linda
|
11
|
|
49
|
48
|
Thao and the Get Down Stay Down - We The Common
|
12
|
|
50
|
52
|
Depeche Mode - Soothering Soul
|
6
|
|
51
|
40
|
The Strokes - All the Time
|
15
|
|
52
|
39
|
Lifehouse f. Natasha Bedingfield - Between the Raindrops
|
19
|
|
53
|
56
|
Linkin Park - Castle of Grass
|
7
|
|
54
|
41
|
Wild Nothing - Shadow
|
18
|
|
55
|
55
|
Dan Croll - From Nowhere
|
7
|
|
56
|
43
|
Train - Mermaid
|
19
|
|
57
|
90
|
The Black Angels - Don't Play With Guns
|
2
|
|
58
|
71
|
Kelly Clarkson - People Like Us
|
5
|
|
59
|
59
|
The Law Langhorne Slim - The Way We Move
|
7
|
|
60
|
62
|
Goo Goo Dolls - Rebel Beat
|
6
|
|
61
|
63
|
Taylor Swift - 22
|
6
|
|
62
|
46
|
Veronica Falls - Teenage
|
19
|
|
63
|
44
|
Two Door Cinema Club - Sun
|
18
|
|
64
|
70
|
The XX - Sunset
|
7
|
|
65
|
85
|
Churchill - The War Within
|
2
|
|
66
|
60
|
Churchill - Change
|
36
|
|
67
|
66
|
Imagine Dragons - Demons
|
6
|
|
68
|
78
|
Vampire Weekend - Diane Young
|
5
|
|
69
|
58
|
Tame Impala - Feels Like We Only Go Backward
|
23
|
|
70
|
74
|
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Jubilee Street
|
11
|
|
71
|
69
|
Deathfix - Better Than Bad
|
11
|
|
72
|
91
|
Wild Feathers - The Ceiling
|
2
|
|
73
|
54
|
Watch the Duck - Poppin Off
|
17
|
|
74
|
77
|
Johnny Marr - Sun & Moon
|
13
|
|
75
|
81
|
Youth Lagoon - Afternoon
|
8
|
|
76
|
84
|
The Dunwells - I Could Be A King
|
6
|
|
77
|
88
|
Walk of the Earth - Red Hands
|
9
|
|
78
|
72
|
Mumford and Sons - Lover of the Light
|
17
|
|
79
|
80
|
Imagine Dragons - Radioactive
|
25
|
|
80
|
87
|
Jay Arner - Don't Remind Me
|
5
|
|
81
|
89
|
Michael Franti and Spearhead - I'm Alive
|
2
|
|
82
|
67
|
The Satelliters - Shake Shake Shake
|
27
|
|
83
|
76
|
Deap Vally - Ain't Far
|
22
|
|
84
|
83
|
Mister Lie - Pupine
|
18
|
|
85
|
----
|
TOP DEBUT:
DIRTY BEACHES
"I Dream In Neon"]
Album: Drifters/Love Is the Devil
|
1
|
|
86
|
64
|
The Lumineers - Stubborn Love
|
23
|
|
87
|
100
|
Matchbox Twenty - Our Song
|
2
|
|
88
|
73
|
Bruno Mars - When I Was Your Man
|
9
|
|
89
|
92
|
Muse - Panic Station
|
5
|
|
90
|
65
|
The Features - This Disorder
|
12
|
|
91
|
68
|
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - Runaway
|
30
|
|
92
|
93
|
Jamie N Commons - Rumble & Sway
|
2
|
|
93
|
95
|
Crystal Fightres - You and I
|
2
|
|
94
|
97
|
Lady Antebellum - Down town
|
2
|
|
95
|
98
|
Swedish House Mafia f. John Martin - Don't You Worry Child
|
2
|
|
96
|
----
|
Waaves - Demon to Lean On
|
1
|
|
97
|
----
|
The National - Don't Swallow the Cap
|
1
|
|
98
|
86
|
After the Reign - Jersey Strong
|
18
|
|
99
|
----
|
Said the Whale - I Love You
|
1
|
|
100
|
----
|
Kurt Vile - Waking on A Pretty Day
|
1
|
TREMORS:
101. Jimmy Eat World, I Will Steal You Back
102. Ben Howard, Keep Your Head Up
103. Matt Hires, Restless Heart
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