For most of us now, the Summer of 2013 is all but a memory. We look back at the past few months, and remember the things we did, what we watched, and most important here, what we listened to. Once again this year, I have compiled my top 20 of the season gone by. Again, the disclaimer is that these songs are systematically based on my charts, and the points I award a song each week, and not my gut feelings. On a pop culture level, just like last year's "Call Me Maybe", which was nowhere to be found on my list, this year's pop sensation was "Blurred Lines". But that too, didn't show up on my list; in fact I was late to the party on that one. It spent a sizable run at number one these summer months; on the latest Billboard Hot 100, it sits at #4.
So, what was my soundtrack to the summer? Here is my top 20, in reverse order, that provided the soundtrack to the season just gone by.
20. Train, "Bruises"
Like last summer's "Dancing Away With Me Heart" by Lady Antebellum, this fourth single from Train's most recent album (and the best one yet), tells a tale of two people not seen since high school. The track features Ashley Monroe, and although there was no formal reunion like 2012's event at the Black Thorne, the magic of Facebook has continued to let me keep in touch with those from back in the day. A couple of friends caught the band at the PNC Arts Center this past summer.
19. Lana Del Rey, "Ride"
If you want to elect a "queen of summer", stop right here. It's not the first time you'll hear from her. This song, as time went on, just grew on me. Others have liked it when I posted the video. Just simply a great song.
18. Matthew Koma, "Parachute"
Speaking of "Call Me Maybe", that song's singer, Carly Rae Jepsen, has a boyfriend, journeyman singer Matthew Koma. Formally an alternative rock artist, as well as having been featured on some club hits, he found his niche as a straight-ahead pop singer with an attitude. Like many songs, and artists, this one came to me from friends. Seems that my friend Meg Hunsicker knows this guy, and her daughter Lindsay is good friends with him as well. Meg posted a video by him on my Scenes 'n' Soundwaves Music Page on Facebook this past spring, and the song sailed into my top 5. A follow-up, "One Night" is also climbing my chart.
17. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Under the Earth"
New York City femme indie rockers have set up a permanent residence in my Top 20 during the past several months, between this one and the previous "Sacrilige". Although I've heard of the band for about seven years now, it was Brian Sniatkowski who, as part of his "song of the week'", put this band back into my conscience. Very catchy, and cutting edge at the same time.
16. Golden Void, "Shady Grove"
To me, this song is really an extension of their previous "The Curve", which came to me in the wake of Superstorm Sandy and didn't exit my list until 40 weeks later, during the summer. I had to pluck another song from their album, and this one was very similar. That doesn't mean it's not good, too; just the opposite. I had it on many times over the summer, and listened to it when I was down in Wildwood over the July Fourth weekend.
15. Lana Del Rey, "Young and Beautiful"
Her second entry, from the remake of The Great Gatsby. I was still heavily into "Ride" when this came out, and I had to jump on it immediately. Similarly styled, just like the Golden Void song above, it was an extension of what I loved to listen to.
14. The Veils, "Through the Deep Dark Wood"
One musical trend, unbeknownst to anyone but myself, was this sort of "new psychedelia", seen in groups like Grizzly Bear, Golden Void and a few others. Again, this one was thanks to Brian Sniatkowski , I just ran with it, and put this at #1 for a time. I did (perhaps overdid) the activity of geocaching this summer, and this song seemed to come on my iPod during my travels in looking for those micro containers.
13. The Thermals, "I Go Alone".
You can add this band to the above list as well. It's the sound that gets to me, as this is their second hit on SNS. I just wish the rest of the world would catch up to great bands like this. Oh, and another Sniatkowski song of the week.
12. Calvin Harris, featuring Florence Welch, "Sweet Nothing"
I was hearing this song a lot on the radio, and thought the lead singer had a very familiar voice. Of course, they never announce who did these songs, so I had to look it up by trial and error. Sure enough, it was Florence Welch, of "Florence + the Machine" fame.This is a dance song, but her voice lends credibility to everything. But actually the best part of this is the instrumental techno-like breaks to it. Another Wildwood memory this year. An honorable mention on this long weekend trip is Kurt Vile's nine-minute long "Walking on a Pretty Day".
11. Portugal. The Man, "Evil Friends"
While "Purple Yellow Red and Blue" scales my top 20 (and Billboard's Alternative chart) now, this prior song is pretty much haunting. I've been a fan of this band for a few years now, and I do like their sound.
10. Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams, "Get Lucky"
You had to know this would be on the list. Although "Blurred Lines" (in which Williams is one of the featured performers), was nowhere to be found here, he is also featured on this cut, which not only brings this European techno duo back to the forefront, but it's also a nice return for Nile Rodgers, the primary guitarist for disco-era band Chic, and also a famed producer in the 80's for such artists such as Diana Ross, Deborah Harry, Duran Duran and Southside Johnny. Gary McFall and myself were talking about this during our Roscoe camping trip on Memorial Day weekend. Brian Sniatkowski lamented that there are other songs on the album, but it was this track that made it into the runner-up spot on both SNS and Billboard's Hot 100. And my favorite memory of this song? Jenkinson's Nightclub in Point Pleasant Beach posted on Facebook, "OK, who's up all night to get lucky?" A nice throwback to my club days.
9. Lana Del Rey, "Summertime Sadness"
While some artists have trouble getting three songs on my year-end list, this one managed to put three in my summer list. Just like the other two songs, she has a flair for the dramatic. Unlike the other two, however, this was a hit, currently in Billboard's top 10. That version heard on the radio is helped by a remixed version; I prefer the pure unadulterated cut. Plus, it mentions summer, one of two such themed songs. The other is coming up.
8. Cayucas, "High School Lover"
Joining the Train song in a song about the formative years, this was one of a few alternative rock hits that also scored with me. I posted this on Facebook, but my final vindication was when I heard it at my friend Gene Vetrone's barbecue on Labor Day weekend.
7. Fitz and the Tantrums, "Out of My League"
You could also say this was the song of the spring. During the summer, I watched it continue to catch on to the point that, despite its release back in February, is currently top 3 on the Alternative Chart, doing well at Triple A, and now on the Adult top 40 chart. It would be nice now, if top 40 radio would bite the bullet and the band can finally make their debut on the Hot 100. They're currently "bubbling under" at #118 on that chart. I guess it'll be awhile before another single gets released, but I couldn't wait, and added "Keeping Our Eyes Out", which is already in my top 10 and boding well for the fall season.
6. Wild Belle, "Keep You"
This song is weird in that, a half a year later, still grows on me. It's currently #1 on my list in its 27th week, but was prevalent over the summer as well. This is a duo comprised of a brother and sister, and every time I listen to it, there's something that gets brought out that didn't before.
5. Omnia Hegazy, "Aziza".
While I had to pick the songs off of Rachel Allyn's Do It Yourself, and this talented singer's twin sister Leila's Looking Glass set, Omnia designated this song as the lead single from her new EP. I love the lyrics to this, and is very well sung. Both of the Hegazy's (nieces to my friend Diane Tarantino Hegazy), continue to perform in the New York area. Omnia was featured early this summer in an article talking about her decision to be billed with her full name in the light of her Egyptian and Muslim background. A great song.
4. New Politics, "Harlem"
Another catchy song similar to the Cayucas song, this was also a hit on Billboard's Alt chart, and I loved it, too. Nice to see some uptempo stuff on here.
3. Phoenix, "Trying to Be Cool"
This band topped the alt charts back in 2009 with "1901". This second single from their latest endeavor brought this band to a new level with me. The video was awesome, and had that sound, which in decades past may have bordered onto commercial top 40 territory. But in a hip-hop and diva-flavored world, this is a breath of fresh air, very exciting song. The video, when posted on Facebook, drew a bunch of likes.
2. Foxygen, "San Francisco"
The Mowgli's had a song with a similar title that was a big alternative hit this summer, and although that song hit my top 20 last spring, it didn't compare to this song, but this up-and-coming band Foxygen, whose fans include Brian Sniatkowski and Alan Corso, who played "Shuggie" from the same album at the inaugural Jets tailgate earlier this month. I like this one better, and it had a nice feel to it. The band is versatile and deserves to be heard for sure.
1. Paul Czekaj, "At the Beach"
For those who follow both my blog as well as my Facebook page, this shouldn't come as any surprise. A local artist from my neck of the woods, he put himself on the map in late 2011 with the Jersey pride anthem "My Home New Jersey", and video which went viral. This spring, in the wake of Superstorm Sandy's destruction, he made my top 5 with "Even Better Than Before", with the resulting video including some pictures I shot of the damage. But here, this song, released in early June, is a goodtime romp about the joys of Jersey's seasonal pastime. The video was a hit, and friends such as Sue Briggs Baker agreed that this is the song of the summer if you hailed from the Garden State. He got some airplay on local college station WNTI (in between such stalwarts as Bruce Springsteen and The Beach Boys). Although he didn't perform at that station's Summer Stage in August, hopefully I will finally be able to catch him soon. A well-deserved #1 song of the summer.
Scenes 'n' Soundwaves 100
September 8 & 15, 2013
|
This Week
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Last Week
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ARTIST-Title
|
Weeks on List
|
|
1
|
1
|
NUMBER ONE:
WILD BELLE
"Keep You"
Album: Isles
(3 and 4 weeks at #1)
|
27
|
|
2
|
3
|
Cage the Elephant - Come A Little Closer
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5
|
|
3
|
2
|
Phoenix - Trying to Be Cool
|
14
|
|
4
|
5
|
Rachel Allyn - Dear Prudence
|
7
|
|
5
|
6
|
Lana Del Rey - Summertime Sadness
|
9
|
|
6
|
4
|
Paul Czekaj - At the Beach
|
13
|
|
7
|
14
|
Terraplane Sun - Get Me Golden
|
7
|
|
8
|
41
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS
"Keeping Our Eyes Out"
Album: More Than Just a Dream
|
3
|
|
9
|
29
|
MOVER OF THE WEEK:
MAN MAN
"Head On"
Album: On On Pond
|
6
|
|
10
|
7
|
Cayucas - High School Lover
|
15
|
|
11
|
10
|
Train - Bruises
|
11
|
|
12
|
13
|
Robin Thicke f. T.I. & Pharrel Williams - Blurred Lines
|
8
|
|
13
|
11
|
Paramore - Still Into You
|
11
|
|
14
|
16
|
Portugal. The Man - Purple Yellow Red & Blue
|
11
|
|
15
|
20
|
Dan Croll - From Nowhere
|
22
|
|
16
|
8
|
Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Under the Earth
|
13
|
|
17
|
19
|
Case Studies - Everything
|
13
|
|
18
|
22
|
Pink f. Lily Allen - True Love
|
8
|
|
19
|
17
|
Palma Violets - Best of Friends
|
12
|
|
20
|
12
|
I Am Dynamite - Hey Girl
|
13
|
|
21
|
21
|
Silversun Pickups - Dots and Dashes
|
10
|
|
22
|
24
|
Bruno Mars - Treasure
|
9
|
|
23
|
28
|
Blake Shelton - Boys 'Round Here
|
10
|
|
24
|
18
|
Pixies - Bagboy
|
8
|
|
25
|
9
|
Foxygen - San Francisco
|
21
|
|
26
|
27
|
Foxygen - No Destruction
|
9
|
|
27
|
15
|
The Thermals - I Go Alone
|
14
|
|
28
|
25
|
New Politics - Harlem
|
28
|
|
29
|
26
|
Portugal. the Man - Evil Friends
|
17
|
|
30
|
33
|
Foals - My Number
|
10
|
|
31
|
40
|
Golden Void - Rise to the Out of Reach
|
5
|
|
32
|
34
|
Atlas Genius - If So
|
13
|
|
33
|
46
|
Field Mouse - How Do You Know
|
6
|
|
34
|
23
|
Omnia Hegazy - Aziza
|
17
|
|
35
|
36
|
Jay Arner - Don't Remind Me
|
20
|
|
36
|
37
|
Leila Hegazy - The Reason Why
|
6
|
|
37
|
38
|
Franz Ferdinand - Right Action
|
8
|
|
38
|
30
|
Lana Del Rey - Young and Beautiful
|
15
|
|
39
|
42
|
Tame Impala - Elephant
|
12
|
|
40
|
45
|
Katy Perry - Roar
|
5
|
|
41
|
48
|
Matthew Koma - One Night
|
5
|
|
42
|
44
|
Kings of Leon - Supersoaker
|
7
|
|
43
|
35
|
Fitz and the Tantrums - Out of My League
|
30
|
|
44
|
31
|
Neko Case - Man
|
13
|
|
45
|
32
|
Kurt Vile - Waking on A Pretty Day
|
16
|
|
46
|
47
|
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - Better Days
|
6
|
|
47
|
43
|
Imagine Dragons - Radioactive
|
40
|
|
48
|
63
|
Lorde - Royals
|
4
|
|
49
|
49
|
The Neighborhood - Afraid
|
12
|
|
50
|
56
|
Waaves - Demon to Lean On
|
16
|
|
51
|
53
|
Sara Bareilles - Brave
|
14
|
|
52
|
52
|
Civil Wars - The One That Got Away
|
9
|
|
53
|
66
|
Florence + the Machine - Spectrum (Say My Name)
|
4
|
|
54
|
83
|
The Veils - Another Night on Earth
|
3
|
|
55
|
39
|
Daft Punk f. Pharrell Williams - Get Lucky
|
20
|
|
56
|
57
|
Pearl Jam - Mind Your Manners
|
8
|
|
57
|
60
|
fun. - Why Am I The One
|
10
|
|
58
|
71
|
Passenger - Let Her Go
|
8
|
|
59
|
64
|
Smallpools - Dreaming
|
10
|
|
60
|
51
|
ZZ Ward - 365 Days
|
12
|
|
61
|
70
|
OneRepublic - Counting Stars
|
6
|
|
62
|
76
|
Mikal Cronin- Change
|
4
|
|
63
|
61
|
Grouplove - Ways to Go
|
11
|
|
64
|
69
|
Alt-J - Breezblocks
|
8
|
|
65
|
89
|
Lady Gaga - Applause
|
3
|
|
66
|
50
|
Matchbox Twenty - Our Song
|
17
|
|
67
|
58
|
Volbeat - The Hangman's Body Count
|
9
|
|
68
|
55
|
Swedish House Mafia f. John Martin - Don't You Worry Child
|
17
|
|
69
|
80
|
The Unlikely Candidates - Follow My Feet
|
7
|
|
70
|
54
|
Maroon 5 - Love Somebody
|
15
|
|
71
|
62
|
Golden Void - Shady Grove
|
26
|
|
72
|
82
|
Ellie Goulding - Burn
|
6
|
|
73
|
----
|
TOP DEBUT:
ARCADE FIRE
"Reflektor"
Album: Reflektor
|
1
|
|
74
|
84
|
The Mowglis - Great Divide
|
4
|
|
75
|
59
|
KT Tunstall- Feel It All
|
14
|
|
76
|
67
|
Anna Kendrick - Cups
|
10
|
|
77
|
----
|
Dawes - Most People
|
1
|
|
78
|
68
|
Little Green Cars - Harper Lee
|
14
|
|
79
|
88
|
Nonono - Pumpin Blood
|
4
|
|
80
|
90
|
The 1975 - Chocolate
|
4
|
|
81
|
74
|
Matthew Koma - Parachute
|
21
|
|
82
|
96
|
Porchistas - Johnny Miner
|
3
|
|
83
|
----
|
The Livesays - Until You Kissed Me Like That
|
1
|
|
84
|
----
|
The Satelliters - Where Do We Go
|
1
|
|
85
|
65
|
Calvin Harris f. Florence Welch - Sweet Nothing
|
23
|
|
86
|
79
|
Lana Del Rey - Ride
|
31
|
|
87
|
92
|
Mona - Goons (Baby I Need It All)
|
7
|
|
88
|
----
|
The Avett Brothers - Another Is Waiting
|
1
|
|
89
|
73
|
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Sacrilege
|
29
|
|
90
|
75
|
Delta Rae - If I Loved You
|
14
|
|
91
|
93
|
Vampire Weekend -Unbelievers
|
5
|
|
92
|
----
|
Zedd f. Foxes Clarify
|
1
|
|
93
|
----
|
Wig Party - She Figured It Out
|
1
|
|
94
|
78
|
Calvin Harris f. Ellie Goulding - I Need Your Love
|
9
|
|
95
|
95
|
Parade of Light - We're the Kids
|
3
|
|
96
|
100
|
Acken Road - Busted
|
3
|
|
97
|
----
|
Hands - The Game is Changing Us
|
1
|
|
98
|
----
|
Daft Punk f. Panda Bear - Don It Right
|
1
|
|
99
|
72
|
The Veils - Through the Deep Dark Wood
|
23
|
|
100
|
----
|
Avicii - Wake Me Up
|
16
|
TREMORS:
101. Smith Westerns, Varsity
102. Taylor Swift f. Ed Sheeran, Everything Has Changed
103. J Roddy Wilson and the Business, Heavy Bells
104. Brent Denmen, Wild Child
105. Miley Cyrus, We Can't Stop
106. Goo Goo Dolls, Come to Me
107. Phosphorescent, Ride On/Right On
108. Saints of Victory, Neon Eyes
109. Jack Johnson, I Got You
110. The Head and the Heart, Shake
111. Gentleman Hall, Sail into the Sun
112, The Natural, Demons
