Too Much to Say and Too Little Time to Say It (SNS 8/25 and 9/1/13)

WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?  As I write this, it is September 14th, and a couple of weeks since my last blog.   As you well know this year, I have had problems catching up to the current date.   Although the music can actually wait, events don't necessarily do so.   Much has happened during the last few weeks, and I was going to write about some of those things.    In August, there was the plethora of back to school commercials with summer winding down, and my blog was going to feature how there are many summer songs, but little in the way of "back-to-school" songs.     Perhaps Gary "US" Bonds "School is In", or even Rod Stewart's "Maggie May", in which the protagonist is even later than me, lamenting that it's "late September and I really should be back at school".   Well, to be honest, there have been many, many songs that do remind me, growing up, that teachers, books and dirty looks are just around the corner; hearing those songs from the 60's and 70's to convey that aura still, forty to fifth years later, despite the song's intended subject.

Labor Day weekend has come and gone, and my friend Gene Vetrone, who I haven't seen in a while, along with his girlfriend Val, recently bought a house in Whitehouse Station, and decided to throw a party the Saturday of Labor Day weekend.   They have a really nice place, complete with nice yard, gazebo (the real kind, not the kind that you erect), swimming pool and hot tub.   And that's just the outside.    Many other friends were around for that, and I had a blast.  Of course what intrigued me was the music that Gene had going.  I believe it was from one of the satellite stations, but it was all alternative music.   It was just the backdrop to the party, but it's finally great to hear, from other sources, music that I'VE been listening to lately, now out there over the airwaves for others to listen to.   Imagine Dragons, New Politics,  Cayucas, Phoenix, Man Man (this week's "Mover"), Cage the Elephant and Paramore were just a few of the artists heard, and it apparently was some kind of countdown show.    For me, anyway, it was the soundtrack of the day.

Then the next day, I spent next door at my friend's Joe and Lisa Gambino's house.   What was supposed to be for a few hours turned out to be the whole afternoon and evening.     It was nice catching up with them.   Joe is a big music fanatic as well.    They had WCBS-FM on, and as it was during Labor Day weekend, we heard the top 500 of all time--at least the last 25 songs of it.    "All time" of course is a misnomer; it's really the years in which the demographic pertains to.  Only one song--"Living on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi, was after 1985, most were from the sixties and seventies.  The fifties were gone (no "In the Still of the Night").  The top song was "Hey Jude", which always seems to top radio station and website lists.   After the countdown, there was a special counting down songs from September 1970, again, great to hear that stuff:  "It's a Shame", "Snowbird", "Green Eyed Lady", 'Hi-De-Ho" and my favorite "25 or 6 to 4"

Summer was officially over a couple days later, but I did make it to the beach one day during the following week (and listening to Fitz and the Tantrums' album--see below).     And then this week, we had the twelfth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, still a rather somber day.    One year I will recant my experiences that day, but for now, I'll tell you that that afternoon I was home (our office closed at noon),and I was trying to download music of the day, that perhaps fit the mood of the tragic events, but wound up downloading sound  checks from radio stations describing the horrors as they occurred.    I burned them all on a CD, and although it's been a few years since I've heard them, those sounds are completely etched in my mind whenever that day rolls around each year.  My prayers to the family and friends who lost their loved ones on that horrific day.

And then there was the shore.     The "Stronger Than the Storm" contest, in which singer-songwriters were to submit a song and videol which exemplifies  the spirit of New Jersey and its resiliency in dealing with the damage from Sandy, had cut the field to three songs.     Paul Czekaj, who entered his great "My Home New Jersey", which made my top 20 in 2011, wasn't among the finalists.   However, the winner, was another top 20 SNS song, "Jersey Strong" by the state country outfit After the Reign.   Congratulations to that band on winning the contest.  Perhaps Paul should have entered "Even Better Than Before", which to me, is a far better song (and video) than "Jersey Strong".   

Then then just a couple days ago, the shore experienced another tragedy.   A massive fire in Seaside Park, one of the areas hit hard by Sandy, swept thru several blocks of the resort, into neighboring Seaside Heights, including the Fun time Pier, still trying to recover from that superstorm.   Many businesses were completely destroyed; a big blow to those who just got back on their feet from last fall's event.     Some parts of the boardwalk which stayed in place then, was destroyed from the fire.    Strong winds from a heat-breaking cold front fanned the flames, and if not for the quick action of firefighters to cut a gap in the boardwalk, perhaps the entire Seaside Park/Heights resort could have gone up in flames.    As for us up here in North Jersey, a tree, just around the corner toppled over, knocking down power lines, pole and transformer; power was out for 23 hours.  Tens of thousands in our country alone, at one time were without power.  

The last few weeks I dreaded fall because of Sandy as well as the heavy snowstorm exactly one year before it.   Perhaps this ten minute squall that came thru was our disaster for the year and that it's out of the way, and we can enjoy autumn for a change.


THE FREEZE:    I don't like to freeze my music lists, since it accurately shows my likes for songs, in real time.     The rapid ascent of the Cage the Elephant song from 60 to 19 and this week to #3, in three weeks mean more than if it was done in four or five weeks.    The new number one song, "Keep You" by Wild Belle, has taken an amazingly long 25 weeks to reach the top, but three of the weeks were due to the last time I froze the chart.   But, it seems like I'll never catch up, so this chart for August 25, will also be in effect for September 1,and the next (hopefully soon, will encompass 9/8 and 9/15).  It has to be done.  So, Wild Belle is there at the top for week 26 as well.  Terraplane Sun (Impact of the week) and the aforementioned Man Man are also two great songs which are rapidly rising.

FITZ TO PRINT:   I also got to listen to Fitz and the Tantrum's latest album More Than Just a Dream.  "Out of My League", a former #1 on SNS is top 3 alternative and doing well on the Triple-A survey as well; perhaps it's the reason why another single hasn't been released yet.  So I am taking the bull by the horns, and added "Keeping Our Eyes Out". I doubt it will be the next single, but it's my favorite on the album.   Very soulful but current as well.   It comes in at #41.   Some of the bands seen at the WNTI concerts also make their way on the list.


Scenes'n'Soundwaves 100

August 25 and September 1, 2013

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	2	NUMBER ONE:   WILD BELLE "Keep You" Album: Isles (1 and 2 weeks at #1)	25
2	1	Phoenix - Trying to Be Cool	12
3	19	Cage the Elephant - Come A Little Closer	3
4	3	Paul Czekaj - At the Beach	11
5	9	Rachel Allyn - Dear Prudence	5
6	8	Lana Del Rey - Summertime Sadness	7
7	4	Cayucas - High School Lover	13
8	7	Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Under the Earth	11
9	5	Foxygen - San Francisco	19
10	11	Train - Bruises	9
11	12	Paramore - Still Into You	9
12	13	I Am Dynamite - Hey Girl	11
13	15	Robin Thicke f. T.I. & Pharrel Williams - Blurred Lines	6
14	33	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:   TERRAPLANE SUN "Get Me Golden" Album: Ya Never Know (EP)	5
15	6	The Thermals - I Go Alone	12
16	18	Portugal. The Man - Purple Yellow Red & Blue	9
17	21	Palma Violets - Best of Friends	10
18	20	Pixies - Bagboy	6
19	22	Case Studies - Everything	11
20	26	Dan Croll - From Nowhere	20

21	25	Silversun Pickups - Dots and Dashes	8
22	28	Pink f. Lily Allen - True Love	6
23	10	Omnia Hegazy - Aziza	15
24	27	Bruno Mars - Treasure	7
25	14	New Politics - Harlem	26
26	16	Portugal. the Man - Evil Friends	15
27	29	Foxygen - No Destruction	7
28	31	Blake Shelton - Boys 'Round Here	8
29	58	MOVER OF THE WEEK:   MAN MAN "Head On" Album: On On Pond	4
30	17	Lana Del Rey - Young and Beautiful	13
31	24	Neko Case - Man	11
32	23	Kurt Vile - Waking on A Pretty Day	14
33	35	Foals - My Number	8
34	34	Atlas Genius - If So	11
35	32	Fitz and the Tantrums - Out of My League	28
36	37	Jay Arner - Don't Remind Me	18
37	43	Leila Hegazy - The Reason Why	4
38	39	Franz Ferdinand - Right Action	6
39	30	Daft Punk f. Pharrell Williams - Get Lucky	18
40	52	Golden Void - Rise to the Out of Reach	3
41	----	TOP DEBUT: FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS "Keeping Our Keys Out" Album: More Than Just a Dream	1
42	40	Tame Impala - Elephant	10
43	42	Imagine Dragons - Radioactive	38
44	59	Kings of Leon - Supersoaker	5
45	72	Katy Perry - Roar	3
46	55	Field Mouse - How Do You Know	4
47	57	Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - Better Days	4
48	68	Matthew Koma - One Night	3
49	49	The Neighborhood - Afraid	10
50	38	Matchbox Twenty - Our Song	15
51	41	ZZ Ward - 365 Days	10
52	50	Civil Wars - The One That Got Away	7
53	45	Sara Bareilles - Brave	12
54	36	Maroon 5 - Love Somebody	13
55	48	Swedish House Mafia f. John Martin - Don't You Worry Child	15
56	51	Waaves - Demon to Lean On	14
57	54	Pearl Jam - Mind Your Manners	6
58	56	Volbeat - The Hangman's Body Count	7
59	44	KT Tunstall- Feel It All	12
60	46	fun. - Why Am I The One	8
61	47	Grouplove - Ways to Go	9
62	53	Golden Void - Shady Grove	24
63	90	Lorde - Royals	2
64	62	Smallpools - Dreaming	8
65	60	Calvin Harris f. Florence Welch - Sweet Nothing	21
66	91	Florence + Machine - Spectrum (Say My Name)	2
67	78	Anna Kendrick - Cups	8
68	64	Little Green Cars - Harper Lee	12
69	80	Alt-J - Breezblocks	6
70	84	OneRepublic - Counting Stars	4
71	92	Passenger - Let Her Go	6
72	66	The Veils - Through the Deep Dark Wood	21
73	65	Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Sacrilege	27
74	69	Matthew Koma - Parachute	19
75	79	Delta Rae - If I Loved You	12
76	95	Mikal Cronin- Change	2
77	63	Darius Rucker - Wagon Wheel	8
78	67	Calvin Harris f. Ellie Goulding - I Need Your Love	7
79	74	Lana Del Rey - Ride	29
80	83	The Unlikely Candidates - Follow My Feet	5
81	77	The Black Angels - Don't Play With Guns	15
82	89	Ellie Goulding - Burn	4
83	----	The Veils - Another Night on Earth	1
84	94	The Mowglis - Great Divide	2
85	61	Candice Glover - I Am Beautiful	13
86	70	Michael Franti and Spearhead - I'm Alive	15
87	76	Hanson - Get the Girl Back	21
88	100	Nonono - Pumpin Blod	2
89	----	Lady Gaga - Applause	1
90	96	The 1975 - Chocolate	2
91	73	Rihanna - Stay	18
92	98	Mona - Goons (Baby I Need It All)	5
93	99	Vampire Weekend -Unbelievers	3
94	71	Pepper - Fkarnd	11
95	----	Parade of Light - We're the Kids	1
96	----	Porchistas - Johnny Miner	1
97	75	Dirty Beaches - I Dream In Neon	14
98	82	Serena Ryder - Stompa	24
99	85	The Lumineers - Submaries	6
100	----	Acken Road - Busted	1

TREMORS:

101. The Livesays - Until You Kissed Me Like That
102. Dawes, Most People
103, Phosphorescent, Ride On/Right On
104. Avicii, Wake Me Up
105. Zedd f. Foxes, Clarify
106. The Natural,Demons
107. Hands, The Game is Changing Us
108. Miley Cyrus, We Can't Stop
109. Taylor Swift f. Ed Sheeran, Everything Has Changed
110. J. Roddy Wilson and the Business, Heavy Bells
111. Gentleman Hall, Sail Into the Sun
112. Wig Party, She Figured It Out
113. Jack Johnson, I Got You
114. On and On, The Hunter