Florida. The Sunshine State. Where people retire, or go on vacation. And yes, I will be making that trek shortly for Thanksgiving. I don't know if the people I'm visiting are into music, much less into new music at that, but that state has had a relationship with the songs of the day from way back.
Now, I'm not talking about music originating from there. Everyone knows that the state has produced some good music as any other reason. Jimmy Buffett comes to mind, of course; so does Gloria Estefan. Then, of course the 1970's disco outfit KC and the Sunshine Band (yes, the "sunshine" part of the name comes from their Florida base). Yes, it has Vanilla Ice, too, but, hey, nobody's perfect.
But, the prior trips I've made to Florida have all featured music in one way or another, whether it be listening to the radio while driving on Daytona's famous beach during spring break, or just that big drive down I-95. I've been down there many times, and music had been featured prominently.
Back in 1966, when I was nine, my brother, father, a friend of his, and my grandmother rented a house in Boca Raton. It was the end of August. Earlier that summer, I was affixed to top 40 radio for the first time with New York's WABC. But this was my first time listening away from home. I don't remember the station's call letters, but the jingles were quite similar, and of course, the music was too. Los Bravos' top 5 hit, "Black Is Black" was first heard down there.
In 1972, that summer, my Dad took my brother and me down to Florida, taking the Auto-Train down, then staying at Disney World, which had just opened the previous winter. Music of the day, included "Alone Again Naturally", "Too Late to Turn Back Now", "School's Out", and a new song by Michael Jackson, "Ben", which would become a #1 song in the fall.
Then, college days, and Spring Break. Daytona Beach in both 1976 and '77. Both times, having the car radio (AM only) going on, it was set to Q-102. "Show Me the Way", "Dream On", "Boogie Fever", "Welcome Back", "Love Hangover", "Sweet Thing" and many others reminded me of that fantastic week in '76, and the next year, we had "Don't Leave Me This Way", "Lido Shuffle", "Southern Nights', "Couldn't Get it Right", and many others.
The next year, I graduated college and me and two buddies did a road trip which featured Florida as the primary stop (Daytona, Disney, Indian Rocks Beach, and others places. Again, the radio was on, and heard Jefferson Starship's "Runaway", Eruption's "I Can't Stand the Rain", Robert Palmer's "Every Kind of People". My friend Mike, who went, also that this 8 track called "While the World Was Eating Vanilla Fudge" which was a demo tape of that psychedelic band from the mid 60's before they became big. Finally another trip in 1985 and the song "Not Enough Love in the World" (Don Henley) and "Love Resurrection" by Alison Moyet, permeated the brain.
What will this week bring? If I bring my iPOD, perhaps something. Check back next weekend!
FROM THE FIELD: Another new #1 this week, in the form of Field Mouse, who hit the top spot with "How Do You Know", just beating out Lorde's "Royals", which holds as the #1 song on Billboard, and preventing only the second concurrent #1 on both lists; only fun.'s "We Are Young", has done this simultaneously. Perhaps, next week is the key. That song is indeed infectious.
The top 10 remain intact, but several new entries in the top 20 include another proven hit, Avicii's "Wake Me Up" and another by retro-garage rockers The Satelliters.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO RIGHT HERE IS GO BACK: Caveman heads the list of debuts with "Shut You Down". They are a five-piece indie-rock band, not to be confused with a British early 90's hip-hop outfit of the same name. They hit my top 10 earlier this year with "Old Friend". The sound is awesome, though, a bit reminiscent of R.E.M. mixed in with some dream pop sensibilities as well. A good listen. They will be on tour with Phosphorescent, in the UK, hopefully to our shores, soon. Next is Man Man's follow-up to their #1 "Head On", "Pyramids" which is the second single from On Oni Pond. This is more of an uptempo, goodtime sound, which the last song kind of lacked. One you could dance too, perhaps, but in a good way.
WE ARE YOUNG: Finally, there's Young the Giant's "It's about Time", the lead single from their second album Apartment, due in January. Their debut, self-titled, from 2010 spawned some alternative rock hits, a couple of them landing my SNS chart as well. This one, is actually all over the place, and the song shifts from a progressive, Jethro Tull-style phrasing, to some dream pop interludes, then to some retro-style rocking once again. The indie band hails from Irvine, CA. They will be at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom, with the Cayuca's (of "High School Lover" fame) opening for them, on February 28, then a solo show at the same venue the next night.
IMAGINE THAT: "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons, finally falls off after a combined chart run of 49 weeks. Its follow-up, "Demons" also a big hit, re-enters the chart. Will this one beat its predecessor and hit my top 40? We shall see.
AND THEIR OFF: The first two holiday offerings have hit the chart, both of artists no stranger to the seasonal music scene. Kelly Clarkson hit last year with "I'll Be Home for Christmas", and this time around chooses "Underneath the Tree" has the makings of a holiday standard, and it's from her new Christmas album Wrapped in Red. I recommend it, as it's an original tune that will fit right in. "Nutcracker" is, of course, a traditional song, but the way Straight No Chaser puts a spin to it, you'd swear it was original. Still to come, and probably not until after Turkey Day, local songs, not just from Tom Corea's Bad Attitude, as mentioned last week, but Paul Czekaj reportedly has a season single in the works as well. Should be an interesting next few weeks.
Finally, here's wishing a Happy Thanksgiving Day to all. Don't eat too much turkey!!
Scenes'n'Soundwaves 100
November 24, 2013
|
This Week
|
Last Week
|
ARTIST-Title
|
Weeks on List
|
|
1
|
6
|
NUMBER ONE:
FIELD MOUSE
"How Do You Know"
(Single only)
|
16
|
|
2
|
5
|
Lorde - Royals
|
14
|
|
3
|
1
|
Cage the Elephant - Come A Little Closer
|
15
|
|
4
|
2
|
Man Man - Head On
|
16
|
|
5
|
3
|
Terraplane Sun - Get Me Golden
|
17
|
|
6
|
4
|
Fitz and the Tantrums - Keeping Our Eyes Out
|
13
|
|
7
|
10
|
MOVER OF THE WEEK:
WILD BELLE
"Backslider"
Album: Isles
|
4
|
|
8
|
7
|
Golden Void - Rise to the Out of Reach
|
15
|
|
9
|
8
|
Portugal. The Man - Purple Yellow Red & Blue
|
21
|
|
10
|
9
|
Wild Belle - Keep You
|
37
|
|
11
|
13
|
Capital Cities - Safe and Sound
|
16
|
|
12
|
14
|
The Veils - Another Night on Earth
|
13
|
|
13
|
19
|
Fitz and the Tantrums - The Walker
|
4
|
|
14
|
16
|
Those Darlins - Optimist
|
7
|
|
15
|
15
|
Foals - My Number
|
20
|
|
16
|
20
|
Avicii - Wake Me Up
|
11
|
|
17
|
21
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
EMILIANA TORRINI
"Speed of Dark'
Album: Tookah
|
5
|
|
18
|
22
|
Zedd f. Foxes - Clarify
|
11
|
|
19
|
23
|
The Satelliters - Where Do We Go
|
11
|
|
20
|
12
|
Tame Impala - Elephant
|
22
|
|
21
|
24
|
Florence + the Machine - Spectrum (Say My Name)
|
14
|
|
22
|
28
|
San Cisco - Fred Astaire
|
7
|
|
23
|
33
|
Paul Czekaj - Wheels On Fire
|
3
|
|
24
|
18
|
Smith Westerns - Varsity
|
9
|
|
25
|
29
|
Arcade Fire - Reflektor
|
11
|
|
26
|
30
|
Cold War Kids - Lost That Easy
|
7
|
|
27
|
11
|
Robin Thicke f. T.I. & Pharrel Williams - Blurred Lines
|
18
|
|
28
|
17
|
Matthew Koma - One Night
|
15
|
|
29
|
32
|
Panic! at the Disco - Miss Jackson
|
7
|
|
30
|
36
|
Taylor Centers - Alibi
|
9
|
|
31
|
35
|
Lady Gaga - Applause
|
13
|
|
32
|
27
|
Fitz and the Tantrums - Out of My League
|
40
|
|
33
|
31
|
Passenger - Let Her Go
|
18
|
|
34
|
50
|
Cate Le Bon - Are You With Me Now
|
3
|
|
35
|
37
|
Emeli Sande - My Kind of Love
|
9
|
|
36
|
38
|
Phillip Phillips - Where We Came From
|
9
|
|
37
|
52
|
Shannon Marsyada Trio - What You Do To Me
|
3
|
|
38
|
25
|
Katy Perry - Roar
|
15
|
|
39
|
48
|
Coldplay - Atlas
|
7
|
|
40
|
61
|
King Tuff - Sun Medallion
|
5
|
|
41
|
26
|
Blake Shelton - Boys 'Round Here
|
20
|
|
42
|
45
|
The Killers - Shot At the Night
|
7
|
|
43
|
34
|
Kings of Leon - Supersoaker
|
17
|
|
44
|
56
|
Eagulls - Nerve Endings
|
5
|
|
45
|
75
|
Haim - Forever
|
3
|
|
46
|
49
|
Brent Dennen - Wild Child
|
9
|
|
47
|
74
|
Ylvis - The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)
|
2
|
|
48
|
39
|
Franz Ferdinand - Right Action
|
18
|
|
49
|
65
|
Phosphorescent - Ride On/Right On
|
5
|
|
50
|
43
|
Wig Party - She Figured It Out
|
11
|
|
51
|
46
|
OneRepublic - Counting Stars
|
16
|
|
52
|
51
|
Bonnie McKee - American Girl
|
9
|
|
53
|
40
|
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - Better Days
|
16
|
|
54
|
57
|
Hands - The Game is Changing Us
|
11
|
|
55
|
68
|
Of Montreal - Fugitive Air
|
4
|
|
56
|
64
|
The Joy Formidable - Silent Treatment
|
4
|
|
57
|
44
|
Leila Hegazy - The Reason Why
|
16
|
|
58
|
58
|
Bastille - Pompeii
|
5
|
|
59
|
94
|
Tired Pony - All Things All At Once
|
2
|
|
60
|
----
|
TOP DEBUT:
CAVEMAN
"Shut You Down"
Album: Caveman
|
1
|
|
61
|
41
|
Phoenix - Trying to Be Cool
|
24
|
|
62
|
73
|
Taylor Swift f. Ed Sheeran - Everything Has Changed
|
9
|
|
63
|
76
|
Jagwar Ma - Come Save Me
|
3
|
|
64
|
47
|
Case Studies - Everything
|
23
|
|
65
|
70
|
J Roddy Wilson and the Business - Heavy Bells
|
9
|
|
66
|
55
|
Porchistas - Johnny Miner
|
13
|
|
67
|
42
|
The Avett Brothers - Another Is Waiting
|
11
|
|
68
|
----
|
Man Man - Pyramids
|
1
|
|
69
|
78
|
Pearl Jam - Sirens
|
5
|
|
70
|
80
|
The Colourist - Little Games
|
3
|
|
71
|
99
|
Valerie June - You Can't Be Told
|
2
|
|
72
|
----
|
Cut Copy - We Are Explorers
|
1
|
|
73
|
54
|
The Livesays - Until You Kissed Me Like That
|
11
|
|
74
|
----
|
Young the Giant - It's About Time
|
1
|
|
75
|
69
|
Sara Bareilles - Brave
|
24
|
|
76
|
88
|
Holy Ghost - Okay
|
2
|
|
77
|
53
|
Rachel Allyn - Dear Prudence
|
17
|
|
78
|
63
|
Dawes - Most People
|
11
|
|
79
|
89
|
The Fray - Love Don't Die
|
2
|
|
80
|
60
|
The 1975 - Chocolate
|
14
|
|
81
|
93
|
Twin Forks - Cross My Mind
|
2
|
|
82
|
90
|
The Head and the Heart - Shake
|
3
|
|
83
|
81
|
Bruno Mars - Gorilla
|
3
|
|
84
|
59
|
Silversun Pickups - Dots and Dashes
|
20
|
|
85
|
87
|
White Denim - Pretty Green
|
3
|
|
86
|
98
|
Plain White T's - The Giving Tree
|
2
|
|
87
|
----
|
Alt J - Tesselate
|
1
|
|
88
|
----
|
Straight No Chaser - Nutcracker
|
18
|
|
89
|
92
|
Leila Hegazy - Mirror Mirror
|
32
|
|
90
|
97
|
John Mayer - Wildfire
|
2
|
|
91
|
66
|
Bruno Mars - Treasure
|
19
|
|
92
|
RE ENTRY
|
Imagine Dragons - Demons
|
10
|
|
93
|
----
|
Goo Goo Dolls - Come to Me
|
1
|
|
94
|
----
|
Twenty-one Pilots - House of Gold
|
1
|
|
95
|
----
|
The So So Glos - Lost Weekend
|
1
|
|
96
|
----
|
Kelly Clarkson - Underneath The Tree
|
1
|
|
97
|
62
|
Train f. Ashley Monroe - Bruises
|
21
|
|
98
|
67
|
The Unlikely Candidates - Follow My Feet
|
17
|
|
99
|
79
|
Linkin Park - A Light That Never Comes
|
4
|
|
100
|
----
|
James Blunt - Bonfire Heart
|
1
|
TREMORS:
101. Miley Cyrus, Wrecking Ball
102. Daughtry, Waiting for Superman
103. Arctic Monkeys, Do I Wanna Know
104. Katy Perry, Unconditionally
105. The Limousines, Love and a Dog From Hell
106. Kings of Leaon, Temple
107. Thirty Seconds to Mars, City of Angels
108. Lucious, Turn It Around
109. Jack Johnson, Radiate
