GOIN' PUBLIC: This is my 4th "catch-up" blog as I atttempt to get to the present day. I am writing this on July 24th, but this blog encompassed the middle of June. I am getting there. My three previous blogs have been brief; you can view them on my blog website.
This time around, I need to write more about the music I added, as there are stories behind these artists, many of them that I am into. As many of you know, I started this blog back in August of 2010 as a series of Facebook notes; I did it as a way to appreciate and get into new music; something that I had been neglecting for quite awhile. I made a playlist on my iPod of current stuff, not just new artists, but established, and in some cases, classic artists. In addition, it would give me the opportunity to check out something new.
One of those artists came to me just a few weeks after I started the blog; my friend Brian Sniatkowski, who was part of the inspiration when he posts his "song of the week" on his Facebook timeline, put up a new video by an L.A. outfit called Avi Buffalo.....four kids just out of high school, with somewhat of a very psychedelic pop song that their parents could have listened to. The song was "What's In it For?". I lvoed it, it debuted at #21 (still a record on SNS), spent five weeks at #1, and was my #2 song of 2010 (behind "Tighten Up" by The Black Keys). Their self-titled album, on legendary label Sub Pop Records, was critically acclaimed and there were some comparisons to bands such as The Shins. It looked like a cool future for these young talents.
Then it began to unravel. Half of the band, including keyboardist/guitarist Rebecca Coleman, left to form another band, Pageants. Leader Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg and Sheridan Riley remained, along with a revolving group of back-ups. In 2011, they released a standalone single "How Come", a bit more rough and rawer than the initial song, The song hit the SNS Top 5, but really didn't capture any more accolades. A new album had been promised later that year, but nothing materialized. Meanwhile, the revival of Beavis and Butt-head featured "What's In it For", with the cartoon duo lampooning it.
Well, it's 2014, and finally, we have a new album by them, At Best Cuckoid, with the lead single "So What", the to debut at another lofty position of #33. So, how does the now-23 year old Zahner-Isenberg sound? Well, probably somewhere in between the surreal pop of the first one and the stripped-down jaggedness of "How Come". It is another winner, an uptempo, soulful tour-de-force, with the comparisions to bands like the Shins more realized here. It's more guitar-driven, yet easy and laid back. This band still has potential to get some airplay on one alternative rock station or another. The concept of kids playing cool music is gone, and the band is basically a vehicle for him, but this is a winner.
But they are not the only SNS fave hitting my radar this week. Fitz and the Tantrums' latest album has been out for well over a year but there have only been two singles released. In between, I pulled out an album cut. With a third single still not on the horizon, I am going with another track from More Than Just a Dream, "6 AM." Another one of the more soulful cuts, the organ and bass back up Michael Fitzpatrick's (and at times, Noelle Scaggs') vocals that are reminiscent of mid-70's R&B. A nice song.
Vampire Weekend's 2013 release, Modern Vampires of the City, hadn't impressed me too much; the two singles "Diane Young" and "Unbelievers" only topped out at #60 and #87 respectively on SNS. But it appears the third single, the slow-going, "Step" is going to do the trick. It's sort of a cross between Coldplay and "Our House" by Crosby, Stills and Nash. It pretty much tugs the heart. It debuts at #50, already higher than the first two songs.
Back in 2011, I wrote a blog about the unlikely music scene in Ridgewood, NJ, with bands such as Real Estate, Big Troubles, and Vivian Girls, among others. The first two bands, I added back then, and resulted in top 10 hits on my blog chart. As for the Vivian Girls, they fell through the cracks and were forgotten. But wait, not so fast. Recently, my friend Alan Corso invited a bunch of over for a "Roscoe Post-Mortem", a post camping event (remembering that we go camping every Memorial Day Weekend), and he has his usual eclectic mix of music. Well, suddenly, this cool, retro-sounding song comes on, so I had to know what it was. Kind of a cross between 60's girl group and 80's new wave. Thanks to my SoundHound app on my phone, I noticed it was "Take It As It Comes' from the Vivian Girls, from back in 2011 at the heard of the Ridgewood movement. Songs that are a few years old are still fair game; bands such as the Satelliters and Generationals have made my listen even though they are a few years old. You haven't heard too much of the Ridgewood scene in the ensuing three years, but perhaps it's time once again to check back with it.
Finally, lost in the shuffle, not just with my new music, but apparently at Top 40 radio, too, is the new single from Maroon 5, "Maps". The funk-rock hybrid, initially popular during the mid-2000's, enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, thanks in part to front man Adam Levine's participation as a coach in the hit series "The Voice". It's been a couple of years since their last set, so they're due.. The tenor voice of Levine's is Front and Center. It's one of their better effort, which probably means it won't be as successful in the pop world. But the band has made my top 20 four times (with another just missing at #21). Nothing groundbreaking (like their "Come Away to the Water" from the "Hunger Games" soundtrack), but an enjoyable listen.
Scenes 'n' Soundwaves 100
June 15 - 22, 2014
This Week
|
Last Week
|
ARTIST-Title
|
Weeks on List
|
1
|
1
|
NUMBER ONE:
THE BLACK KEYS
"Fever"
Album: Turn Blue
(5 weeks at #1)
|
11
|
2
|
2
|
MS MR - Think of You
|
11
|
3
|
6
|
The Hounds of Winter - Amy's World
|
11
|
4
|
7
|
Junior Prom - Sheila Put the Knife Down
|
11
|
5
|
5
|
Kings of Leon - Temple
|
28
|
6
|
4
|
Pharrell Williams - Happy
|
17
|
7
|
8
|
Mac DeMarco - Chamber of Reflection
|
9
|
8
|
3
|
Foster the People - Coming of Age
|
22
|
9
|
10
|
Broken Bells - No Matter What You're Told
|
11
|
10
|
12
|
Jack White - Lazeretto
|
9
|
11
|
11
|
Lucius - Turn It Around
|
26
|
12
|
14
|
Lily Allen - Hard Out Here
|
7
|
13
|
17
|
Terraplane Sun - You Never Know
|
9
|
14
|
21
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
SOMEKINDOFWONDERFUL
"Reverse"
Album: SomeKindaWonderful
|
7
|
15
|
9
|
Cage the Elephant - Take It or Leave It
|
15
|
16
|
28
|
Anna Calvi - Eliza
|
5
|
17
|
13
|
Young the Giant - Crystallized
|
11
|
18
|
25
|
Lykke Li - No Rest of the Wicked
|
7
|
19
|
16
|
Hospitality - Going Out
|
20
|
20
|
23
|
Boyce Avenue - I'll Be the One
|
9
|
21
|
34
|
Foster the People - Best Friend
|
5
|
22
|
37
|
Calvin Harris - Summer
|
5
|
23
|
20
|
Zedd f. Hayley Williams - Stay the Night
|
22
|
24
|
30
|
Arctic Monkeys - Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High
|
9
|
25
|
15
|
Fitz and the Tantrums - The Walker
|
32
|
26
|
27
|
Kongos - Come With Me Now
|
20
|
27
|
31
|
Lana Del Rey - West Coast
|
7
|
28
|
18
|
Rachel Allyn- Triggerman
|
20
|
29
|
22
|
Young the Giant - It's About Time
|
29
|
30
|
26
|
Temples - Shelter Song
|
21
|
31
|
39
|
Afghan Whigs - Algiers
|
13
|
32
|
19
|
Tired Pony - All Things All At Once
|
30
|
33
|
---- |
TOP DEBUT:
AVI BUFFALO
"So What"
Album: At Best Cuckold
|
1
|
34
|
36
|
Silversun Pickups - Cannibal
|
21
|
35
|
63
|
MOVER OF THE WEEK:
HOZIER
"Take Me To Church"
Album: Hozier
|
3
|
36
|
40
|
No - Leave the Door Wide Open
|
13
|
37
|
68
|
Tacocat - Bridge to Hawaii
|
3
|
38
|
24
|
Phantogram - Fall in Love
|
24
|
39
|
33
|
Sleeper Agent - Waves
|
15
|
40
|
35
|
Avicii - Hey Brother
|
21
|
41
|
---- |
Fitz and the Tantrums - 6Am
|
1
|
42
|
29
|
Haim - Forever
|
31
|
43
|
44
|
Kings of Leon - Wait For Me
|
7
|
44
|
41
|
Wild Club - Thunder Clatter
|
24
|
45
|
42
|
Bleachers - I Wanna Get Better
|
13
|
46
|
32
|
Caveman - Shut You Down
|
29
|
47
|
49
|
Chromeo - Jealous
|
11
|
48
|
54
|
Phantogram - Nothing But Trouble
|
5
|
49
|
55
|
Damien Jurado - Silver Timothy
|
11
|
50
|
---- |
Vampire Weekend - Step
|
1
|
51
|
51
|
Bear Hands - Giants
|
17
|
52
|
53
|
Paramore - Ain't It Fun
|
7
|
53
|
60
|
Man Man - Loot My Body
|
3
|
54
|
38
|
Wild Belle - It's Too Late
|
20
|
55
|
50
|
Band of Skulls - Hoochie Coochie
|
9
|
56
|
---- |
Vivian Girls - Take It As It Comes
|
1
|
57
|
45
|
Temples - Keep In the Dark
|
17
|
58
|
---- |
Maroon 5 - Maps
|
1
|
59
|
43
|
Hellogoodbye - Everything Is Debatable
|
24
|
60
|
73
|
Nico & Vinz - Am I Wrong
|
5
|
61
|
74
|
Dirty Heads - My Sweet Summer
|
3
|
62
|
79
|
Lorde - Glory and Gore
|
3
|
63
|
84
|
Ray LaMontagna - Supernova
|
3
|
64
|
52
|
Cherub - Doses and Mimosas
|
13
|
65
|
58
|
Brick + Mortar - Locked In A Cage
|
20
|
66
|
59
|
Haim - Falling
|
5
|
67
|
---- |
Caveman - In the City
|
1
|
68
|
83
|
Capital Cities - One Minute More
|
3
|
69
|
72
|
Katy Perry - Birthday
|
5
|
70
|
46
|
Shannon Marsyada Trio - What You Do To Me
|
31
|
71
|
48
|
Capital Cities - Kangaroo Court
|
27
|
72
|
70
|
Vance Joy - Riptide
|
22
|
73
|
78
|
Idina Menzel - Let It Go
|
7
|
74
|
90
|
The Orwells - Who Needs You
|
5
|
75
|
---- |
Rachel Allyn - Restless Times Call for Reckless Measures
|
1
|
76
|
88
|
The Neighbourhood - Let It Go
|
3
|
77
|
47
|
Birdy - Skinny Love
|
20
|
78
|
57
|
Hospitality - Rockets and Jets
|
17
|
79
|
71
|
Chvrches - Recover
|
7
|
80
|
77
|
Big Data - Dangerous
|
9
|
81
|
87
|
The War on Drugs - Red Eyes
|
7
|
82
|
94
|
The Head and the Heart - Another Story
|
3
|
83
|
81
|
Cloud Nothings - I'm Not Part of Me
|
13
|
84
|
92
|
Ingrid Michaelson - Girls Chase Boys
|
5
|
85
|
91
|
The Pretty Reckless - Heaven Knows
|
5
|
86
|
---- |
Phillip Phillips - Raging Fire
|
1
|
87
|
64
|
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Lariat
|
22
|
88
|
62
|
Zedd f. Foxes - Clarity
|
39
|
89
|
---- |
Sam Smith - Stay With Me
|
1
|
90
|
82
|
Papa - Put Me to Work
|
17
|
91
|
86
|
Elbow - New York Morning
|
11
|
92
|
65
|
Bruce Springsteen - High Hopes
|
24
|
93
|
80
|
Sir Sly - Gold
|
11
|
94
|
89
|
Imagine Dragons - On Top of the World
|
22
|
95
|
93
|
Alt J - Tesselate
|
29
|
96
|
61
|
Broken Bells - Holding On For Life
|
28
|
97
|
75
|
Dum Dum Girls - Lost Boys and Girls Club
|
26
|
98
|
56
|
U2 - Invisible
|
17
|
99
|
66
|
Golden Void - Smiling Raven
|
15
|
100
|
69
|
Magic Man - Paris
|
13
|
