Growing up in the 1960's was a magical time when it came to this time of year. Back then, when you were in school, you celebrated the season. I remember making ornaments for the tree in class. One was making paper chains out of colored construction paper. Another is to take those "itchy balls" that you see fall from trees, then take toothpicks and glue them into holes and then spray paint them (usually silver or gold).
And speaking of silver and gold, this past week was the annual showing of the stop-motion classic "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer". This is the 50th anniversary of the first time it was shown on TV. That was in 1964. The following year was the debut of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" another classic. That of course was based on the "Peanuts" comic strip which was created by Charles M. Schulz in 1950 and it was around this time that I became a fan of the strip. It was everywhere you turned, including school. One of the classes in my grammar school did a Thanksgiving play based on the characters (Great Turkey, anyone?). Then there was "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron", a huge song by The Royal Guardsmen in December 1966, where a group of kids in my class lip synched to it the last day of school before vacation. "Snoopy's Christmas" was another hit by that band the following Christmas and it was all over the radio.
A video that was posted on the band Chicago's website last week was by a person who took various clips of the Peanuts specials and made it sound like they were all playing their classic song "25 or 6 to 4". It was pretty cool. The same person had them "sing" other rock classics as well. I hear that there will be a computer-generated Peanuts movie coming out in 2015. Glad to see that a link to my childhood is still alive and well. Check out the video here:
Peanuts Gang sings "25 or 6 to 4".
LOVE IS LIKE....: While we are wondering if alternative act Hozier will have a number one hit with "Take Me To Church" (it moves to #2 on the Hot 100 and holds at #3 on SNS), California-based duo Foxygen, still obscure to the rest of the world, has their second SNS #1 with "How Can You Really?" It's from their third effort "And Star Power". Unfortunately, they are touring on the left coast and no tour dates have been announced in our part of the world. Hopefully, somehow, someway their great sound will catch on soon.
DEBUTING: The Black Keys' third single from Turn Blue "Gotta Get Away" is the top debut at #57 as the title track advances to #6. "Gotta Get Away" is just good ole fashioned rock and roll, not unexpected from the Akron duo. It's got a 1970's rawness to it, yet has hints of the Electric Light Orchestra in it as well. This type of music might seem out of place in this day and age but it really doesn't when you get down to it.
The next highest debut is "All This Could be Yours", by Cold War Kids. Back in early 2011, the Long Beach, California band had a four week stay atop my blog which coincided with some ski trips I did (nice to see latter-day songs still evoke memories of events that were done). That was from their Mine is Yours set released that year; their third album. Their last effort, Dear Miss Lonelyhearts from 2013, yielded an SNS top 20 song, "Miracle Mile". This time around, the band has released their fifth effort, Hold My Home which was released this fall. The first single is in line with those two other songs. It's part driving beat-rock segueing into soulfulness. This one won't let go and is very likable. The band has been on the verge of scoring big, and although they have made the lower rungs of the alternative charts with their past few efforts, this one deserves a better fate. A nice one.
GRAB THE GUSTER: It's been ages since we heard from Guster, the veteran alt-rock band from Boston. In fact, it was this time of year in 2010 that "Do You Love Me" spent two weeks at the top spot on SNS coinciding with what sounded like holiday bells interspersed despite the fact that it wasn't a holiday song. Their first effort since then, "Simple Machine", entering at #80, seems to be off in another direction. This is almost eighties-style techno rhythmic rock, pretty much something different from them. Their album, due in January, is titled Evermotion.
MORE SEASONS: One more holiday offering makes my chart this week, with another two falling on my "Tremors" up-and-coming list. As a rule, only "new" Christmas songs can make my list, and even though Kelly Clarkson's 2013 set Wrapped in Red yielded the hit "Underneath the Tree" that season, the title track has been released as a single for 2014. If you like last year's song, this one is just as good, it sounds like another seasonal winner. My prediction is that it will rank highest on my chart this year, beating out the seemingly more popular Pentatonix (which album knocks Taylor Swift out of the top spot). Speaking of that a capella group a second song waits in the wings with "That's Christmas To Me". Meghan Trainor, the pop single whose "All About That Bass" is entrenched in my top 10, also awaits with "I'll Be Home" which is not a cover of "I'll Be Home For Christmas" but an original.
Scenes 'n' Soundwaves 100
December 7, 2014
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
TREMORS:
101. Pentatonix That's Christmas To Me
102. Meghan Trainor, I'll Be Home
A video that was posted on the band Chicago's website last week was by a person who took various clips of the Peanuts specials and made it sound like they were all playing their classic song "25 or 6 to 4". It was pretty cool. The same person had them "sing" other rock classics as well. I hear that there will be a computer-generated Peanuts movie coming out in 2015. Glad to see that a link to my childhood is still alive and well. Check out the video here:
Peanuts Gang sings "25 or 6 to 4".
LOVE IS LIKE....: While we are wondering if alternative act Hozier will have a number one hit with "Take Me To Church" (it moves to #2 on the Hot 100 and holds at #3 on SNS), California-based duo Foxygen, still obscure to the rest of the world, has their second SNS #1 with "How Can You Really?" It's from their third effort "And Star Power". Unfortunately, they are touring on the left coast and no tour dates have been announced in our part of the world. Hopefully, somehow, someway their great sound will catch on soon.
DEBUTING: The Black Keys' third single from Turn Blue "Gotta Get Away" is the top debut at #57 as the title track advances to #6. "Gotta Get Away" is just good ole fashioned rock and roll, not unexpected from the Akron duo. It's got a 1970's rawness to it, yet has hints of the Electric Light Orchestra in it as well. This type of music might seem out of place in this day and age but it really doesn't when you get down to it.
The next highest debut is "All This Could be Yours", by Cold War Kids. Back in early 2011, the Long Beach, California band had a four week stay atop my blog which coincided with some ski trips I did (nice to see latter-day songs still evoke memories of events that were done). That was from their Mine is Yours set released that year; their third album. Their last effort, Dear Miss Lonelyhearts from 2013, yielded an SNS top 20 song, "Miracle Mile". This time around, the band has released their fifth effort, Hold My Home which was released this fall. The first single is in line with those two other songs. It's part driving beat-rock segueing into soulfulness. This one won't let go and is very likable. The band has been on the verge of scoring big, and although they have made the lower rungs of the alternative charts with their past few efforts, this one deserves a better fate. A nice one.
GRAB THE GUSTER: It's been ages since we heard from Guster, the veteran alt-rock band from Boston. In fact, it was this time of year in 2010 that "Do You Love Me" spent two weeks at the top spot on SNS coinciding with what sounded like holiday bells interspersed despite the fact that it wasn't a holiday song. Their first effort since then, "Simple Machine", entering at #80, seems to be off in another direction. This is almost eighties-style techno rhythmic rock, pretty much something different from them. Their album, due in January, is titled Evermotion.
MORE SEASONS: One more holiday offering makes my chart this week, with another two falling on my "Tremors" up-and-coming list. As a rule, only "new" Christmas songs can make my list, and even though Kelly Clarkson's 2013 set Wrapped in Red yielded the hit "Underneath the Tree" that season, the title track has been released as a single for 2014. If you like last year's song, this one is just as good, it sounds like another seasonal winner. My prediction is that it will rank highest on my chart this year, beating out the seemingly more popular Pentatonix (which album knocks Taylor Swift out of the top spot). Speaking of that a capella group a second song waits in the wings with "That's Christmas To Me". Meghan Trainor, the pop single whose "All About That Bass" is entrenched in my top 10, also awaits with "I'll Be Home" which is not a cover of "I'll Be Home For Christmas" but an original.
Scenes 'n' Soundwaves 100
December 7, 2014
..
.
.
This Week
|
Last Week
|
ARTIST-Title
|
Weeks on List
|
1
|
2
|
NUMBER ONE:
FOXYGEN
"How Can You Really/"
Album: ...And Star Power
|
5
|
2
|
1
|
Vivian Girls - Take It As It Comes
|
14
|
3
|
3
|
Hozier - Take Me To Church
|
16
|
4
|
6
|
Fitz and the Tantrums - Fools Gold
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
The Big Takeover - Children of the Rhythm
|
8
|
6
|
8
|
The Black Keys - Turn Blue
|
6
|
7
|
4
|
Fitz and the Tantrums - 6AM
|
14
|
8
|
9
|
Meghan Trainor - All About that Bass
|
5
|
9
|
10
|
White Fence - Like That
|
6
|
10
|
7
|
SomeKindaWonderful - Reverse
|
20
|
11
|
13
|
The Fresh & Onlys - Animal of One
|
12
|
12
|
11
|
Strand of Oaks - Goshen '97
|
10
|
13
|
14
|
Jessica Lea Mayfield - I Wanna Love You
|
12
|
14
|
12
|
Brick + Mortar - Locked In A Cage
|
33
|
15
|
15
|
Alabama Shakes - Heartbreaker
|
6
|
16
|
21
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
ST. PAUL AND THE BROKEN BONES
"Call Me"
Album: Half the City
|
4
|
17
|
27
|
Ty Segall - Tall Man Skinny Lady
|
3
|
18
|
17
|
The Gaslight Anthem - Get Hurt
|
8
|
19
|
28
|
Yast - Heart of Steel
|
3
|
20
|
24
|
Interpol - All the Rage Back Home
|
4
|
.
21
|
20
|
Sam Roberts Band - Shapesifters
|
10
|
22
|
22
|
Phantogram - Black Out Days
|
8
|
23
|
25
|
The Satelliters - I Said Yeah Yeah Yeah
|
6
|
24
|
23
|
Train - Angel In Blue Jeans
|
8
|
25
|
40
|
Taylor Swift - Shake It Off
|
3
|
26
|
19
|
The Hounds of Winter - Amy's World
|
24
|
27
|
26
|
Dum Dum Girls - Rimbaud Eyes
|
10
|
28
|
16
|
Foster the People - Best Friend
|
18
|
29
|
37
|
Grouplove - I'm With You
|
6
|
30
|
59
|
Cage the Elephant - Cigarette Daydreams
|
2
|
31
|
79
|
MOVER OF THE WEEK:
FOSTER THE PEOPLE
"Are You What You Want To Me"
Album: Supermodel
|
2
|
32
|
72
|
SomeKindaWonderful - California Love
|
2
|
33
|
18
|
Avi Buffalo - So What
|
14
|
34
|
32
|
The Orwells - Who Needs You
|
18
|
35
|
43
|
The Drums - Magic Mountain
|
6
|
36
|
46
|
The Decemberists - Make You Better
|
4
|
37
|
42
|
Meg Myers - Desire
|
12
|
38
|
55
|
You+Me - You and Me
|
3
|
39
|
65
|
Foo Fighters - Something From Nothing
|
2
|
40
|
69
|
The Killers - Joel the Lump of Coal
|
2
|
41
|
31
|
Damien Jurado - Silver Timothy
|
24
|
42
|
38
|
Afghan Whigs - Algiers
|
26
|
43
|
45
|
The Eeries - Cool Kid
|
6
|
44
|
51
|
Colony House - Silhouettes
|
4
|
45
|
49
|
Alt J - Left Hand Free
|
5
|
46
|
29
|
Tacocat - Bridge to Hawaii
|
16
|
47
|
35
|
Rachel Allyn - Restless Times Call for Reckless Measures
|
14
|
48
|
34
|
MS MR - Think of You
|
24
|
49
|
48
|
MS MR - No Trace
|
6
|
50
|
36
|
The Kooks - Around Town
|
10
|
51
|
61
|
A Day to Remember - End of Me
|
3
|
52
|
30
|
Maroon 5 - Maps
|
14
|
53
|
44
|
The Black Keys - Fever
|
24
|
54
|
78
|
Arctic Monkeys - R U Mine
|
13
|
55
|
----
|
TOP DEBUT:
THE BLACK KEYS
"Gotta Get Away"
Album: Turn Blue
|
1
|
56
|
39
|
Lorde - Glory and Gore
|
16
|
57
|
50
|
Weezer - Back to the Shack
|
5
|
58
|
33
|
Terraplane Sun - You Never Know
|
22
|
59
|
71
|
Pentatonix - Mary Did You Know
|
3
|
60
|
52
|
Jungle - Time
|
12
|
61
|
68
|
Valerie June - You Can't Be Told
|
21
|
62
|
47
|
Jenny Lewis - Just One of the Guys
|
12
|
63
|
60
|
Idina Menzel - Let It Go
|
20
|
64
|
77
|
Lykke Li - I Never Learn
|
2
|
65
|
56
|
The Shins - So Now What
|
10
|
66
|
62
|
Milky Chance - Stolen Dance
|
12
|
67
|
74
|
Lana Del Rey - Shades of Cool
|
2
|
68
|
----
|
Kelly Clarkson - Wrapped in Red
|
1
|
69
|
67
|
Kongos - Come With Me Now
|
33
|
70
|
54
|
Royal Bangs - Better Run
|
10
|
71
|
64
|
Kings of Leon - Family Tree
|
4
|
72
|
83
|
Idina Menzel (duet with Michale Buble) - Baby It's Cold Outside
|
2
|
73
|
88
|
Broken Bells - After the Disco
|
2
|
74
|
----
|
Cold War Kids - All This Could Be Yours
|
1
|
75
|
63
|
Horse Thief - Devil
|
10
|
76
|
58
|
Better Than Ezra - Crazy Lady
|
8
|
77
|
70
|
The Griswolds - Beware the Dog
|
6
|
78
|
80
|
Anna Calvi - Suddenly
|
2
|
79
|
----
|
The Orwells - The Righteous One
|
1
|
80
|
75
|
Bastille - Flaws
|
5
|
81
|
76
|
J. Roddy Walston and the Business - Marigold
|
4
|
82
|
----
|
Guster - Simple Machine
|
1
|
83
|
87
|
Ariana Grande - Santa Tell Me
|
2
|
84
|
41
|
Vampire Weekend - Step
|
14
|
85
|
82
|
American Authors - Believer
|
3
|
86
|
----
|
Maroon 5 - Animals
|
1
|
87
|
84
|
Knox Hamilton - Work It Out
|
3
|
88
|
90
|
Bear Hands - Agora
|
5
|
89
|
81
|
Benjaman Booker - Valent Shiver
|
5
|
90
|
86
|
OneRepublic - Love Runs Out
|
3
|
91
|
57
|
Broken Bells - No Matter What You're Told
|
24
|
92
|
66
|
Nico & Vinz - Am I Wrong
|
18
|
93
|
95
|
Airborne Toxic Event - Wrong
|
2
|
94
|
----
|
Jack White - Would You Fight For My Love?
|
1
|
95
|
94
|
Coldplay - A Sky Full of Stars
|
3
|
96
|
53
|
Calvin Harris - Summer
|
18
|
97
|
91
|
My Brightest Diamond - Pressure
|
4
|
98
|
93
|
Digitalism f. Youngblood Hawke - Wolves
|
4
|
99
|
96
|
Joywave - Tongues
|
3
|
100
|
----
|
Lily Allen - Air Balloon
|
1
|
.
TREMORS:
101. Pentatonix That's Christmas To Me
102. Meghan Trainor, I'll Be Home
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