Scenes 'n' Soundwaves: A New Direction, but the Message is Still There (SNS week of 3/8/2015)

My blog is a week late, so I will get right to the new music. And a very powerful top debut this is.

Several weeks back, I wrote about some new music coming from artists trying to make their mark and I included Leila Hegazy's "Maybe If We Try", a demo video was released back in January and I have anxiously awaited the official release.    Well, I am still awaiting her new song, but in the meantime, last Tuesday I got an unexpected treat:   A new single from her twin sister, the equally talented Omnia Hegazy, "Dust". And all I can say after hearing this is "Wow".

And although it's been about 15 months since Leila's "Mirror Mirror" dropped off the SNS 100 (after peaking at #6), it's been actually longer, just about two years since Omnia's "Aziza", a #3 blog hit in 2013.   That was the single off her EP "Judgment Day".   Well, if you're a regular reader of my blog the last several years, you'll know that the Staten Island native specializes in exotic rhythms and textures and classic vocals.    You can put that image behind you right now.

"Dust", which is my Top Debut this week at #48, begins right away with a tough rock guitar sound, and it doesn't stop there.   Yes, her vocal is still recognizable Omnia, but perhaps a little tougher to go along with what's going on around her.    And like "Aziza", "What's Become of Us" and the SNS chart-topper "Change This Place", this one has a message.    It's a plea for the men in the world to take women seriously as a human being and not as sex objects. It goes a long, long way to approach a woman with intelligent talk, as opposed to demeaning cat-calls, hoot and hollers, which can become more vile and threatening if ignored.   The constant and persistent rock tone of the song (even shifting rhythms midway through ) supports the message even more.   A fine new song that is a shoo-in to be her fourth top-five SNS hit and possibly her second #1 here.   A great effort.

The other key debut is all the way down at #95, and that would be Madonna's "Living For Love". In the current pop realm of things, this hasn't charted, after all, aside from rock music, anything performed by someone over 40 doesn't stand a chance; forget that the Material is one of the most successful recording artists in history (as Paul McCartney learned, you have to team up with relevant artists; and in fact, Madonna's last two top 10 songs have featured Justin Timberlake, M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj). Of course, she has gotten some press lately, mostly however for some outspoken comments as well as her "wardrobe malfunction", falling while performing at the recent Brit Awards.

To be honest, after a couple of listens to "Living for Love", the lead single from her new Rebel Heart, set, is quite good, much better than the first two singles from her last album MDNA "Give Me All Your Luvin'" and "Girl Gone Wild" which reached #56 and #71 respectively on SNS.   This one is much better, she sings with a bit more soul, and it's a combo of pop, hip-hop and the electronica she's been reluctantly holding onto since the start of the millennium.    I can live with this.     Unfortunately, many of the music message boards have also taken pot-shots at her. Yes, she is outspoken and outrageous, but perhaps at 56 you have to be to stay in the spotlight.    This song is recommended.

ALSO: Jungle, whose song "Time" has been hanging around the middle part of my chart since the end of the summer, not reaching above the #50 position, are back with a second single from their self-titled debut. "Busy Earnin'" has a bit of everything in it....bone-chilling surrealness, some 80's dance ability, and some good harmonies.   As good as the first single was, this should leave more of an imprint.

Also debuting is Matt & Kim's "Get It". The duo made my top 20 a few years ago with "Let's Go", which quickly got into my top 20 before I tired of it.    This seems to be the same attempt at fun, it's a bit like cotton candy of sorts.    Alt-rock radio is playing it so it accounts for something.    Vance Joy's follow-up to "Rip Tide", "Mess Is Mine" is also getting airplay. The song is also in his indie-folk vein.   Finally, Zella Day has been compared to SNS fave Lana Del Rey, and you can tell on "Hypnotic".   A bit more rhythmic than some of my fave Del Rey songs, but the peppiness is there.

MEANWHILE AT THE TOP: The Black Keys' "Weight of Love" holds at #1 and widens its lead, over The Raveonettes' "Killer In the Street", which inches up to #2. It looks like the Danish duo will have to settle for the runner-up spot again, like they did with "Recharge & Revolt", four years ago.   Florence + the Machine and Belle and Sebastian made big gains in the top 10 as well.

Entering the top 20 is "Don't Wanna Fight" by Alabama Shakes, who have been all over the place lately. They performed that single, which moves from #31 to #16 in its third week.    But as much as I love this song, the other one that they played on Saturday Night Live a couple weeks back, "Gimme All Your Love" is even better.   I'm not sure if it's available yet, or if we have to wait until April 21 when the album Sound & Color drops. If it's available now, look for a big debut next week.

And for the first time in recent memory, the entire top 20 has been on my SNS chart for 15 weeks or less.   That's a good indicator that there's a good pipeline of new music going down.

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100

March 8, 2015

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	1	NUMBER ONE: THE BLACK KEYS "Weight of Love" Album: Turn Blue (2 weeks at #1)	5
2	3	The Raveonettes - Killer in the Streets	9
3	7	Florence + the Machine - What Kind of Man	4
4	6	Belle and Sebastian - The Party Line	5
5	5	Foster the People - Are You What You Want To Be	13
6	4	Lucius - Hey, Doreen	11
7	10	White Arrows - We Can't Ever Die	7
8	9	Calvin Harris f. John Newman - Blame	7
9	2	Cage the Elephant - Cigarette Daydreams	13
10	8	St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Call Me	15
11	14	Ariana Grande - Love Me Harder	8
12	13	Foxygen - Cosmic Vibrations	8
13	17	The Kooks - Bad Habit	6
14	16	Meghan Trainor - Lips are Movin'	8
15	19	Mark Ronson f. Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk	7
16	31	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: ALABAMA SHAKES "Don't Wanna Fight" Album: Sound & Color	3
17	21	Fall Out Boy - Centuries	7
18	11	Cold War Kids - All This Could Be Yours	12
19	25	Future Islands - Seasons (Waiting On You)	6
20	23	Alvvays - Archie Marry Me	8

21	32	Taylor Centers - Wild	5
22	28	Waters - I Feel Everything	10
23	34	Hozier - Angel of Small Death and the Codiene Scene	4
24	12	Wizards of Winter - Gales of December	11
25	18	The Black Keys - Gotta Get Away	12
26	24	Fremont - All That I Needed	9
27	20	Arctic Monkeys - R U Mine●	24
28	22	Hozier - Take Me To Church●	27
29	15	Fitz and the Tantrums - Fools Gold	16
30	30	Catfish & the Bottlemen - Kathleen	8
31	39	Phoebe Ryan - Mine	5
32	26	The Decemberists - Make You Better	15
33	27	The Big Takeover - Children of the Rhythm●	19
34	38	Launderettes - Red River	6
35	37	TV on the Radio - Happy Idiot	8
36	40	Kelly Clarkson - Heartbreak Song	4
37	41	Kjband - Man of Few Words	7
38	42	Modest Mouse - Lampshades on Fire	5
39	45	Interpol - My Desire	7
40	47	Stater-Kinney - Bury Our Friends	10
41	53	The Big Takeover - Dolphins	3
42	54	Sir Sly - You Haunt Me	5
43	55	Ellie Goulding - Love Me Like You Do	4
44	33	Vivian Girls - Take It As It Comes●	25
45	29	Meghan Trainor - All About that Bass	16
46	80	MOVER OF THE WEEK: MAROON 5 "Sugar" Album: V	2
47	36	The Fresh & Onlys - Animal of One	23
48	---	TOP DEBUT: OMNIA HEGAZY "Dust" (Single Only)	1
49	49	Colony House - Silhouettes	15
50	52	The Orwells - The Righteous One	12
51	35	Taylor Swift - Shake It Off	14
52	44	Fitz and the Tantrums - 6AM●	25
53	48	Foxygen - How Can You Really?	16
54	50	Kendrick Lamarr - I	9
55	43	Christina Perri - Burning Gold	9
56	61	The Drums - I Can't Pretend	3
57	58	Yelawolf- Till It's Gone	7
58	46	SomeKindaWonderful - California Love	13
59	81	Corinne Bailey Rae - Bluebird	3
60	51	Yast - Heart of Steel	14
61	57	Lana Del Rey - Shades of Cool	13
62	59	Brick + Mortar - Hollow Tune	6
63	56	Maroon 5 - Animals	12
64	78	Django Django - First Light	2
65	66	Deers - Bamboo	7
66	82	The Mowglis - Through the Dark	2
67	65	Jungle - Time	23
68	91	Alice Russell - Breakdown	2
69	75	Glass Animals - Gooey	3
70	69	Sam Smith - I'm Not the Only One	7
71	60	Train - Cadillac, Cadillac	8
72	71	Shakey Graves - Dearly Departed	10
73	77	Ed Sheeran - Think Out Loud	3
74	68	SomeKindaWonderful - Reverse●	31
75	74	Blondfire - Waves	4
76	92	Death Cab for Cutie - Black Sun	2
77	96	The Wombats - Greek Tragedy	2
78	63	Jessica Lea Mayfield - I Wanna Love You	23
79	70	Taylor Swift - Blank Space	5
80	79	George Ezra - Budapest	5
81	89	The Griswolds - If You Wanna Stay	2
82	102	Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul McCartney - FourFive Seconds	1
83	---	Jungle - Busy Earnin'	1
84	62	Foo Fighters - Something From Nothing	13
85	73	Banks - Beggin For Thread	9
86	86	My Goodness - Cold Feel Killer	3
87	84	Damien Jurado - Ohio	3
88	85	Milky Chance - Flash Junk Mind	3
89	95	U2 - Every Breaking Wave	2
90	76	A Day to Remember - End of Me	14
91	---	Zella Day - Hypnotic	1
92	64	Ty Segall - Tall Man Skinny Lady	14
93	72	Imagine Dragons - I Bet My Life	11
94	101	The New Basement Tapes - Kansas City	1
95	---	Madonna - Living For Love	1
96	---	Vance Joy - Mess Is Mine	1
97	---	Matt & Kim - Get It	1
98	67	White Fence - Like That	17
99	88	Julian Casablancas & the Voidz - Where No Eagles Fly	9
100	100	Andrew McMahon In the Wilderness - Cecilia & the Satellite	6