PURPLE PASSAGES: I have some final thoughts on the passing of pop icon Prince. It's great to see so many posts on social media remembering the pop-funk-rock wizard, as well as a Sirius XM channel being completely devoted to his music. Many of his songs have been going through my head all week, as you may have suspected. And although I wasn't a big Prince fanatic (only five of his songs landed in my year-end top 100 lists), he was definitely the soundtrack to that era and many of his songs have grown on me over the years. For the record, here are the five Prince songs that made my year-end list:
"When Doves Cry", 1984, #21
"Let's Go Crazy", 1984, #83
"Raspberry Beret", 1985, #15
"I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man", 1987, #90
"Batdance", 1989, #69
Of course I claim several others as faves, including "1999", "Cream", "Hot Thing", "Money Doesn't Matter 2 Night", and so many more, the list goes on.
One correction from my blog last week: I had erroneously listed Mary Jane Girls as one of the Purple One's protégés. That female trio actually was under the auspices of another legendary funkster, Rick James, who also left us far too soon, ten years ago. I know there's going to be a helluva funk jam in heaven right about now.
MAKE THAT EIGHT: Fitz and the Tantrums garner their eighth #1 on my blog as "HandClap" ascends to the top spot, knocking out Foals' "Give It All" which is still gaining in Sirius XM's Alt Nation "alt-18" list. Also on that list is "HandClap", as it extends my blog record for most #1 songs. It is the lead single from their forthcoming third, self-titled album, due in June. Fitz & the Tantrums first made an impact here in December 2010 when "MoneyGrabber" ascended to the top. That song was from their debut Picking Up the Pieces; the title track also hit the top spot. Then came More Than Just a Dream, which sprouted five more blog chart-toppers, including "Last Raindrop" which is still on my list at #76. "HandClap" is moving up Billboard's Alternative and Rock charts; the song is in the top 20 on both. However, it has not yet made the Triple-A charts and is notably missing on Albany/Manchester VT alt-rock station WEQX. Granted, the song is a departure from their usual material, and could be view as a blatant attempt to breakthrough to the pop world, although it hasn't yet made the Hot 100 either. It's probably a make-or-break situation for the band, which will be going on tour shortly. I still like the song a lot, however, but it should be interesting regarding staying power.
It's a very competitive top 10 this week as positions 3 through 9 bullet, and at #10 fledging country artist Taylor Centers grabs her first SNS top ten hit with "Dodged Your Bullet". The singer/songwriter from Charlotte, NC recently won the Carolina Country Music Festival, as well as a competition on local radio station 96.9 The Kat's "Battle of the Beach" contest as well. She'll be opening up for Keith Urban on an upcoming gig as well. Congratulations on the big step forward, Taylor!
Declan McKenna has the highest entry into the top 20 with "Brazil", and Mike Posner garners his third SNS top 20 hit, "I Took a Pill in Ibiza". He was one of the first pop artists to make my list, back in 2010 with "Cooler That Me" which made #5, and was followed by "Please Don't Go" which rose to #17. This is his first release since then. "I Took A Pill...." is his biggest Billboard pop hit, as it is residing in the top five; "Cooler Than Me" reached number six on the Hot 100 back in 2010.
AMAZING RACHEL: While Taylor Centers made a big step forward recently, so has her New Jersey counterpart, Rachel Allyn. The title track from her new EP, Next Year's Girl, which, like Centers, was funded via Kickstarter, was last week's Top Debut and advances to #37 this week. A couple weeks back, Rachel was interviewed and performed in studio at New York's country outlet, NASH-FM, 94.7. Like Centers, she has won local competitions and has opened up for many name country artists. She's also performed on local college radio station WNTI, here in Hackettstown. She has had many close brushes with a breakthrough to stardom but somehow it still has eluded her. Her EP has many gems on it, and like her previous album Do It Yourself which had a cover of The Beatles' "Dear Prudence", Next Year's Girl does the same for Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth". Let's hope there will be some key gigs for her and this will be the set that gets her more recognition...a status she deserved years ago.
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY: Some good new debuts this week, led by the newest from Young the Giant, "Amerika". The Irvine, CA band are no strangers to the blog, having garnered three top 20's, including the #1 "It's About Time". "Amerika" is from their new fourth album Home of the Strange, due in August. "Amerika" is pretty much what you'd expect from them, and that's a good thing. A more dreamy-pop side to the indie band, love the underlying keyboard and bass work on this. A winner.
The third release from Nataniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats debut, "I Need Never Get Old" is, like its predecessor, the top 20 "Look It Here", a throwback to the old Southside Johnny shore sound, this time a bit more up-tempo and captures the bar-band spirit of that classic Jersey band. A band that is so much more than "S.O.B.".
RADIO NO-GAGA: So you thought Lady Gaga was taking a break from recording? Actually not, as her latest single "Till It Happens to You" enters my list at #92. It is as of right now, a stand-alone single. As you may have suspected from her recent performances on awards shows, this is a departure from her usual dance-pop stuff. This is a ballad complete with strings. I'm not sure if she's trying to be Adele, probably not as the production is more dramatic and not sparse like Adele's latest recordings. And although it's climbing the Adult Top 40 charts, regular top 40 stations have ignored it; it peaked only at #95 on the Hot 100, suggesting that that format has moved on from the pop diva sound of the past ten years; P!nk's most recent single "Today's The Day" (which also serves as the theme for Ellen DeGeneres' talk show), didn't chart at all. As for Gaga, I don't think her vocal is top-notch, still, this is a decent song, and I'll hold onto it for several weeks, at least.
THE LAST IDOL: A couple blogs back, I mentioned that American Idol wrapped up its final season, and I had watched it for the first time in several years as the episode looked back on key moments during its fifteen seasons and remembering all the superstars it has created. It was pretty much a footnote who actually won this year, as the last three idols basically went nowhere. But there had to be a winner, and Trent Harmon was it. His coronation song was "Falling" and I was just about getting ready to dismiss it---until I saw his performance. And all I could say is "wow". Something I didn't expect at all. An awesome blues masterpiece that was co-written by judge Keith Urban. This grabs hold of you and doesn't let go. It probably won't be a big hit, because of the resistance lately to Idol winners, not to mention that the song style doesn't fit the top 40 image. But it would be nice if Triple-A take a chance on this song, like it did when season 11 winner Phillip Phillips' "Home" was released. It's my first add by a Idol winner since Candace Glover's "I Am Beautiful' peaked at #29 on SNS after season 12. Harmon joins Kelly Clarkson and Allison Iraheta (with her band Halo Circus) as Idol alums on my list this week.
Finally, I also add two country songs, Sam Hunt's "Make You Miss Me", and Charles Kelley's "Lonely Girl", which he debuted at the recent ACM awards. Kelley is a member of Lady Antebellum whose "Dancing With My Heart" made my top 10 in 2012. "Lonely Girl" is from his debut solo album The Driver.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100
April 24,
2016
| This Week | Last Week | ARTIST-Title | Weeks on List |
| 1 | 2 | NUMBER ONE:
"HandClap"
Album: Fitz & the Tantrums
|
4 |
| 2 | 1 | Foals - Give It All | 11 |
| 3 | 4 | Run River North - Run or Hide | 9 |
| 4 | 5 | Half Moon Run - Turn Your Love | 19 |
| 5 | 6 | Avid Dancer - I Feel It | 11 |
| 6 | 8 | Smash Palace - My Mistake | 6 |
| 7 | 10 | Kaleo - Way Down We Go | 8 |
| 8 | 9 | The Parlor - The Surgeon's Knife | 7 |
| 9 | 3 | DNCE - Cake By the Ocean | 12 |
| 10 | 12 | Taylor Centers - Dodged Your Bullet | 12 |
| 11 | 19 | Santana - Anywhere You Want to Go | 5 |
| 12 | 17 | Golden Void - The Beacon | 9 |
| 13 | 7 | Beach House - Space Song | 12 |
| 14 | 22 | TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
"Brazil"
(Single Only)
|
8 |
| 15 | 21 | Ray Lamontagne - Hey No Pressure | 7 |
| 16 | 27 | Best Coast - In My Eyes | 4 |
| 17 | 11 | Elle King - Under the Influence | 13 |
| 18 | 23 | Mike Posner - I Took a Pill in Ibiza | 10 |
| 19 | 13 | Adele - When We Were Young | 13 |
| 20 | 15 | City and Colour - Lover Come Back | 17 |
|
|
Songs
with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week.
● Songs
with 25 or more plays on my iPod.
▲ Songs with 50 or more plays on my iPod.
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