I had wanted to put out two blogs a few days apart, but one problem with that. The first one was to be dated after the Super Bowl, which would have been fine, until this week, when the second one had to follow the Grammys, rendering the first one outdated. So, I just figured, why don't I talk about both of them this time around?
And hence that brings us to the title of this week's blog. It seems the good lady, Stefani Germanotta, known to us as Lady Gaga is making headlines every which way. When we last left Gaga, she was taking some time off her pop career which was a bit on the wane anyway, and exploring other avenues of entertainment, music and otherwise. She put on that acclaimed album with crooning legend Tony Bennett, got kudos for her renditions of a medley from The Sound of Music at the Academy Awards two years ago, and also did a nice job with the National Anthem at last year's Super Bowl 50. She also had a foray into acting.
Last year, she released a stand-alone single, "Til It Happens to You", a song about date rape. Naturally, top 40 radio didn't play it, and it peaked only at #95 on Billboard's Hot 100, proof of both that radio formats reluctance to play anything song of substance, but also perhaps that radio determined that Gaga was passé. And indeed, five consecutive singles missed the top 10, including the first single from her latest album Joanne (named after her middle name). "Perfect Illusion" reached #15 on Billboard, and #39 here on SNS (now at #89).
A while back, it was announced that Lady Gaga would perform the halftime show at the Super Bowl, and of course, many people were curious on what she'd actually do, given the changes in career direction. Then, of course, in the wake of the controversial election results and with Donald Trump becoming president, triggering political speeches amongst the award shows and any other national gathering, it appeared that Gaga was going to give her say in the matter during the show. Of course, depending on what side you are on, you were either going to like it, or dread it really bad. It was either "you go, girl!" or "you're washed up, thus you're desperate".
And for me, the focus was on the game, which at the time was a romp for the Denver Broncos over the New England Patriots, leading 21-3 at halftime. Then it was Gaga taking the stage, doing the things that she is noted for. Well, the politics never came, she just performed and sang her heart out, something not easy to do in a huge stadium like that. Gaga, always an activist as it is, didn't need a speech, as much of her music, including her big hit "Born This Way", and others, spoke volumes. This is what I had indicated in a prior blog, that the message is in the music, a throwback to the protest song greats like Seeger and Dylan. Gaga once again defied the doubters and put on a great show, without any other supporting artists (such as with Beyoncé and Bruno Mars helping out Coldplay last year. Oh, and the Patriots, led by Tom Brady made an astonishing comeback to win the game in overtime, 34-28.
Then there were the Grammy Awards this past Sunday. Again, I wasn't going to watch them for a few reasons: The season thus far has used these shows for their own political agenda, as opposed to their purpose to being entertainers: You're either preaching to the choir or just going to make people mad. And then they decided to put Adele on to kick off the show. Damn!!! Although I have pretty much left Adele alone now that she's considered mainstream (and thus susceptible to criticism), she still has that powerful voice that led me to become a fan in 2008 (and winning the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2009). Her mega-hit "Hello" led off the show, and then came back later for a tribute to George Michael that at one point, appeared doomed when she had to restart the song, but she did it in such a professional manner. Compare that to Mariah Carey on New Year's Even and you can see the difference. I am still an Adele fan, although not at much as when 19 or 21 came out, and there was even a Facebook post from a friend that night which created a difference of opinion. But talent is talent, Adele is down to earth, and with her latest single "Water Under the Bridge", which climbs 27-22 this week on my list, about to become her 12th consecutive top 20, she is still on my radar, and she still seems "real". Go Adele! Oh and may I add that she swept the major awards this year: Song, Record and Album of the Year. As the awards, for the most part was devoid of "statements" I watched it until I had to leave for my overnight hotel job.
Bruno Mars was awesome in his Prince tribute, and Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood, in my opinion did a good job performing their latest single, "The Fighter" that I added the song this week; it debuts at #84. And that brings us back to Lady Gaga, in an improbable pairing with Metallica, performing "Moth Into Flame", complete with pyrotechnics. Although the microphone was not working during the early part of the performance with the glitch in James Heltfield's mic, the show went on and Gaga proved once again that she could sing anything. Anyone who can perform both with crooning legend Tony Bennett and with metal masters Metallica, has to be something special. And no, I didn't forget Beyoncé's performance, and some thought she should have taken home some major awards.
I have all the respect for Lady Gaga in the world and I will in the next week or two, add her latest single "Million Reasons", which incidentally returned her to the top 10 on the Hot 100, currently sitting at #4.
WHAT'S NEW: A myriad of new music added this week, nine altogether, as old stuff from last year quickly drops off the chart to make room for new, fresh offerings. While sifting through what to add, however, there has been a void of finding that song that just "rises about the others", and I finally came cross one: The Palms, which debut with "Push Off". I don't know much about this band, but upon listening to this, I was blown away. A nice, melodic, soulful, bluesy, almost acoustic journey. This should be a winner on SNS and a rapid riser. It leads off at #56.
I saw that on Tom Corea's page, he was posting about the new single from his studio outfit The Hounds of Winter. Naturally, I was excited, as it would have been the follow-up to their #1 "Oh Paige". Turns out that the announced single "I Get You", to be released on Valentine's Day, wasn't the follow-up to "Oh Paige", but another song, apparently released last year, called "Lesson Learned". I was still having loads of listens to "Oh Paige" that "Lesson Learned" just snuck up on me. So, what to do? What to add? This has happened before with local artists; last year, Paul Czekaj released "That Old New Jersey" just as "Up in the Sky" was added to my blog list, and the same with "A Place I Once Called Home". It just happened again with Us Commoners, who didn't have a download available for "A Long Road Back Around", and thus had to move onto "Fallin'". But the Commoners just released "Earth's Better", again without a download, thus "A Long Road" got the nod.
The decision was made to go with "Lesson Learned" first, and then perhaps a few weeks later, jump on "I Get You". "Learned", takes a more raw-but-controlled rock approach, in contrast to the poppy "Paige" and their earlier "Amy's World". A reminder that Corea plays in the rock cover bar band Bad Attitude. The song enters at #56.
Another exciting up-and-coming artist is the new one from Christina Taylor, "Don't Look Good in Your T-Shirt Anymore". The Charlotte-based country songstress, introduced by my friend Mary Anne Reed Nolan, who previously went by Taylor Centers, is pulling out all the stops, and she is getting some local, possibly national buzz with the launch of the single (with video) and her upcoming EP, That Girl, a title similar to her New Jersey-based counterpart Rachel Allyn's current EP, Next Year's Girl. The song is a cool, country romp and it feeling like Taylor has been at this forever. In an interview that she had posted on her Facebook page, it stated that she had been performing since age 12 and when she took it seriously, was exploring many genres before feeling at home with country. This is Taylor's fourth entry onto SNS; she debuted in 2013 when the pop-oriented "Alibi" peaked at #22 at the end of that year. No local up-and-comer has made a major Billboard chart at a lead artist; Taylor has a shot at being the first.
Speaking of 2013, that is when this song, a remake of The Osmonds' top 3 song in the fall of 1971 was recorded. "Yo Yo" came from the Union County New Jersey-based The Doughboys' third album since their reunion (remembering that they were a sixties band originally), Shakin' Our Souls. "For Your Love" reached the top 20 on SNS, and since they performed this gem at last summers WNTI Stage, it's worthy of an add.
Other adds include Phantogram's "Same Old Blues', their best since 2014's "Fall In Love"; and I pluck another song out of Santana IV to follow that classic line-up of that band's #1 "Blues Magic". An almost eight-minute jam called "Fillmore East" as the type of bluesy jam number you might expect to their at an outdoor rock festival or even on a camping trip.
Icelandic band Kaleo had my #1 song of 2016 with "Way Down We Go", and it was decided to go with "All The Pretty Girls" as the follow-up. "Girls" was originally the lead single released in 2015 and it only hit #94 on my blog list then. Hearing again, thought sounds more inspired, after having listened to "Way Down". As a result, I am re-adding the song which already exceeds the original peak, coming in at #75. Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood's "The Fighter" as mentioned above, debuts, as does pop singer Alessia Cara and two re-entries at the bottom of the list, including The Weeknd's song with Daft Punk, "Starboy", as performed on the Grammys.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100
February 5 &
12, 2017
| This Week | Last Week | ARTIST-Title | Weeks on List |
| 1 | 1 | NUMBER ONE:
"Our Love Will
Survive"
Album: Dreamland
(2 weeks at #1)
|
12 |
| 2 | 3 | Jake Owen - If He Ain't Gonna Love You | 14 |
| 3 | 7 | Rihanna - Love On the Brain | 5 |
| 4 | 5 | Capital Cities - Vowels | 10 |
| 5 | 9 | Phoebe Ryan - Boyz n Poizn | 8 |
| 6 | 4 | Maybird - Turning Into Water | 13 |
| 7 | 2 | Sam Roberts Band - If You Want It | 12 |
| 8 | 17 | Jim James- Same Old Lie | 7 |
| 9 | 11 | Michael Kiwanuka - One More Night | 18 |
| 10 | 12 | Calvin Harris - My Way | 10 |
| 11 | 6 | Fitz and the Tantrums - Roll Up | 11 |
| 12 | 10 | Kings of Leon - Waste A Moment | 13 |
| 13 | 8 | Colony House - You and I | 13 |
| 14 | 16 | The Chainsmokers f. Phoebe Ryan - All We Know | 11 |
| 15 | 22 | TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
"I Wish (My Taylor Swift)"
Album: 55
|
9 |
| 16 | 15 | Paul Czekaj - A Place I Once Called Home | 17 |
| 17 | 14 | Kjband - Waves | 13 |
| 18 | 13 | Miike Snow - My Trigger | 12 |
| 19 | 20 | Deerhunter - Snakeskin | 19 |
| 20 | 19 | KT Tunstall - Evil Eye | 12 |
|
|
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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