Thursday, May 25, 2017

Let's Not Lose the Forest for the Trees (SNS week of 5/14 and 5/21/2017)

As I had mentioned a couple months ago, I had retired the "blog" portion of my weekly SNS 100 as it was too time consuming; but whenever an important issue involving music comes up, that I would be, from time to time, putting out a blog that I feel is important.     Such is the case right now.

I have never been one to place politics on my blog, in spite of many of today's artists making a stand one way or another, and I will not attempt to do that here, either.    But, as you all very well know, we have encountered again what appears to be an act of terrorism, when, at the end of an Ariana Grande, Manchester, England, UK concert, a bomb went off, killing 22 people and injuring 59.  It was the deadliest attack in that country since 2005, which had also seen terrorism take place in London since then as well.    It is just the latest of many attacks on various places around the world in the last few years.   The bomber has been identified, whose name will not be mentioned here.   While it hasn't been official confirmed that the person in question is a member of the extreme group ISIS, all signs seem to point in that direction.

While, of course, this is just one of the latest of tragic events that have taken place not just over in Europe, but here in the States, some people have made an issue over Grande's stances herself.    That stems from her words a couple years back about her "hating America" and licking donuts in a donut shop.    Those actions had led me to ban her music from my blog at the time.   Her song "Love Me Harder" had peaked on my playlist at #7 in early 2015, but, after the follow up, the aptly-titled "One Last Time" peaked at #81, I have not added any more Ariana songs since that time.

To be honest, I do think she has talent.    I had thought about breaking down and adding some of the songs from her most recent album Dangerous Woman.    Of course, my blog is more geared to alternative rock, there are many pop artists that have appeared here, and to be honest, she is one of the better ones.

But I understand the politics involved.    The problem I have is that people seem to revel in the fact that the tragedy that happened seemed "second-rate" to what she had stood for, and probably to the fact that they are lumping in Grande with today's pop music, a genre that, to be honest, leaves a lot to be desired.     People hate her because she is a current pop artist and they seem to direct their hate at her rather than the issue of terrorism that looms as at threat to our freedom around the world.     So, does their put-down of Grande mean they supported this attack?    If this happened to, say Justin Bieber, would people start to sign-up to join ISIS or whatever terrorist group claimed responsibility for this?    On the other hand, if this happened after, say,  a Rolling Stones or Paul McCartney concert, would people be more concerned at this extreme "fundamentalism" that has been rampant around the world?    

Say what you will about the political beliefs, mostly liberal, of not just current stars, but established ones such like Cher, Madonna, Green Day and Bruce Springsteen.    But also, acknowledge that terrorism around the world is a bigger threat than ever.   And it doesn't matter if the current President is "yours" or not.  Or do we need another 9/11 to bring home that point?   Because today it might just be an Ariana Grande concert.    Tomorrow, it might be any concert, motion picture or other forms of entertainment as we know it.  Wake up, everyone.


MALIBU MILEY:   And, while I am on the subject of pop stars, there's Miley Cyrus.    Once again, she is very vocal about her politics, being one of those who threatened to "leave the country" if the current President got elected.   Of course, she didn't go anywhere.     Cyrus, along with Bieber, seems to be the poster child for what is wrong with popular music nowadays.    And much of it is deserved, although you need to admit that she, as most stars do, reinvented herself.      She went from the innocence of the "Hanna Montana" era to the suggestive, steamy, twerking of the Wrecking Ball years.    And, when she announced she was putting out a new song, I thought to myself, "who cares?".

Her new song, "Malibu" was performed on the Billboard Music Awards which aired on May 21, which I had no intention on watching.     However, I did watch the season finale of The Voice on Tuesday, May 23, in which she again performed the song, and dedicated it to Grande and to the victims of the Manchester tragedy.   

The question I posed to myself is, if this is an artist that you don't like or care for, and they come out with a song that blows you away, is it okay to jump aboard and support it?    I ask this because, to be honest, "Malibu" just hit me hard when I saw the performance.    I absolutely love this song.   It's soulful, it's tearful.  I might have said a few years ago that Cyrus had talent but, like Lady Gaga, she rarely utilized it.   Well, we know what Gaga has done the last few years or so, but perhaps if this is Cyrus' new direction, I like it.     I add the song at #48 this week, one behind the Top Debut.     It's the fourth song of hers to make my list.     "Party In the USA" was on my first blog list back into 2010, and remains her highest peak at #41, which she no doubt will break next week.    In her "twerking" era, "Wrecking Ball" reached #49, while "We Can't Stop" from that album landed at #89.  


KICKS, ROUND III: Foster the People has been one of my favorite acts of the 2010's and the blog era.    Their big pop hit "Pumped Up Kicks" was my #2 song of 2011, from their debut Torches; they followed that up with two other SNS top 20 songs from that debut.     Their second album Supermodel, while less successful in the pop world, spawned two SNS #1 songs, "Best Friend" and "Coming of Age", the latter of which was my #1 song in 2014, and the #2 "Are You What You Want to Be".     

The band, however, was on record saying that their third album, perhaps trying to sell-out and pander to the pop world, would be more "hip-hop", and after listening to the lead single, the aptly-titled "Doing It For the Money", seemed to confirm that.    It's an okay song, though and I will eventually add it.  However, another of the three advanced tracks from the new album, "SHC" is the FTP of old, and with their success on my blog in the past and thirty for some of their new stuff, I immediately make it my Top Debut, at #47.   


R.I.P.:  We lost another key musician at such a young age.  Chris Cornell, of the grunge-era Soundgarden, as well as part of the supergroup Audioslave (with members of Rage Against the Machine), was found dead, apparently by suicide (hanging), at the age of 52.   He was also the front man for the important Seattle group Temple of the Dog which teamed him with several members that would become Pearl Jam.  He had just finished a concert with Soundgarden at the Fox Theater  in Detroit.   His most well known songs include "Black Hole Sun", "Spoonman", "Burden in My Hand", and, as a solo artist, "Can't Change Me".  

Finally, congratulations to The Voice winner Chris Blue.   Actually, all four finalists put out some good music as their coronation singles, but my favorite is Aliyah Moulding, and I may add her single soon.  Watch out for this 15-year old talent.



Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100

May 14 & 21, 2017


This Week Last Week ARTIST-Title Weeks on List
1 2 NUMBER ONE:

"Push Off"
(Single Only)
12
2 1 Fitz and the Tantrums - Get Right Back 9
3 8 Keith Urban f. Carrie Underwood - The Fighter 12
4 9 DMA's "Timeless 10
5 11 Phoebe Ryan - Dark Side 9
6 5 Christina Taylor - Don't Look Good in Your T-Shirt Anymore 12
7 3 Cage the Elephant - Cold Cold Cold 11
8 4 Lolo - Not Gonna Let You Walk Away 11
9 6 Ed Sheeran - Shape of You 13
10 7 Tennis - Ladies Don't Play Guitar 11
11 13 Cold War Kids - Love Is Mystical 8
12 10 Electric Guest - Back For Me 10
13 16 Thomas Rhett - Star of the Show 6
14 19 LP - Lost on You 7
15 18 Kings of Leon - Reverend 6
16 12 Coin - I Don't Wanna Dance 11
17 20 Fleet Foxes - Third of May /Odargahara 8
18 21 MOVER OF THE WEEK:


"Fiend"
Album: Terraform
7
19 14 The Hounds of Winter - Lesson Learned 12
20 22 Train- Play That Song 11




21 17 The Knocks and Matthew Koma - I Wish (My Taylor Swift) 20
22 15 Foxygen - Follow the Leader 13
23 26 Lana Del Rey - Love 5
24 32 The Hounds of Winter - I Get You 4
25 30 The Big Takeover - Love Understands 5
26 39 MOVER OF THE WEEK


"Soulfire"
Album: Soulfire
3
27 24 Royal Bangs - Octagon 9
28 28 Silversun Pickups - Latchkey Kids 9
29 23 The Heydaze - Hurt Like Hell 13
30 25 Phantogram - Same Old Blues 12
31 29 The Regrettes - Hey Now 9
32 43 K.Flay - High Enough 8
33 35 Milky Chance - Cocoon 15
34 27 Santana - Fillmore East 12
35 34 Michael Kiwanuka - One More Night 29
36 42 Twenty-One Pilots - HeavyDirtySoul 6
37 31 Rihanna - Love On the Brain 16
38 38 Night Riots - Breaking Free 13
39 45 Parquet Courts - Human Performance 10
40 37 CRX - Ways to Fake It 13
41 49 Circa Waves - Fire That Burns 6
42 47 The Chainsmokers - Paris 5
43 46 Portugal. The Man - Feel It Still 8
44 36 Capital Cities - Vowels 21
45 52 Depeche Mode - Where's the Revolution 4
46  --- TOP DEBUT:


"SHC"
Album: III
1
47  --- Miley Cyrus - Malibu 1
48 33 Billy Spanton Band - Faith (Hands on Me) 13
49 51 Justin Timberlake - Can't Stop the Feeling 7
50 57 Middle Kids - Edge of Town 7
51 41 Miike Snow - The Heart of Me 9
52 44 Phoebe Ryan - Boyz n Poizn 19
53 40 Kaleo - All The Pretty Girls 17
54 63 Lauren Alaina - Road Less Traveled 4
55 60 Calvin Harris f Frank Ocean and Migos - Slide 4
56 64 Spoon - Hot Thoughts 3
57 48 The Doughboys - Yo Yo 12
58 58 The Orwells - They Put a Body In the Bayou 7
59 62 Zac Brown Band - My Old Man 9
60 59 Waters - Hiccups 5
61 50 The Shins -Name For You 13
62 53 Wild Belle - Our Love Will Survive 23
63 70 Ed Sheeran - Castle on the Hill 2
64  --- Alison Iraheta and Halo Circus - Band-Aid 1
65 56 Jake Owen - If He Ain't Gonna Love You 25
66 65 Future Islands - Ran 8
67 55 Rag n Bone Man - Human 13
68 67 Bruno Mars - That's What I Like 4
69 75 The Lumineers - Angela 3
70 54 Blondie - Fun 10
71 85 Weezer - Feels Like Summer 2
72 82 Father John Misty - Ballad of the Dying Man 3
73 83 Imagine Dragons - Believer 3
74 84 Deap Vally - Smile More 2
75 74 The Chainsmokers and Coldplay - Something Just Like This 4
76 87 The Greeting Committee - She's A Gun 2
77  --- Saint Motel - Born Again 1
78 80 Michael Kiwanunka - Cold Little Heart 2
79 89 The Head and the Heart - Rhythm and Blues 3
80 79 Meghan Trainer - I'm a Lady 4
81 92 Alt-J - In Cold Blood 2
82 66 Anderson Paak - Come Down 11
83 88 Hippo Campus - Western Kids  3
84  --- The Kooks - Be Who You Are 1
85 86 Kjband - What Dreams 5
86  --- Gorillaz - We Got the Power 1
87 61 Michael Kiwanuka - Love and Hate 13
88 71 Band of Horses - In a Drawer 7
89 77 Fitz and the Tantrums - Roll Up 22
90 68 Jeff the Brotherhood - Punishment 26
91 94 The Knocks f. Phoebe Ryan - Purple Eyes 15
92  --- Pop Etc - Routine 1
93 81 Day Wave  - Something Here 8
94  --- Harry Styles - Sign of the Times 1
95 72 Dropkick Murphys - You'l Never Walk Alone 10
96 73 Arcade Fire - I Gave You Power 7
97  --- Oh Wonder - Ultralife 1
98 69 Saint Motel - Move 14
99 76 Bishop Briggs - Wild Horses 15
100 93 Old 97's - Good With God 10


 
 

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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