Well, let me just start off by saying that a few years ago--heck, a month or so ago---I'd never thought I would see the artist to hits the top spot this week. "Malibu", by Miley Cyrus takes a big jump from #9 to #1 ---in only its fourth week, no less-- on the SNS 100. The song, a big departure from the singer whose "over the top" persona dominated the music world and tabloids just a few years back, had captured me in a way few songs have recently.
"Malibu" displaces a duo of other well-known artists: Country superstars Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood's "The Fighter", which drops to #3 this week. At #2 is "SHC", the latest from Foster The People's third effort, which was racing "Malibu" up the list, and was ahead until this week.
What propelled "Malibu" ahead of "SHC" was pretty simple. My blog takes into account, aside from my personal tastes, the environment around it. Cyrus, of course, had performed this song several times in recent weeks on television awards and competition shows, and the record made a brief appearance in Billboard's Hot 100 top ten (mostly due to sales), before slipping. It should be interesting how top 40 radio ultimately reacts to the song, given the song is a bit different from the current styles on the pop chart.
What clinched the song, however, was during a geocaching (my other love aside from music) day in Jersey City with my caching buddy Lynzie Northrup. The 33-year-old brought her smartphone which played alternative music, much of it familiar and on my playlist chart. And although "Malibu" wasn't on it, during our journey, up the Hudson River Walkway, we passed a beer garden, which piped in the songs of the day. An unfamiliar hip hop song was playing, but after that, came "Malibu". It was playing as we found a geocache. As it was a beautiful sunny day, just hearing that song somewhere other than my iPod was a treat. It's been a few years since I've heard favorite songs at public places that would contribute to the experience. Finally, the big jump from 9 to 1 might be the biggest vault to the top in SNS history.
The top six songs are very bunched up together. As mentioned earlier, Foster the People's "SHC" also leaps from 8 to 2. The band has three SNS #1's, including their worldwide hit "Pumped up Kicks" (my year-end #2 in 2011), "Coming of Age" ( my #1 song for 2015), and "Best Friend". However, the song hasn't gotten buzz outside of my blog; in fact, it's not even the first official single from their album III. That would be "Doing It For the Money", which is more hip-hop oriented and is at #17 on the Alternative chart from Billboard. Both songs came out in advance of their album, due this month. I will eventually add the single, but "SHC", also on the Rock Songs chart at #50 is the FTP that I know and love.
"The Fighter", in spite of many friends liking the song, did drop in points slightly to land at #3. The song got a post from Roselle Park friend Ann Nutt Aguilar. It is still strong, and will probably stay in the top 20 for awhile, although due to new songs rising, will probably drop a few notches. LP and Thomas Rhett hold steady in the top five.
Aside from Miley and Foster the People, the other big mover is "It's Time" by Nick Waterhouse, which moves from 25-6. This retro-sounding tune has gotten also much play on my iPod, and I did hear it piped in at Applebees when we were there a few weeks ago. But, unlike the other two songs, this has been out since December of 2016, and has not charted, unlike "SHC" and "Malibu", which may block its chances at the top. Also, I had gotten only one "like" when I posted the song last week. But regardless, expect to see a top 3 that will most likely be constant for the next month or so.
As I mentioned earlier, on Saturday, we had walked along the Hudson River Walkway in Jersey City, with a nice view of Manhattan. My friend Lynzie had her music going. She indicated this is a generated playlist based on songs that she likes. It's nice to have another fan of alternative rock, and many of the songs I was familiar with, and were the first time I've heard them aside from my ITunes and IPod. Many of the songs on my SNS 100, which had been heading down the list, have stabilized or even moved up a few notches. Former number 1 "Get Right Back" by Fitz and the Tantrums, gains a few points back, although it slips another notch to #7 as the three big movers above pass by it. Other songs heard include Coin's "I Don't Wanna Dance", a former top 10, moving back up 30 to 27, and "Cold Cold Cold" by Cage the Elephant which holds at #18 and gains a couple of fave points back. Songs that haven't charted but heard and impressed include "Feels So Right" by the Griswolds, "Walking In My Sleep" by Andrew McMahon & the Wilderness, and "Sweet Talk" by Saint Motel, which I will add in subsequent weeks.
Elsewhere, The Hounds of Winter notch their fourth straight top 10 as "I Get You" rises 13-10, and Silversun Pickups and K.Flay enter the top 20.
EN GUARD: The Top Debut this week is by Øffguard, a five-piece band from Long Island, with "Maybe". The band includes, as its lead singer, Matt Weiss, the son of my friend Annette Weiss; he had an SNS #6 hit in 2015 with "Black Magic" and have been anxious to see what he can come up with next. The answer finally came with this group outing. Weiss, who had been compared to male pop singers like Shawn Mendes, is now part of this group, which I thought would be some sort of "boy band", a la One Direction, for example. Until I listened to the song. This is rock, without a doubt. And although that might jeopardize its chances at stardom, I can see this getting some rock airplay. There is a burgeoning scene in Brooklyn; perhaps the band can get some gigs there. Nevertheless, this is a song to get into, say, driving in your car.
The remaining debuts are by established bands either on SNS or otherwise. Phoenix, from France, has their first single in a few years, with "J-Boy". "Used to be Cool" hit the top spot in 2013. The venerable Red Hot Chili Peppers release their third single from The Getaway, "Goodbye Angels". The first single, "Dark Necessities", topped my chart late last year. Courtney Barnett hit #1 with "Dead Fox" in 2015, and she comes back with her fifth entry onto SNS, 'How to Boil an Egg". 311 has been around since the early 1990's with ska beginnings, and their latest entry is "Too Much to Think". In the SNS era, their best showing was in 2011, when "Sunset in July " reached #74. And recent successes debuting include Matthew Koma, coming off an SNS top 10 with the Knocks, with a solo entry, the hip-hoppish "Hard to Love", and Glass Animals, "Agnes". That band's best showing so far is 2016's "Life Itself", reaching #34.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100
June 11, 2017
| This Week | Last Week | ARTIST-Title | Weeks on List |
| 1 | 9 | NUMBER ONE:
"Malibu"
(Single Only)
|
4 |
| 2 | 8 | Foster the People - SHC | 4 |
| 3 | 1 | Keith Urban f. Carrie Underwood - The Fighter● | 15 |
| 4 | 4 | LP - Lost on You | 10 |
| 5 | 5 | Thomas Rhett - Star of the Show | 9 |
| 6 | 25 | TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
"It's
Time"
Album: Never Twice
|
3 |
| 7 | 6 | Fitz and the Tantrums - Get Right Back● | 12 |
| 8 | 2 | The Palms - Push Off● | 15 |
| 9 | 7 | Kings of Leon - Reverend | 9 |
| 10 | 13 | The Hounds of Winter - I Get You | 7 |
| 11 | 12 | Fleet Foxes - Third of May /Odargahara | 11 |
| 12 | 14 | The Big Takeover - Love Understands | 8 |
| 13 | 15 | Little Steven - Soulfire | 6 |
| 14 | 3 | DMA's- Timeless● | 13 |
| 15 | 10 | Phoebe Ryan - Dark Side | 12 |
| 16 | 11 | Cold War Kids - Love Is Mystical | 11 |
| 17 | 17 | Christina Taylor - Don't Look Good in Your T-Shirt Anymore● | 15 |
| 18 | 18 | Cage the Elephant - Cold Cold Cold● | 14 |
| 19 | 21 | Silversun Pickups - Latchkey Kids | 12 |
| 20 | 24 | K.Flay - High Enough | 11 |
|
|
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.
The “Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100” is a list
of current and recent song playlist which I am listening to.
