As you may know, radio has really turned a blind eye towards anything remotely rock, but thank goodness there is the Alternative and Triple-A ("Adult Album Alternative") formats to check on. Alt 92.3 in New York debuted a few months ago, to go along with more progressive WFUV and Woodstock's WDST. And, of course, there's still WEQX in Albany, a commercial, yes still independent (as they've been touting lately), with a nice long playlist of new music. There is of course, the Sirius XM "Alt-Nation" as well. Unfortunately, that channel's "Alt-18" which I rely on for new music, at the beginning of 2018 became "Alt-8". Furthermore, to get to see the playlist you have to subscribe to the "Unofficial Alt 8" website and pay a fee. Sorry, but I shell out a hundred bucks to get Sirius XM as it is; I'm not going to pay to see a list of eight songs, and sadly, a list of "new music". Yes, it's only $5 but it's the principle of it all. (Okay, if I get back into the blog again, I'll breakdown and splurge!)
JAMMING ON TOP: Given what I mentioned above, it's ironic that there is a big jam at the top of the SNS 100 this week, essentially refreshing the upper part of my playlist. That's because a few weeks back, I was into a lot of listening and some new stuff seeped thru, and now it's paying dividends. The entire top 10, for example has been on my playlist eleven chart weeks or less, with the top 7 on seven weeks or less. Let's review those fast-moving songs which have piled up atop my list this week:
Taking the top spot with a move from 6-1 is James Bay's "Pink Lemonade". The English-born artist has some nice guitar work and soulful delivery in this, from his second album Electric Light. At the number two position is Nick Waterhouse's "Straight Love Affair", the third featured track from his album, 2016's Never Twice. As far as I know, the album never got airplay, I had heard his song "It's Time" over the speaks at Applebee's, and loved it. It became my song of the summer in 2017 and have been exploring the album further. "I Need Your Love" by Curtis Harding moves from 8 to 3 and reminds me a bit of Leon Bridges and Michael Kiwanuka, and yes, Waterhouse, St. Paul & the Broken Bones, and Mayer Hawthorne. Soulful music is becoming a lost art, and I am glad to see artists like these put our music and not sell out to the masses, like Adele and Fitz & the Tantrums seem to be doing.
In the fourth position is Neko Case's "Bad Luck". After a slow start, alternative radio seems to be jumping on board. It moves from 10 to 4 and is her highest charting song on my blog to date. The 47-year old singer/songwriter has been around since 1997 and put our seven solo efforts, and has been with bands such as The New Pornographers, The Sadies, and others. More recently, she did a collaboration with k.d. lang and alt-folk artist Laura Viers. The new album is Hell-On and just came out.
"Pain", the latest track from The War on Drugs, moves 16 to 5. It follows the #2 "Holding On"; both songs are from their fourth effort A Deeper Understanding; both songs reached top 3 on the Billboard Triple-A chart. . The Philly band has been around since 2005. Their SNS debut came with "Red Eyes" in 2014 (#77), from that year's Lost in a Dream. Swimming With Bears' "French Girl" drops from 3 to 6, but is still a potent track for the Austin TX quartet. Finally at #7, is Phillip Phillip's "Magnet" which goes from 13 to 7. It's the second single from the former American Idol winner's third album Collateral. It follows "Miles" which reached #6 here and got some airplay on Adult Top 40 and Triple-A formats. Unfortunately his popularity has waned, and despite this awesome second single, it has not charted. It's a shame.
One other note: Florence + the Machine's "Hunger", the first single from their fourth effort, High as Hope, moves 22 to 9. The band, led by Briton Florence Welch, has been a favorite of mine this decade, and have three #1 songs here in SNS, one from each album: "Dog Days Are Over" (Lungs); "What the Water Gave Me" (Ceremonials), and "Queen of Peace" (How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful). It is getting airplay on alternative rock stations and is a fixture in the current rock scene. The new album drops June 29.
All the activity results in Tennis' "Modern Woman", which was #1 for five weeks, having the dubious honor of the biggest drop from the top spot, falling to #12 this week despite a moderate loss in points. Amy Shark's 'Adore" also falls from 2 to 11.
THERE ARE NO RULES: When it comes to adding "current" songs on my playlist, there are no rules, other that they are recent releases. And by "recent", it means the last several years. And, thanks to SoundHound, if there is a song that is played when I'm at some bar or restaurant that comes on that grabs my attention, I will check in out. That was the case last year with "It's Time", and during the week, a bunch of us went down to Martell's Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant Beach NJ for my wife's birthday. When a live band isn't playing, they pipe in music and there was a good mix of old songs from the sixties and seventies and recent stuff as well (my perfect mix!). So it was nice to discover "This Girl" by Kungs vs. Cookin' on 3 Burners. As the artist billing suggests, this is sort of a remix/mash-up thing. But the sound just hit me. Kungs is actually French-born DJ Valentin Brunel, and his lone album to date, 2016's Layers, yielded what was the first single off that effort. Talk about lightning in a bottle. It starts immediately with a great hook, and a rhythmic track and chugs along (and doesn't have a hip-hop beat). The mix of horns in there is just an all-around feel good experience. The song charted around the world, but not here in the US (it may have been on the Dance chart, which I don't follow).
Other adds which week include the South Jersey band Smash Palace, with "It Happened to Me", from their new album Right As Rain; their last effort produced the SNS #1 "My Mistake"; Dreamers' "Screws" following up their top 20 "Pain Killer", and the latest by Meg Myers, The Wombats, and Newcomer Caroline Rose ("Soul No. 5') from Vermont.
IDOL CHATTER: I've become weary of music competition shows, since the above mentioned Phillip Phillips, a winner from either American Idol or The Voice doesn't guarantee success anymore. Both shows just completed their seasons. Idol's return to the airwaves after a year off, didn't resonate with me, but winner Madde Poppe does sounds like a talent. There is a possibility I will add her coronation song "Going Going Gone", since I have pretty much done so with recent winters of that show, whether I followed them or not. Many Facebook friends have kept an eye on that show, however.
Poppe actually auditioned for The Voice in 2015 but didn't turn any chairs. As for that show, which still has never, in spite of its popularity, produced a breakout artist (Vicci Martinez, a finalist back in 2010 hit my top 3 back then but that's been pretty much it). As for that show, 15-year old Brynn Cartelli took the honors, the youngest contestant in that shows history. Her coronation song is "Walk My Way"; she was a member of coach Kelly Clarkson's team, who, of course, was the original American Idol.
See how things are related?
RIDE YOUR PONY: When it comes to the summer, the biggest venues in my home state of New Jersey centered around the PNC Bank Arts Center, but there seems to be an exciting summer lineup at the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park as well. Next weekend, for example, on June 15, Fitz & the Tantrums and X Ambassadors will take the stage, followed by the next night, Little Steven, a hometown hero of sorts, will appear and you can bet that Bruce Springsteen will make an appearance. That one is sold out, as you may expect and isn't listed anymore on the website. Dropkick Murphys, Band of Horses, Gaslight Anthem, Phillip Phillips, and the venerable Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes will also be playing this summer. For a full schedule, click here:
Stone Pony Summer Stage 2018
| This Week | Last Week | ARTIST-Title | Weeks on List |
| 1 | 6 | NUMBER ONE:
JAMES BAY
"Pink Lemonade"
Album: Electric Light
|
5 |
| 2 | 4 | Nick Waterhouse - Straight Love Affair | 6 |
| 3 | 8 | Curtis Harding - Need Your Love | 5 |
| 4 | 10 | Neko Case - Bad Luck | 6 |
| 5 | 16 | The War on Drugs - Pain | 7 |
| 6 | 3 | Swimming With Bears - French Girls | 7 |
| 7 | 13 | Phillip Phillips - Magnetic | 7 |
| 8 | 7 | Halo Circus - Narcissist | 10 |
| 9 | 22 | TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
"Hunger"
Album: High As Hope
|
4 |
| 10 | 9 | Jeff Rosenstock - All This Useless Energy | 11 |
| 11 | 2 | Amy Shark - Adore | 11 |
| 12 | 1 | Tennis - Modern Woman | 11 |
| 13 | 12 | Cigarettes After Sex - K | 11 |
| 14 | 19 | Lovelytheband - Broken | 9 |
| 15 | 14 | The Vaccines - I Can't Quit | 11 |
| 16 | 5 | The Decemberists - Severed | 13 |
| 17 | 17 | The Neighbourhood -Scary Love | 10 |
| 18 | 21 | Cold War Kids - Can We Hang On? | 7 |
| 19 | 20 | Big Thief - Shark Smile | 13 |
| 20 | 11 | Django Django - In Your Beat | 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.
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