As we pretty much continue to sit at home, social distance and wear masks when we're out, we are pretty much climbing the walls. For me, however, it's an opportunity to get back to listening to music, or catching up on TV shows. As some of you readers know, during the last few weeks or so, I've been tuning in, via social media, to some local, aspiring artists that I've been featuring in this blog and getting to know them and their music much better.
In fact, on Monday, April 20, I was listening to the second acoustic live stream from the awesome C Lynne Smith, when it was eight o'clock. It was at that time that the broadcast and streaming cast One World: Together at Home took place on three of the major networks, as well as on other sites. I figured that maybe it was time to check out the name artists in an "intimate" (read: home) setting and catch them "down to earth".
You see, I was reluctant to do so since in recent months, I've developed a distaste for those commercial "pop" artists whose output, to be honest, really didn't resonate with me. But perhaps, with the world pretty much in a virtual shutdown that they could discover their roots and play the way that perhaps they began.
There actually were two specials this week: The "One World" "concert" that featured performers from around the globe that aired on April 18, and the more local, Jersey 4 Jersey, featuring artists who live or were from the state that I call home. The two program had different missions: "One World" was to make people aware of those working on the "front-lines": Nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals who risk contracting the virus in their occupation, as well as other essential workers dealing with the crisis. No donation was required there; however $127 million was raised nonetheless. Jersey 4 Jersey's mission was to solicit donations, and while the performers did thank the front liners, the goal was to raise money for those afflicted with COVID-19, as well as their families.
 |
| Lady Gaga leads of the broadcast of One World: Together at Home |
Leading off the One World program was a piano set from Lady Gaga. Perhaps it was appropriate for this talented singer and performer who has transitional from an "over the top" costumed and make-up performer, to just being herself. Just her at the piano, she performed a much down to earth version of Charlie Chaplin/Nat King Cole gem "Smile" (which Tony Bennett also performed at the Jersey 4 Jersey show). We've realized a few years ago that Gaga is a very talented star and doesn't need all those outlandish costumes to figure out her true talent. She later performed an a collaboration with John Legend, Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli, and Lang Lang, which ended the show. Finally, I have to point out that she was one of the primary organizers of this benefit.
Stevie Wonder also performed and did a faithful version of Bill Withers' "Lean on Me" in tribute to that artist, who had passed away recently. Legend, with Sam Smith, also delivered a satisfying performance. Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" was the song and it was definitely appropriate. It amazes me that collaborations that take place while each one is isolated, takes the talent to a whole new level.
I also enjoyed Keith Urban's performance. The country star, and former American Idol judge performed Steve Winwood's "Higher Love". And how he managed to video himself three times in the same shot is beyond me. Who says that "down to earth" technology can be boring. I admire the Keith on the right, as at the end of his performance, his wife, actress Nicole Kidman joined and embraced him!
Speaking of ex-American Idol judges, Jennifer Lopez also had a nice performance, tackling Barbra Steisand's "People". It's mazing how these contemporary performers can really do justice to a classic tune; if they can only convey that in their regular performances, it would really be desired.
Also in that category is Billie Eilish, who eloquently did justice to a Bobby Hebb song from 1966, "Sunny". The singer, who is considered "alternative" but is really more "pop" (even she didn't realize she was considered alt-rock when she accepted an AMA for best Alternative performance), has potential if she realizes it; songs like "Bad Guy" don't do her justice. She performed with her brother, Finneas, himself getting airplay on alt-rock stations these days as well.
Another "duet" was performed by Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello, performing at the piano, the Louis Armstrong classic "What A Wonderful World".
Then there's the Rolling Stones, the band that just goes on and on. The four members, all original members had a unique setting where each had their own camera image, and while we think of Keith Richards as "ageless", it was actually Mick Jagger that was still "moving like Jagger" (well, as much as he can within the confines). And while Charlie Watts basically "air drummed" (lending questioning as to how authentic this "acoustic" performance was), their take on their own classic "You Can't Always Get What You Want" was a good one.
On the other side of the coin were peers of the Stones, namely Paul McCartney and Elton John, two of the biggest icons of the rock era. Whether they were just hamming it up, or perhaps just not used to performing alone in a setting like this, they were pretty much awful. While Macca did pay homage to those front line workers out there, he seemed to stumble thru "Lady Madonna". And did Elton forget how to sing? His vocal during "I'm Still Standing" felt like a car ride down a street filled with potholes.
Also on the bill were current pop star Lizzo, Taylor Swift, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder. Coldplay's Chris Martin, who started this ball rolling of sorts when he performed acoustic at his home in the wake of his band's show being canceled last month, was also featured with excepts from his Instagram stream.
Hosting the event were the three major late-night talk show hosts, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and Jimmy Kimmel. Other celebrates like Oprah Winfrey, former First Lady Michelle Obama and others injected their words of hope.
While several of these performers may be reviled, or have political opinions that may differ, none of that came into play, and the experience of watching this was positive. Kudos to those that took part. My only gripe was that there were no true, fresh new alt-rock performers here (aside from the aforementioned Finneas and Eilish--Armstrong and Vedder have been around for thirty years now.
Several days later, it was New Jersey's turn to shine. Led by Jon Bon Jovi, the hour-long broadcast showcased performers from the Garden State, which is the second most affected by this virus, after only New York state. As with the national broadcast, non-performing celebrates from the state, like Kelly Ripa, John Stewart and Danny DeVito interjected some positive statements. And while Bon Jovi, Edison's Halsey and Rumson's Charlie Puth had some satisfying performances, there were three standouts:
Tony Bennett, like his onetime singing partner Lady Gaga, as mentioned above, performed "Smile". While much of his voice has been shot---after all, he's still out there at age 93---he still came off far better than the younger Elton or Macca.
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| Patti Scalfa and husband Bruce Springsteen perform "Jersey Girl" at the Jersey 4 Jersey broadcast |
Like his politics or not, Bruce Springsteen performed with his wife, E-Streeter Patti Scalfa with a great acoustic performance of "Jersey Girl", the Tom Waits song that he made his own.
But perhaps the most touching performance for me was the reunited Jersey-based band Fountains of Wayne, headed by Montclair resident Adam Schlesinger, who passed away a couple weeks ago from COVID-19 at the age of 52. The band got its name from a patio furniture store that was on Route 46 near the Willowbrook mall, and was best known for their 2003 hit "Stacy's Mom".
The remaining band members reunited (separately from each's homes, of course) for "Hackensack", a song the band did in 2003. Chris Collingwood, Jody Porter and Brian Young performed with guest Sharon Van Etten of Belleville, who is talented in her own right, and whose songs I have featured in my blog. In my opinion, it was the most touching, for me at least performance.
WHAT'S IN A NAME: Last week, you may have noticed that I slightly changed the name of my SNS 100 to add the word "Playlist", since it is, in fact, a list of the current songs I've been listening to, now that I have a lot of free time. While it is still ranked, with my biggest favorites at the top, it is still a current list and it makes it easier for me to add and remove songs; obviously the ones I like less, I rank lower and thus know when to remove a song. My new top song is "Slow Dances" by Winnetka Bowling League, the second in a row by the Matthew Koma-led band (who, once again, did an Instagram performance last night). Their "CVS" is now in my top 10, and I am just a couple weeks away from adding "Kangaroo". The latter two songs are not yet on any album or CD.
I added nine songs this week, as I have a big backlog stemming back from my hiatus the first three months of 2020. Jerseyan Donna Missal has a new one, from a forthcoming second album, "Hurt By You" that is my Top Debut for the week. It's a more polished rock offering and is one of her best. There is a proper music video as well. This should get some airplay, if not alt-rock, then perhaps Triple-A or even Hot AC. This artist should deserve more recognition that she's gotten, and she would have been perfect for Jersey 4 Jersey.
A few of the other awesome female singers have follow-ups: Delacey following her haunting "My Man" with "Chapel"; as does Molly Burch with "Needy".
As for the others, while Neon Trees isn't new to my playlist---"Your Surrender" reached my #21 back in 2011---their latest "Used to Like" is the band's best yet. I also like the new Billie Eilish "Everything I Wanted" which has been atop of the alternative rock chart for several weeks now--it's much more "smoother" than her other hits. Standbys AJR, Grouplove are also added as are The Jacks and a debut for New Zealand's Benee (full name Stella Rose Bennett), "Glitter".
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist
April 19, 2020
|
This
Week
|
Last Week
|
ARTIST-Title
|
Weeks on List
|
|
1
|
2
|
NUMBER ONE:
Album: Cloudy With a Chance of Sun (EP)
|
7
|
|
2
|
1
|
8
|
|
|
3
|
7
|
5
|
|
|
4
|
5
|
9
|
|
|
5
|
3
|
12
|
|
|
6
|
9
|
5
|
|
|
7
|
10
|
23
|
|
|
8
|
4
|
10
|
|
|
9
|
11
|
7
|
|
|
10
|
17
|
3
|
|
|
11
|
15
|
4
|
|
|
12
|
8
|
13
|
|
|
13
|
6
|
11
|
|
|
14
|
30
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
Album: Superstar
|
3
|
|
15
|
26
|
4
|
|
|
16
|
14
|
13
|
|
|
17
|
13
|
12
|
|
|
18
|
20
|
11
|
|
|
19
|
27
|
3
|
|
|
20
|
12
|
12
|
|
|
21
|
16
|
9
|
|
|
22
|
46
|
2
|
|
|
23
|
24
|
9
|
|
|
24
|
18
|
19
|
|
|
25
|
19
|
16
|
|
|
26
|
51
|
2
|
|
|
27
|
40
|
4
|
|
|
28
|
21
|
13
|
|
|
29
|
23
|
11
|
|
|
30
|
29
|
13
|
|
|
31
|
47
|
3
|
|
|
32
|
33
|
8
|
|
|
33
|
22
|
16
|
|
|
34
|
41
|
4
|
|
|
35
|
25
|
8
|
|
|
36
|
31
|
31
|
|
|
37
|
39
|
7
|
|
|
38
|
50
|
3
|
|
|
39
|
48
|
3
|
|
|
40
|
70
|
MOVER OF THE WEEK:
"Real"
Album: Real (EP)
|
2
|
|
41
|
28
|
14
|
|
|
42
|
35
|
18
|
|
|
43
|
56
|
3
|
|
|
44
|
49
|
5
|
|
|
45
|
34
|
13
|
|
|
46
|
45
|
5
|
|
|
47
|
52
|
5
|
|
|
48
|
38
|
15
|
|
|
49
|
32
|
12
|
|
|
50
|
60
|
4
|
|
|
51
|
43
|
24
|
|
|
52
|
36
|
14
|
|
|
53
|
37
|
15
|
|
|
54
|
72
|
2
|
|
|
55
|
42
|
14
|
|
|
56
|
58
|
5
|
|
|
57
|
62
|
7
|
|
|
58
|
61
|
12
|
|
|
59
|
65
|
4
|
|
|
60
|
53
|
11
|
|
|
61
|
77
|
2
|
|
|
62
|
63
|
4
|
|
|
63
|
84
|
2
|
|
|
64
|
44
|
11
|
|
|
65
|
69
|
3
|
|
|
66
|
55
|
26
|
|
|
67
|
54
|
20
|
|
|
68
|
64
|
5
|
|
|
69
|
---
|
TOP DEBUT:
(Single only)
|
1
|
|
70
|
57
|
16
|
|
|
71
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
72
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
73
|
59
|
9
|
|
|
74
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
75
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
76
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
77
|
71
|
10
|
|
|
78
|
83
|
2
|
|
|
79
|
86
|
2
|
|
|
80
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
81
|
76
|
4
|
|
|
82
|
66
|
14
|
|
|
83
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
84
|
67
|
8
|
|
|
85
|
85
|
7
|
|
|
86
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
87
|
75
|
30
|
|
|
88
|
78
|
18
|
|
|
89
|
68
|
15
|
|
|
90
|
81
|
16
|
|
|
91
|
80
|
25
|
|
|
92
|
90
|
41
|
|
|
93
|
73
|
16
|
|
|
94
|
74
|
7
|
|
|
95
|
82
|
5
|
|
|
96
|
87
|
14
|
|
|
97
|
79
|
10
|
|
|
98
|
89
|
29
|
|
|
99
|
88
|
4
|
|
|
100
|
91
|
30
|
|
|
Songs with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week. ● Songs with 25 or more plays on iTunes/iPods ▲ Songs with 50 or more plays.
