I was hesitant whether to get a blog in this week. Unlike the past, I don't want to fall behind, but I realize that since I am pretty much housebound and getting back into new, (mostly) alternative rock music and getting into my playlists that I want to make a concerted effort to put down my thoughts, especially in times like this.
We are living in rough times and the problems seem to keep mounting by the day. All non-essential businesses have closed, and any social activity has been put on hold. As for my hobbies, that includes geocaching, which technically is still allowed (and some friends have continued to find those containers) assuming it's pretty much in open areas and large parks for passive recreation. But for me, it's time to give it a rest.
My other love, music, of course, can be enjoyed from the comfort of our own homes; one just needs a radio, mp3 player, streaming app, stereos, etc. to enjoy. My iPod, of which I still use as my main listening pleasure (along with SiriusXM in my car), has currently over 8000 songs and counting, and I had just finished my playlist for my top 100 songs of 1979.
But while listening to pre recorded music is available pretty much to everyone, going to see these performers live is another story altogether. Like many non-essential businesses and activities, live music, like sports and shows, have been put on hold. Musicians who are relying on performing for a living are taking a hit. While it doesn't effect the "superstar" acts that much, the ones who play small venues and clubs are affected the most. True, some of them have "day jobs", but the thrill of playing live to their devoted fans in person is not there.
I am fortunate enough to be friends with several musicians on Facebook, some I've met personally; others strictly through social media. Some of them have expressed disappointment that they or their bands cannot get out and play; but also acknowledge the severity of this global crisis and sending prayers to those sick, in need of care, as well as those essential workers who are out there keeping those services running in spite of the environment around them.
My friend Shannon Marsyada, had posted of an fund going on in northeastern Pennsylvania to help support those artists who depend on live gigs for their income (not including those who have regular jobs), NEPA Emergency Artists Fund.
Like many artists, Shannon did a live broadcast on social media from her home or an otherwise empty studio. On March 24, she posted this on her timeline:
Shannon Marsyada Performance 3-24-20
 |
| Karen Wallo (center) with her band Jersey Cowgirls |
Karen Wallo is another Facebook friend who is a musician, who fronts a band down the Jersey Shore/South Jersey area, Jersey Cowgirls. She too, is taking the layoff in stride. Her band's last gig was down in Nizam's in Egg Harbor Township on March 15, after which, the state shut down all bars. While Karen is sad about not being able to play, or congregate, her posts for the last several weeks have been optimistic, hopeful, and inspiring to those going through the same things. She is definitely an inspiration. I wasn't able to find a social media video from her, but will provide on if she does indeed to do one. Godspeed to you, Karen!
 |
| Twin sisters Leila and Omnia of the band Hegazy who performed Facebook live on March 28. |
Hegazy, the duo comprised of the nieces of friends of my longtime friend Diane Tarantino Hegazy, and whose songs comprised many of my playlists over the past decade, both solo and as a duet, was forced to stop with their regular gigs in their native Staten Island and Manhattan. On March 28, they also went live on Facebook with a "show" from their apartment. Hegazy promised this would be a bi-weekly event. Here is their performance from March 28. :
Hegazy Performance 3-28-20
 |
| Winnetka Bowling League, fronted by Matthew Koma (second from right), who gave an acoustic performance via Instagram on April 3. |
Last night (April 3), Matthew Koma, a "regular" on my blog, both solo as well as with his current Winnetka Bowling League, transmitted a second in a series of acoustic performances. I was able to catch this one live. He has been a staple for several years and was great to hear him perform finally. His music has changed in the last few years, from an Electronic Dance Music DJ/Producer to fronting his alternative-based band. He explains how he came up with the name (he actually was in a bowling league in Winnetka). He played many of his hits, including "Slow Dances" (#6 this week), from their most recent EP, Cloudy With a Chance of Sun, as well as their new single, "CVS", which I will add next week. Koma has indicated that this may be a weekly thing.
Here is his acoustic performance from April 3rd:
Matthew Koma of Winnetka Bowling League Performance 4-3-20
 |
| C. Lynne Smith |
Finally, my Roselle Park/Cape May friends Suzanne Logeman and Diane Carson have been sharing acoustic appearance by local (to Cape May) artist's. Yesterday was a performance by C. Lynne Smith, a country artist from South Jersey. She had released an album back in 2006, called Real. Suzanne posted a "watch party" for Lynne.
C. Lynne Smith Performance 4-3-20
While the "thrill" of a live performance is hard to be recaptured, thank goodness we have social media and technology to bring these artists (as well as our regular friends) into our homes and smartphones.
PASSINGS: We lost two more musicians of note this week. In his performance, Matthew Koma noted the passing of Adam Schlesinger, frontman of the band Fountains of Wayne, from the COVID-19 virus (it's real, folks). He was 52. While the band is most remembered for their Billboard #21 hit "Stacy's Mom" from 2003 (My #2 song that year), and "Radiation Vibe" from their 1996 debut (#44 on my year-end list for that year), Schlesinger had a very notable career, winning or being nominated for various awards and responsible for several projects. He co-wrote the song "That Think You Do!", from the Tom Hanks movie of the same name; the song was my #5 for 1996. He was also in the "supergroup" Tinted Windows, along with James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins), Taylor Hanson (Hanson), and Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick. That band's song "Kind of A Girl" was my #64 song of 2009. He was also in the band Ivy.
He had a hand in writing several other songs for movies, such as 2007's Music and Lyrics, There's Something About Mary, and Ice Age: Continental Drift, among many others.
In my opinion, he was a genius, especially with the movies That Thing You Do (set in 1964), and Music and Lyrics (centered on an 80s rock star) with songs that reflected those eras.
He will be missed.
NO MORE SUNSHINE: We also lost this week, R&B singer Bill Withers. He had several hits in the 1970's, most notably "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), "Lean on Me" and "Use Me" (both 1972), and 1978's "Lovely Day". He was also featured vocalist on Grover Washington Jr.'s "Just the Two of Us" (1981). He passed due to heart complications, he was 81 years old. Withers also served in the U.S. Navy, enlisting at the age of 17. After serving for nine years, he launched his music career in 1967. His final release was in 1985 (Watching You, Watching Me). His hit "Lean On Me" was featured in the 1987 movie of the same name starring Morgan Freeman, which also contained a hit cover version by Club Nouveau that same year. His recording career shut down after his 1985 album due to differences with his record label, and being "controlled" over his sound, a run-in similar to Prince with his label a decade later. Withers was briefly married to Denise Nicholas of the TV series Room 222, in 1973; they divorced a year later.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100
March 29, 2020
|
This
Week
|
Last Week
|
ARTIST-Title
|
Weeks on List
|
|
1
|
2
|
NUMBER ONE:
"Runner"
Album: We Can Die Happy
|
5
|
|
2
|
1
|
9
|
|
|
3
|
3
|
8
|
|
|
4
|
4
|
10
|
|
|
5
|
5
|
7
|
|
|
6
|
15
|
4
|
|
|
7
|
19
|
6
|
|
|
8
|
6
|
16
|
|
|
9
|
7
|
13
|
|
|
10
|
8
|
13
|
|
|
11
|
9
|
10
|
|
|
12
|
14
|
9
|
|
|
13
|
17
|
20
|
|
|
14
|
10
|
11
|
|
|
15
|
11
|
11
|
|
|
16
|
16
|
11
|
|
|
17
|
13
|
15
|
|
|
18
|
21
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
Album: By & By
|
9
|
|
19
|
12
|
12
|
|
|
20
|
18
|
12
|
|
|
21
|
25
|
10
|
|
|
22
|
26
|
6
|
|
|
23
|
23
|
8
|
|
|
24
|
28
|
8
|
|
|
25
|
47
|
MOVER OF THE WEEK:
"The Painter of the Sky"
Album: The Painter of the Sky
|
2
|
|
26
|
20
|
28
|
|
|
27
|
27
|
10
|
|
|
28
|
44
|
4
|
|
|
29
|
38
|
5
|
|
|
30
|
40
|
8
|
|
|
31
|
31
|
10
|
|
|
32
|
33
|
9
|
|
|
33
|
36
|
9
|
|
|
34
|
41
|
6
|
|
|
35
|
24
|
21
|
|
|
36
|
32
|
17
|
|
|
37
|
43
|
8
|
|
|
38
|
37
|
23
|
|
|
39
|
42
|
7
|
|
|
40
|
48
|
5
|
|
|
41
|
34
|
11
|
|
|
42
|
35
|
6
|
|
|
43
|
22
|
13
|
|
|
44
|
46
|
5
|
|
|
45
|
29
|
13
|
|
|
46
|
59
|
2
|
|
|
47
|
30
|
11
|
|
|
48
|
39
|
12
|
|
|
49
|
50
|
7
|
|
|
50
|
54
|
4
|
|
|
51
|
45
|
13
|
|
|
52
|
---
|
TOP DEBUT:
Album: This Land
|
1
|
|
53
|
49
|
15
|
|
|
54
|
75
|
2
|
|
|
55
|
65
|
2
|
|
|
56
|
51
|
27
|
|
|
57
|
53
|
22
|
|
|
58
|
60
|
4
|
|
|
59
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
60
|
56
|
10
|
|
|
61
|
63
|
4
|
|
|
62
|
52
|
21
|
|
|
63
|
68
|
2
|
|
|
64
|
70
|
2
|
|
|
65
|
61
|
26
|
|
|
66
|
57
|
27
|
|
|
67
|
72
|
2
|
|
|
68
|
62
|
4
|
|
|
69
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
70
|
67
|
7
|
|
|
71
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
72
|
55
|
17
|
|
|
73
|
58
|
16
|
|
|
74
|
83
|
2
|
|
|
75
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
76
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
77
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
78
|
71
|
38
|
|
|
79
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
80
|
64
|
21
|
|
|
81
|
74
|
5
|
|
|
82
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
83
|
66
|
10
|
|
|
84
|
69
|
16
|
|
|
85
|
73
|
8
|
|
|
86
|
90
|
34
|
|
|
87
|
77
|
22
|
|
|
88
|
79
|
24
|
|
|
89
|
76
|
6
|
|
|
90
|
78
|
7
|
|
|
91
|
80
|
13
|
|
|
92
|
81
|
16
|
|
|
93
|
82
|
6
|
|
|
94
|
84
|
25
|
|
|
95
|
85
|
9
|
|
|
96
|
86
|
17
|
|
|
97
|
88
|
27
|
|
|
98
|
89
|
23
|
|
|
99
|
87
|
5
|
|
|
100
|
92
|
13
|
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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