So here were are, most of us either sitting around quarantined with not much to do, or those who are working, many in essential jobs, doing the best they can and protecting themselves while helping others. As I mentioned last week, there isn't much that the music community can do, except roll with it, many offering performances through social media, several of which I provided links to during my last blog.
While Facebook continues with the usual political posts about whether or not the federal and state administrators are doing a good job or not, the rest of us have reverted back to the early days of social media: Games such as posting the whatever number picture in your camera roll, "eye spying" something of a certain color picture to post, guessing the number of triangles in a picture, and a scenario where you randomly select a person and putting their name next to a certain themed activity. I recently did both a "which band did I not see in concert" and "how we first met". Many are, indeed "climbing the walls". State and county parks here in New Jersey are closed, although many municipal parks are still open, such as the one near me here in Landing.
The expanded "spare time" for me has enabled me to not only restart this blog, but also to get back into music, both past and present. There is some really great current music out (no, not the disasters that pop music has been and has continued to be), and I've had some great listens to it. But as many of you know, I make lists of favorite songs of a particular year and have posted a scattering of my top songs each year, starting with 1964. I am currently starting 1969 and have gotten a nice response to the songs I've posted thru far. While the 1960's were a turbulent decade in its own right, we tend to think back upon them as "good times", and while there were many songs of "protest" and "social comment", many were really "feelgood", "groovy" and encouraging songs. And music was really easy to listen to. For example, "Daydream Believer", a #1 song from The Monkees, which landed at my #6 of 1967, accumulated 58 likes! I plan on posting more of these as long as the quarantined situation stays in effect, even if it means going up to the present day!
On my playlist this week, in an effort to catch up after three months of inactivity, I add the latest from my favorite artists that I had missed out on. Winnetka Bowling League, whose leader Matthew Koma did a great acoustic set on Instagram this past Friday, and whose "Slow Dances" reaches my #5 position this week, has my Top Debut with "CVS", another gem that was indeed shot in a CVS store. More in the style of "Slow Dances" rather than "Kombucha", it just continues the show the versatility in Koma's music, an artist who definitely in his career has transcended boundaries.
Michael Kiwanuka is one of my favorites out there right now, and while "Hero" returns to the top spot on my playlist this week....no small feat considering that he first took that spot back in December, also debuts with "Rolling", another gem with retro trimmings. This could have come out around 1967 with its psychedelic feel to it.
Nathaniel Rateliff, another of my favorite current artists with his work with the Night Sweats, is back with a solo effort, But Its Still Alright, of which the title track has been added. While not his first solo effort (this first effort goes back to 2007), this one is rather introspective. Not as soulful as his recent group work, but with a more country/acoustic feel, not unlike Bruce Springsteen's more intimate moments.
Caroline Rose, who impressed with her previous effort, specifically with her blog #1 "Jeannie Becomes a Mom", is also back with a new album Superstar and single "Feel the Way I Want". A palatable pop songs with synch and rock stylings, it's very cool and easy on the airs, and she would have another winner here.
I also add the latest singles from blog perennials The Black Keys, Awolnation and Cold War Kids, as well as the new one by Kaleo, the band from Iceland that had my #1 song of 2016 with "Way Down We Go"; "I Want More" is the new one.
As I have said many times before, good music is still to be had, you just have to dig for it a bit.
 |
| John Prine, who passed away this week. |
A MATTER OF PRINE: John Prine, a legendary country/folk singer-songwriter has passed away at the age of 73. While I am, for the most part, unfamiliar with his work, his accomplishments are many. He was adept at combining humor with social commentary. He was also part of the Chicago music scene and his work spanned decades. He claimed three Grammys to his credit as well. His Common Sense album in 1975 was his biggest in that decade, but his highest-charting album was his last, 2018's The Tree of Forgiveness (#5). He was on the country, rock, indie and folk charts.
Prine died from complications of COVID-19; the second artist to do so, after Adam Schlesinger last week.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge my fledging "up-and-coming" artists who responded to my blog last week, such as Shannon Marsyada, and C. Lynne Smith. Last year I had done features on Shannon as well as Paul Czekaj. I would love to do one for C. Lynne as well as others whose music I have featured. I still hope to do one on Tom Corea, who I had sent questions to a few months ago, who has had quite an impressive resume in his own right. How about it, Tom? Karen Wallo has had a good career as well, being in several bands. A close Roselle Park friend, Mitch Lilien, who (at least to my knowledge) hasn't released any recordings, he nonetheless has drummed in bands much of his life. C. Lynne Smith, who I featured in a remote video last week, also has an interesting story to tell. Next week I will add a five-year old cut from the Jersey band Sea of Otters, of which a Facebook friend, Nicholas Ciavatta is a member. One of the cuts, "Disclaimer" actually goes back to the 1990's, is another winner and goes well with Kiwanuka, Rateliff and many others. Another, "Tend to Offend", has a video of a 2011 performance in Jersey City to it. I could add either of those next week. If only this kind of music could surface. Well, I can dream!
GOING FORWARD: While my return blog was pretty much intended on what had happened the last three months as well as the situation we currently face, and last week's was to report on how some of my artist friends are dealing with not being able to perform gigs, concerts, etc, we've pretty much have gone into a sort of stagnation with anything that isn't new. Life goes on, even though the quarantines, the social distancing, being vigilant, etc is the constant right now. While I will continue to voice my thoughts, the focus going forward will rest on artists that are either looking for a big break, or those who just perform for the love of it. I mentioned some of them in the last paragraph and looking at my playlist, I see artists who fit this description. Aside from Shannon and Paul, bands like ScreenAge, The Outcrops, and performers like Christina Alessi, Donna Missal, C. Lynne Smith and several others, will be more of the focus of this blog. Of course I'll still listen to the "name acts" as well.
Until next time, have a Happy Passover, Happy Easter and please stay safe through all of this!
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100
April 5, 2020
This
Week
|
Last Week
|
ARTIST-Title
|
Weeks on List
|
1
|
2
|
NUMBER ONE:
"Hero"
Album: Kiwanuka
(5 weeks at #1)
|
10
|
2
|
1
|
6
|
|
3
|
3
|
9
|
|
4
|
5
|
8
|
|
5
|
6
|
5
|
|
6
|
7
|
7
|
|
7
|
4
|
11
|
|
8
|
13
|
21
|
|
9
|
12
|
10
|
|
10
|
25
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
PAUL CZEKAJ
"The Painter of the Sky"
Album: The Painter of the Sky
|
3
|
11
|
8
|
17
|
|
12
|
9
|
14
|
|
13
|
28
|
5
|
|
14
|
10
|
14
|
|
15
|
11
|
11
|
|
16
|
18
|
10
|
|
17
|
21
|
11
|
|
18
|
22
|
7
|
|
19
|
24
|
9
|
|
20
|
46
|
MOVER OF THE WEEK:
Album: Peace of Mind
|
3
|
21
|
14
|
12
|
|
22
|
30
|
9
|
|
23
|
27
|
11
|
|
24
|
15
|
12
|
|
25
|
17
|
16
|
|
26
|
29
|
6
|
|
27
|
34
|
7
|
|
28
|
26
|
29
|
|
29
|
19
|
13
|
|
30
|
32
|
10
|
|
31
|
31
|
11
|
|
32
|
20
|
13
|
|
33
|
16
|
12
|
|
34
|
52
|
2
|
|
35
|
23
|
9
|
|
36
|
40
|
6
|
|
37
|
35
|
22
|
|
38
|
---
|
TOP DEBUT:
"CVS"
(Single Only)
|
1
|
39
|
37
|
9
|
|
40
|
59
|
2
|
|
41
|
33
|
10
|
|
42
|
50
|
5
|
|
43
|
36
|
18
|
|
44
|
38
|
24
|
|
45
|
---
|
1
|
|
46
|
44
|
6
|
|
47
|
39
|
8
|
|
48
|
42
|
7
|
|
49
|
45
|
14
|
|
50
|
54
|
3
|
|
51
|
41
|
12
|
|
52
|
71
|
2
|
|
53
|
55
|
3
|
|
54
|
69
|
2
|
|
55
|
43
|
14
|
|
56
|
48
|
13
|
|
57
|
63
|
3
|
|
58
|
49
|
8
|
|
59
|
64
|
3
|
|
60
|
---
|
1
|
|
61
|
---
|
1
|
|
62
|
47
|
12
|
|
63
|
67
|
3
|
|
64
|
68
|
5
|
|
65
|
53
|
16
|
|
66
|
51
|
14
|
|
67
|
58
|
5
|
|
68
|
61
|
5
|
|
69
|
---
|
1
|
|
70
|
---
|
1
|
|
71
|
56
|
28
|
|
72
|
57
|
23
|
|
73
|
77
|
2
|
|
74
|
---
|
1
|
|
75
|
75
|
2
|
|
76
|
79
|
2
|
|
77
|
74
|
3
|
|
78
|
76
|
2
|
|
79
|
---
|
1
|
|
80
|
65
|
27
|
|
81
|
82
|
2
|
|
82
|
62
|
22
|
|
83
|
66
|
28
|
|
84
|
70
|
8
|
|
85
|
78
|
39
|
|
86
|
81
|
6
|
|
87
|
60
|
11
|
|
88
|
72
|
18
|
|
89
|
83
|
11
|
|
90
|
73
|
17
|
|
91
|
80
|
22
|
|
92
|
86
|
35
|
|
93
|
84
|
17
|
|
94
|
85
|
9
|
|
95
|
87
|
23
|
|
96
|
88
|
25
|
|
97
|
90
|
8
|
|
98
|
91
|
14
|
|
99
|
92
|
17
|
|
100
|
94
|
26
|
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.
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