Once again, I had the propensity of drifting behind on these blogs. But it's sort of a good thing because I actually went out and did things during the past week. Aside from my usual geocaching (done twice, including once with a friend), my wife and I went out to one of our favorite places, The Jefferson House, on Lake Hopatcong here in New Jersey, for the first time this year. It was much needed for both of us. While we had gone early on a Friday afternoon, we missed out on the music that they normally feature every day for the summer, but at the same time, there were less people there. We did run into a couple of our friends, Doug and Pam Batson, who I hadn't seen since, well, before the pandemic. We had our masks handy and of course, social distanced. Saturday the 22nd, I went to an outdoor get together in Whitehouse Station, thrown by two more friends. There were about 15 people that came, and while I was a bit leery going to a function like this, still, it was nice seeing several more friends not seen since before the start of the pandemic. Of course, there was music blaring, primarily early 1980's new wave songs, a cool era indeed.
The day I am writing this, August 24, just about marks one whole decade that I've been doing a music blog. Next week's, which will be dated August 23, will mark ten years since the first one (actually written August 28, 2010 but dated five days earlier). It will be a retrospective of some of my best blogs over that period. But, in the meantime, let's get on with what I've been listening to.
Actually this week, I got a lot of listening to my currents playlist of 100 songs, which comprise the "Scenes 'n' Soundwaves 100" chart I update (mostly) every week. And discovered a couple more aspiring artists. But more on that later.
TO THE PLAYLIST: New Jersey-born Donna Missal nabs her second #1 with "How Does It Feel". The song, from her second album Lighter, knocks out fellow Jerseyans Real Estate out of the top spot, as Paper Cup, featuring Sylvan Esso, drops to #2. Missal thus avengers her near miss, "Let You Let Me Down", which held at #2, blocked out from the top by Pepper's "Change". "Let You" remains at #7, while "Change" also holds at #4. ScreenAge, another Jersey outfit, also holds at #3 in a rather stagnant top 10 this week, with only Bakar's "Hell N Back" cracking the upper region. There is activity in the top 20, including late bloomers AJR ("Bang") and Best Coast ("Everything Has Changed") finally entering that region. Both songs had alternative and/or Triple-A airplay a few months back, although "Bang" is scaling the Billboard Hot 100 (remember that?) moving 78-69 there. Could it be another "High Hopes"? Well shall see.
THE NEW STUFF: I added eight songs this week, and it's a pretty interesting mix of music, some new, some established, including two artists making debuts that I am friends with on Facebook. The Top Debut this week is the latest from Michael Kiwanuka, with "You Ain't The Problem", which follows the #1 "Hero" and top 10 follow-up "Rolling". "Problem" was actually the first single off of his third effort Kiwanuka, but went unnoticed (apparently by yours truly as well). What can I say, but that's another awesome song. It's a good-timey chugging beat. The message is positive, a la Pepper's "Change". The music is hard to categorize....it can be an all-day music jam, a bit of retro in it as well. It is catchy, soulful, funky and tasty without being poppy. Kiwanuka is a good example of sticking to some smart, imaginative music without caving in to the current pop scene. Hoping and praying some day that pop music will slant his way. A definite winner, and a sure SNS top 10 for him. It enters at #51.
Karen Wallo (left), fronting Jersey Cowgirls at The Waterfront, Forked River NJ, on August 20
The next two debuts are by artists that I am proud to add. In recent months, you may have read a few comment about Karen Wallo, a New Jersey artist who has fronted several bands, and who, like many others, have lamented the quarantine that was imposed by COVID-19, halting live gigs and the like. I am happy to say that she's now able to go back out and perform again, with her current band, The Jersey Cowgirls. They play mostly the center and south Jersey shore area and a post from her showed the Cowgirls playing The Waterfront down in Forked River. In a post she made last week, I told her about my blog and whether she had released any albums with any of her bands. She mentioned a solo album that she recorded called We're In This Together. While the title of that album might sum up 2020, it was actually released back in 2010. A majority of the album are covers, and her awesome-sounding voice enhances songs originally done by Katrina & the Waves, Duffy, Natalie Merchant, Natalie Imbruglia, The Pretenders, Lisa Loeb, Sixpence None the Richer, KT Tunstall and several others. Very well done. I selected "Rain Away My Sorrow" to add to my playlist this week. I'm not sure if it is a cover (never heard the song before), or original, but she does a nice job on this. This is a poignant ballad, folk-rock with a country flair. Reading her bio on her website (https://www.karenwallo-fineart.com), she is more than just music. Her musical journeys expand way beyond New Jersey, and she is also an accomplished artesian as well as a champion of animal rights. I hope to catch a gig soon. "Rain Away My Sorrow" enters at #62.
On that same Facebook thread, my mention of a blog has attracted one of Karen's Facebook friends, David Porfirio, who hails from Queens, New York. While on his Facebook page he describes himself as "a clumsy guy who plays guitar", he is everything but. He had invited me to check out songs from his current album Overactive Imagination. A single off of that album, calling "Driving At Dusk" is added to my playlist. He must know something because this is right up my alley. A jamming, laid-back yet progressive instrumental with jazzy overtones, this song lives up to its title....I can see myself driving at dusk---or beyond---to this song. I am in the process of checking out the rest of this album, which is very diverse in styles yet true to the album's mission. I can really get into this one. Nicely done! "Driving at Dusk" debuts at #63.
The next entry was featuring on a show that I've been binge-watching for the past several weeks. "21 and Counting" by The Mystery Lights, which is featured in season 8 of the long-running series Shameless. Each episode has several songs featured in it, some familiar, some not so much, along with varied styles. This song is one of three I will be adding in the next few weeks. This is pretty much the lost 1960's psychedelic garage album. As far as I know, however, this is a new/current band, and the song came out in 2017 which is current enough for my playlist. I don't know much about this band, but core members Mike Brandon and L.A. Solano, and that they started out in Salinas California but are now a part of the Brooklyn NY scene. They have released two albums, a self-titled debut in 2016 and 2019's Too Much Tension. "21 and Counting" hails from their debut, and if you're wondering if you have to go back to the 1960's to re-discover this genre, you don't need to. Similar to The Satelliters, another retro-garage band that I featured on my blog in the past, this song harkens back to that era. Between this song, their debut and their follow-up, there's chock full of music to enjoy from The Mystery Lights. The song debuts at #65.
Another new-to-SNS band, Chicano Batman enter with "Blank State". A four-member group out of L.A., this band encompasses many styles. They have been around since 2008 and have released four albums, including this year's Invisible People. "Blank State" reminds me a bit of Nice 'n' Wild's 1986 freestyle dance song "Diamond Girl", although this song takes that a step further with more far-out instrumentation.
'Rounding out the debuts are the latest by three established alternative artists. Grouplove follows their recent "Deleter" with "Inside Out", another one of their fun romps; Jeff Rosenstock, who scored a pair to blog top 10's in 2018, returns with "State Line", a rocker with retro-punk overtones (think "Green Day"); and finally OK Go, the rather quirky band popular in the 2000's with interesting videos (who couldn't forget their 2006 "Here it Goes Again" with the band performing on treadmills?). This is not the Beatles cover, but an original. The band has been releasing songs throughout the 2010's; I've added a few which wallowed around the lower parts of the playlist, but this song is worth several listens. The video was a result of the pandemic; the song was recorded in each member's homes put together in a Zoom-like setting.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist
August 16, 2020
|
This Week |
Last
Week |
ARTIST-Title |
Weeks
on List |
|
1 |
2 |
NUMBER ONE:  Album: Lighter |
8 |
|
2 |
1 |
9 |
|
|
3 |
3 |
14 |
|
|
4 |
4 |
16 |
|
|
5 |
6 |
11 |
|
|
6 |
5 |
17 |
|
|
7 |
7 |
13 |
|
|
8 |
11 |
7 |
|
|
9 |
8 |
12 |
|
|
10 |
10 |
12 |
|
|
11 |
16 |
5 |
|
|
12 |
13 |
11 |
|
|
13 |
15 |
8 |
|
|
14 |
17 |
10 |
|
|
15 |
18 |
17 |
|
|
16 |
24 |
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:  Album: What Is There |
5 |
|
17 |
9 |
14 |
|
|
18 |
21 |
18 |
|
|
19 |
19 |
10 |
|
|
20 |
22 |
8 |
|
|
21 |
12 |
11 |
|
|
22 |
14 |
13 |
|
|
23 |
25 |
7 |
|
|
24 |
20 |
16 |
|
|
25 |
23 |
10 |
|
|
26 |
28 |
6 |
|
|
27 |
31 |
6 |
|
|
28 |
27 |
7 |
|
|
29 |
49 |
MOVER OF THE WEEK:  Album: Congratulations (EP) |
2 |
|
30 |
35 |
4 |
|
|
31 |
44 |
3 |
|
|
32 |
26 |
12 |
|
|
33 |
34 |
9 |
|
|
34 |
37 |
9 |
|
|
35 |
38 |
11 |
|
|
36 |
30 |
21 |
|
|
37 |
33 |
14 |
|
|
38 |
36 |
15 |
|
|
39 |
48 |
5 |
|
|
40 |
29 |
17 |
|
|
41 |
40 |
15 |
|
|
42 |
50 |
6 |
|
|
43 |
54 |
6 |
|
|
44 |
32 |
15 |
|
|
45 |
52 |
11 |
|
|
46 |
53 |
12 |
|
|
47 |
59 |
4 |
|
|
48 |
60 |
3 |
|
|
49 |
56 |
4 |
|
|
50 |
61 |
3 |
|
|
51 |
--- |
TOP DEBUT:  "You Ain't The Problem" Album: Kiwanuka |
1 |
|
52 |
45 |
17 |
|
|
53 |
39 |
15 |
|
|
54 |
43 |
18 |
|
|
55 |
47 |
20 |
|
|
56 |
46 |
13 |
|
|
57 |
41 |
16 |
|
|
58 |
55 |
7 |
|
|
59 |
42 |
14 |
|
|
60 |
63 |
11 |
|
|
61 |
72 |
2 |
|
|
62 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
63 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
64 |
51 |
19 |
|
|
65 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
66 |
64 |
13 |
|
|
67 |
69 |
5 |
|
|
68 |
67 |
5 |
|
|
69 |
77 |
2 |
|
|
70 |
84 |
2 |
|
|
71 |
65 |
24 |
|
|
72 |
71 |
6 |
|
|
73 |
57 |
16 |
|
|
74 |
58 |
18 |
|
|
75 |
70 |
5 |
|
|
76 |
76 |
3 |
|
|
77 |
74 |
3 |
|
|
78 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
79 |
62 |
10 |
|
|
80 |
78 |
4 |
|
|
81 |
88 |
2 |
|
|
82 |
82 |
4 |
|
|
83 |
87 |
2 |
|
|
84 |
91 |
2 |
|
|
85 |
73 |
8 |
|
|
86 |
86 |
3 |
|
|
87 |
66 |
11 |
|
|
88 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
89 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
90 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
91 |
68 |
17 |
|
|
92 |
75 |
18 |
|
|
93 |
85 |
10 |
|
|
94 |
80 |
17 |
|
|
95 |
83 |
28 |
|
|
96 |
79 |
19 |
|
|
97 |
81 |
23 |
|
|
98 |
93 |
4 |
|
|
99 |
90 |
19 |
|
|
100 |
89 |
18 |
|
|
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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