Greetings, blog followers! How have things been since my last blog? Well, if it was anything like I saw on Facebook this past week, turbulent, what with all the stuff that's happened, at the Capitol and elsewhere. And what a better time to see it reflected in the music, both directly and indirectly this past week. More protests songs and videos, and another by an artist who has apparently been around for 20 years and was caught in some of that controversy. I'm sure you could go back to the late 1960's and early 1970's for many parallels both musically and national events-wise.
Well, let's get right to commenting on my playlist and checking out the nine newly added songs. Bakar holds at the top spot with "1st Time", for its 4th week, although its margin, while still somewhat comfortable, was cut in half over the #2 song, "Pixie Dust" by Elise Farnsworth. Ms. Farnsworth, going for her second number one from her debut EP Turn Her Up, is within striking distance of the top spot, but Bakar has radio momentum going for him. The British artist is doing well on both the alternative and Triple-A charts which, depending on the burnout factor (although not yet for me), may keep it in the upper range for a bit. But also strong are Shannon Marsyada's "The Road" and Jade Bird's "Headstart". All are strong, and may challenge for the top spot in coming weeks.
The next crop of challengers may come from the 10 and 11 spots. Gia Ness' "Tiny Bubbles Ukelele" project yielded a cover of the Beatles' "Across the Universe" moves 13-10. I had changed the billing to include Gia's niece Ariel Walton, who played the cello on both the song and the video. Incidentally, it's the second Fab Four cover to make my top 10, following Rachel Allyn's "Dear Prudence" which reached #4 in 2013. Meanwhile, Caamp, who has held the top spot on Billboard's Triple-A chart for five weeks now with the Wallflowers-like "Officer of Love", moves 18-11. The only other significant mover in the top 20 is Cannons' "Fire For You", a former top 3 alternative chart hit, but Emily MacMahon's "Only Us" (48-31), Mover of the Week this time, may make a strong dent in that region next week.
 |
| The controversial Ariel Pink has the Top Debut this week with the surreal hypnagogic pop "Cry Baby" |
BAD PUBLICITY IS GOOD PUBLICITY? Now to the "fun" stuff. The Top Debut this week is something called "Cry Baby" by an artist known as Ariel Pink. Apparently, he's been around since 1996, and his real name is Ariel Marcus Rosenberg, and has been cited during most of his career for controversy, the latest incident having been part of the crowd that protested in front of the Capitol building last week, apparently in support of President Trump, although he wasn't part of the group that broke into the building. My friend Alan Corso posted a news story that though he wasn't part of the break-in, his label dropped him. While this country has been split over this whole ongoing political divide, many have questioned censorship based on his opinions, and has been accused of misogyny, homophobia and, you name it. Unfortunate, all that crap hasn't helped his cause, and probably pours more fuel to the fire regarding Trump's image. However, after appearing on a Fox News show with Tucker Carlson, he said he supported President-Elect Joe Biden's elections and that "Trump lost fairly".
Anyway, I decided to check out his most recent release, Worn Copy and the single, "Cry Baby", my first impression was, what the...? What the heck is it? The music is right up my alley, but what do you call it? For me, it harkens back to the psychedelic hallucinations of the late 1960's: Trippy, acid rock. However, looking at his Wikipedia page, descriptions of that genre show stuff like "Lo-Fi", and "Hypnagogic Pop", which is pretty much "psychedelic" (then why don't they call it that?). Even more bizarre is his influences, which range from the goth-pop of The Cure (his favorite band), to everywhere from Anthrax, Metallica, and The Dukes of Stratosphear (an XTC side project which recorded the awesome "Twenty-Five O'clock", which "Cry Baby" is similar to), to acts like Michael Jackson, Fleetwood Mac, Daryl Hall and John Oates, and Steely Dan.
So, what are the prospects with "Cry Baby", actually released last spring? Well, forget about any airplay, based on Ariel's reputation alone, and perhaps the music is rather "sophisticated" for radio play. Excited about the song itself, it comes on at #44, but we will see about any prospects moving it up in the future.
Moving on, the second highest debut is another artist new to me, Aaron Frazer, with "Over You". Frazer was the drummer for a band called Durand Jones and the Indications. He is from Brooklyn, and has just released his first solo album, Introducing..... "Over You" is yet another slice of dreamy pop, with a moving beat and elements of soul as well. It has commercial aspects as well, and is palatable with each listen. A pop/rock confection, I see this as a sure blog top ten. Will alternative or Triple-A radio agree? We shall see. "Over You" debuts at #57.
Next, we have a pack of five songs, all debuting next to each other. Surfer Blood follows their blog-topper "Karen" with "Parkland (Into the Silence)". The song, released last February is a reference to a mass shooting in 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Parkland High School near the band's base of West Palm Beach FL, and the band remembers that horrific event which killed 17...two more than the Columbine shootings in 1999. While in the band's trademark surf-punk sound, the lyrics have more meaning and are emotional (obviously) than "Karen" was. The video, recorded in September 2020, has the four members playing from their own homes, in response to COVID-19.
Peach Tree Rascals also make their blog debut with "Mariposa", a stand-alone single. The band hails from San Jose, CA, and has been getting airplay with their new single. While the band has some hip-hop elements, this song is a nice, good-timely bouncy, upbeat romp. Makes you want to dance, or at least strut. Nice job...... Elle King follows her blog top 10 "The Let Go" with "Another You", like the former, another more of a stripped-down production with a steady, perhaps a bit hip-hoppish beat. Still, her soul is still prevalent and it is more along the lines as some of the current pop stars, Maybe not as dynamic as some of her big blog hits, but still should be considered.
We go back across the pond to Oxford, England for the latest by Glass Animals, "Heat Waves". The psychedelic pop band has had a lot of mid-charters on my blog playlist but never a big "hit". "Heat Waves" is a pop-rock-hip hop mash-up, and a rather dreamy one at all. Getting alt airplay but probably will stay short of my top 20, but you never know.... The current #1 alternative song this week is by a band with the interesting name of I Don't Know How They Found Me. The Salt Lake City UT band has sort of an 80's pop sound on "Leave Me Alone". It's from their first full-length album Razzmatazz.
Two more debuts: Kjband, the Ken Johnston project debuts with "Rock Star", a stand alone single that came out in 2019, as I had waited until his previous "Life Without Complications" from his 2018 album More Love Songs, ran its course. You pretty much never know what you're going to get with this project, as Ken employs what it seems to be a revolving array of musicians with every release. As he hasn't updated his website in four years, I don't know much about who's on this track. Having said that, it's a pretty good mix of vocals and instrumentation, with some good sax parts. Johnston usually employs either a female lead singer or sings himself; here it's a male voice that is clearly not him. Has possibilities.
And finally, we come full circle politically with the latest from FINNEAS, who of course is Billie Eilish's brother. The title, "Can't Wait to Be Dead", might give you some clues as to the topical nature of the song, and especially video. The video pretty much is about COVID-19, Black Lives Matter and other issues of the day, with apparently the blame on the outgoing President, as well as the pratfalls of social media and media in general. The implication that America is racist, shared by many on the left (and actually agreed with many on the right but expressed at a different angle), is pretty much stated here. While not as harsh as say, Fuhm's "Send Out the Clown", FINNEAS pretty much sums up everything into one. As for the song itself, it's a steady beatted rock song, and since he is more well known may garner some notice.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist
January 10, 2021
|
This Week |
Last
Week |
ARTIST-Title |
Weeks
on List |
|
1 |
1 |
NUMBER ONE:  "1st Time" (Single Only) (4 weeks at #1) |
9 |
|
2 |
3 |
8 |
|
|
3 |
2 |
10 |
|
|
4 |
5 |
4 |
|
|
5 |
10 |
8 |
|
|
6 |
7 |
11 |
|
|
7 |
8 |
8 |
|
|
8 |
6 |
17 |
|
|
9 |
11 |
11 |
|
|
10 |
13 |
7 |
|
|
11 |
18 |
10 |
|
|
12 |
12 |
8 |
|
|
13 |
16 |
9 |
|
|
14 |
17 |
9 |
|
|
15 |
4 |
7 |
|
|
16 |
19 |
9 |
|
|
17 |
9 |
Christina Alessi & the Toll Collectors - Where the River Flows |
11 |
|
18 |
15 |
25 |
|
|
19 |
20 |
18 |
|
|
20 |
36 |
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:  Album: Shadows |
4 |
|
21 |
21 |
12 |
|
|
22 |
25 |
19 |
|
|
23 |
29 |
9 |
|
|
24 |
24 |
14 |
|
|
25 |
35 |
5 |
|
|
26 |
22 |
17 |
|
|
27 |
23 |
12 |
|
|
28 |
32 |
3 |
|
|
29 |
26 |
15 |
|
|
30 |
38 |
13 |
|
|
31 |
48 |
MOVER OF THE WEEK:  "Only Us" (Single Only) |
2 |
|
32 |
37 |
8 |
|
|
33 |
30 |
11 |
|
|
34 |
27 |
13 |
|
|
35 |
39 |
7 |
|
|
36 |
28 |
18 |
|
|
37 |
40 |
8 |
|
|
38 |
31 |
16 |
|
|
39 |
43 |
6 |
|
|
40 |
44 |
5 |
|
|
41 |
14 |
5 |
|
|
42 |
54 |
2 |
|
|
43 |
45 |
14 |
|
|
44 |
59 |
2 |
|
|
45 |
42 |
23 |
|
|
46 |
--- |
TOP DEBUT:  "Crybaby" Album: Worn Copy |
1 |
|
47 |
86 |
2 |
|
|
48 |
56 |
6 |
|
|
49 |
57 |
7 |
|
|
50 |
58 |
14 |
|
|
51 |
78 |
2 |
|
|
52 |
64 |
3 |
|
|
53 |
47 |
19 |
|
|
54 |
60 |
34 |
|
|
55 |
46 |
15 |
|
|
56 |
55 |
18 |
|
|
57 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
58 |
68 |
2 |
|
|
59 |
49 |
18 |
|
|
60 |
52 |
18 |
|
|
61 |
53 |
21 |
|
|
62 |
77 |
5 |
|
|
63 |
33 |
4 |
|
|
64 |
72 |
Billie Eilish -
Therefore I Am |
6 |
|
65 |
74 |
2 |
|
|
66 |
80 |
3 |
|
|
67 |
81 |
2 |
|
|
68 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
69 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
70 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
71 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
72 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
73 |
69 |
21 |
|
|
74 |
70 |
22 |
|
|
75 |
62 |
6 |
|
|
76 |
67 |
21 |
|
|
77 |
66 |
13 |
|
|
78 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
79 |
61 |
20 |
|
|
80 |
34 |
7 |
|
|
81 |
71 |
6 |
|
|
82 |
76 |
12 |
|
|
83 |
50 |
5 |
|
|
84 |
73 |
8 |
|
|
85 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
86 |
41 |
6 |
|
|
87 |
63 |
3 |
|
|
88 |
51 |
5 |
|
|
89 |
79 |
19 |
|
|
90 |
84 |
32 |
|
|
91 |
83 |
6 |
|
|
92 |
65 |
Goo Goo Dolls - This
is Christmas |
6 |
|
93 |
82 |
Christina Alessi & the Toll Collectors - Whatever Gets You
Through |
14 |
|
94 |
87 |
26 |
|
|
95 |
92 |
22 |
|
|
96 |
75 |
4 |
|
|
97 |
85 |
12 |
|
|
98 |
88 |
10 |
|
|
99 |
89 |
4 |
|
|
100 |
90 |
7 |
|
|
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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