The New Year: What Direction Should I Go? (SNS week of 1/3/2021)

 First up, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It is the first blog of 2021, and in a way, that seems very strange.   You see, since I started this blog over ten years ago, the intention was to look back at the year gone by, then take a week off before getting on with the year's new music.    Somewhere along the line, one week became two, which became one month, and of course last year, three months, although that was because I was  going to retire my coverage of new music before COVID-19 forced everyone to stay home.  The norm, however, has been to take a few weeks off, rest a bit before tacking on new additions to my playlist.  So, what's different about this year?

The difference is that some exciting new music has come across my hands lately, to go with the top ten on my playlist that is a very strong one.    The momentum that the blog has generated, especially with my top 100 of the year gone by, with friends checking out some of those songs, and even some feedback from the indie artists themselves, has enabled me to keep this thing going.   For example, the top four adds this week include a solo effort from the lead singer of the band that had the top song of 2020; a new entry from a single that had the number 3 song; another newbie from an artist with my  top holiday song of last year; and finally,  another by an artist who had the year-end number one song TWICE in the past six years!   

I often asked myself what direction would my tastes be going this year.    Even though I've been doing this since 2010, it seems  that 2020, for all its shortcomings elsewhere, sent me in a new direction, one in which there were new local artist discoveries, as well as psychedelic-edge soul, and less reliance on "outside', major acts.    That  often lead to a disjoined list that wasn't really connected to the true number one's, even in alternative circles.     And while Twenty One Pilots "Level of Concern" topped both Billboard's alternative year-end chart and Sirius XM's "Alt 36" year-end tallies, it landed only at #70 on my list, and radio station WEQX's number one, "Bad Decisions" by The Strokes, as well as seven of  their top 10, didn't even make my list.   And forget about the other charts, especially the Hot 100.   So the question I ask myself, "should I add what is more popular" to the playlist?   The current alternative top song is All Time Low's "Monsters", which this week racks up its 17th at the top, but on my playlist struggles up to #48 after 13 weeks.    Should I sacrifice personal taste for the general populace?     The answer, frankly, is no, although I will add a few and see how they do.

THE FIRST PLAYLIST OF 2021 show's Bakar's "1st Time" on top for a third week, still with a comfortable lead over the rest of the pack.   Chris Stapleton's "Cold" remains at #2, while Elise Farnsworth's "Pixie Dust" moves into the #3 position.   Molly Burch's "Holiday Dreaming" falls a notch to #4 while Shannon Marsyada's "The Road" speeds up to #5 in only its third week on the list.

Six new entries crack the top 20, lead by Jade Bird's "Headstart", but Gia Ness, David Porfirio, Fitz, and Caamp also make impressive entries.  Also entering that region is Ian Roberts' 'Christmas At Our House" which loses its bullet after the holiday season, but nonetheless moves 22-14.

SOLO TALENT:  While New Jersey band ScreenAge, coming off the number one song of the year with "Blue Eyed Addiction" (which rebounds 69-60 with a bullet in its 33rd chart week), is preparing their new album to be released soon, I checked out lead singer Emily MacMahon's solo release "Only Us", which was released back at the end  of summer.    If I thought this young singer had talent before, this song clinches it.    While I have often lauded the band for capturing the spirit of classic garage rock with a modern spin, I was amazingly taken back by this song.    Ms. MacMahon accurately captures classic doo-wop and sixties ballads with this which could pair well with "In the Still of the Night" or perhaps Chicago's "Color My World".   "Only Us" is the perfect slow dance, end-of-the-evening song.  It definitely sounds like the singer is very knowledgeable about the history of pop and rock music, and pretty much uses it to her advantage.   An automatic recommend!

But Emily isn't the only hot debut:   Molly Burch, coming off her holiday hit, enters with "Emotion", and if you were expecting another sultry lounge-type entry like "Only One" or "Holiday Dreaming", think again.    While she retains her sultry voice, it's set to a 70's style disco beat, but with emotion.   Featured on the track is the band Wild Nothing, the band from Blacksburg VA.   Blog readers may remember their 2012 blog hit "Nowhere" which reached #4 that year, as well as two other top 20 entries   The band adds a perfect production touch that compliments Burch's vocals.   An appealing, up tempo change of pace for her.   

Then there's the other sultry songstress, Delacey, with her long-awaited follow-up to "My Man" which is still hanging on the playlist at #97 after 36 weeks.  "Unlovable", like the latest Burch song, is  uptempo, similar to the other songs, albeit with a steady, shuffling beat. Again, the backing is persistent and proves to complement Delacey's voice which continues to be soulful, yet haunting like her prior hits.   A winner.

Next is the latest from Ed Sheeran, "Afterglow", which is, in a way, a return to his ballad form that resulted in three blog number ones, including the top song in 2015 and 2017, and "Perfect" in 2018, which topped both SNS and Billboard, which to be honest, is the last decent Hot 100 topper, and that was almost three years ago.   He seemed to be drifting towards a more modern pop/hip-hoppish direction with subsequent songs, including his recent collaboration album.   But, while he is returning to sensitive ballads, this one is different from his past endeavors; "Afterglow" is pretty much acoustic with just Sheeran and his guitar, sans the strings and such.    Again, like the artists mentioned about, he's able to put an appealing spin on things.  

As mentioned above, Ian Roberts' had a nice holiday entry with "Christmas at Our House", and thanks to his band members, I add Tinker Lane's latest single "Honey Honey".   The British band has a bouncy-retro-pop flair to it, with a dash of soul, perhaps not unlike The Jam or Style Council, definitely a Paul Weller influence.   Great potential on this one.    Finally, Wallows, Ray Lamontagne and Kitten, all no strangers to the playlist are added.

If 2021 is going to be like this, music-wise, then we're in for a nice treat.

Finally, The Hounds of Winter, whose "Is It Over Yet?" is the only still-bulleting "holiday" song on the list (36-32), unveiled a new video, "Odd Times We Live In", which pretty much sums up the troubled year of 2020.  It is set to debut on my playlist next week, assuming availability.   If it does, it'll be the first non-holiday single by the hounds in three years, since "I Get You" climbed to #4.

FERRY CROSS TO HEAVEN:  The year has just begun, but already we have one artist passing.  Gerry Marsden, who led the second-wave British Invasion band Gerry & the Pacemakers to several hits from 1964 to 1966, has passed away at the age of 78.   The band's songs varied in style, from the poppish "How Do You Do It" to serious ballads like "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" and "Ferry Cross the Mersey".  Gerry and the boys had three songs on my year-end 1964 list (including a #4 placing for "Don't Let the Sun...", behind three Beatles songs; as well as a 1965 placing for "Ferry...".  Two other songs of theirs worth noting: "Girl on a Swing" from 1966, although not a huge hit, landed at #46 on that year's list, and "You'll Never Walk Alone" is currently in my top 20 via a Brittany Howard cover. 

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist

January 3, 2021

This Week	Dec 20	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	1	NUMBER ONE: BAKAR "1st Time" (Single Only) (3 weeks at #1)	8
2	2	Chris Stapleton - Cold	9
3	5	Elise Farnsworth - Pixie Dust	7
4	3	Molly Burch - Holiday Dreaming	6
5	16	Shannon Marsyada - The Road	3
6	4	Miley Cyrus - Midnight Sky●	16
7	8	Deep Sea Diver ft. Sharon Van Etten - Impossible Weight	10
8	13	Winnetka Bowling League - Congratulations	7
9	12	Christina Alessi & the Toll Collectors -  Where the River Flows	10
10	21	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: JADE BIRD "Headstart" (Single Only)	7
11	14	The Avalanches - Wherever You Go	10
12	15	Brittany Howard - You'll Never Walk Alone	7
13	27	Gia Ness - Across the Universe	6
14	22	Ian Roberts - Christmas At Our House	4
15	11	The Backseat Lovers - Kilby Girl	24
16	23	David F. Porfirio - Evening At the Pier	8
17	24	Fitz - Head Up High	8
18	31	Caamp - Officer of Love	9
19	9	Fleshtones - Alex Trebek	8
20	6	Surfer Blood - Karen	17
21	20	New Order - Be A Rebel	11
22	7	Devon Gilfillan - The Good Life	16
23	19	The Blue Stones - Let It Ride	11
24	10	Bright Eyes - Mariana Trench	13
25	25	Iration - Right Here Right Now	18
26	29	Mabel - Mad Love	14
27	18	Tennis - Superstar	12
28	26	Dan Croll - Away From Today	17
29	32	Meg Myers - Any Way You Wanna Love	8
30	17	Cage the Elephant - Skin and Bones	10
31	28	Black Pumas - Black Moon Rising	15
32	36	The Hounds of Winter - Is It Over Yet?	2
33	33	Twenty-One Pilots - Christmas Saves the Year	3
34	30	Meghan Trainor ft. Seth McFarlane - White Christmas	6
35	41	Gwen Stefani - Let Me Reintroduce Myself	4
36	52	MOVER OF THE WEEK: CANNONS "Fire For You" Album: Shadows	3
37	37	The Strokes - The Adults are Talking	7
38	39	Django Django - Spirals	12
39	43	The Mystery Lights - It's Alright	6
40	42	Donna Missal - Just Like You	7
41	34	Sia - Snowman	5
42	38	Shannon Marsyada - A Love That Doesn't Hurt	22
43	46	James Hunter Six - I Can Change Your Mind	5
44	49	Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa - Prisoner	4
45	44	Fleet Foxes - Can I Believe You	13
46	35	Phoebe Ryan - Ring	14
47	40	Animal Island - Tonight	18
48	---	TOP DEBUT: EMILY MACMAHON "Only Us" (Single  Only)	1
49	45	Real Estate - The Main Thing	17
50	51	Kelly Clarkson and Brett Eldridge - Under the Mistletoe	4
51	50	Kelly Clarkson - All I Want For Christmas Is You	4
52	53	Elle King - The Let Go	17
53	47	David F. Porfirio - Driving at Dusk	20
54	---	Molly Burch ft. Wild Nothing - Emotion	1
55	54	Pickwick - Never Gonna Be Enough	17
56	61	The Knocks ft Foster the People - All About You	5
57	62	Foo Fighters- Shame Shame	6
58	64	All Time Low ft. Black Bear - Monsters	13
59	---	Delacey - Unlovable	1
60	69	Screen Age - Blue Eyed Addiction●	33
61	56	Harry Styles - Watermelon Sugar	19
62	60	Josh Groban - Celebrate Me Home	5
63	65	Jonas Brothers - I Need You Christmas	2
64	73	Blake Shelton ft. Gwen Stefani - Happy Anywhere	2
65	48	Goo Goo Dolls - This is Christmas	5
66	55	Phoebe Ryan - Try It Sober	12
67	59	The Mystery Lights - 21 & Counting	20
68	---	Ed Sheeran - Afterglow	1
69	63	Michael Kiwanuka - You Ain't The Problem	20
70	68	Sea Wolf - Blood Pact	21
71	71	Less Than Jake - Lie To Me	5
72	75	Billie Eilish - Therefore I Am	5
73	58	Arlo Parks - Hurt	7
74	---	Wallows - Are You Bored Yet?	1
75	66	Carrie Underwood & John Legend - Hallelujah	3
76	76	Black Pumas - I'm Ready	11
77	78	ZZ Ward - Giant	4
78	---	Kitten  - WhatYear Are We In	1
79	70	Tame Impala - Is It True	18
80	80	Morgan Wallen - More Than My Hometown	2
81	---	Ray Lamontagne - Roll Me Mama Roll Me	1
82	57	Christina Alessi & the Toll Collectors - Whatever Gets You Through	13
83	72	Too Much Sylvia - We Ain't Leaving Carolina	5
84	81	Eliza and the Delusionals - Pull Apart Heart	31
85	67	Of Monsters and Men - Visitor	11
86	---	Tinkers Lane - Honey Honey	1
87	79	Guards - So It Goes	25
88	74	The Shins - The Great Divide	9
89	77	Ava Max - Christmas Without You	4
90	82	Lake Street Dive -Making Do	7
91	83	Middle Kids - R U 4 Me	9
92	87	Winnetka Bowling League - Come to the Beach	21
93	84	Pretenders - Didn't Want to Be This Lonely	15
94	85	Sia - Candy Cane Lane	17
95	86	Gwen Stefani ft Blake Shelton - You Make It Feel Like Christmas	12
96	88	Morgan Wallen - 7 Summers	15
97	89	Delacey  - Chapel●	36
98	90	Royal Blood - Trouble's Coming	10
99	91	Katy Perry - Cozy Little Christmas●	21
100	92	Lana Del Rey - Let Me Love You Like a Woman	8

 

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.