Jersey's Emily MacMahon Scores Top Blog Song with New Take on Doo-Wop Era Ballads (SNS week of 2/21/2021)

 Picture yourself somewhere in the late 1950's, perhaps at a high school sock hop, and at the end of the night, they play a nice, slow, dreamy romantic ballad to slow dance to.   Or perhaps in the same era, driving to something like "inspiration point" or watching the "submarine races" in your convertible with your significant other and a song like "I Only Have Eyes For You" comes on.

If you're too young to remember that era (and I pretty much was), then how about the 1970's, with Art Garfunkel's remake of that song?    Or maybe Chicago's "Colour My World", or Heatwave's "Always and Forever"?   I think you got the gist of what I am talking about.   

Fast forward to last summer, amidst all the pandemic, quarantines and social distancing, comes a ballad that owes so much to that romantic era.    Except one thing.    The song, a very much dreamy ballad in that vein, has a fresh spin to it and it was written and performed by a young talent barely twenty years old.    A song that brings chills to you every time you hear it.

Emily MacMahon grabs the pole position on this week's blog playlist.  The Edison singer-songwriter was the recipient of the Lyrics for Lucas Foundation Scholarship for Advancing the Performing Arts.

Well, that type of song hits the #1 position on my Scenes 'n' Soundwaves 100 playlist this week, as Emily MacMahon, from Edison, NJ, tops the blog list with "Only Us".    The very talented singer-songwriter, who also fronts ScreenAge, directed the accompanying video as well, no doubt shot at the Jersey Shore.

Aside from being a talented musician, Emily also champions many causes.  Currently attending Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, where her major is music technology, she recently received a prestigious award, from the Lyrics for Lucas Foundation Scholarship, for Advancing the Performing Arts. The Foundation's mission is to build awareness of sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC).  The award is given in honor of Lucas DiGuilio, who passed away unexpectedly at just 22 months old.  Emily had mentioned that students apply for the award, to "demonstrate their love for the performing arts, its beneficial and healing powers, and how they use their powers to benefit others".   

Ms. MacMahon's blog-topping achievement puts her into a elite circle, of artists who've hit my top spot both as a solo act and part of a band.   ScreenAge topped my list late last summer with "Blue Eyed Addiction", which also topped my 2020 year-end list.    She joins another pair of locals, Staten Island twins Leila and Omnia Hegazy, who each scored number ones individually as well as with their band Hegazy.   

ACTIVITY LIST:  While "Only Us" climbs to the top, hot on its heels is Tinkers Lane's "Honey Honey", which keeps pace and advances to the #2 spot.  That forces Jade Bird's "Headstart" down to the three spot after three weeks at number one, despite only losing a few points. Those three songs are bunched together and well ahead of the pack, but landing at #4 is David F. Porfirio's "That Night on Bergenline Avenue", followed closely by Aaron Frazer's "Over You" and Frances Forever's "Space Girl".  And moving up right behind those songs are Kings of Leon's "Bandit" (19-8) which spends a second week at the top on the Billboard Triple-A listing.  

WHATS IN A NAME?  A few weeks back, I had added a song called "One More Time", which was a product of an app tool called SoundBlend, which enables musicians from remote places to play and record music from those various locations to create a studio-perfect collaboration.    Several musicians, including Tom Corea got together to write and record many songs via SoundBlend.    I had, at the time added "One More Time" to the list, but since there was no name for the contingent, I reverted to the name The Hounds of Winter, Corea's studio band, as most of the musicians on it, also did the recent holiday song "Is It Over Yet?", with the intention of changing it once the official name became known.   

Well, the "band" officially has a name now.  Called Einstein's Dad, the outfit, with a multitude of musicians in various combinations on each track, have released an album, called Einstein's Dad (Remote Ready), with ten tracks on it.   I have changed the listing on my chart to reflect the new name.  In addition, "One More Time" is listed as simply "OMT" on the track listing, thus the title has been changed on the list as well.   This week, the song moves 34-29 in its fifth week on the chart.

NEW STUFF:  Nine adds this week, including two more Jersey acts, some from the left coast and a few from across the pond, many making their SNS debut.  Midnight Sister, a contingent from LA, makes its blog debut with "Foxes", which garners Top Debut honors.   It's a modern mid-tempo rock ballad that is very listenable and infectious as well.   Good prospects for this one. Next is the Jersey Band The Happy Fits, hailing from Pittstown with the proto-punkish "Hold Me Down".  A cool video to this one, taking a place at a "battle of the bands" at Asbury Park's Asbury Lanes club.....  Temples, who had a couple entries on my list back in 2014, return with "Paraphenalia".  The English band has that awesome full Brit 80s-type sound going for this one.

It's back to Jersey for the next act, Tytillidie, with "Doomsday".  Tytillidie is Tyler Jones, who hails from Sayreville, a town familiar to music fans as also the home of Jon Bon Jovi.   The song is from Jones' four-song EP Nocturnal.   It is pure, unadulterated hip-hop, and is awesome to listen to.   It's hip-hop for those who don't really like the genre, it's professionally done, and might make a good introduction for those who don't follow it, but a must listen for those who are into it.   Nicely done.

Taylor Swift seems to be everywhere these days and she appears to be transcending many genres as well.   She has returned to her country roots on two charting tracks in that genre, had a number one Billboard Hot 100 debut a couple months back with "Willow" and another new entry, her take on the classic movie theme "Love Story", not to mention an alternative presence with "Coney Island" moving from 55-42 that features alt band The National.   And yet, here she is again on "Gasoline" as featured vocalist on sister group Haim's latest.   Her sound blends in well with the girls' on this song.   

Also debuting are another from Britain, Sports Team, with "Fishing", their blog debut, Animal Island's follow-up to its top five blog hit "Tonight" with "We're Already Home", Echosmith's "Tell Her You Love Her" (featuring Mat Kearney), and finally Babeheaven, yet another Londoner and new to SNS, with "Human Nature".   All worth checking out.  

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist

February 21, 2021

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	2	NUMBER ONE: EMILY MACMAHON "Only Us" (Single Only)	8
2	3	Tinkers Lane - Honey Honey	8
3	1	Jade Bird - Headstart	14
4	7	David F. Porfirio - That Night on Bergenline Avenue	5
5	9	Aaron Frazer - Over You	7
6	11	Frances Forever - Space Girl	5
7	4	Ariel Pink - Crybaby	7
8	19	Kings of Leon- The Bandit	5
9	5	Bakar - 1st Time	15
10	12	The Mystery Lights - It's Alright	13
11	16	Bryan Hansen Band - Waiting For Tomorrow	6
12	14	Gwen Stefani - Let Me Reintroduce Myself	11
13	8	Elise Farnsworth - Pixie Dust	14
14	18	Surfer Blood - Parkland (Into the Silence)	7
15	17	Molly Burch ft. Wild Nothing - Emotion	8
16	13	Django Django - Spirals	19
17	6	Cannons - Fire For You	10
18	20	Blake Shelton ft. Gwen Stefani - Happy Anywhere	9
19	10	Gia Ness ft Ariel Walton - Across the Universe	13
20	21	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: JAMES HUNTER SIX "I Can Change Your Mind" Album: Nick of Time	12
21	15	Shannon Marsyada - The Road	10
22	22	Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa - Prisoner	11
23	25	Delacey - Unlovable	8
24	24	Kitten  - WhatYear Are We In	8
25	29	Morgan Wallen - More Than My Hometown	9
26	23	Fitz - Head Up High	15
27	26	Miley Cyrus - Midnight Sky●	23
28	32	Illiterate Light ft. Devon Gilfillan - Freedom	6
29	34	Einstein's Dad - OMT	5
30	31	I Don't Know How But They Found Me - Leave Me Alone	7
31	35	Maybird - Dreamcatcher	4
32	36	Iration - Coastin	6
33	27	Brittany Howard - You'll Never Walk Alone	14
34	38	Future Islands - Plastic Beach	4
35	28	Winnetka Bowling League - Congratulations	14
36	30	Chris Stapleton - Cold	16
37	33	The Blue Stones - Let It Ride	18
38	39	Ed Sheeran - Afterglow	8
39	37	Cage the Elephant - Skin and Bones	17
40	40	The Black Keys - Keep My Name Outta Your Mouth	6
41	42	Paul McCartney - Find My Way	5
42	55	Taylor Swift ft The National - Coney Island	3
43	46	Kjband - Rock Star	7
44	53	The Weeknd - Save Your Tears	3
45	41	Glass Animals - Heat Waves	7
46	48	Harry Styles - Golden	6
47	45	Peach Tree Rascals - Mariposa	7
48	67	MOVER OF THE WEEK: BOY PABLO "Hey Girl" Album: Wachita Rico	2
49	44	ZZ Ward - Giant	11
50	50	Cold War Kids - 1 X 1	5
51	47	The Backseat Lovers - Kilby Girl	31
52	70	The Avalanches - The Divine Chord	2
53	60	Sunflower Bean - Moment in the Sun	4
54	61	Clairo - Sofia	4
55	79	Olivia Rodrigo - Drivers License	2
56	43	Fleshtones - Alex Trebek	15
57	58	Awolnation - Radical	5
58	63	The Beths - Mars, the God of War	3
59	51	Surfer Blood - Karen	24
60	75	Beebadoobee - Charlie Brown	2
61	69	Gracie Abrams - Friend	4
62	65	Wallows - Are You Bored Yet?	8
63	66	Baby Strange - More! More! More!	5
64	78	Dayglow  - Close To You	2
65	49	The Avalanches - Wherever You Go	17
66	56	Iration - Right Here Right Now	25
67	73	Weezer - All My Favorite Songs	4
68	---	TOP DEBUT: MIDNIGHT SISTER "Foxes" Album: Painting the Roses	1
69	74	Black Coffee ft. Maxine Ashley and Sun El Musician - You Need Me	3
70	76	The Jacks - Just a Little Bit	5
71	77	Two Feet - Think I'm Crazy	3
72	54	Deep Sea Diver ft. Sharon Van Etten - Impossible Weight	17
73	62	Billie Eilish - Therefore I Am	12
74	59	Donna Missal - Just Like You	14
75	---	The Happy Fits - Hold Me Down	1
76	71	All Time Low ft. Black Bear - Monsters	20
77	---	Temples - Paraphenalia	1
78	68	New Order - Be A Rebel	18
79	80	Bleachers ft Bruce Springsteen - Chinatown	2
80	52	Caamp - Officer of Love	16
81	---	Tytillidie - Doomsday	1
82	---	Haim ft. Taylor Swift - Gasoline	1
83	---	Sports Team - Fishing	1
84	57	David F. Porfirio - Evening At the Pier	15
85	64	Meg Myers - Any Way You Wanna Love	15
86	83	Nothing Nowhere - Fake Friend	3
87	---	Animal Island - We're Already Home	1
88	86	Clean Bandit and Mabel ft 24KGoldn - Tick Tock	4
89	87	Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over the Country Club	2
90	---	Echosmith ft. Mat Kearney - Tell Her You Love Her	1
91	---	Babeheaven - Human Nature	1
92	72	Elle King - Another You	7
93	82	The Knocks ft Foster the People - All About You	12
94	81	Mabel - Mad Love	21
95	91	Screen Age - Blue Eyed Addiction●	40
96	84	The Strokes - The Adults are Talking	14
97	85	Foo Fighters- Shame Shame	13
98	88	Bright Eyes - Mariana Trench	20
99	89	The Hold Steady - Family Farm	5
100	90	Black Pumas - Black Moon Rising	22

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.