Anna Lavigne Hits the Top Blog Spot; Female Artists nab 5 of the 7 Debuts (SNS week of 3/28/2021)

 Sort of a low-key blog this week but a good one as Scottish artist Anna Lavigne hits the top position on my SNS 100 playlist with the ballad "Every kind of heaven", which attains the #1 position after only five weeks.    The song, from her awesome album Angels in Sandshoes, is an excellent message of hope and unity.  Her voice is so tender and the production help from Martin Stephenson just enhances the message even more.   

Anna Lavigne in Spain, 2020.

Her album, not available via the local channels in the U.S., such as iTunes or Amazon as of yet (not sure about the streaming sites), is available on the Bandcamp site, both as download and streaming.   It's definitely worth it!    Click on this link for more information:  Angels In Sandshoes | Anna Lavigne | Martin Stephenson (bandcamp.com)

Both Anna and Martin, along with his band Martin Stephenson and the Daintees, will be performing live on Facebook this weekend:  Friday April 2 and Saturday April 3, both evenings between 8 and 9 PM British (UTC+1) time which is 3 to 4 PM here on the U.S. East Coast (EDT).  For more information, click here:   Living Room Live (Fri & Sat 8-9pm) | Facebook

Ms. Lavigne narrowly heads off Fleet Foxes' "Sunblind" for the top spot, but it looks like both of these songs will be 1-2 on my chart for a while longer as they distance themselves from the rest of the pack.    Last week's topper, David F. Porfirio, with his instrumental ode to New Jersey's Hudson County main drag, "That Night on Bergenline Avenue", drops from #1 to #3.    Positions 4 thru 7 are still strong and hold their positions.    It looks like Boy Pablo's excellent "Hey Girl" might break the stalemate that the top seven have been holding for a few weeks.    Devon Gilfillan gets his second top 10 blog effort as featured vocalist on Illiterate Light's "Freedom", which moves 15-9.   

In the middle of the chart, there is a big logjam between positions 24 (Jade Bird's "Open Up the Heavens", Mover of the Week) and 34 (Midnight Sister's "Foxes"), with all but one song in that section garnering a bullet but unable to move up significantly.   In fact, two songs, Øff Guard's "Sincere" and Delacey's "Unlovable" both drop a couple of positions despite a significant gain.  

With March--Women's History Month--coming to an end, it's fitting that five of the seven adds this week are by females--or female-led-- acts.  Leading off is the Top Debut, "Drunk (And I Don't Want to Go Home") by Elle King and Miranda Lambert.  It's a strong, pop/rock-driven song, delivered forcefully by Ms. King, along the lines of her blog biggies.  She is assisted by country star Lambert, making her first blog appearance since "Heart Like Mine" peaked at #94 on my blog in 2011.   Their vocals blend in very well.    It's a mild "comeback" of sorts for Elle King, and should easily top her recent relatively anemic "Another You".  The song also is at #90 on the Hot 100, King's first appearance there since her top 10 "Ex's and Oh's".  Good prospects of this one.  Lambert, of course, was once married to country star and TheVoice coach Blake Shelton, and yes, it's just a coincidence that it comes in one notch above Shelton's most recent duet with his current significant other, Gwen Stefani.  That's the way it works out sometimes!

Next is Lake Street Dive's "Hypotheticals".  The Boston band is led by lead singer Rachael Price who also plays ukulele (one of two players of the instrument on my list this week, the other being Gia Ness) and guitar.   The band hit my blog top 10 in 2016 with "Call Off the Dogs".   This one is an easy-going laid-back but mid-tempo concoction, definitely giving off a good vibe.    Like the Elle King song, this should easily top the band's recent "Making Do".  

Next on the list is the latest from Long Islander Laura Pergolizzi, better known as LP, with "How Low Can You Go".  This is her second blog song; the first, "Lost on You" went to #4 in 2017.   This one is a bouncy yet dreamy confection which give you the chill.   High in ambience and phase shifting, this one gets better with each listen.   Yeah, this should return her to the top ten once again.

Vancouver-based indie folk/rocker Kylie V debuts on the playlist this week with "On My Mind"

Another talent is Kylie V, a 17-year old from Vancouver, Canada, making her blog debut with "On My Mind".   A nice indie-folk, singer-songwriter vibe on this one.  This is a very down-to-earth and emotional song. A talent to be reckoned with.   The song rocks out a bit towards the end, further enhancing the experience.   I like its prospects!

Finally, the last of the females is one that you might have heard of:  Taylor Swift.   Her most recent effort, "Willow" is from her album Evermore, one of two albums she released in 2020.  The former #1 Hot 100 song joins two other Swift songs, "Coney Island" (featuring The National), and "Gasoline" (with Haim) on my listing this week.    Judging from these songs, "Willow" in particular, it seems that Ms. Swift has come full circle of sorts.   The song is somewhat reminiscent of her early releases.  This is a back-to-basics effort, with heart and soul.    I pretty much had given up on this artist who just a few years ago seemed to sell out to modern pop.  This is the Taylor Swift that I liked in the first place.  While the song had debuted at #1 on Billboard in December, it dropped to #37 the following week (setting a dubious record), but is still on the Hot 100.   Yeah, top 40 radio dropped it like a hot potato, which says more about that radio format than of Taylor Swift.    Good song!

There are also two men debuting this week.   While 1990's music fans know Darius Rucker as "Hootie" (from Hootie & the Blowfish), country music fans know him by his real name.    Rucker tops the country chart this week with "Beers and Sunshine".  I always loved his voice, and this is pure modern country.    There aren't too many songs in that genre on my playlist lately (Blake Shelton and Morgan Wallen...perhaps I should check more current songs there).    Rucker has appeared on my blog playlist three times before, with his biggest being his iconic "Wagon Wheel", a blog #62 in 2013.

Last, but certainly not least is "Night Nurse" by Tim Izzard, an aspiring artist from the UK.   He has done many genres, but has just released his first rock-oriented album Straight Rendezvous.   It's a bouncy but vintage rock song, and his voice gives off a David Bowie vibe.  That is no coincidence as this is a concept album which harkens back to Bowie's glam period in the early 1970's.   I selected this song since it has a video to it, but the album as a whole is recommended too.   The title track could have very well come from the Ziggy Stardust era.   "Breaking Me Down" is another good, rocking track; the set also includes "The Man Who Fell to Earth", named after the movie that Bowie appeared in; the song is a Bowie tribute, and definitely makes many references to the late, great superstar chameleon. 

As with the Anna Lavigne album, Izzard's Straight Rendezvous is, as of this writing, only available via Bandcamp.  You can access it with this link:  ▶︎ Tim Izzard (bandcamp.com)

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist

March 28, 2021

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	2	NUMBER ONE: ANNA LAVIGNE "Every kind of heaven" Album: Angels in Sandshoes	5
2	3	Fleet Foxes - Sunblind	5
3	1	David F. Porfirio - That Night on Bergenline Avenue	10
4	4	Tinkers Lane - Honey Honey●	13
5	5	Emily MacMahon - Only Us	13
6	6	Aaron Frazer - Over You	12
7	7	Frances Forever - Space Girl	10
8	11	Boy Pablo - Hey Girl	7
9	15	Illiterate Light ft. Devon Gilfillan - Freedom	11
10	10	Jade Bird - Headstart●	19
11	13	Einstein's Dad - OMT	10
12	9	Bryan Hansen Band - Waiting For Tomorrow	11
13	14	Maybird - Dreamcatcher	9
14	8	Kings of Leon- The Bandit	10
15	12	The Mystery Lights - It's Alright	18
16	20	The Avalanches - The Divine Chord	7
17	21	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: FUTURE ISLANDS "Plastic Beach" Album: As Long As You Are	9
18	23	The Weeknd - Save Your Tears	8
19	24	Tytillidie - Doomsday	6
20	17	Surfer Blood - Parkland (Into the Silence)	12
21	16	Molly Burch ft. Wild Nothing - Emotion	13
22	19	Iration - Coastin	11
23	18	Kitten  - What Year Are We In	13
24	38	MOVER OF THE WEEK: JADE BIRD "Open Up the Heavens" (Single Only)	3
25	31	Oneiric - The Ride	4
26	29	The Offspring - Let the Bad Times Roll	4
27	30	Winnetka Bowling League - Romantic Way	4
28	25	Taylor Swift ft The National - Coney Island	8
29	27	Delacey - Unlovable	13
30	28	Øff Guard - Sincere	4
31	32	Sunflower Bean - Moment in the Sun	9
32	34	Babeheaven - Human Nature	6
33	35	Glass Animals - Heat Waves	12
34	36	Midnight Sister - Foxes	6
35	22	Gwen Stefani - Let Me Reintroduce Myself	16
36	26	Bakar - 1st Time●	20
37	33	James Hunter Six - I Can Change Your Mind	17
38	47	Beebadoobee - Charlie Brown	7
39	52	David F. Porfirio - Self-Portrait	3
40	43	Harry Styles - Golden	11
41	48	Machine Gun Kelly ft Blackbear- My Ex's Best Friend	4
42	60	Valerie June ft Carla Thomas - Call Me a Fool	3
43	49	Two Feet - Think I'm Crazy	8
44	37	Olivia Rodrigo - Drivers License	7
45	53	Foo Fighters - Waiting On a War	5
46	39	I Don't Know How But They Found Me - Leave Me Alone	12
47	41	The Black Keys - Keep My Name Outta Your Mouth	11
48	71	Fablers and Comet ft. Matt Weiss - Be Okay	2
49	46	Clairo - Sofia	9
50	57	Black Coffee ft. Maxine Ashley and Sun El Musician - You Need Me	8
51	42	Elise Farnsworth - Pixie Dust●	19
52	61	Phoebe Ryan - Fantasy	5
53	40	Ed Sheeran - Afterglow	13
54	51	Miley Cyrus - Midnight Sky●	28
55	65	The Neighbourhood - Stargazing	5
56	64	Nathaniel Rateliff - Redemption	5
57	74	The Blue Stones - Spirit	2
58	66	Gia Ness ft. Cameron Ness - Love Song	3
59	75	Civic - Radiant Eye	3
60	45	Cold War Kids - 1 X 1	10
61	67	Weezer - All My Favorite Songs	9
62	77	Lauren Davidson - Backfire	2
63	44	Ariel Pink - Crybaby	12
64	68	TV Priest - This Island	3
65	90	AJR - Way Less Sad	2
66	54	Paul McCartney - Find My Way	10
67	70	Haim ft. Taylor Swift - Gasoline	6
68	---	TOP DEBUT: ELLE KING and MIRANDA LAMBERT "Drunk (And I Don't Want to Go Home)" (Single Only)	1
69	50	Blake Shelton ft. Gwen Stefani - Happy Anywhere	14
70	55	The Happy Fits - Hold Me Down	6
71	58	Shannon Marsyada - The Road	15
72	---	Lake Street Dive - Hypotheticals	1
73	59	Kjband - Rock Star	12
74	---	LP - How Low Can You Go	1
75	56	Cannons - Fire For You	15
76	82	Tune-Yards - Hold Yourself	2
77	79	Carole's Daughter - Violent	4
78	80	Sports Team - Fishing	6
79	87	Dua Lipa - We're Good	2
80	73	Temples - Paraphenalia	6
81	63	Gia Ness ft Ariel Walton - Across the Universe	18
82	---	Tim Izzard - Night Nurse	1
83	62	Django Django - Spirals	24
84	---	Darius Rucker - Beers and Sunshine	1
85	76	Awolnation - Radical	10
86	86	Baio - Dead  Hand Control	4
87	85	Quarters of Change - Cyclone Trip	3
88	89	Amy Shark - All The Lies About Me	3
89	---	Kylie V - On My Mind	1
90	69	Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa - Prisoner	16
91	---	Taylor Swift - Willow	1
92	98	The Killers - C'est La Vie	2
93	72	Fitz - Head Up High	20
94	81	Porter Robinson - Look at the Sky	4
95	RE ENTRY	Baby Strange - More! More! More!	8
96	96	Dayglow  - Close To You	7
97	78	Morgan Wallen - More Than My Hometown	14
98	84	The Backseat Lovers - Kilby Girl	36
99	88	The Blue Stones - Let It Ride	23
100	91	Winnetka Bowling League - Congratulations	19

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.