I've been getting some strange ads coming on my Facebook News Feed during the past week or so. It's scary how sometimes when you think of a product (or even buy on online) that an ad pops up for the exact item you were thinking about. I can understand when you surf online and zero in on something in Amazon or a similar site, but this has happened to be even when I perhaps say out loud about a certain product!
I bring this up because last week, I had written some words on the new Christina Taylor song "I Got That From You", and how I hope this becomes her breakthrough. There are other aspiring artists that I have supported as well. Well, I keep getting ads for streaming services, and not from the viewpoint of the music fan subscribing to them, but to the artists; the ads mention that it is easy for these services to do the promotion work FOR you, rather than you doing it yourself.
 |
| New York-based country artist Lauren Davidson, who debuts this week with "Silver Linings" is among a crop of female country artists hoping to strike gold. |
During the past week, I have seen posts from Ms. Taylor (who has the Mover of the Week honors in a 60-42 move) as well as Lauren Davidson's new single, "Silver Linings" (which follows up her blog top 20 "Backfire"), debuting at #83 posting about getting the word out and the outlets which have supported their songs. Both artists, as well as faves in other genres have posted to "keep on streaming".
Both these women are aspiring country singers, Christina from Charlotte, North Carolina, and Lauren from New York City. Unfortunately, unlike other genres which support an artist for a few years then move on, country has pretty much an elite circle of artists, much of them have been around for decades, making it hard to break into it. And on a side note, it's nice to see Morgan Wallen's latest, debut on that chart, apparently all was forgiven there. For women in country, it's much harder. Nine of the top 10 songs on this week's Country Airplay chart are by men. Of course there are female country stars out there, many of them, but sometimes it take loads and loads of patience to make it big.
Of course it's that way for both sexes: Ten years ago, both the American Idol season 10 winner, Scotty McCreery, and the runner-up, Lauren Alaina were both teenage country singers; but it took at least five years before they were able to crack into the charts with regularity.
Looking at Christina Taylor's posts this past week, encouraging continued supports and streams for her single, it looks like things are going well for her. Her video is being played on Internet's The Country Network, in twice-a-day rotation, Downda Road Radio is also playing the song, The Country Note, Music Tour News and Guitar Girl Magazine all had a feature on her new song, and she was doing interviews with a Louisiana terrestrial radio station (Kajun 107.1)as well as Internet outlet Center Stage one. And finally, CMT has added the song into rotation. The song has garnered 15,000 streams as well as 50,000 views on YouTube.
Ms. Taylor also was featured on the Women in Country site, which promotes up-and-coming female artists. Of course there are a handful of such artists which unfortunately floods the starting gate. I am reminded of Rachel Allyn, an aspiring North Jersey singer who my wife and I saw several times in the early 2010's, and who was determined to make her way to mainstream success. She went to school in Nashville, which presumably would give her an advantage. But, while she released three albums, had four blog number one's (and 13-for-13 in blog top 20 songs), opened for some name artists, played festivals, had her videos played on Internet radio and won a Jersey Shore radio station "house band" contest, she couldn't break through, and decided to throw in the towel. It's a tough business.
As for Lauren Davidson, she also got some press from The Women of Country. They wrote
"“Lauren Davidson’s newest single, "Silver Linings" is such a light for anyone nearing the end of their tunnel. Her positivity in this optimistic and hopeful song could turn anyone's day around.“
Then there is the website Country Swag:
“Davidson is an artist that shares her truth in every song she debuts. She has a knack for writing and singing songs that make you feel and want to root for her.”
With the pandemic winding down, Ms. Davidson is also touring, and getting the word out about her music. Another aspiring singer, New Jersey's Madison Pisani, who I featured a couple months back as an "artist to watch" and who has been playing local venues, was off to Nashville for some gigs. I don't have any word on any release, but no doubt I will add any new songs by her if it does happen.
Of course, these are country performers; it's probably even harder for a pop artist to make it, just look at people like Phoebe Ryan, who was "almost there". While many of these artists are signed to major labels, a multitude are not, either running their own, or on an indie label. While that might make it easier to get the word out (and posts on social media as well, where the artists can communicate directly with the fans), everyone is doing it.
All this may sound discouraging, but for many, their goal is perhaps to entertain the public's thirst for new music and get their music out there to be heard, even if it's just on a local or regional level.
I wish the best of luck to all those artists out there, and a big "thank you" for sharing that music with us.
THE TOP FIVE IS FULL OF 'QUESTIONS'. We have a new number one song. Middle Kids grab their first blog-topper with "Questions". It's their fifth blog entry, and also their first time in the top 10; 2019's "Real Thing" peaked at #11. The Aussie band is fronted by Hannah Joy, thus female-led bands have now topped the SNS 100 for eight weeks straight.
That, of course, means that ScreenAge's "Think Again" falls out of the top spot (to #4) after a five week run. That might be the bad news for the Jersey band, but the Screeners set yet another blog record: With "Going Back" moving from 5 to 2, and "Questions" (a different song than the Middle Kids) going from 6 to 5, they are the first act in blog history to have three simultaneous songs in the top 5. "Going Back" pushes Bebe Rexha's "Sacrifice" back to #3, but is still bulleted. Anna Lavigne and Modest Mouse also make gains either within or into the top ten.
There is action in the 11-20 section, including two songs by Pageants, two featuring Ian Roberts, and yet another entry by Matt Weiss bulleting, as well as an advance by David Porfirio and the Impact by Dua Lipa. It looks like "Just Tell Me" is the stronger of the two Pageants songs (20-11). Matt Weiss has his third top 20 single in just a few months as he is featured in Scarabino's "Under Your Skin".
Many artists have hit my top 20 as both a solo artist AND as a band member, but perhaps Ian Roberts is the first in memory (I will have to go back and check) to do it at the same time. "I Do Love You", the second single from Tinkers Lane's The Noise is Beautiful set, moves 27-14, while his solo seasonal ode, "So Fine Summertime", moves 32-19.
And then there's Dua Lipa's "Levitating" going 31-13 to grab Impact honors. The song was last week's #1 on Top 40 stations, and is currently #1 on Adult Top 40 (Hot AC). Of course, those stations include DaBaby as featured artist. Today I had the mis-pleasure of hearing that version. The less said the better. Sorry, but I like the song the way it originally was. And Dua Lipa is no stranger to my blog: "Don't Start Now" reached #26 in 2019-20, and was also featured on songs by Calvin Harris and Miley Cyrus. Her prior song "We're Good" drops from its peak last week of 45 to 53 in its fifteenth week.
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| Singer-songwriter Amy Helm, the daughter of Levon Helm from The Band, has the Top Debut this week with "Breathing". |
DEBUTS: Among those just added to my playlist, Amy Helm's "Breathing" heads the list at #72. This is her first blog song, although I swear she has been added before (maybe as a featured artist). She definitely has musical pedigree: Her father Levon Helm was a member of the legendary outfit The Band. "Breathing" is an awesome soulful and bluesy romp; she comes on in a St. Paul & the Broken Bones / Michael Kiwanuka-type setting; her strong vocals are augmented by awesome keyboard work. Ms. Helm isn't a new artist; in fact the 50-year old singer, current living in Woodstock New York has been recording since 1980; although her first solo work didn't come out until 2015.
Next is "Wolves" by Garbage. I was always a fan of this outfit headed by Shirley Manson as they pretty much competed in the 1990's with Gwen Stefani's No Doubt, but after two strong albums, they sort of petered out. But they never broke-up in fact (although they took a hiatus around 2003-04), the lineup has remained unchanged since the start, and garnered a blog #6 song with "Blood for Poppies" in 2012, and four years later, a #13 with "Empty" for their two previous blog appearances. "Wolves" is a strong performance strictly in the rock lane, with hints of alternative and post grunge that they were originally known for.
Not one, but TWO new songs by Oneiric are added this week. The New Jersey prog trio has had two top 20 entries thus far, and they have released both of their new ones---the band equated this to releasing a double A-side vinyl single back in the day. Both songs warrant playing time. While the band has maintained that Rush is a big influence, their first two songs...the number 4 "The Ride" and #12 "Golden Gage" reminded me more of early prog bands like Jethro Tull or Emerson Lake and Palmer. However, "High Spirit", is definitely in the Rush lane, and while yes, Ted Torres' voice sounds nothing like Geddy Lee's, the style and phrasing is definitely there, augmented by Evan Carpenter's guitar and Ted's bass playing. Then there's the "flip", "Grace" which is an instrumental, just over two minutes in length. Definitely unique. The band is in the studio recording their debut album, which no doubt will have these four songs on it (all of which are still on my playlist) plus more. Definitely a unique band for this day and age!
Cannons, coming off two top 20 entries, cover an Isley Brothers song for their latest, "Footsteps in the Dark". While I haven't heard the original, this one is such a nice moving, yet relaxing laid-back song with Michelle Joy's pleasurable vocals. By the way, I was wondering if Michelle Joy is any relation to Hannah Joy of Middle Kids. Probably not as the Kids are from Australia and Cannons is from Los Angeles. But this song, whether or not it's an "official" single, should make it three in a row on my blog SNS 100.
As I mentioned earlier, Lauren Davidson debuts with "Silver Linings". While definitely more "country" than "Backfire", she still has the rock sensibility that accompanies the song. Weezer's latest is "I Need Some of That", which in a sense is a look back to its roots, although the song is more in the current nature. The band is still relevant in alternative radio circles, but have been sporadic on my blog playlists. Finally, Kjband returns with "The Phoenix" from the Ken Johnston-led project's current Portraits set. Again with lead singer Peter McColloch as on the recent "Rock Star" mid-charter, the song is about Ken's father-in-law and is augmented with violins courtesy of Marco Vitale. Worthy of consideration.
OF COURSE, a blog wouldn't be complete without the mention of ScreenAge, aside from their latest accomplishment. They have finally announced tour dates. They make their first appearance on Sunday July 11 at Woody's Roadside Tavern in Farmingdale, NJ. Their first full appearance is two weeks later at The Chubby Pickle in Highlands NJ, on July 23. But probably the best news is that they will be returning to the Roselle Park Arts Festival, where they drew notice two years ago, on September 25. Mark those calendars!
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist
July 4, 2021
|
This Week |
Last
Week |
ARTIST-Title |
Weeks
on List |
|
1 |
3 |
NUMBER ONE:  Album: Today We're the Greatest |
7 |
|
2 |
5 |
5 |
|
|
3 |
2 |
10 |
|
|
4 |
1 |
9 |
|
|
5 |
6 |
5 |
|
|
6 |
9 |
5 |
|
|
7 |
4 |
11 |
|
|
8 |
11 |
6 |
|
|
9 |
7 |
13 |
|
|
10 |
8 |
10 |
|
|
11 |
20 |
5 |
|
|
12 |
16 |
8 |
|
|
13 |
31 |
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:  Album: Future Nostalgia |
4 |
|
14 |
19 |
7 |
|
|
15 |
14 |
14 |
|
|
16 |
27 |
8 |
|
|
17 |
15 |
9 |
|
|
18 |
25 |
8 |
|
|
19 |
32 |
6 |
|
|
20 |
12 |
9 |
|
|
21 |
13 |
18 |
|
|
22 |
24 |
8 |
|
|
23 |
34 |
5 |
|
|
24 |
10 |
14 |
|
|
25 |
36 |
4 |
|
|
26 |
41 |
6 |
|
|
27 |
18 |
12 |
|
|
28 |
21 |
16 |
|
|
29 |
40 |
5 |
|
|
30 |
39 |
7 |
|
|
31 |
17 |
10 |
|
|
32 |
35 |
10 |
|
|
33 |
22 |
17 |
|
|
34 |
23 |
10 |
|
|
35 |
30 |
21 |
|
|
36 |
26 |
12 |
|
|
37 |
29 |
16 |
|
|
38 |
28 |
16 |
|
|
39 |
33 |
12 |
|
|
40 |
43 |
8 |
|
|
41 |
38 |
17 |
|
|
42 |
60 |
MOVER OF THE WEEK:  (Single Only) |
2 |
|
43 |
37 |
9 |
|
|
44 |
65 |
2 |
|
|
45 |
51 |
3 |
|
|
46 |
52 |
3 |
|
|
47 |
42 |
13 |
|
|
48 |
50 |
5 |
|
|
49 |
44 |
12 |
|
|
50 |
49 |
6 |
|
|
51 |
54 |
7 |
|
|
52 |
55 |
5 |
|
|
53 |
45 |
15 |
|
|
54 |
46 |
18 |
|
|
55 |
59 |
4 |
|
|
56 |
47 |
14 |
|
|
57 |
48 |
Elle King and Miranda Lambert - Drunk (And I Don'tWant to Go
Home) |
14 |
|
58 |
69 |
3 |
|
|
59 |
56 |
11 |
|
|
60 |
64 |
8 |
|
|
61 |
72 |
4 |
|
|
62 |
76 |
3 |
|
|
63 |
85 |
2 |
|
|
64 |
68 |
4 |
|
|
65 |
80 |
2 |
|
|
66 |
83 |
2 |
|
|
67 |
78 |
3 |
|
|
68 |
53 |
13 |
|
|
69 |
77 |
Black Coffee ft. Maxine Ashley and Sun El Musician - You Need Me |
21 |
|
70 |
84 |
Rave Republic X Kevin Krissen and Fablers ft Matt Weiss - Can I
Be the One |
3 |
|
71 |
62 |
6 |
|
|
72 |
--- |
TOP DEBUT:  Album: What the Flood Leaves Behind |
1 |
|
73 |
63 |
6 |
|
|
74 |
58 |
9 |
|
|
75 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
76 |
67 |
7 |
|
|
77 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
78 |
57 |
10 |
|
|
79 |
75 |
5 |
|
|
80 |
86 |
4 |
|
|
81 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
82 |
92 |
21 |
|
|
83 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
84 |
61 |
14 |
|
|
85 |
70 |
19 |
|
|
86 |
95 |
2 |
|
|
87 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
88 |
93 |
3 |
|
|
89 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
90 |
66 |
16 |
|
|
91 |
74 |
26 |
|
|
92 |
71 |
26 |
|
|
93 |
82 |
6 |
|
|
94 |
94 |
3 |
|
|
95 |
81 |
23 |
|
|
96 |
73 |
11 |
|
|
97 |
89 |
13 |
|
|
98 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
99 |
90 |
32 |
|
|
100 |
79 |
15 |
|
|
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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