When I started writing my blog back in August 2010, it was really about my playlist of current (and near current, that is, songs that have been out for a few years) music that I am listening to. Back then, the pop music scene still had a bit of variety to it, and the plan was to combine what was popular on the charts, be it pop, rock or alternative, with more obscure artists, those that may have had airplay on a song or two, but for the most part, not being able to access, unless a friend posted it on their timeline or having to do extreme digging on various music websites to find something of note.
 |
| Indie artists have dominated my blog list so far in 2022, including this week's top six. Clockwise from top left are Anna Lavigne, Tim Izzard, Hegazy, Eavesdrop, ScreenAge, and Tom Corea of Einstein's Dad. ScreenAge dominated my blog list last year, the others currently top this week's chart. |
Added into that mix would be an occasional "personal" find, an act that has never been on a national chart, and just happened to stumble onto my consciousness by hitting a local pub, restaurant, bar or club, and mixing that in with all the other more well-known artists of the day.
Well, this week on my playlist, the SNS 100, these artists, whom at various times, I've called "aspiring", "obscure", "up-and-coming", "unsigned", "indie" or any other description I could come up with, have now taken over my chart, with the top six songs this week that, in one way or another found by me though various means, that belong in that grouping. Actually, 20 songs--exactly one-fifth-- on my playlist this week arguably fall under the above categories.
The top six are a very good cross-section of the ways I can discover an artist. Leading off the parade is the Scottish songstress Anna Lavigne, who has dominated the playlist so far this year, having the top song for seven straight weeks as "This Time" leads the list for the third week, replacing the four-week run of "Dance the Last Goodbye", which drops to #8 this week. But she also is poised for another chart-topper as "Mindblown" moves to the #3 position.
Very often, following one artist and giving them exposure via my blog leads to another aspiring artist contacting me, and that was the case with Ms. Lavigne. Thanks to Ian Roberts of the band Tinkers Lane (on the list at #91 this week with "It's Called Love"), I had gotten an e-mail almost one year ago from Anna., inviting me to listen to her then-new album Angels in Sandshoes. I was blown away from the variety of those songs. Naturally I then went on the Internet and tried to find more information on this talented artist. Turns out she has been a part of several U.K. bands, including a contingent called The Young Ones, before taking a break to raise her two sons. Thanks to her meeting up with Martin Stephenson, and forming a partnership, both personal and musical, she started releasing solo material with the help of Stephenson, his band The Daintees as well as other studio musicians. A few days ago, both her and Stephenson did a Facebook live broadcast. Thanks to Anna contacting me, I was able to discover her unique talent...and a new friendship.
Discovered in a similar way, was Tim Izzard, another veteran musician from across the pond, whose "Empty My Head" moves to the #2 spot this week. The song is from his new EP 21st Century Expose, which follows his 2021 release Starlight Rendezvous, which itself yielded three blog top tens. Like Anna Lavigne, Izzard has recorded much of his adult life and worked in various genres, but these two albums are fresh takes on the glam rock lanes popularized in the early 1970's by the likes of David Bowie, Marc Bolan and many others. Like Ms. Lavigne, he contacted me to hear his music, and I was blown away by it, and it rises above much of what is out there today.
But these artists don't just come from the U.K. At #4 this week is a seven-piece band called Eavesdrop. Unlike Lavigne or Izzard, this three-woman, four-man contingent aren't aware of my blog, and their addition comes from an incidental video that I shot of the band (at least the female trio portion of it that sometimes tours on its own) at a geocaching event that took place in North Adams Massachusetts, back in 2018. A couple months ago I watched that video again and wondered if they had a website and released anything. Turns out that they did, in fact, something very recent, to the point where they now have a top five blog song. The group have been together some seven years and usually perform in the western/central Massachusetts and nearby areas of Connecticut and Vermont. After hearing some of their recorded music, I am looking forward to hearing them live again next time I get up to the Berkshires.
Another way to be discovered is to actually know one of the members for a long, long time. In this case, it's Tom Corea, who I've known since high school and has had an accomplished musical career and has brushed heads with many well-known music figures. You can read the blog that I had done on him right here. Owning his own studio and playing in many bands, both live and in the studio (of which he owns one, the Babyfishmouth Studio in his East Hanover NJ home). A drummer by trade, you can hear his work on the #5 song this week, the instrumental "Here to Home", by trans-world contingent Einstein's Dad. While he was an essential part of the New Jersey bar band Bad Attitude, mostly in the 1990's, he has drummed for many bands since, including his studio-only The Hounds of Winter as well as producing others including The Wizards of Winter, Thom Sebastian and Sarah Jean. A year ago, he and other Hounds members including Steven Roman, and Mario Licata joined the Einstein's Dad project formed by Steve Shouse as well as musicians from other countries thanks to the Sound Blend app, to produce several albums of material. "Here to Home" is the project's fourth straight top 10 blog hit, and thanks to Tom, I've been exposed to some more great music.
And, if you don't know the artist personally, there's always the recommendation from a friend about one of their friends or relatives. At #6 is the latest from Hegazy, "Oil and Water". The duo, consisting of twins Leila and Omnia, formed some five years ago, but each had performed solo for years before joining forces. It was their aunt, Diane Tarantino Hegazy, who I have known since fourth grade that posted about some excellent music by her very talented nieces. Upon listening to them, both individually and together, I really got into their music because of that, which is both artful and topical in nature.
Outside the top six, there are many others that fall into this category: There is of course, ScreenAge, with three entries this week, discovered because they played a local arts festival in my hometown; David F. Porfirio, from Queens, another who personally contacted me to hear his music, also with three entrees, including a new one this week. Others include Tinkers Lane, and its lead singer Ian Roberts with whom Tom Corea and the Hounds played on some of his music; rock and EDM artist Matt Weiss, whose mother Annette I was friends with; King Tappa, the dancehall/reggae artist who worked at my company and also with my wife for a time; and both Johnny Woods and Swingadelic who also performed at the same art festival as did ScreenAge.
Not currently on the playlist but still considered "personal finds" include singer-songwriters Shannon Marsyada, Elise Farnsworth and C. Lynne Smith, who I have seen, either live or via a Facebook live broadcast.
While all of these artists, and several others that I didn't mention do have followings--Tim Izzard, for example, has been on many U.K. playlists there, and several others have a dedicated local following, they are, thanks to personal friends and social media, have been heard (when otherwise I probably would never have discovered such talent) and to be honest, if it wasn't for these artists, this blog would be a thing of the past, unable to get into new music that isn't the repetitious sparse pop that's dominating the current scene. Because of the sameness and bland, sparse presentation for what passes as popular music, these artists are much needed, if not of a national presence, then definitely a local one, and I will continue to treat them as my "superstars" even though they may not be found on any public or national chart..
But of course, that doesn't mean I will abandon popular national acts, if the music is awesome. Because there is very good music coming from them. Two popular bands, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Portugal. The Man, for example, grab Impact and Mover honors, respectively with their latest songs. Quality pop acts like The Weeknd and Dua Lipa are having success here, as they have been able to transcend current trends. And of course, the middling acts that have charted, if not making a total impact yet, like Babeheaven, Middle Kids, Jade Bird, Courtney Barnett, Winnetka Bowling League and countless others, are a reminder that authentic music can be just an Internet search away.
And that is why I need to keep listening to current music one of my priorities, at least for now.
SNS 100: As mentioned above, Anna Lavigne rules for the seventh straight week as "This Time" holds off Tim Izzard's "Empty My Head" for the top. With the rest of the top ten well behind, next week should result in a battle between these two songs. Babeheaven's "Don't Wake Me" replaces their previous "The Hours" in the top ten with a 14-7 jump.
Seven debuts this week, including the blog debut by Japanese American singer-songwriter Mitski (real name Mitsuki Miyawaki), with "The Only Heartbreaker", this week's Top Debut. The artist has been around since 2012, but only recently has garnered airplay on alternative and Triple-A stations; of which this song is the top five of the latter. A melodic song with a rhythmic and driving beat with plenty of soul powers this song and should be a winner.
Band of Horses follow up their top 15 "Crush" with "Lights", another gutsy alt-rock excursion that could probably top the previous entry...it is similar to the current Portugal.The Man "What, Me Worry?: song, showing that rock of this ilk is far from "over".
David F. Porfirio is right back on the list again with "Dreamscape". Once again, switching styles, this comes through as a bone-chilling, ambience-filled, full production that has that lounge feeling. His guitar-playing, understated at first, comes through, in a way that it complements the backing music. No steel drums and no tempo and style changes midway through this time. This is his best since the blog-topping "That Night on Bergenline Avenue".
Joy Again is a Philadelphia-based band that evokes a rather rawness sound combining 80's style Brit-pop, and garage rock. Released back in 2016, "Looking Out for You" I discovered on a friend's playlist during a recent ski trip to Vermont. It reminds me of the 1980's song "Happy Hour" by The Housemartins. The band has had several releases since, which I will explore if "Looking Out for You" becomes a blog hit.
Hippo Campus is back with "Ride or Die". The indie-rockers from St. Paul, Minnesota have been around since 2013 and have influenced bands like ScreenAge. LP3 is, as the title suggests, the band's third full-length album, after a number of EP's earlier on. The new one is a mid-tempo song with awesome and rather dreamy backing, Jake Luppen's vocals rising above the rhythm.
Avi Wisnia had a blog hit a couple years back with "Sky Blue Sky", originally released in 2016, but came to the forefront in 2020 when my friends Diane Carson and Suzanne Logeman invited me to check out a Facebook broadcast of him performing. The Philly-based artist had been recording a new album for release in 2021, which came out in November, Catching Leaves, of which I add the title track this week. The song, basically a piano and vocal outing (with the occasional strings) accents his adeptness in combining jazz and pop and singer-songwriting, perhaps a little Michael Bublé combined with maybe say, James Taylor. A very emotional ballad should top the #21 position of "Sky Blue Sky". Well done.
Finally, we go back to Jersey, with artist Pete Yorn who was born in Boonton and raised in Montville, with his new one "Elizabeth Taylor". Yorn was popular back in the early 2000's and made many of my year-end lists then. While his recent material still makes Triple-A charts (2019's "Calm Down" hit #2 there), this is his blog debut. Again, squarely in the alternative rock lane, with excellent vocals and production, this should score well,
Overall, seven great new additions to my blog playlist this week, proving that, although it's sort of a cliche nowadays, it's very true: There is great music, you just have to dig deep to find it. Rock is not dead; it's just went underground.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist
February 20, 2022
|
This Week |
Last
Week |
ARTIST-Title |
Weeks
on List |
|
1 |
1 |
NUMBER ONE:  Album: Roses for the Ride (3 weeks at #1) |
13 |
|
2 |
3 |
5 |
|
|
3 |
5 |
5 |
|
|
4 |
4 |
13 |
|
|
5 |
15 |
6 |
|
|
6 |
20 |
4 |
|
|
7 |
14 |
5 |
|
|
8 |
2 |
16 |
|
|
9 |
7 |
10 |
|
|
10 |
12 |
12 |
|
|
11 |
19 |
6 |
|
|
12 |
13 |
12 |
|
|
13 |
6 |
12 |
|
|
14 |
17 |
12 |
|
|
15 |
25 |
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:  Album: Unlimited Love |
3 |
|
16 |
11 |
18 |
|
|
17 |
29 |
6 |
|
|
18 |
10 |
13 |
|
|
19 |
40 |
3 |
|
|
20 |
9 |
12 |
|
|
21 |
18 |
14 |
|
|
22 |
43 |
MOVER OF THE WEEK:  (Single Only) |
2 |
|
23 |
8 |
11 |
|
|
24 |
23 |
Courtney Barnett - Write A Listing of Things to Look Forward To |
10 |
|
25 |
16 |
21 |
|
|
26 |
21 |
14 |
|
|
27 |
27 |
8 |
|
|
28 |
28 |
6 |
|
|
29 |
26 |
13 |
|
|
30 |
24 |
18 |
|
|
31 |
22 |
10 |
|
|
32 |
31 |
21 |
|
|
33 |
35 |
4 |
|
|
34 |
30 |
20 |
|
|
35 |
34 |
6 |
|
|
36 |
39 |
4 |
|
|
37 |
37 |
5 |
|
|
38 |
36 |
8 |
|
|
39 |
46 |
4 |
|
|
40 |
56 |
4 |
|
|
41 |
32 |
13 |
|
|
42 |
38 |
10 |
|
|
43 |
50 |
10 |
|
|
44 |
61 |
20 |
|
|
45 |
55 |
5 |
|
|
46 |
62 |
2 |
|
|
47 |
33 |
14 |
|
|
48 |
41 |
19 |
|
|
49 |
57 |
3 |
|
|
50 |
48 |
38 |
|
|
51 |
44 |
11 |
|
|
52 |
59 |
4 |
|
|
53 |
60 |
3 |
|
|
54 |
49 |
28 |
|
|
55 |
64 |
3 |
|
|
56 |
67 |
2 |
|
|
57 |
45 |
29 |
|
|
58 |
42 |
7 |
|
|
59 |
65 |
3 |
|
|
60 |
54 |
27 |
|
|
61 |
72 |
8 |
|
|
62 |
73 |
2 |
|
|
63 |
51 |
16 |
|
|
64 |
63 |
4 |
|
|
65 |
47 |
16 |
|
|
66 |
58 |
29 |
|
|
67 |
70 |
2 |
|
|
68 |
75 |
3 |
|
|
69 |
53 |
19 |
|
|
70 |
69 |
4 |
|
|
71 |
80 |
26 |
|
|
72 |
--- |
TOP DEBUT:  Album: Laurel Hell |
1 |
|
73 |
71 |
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats - Face Down in the Moment |
9 |
|
74 |
78 |
2 |
|
|
75 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
76 |
52 |
6 |
|
|
77 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
78 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
79 |
66 |
5 |
|
|
80 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
81 |
76 |
14 |
|
|
82 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
83 |
81 |
3 |
|
|
84 |
79 |
31 |
|
|
85 |
74 |
34 |
|
|
86 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
87 |
89 |
13 |
|
|
88 |
68 |
9 |
|
|
89 |
77 |
12 |
|
|
90 |
92 |
36 |
|
|
91 |
82 |
16 |
|
|
92 |
83 |
11 |
|
|
93 |
84 |
17 |
|
|
94 |
85 |
16 |
|
|
95 |
86 |
6 |
|
|
96 |
88 |
15 |
|
|
97 |
87 |
15 |
|
|
98 |
90 |
9 |
|
|
99 |
91 |
33 |
|
|
100 |
97 |
10 |
|
|
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.
|
|
Holiday Songs
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