The road to the top was a rugged one, cutting through some big competition, but Colorjoy, the duo consisting of former ScreenAge members Emily MacMahon and Sam Novotny, grab their first blog chart topper with "Golden Age", the title track from their soon-to-be-released debut album.
While the song is the first #1 for Colorjoy, it actually sets a few records. The song becomes lead singer Emily MacMahon's EIGHTH straight number one on the SNS 100. The streak started three years ago, when ScreenAge's standalone single "Blue Eyed Addiction" hit the top spot in August of that year. Early the following year, Emily's solo release "Only Us" hit the top spot. That was followed by five number one's from ScreenAge's second and final album DNR, "North Star", "Think Again", "Going Back", "Questions", and "Like Fine Wine". "Golden Age" is the first of now five singles released in advance of Colorjoy's debut, and it makes eight straight for Ms. MacMahon.
 |
| Colorjoy---Sam Novotny (L) and Emily MacMahon are all smiles as their "Golden Age", the title track from their forthcoming album, hits #1 on the SNS 100. |
But Emily and Sam as a duo also join an exclusive club, who have now hit the top with two different bands. Rebecca Coleman twin-hit with both Avi Buffalo and Pageants, while both Tom Corea and Mario Licata topped the list both with The Hounds of Winter and Einsteins Dad. However, Emily takes that one step further by adding a solo number one to her resume as well.
After over a year of side projects for Emily, it seems that Colorjoy are now concentrating on the band's future as they are actively touring and promoting, not only their new album and songs, but their brand as well. While the band did play some gigs in New Jersey last year, including Roselle Park's Arts Festival, where ScreenAge helped make a name for themselves, they are upping their game. Two weeks ago, the band played The Rabbit Hole in Brooklyn NY, then a week later to the Bowery Electric in Manhattan. New York City is where artists have made a name for themselves in the past, so it's great to see Colorjoy going that route.
Of course, Colorjoy isn't abandoning their Jersey roots. On May 2 (two days ago, as I write this), Emily and Sam did an interview with Carl Brister, the founder of Love + Unity Fest, a weeklong event that will take place later this month at Liberty Middle School in West Orange, in which the band will be performing at. The Love and Unity Church, which sponsors this free event was founded by Brister in 2016. Brister is a national R&B recording artist who founded the organization after witnessing racially motivated violence, police brutality and hate crimes. Many musical genres will be represented, the festival will go on the week of May 28.
Finally, Colorjoy will have an album release show on May 12, back in New York City at The Delancy to showcase all of the new songs on Golden Age. The band will perform both originals and covers and will include a horn section. The show will start at 8 PM at the club.
It's great to see all this activity going on. ScreenAge had a lot of momentum when the band's debut Station 42 came out, but in my opinion, the pandemic derailed any growth when that band's awesome DNR was released. But now that the worst of COVID is behind us, and bands are getting back out on the road once more, Colorjoy is delivering awesome product and spreading the word that they are making a name for themselves. They certainly have the talent to back all this up.
This week, Colorjoy has five songs on the SNS 100. "Golden Age", the first single released, knocks out Deb Browning's "Think I Found Forever" after the beach music songstress's three week run, by the thinnest of margins. Coming up strong is Colorjoy's follow-up, "Beautiful People" which advances from 5 to 3, and perhaps the band can do what ScreenAge did twice: succeed themselves at #1. We shall see. Meanwhile the third single "Drops of Honey" moves 33-29 as it is stuck in heavy traffic, and the final two singles, "Vacant Side", and a reimagined "Blue Eyed Addiction" (more on that below), debut.
Rick Strickland and Lesa Hudson, and Say She She round out the top 5, but the star-studded Carolina Queens version of "The Shoop Shoop Song" advances 9-6. Depeche Mode scores its first blog top 10 with "Ghosts Again" (11-9), and Marlisa Kay Small's "Anyway" enters the top 10 (13-10). As for the second ten, that is static, with the only two new entries--Allie Privette's "Ain't Nobody" and Steve Lacy's "Helmet" (Impact Award) re-entering the region after they both were pushed out last week. Further down, the Mover of the Week goes to The Main Event Band featuring Sharon Woodruff's "Love Makes the World Go Round" (51-32).
WE HAVE DEBUTS: Eight newbies this week, and for the second week in a row, it's a beach music remake. Marlisa Kay Small, already in the top ten solo, teams up with Jerry Thomas West, a seasoned performer with Band of Oz and the Cat5 Band, among others) for "Love Really Hurts Without You", a #22 pop hit in 1976 for Billy Ocean. It's true to the original for the most part, except of course for the male-female duet aspect of it. Ms. Small handles the first verse which showcases her versatility for an uptempo song. Ocean's original was a "delayed favorite" of mine which I didn't appreciate until years later; this version should be more immediate for me.
Moving away from the beach, but a song that should definitely be considered for beach music stations is "Love Is the Way", by Thee Sacred Souls, making its blog debut. This is vintage late 1960's/early 1970's R&B heaven. It reminds me a bit of Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, The Intruders and similar bands. The trio hails from Southern California, but Carolina beach music stations should get a hold of this.
Not one, but TWO Colorjoy songs enter, making it five for the duo. The two songs, the last to be released before their album are "Vacant Side" and "Blue Eyed Addiction (Renewed Version)". It's the latter that intrigues me; as the song has the same title as ScreenAge's #1 blog song of 2020, but it is not a remake, rather a "re-imagining" of the song. The band played the song at last year's Roselle Park Arts Festival, and while the hooks are very familiar and you think it's going to lead to a familiar chorus, it veers away from it. But the song structure is along the lines of its namesake original, even the guitar breaks near the end of the song. Very catchy and hooky and should do well here. As for "Vacant Side", it's the type of song Emily sings best. A combination of jangly guitar and her voice can go from understated one second, to very soulful and emotional in a minute's notice, and there's nothing more appealing than the guitar break on this one as well. The duo continues to straddle the line between the raw sound of alt-rock and the polished pop side.
Getting back to beach music, we have Wayne Free's "Our Paradise", the follow-up to "Tequila on Ice" which topped many beach lists and had a lengthy run on SNS. This is actually a re-release, as this had come out a few years back, but it's the first time around for me. This one has that Jimmy Buffett vibe to it, and immediately takes you to the tropics. But the beach music aspect is there, too.
boygenius' blog debut 'Not Strong Enough" is currently top 10 on Triple-A, and is an all-female trio. The three members--Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker, all had solo careers (with Ms. Bridgers scoring a top 30 blog hit in 2020 with "Kyoto" and Ms. Baker a mid-charter in 2021 with "Heatwave") and decided to record together. The artists gel very well, and the harmonies are awesome.
Paramore has been on my mind lately, largely because their song "The Only Exception", a #28 blog hit from 2020 has been covered on both American Idol and The Voice lately, thus I added "The News", the second single from Hayley Williams and company's This Is Why set; the title track reached #62 last year. It's a raw up-tempo alt-rock cooker; might click with several listens. Finally, we have another beach music cover, "I'll Always Love You", by Gary Lowder and Smokin' Hot, the blog follow-up the outfit's top 20 "Don't Let Her Go". Stevie Wonder did the original from his 1976 landmark set Songs in the Key of Life. The song was originally titled "As" which made the top 40 late in 1977. Punctured with horns with a funky beat, the song is true to the original but with Lowder and company's spin.
UPCOMING: The "Rock and Roll" Hall of Fame inductees are announced, and we mourn the loss of Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, all on the next blog.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist
April 30, 2023
|
This Week |
Last Week |
ARTIST-Title |
Weeks on List |
|
1 |
2 |
NUMBER ONE:  Album: Golden Age |
9 |
|
2 |
1 |
8 |
|
|
3 |
5 |
7 |
|
|
4 |
3 |
Rick Strickland and Lesa Hudson
- Got it Right (The First Time) |
15 |
|
5 |
4 |
10 |
|
|
6 |
9 |
The Carolina Queens - The Shoop
Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss) |
6 |
|
7 |
8 |
11 |
|
|
8 |
10 |
8 |
|
|
9 |
11 |
10 |
|
|
10 |
13 |
4 |
|
|
11 |
7 |
Rev. Bubba D. Liverance and the
Cornhole Prophets - Ti Ta Ti Ta Ti Ta Ta▲ |
16 |
|
12 |
12 |
8 |
|
|
13 |
17 |
6 |
|
|
14 |
19 |
9 |
|
|
15 |
16 |
5 |
|
|
16 |
15 |
Jimmy Ogburn's Salt Luvs Pepper
ft. David Cornelius - Love Me Like I Love You |
10 |
|
17 |
20 |
7 |
|
|
18 |
23 |
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:  "Helmet" Album: Gemini Rights |
8 |
|
19 |
6 |
12 |
|
|
20 |
22 |
11 |
|
|
21 |
14 |
14 |
|
|
22 |
21 |
Deb Browning and Six Piece Suits - It Don't Get Better Than
This |
26 |
|
23 |
24 |
11 |
|
|
24 |
30 |
4 |
|
|
25 |
18 |
13 |
|
|
26 |
25 |
12 |
|
|
27 |
27 |
4 |
|
|
28 |
28 |
10 |
|
|
29 |
33 |
4 |
|
|
30 |
29 |
9 |
|
|
31 |
32 |
5 |
|
|
32 |
51 |
MOVER OF THE WEEK:  THE MAIN EVENT BAND featuring SHARON WOODRUFF "Love Makes The World Go Round" (Single Only) |
2 |
|
33 |
35 |
4 |
|
|
34 |
34 |
7 |
|
|
35 |
26 |
13 |
|
|
36 |
41 |
9 |
|
|
37 |
40 |
10 |
|
|
38 |
31 |
16 |
|
|
39 |
45 |
9 |
|
|
40 |
42 |
10 |
|
|
41 |
49 |
7 |
|
|
42 |
48 |
6 |
|
|
43 |
50 |
6 |
|
|
44 |
38 |
24 |
|
|
45 |
36 |
13 |
|
|
46 |
39 |
9 |
|
|
47 |
46 |
8 |
|
|
48 |
37 |
12 |
|
|
49 |
43 |
16 |
|
|
50 |
56 |
4 |
|
|
51 |
55 |
5 |
|
|
52 |
54 |
7 |
|
|
53 |
47 |
12 |
|
|
54 |
62 |
8 |
|
|
55 |
63 |
5 |
|
|
56 |
65 |
5 |
|
|
57 |
67 |
3 |
|
|
58 |
52 |
8 |
|
|
59 |
60 |
9 |
|
|
60 |
66 |
4 |
|
|
61 |
76 |
2 |
|
|
62 |
70 |
3 |
|
|
63 |
---- |
TOP DEBUT:  MARLISA KAY SMALL and JERRY THOMAS WEST "Love Really Hurts Without You" (Single Only) |
1 |
|
64 |
69 |
5 |
|
|
65 |
81 |
2 |
|
|
66 |
44 |
14 |
|
|
67 |
53 |
10 |
|
|
68 |
61 |
47 |
|
|
69 |
57 |
16 |
|
|
70 |
74 |
3 |
|
|
71 |
58 |
12 |
|
|
72 |
86 |
2 |
|
|
73 |
75 |
3 |
|
|
74 |
77 |
3 |
|
|
75 |
78 |
2 |
|
|
76 |
72 |
7 |
|
|
77 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
78 |
80 |
3 |
|
|
79 |
64 |
6 |
|
|
80 |
85 |
3 |
|
|
81 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
82 |
83 |
3 |
|
|
83 |
71 |
28 |
|
|
84 |
73 |
9 |
|
|
85 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
86 |
59 |
14 |
|
|
87 |
79 |
21 |
|
|
88 |
92 |
2 |
|
|
89 |
93 |
2 |
|
|
90 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
91 |
91 |
3 |
|
|
92 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
93 |
68 |
13 |
|
|
94 |
99 |
2 |
|
|
95 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
96 |
87 |
7 |
|
|
97 |
84 |
24 |
|
|
98 |
97 |
6 |
|
|
99 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
100 |
88 |
10 |
Tremors:
101. Morgan Wallen, "Last Night"
|
|
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. ▲Song
garnered most plays on Spotify in current or past month. ● Song among top 3 most
plays on Spotify in current or past month.
Tremors: Songs which have steady or increasing points but not enough to chart on the SNS 100.
Songs
on the SNS 100 are included on the following public Spotify playlists
Scenes
‘n’ Soundwaves Top 40: Contains songs in positions 1-40 on the SNS
100
Scenes
Up and Coming: Songs below #40 that are moving up the chart.
Scenes
Recurrents: Songs which have
dropped below the top 40 but are still on the SNS 100
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