Scenes 'n' Soundwaves: Marlisa & Jerry Continue "Beach Fever" Run; Arlo Parks Top Debut (SNS week of 6/18/2023)

ANOTHER SHORT and sweet blog this week, but the duo of Marlisa Kay Small and Jerry West, ascend to the top spot this week with their revival of "Love Really Hurts Without You". The song, a remake of Billy Ocean's Top 30 pop hit of 1976 becomes the third straight remake of a 1960's or 70's song to hit #1 on the blog, following The Main Event featuring Sharon Woodruff's "Love Makes the World Go Round" (Deon Jackson, 1966) and before that, the Carolina Queens' charity-benefit "The Shoop Shoop Song ("It's In His Kiss") (first a hit by Betty Everett in 1964). Prior to this blitz, no remake of that era ever hit the top of the blog chart; the closest was Rachel Allyn's take on Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" which hit #7 in 2016 (although Ms. Allyn also hit #3 with "Dear Prudence", an album cut from The Beatles' "White Album" in 2013).

Marlisa Kay Small and Jerry West have the #1 song this week, "Love Really Hurts Without You"

It's the first blog chart-topper for West, who is a veteran of regional beach charts. As for Ms. Small, she was one of the "Queens" on the "Shoop" record, and also recently hit top ten solo with "Anyway", putting her in a unique group that has hit the top ten solo, in a duo, and in a group. All three of her songs are still in the top 20. As for the Carolina Queens, many of them are doing well on their own. Aside from Ms. Small, Sharon Woodruff, Deb Browning, Laura Kepley and Lesa Hudson are in the top 20 either on their own, in a duo, or group. Rhonda McDaniel, Allie Privette and Sylvia Johns Ritchie, are further down the list as well. That makes more than half (8) of the fourteen ladies on that song, also on the list on their own.

The top spots are still very tight with only five points separating the top four. Orbis Max inches up further to #2 with "R U OK", with two neo-soul songs by Thee Sacred Souls and Say She She moving to the #3 and #4 spots. Last week's #1, the aforementioned Main Event's "Love Makes the World Go Round" drops to #5.

THE JOY OF A STREAK: Meanwhile, Colorjoy has two songs in the top ten this week: The reimagined "Blue Eyed Addiction" is pushed back to #6 but enough to keep its bullet, while "Drops of Honey" inches 11-10, making four songs from the duo's Golden Age set to hit top 10. It also keeps lead singer Emily MacMahon's perfect top 10 record intact: MacMahon and bandmate Sam Novotny's former contingent ScreenAge's first blog song was the top ten "Vague", which was then followed by six #1 songs, an Emily solo song, and the now four top ten's from Colorjoy's debut. That makes 12 top tens in a row for Emily and 11 for Sam. "Vacant Side", the final single that was released prior to the album, moves 35-28 this week. Colorjoy is set to play at the Morris County Pride festival in Randolph (at the Morris Community College). The festival goes on from 11 AM to 4 PM.

One new entry into the top 20 is "Beach Fever On My Mind" by the I-42 Band, and thus grabs the Impact award this week. The Mover of the Week is Rev. Bubba D. Liverance and the Cornhole Prophets' "Dreamsicle" (76-53). Last week's debut, Lesa Hudson's "Count On Me" advances 68-52.

I HAVEN'T REALLY TALKED about the Billboard Hot 100 lately, because once again, many of the songs on it leave a lot to be desired. However, there are a few songs on the upper part of the chart that are on SNS. Most noted is Morgan Wallen's "Last Night", which now has been #1 for 11 weeks. That is four weeks short of Harry Styles' "As It Was", which had 15 weeks at the top last year and holds the record for a male solo artist. This action has forced the song up my chart. After hovering at the bottom (or in the Tremors list) for weeks, it advances to 72-55 on the SNS 100 in its tenth week on the main chart. Wallen's high point on my chart was "7 Summers" which got to #21 in 2020. Two former Billboard #1's are on my list as well. Miley Cyrus' "Flowers", which had a dual #1 on Billboard and SNS, is still #2 on the big chart, and inched back up from 90 to 87 after 22 weeks here. SZA's "Kill Bill", which also hit #1 on Billboard and spent many weeks in the top five and is currently #7 there, drops to #44 here after peaking at #27 here two weeks ago.

Other Hot 100 charters on my list as well include Ed Sheeran's "Eyes Closed" (#26 Billboard, #34 SNS), Dua Lipa's "Dance the Night" (#32 Billboard, #72 SNS), Ms. Cyrus' follow-up "Jaded" (#85 Billboard, #22 SNS), and Taylor Swift's "Karma" (#9 Billboard which features Ice Spice, and a debut at #96 SNS with just Ms. Swift).

DEBUTS: Once again a slew of debuts, either on the SNS 100 or the Tremors list, headed by Arlo Parks' "Devotion", the follow-up to her #2 blog smash "Weightless". Loosely in the same vein as the prior song, Ms. Parks sings with much, er.... devotion. It sort of has a Tennis/Pageants flair to it as well. The song evolves into an alt-pop-rock vein halfway into the song. Should make it two in a row for the English songstress.

Kesha debuts with "Only Love Can Save Us Now". The singer has had sporadic appearances on my blog playlist throughout the years, and this one is her first in a few years. This is an interesting one, it starts out in a Billie Eilish vibe, but then when it gets into the chorus, it breaks out into an awesome soulful up-tempo confection. While I sort of wish the whole song would be like that, the second time it morphs that way, it goes all the way to the fade out. Kesha's blog best was in 2019 featured on The Struts' "Body Talks" (#13).

In sort of an answer to the Carolina beach music blitz, and I mentioned this band last week, is "Feel The Love" by The Eddie Testa Band. As I indicated last week, the band has the "Jersey Shore" sound down pat. I was looking for a recent recording by them, as several friends have checked Testa and the band out at several Jersey Shore venues. Their latest, The L Sessions came out last year, and my featured track from it is "Feel the Love". While the obvious comparison is to Bruce Springsteen, the band is really its own. Definitely a worthy song, and it joins the current John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band song on the SNS 100. With Springsteen himself getting some beach music airplay on his latest album which contains covers of some great 1960's soul classics, maybe we have another blog trend? Testa's blog best was in 2021 when "Livin' Lovin' Life", featuring Super Blue, hit #22 here.

As mentioned above, Taylor Swift debuts with "Karma", essentially a follow-up to her Billboard #1, SNS #21 "Anti-Hero" (it's hard to tell as there's usually multiple tracks on the big chart...actually "Lavender Haze" was the second single off of her current Midnights set that peaked at #72 here). This is a mid-tempo pop song that has its moments, and it's one of several songs that Taylor had wrote in reactions to several of her issues. I won't name them here.

TREMORS: Once again, the majority of the songs didn't have enough points to enter the SNS 100, thus they enter the Tremors list. That is headed by "Abigail" from Frankie Cosmos. Ms. Cosmos is a singer-songwriter from New York City and is definitely in the recent blog eclectic style that has done well for me this year. While her Wikipedia entry suggests that she has gone back to using her given name Greta Simone Kline (and is the daughter of actors Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates), her new album Inner World Peace bills her as her stage name.. Grace Gaustad performed recently on Kelly Clarkson's talk show and they debut with "Disappear", a rather cool and ambiance-filled indie pop song. Imani Graham's "Tunnelvision" is definitely in the driving indie-pop vein, she plays various shows in Asbury Park and New York City. Elle King is next with "Jersey Giant", which continues her venture into country music. It's a good song, with a few spins should gain momentum, but to be honest, I love her earlier rock stuff much more, but she isn't the only one to abandon that genre. Still, with the lack of female artists in country lately, this should be a welcome addition. Caroline Polachek's "Welcome To My Island". is another in the alt-pop singer-songwriter vein and is also from New York City. Finally, Noah Kahan, who debuts on the Hot 100 this week with "Dial Drunk", does the name here with "Stick Season". an indie-folk confection that was popular ten years ago. Has it really been THAT long?

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist

June 18, 2023

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	2	NUMBER ONE: MARLISA KAY SMALL and JERRY WEST "Love Really Hurts Without You" (Single Only)	7
2	3	Orbis Max with Lisa Mychols ft. Ed Ryan - R U OK	12
3	4	Thee Sacred Souls - Love Is The Way	7
4	6	Say She She - Don't You Dare Stop●	4
5	1	The Main Event Band ft. Sharon Woodruff - Love Makes The World Go Round	8
6	5	Colorjoy - Blue Eyed Addiction (Renewed Version)	7
7	7	Deb Browning - Think I Found Forever▲	14
8	10	Hannah Goodall - The Girl Who Once Loved You	10
9	8	The Carolina Queens - The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)	12
10	11	Colorjoy - Drops of Honey▲	10
11	16	Jerry Powell - One More Summer Night	8
12	9	Jimmy Ogburn's Salt Luvs Pepper ft. David Cornelius - Love Me Like I Love You	16
13	20	The Tonez - Caught Up	5
14	14	Rick Strickland and Lesa Hudson - Got it Right (The First Time)●	21
15	18	Say She She - In My Head●	16
16	13	Goldie Boutiiler - Cowboy Gangster Politician	14
17	12	Drugdealer - Valentine	10
18	17	The Heavy - Hurricane Coming	13
19	15	Marlisa Kay Small - Anyway	10
20	24	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: I-42 BAND "Beach Fever On My Mind" (Single Only)	10
21	26	The Heavy Heavy - Go Down River	8
22	36	Miley Cyrus - Jaded	5
23	33	Einsteins Dad - Anytime Blues	4
24	21	Miya Folick - Bad Thing	11
25	27	Hanna Jadagu - What You Did	6
26	31	Tennis - Forbidden Doors	8
27	19	Colorjoy - Beautiful People●	13
28	35	Colorjoy - Vacant Side	7
29	34	Allison Ponthier - Hollywood Forever Cemetary	6
30	37	Say She She - Reeling	4
31	32	Tim Izzard - Alice Pearl	9
32	40	Orbis Max - No Hero	4
33	43	John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band - Day In the Sun	3
34	38	Ed Sheeran - Eyes Closed	9
35	41	Rhonda McDaniel - Say A Prayer	5
36	22	Colorjoy - Golden Age▲	15
37	25	Devon Gilfillian - All I Really Wanna Do●	17
38	23	Beck - Thinking About You	16
39	54	Too Much Sylvia - It Still Is	4
40	47	TYTILLIDIE - Body On Me	11
41	53	Wayne Free - Our Paradise	7
42	28	Depeche Mode - Ghosts Again	16
43	61	Cannons - Loving You	3
44	30	SZA - Kill Bill	15
45	44	Arlo Parks - Weightless▲	18
46	58	Sunny War - No Reason	4
47	29	Juliet Callahan - Depth of Soul	10
48	55	Isn't It Always - Laced Love	8
49	67	Pageants - Worse	4
50	64	boygenius - Not Strong Enough	7
51	63	The Gaslight Anthem - Positive Charge	5
52	68	Lesa Hudson - Count On Me	2
53	76	MOVER OF THE WEEK: REV. BUBBA D. LIVERANCE and the CORNHOLE PROPHETS "Dreamsicle" Album: Expect No Mercy	2
54	52	Deb Browning and Six Piece Suits - It Don't Get Better Than This	32
55	72	Morgan Wallen - Last Night	10
56	46	Rev. Bubba D. Liverance and the Cornhole Prophets - Ti Ta Ti Ta Ti Ta Ta▲	22
57	39	The Castaways - Mr. Dream Merchant	15
58	42	Metric - False Dictotomy	9
59	49	Steve Lacy - Helmet	14
60	57	The National - Tropic Morning News	13
61	48	Allie Privette - Ain't Nobody	17
62	60	Lizzo - Special	10
63	75	Foo Fighters - Rescued	5
64	45	The Arcs - Keep On Dreamin'	11
65	71	Jim Quick and Coastline - Those Summer Days	4
66	50	The Beths - Watching the Credits	8
67	51	Pink Slips Band - Ought To Be A Song	13
68	66	Grouplove - Hello	9
69	56	Hannah Jadagu - Say It Now	18
70	81	Moon Taxi - Classics	6
71	82	Phoenix ft Clairo- After Midnight	5
72	88	Dua Lipa - Dance The Night	3
73	79	The Cowsills - Rhythm Of the World	9
74	80	What's Left? - Do It To Me	6
75	89	K.Flay - Raw Raw	3
76	62	Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Wolf	14
77	---	TOP DEBUT: ARLO PARKS "Devotion" Album: My Soft Machine	1
78	59	Inhaler - Love Will Get You There	15
79	87	Tame Impala - Wings of Time	13
80	77	Stephen Sanchez - Until I Found You●	22
81	78	Say She She - Trouble●	30
82	91	Prairie Fire - Death of An Artist	3
83	101	Sylvia Johns Ritchie - When I Wish For You	1
84	92	The Arcs - Heaven Is a Place	3
85	99	Harry Styles - Satellite	2
86	102	Highwind - Never Sitting Pretty	1
87	90	Miley Cyrus - Flowers▲	22
88	106	Cat5 Band - What's Love Got To Do With You	1
89	65	Jenny Lewis - Psychos	9
90	70	Edie Bens - Don't Love You Anymore	16
91	---	Kesha - Only Love Can Save Us Now	1
92	94	Gary Lowder and Smokin Hot - I'll Be Loving You Always	7
93	73	The Blue Stones - Don't Miss	15
94	83	Milky Chance - Living In a Haze	11
95	---	Eddie Testa Band - Feel The Love	1
96	---	Taylor Swift - Karma	1
97	69	Michigander - Superglue	14
98	100	Yes - Cut From the Stars	2
99	105	The Six Piece Suits - That Groove	1
100	107	Halogens - Without Warning	1