New Jersey's "Spring Break Shake" Coincides with Starbuck's #1 Song; An Inside Look at Nashville (SNS week of 4/14/2024)

 SPRING BREAK QUAKE:   I am back after a week off, in which my wife and I took a road trip with the ultimate destination being Andalusia, Alabama, at a Bed and Breakfast that is run by Brenda Gantt, whose cooking videos have gone viral on Facebook with a big following, including my wife.    We stayed at her Cottle House there, and we were able to meet Ms. Gantt, who provided breakfast for her eight guests one of the mornings.

But the trip was more than that destination.    Just an hour after we had departed, New Jersey experienced an earthquake, measured at 4.8 on the Richter scale.  While we didn't feel it, being about an hour and a half west of the epicenter in Lebanon, NJ, our pet sitter noted that a few items of ours fell off the shelves, but luckily, nothing broke, and there was very little damage overall around the state.    As it had occurred on Friday, April 5, still "spring break" to many, it was a literal "spring break shake".   Thus, it's fitting that Starbuck's "Spring Break Shake" hits the top spot on the Scenes 'n' Soundwaves 100 this week.  More on that below.

The road trip on the way down also includes stops in Nashville for several hours, as well as an Alabama stop to view the total solar eclipse, around the Birmingham, Alabama area; while not in the path of totality, only a small sliver of sun could be seen, and the sky seemed very faint.

A view of downtown Nashville from the rooftop of Ole Red, a bar owned by country star Blake Shelton.

But this is a music blog, and it was the stop in Nashville that I wanted to blog about this week.   When you think of "Music City", it's all about country music, and the thoughts turn to the superstars of the genre, as well as places like Ryman Auditorium and The Grand Ole Opry.     But the pulse of the city lies in a few-block stretch in the center of town, on Broadway.   

Arriving on a Sunday morning around 10 AM, the town was already crowded, with many checking out the bars.    The big names of country music own much of these venues:   Artists such as Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Garth Brooks, Jason Aldean, Kid Rock, Miranda Lambert, and Hank Williams Jr, were just some of the artists who had venues there.     

And, while none of those artists were present, the places were rocking nonetheless, with aspiring artists and bands playing at each venue we went to, hoping to establish themselves as artists to be reckoned with in the future.   

Our first visit was to Jason Aldean's Kitchen and Rooftop Bar.    It was early, thus very few people there, but we caught Chloe Lawson performing with her band.   Then it was on to Ole Red, the bar owned by Blake Shelton, and where the show Barmageddon is filmed.    Another band, led by C.J. Field performed on the main floor.    We then headed up to the rooftop, and caught Zac Hart,   Finally, after walking along Broadway, we checked out a few more bars, each of them with aspiring artists playing their music and trying to be heard.

There's a lot out there, and I'm sure many are trying to vie for stardom, but I am also sure many sure just performing for the love of it.    Back in the early days of my blog, I had followed a singer-songwriter named Rachel Allyn, from nearby Ogdensburg NJ, but who went to school in Nashville.   She performed and probably those same clubs during the school year, then came back to our area and played some Lake Hopatcong bars during the summer break.   Another local, Madison Pisanti, who performed in our area, recently moved to Nashville and is playing the circuit as well, trying to be heard.

We spent about 5 hours in Music City, and while our visit was just confined to the row of venues along Broadway, there, of course is more to it.   Whether you are a country music fan or not, the area is definitely worth checking out.

To check out the artists that we saw, click on the following:

Chloe Lawson:  Chloe Lawson Music on Facebook

CJ FIeld: CJ Field Music (cjfieldofficial.com)

Zac Hart: Zac Hart: Official Website (zachartmusic.com)

SHAKE IT UP:  As mentioned at the top, "Spring Break Shake" (the song), rises to #1 on the Scenes 'n' Soundwaves 100, becoming the second blog-topper for Starbuck, powered by Bruce Blackman, following "On the Sand", which topped the list last fall.   It's the first beach music song to hit the top this year, and the first since "On the Sand" reigned for a week in November.    "Spring Break Shake" is also on the Don Mark Surfside chart at #16.     

While there was a five-month gap between beach music songs, the genre is far from finished on my blog.   Looming in the shadows is Deb Browning's version of "Put Your Hand in the Hand", jumping from 15 to 4.    In addition, her duet with Marlisa Kay Small, "Sunshine and Summertime", last week's Top Debut, grabs impact honors moving 29-15.  Other beach songs in the Top 20 include Deb's former partners The Six Piece Suits, with "I Thought You Knew" (10-7), former Top 10's Karen Clayton and Mike Taylor's "I'm Your Puppet" and Rick Strickland's "Joined at the Heart", Nadia Shutkufski's "Top Down" (currently at #19), and Rivermist's "Everything's Changed" which resurges 16-12. 

The Rivermist song peaked at #5 for two weeks in February before dropping out of the Top 10.  However, since then it has started moving back up.  The catalyst?   Multiple number ones; the song tops 94.9 The Surf Countdown, Eric Bowman's The Wave, WSGE, and Justin Rouse's lists, and is #2 on both Don Mark and Pat Gwinn surveys.  With "Sunshine and Summertime" moving into the region, Ocean Drive Productions now has two songs in the top 20. 

Back to the top of the list, last week's #1, "I've Fallen For A Dragon", by Charlotte Sessons moves back to #2; the song has been either #1 or #2 for seven weeks now.   Cage the Elephant's "Neon Pill", atop Billboard's Alternative Airplay list, moves 5-3 here.  Deb is at #4, and Teddy Swims' former #1 blog and Billboard hit "Lose Control" round out the Top 5.  New to the upper region is Jalen Nganda's "If You Don't Want My Love" (11-8), and Beyonce's much maligned, but liked by me, "Texas Hold 'Em" (12-9) becoming Bey's first blog top ten.    

Aside from the Deb and Marlisa duet, the other new Top 20 entries, are Anna Lavigne's "Butterfly", the second song off of her album Guillemot Days; and SZA's "Saturn" (21-20).  The Mover of the Week comes from Hozier's "Too Sweet" (65-33), which is shaping to be an across the board hit.   On the Hot 100, it had debuted at #5, but since then, it has surprisingly moved to #3 and now sits at #2.  Other big movers included Eavesdrop's "Honest" (56-32), and Sylvia Johns Ritchie's "Good Love Don't Come Easy" (70-43).

DON'T PHASE HER OUT:   "She Was Me" brought New York-based singer-songwriter Juliet Callahan back to the top 10, and this week, "Don't Phase Me" grabs Top Debut honors at #60.    Ms. Callahan moves to a driving, alt-rock, even post-punk stance that is perhaps reminiscent of bands like Metric.  This should rival her blog #1 "Burning".    Excellent delivery by Juliet here.  The song was originally to be released April 29, but Ms. Callahan "accidentally" released the song on April 8.

Has it been 40 years since Bon Jovi first cracked the charts with "Runaway?".   This band survived the grunge-induced backlash in the early 1990's and is still rocking.    "Legendary" is the Jersey bands best in the long time.    It is, in a way, a look back, but also a reassurance that all is okay nowadays, and still out there having a great time.     Jon and the gang's blog best so far was 2013's "Because We Can", but this one should top that one.     With current blog entries by Duran Duran and Debbie Gibson on the SNS 100, the eighties are alive and well.  "Legendary" debuts at #75.

British singer-songwriter Jade Bird returns with "Burn the Hard Drive".  Ms. Bird ruled 2021 with the #1 blog songs "Head Start" and "Now Is the Time", and now returns with the lead single title track from her new EP.  While it lacks the soulful, gusty vocals from the prior hits, this one is still innovative and introspective, and it gets a little bouncy at times.  As a result, it's a bit more down to earth, but still very appealing.    

The Mac Daddy's Band make their blog debut with "Flip Flops and Margaritas".  It's a beach music song produced by Tim Sidden, and it echoes Jimmy Buffet with beach overtones.    The song has potential to climb both blog and beach charts.    Meanwhile, a band that has duetted with Mr. Buffet, Zac Brown Band, returns with "Tie Up".    In a way, it's a throwback to their earlier material, especially the aforementioned Buffett pairing, "Knee Deep".    Zac and crew last had a top ten blog hit with "Same Boat", another similar song, thus "Tie Up" has the same potential.

Guster returns with "Keep Going", is a mid-tempo, rather dreamy excursion that should pick up some Triple-A airplay; Mt. Joy's "Highway Queen" is a straight-ahead alt-rock with a folk flair; and finally, St. Vincent--aka Annie Clark enters with "Broken Man" an exercise in eclectic art-rock, rather disjointed, but that is the point.  It grows on you with multiple listens.

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist

April 14, 2024

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	3	NUMBER ONE: STARBUCK "Spring Break Shake" (Single Release)	7
2	1	Charlotte Sessions - I've Fallen For A Dragon▲²	11
3	5	Cage the Elephant - Neon Pill	11
4	15	Deb Browning - Put Your Hand in the Hand	4
5	2	Teddy Swims - Lose Control	13
6	13	Sadie Leigh - Finger Wave	8
7	10	The Six Piece Suits - I Thought You Knew	8
8	11	Jalen N'ganda - If You Don't Want My Love	7
9	12	Beyonce - Texas Hold Em	8
10	4	Black Pumas - Sauvignon●	16
11	8	Juliet Callahan - She Was Me	10
12	16	Rivermist - Everything's Changed●	15
13	7	Karen Clayton and Mike Taylor - I'm Your Puppet	11
14	6	Rick Strickland - Joined At the Heart	12
15	29	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: DEB BROWNING and MARLISA KAY SMALL "Sunshine and Summertime" (Single Release)	2
16	17	Vacations - Next Exit●	10
17	14	Suki Waterhouse - OMG	9
18	24	Anna Lavigne - Butterfly	5
19	18	Nadia Shutkufski - Top Down	9
20	21	SZA - Saturn	6
21	20	Jaime Wyatt - Feel Good	8
22	9	The Black Keys - Beautiful People (Stay High)●	12
23	26	The Decemberists - Burial Ground	6
24	28	Royel Otis - Murder on the Dance Floor	5
25	25	Billy Joel - Turn the Lights Back On	10
26	31	Orbis Max - Something About You	7
27	33	Say Sue Me - 4 AM	6
28	30	Mumford and Sons ft Pharrell Williams - Good People	7
29	39	The Castaways - Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me	7
30	19	Rev. Bubba D. Liverance and the Cornhole Prophets - Something In the Water	13
31	22	Varsity - Runaway	19
32	37	Portugal. The Man - Grim Generation	6
33	65	MOVER OF THE WEEK: HOZIER "Too Sweet" Album: Unheard (EP)	2
34	23	Molly Lewis and Thee Sacred Souls - Crushed Velvet	10
35	36	Sheryl Crow - Alarm Clock	12
36	56	Eavesdrop - Honest	3
37	45	Knox - Not the 1975	6
38	34	Gary Lowder and Smokin' Hot - Sitting In the Park	22
39	42	Winnetka Bowling League  - Sha-La-La	7
40	47	Benson Boone - Beautiful Things	9
41	49	Rivermist -Don't Walk Away	5
42	52	Paramore - Burning Down the House	6
43	70	Sylvia Johns Ritchie - Good Love Don't Come Easy	3
44	32	Cayucas - Punch Bowl	9
45	40	Richard Swift - Would You●	19
46	48	Love Fame Tragedy - Don't You Want To	10
47	38	Carolina Blue Dots - Coolin' Out	13
48	61	Orbis Max - Not This Time	4
49	27	Deb Browning - Chain Breaker	7
50	35	Colorjoy - Cigarettes and Vanilla●	14
51	43	Thee Sacred Souls - Easier Said Than Done▲	20
52	60	X Ambassadors - No Strings	5
53	59	Gary Lowder and Smokin' Hot - It's Over	6
54	55	Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton - Purple Irises	4
55	46	Everybody Loves An Outlaw - I See Red▲	23
56	66	Girls Who Care - You'll Never Know That	5
57	41	Anna Lavigne - Edge of the World	17
58	68	Lucius - Stranger Danger	5
59	72	Debbie Gibson - Love Don't Care	4
60	---	TOP DEBUT: JULIET CALLAHAN "Don't Phase Me" (Single Release)	1
61	51	Gary Alexander - There's Always Beach Music	19
62	71	David F. Porfirio - Ninja Assasins	6
63	44	Starbuck - Coldest Night of the Year	13
64	54	Cannons - Crush	7
65	63	Charlotte Sessions - Should I Be The Man●	28
66	67	Foo Fighters - The Glass	10
67	75	Lainey Wilson - Country's Cool Again	3
68	78	Randy Clay Band - Party Street	3
69	81	The Rolling Stones - Mess It Up	2
70	84	Local Natives - April	2
71	58	Stephen Sanchez - High	8
72	88	Catfish and the Bottlemen - Showtime	2
73	80	Kasey Musgraves -Deeper Well	3
74	82	Green Day - Dilemma	8
75	---	Bon Jovi - Legendary	1
76	50	Sleater-Kinney - Hell	10
77	53	M83 - Mirror	10
78	64	Real Estate - Water Underground●	12
79	74	Dua Lipa - Training Season	5
80	83	HotWax - Phone Machine	4
81	---	Jade Bird - Burn The Hard Drive	1
82	62	Say She She - Never Say Never	10
83	---	The Mac Daddy's Band - Flip Flops and Margariotas	1
84	57	Orbis Max with Tim Izzard - Here And Now	13
85	86	Cigarettes After Sex - Tejano Blue	3
86	---	Zac Brown Band - Tie Up	1
87	69	The Palms - Ready or Not	14
88	76	Vampire Weekend - Capricorn	5
89	89	Bleachers - Tiny Moves	4
90	---	Guster - Keep Going	1
91	79	Marlisa Kay Small - No Matter Where You Go	19
92	---	Mt. Joy - Highway Queen	1
93	85	Brittany Howard - Prove It To You	7
94	77	Laura Jane Grace - Hole In My Head	9
95	73	Duran Duran - Black Moonlight	14
96	87	Yune - Cake	4
97	95	The Tams - Our Love Will Grow	4
98	---	St. Vincent - Broken Man	1
99	91	K.Flay - Carsick	3
100	90	Fall Out Boy - So Much (For) Stardust	7

Murmurs:

 

David F. Porfirio - Ballad of the Outlaw Logan Landacuda

Einsteins Dad - To The Moon

The Black Keys - On the Game

The Shang Hi Los - Op-Operator

Orbis Max and Tim Izzard - You Know What You're Doing

Blue October - Everything We Lost in the Fire

Kasey Musgraves - Cardinal

Calypso Joe and the Coconuts - New Lattitude

Eavesdrop - Only One

Glass Animals - Creatures in Heaven

Arianna Grande - We Can't Be Friends

Phillip Phillips - Love Like That

Dua Lipa - Illusion

Murmurs: Songs which are in the queue for future adds onto the Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist.

 

Songs with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week ▲Song garnered most plays on Spotify, for the  month, with a superscript following the symbol if most played for multiple months; or if a song was among the top 5 most plays for two months. ● Song among top 5 most plays on Spotify.  Awards given during the last blog of each month.  To qualify, the song must be currently or have peaked in the top 40.

 

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