Start of the SNS "Summer" (SNS weeks of 5/12 and 5/19/2024)

 This will be very brief as I will be away on my annual camping trip out to Roscoe NY this week, so this is a "double issue".    But it will also begin my annual SNS "Song of the Summer" contest which will run until mid-September.

SNS 100:  Deb Browning and Marlisa Kay Small's version of  "Sunshine and Summertime", appropriately hangs on to the top position for a second week, barely surviving a charge from Jalen Ngonda's soulful "If You Don't Want My Love" which advances 3-2.   Either of these songs could hold sway next week.    Ms. Browning's take on "Put Your Hand in the Hand", although still gaining points, slips 2-3, but is still very much in the running.   Starbuck's former blog-topper, "Spring Break Shake" holds at #4, while Hozier's former Billboard #1, "Too Sweet" moves 8 to 5, in an attempt for a second straight SNS #1; "Francesca" hit the top last summer.      Anna Lavigne's "Butterfly" loses its bullet but still advances 9-6.

BURNING UP (AGAIN):   Juliet Callahan's "Don't Phase Me" moves 11-8, becoming the New York-based singer-songwriter's second blog top 10; following "Burning" which topped the SNS 100 in late 2022.    What is interesting is that Ms. Callahan, who releases a song every month, just dropped a remix version of "Burning", titled "Burning Up"; it's essentially the same track, mixed with a harder rock edge that is just out of this world.    Look for a debut next week, but the question is, whether I should treat it as a "new" song, or as a "re-entry" since, despite the slightly different title, it's a dressed-up version of the same track.   Billboard usually treats this situation as the same song if it was determined that it's the same recording, which this essentially is, despite the slight change in title.    The original mix of "Burning" spent three weeks atop SNS in a 26-week run.

Eavesdrop earns its second blog top ten as "Honest" moves 13-10. Approaching top ten status is Royel Otis' "Murder on the Dance Floor" (15-11).  Sylvia Johns Ritchie's "Good Love Don't Come Easy" is her biggest solo (i.e.,non-duet) hit with a 19-14 move.  Kacey Musgraves appears to have her biggest blog hit since 2022's top five "Justified" as "Cardinal" moves 26-18 to garner Impact honors.  Benson Boone's #2 Billboard hit "Beautiful Things" arrives at #20 here.

Some big movers further down.    Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso" is one of the few current pop hits talked about by friends, and it advances 34-23.   Interestingly enough, her prior single, "Feather" is still active on the charts, approaching the Billboard top 20, but get this:  It enters John Hook's Beach Music Chart this week at #39.  Look for a debut here in the next week or so.

Taylor Swift and Post Malone's "Fortnight" relinquishes the Billboard top spot to a "diss song" by Kendrick Lamar (against Drake), but still moves 47-35; Dua Lipa's "Illusion" 66-44, last week's Top Debut, Lenny Kravitz's "Human" 64-43, C. Lynne Smith's "Follow It Down" (68-48) and the Mover of the Week, "My Fun" by Suki Waterhouse.

Illinois-based singer-songwriter Lissie, who appeared in several episodes of season 3 of the Netflix series "Loudermilk", takes the Top Debut with "Night Moves"

DEBUTS:   Six newbies this week, topped by "Night Moves" by midwestern singer-songwriter Lissie.  Many of my ideas for adds were borne from watching TV series streaming on platforms such as Netflix, and it was her appearance on the third season of Loudermilk that prompted me to add this song.   Born Elisabeth Corrin Maurus, she's been performing since 2006.  Two years later, she was invited by last week's Top Debut artist, Lenny Kravitz, to open for him on his Love Revolution Tour.

Lissie has had some success thus far.  "Night Moves" was actually released in 2022 and peaked at #23 on the Triple-A airplay chart.   2018's "Best Days" did even better, peaking at #9 on the same chart.  She's charted in other countries as far back in 2010.    The song definitely has that Stevie Nicks vibe to it, sung with much emotion, perhaps even more than Ms. Nicks herself.  The song should have a nice second life on my blog chart.

Next is a trio of seasoned beach music artists.   Rhonda McDaniel hit the top 20 last year with "Say a Prayer", but her new one, "Better" should put her back in the territory of her blog #1 song with the Carolina Coast Band, "The Thing About You".   A nice soulful beach beat intros this one, and the song suits her always powerful voice to a "T".   The song could feel at home in the mid-70's discos (namely 1973!), but by beach standards, it's very now.   

Lesa Hudson follows her top three "Count on Me" with another from the awesome beginning-to-end album Power of Two, "Groovalicious".  This is a nice hybrid of many styles past and present.  It's getting immediate reception in the beach community; in fact, there have been dances spawned by the song.    The latest release follows her band partner Rick Strickland's top five "Joined at the Heart".  Nine songs from this awesome album have made my top 20, including several released before the album. 

Finally, the Pink Slips Band follows the top 30 "Ought to Be a Song" with "Dance".  This is the quintessential party out on the beach or tiki bar song.   A summer jam for sure, this one keeps moving.  Already #1 on a couple beach lists, it should follow suit here.  Much going on here, if you want to get the party started, this is the song for you.

E-band Orbis Max has been releasing new songs every few weeks.   With the band already chalking top 40 entries with "Something About You" and "Not This Time" (both still major chart entries this week), and with another one "Waiting All Night" just released, not to mention the still-climbing duet with Tim Izzard, "You Know What You're Doing", entering this week is "Fields", featuring Lindsay Murray, who fronts the band Gretchen's Wheel.    The song, in which Ms. Murray trades vocals with Dw Dunphy, is in the vein of Orbis' huge hit from last year, "R U OK".   A sentimental ballad like the prior song, this should grow on you with additional spins.     

Finally, we have the blog debut from Whiskey-Chitto Ramblers, "Cigarette".  The Ramblers are an alt-country band from Texas who have made that state's country chart.    The band is led by Seth Storer, who is already currently on the chart as featured vocalist on Einsteins Dad's "To The Moon".   I mentioned a few weeks ago that Storer's voice is gravelly and reminiscent of Eddie Vedder, but this time it isn't as apparent within the framework of his band, but still has traces of the likes of Aaron Lewis; Gin Blossoms is also listed as an influence.  

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist

May 5 / 12, 2024

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	1	NUMBER ONE: DEB BROWNING and MARLISA KAY SMALL "Sunshine and Summertime" (Single Release) (2 weeks at #1)	6
2	3	Jalen Ngonda - If You Don't Want My Love●	11
3	2	Deb Browning - Put Your Hand in the Hand	8
4	4	Starbuck - Spring Break Shake▲	11
5	8	Hozier - Too Sweet	6
6	9	Anna Lavigne - Butterfly	9
7	5	The Six Piece Suits - I Thought You Knew●	12
8	11	Juliet Callahan - Don't Phase Me●	5
9	10	SZA - Saturn	10
10	13	Eavesdrop - Honest●	7
11	15	Royel Otis - Murder on the Dance Floor	9
12	6	Beyonce - Texas Hold Em	12
13	7	Sadie Leigh - Finger Wave●	12
14	19	Sylvia Johns Ritchie - Good Love Don't Come Easy	7
15	17	Mumford and Sons ft Pharrell Williams - Good People	11
16	12	Charlotte Sessions - I've Fallen For A Dragon▲²	15
17	16	The Decemberists - Burial Ground	10
18	26	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: KACEY MUSGRAVES "Cardinal" Album: Deeper Well	4
19	20	Say Sue Me - 4 AM	10
20	24	Benson Boone - Beautiful Things	13
21	14	Black Pumas - Sauvignon●	20
22	29	The Black Keys - On the Game	4
23	34	Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso	3
24	18	Jaime Wyatt - Feel Good	12
25	25	The Castaways - Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me	11
26	23	Rivermist - Everything's Changed●	19
27	33	The Mac Daddy's Band - Flip Flops and Margaritas	5
28	31	Rivermist -Don't Walk Away	9
29	21	Vacations - Next Exit▲	14
30	22	Cage the Elephant - Neon Pill	15
31	27	Sheryl Crow - Alarm Clock	16
32	32	Orbis Max - Not This Time	8
33	38	Bon Jovi - Legendary	5
34	42	Einsteins Dad - To The Moon	4
35	47	Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone - Fortnight	3
36	39	Gary Lowder and Smokin' Hot - It's Over	10
37	45	Zac Brown Band - Tie Up	5
38	36	Paramore - Burning Down the House	10
39	30	Teddy Swims - Lose Control	17
40	28	Karen Clayton and Mike Taylor - I'm Your Puppet	15
41	52	Orbis Max and Tim Izzard - You Know What You're Doing	4
42	53	Shang Hi Los - Op-Operator	4
43	64	Lenny Kravitz - Human	2
44	66	Dua Lipa - Illusion	2
45	35	Rick Strickland - Joined At the Heart	16
46	37	Orbis Max - Something About You	11
47	49	Randy Clay Band - Party Street	7
48	68	C. Lynne Smith - Follow It Down	2
49	70	MOVER OF THE WEEK: SUKI WATERHOUSE "My Fun" (Single Release)	2
50	40	Nadia Shutkufski - Top Down	13
51	46	Debbie Gibson - Love Don't Care	8
52	57	Green Day - Dilemma	12
53	56	The Driver Era - Get Off My Phone	4
54	60	Calypso Joe and the Coconuts - New Lattitude	4
55	51	Gary Lowder and Smokin' Hot - Sitting In the Park	26
56	41	Suki Waterhouse - OMG	13
57	---	TOP DEBUT: LISSIE "Night Moves" Album: Carving Canyons	1
58	63	Guster - Keep Going	5
59	43	Juliet Callahan - She Was Me	14
60	54	Local Natives - April	6
61	---	Rhonda McDaniel - Better	1
62	77	I-42 Band - Looking So Good	2
63	67	Taylor Swift ft. Florence + the Machine - Florida!!	3
64	79	Gary Clark Jr ft. Stevie Wonder - What About the Children	2
65	81	Winnetka Bowling League - America In Your 20's	2
66	44	Knox - Not the 1975	10
67	76	Ariana Grande - we can't be friends (waiting for your love)	3
68	---	Lesa Hudson - Groovalicous	1
69	74	The Marias - Run Your Mouth	3
70	---	Pink Slips Band - Dance	1
71	48	Portugal. The Man - Grim Generation	10
72	50	X Ambassadors - No Strings	9
73	55	Lainey Wilson - Country's Cool Again	7
74	---	Orbis Max and Lindsay Murray - Fields	1
75	59	Varsity - Runaway	23
76	78	Maggie Rogers - Don't Forget Me	3
77	58	The Rolling Stones - Mess It Up	6
78	80	Glass Animals - Creatures In Heaven	3
79	61	Billy Joel - Turn the Lights Back On	14
80	65	The Black Keys - Beautiful People (Stay High)●	16
81	72	Thee Sacred Souls - Easier Said Than Done▲	24
82	75	Blue October - Everything We Lost In the Fire	4
83	87	Rachel Platten - Girls	2
84	---	Whiskey-Chitto Ramblers - Cigarette	1
85	62	Lucius - Stranger Danger	9
86	73	Richard Swift - Would You●	23
87	69	Jade Bird - Burn The Hard Drive	5
88	85	Philllip Phillips - Love Like That	3
89	82	Rev. Bubba D. Liverance and the Cornhole Prophets - Something In the Water	17
90	89	Charlotte Sessions - Should I Be The Man●	32
91	92	Marlisa Kay Small - No Matter Where You Go	23
92	86	Love Fame Tragedy - Don't You Want To	14
93	71	Girls Who Care - You'll Never Know That	9
94	83	Winnetka Bowling League  - Sha-La-La	11
95	91	Everybody Loves An Outlaw - I See Red▲	27
96	84	Molly Lewis and Thee Sacred Souls - Crushed Velvet	14
97	88	Deb Browning - Chain Breaker	11
98	90	Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton - Purple Irises	8
99	93	Colorjoy - Cigarettes and Vanilla●	18
100	94	Cayucas - Punch Bowl	13

Murmurs:

Eavesdrop - Only One

Kaleo - Lonely Cowboy

Fontains DC - Starbuster

The Beaches - Edge of the Earth

Travis - Gaslight

Joywave - Sacred

Teddy Swims - The Door

Sabrina Carpenter - Feather

Juliet Callahan - Burning/Burning Up

Orbis Max - Waiting All Night

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