Is Beach Music and Alternative Compatible?; 'Beach Queens' Dominate SNS 100; Sabrina #1 on Hot 100 (SNS week of 6/23/2024)

 Late, and therefore brief.

DEB BROWNING and MARLISA KAY SMALL hold at the top spot with "Sunshine and Summertime", for a fourth, non-consecutive week.     But, right behind, in the #2 position, is another beach music song, Sylvia Johns Ritchie's "Good Love Don't Come Easy", which moves 4-2.     

That gives the "Carolina Queens", the top two spots, with three of the members who had participated in last year's charity single of "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)", which benefits both Ms. Small's Wigs for Cancer cause, as well as Mitzi Love's For the Love of Vitiligo.     In addition, several others who participated are on the SNS 100 this week.    Rhonda McDaniel's "Better" is at #22; Lesa Hudson's "Groovalicous" #30, Laura Kepley is at #54 with her band The Tonez, on "I Hear You Knocking"; and Karen Clayton appears twice, hanging in there with both her band The Castaways at #97 on "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", and duet partner Mike Taylor on "I'm Your Puppet" at #100.

"Sunshine" ties Charlotte Sessions' "I've Fallen For A Dragon" for most weeks at #1 this year, with four.  The last song to log five weeks at the top was "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Fall Out Boy, which reigned last fall.  

Hozier has the #1 alternative song this week with "Too Sweet", but also is a mover on John Hook's Beach Music Top 40 chart.  The song moves back up the SNS 100 top 10 at #6.

I'm sure there are many out there who are wondering why my chart mixes Carolina beach music with Alternative.    After all, much of the time, the two genres aren't really compatible.    But the proof lies in the charts this week, with the resurgence of Hozier's "Too Sweet" which reverses course and moves back from #8 to #6 with a bullet.    The song originally peaked at #3 here.   But "Too Sweet", which originally hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and recently on the Triple-A airplay chart, now takes the top spot on the Alternative chart as well.    But here's the kicker:    Last week, it debuted on John Hook's Beach Music Top 40 at #38 and moves to #32 this week.  In fact, there seems to be a lot of pop activity on this nationwide beach chart, which not only includes the Carolina based artists, but other artists past and present that are getting airplay on soul-leaning stations and which have the require beats to qualify as beach music.    But, aside from "Too Sweet", Sabrina Carpenter's "Feather" is currently #4 on the beach chart, Tate McCrae's "Greedy", a former Hot 100 Top 10, is #23, and even a remix of Miley Cyrus' 2023 smash "Flowers" is here at #31.   The advantage that Alternative brings is that the genre (or format, if we're talking radio) is very flexible and is intended as a "catch-all" of songs and styles that didn't fit into any one category.   A look at the alternative charts over the years (and Modern Rock, as it was originally called), you'll find a multitude of styles and trends, so it is definitely possible to have a song on both the beach and alt chart (and of course, the SNS 100).

But don't worry.   Seasoned Carolina artists such as The Tonez, Rivermist, Jim Quick and Coastline and many others are still on that chart.

Lissie's "Night Moves" enters the top 10 this week (13-9); the artist charted on Triple-A with this song a few years back, and she was featured on season three of Loudermilk that is streaming on Netflix.   By the way, no word on whether there will be a season four.    

One new entry into the top 20 this week, that being "Beach A Go Go" by Starbuck, following up Bruce Blackman and the gang's #1 "Spring Break Shake"; the song moves 27-20.  The Mover of the Week belongs to "Foam" by Royel Otis (64-45).

SABRINA CARPENTER remains a hot commodity.    "Espresso" holds at #11 and is joined by the aforementioned "Feather", which moves 19-15 along with its progress on the John Hook list.   But it's another song of hers, "Please Please Please" that moves to the top of this week's Billboard Hot 100.  That breaks the five-week reign of "I Had Some Help" by Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen.   What was that I said about that song dominating the Billboard song of the summer charts?  No so fast!  "Please Please Please" will be added here sometime in the next couple of weeks.

NEWBIES:   A pretty good week for adds on the SNS 100 this week.    It's spearheaded by the latest from Phantogram, "All A Mystery".   The duo, from upstate New York, with lead vocals by Sarah Barthel, is a nice slow-dance type of song, that is marked by the outfit's psychedelic pop sound.     The band has had two SNS top 10's, but none since 2014, although they've been major players on the chart since.   This one has a chance to return them to the top echelon here.  A 3/3 beat clinches it.   A winner which debuts at #74.

I could say the same thing about Kings of Leon, which has some success here, but delivers their best in a while, "Nowhere to Run".    The Followell brothers (and cousin) are in great form here.  Caleb's vocals have always been soulful, well within the alt-rock frame, but here, a lot more than ever.    This harkens back to their "Temple" hit; their blog best which hit #4 back in 2013.    Whatever was missing in their recent "Mustang" which petered out at #81 a month or so ago, is here in full force.   It enters at #77,

Last year's big breakthrough group, Say She She, enter with "Slippery People".  While the band is touring this year off their sophomore effort Silver released last year, they release this song, which is an exercise in funkiness.    The group has always modeled themselves after disco-era outfit Chic, and this one definitely has influences.     But the song itself is a cover of a Talking Heads song from that band's landmark Speaking in Tongues, which also recently yielded a cover of "Burning Down the House" by Paramore.  However, the Say She She version of "Slippery People" isn't on the compilation/tribute album Everyone's Getting Involved: A Tribute To Talking Heads' 'Stop Making Sense'; the song is done on that album by El Mato a un Policia Motorizado.  

Heading back to the Grand Strand, beach stalwarts Gary Lowder and Smokin' Hot follow "It's Over" with "Wild Fire".   Not the old Michael Murphey song, but an original (I think, but you never know with beach music), that has a Latin influence, although a bit different from Starbuck's current song.    Punctuated by strong vocals, and horns, this song reminds me a bit of late 70's disco outfit Santa Esmeralda.    It seems that beach music, which once echoed 1950's and 60's soul, appears, in recent years, modeling itself after 1970's disco.    But the sound on this one seems fresh.    

Last week, I mentioned I was going to add an Einsteins Dad song from one of their two latest EPs, and decided to go with the title track from the Internet-based outfit's After the Rain effort.   While the core group of Steve Shouse, Mario Licata, Richard Bradley and Daniele Silvestri are intact, the song features the vocals of Ruth E. Music.    Again, sort of a throwback to the 1970's, although this time, has a bluesy, country-rock slant to it.     This is a nice, tender ballad that you can definitely slow dance to.    I don't know too much about Ruth, but her vocal is very nice and folkish (think early Linda Ronstadt) and will have to do more research on her.    

Also entering is the very bluesy "Wanna Be Loved", by The Red Clay Strays, from Alabama, definitely in the country-rock-blues lane; Beach music artist Steve Cheek's "Last Summer" which, as you'd expect, brings you right to the Carolina coast.   He reminds me a bit of Jerry Powell or a Bubba D. Liverance.  The song is a fixture on many beach charts and should do well here.     Both the Strays and Cheek are making blog chart debuts this week.

Finally, we have "Vertigo" by Beach Bunny.  Not the U2 song, but a song firmly in the heart filled alt-pop and rock lanes from the Chicago based indie poppers.    Definitely along the lines of 90's alt bands like L7 or perhaps more of a Republica.  Nice vocals from Lili Trifillo here.  The trio's best blog chart songs thus far were 2019's "Prom Queen" (#23), and 2021's "Oxygen" (#12) and this should be right up there. 

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist

June 23, 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) (4 weeks at #1)	11
2	4	Sylvia Johns Ritchie - Good Love Don't Come Easy	12
3	2	Jalen Ngonda - If You Don't Want My Love▲²	16
4	6	Kacey Musgraves - Cardinal●	9
5	5	Anna Lavigne - Butterfly	14
6	8	Hozier - Too Sweet	11
7	3	Juliet Callahan - Don't Phase Me▲	10
8	7	Deb Browning - Put Your Hand in the Hand	13
9	13	Lissie - Night Moves	6
10	9	The Black Keys - On the Game	9
11	11	Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso	8
12	12	The Mac Daddy's Band - Flip Flops and Margaritas	10
13	10	Royel Otis - Murder on the Dance Floor	14
14	16	Dua Lipa - Illusion	7
15	19	Sabrina Carpenter - Feather●	5
16	15	Rivermist -Don't Walk Away	14
17	17	Bon Jovi - Legendary	10
18	18	Einsteins Dad - To The Moon	9
19	20	Suki Waterhouse - My Fun	7
20	27	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: STARBUCK "Beach A Go Go" (Single Release)	4
21	22	C. Lynne Smith - Follow It Down	7
22	23	Rhonda McDaniel - Better	6
23	26	Pink Slips Band - Dance	6
24	25	Shang Hi Los - Op-Operator	9
25	24	Lenny Kravitz - Human	7
26	14	Benson Boone - Beautiful Things	18
27	29	Juliet Callahan -Burning Up●	31
28	37	Teddy Swims - The Door	4
29	31	Orbis Max and Lindsay Murray - Fields	6
30	33	Lesa Hudson - Groovalicous	6
31	44	Billie Eilish - Lunch	3
32	30	Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone - Fortnight	8
33	40	Travis - Gaslight	5
34	21	Mumford and Sons ft Pharrell Williams - Good People	16
35	48	Abi Carter - This Isn't Over	4
36	34	Zac Brown Band - Tie Up	10
37	46	Foster the People - Lost In Space	3
38	41	I-42 Band - Looking So Good	7
39	28	Eavesdrop - Honest●	12
40	45	The Beaches - Edge of the Earth	5
41	36	Charlotte Sessions - I've Fallen For A Dragon▲²	20
42	43	Green Day - Dilemma	17
43	54	The Holiday Band - I Got It Bad For You	2
44	58	Beabadoobee - Take A Bite	2
45	64	MOVER OF THE WEEK: ROYEL OTIS "Foam" Album: Pratts & Pain	2
46	32	SZA - Saturn	15
47	35	Starbuck - Spring Break Shake▲	16
48	50	Orbis Max - Waiting All Night	4
49	65	Kate Hudson - Gonna Find Out	2
50	42	Black Pumas - Sauvignon●	25
51	39	The Six Piece Suits - I Thought You Knew●	17
52	49	Winnetka Bowling League - America In Your 20's	7
53	56	David F. Porfirio - Spanish Harlem	5
54	68	The Tonez - I Hear You Knocking	2
55	57	Eavesdrop - Only One	4
56	38	Orbis Max and Tim Izzard - You Know What You're Doing	9
57	62	The Ampifier Heads - The Best It's Gonna Be	4
58	59	Too Much Sylvia - Another Day	4
59	47	Randy Clay Band - Party Street	12
60	67	Cage the Elephant - Good Time	3
61	53	Rivermist - Everything's Changed●	24
62	61	Gary Clark Jr ft. Stevie Wonder - What About the Children	7
63	63	The Marias - Run Your Mouth	8
64	69	Post Malone ft. Morgan Wallen - I Had Some Help	3
65	52	Sadie Leigh - Finger Wave●	17
66	83	Nada Surf - In Front Of Me Now	2
67	72	Fontaines DC - Starbuster	5
68	51	Say Sue Me - 4 AM	15
69	73	Black Pumas - Mrs. Postman	3
70	82	Whiskey-Chitto Ramblers - Radio On	2
71	55	Beyonce - Texas Hold Em	17
72	77	Michael Marcagi - Scared to Start	3
73	79	Train - Long Yellow Dress	3
74	---	TOP DEBUT:  PHANTOGRAM "All A Mystery" (Single Release)	1
75	75	Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats - Heartless	4
76	87	Northern Tracks - Deceiving Minds	2
77	---	Kings of Leon - Nowhere to Run	1
78	---	Say She She - Slippery People	1
79	66	The Black Keys - Beautiful People (Stay High)●	21
80	88	The Early November - About Me	2
81	---	Gary Lowder and Smokin Hot - Wild Fire	1
82	---	Einsteins Dad -After the Rain	1
83	---	The Red Clay Strays - Wanna Be Loved	1
84	89	Zach Bryan - Pink Skies	2
85	---	Steve Cheek - Last Summer	1
86	60	Orbis Max - Not This Time	13
87	78	Nadia Shutkufski - Top Down	18
88	86	Tommy Richman - Million Dollar Baby	3
89	---	Beach Bunny - Vertigo	1
90	71	Whiskey-Chitto Ramblers - Cigarette	6
91	70	Jaime Wyatt - Feel Good	17
92	84	Sheryl Crow - Alarm Clock	21
93	80	Vacations - Next Exit▲	19
94	91	Kaleo - Lonely Cowboy	5
95	74	Calypso Joe and the Coconuts - New Lattitude	9
96	76	The Decemberists - Burial Ground	15
97	85	The Castaways - Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me	16
98	90	Glass Animals - Creatures In Heaven	8
99	81	Joywave - Scared	5
100	92	Karen Clayton and Mike Taylor - I'm Your Puppet	20

Murmurs:

The Decemberists - Oh No

Lainey Wilson - Hang Tight Honey

J.D. Cash - Chances Are

Donny Trexler - Just a Little Bit of Your Love

Smitty and the Jumpstarters - Let's Walk

The Gaslight Anthem - Ocean Eyes

AWOLNATION - Panoramic View

Alice Merton - run away girl

Ray Lamontagne - Steep Into Your Power

Public - Make You Mine

Heavy Heavy - Happiness

Good Neighbors - Home

The Offspring -Make It Alright

Clairo - Sexy To Someone

Beach Weather -  high in Low Places

Norah Jones - Running

Joy Again - Angel

Isn't It Always? - Dream Again

311 - You're Gonna Get It

Laufey - Bored

Anna Lavigne - Falling

Sabrina Carpenter - Please Please Please

Orbis Max and Jim Ritchey - Learning to Love

The Holiday Band - I Don't Want to Cry (when available)

R. Mark Black - End to End (when available)

 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