Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Lady GaGa is a Killer



At least in this video. She and Beyonce embark on a crime spree to the tune of "Telephone", which is the current #1 song on Mel's Weekly Top 20.

This music video is a 10-minute mini movie that starts off in prison and ends up in the dessert with Lady GaGa and Beyonce driving away to who knows where. The producers spent a lot of money to make this video as it contains several sets and utilizes several dozen extras for the prison and diner scenes. If I had to rate this video on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being all time classic, I'd give it about a 7 for its high production value, but demerits for its rather negative message of murder and mayhem. The video is definitely not for the "easily offended" viewer. If it were a movie the uncensored version would be rated "R" and this "clean" version would probably still render the same rating.

You have been warned. View at your own risk.

Mel's Weekly Top 20
Week of March 21, 2010 | Website

This Week - Song Title - Artist - Last Week

1 Telephone - Lady GaGa featuring Beyoncé - 2
2 Need You Now - Lady Antebellum - 1
3 Breakeven - The Script - 4
4 Hey, Soul Sister - Train - 3
5 According to You - Orianthi - 6
6 Tik Tok (Radio Remix) - Kesha - 5
7 Hollywood - Marina and the Diamonds - 7
8 I Never Told You - Colbie Caillat - 11
9 Walk With You - Ringo Starr - 10
10 Temporary Home - Carrie Underwood - 12
11 Back It Up - Caro Emerald - 17
12 Smile - Uncle Kracker - 14
13 Imma Be - Black Eyed Peas - 8
14 Bad Romance - Lady GaGa - 9
15 Blow Away (Radio Edit) - A Fine Frenzy - 16
16 American Honey - Lady Antebellum - 18
17 Every Now And Then - Noisettes - 19
18 The High Road - Broken Bells - 15
19 I Have You To Thank - Donny Osmond - 20
20 Two Is Better Than One - Boys Like Girls featuring Taylor Swift - 13

CHART NOTES

Lady GaGa and Beyonce replace Lady Antebellum on the top spot this week. This is the first week at #1 for "Telephone". The song has been on the chart for several months now. A new Lady GaGa song is waiting in the wings, possibly to debut by next week.

There are no new songs added to the chart this week. Positions change with droppers bering "Imma Be" by Black Eyed Peas and "Bad Romance" by Lady GaGa. The latter has been on the top 20 since before November 2009. It held the top spot on the charts for 5 weeks last year.

Moving Up: Colbie Caillat up 3 from #11 to #8 with "I Never Told You"; Caro Emerald up from #17 to #11 with "Back It Up," and Uncle Kracker up 2 from #14 to #12 with "Smile", a latecomer to my chart having made its run on other charts late last year. Ringo Starr moves up 1 with "Walk With You" from #10 to #9. He last hit the top 10 in 2008 with "Liverpool 8".

Moving Down: Lady GaGa with "Bad Romance" down from #9 to #14, and Black Eyed Peas down from #8 to #13. Their hit "Imma Be" only made it to #8 on this chart. I liked the song for a short time and quickly grew disinterested in it after I bought it. Oh well.

Also moving down is Broken Bells with their song "The High Road" which apparently peaked at only #15 last week. This week it's at #18.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Mel's Weekly Top 20 & Oldies Chart



Mel's Weekly Top 20
Week of March 14, 2010 | Website

This Week - Song Title - Artist - Last Week

1 Need You Now - Lady Antebellum - 2
2 Telephone - Lady GaGa Feat. Beyoncé - 3
3 Hey, Soul Sister - Train - 1
4 Breakeven - The Script - 4
5 Tik Tok (Radio Remix) - Kesha - 5
6 According to You - Orianthi - 8
7 Hollywood - Marina and the Diamonds - 9
8 Imma Be - The Black Eyed Peas - 10
9 Bad Romance - Lady GaGa - 7
10 Walk With You - Ringo Starr - 11
11 I Never Told You - Colbie Caillat - 13
12 Temporary Home - Carrie Underwood - 12
13 Two Is Better Than One - Boys Like Girls featuring Taylor Swift - 6
14 Smile - Uncle Kracker - 14
15 The High Road - Broken Bells - 17
16 Blow Away (Radio Edit) - A Fine Frenzy - 20
17 Back It Up - Caro Emerald - --
18 American Honey - Lady Antebellum - --
19 Every Now And Then - Noisettes - --
20 I Have You To Thank - Donny Osmond - --

CHART NOTES

Lady Antebellum is back at #1 with their smash hit "Need You Now". After dropping to number 2 and holding that position for the past 3 weeks, the hit single nudges its way to the top displacing Train's "Hey Soul Sister" which drops to #3. This is the 8th week at #1 for Lady Antebellum, the longest any song has held the top spot on my weekly chart.

Lady GaGa and Beyonce with their hit "Telephone" up 1 to #2.

Elsewhere on the chart, we got some movement in the ranks with some songs gaining and others falling. Big fall is Boys Like Girls, with "Two is Better Than One". The song which they enlisted Taylor Swift to sing on, takes a dive from #6 to #13. Ringo Starr breaks into the top 10 with "Walk With You". He is joined by Paul McCartney on this track which is taken from his latest album Y Not. A Fine Frenzy moves up 4 from #20 to #16 with "Blow Away".

Hot debut tracks include Caro Emerald's catchy jazz song "Back It Up" checking in at #17 and Lady Antebellum with "American Honey" at #18. Be sure to watch Caro's video. Wiping glasses never looked so sexy before.

Mel's Top 10 Oldies | 3-14-10
As submitted to Plannine's Classic Top 30 Site

1. My Sharona - The Knack
2. Rain - The Beatles
3. Jolene - Dolly Parton
4. Give Up Your Guns - The Buoys
5. Take This Job & Shove It - Johnny Paycheck
6. The Break Up Song - Greg Kihn Band
7. The Rubber Room - Porter Wagoner
8. I Fought the Law - Bobby Fuller Four
9. Magic Man - Heart
10. Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win) - Fleetwood Mac

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Taikojuku Miyako Drummers at Ala Moana



Shot video and photos of this Taiko drumming group from Japan. The performance was set in conjunction with the week long Honolulu Festival that has been going on in Honolulu celebrating Asian and Pacific culture in Hawaii. The Taiko drums were one of several events that occurred around town to commemorate the event. Honolulu Festival is supposed to conclude today with a parade in Waikiki.

"Taiko"
is a type of several Japanese drums, used in recent years in ensemble casts such as the Taikojuku Miyako group who did this performance.

The pictures and video were shot at Ala Moana Shopping Center's "Centerstage" area, a place where frequent, free musical performances take place. Ala Moana Shopping Center maintains a Centerstage performance schedule at their website.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Fitz & the Tantrums

Just recently found Fitz & the Tantrums online at myspace.com and at The SixtyOne. This is another retro sounding 60s type band that blends elements of Motown soul with a touch of pop and alt rock. Their debut release is Songs For a Breakup Vol. 1 and features 5 tracks including "Breakin' the Chains of Love" and "We Don't Need No Love Songs".

My favorite is not on the album. It's called "L.O.V. (Live)". Gotta love that organ in this. Listen to the song and watch the videos below.



Friday, March 12, 2010

Caro Emerald - A Night Like This



Despite the lousy new interface at The Sixtyone.com, they still have some fine new songs and artists to discover. This week my new song and artist discovery is Caro Emerald, a singer who hails from the Netherlands and sings old school jazz with a touch of modern pop. Her music is pleasantly infectious. Take a look and listen to the videos posted here. Lovely songs, will soon hit my Weekly Top 20 chart. More information and videos by Caro Emerald can be found here:
This week on Mel's Weekly Top 20:

Mel’s Weekly Top 20

Week of March 7, 2010

This Week - Song Title - Artist - Last Week

1. Hey, Soul Sister (3rd Week @ #1!) - Train - 1
2. Need You Now - Lady Antebellum - 2
3. Telephone - Lady GaGa Feat. Beyoncé - 3
4. Breakeven - The Script - 5
5. Tik Tok - Kesha - 7
6. Two Is Better Than One - Boys Like Girls w/Taylor Swift - 4
7. Bad Romance - Lady GaGa - 6
8. According to You - Orianthi - 9
9. Hollywood - Marina and the Diamonds - 10
10. Imma Be - The Black Eyed Peas - 15
11. Walk With You - Ringo Starr - 13
12. Temporary Home - Carrie Underwood - 17
13. I Never Told You - Colbie Caillat - 19
14. Smile - Uncle Kracker - 18
15. White Liar - Miranda Lambert - 8
16. Letters from the Sky - Civil Twilight - 14
17. The High Road - Broken Bells - 20
18. If You Only Knew - Shinedown - 11
19. You and Me - Dave Matthews Band - 12
20. Blow Away (Radio Edit) - A Fine Frenzy - new

CHART NOTES

Train holds on to the #1 slot for the 3rd consecutive week with "Hey Soul Sister". The Script move up 1 from #5 to #4 with "Breakeven." Kesha is up to from #7 to #5 with "Tik Tok".

Big Jumps this week for Black Eyed Peas as "Imma Be" breaks into the top 10 at #10, up from #15 this week. Carrie Underwood moves from #17 to #12 with "Temporary Home" and Colbie Caillat jumps from #19 to #13 with "I Never Told You". Ringo Starr moves up 2 from #13 to #11 with "Walk With You". The track also features Paul McCartney on backing vocals. "Smile" by Uncle Kracker moves from #18 to #14. "The High Road" by Broken Bells move from #20 to #17.

One debut song, "Blow Away" by A Fine Frenzy checks in at #20.

Biggest dropper this week is "White Liar" by Miranda Lambert. The country hit tumbles from #8 to #15.

Here's another video from Caro Emerald covering Lady GaGa's "Bad Romance" which is still on my chart at #7 this week.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Mel's Weekly Top 20 February 28, 2010

Mel's Weekly Top 20
Week of February 28, 2010.
Visit the Weekly Top 20 website



This Week - Song Title - Artist - Last Week

1. Hey, Soul Sister - Train - 1
2. Need You Now - Lady Antebellum - 2
3. Telephone - Lady GaGa Feat. Beyoncé - 3
4. Two Is Better Than One - Boys Like Girls
featuring Taylor Swift - 4
5. Breakeven - The Script - 6
6. Bad Romance - Lady GaGa - 5
7. Tik Tok (Radio Remix) - Kesha - 9
8. White Liar - Miranda Lambert - 8
9. According to You - Orianthi - 10
10. Hollywood - Marina and the Diamonds - 12
11. If You Only Knew - Shinedown - 7
12. You and Me - Dave Matthews Band - 13
13. Walk With You - Ringo Starr - 14
14. Letters from the Sky - Civil Twilight - 15
15. Imma Be - The Black Eyed Peas - 18
16. Chasing Pirates - Norah Jones - 11
17. Temporary Home - Carrie Underwood - 19
18. Smile - Uncle Kracker - 20
19. I Never Told You - Colbie Caillat - new
20. The High Road - Broken Bells - new

CHART NOTES

Train
holds on to the #1 slot for the 2nd consecutive week with "Hey Soul Sister". Fact is the top 4 tracks remain in the same position as they were last week.

Further down the chart, we see small moves into new positions this week. For example, The Script score their first top 5 hit as "Breakeven" nudges its way to #5, up one from #6. Kesha is up 2 from #9 to #7 with "Tik Tok". That song seems to be the current teen fave. Not too far behind, Orianthi moves up from #10 to #9 with "According to You," while Marina & The Diamonds break into the top 10 with "Hollywood", up from #12 to #10.

New on the top 20 is "The High Road" by Broken Bells at #20 and "I Never Told You" by Colbie Caillat at #19.