Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Mel's Weekly Top 20 - Novermber 28, 2010



Due to a death in my family, postings to this site will not be very timely.

Mel's Weekly Top 20
Week of November 28, 2010


This WeekSong TitleArtistLast Week
1 Rhythm Of Love Plain White T's 1
2 A Year Without Rain Selena Gomez & The Scene 2
3 Only Girl (In The World) Rihanna 3
4 Nobody The Doobie Brothers 5
5 Just The Way You Are Bruno Mars 4
6 Grenade Bruno Mars 7
7 Like A G6 Far East Movement 8
8 Stuck Caro Emerald 6
9 Hands The Ting Tings 9
10 Our Kind Of Love Lady Antebellum 11
11 We No Speak Americano (Original) Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup 19
12 Back To December Taylor Swift 20
13 Fade Like a Shadow KT Tunstall 13
14 Mine Taylor Swift 15
15 Crossfire Brandon Flowers 16
16 We Are Police ERECT 17
17 Hey You Heart 10
18 Please Don't Go Mike Posner 12
19 Teenage Dream Katy Perry 14
20 Live It Up Group 1 Crew --






Mel's Weekly Top 20
Week of November 21, 2010



This WeekSong TitleArtistLast Week
1 Rhythm Of Love Plain White T's 1
2 A Year Without Rain Selena Gomez & The Scene 4
3 Only Girl (In The World) Rihanna 3
4 Just The Way You Are Bruno Mars 2
5 Nobody The Doobie Brothers 7
6 Stuck Caro Emerald 8
7 Grenade Bruno Mars 10
8 Like A G6 Far East Movement 19
9 Hands The Ting Tings 15
10 Hey You Heart 11
11 Our Kind Of Love Lady Antebellum 12
12 Please Don't Go Mike Posner 5
13 Fade Like a Shadow KT Tunstall 14
14 Teenage Dream Katy Perry 6
15 Mine Taylor Swift 9
16 Crossfire Brandon Flowers 18
17 We Are Police ERECT 20
18 I Don't Wanna Dance Hey Monday 13
19 We No Speak Americano (Original) Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup --
20 Back To December Taylor Swift --

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Thai Girls Dancing



While at Kapiolani Park late yesterday afternoon, I was lucky enough to catch this group of young dancers at a Thai cultural celebration that was wrapping up for the day. It is interesting that this "traditional" music has a somewhat modern dance beat. Enjoy the video and the music.

Thai Girls Dancing

Thai Girls Dancing

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Mel's Weekly Top 20: November 14



Mel's Weekly Top 20
Week of November 14, 2010

This WeekSong TitleArtistLast Week
1 Rhythm Of Love (2nd Week @ #1!) Plain White T's 1
2 Just The Way You Are Bruno Mars 2
3 Only Girl (In The World) Rihanna 3
4 A Year Without Rain (video) Selena Gomez & The Scene 4
5 Please Don't Go Mike Posner 6
6 Teenage Dream Katy Perry 5
7 Nobody The Doobie Brothers 8
8 Stuck Caro Emerald 10
9 Mine Taylor Swift 7
10 Grenade Bruno Mars 13
11 Hey You Heart 12
12 Our Kind Of Love Lady Antebellum 14
13 I Don't Wanna Dance Hey Monday 9
14 Fade Like a Shadow KT Tunstall 16
15 Hands The Ting Tings 19
16 Brand New Day Lindsey Ray 11
17 MoneyGrabber Fitz and the Tantrums 17
18 Crossfire Brandon Flowers 20
19 Like A G6 Far East Movement --
20 We Are Police ERECT --

CHART NOTES:

Plain White T's hold on to the #1 spot with their single, "Rhythm of Love". It's the 2nd week at the top for the popular song. The Top 4 stays the same with Plain White T's leading the way followed by Bruno Mars @ #2 with "Just The Way You Are", Rihanna @ #3 with "Only Girl (In the World)" and Selena Gomez & the Scene holding at #4 with "A World Without Rain". Gomez' video is in this week's showcase at the top.

The two debut songs this week are "Like a G6" by Far East Movement at #19 and ERECT's "We Are Police" at #20.

Most of the other songs make small incremental climbs up the chart. Several have fallen including "I Don't Wanna Dance" by Hey Monday down from #9 to #13 and "Brand New Day" by Lindsey Day, down from #11 to #16.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Apple adds The Beatles to iTunes



This is like - wow - finally happened. It's a good move for both Apple, Inc. and The Beatles. A new generation may sample and actually buy more Beatles albums and tracks over the coming years.

All of The Beatles albums are at iTunes. That plus several new re-releases and a compilation of Apple tracks from artists such as Badfinger, Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, the Hot Chocolate Band and Chris Hodge to name a few. It's all good and it is great to see nearly the entire Apple Records catalog on iTunes.

Additional Links

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Rhythm of Love is #1 for Plain White T's



Mel's Weekly Top 20
Week of November 7, 2010.

This WeekSong TitleArtistLast Week
1 Rhythm Of Love Plain White T's 2
2 Just The Way You Are Bruno Mars 1
3 Only Girl (In The World) Rihanna 4
4 A Year Without Rain Selena Gomez & The Scene 5
5 Teenage Dream Katy Perry 3
6 Please Don't Go Mike Posner 7
7 Mine Taylor Swift 6
8 Nobody The Doobie Brothers 9
9 I Don't Wanna Dance Hey Monday 11
10 Stuck Caro Emerald 13
11 Brand New Day Lindsey Ray 12
12 Hey You Heart 14
13 Grenade Bruno Mars 16
14 Our Kind Of Love Lady Antebellum 15
15 Stuck Like Glue Sugarland 8
16 Fade Like a Shadow KT Tunstall 18
17 MoneyGrabber Fitz and the Tantrums 17
18 Good To Be Me (Feat. Kid Rock) Uncle Kracker 10
19 Hands The Ting Tings --
20 Crossfire Brandon Flowers --

CHART NOTES

Plain White T's top the chart with a new #1 song. "Rhythm of Love" a casual, summertime sounding pop piece reaches the top after several weeks on the chart. They replace Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are" which falls from #1 to #2 this week after a 3 week reign at the top. Plain White T's topped the WT20 back in 2007 with a number 1 hit called "Hey There Delilah." Good to see them on top again.

Elsewhere on the Weekly Top 20: Hey Monday moves into the top 10 with their alt rocker "I Don't Wanna Dance" up 2 from #11 to #9. Caro Emerald moves from #13 to #10 with "Stuck", the latest in a series of swing style big band jazz numbers. Emerald is very popular in parts of Europe.

Two songs make their debut on the 20. They include "Hands" by The Ting Tings at #19 and "Crossfire" by Brandon Flowers at #20. Flowers is the lead singer for the group The Killers, who've enjoyed chart success here in the past.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

I Caught Dengue Fever



I've become a fan of Dengue Fever. They are another indie band that has been around for years. I was recebtly made aware of them a few months ago, although I may have listened to a song or two some years back too. Thanks to my friend Daniel, he turned me on to their music and today I own 3 of their albums and enjoy nearly all of their songs.

The thing that make Dengue Fever quite unique is the fact that this high powered indie rock outfit pays homage 1960s style Cambodian Psychedelic Rock, complete with female Cambodian singer Chhom Nimol singing most of the songs in her native Khmer language. The other members of the band are all from California - Zac Holtzman also on vocals and guitar, his brother Ethan Holtzman "farfisa" organ/keyboards, Senon Williams on bass, David Ralicke on saxophone/brass and drummer Paul Smith.

According to their Facebook biography, Dengue Fever was started by brothers Ethan and Zac Holtzman in 2001 "when they discovered they shared a love for the Cambodian pop music of the 60s. After adding sax man David Ralicke, drummer Paul Smith and bassist Senon Williams, they went looking for a Cambodian singer. Enter Chhom Nimol, who performed regularly for the King and Queen of Cambodia . Her powerful singing, marked by a luminous vibrato that adds exotic ornamentations to her vocal lines, and hypnotic stage moves based on traditional dances, complimented the band's driving Cambodian/American sound."

I was lucky enough to catch them at a free concert held in Honolulu on the night before Halloween (see photo slide show above). Like most bands in the alternative rock genre, Dengue Fever sounded way better live than they do on their records. They have a lot of energy with Chhom the mesmerizing center-point of their show. Any guy could fall in love with her! She's great on vocals and to me has a gracious way of connecting with her audience, not to mention that she can also ROCK.

I hardly make it many live concerts, but for 2010, Dengue Fever probably tops the list of favorite live performances that I have seen.

Find out about Dengue Fever by watching the video and listening to the audio tracks below.



Dengue Fever - Tiger Phone Card (live in studio)



Dengue Fever - Seeing Hands (music video)



Dengue Fever - A Go Go (live at UC Davis)



Chhom Nimol - Dontrey Besdoang (live, 9-2009)

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Mel's Weekly Top 20 - October 31, 2010



Mel's Weekly Top 20
Week of October 31, 2010

This WeekTitleArtistLast Week
1 Just The Way You Are (3rd Week @ #1!) Bruno Mars 1
2 Rhythm Of Love Plain White T's 2
3 Teenage Dream Katy Perry 3
4 Only Girl (In The World) Rihanna 5
5 A Year Without Rain Selena Gomez & The Scene 8
6 Mine Taylor Swift 6
7 Please Don't Go Mike Posner 7
8 Stuck Like Glue Sugarland 4
9 Nobody The Doobie Brothers 10
10 Good To Be Me (Feat. Kid Rock) Uncle Kracker 9
11 I Don't Wanna Dance Hey Monday 12
12 Brand New Day (with Tim Myers) Lindsey Ray 13
13 Stuck Caro Emerald 17
14 Hey You Heart 16
15 Our Kind Of Love Lady Antebellum 18
16 Grenade Bruno Mars 19
17 MoneyGrabber Fitz and the Tantrums 11
18 Fade Like a Shadow KT Tunstall 20
19 Misery Maroon 5 15
20 Dynamite Taio Cruz 14

CHART NOTES

There are no new songs that made a debut on the chart this week. Instead we just had some upward and downward movement of all of the songs that were on last week's chart.

The Top 3 positions remain the same with Bruno Mars holding on to #1 for a 3rd week with "Just the Way You Are". Plain White T's hold at #2 with "Rhythm of Love" while Katy Perry holds at #3 with her former #1 hit "Teenage Dream". Rihanna moves up one from #5 to #4 with "Only Girl (in the World)". Selena Gomez & the Scene move up 3 points from #8 to #5 with "A Year Without Rain".

The Doobie Brothers move up one from #10 to #9 with their latest reunion single, "Nobody".
Caro Emerald makes the biggest move up the chart going from #17 to #13 with her latest single, "Stuck".