Switchfoot - "The Sound (John M. Perkins' Blues)"

[singingsparrow]

Jun 12, 2010 2:48:48 GMT -5 Nicholas2.0 said:

Jun 11, 2010 23:35:59 GMT -5 Shadows in the Dark said:

I'm glad it's gaining again. I thought it was gonna stall out about a week ago.

I wish it would. I don't like how Jon pronounces "sound" in the chorus, as it sounds like he slips an "e" in there. And I don't care for the stop-start chorus riff. Plus the "rocking" chorus comes off to me as a little bit like playing dress-up. In fact, I'm surprised my active-leaning station has played their new stuff this year. It seems like, regardless of what these past two singles sound like, they'd be considered too much of a Hot AC-leaning band now overall.

They must be doing something right, however, if they re-emerged out of near obscurity on the format to pick up what will be two consecutive Top Twenty hits on Alternative.

I'm just as surprised as you are in this respect, given Switchfoot sounds just as Hot AC-centric in my opinion as many other bands that emerged within the last fifteen years on Alternative that have since become Hot AC mainstays but have been far removed from Alternative.

Namaste,
Lisping Hibiscus

[The Party Captain]

The Sound does not sound (hee hee) Hot AC-centric at all. I can't hear this and "California Girls" right after.

[Nicholas2.0]

Jul 16, 2010 12:34:56 GMT -5 @singingsparrow said:

I'm just as surprised as you are in this respect, given Switchfoot sounds just as Hot AC-centric in my opinion as many other bands that emerged within the last fifteen years on Alternative that have since become Hot AC mainstays but have been far removed from Alternative.

Yeah, I mean, for crying out loud, they're opening for the Goo Goo Dolls this summer, sandwiched between them and Green River Ordinance. And it's not like this is one of those head-scratching, WTF tours, like Less Than Jake opening for Bon Jovi 10 years ago or Cold opening for Weezer 9 years ago. No, nobody bats an eye with those 3 bands on the same bill.

[jvandyck87]

I think some of those Hot AC-centric bands could have similar success to Switchfoot at alternative still. But no singles they're releasing have been as heavy as "Stars", "Mess Of Me", or "The Sound". More importantly, none of those bands' labels have been sending their singles for adds at alternative radio. When was the last time a Lifehouse single was sent to alternative radio? Or Goo Goo Dolls? Or Matchbox 20? It's probably been almost a decade. If Goo Goo Dolls came out with another single in the vein of "Dizzy" or "Lazy Eye" and their label marketed them to alternative radio, they could possibly score a top 20 or top 30 hit here. A good example of this is Dave Matthews Band recently. After their previous era was tailor-made for Hot AC success, "Funny The Way It Is" was able to reach the top 20 on alternative and failed to reach the top 20 on Hot AC.

And considering no Switchfoot single from this era had even entered the top 50 of Hot AC until last week with "Your Love Is A Song", their label has clearly been pushing alternative as a higher priority format for them than Hot AC.

[singingsparrow]

Jul 18, 2010 19:54:07 GMT -5 jvandyck87 said:

I think some of those Hot AC-centric bands could have similar success to Switchfoot at alternative still. But no singles they're releasing have been as heavy as "Stars", "Mess Of Me", or "The Sound". More importantly, none of those bands' labels have been sending their singles for adds at alternative radio. When was the last time a Lifehouse single was sent to alternative radio? Or Goo Goo Dolls? Or Matchbox 20? It's probably been almost a decade. If Goo Goo Dolls came out with another single in the vein of "Dizzy" or "Lazy Eye" and their label marketed them to alternative radio, they could possibly score a top 20 or top 30 hit here. A good example of this is Dave Matthews Band recently. After their previous era was tailor-made for Hot AC success, "Funny The Way It Is" was able to reach the top 20 on alternative and failed to reach the top 20 on Hot AC.

And considering no Switchfoot single from this era had even entered the top 50 of Hot AC until last week with "Your Love Is A Song", their label has clearly been pushing alternative as a higher priority format for them than Hot AC.

That's not entirely true, although you make most reasoned points.

I remember when "Here Is Gone" fell just short of the Top Twenty on Alternative, for instance. Then "Big Machine", which is easily a heavier track with only "What A Shame" and "Truth Is A Whisper" even heavier tracks in my view from "Gutterflower", failing to chart altogether. It's true their label may have made no effort to promote the track (and the album sold poorly anyway) but "Gutterflower", despite the cleaner, glossier production, was actually a heavier album than "Dizzy Up The Girl", in my opinion, with the latter more reliant on ambient production and the former more bare-bones melodic rock.

Another example is matchbox twenty during the "More Than You Think You Are" era. "Disease" charted, and was the only single that charted. I actually still remember that Atlantic Records was even testing the waters with "Feel" (easily one of their heaviest tracks) although it ultimately didn't go anywhere, and that "Cold", "You're So Real" and "Soul" easily had Alternative written on them as well.

Frankly, I think Switchfoot's sudden implosion in commercial mainstream immersion during the "Nothing Is Sound" era was quite possibly the best possible thing that could have happened to them. Had it been a repeat of "The Beautiful Letdown", and "Stars" had duplicated the success of "Meant to Live" and "Happy Is A Yuppie Word" or "The Shadow Proves the Sunshine" duplicated the success of "Dare You To Move", Switchfoot would be dead to Alternative.

Instead, they quickly returned to their indie roots and sensibilities, released a handful of albums with a more organic production approach, and now are building back up from the topsoil. They were wise to realize Alternative is a market that is especially ideal to build a foundation and, with "Nothing Is Sound" failing to replicate the mainstream success they enjoyed, rather than continuing to unsuccessfully attempt to reclaim that Top 40 stardom while living their Alternative roots to die from the lack of watering, they have nurtured their roots, and in result they're not only thriving again, but they'll probably have a shot at enjoying new mainstream success anyway with "Your Love Is A Song"................because they understand Alternative is the tree and the other formats are branches they can stretch themselves out to, not the other way around as too many Hot AC-centric, Alternative pariah bands make the mistake of perceiving.

Namaste,
Lisping Hibiscus

[jvandyck87]

I feel like everything you said just agreed with me while your first sentence suggested that you were going to disagree. Which of my points did you not agree with then, because I pretty much agree with everything you just said.

[singingsparrow]

Jul 19, 2010 1:36:54 GMT -5 jvandyck87 said:

I feel like everything you said just agreed with me while your first sentence suggested that you were going to disagree. Which of my points did you not agree with then, because I pretty much agree with everything you just said.

I disagreed with your claim that some now Hot AC-centric bands that emerged through Alternative radio haven't made any attempts to record heavier tracks that would (or at least could) work at Alternative, and that they haven't tried at all to promote such tracks there.

It was more me saying that wasn't entirely true than me disagreeing with you, actually.

Namaste,
Lisping Hibiscus

[The Party Captain]

Anyone else kinda surprised at this reaching Top 15 so far?

It could reach Top 10.

5 6 30 SECONDS TO MARS This Is War 1026 1320 -294 4.798
6 7 RISE AGAINST Savior 1025 1017 8 5.782
9 8 BRANDON FLOWERS Crossfire 983 925 58 4.095
7 9 SHINEDOWN The Crow & The Butte... 939 1006 -67 3.818
10 10 PHOENIX 1901 857 915 -58 5.128
11 11 MUSE Uprising 848 884 -36 5.246
8 12 CIVIL TWILIGHT Letters From The Sky 818 927 -109 2.762
12 13 BROKEN BELLS High Road 817 839 -22 2.947
17 14 ANBERLIN Impossible 781 684 97 3.583
18 15 SWITCHFOOT The Sound 765 676 89 4.039

[Shadows in the Dark]

It would be a pleasant surprise to see this in the Top 10. Not sure if it'll get there though.

[singingsparrow]

Aug 11, 2010 0:34:17 GMT -5 Shadows in the Dark said:

It would be a pleasant surprise to see this in the Top 10. Not sure if it'll get there though.

Should be pretty easy at this point given how virtually every single above it is sliding down the chart.

Namaste,
Lisping Hibiscus

[Shadows in the Dark]

Top 10 on Alternative:

14 10 SWITCHFOOT The Sound 895 802 93 4.181

:)

[lockebox]

Good to see. Suprising that it's done better than "Mess of Me", though.

[singingsparrow]

Aug 26, 2010 10:04:27 GMT -5 lockebox said:

Good to see. Suprising that it's done better than "Mess of Me", though.

I didn't really care for "Mess of Me". Musically it had a nice raw production and drive to it, but lyrically it was weak and repetitive (in a unfavorable way) in my opinion.

This single, however, resonates to me more lyrically.

Namaste,
Lisping Hibiscus