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 I decided to do something a little different for this weeks edition of Hot Traxx, instead of going with a new secular release, I opted to go with some praise music instead. I have brag on our praise team at Journey Church (Pineville Louisiana) who are known as Journey United. They are simply the best praise team of any church in the region. 

 I have been a huge fan of Mayer Hawthorne ever since I heard the track A Long Time played over a local Los Angeles radio station back in 2011. I love Hawthorne's style of music, which I often refer to as Modern Retro, a blend of classic soul mixed with elements of modern pop. When my wife and I watched him perform at the Winter Classic NHL hockey game in 2014 she felt that his performance resembled a modern day Steely Dan, which I totally agreed with at the time. Now Hawthorne is back with another soul filled release entitled For All Time, which takes the listener on a musical journey that would seem more at home a record store shelf in the late 1960s or early 1970s than sharing space with Taylor Swift and Drake. That, of course, is a good thing in my opinion.

Four years ago, I discovered the alternative pop group Yumi Zouma from New Zealand and have been a huge fan of their music ever since. In December, the band released their latest album, EP IV, which offers more of their signature soothing blend of synth- and guitar-driven alternative pop paired with Christie Simpson's angelic vocals.

 The Struts crank out some good old fashioned rock n roll with their latest album, Pretty Vicious. The Derby (UK) rock band, The Struts, are comprised of Luke Spiller, Adam Slack, Jed Elliott and Gethin Davies. Pretty Vicious is the band's fourth release via The Big Machine label. Following on from 2020’s ‘Strange Days’, the forthcoming record was co-produced by The Struts alongside Julian Raymond (Fleetwood Mac, Cheap Trick). It was executive produced by Big Machine Label Group CEO Scott Borchetta.

 The Los Angeles based indie pop trio Cannons have released an album that is the perfect soundtrack for the 21st century.  From Sony Music: The 12-song project follows CANNONS’ 2022 album Fever Dream and marks their first collaborations with co-writers and producers in Jason Evigan, Tyler Spry, Mike Elizondo, Mikky Ekko, and Jenn Decilveo on select tracks. Featuring lead singles “Crush,” “Desire,” “Bad Tattoo,” and “Loving You,” which is nearing top 10 at Alternative radio, Heartbeat Highway takes listeners on a ride through the heart’s ups and downs.

I've continued working on my iHeart Radio playlist adding new tracks almost every day. Right now I have upwards of 600 tracks available for your listening pleasure. You can listen to KENN.FM below: Here are the top ten tracks played on KENN.FM: 10. Isabella Manfredi - Naive (New) 9. Holly Johnson - Love Train (Last Week Number 4) 8. Hall & Oates - You Make My Dreams (Come True)(New) 7. Go West - Goodbye Girl (New) 6. Diana Ross - I'm Coming Out (New) 5. Depeche Mode - Never Let Me Down Again (New) 4. Deep Purple - Hush (New) 3. Blondie - I'm Gonna Love You Too (Last Week Number 1) 2. Yumi Zouma - Persephone (New) 1. Bananarama - I Can't Help It (Last Week Number 3) Check Out: The Top Ten Songs On KENN.FM For The Week Ending November 17, 2022 Sounds of the ... um ... well - The Top Ten Stuff & Junk I Listened To Ten Years Ago Sounds of the 80s Top Ten Hits (11/03/22) Sounds of the 80s Top Ten Hits (10/27/22) Sounds of the 80s Top Ten Hits (10/20/22) Sounds of the...

  Over this past week I have been working in my spare time to create a radio station/playlist on iHeart Radio. Wanting it to sound like a real radio station I decided to call it KENN.FM. This station will feature everything from classic rock to modern hits. My plan is for the station to be a bigger and better version of Jack FM which follows a similar format and is broadcast on numerous affiliates nationwide. You can listen to KENN.FM below: The station may be new but I have compiled a list of the top ten songs that have aired so far. We in the business call this Heavy Rotation. I hope that you enjoy these. 10. Yumi Zouma - Catastrophe  9. The Specials - Ghost Town 8. The Human League - Don't You Want Me 7. The Clash - Should I Stay Or Should I Go 6. Squeeze - Hourglass 5. Pat Benatar - You Better Run 4. Holly Johnson - Love Train 3. Bananarama - I Can't Help It 2. David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes 1. Blondie - I'm Gonna Love You Too Check Out: Sounds of the ... um ... well - Th...

Today I am featuring the kind of music that I listened to ten years ago.  10. The Temper Trap - Fader 9. Chairlift - Met Before 8. Saint Etienne - Like A Motorway 7. Van She -Kelly 6. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Berlin 5. The Ting Tings - Shut Up and Let Me Go 4. JJAMZ - Heartbeat 3. Duffy - Mercy 2. Mayer Hawthorne - A Long Time 1. Foster the People - Helena Beat Check Out: Sounds of the 80s Top Ten Hits (11/03/22) Sounds of the 80s Top Ten Hits (10/27/22) Sounds of the 80s Top Ten Hits (10/20/22) Sounds of the 80s Top Ten Hits (10/13/22) Hot Traxx: The Top Level 42 Songs Of All Time Hot Traxx: The Top Ten Olivia Newton John (1948 - 2022) Songs Of All Time Hot Traxx: The Top 10 Cure Songs Of All Time Hot Traxx: The Top 10 Blondie Songs Of All Time Hot Traxx: The Top 10 ABC Songs Of All Time Hot Traxx: The Top 10 Pat Benatar Songs Of All Time Hot Traxx: The Top 10 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Songs Of All Time Hot Traxx: The Top 10 Fleetwood Mac Songs Of All Time Hot Traxx: ...

It's a brand new week and I thought it would be a good idea to start it off with an upbeat and positive song from Foxes called Forgive Yourself. I've been a big fan of this song for a while and I've been looking for an excuse to feature it here. In case you don't know who Foxes is: Louisa Rose Allen, known professionally as Foxes, is an English singer, songwriter and model. Foxes's debut album, Glorious, was released in 2014, and features the top 20 singles "Youth", "Let Go for Tonight" and "Holding onto Heaven".  Foxes album The Kick is a really great upbeat dance album and every track is just amazing. Check Out: Hot Traxx: The Top Saint Etienne Songs Of All Time Isabella Manfredi releases her debut solo album izzi out through Island Records Australia The Interruptors - She's Kerosene Hot Traxx: The Top Level 42 Songs Of All Time Hot Traxx: The Top Ten Olivia Newton John (1948 - 2022) Songs Of All Time Hot Traxx: The Top 10 Cure S...

In the 1990s from under the great UK chart war between Blur and Oasis stepped Saint Etienne a highly influential and often overlooked pop trio that is almost completely unknown here in America. Bio: In the early 90s, two twentysomethings from the suburbs of London (Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs) and one from the fringes of Windsor (Sarah Cracknell) set their sights on fulfilling pop music’s potential. They were fired up by the inclusive rush of rave culture, and the way that genres could now bubble together, thanks to cheap music technology. From day one, this involved blending club bass lines and indiepop with samples from 60s records, old reggae tunes, mid-century British films, decimalisation training records and French football commentary. (This essentially describes their debut album, Fox Base Alpha.) Like A Motorway (1994)(Tiger Bay) I've Got Your Music (2012)(Words and Music by Saint Etienne) Nothing Can Stop Us (1991)(Foxbase Alpha) Only Love Can Break Your Heart (1990)(Rave...

From Island Records (Australia)(Press Release) Today iconic frontwoman and songwriter, Isabella Manfredi releases her debut solo album izzi out through Island Records Australia/UMA. izzi is the most daring, personal and true work to date from an artist over ten years deep into a storied, artistic career. Stepping into her own, izzi represents a kind of (re)birth for Isabella, with all the love, trepidation, guts, and eventual catharsis such an evolution entails. Isabella enlisted cult US producer, songwriter and guitarist Jonathan Wilson (Father John Misty, Angel Olsen) to co-produce six of the record’s ten cuts. Wilson, with multi-instrumentalists Jeffertitti Moon and Drew Erickson acted as Isabella’s other band across the Pacific; tasked with folding Isabella’s reverence for Americana and Laurel Canyon (where several of the songs were conceived) into the mix. Working out of Wilson’s Fivestar Studio in Topanga, California, they brought a deep musicality to the record and a spirit in...

 With as much time as I spend checking out new releases on Spotify and iHeart Radio you would think that it would be impossible for an artist to fly under my radar for a decade without me hearing at least one of their songs. Well that is the case with The Interrupters, a ska/punk/rock band from Los Angeles.  I  was listening to 98.7 KYSR (Los Angeles) on iHeart and they played the band's most popular song She's Kerosene. I fell in love with it immediately. As someone who grew up in the 80s listening to bands like The Specials, Madness and The Beat I loved The Interruptors modern take on ska music. I began to listen to more of their stuff as the week progressed and I have to say that I really dig it. Their high energy music has me bouncing around as drive from place to place all day.  Check These Out: --- --- --- Bio: The Interrupters are an American ska punk band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2011. The band comprises lead vocalist Aimee Interrupter, drummer ...