These two weeks between personal charts go fast, and since the start of the year a lot of new music’s surfaced that I’ve been wanting to write about. So let’s call this one a catch up blog (no, not Las Ketchup thanks, but nice try) 😉
- Penguin Prison and Frankmusik once again rule the chart. Mr. Glover is current on tour in the U.S. and I can’t wait till he comes back to my town. “Golden Train” just chugs along at #1 for a third time – and with great retro velocity as remixed with Michael Jackson’s “Workin’ Day and Night”. Can’t wait for the debut album!
- Then Mr. Frank releases a free EP Long Live Frankmusik which you can get right here. Just to show why “The Fear Inside” is sweating it out at the top at #2, Long Live Frankmusik contains some of his best vocals today. The ballads “Hurt You Again” and “Warrior” are beautifully touching, splendidly written. “Our Discovery” is a timely tribute to Daft Punk – and then you realize it’s been 10 years since “One More Time” and 25 year olds were teens back then (and to me it would be nuretro). “Hate Your Love” is more pop dance that isn’t quite as successful but all in all this is a brilliant taste of what’s to come for Frankmusik in 2011.
- Andrea Lewis also gave us a preview of her talent in her intimate club show in Toronto on January 13. Looking like a movie star who just stepped out of the screen, she performed five songs from her free for download release 54321: “She”, “Linda”, “Teardrops”, “Voodoo”, and a dynamite slowed down version of “Robot” (minus the autotune too). The latter song makes its debut on the chart at #25, and while she didn’t perform “Talk To Me”, the duet with Simon Curtis, the song still rises to #4.
- Elsewhere within the Top 10, Rihanna’s “S&M” moves into the Top 5, followed by Kanye West’s “Monster” (yes My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is very impressive), Elouise’s “The Winner Takes It All”, and, new to the Top 10, “Falling” by Bright Light Bright Light, in anticipation of the album Make Me Believe In Hope.
- Javi’s latest project Native Underground rises to #11 with “Till It Hurts”, and while that’s on the go, the singer’s other project Chasing the Ghost is recording something new too! Looking forward to it.
- All of the debuts from two weeks ago make healthy moves, them being Adele’s theatrical “Rolling In The Deep”, Duran Duran’s 2011 meets 1986 “All You Need Is Now”, and Matt & Kim’s singalong “Ice Melts”.
Aside from the debut of “Robot” by the classy Miss Lewis, we have five other debuts.
- Way up at #13 is one of the first and most stunning debuts of 2011. Rochella Danishei, formerly of trio Candy Coated Chaos, released her debut free album download End Of The Rainbow on New Year’s Day, and she did it with great company courtesy of producer Jadion and of course best bud Simon Curtis. The album is a tight, aggressive different kind of pop record. It may have a difficult time getting noticed what with Britney Spears dominating pop news and Lady GaGa’s next release on the way. But really this record has a lot to offer in the form of songs like “Never Been Kissed”, “Unlove Pill”, the title track, and “Baby Doll” – identifiable lyrics sung with a lot of power by Ro with production that makes them crunch. Best of all is a positively massive song, “Michelle”, in which a friend-turned-bitch is called out and how. Icing on the cake turns the song into a duet with album cover mystery man Simon Curtis making the song even more of a treat. It debuts this week at #13.
- Next up is UK new pop/soul sensation Jamie Woon. I had been meaning to check out his songs when blogger xolondon floated an amazing tweet about him and wrote this blog. Young Mr. Woon has one of those persuasive blue-eyed soul voices for which I am an absolute sucker. But the songs have to be good too, and his debut single from the upcoming album Mirrorwriting is “Night Air”, which has one of the most seductive-in-many-ways videos I’ve seen in a while. Fans of the Twilight series will dig this video too. Watch it at the bottom of this blog. Destined for the top, it debuts at #18.
- First single’s a fluke I thought. But there’s more to Far East Movement than meets the eye, as collaborators like One Republic’s Ryan Tedder might gather. Mr. Tedder teamed up with the quartet for the second single from Free Wired called “Rocketeer”, and it’s one of the most uplifting songs on radio right now. It bows at #26.
- Roz Bell is one prolific and talented songwriter, and the Toronto-based singer unleashed his latest cadre of thoughts in the form of “The Gran Cavallo Mixtape”, which is available for free download right here. My favourite of the lot is the pretty and straight-forward “Forever, I Do”, which arrives on the chart as his collabo with 100 Akres “Breakup Anthem” is about to depart. Also of note from “Gran Cavallo” are “2000 Years”, “Brooklyn, Save My Life”, and “Sarah’s Song”. If you haven’t already got to know Roz through his albums October and particularly 2008’s The First Sunbeams, then be sure to get acquainted with him through “Gran Cavallo”.
- While it may seem redundant to say so, Usher Raymond is back and in fine form on his latest single “More”, which does not appear on any edition of Raymond v. Raymond that I’m aware of. It’s a great percolating dance track, continuing in the vein of “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love”. “More” is Usher’s first chart appearance here in 6 years, the last being “Caught Up”. I’m still very burned out on “Yeah”, which pop radio has killed into near oblivion. But “More” is skilful, soulful R&B/dance that should do equally well as “DJ” and “OMG”.
You can view the full chart right here or using the link to the right under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART***. Please post any comments you might have, I enjoy the opportunity to reply and chat!
All this, folks, plus new songs by the likes of Adam Tyler, Christian TV, and more, coming soon…
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