Popular music has been dominated by women for the last few years, with women dominating the Grammy Awards this year, which many would say was overdue. And as times change, then listeners’ choices do too. So with the quick ascent of Benson Boone this year, it looks like ears and trends may be turning to the guys. And this week’s Report has an unplanned slant to this theme, with six out of ten spotlighted songs or picks of the week being by solo gents, some of whom are already familiar to readers of the blog.
In the Report, you can check out my pick of the week, along with one from the host of online radio’s “Top 40 Timeline”, “Big Daddy” Russ Horton, plus “Modern Hype” online radio host Hunter Wilbur’s “Bop of the Week”. “The Musicman” James Rogers from online radio’s “3D Variety Show” has his Classic Five memorable pop hits from 1977. You’ll also find out what I was listening to 12 years ago on the BILLCS Top 30 flashback chart from 2011.
The BILLCS New Music Report is always a work-in-progress and I welcome your suggestions so feel free to contact me at through my social media links right here.
Reminder: Click on the photo to watch the video or listen to the song.
CHANCE PEÑA, “i am not who i was”
When I saw that “i am not who i was” by Chance Peña popped onto the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 out of nowhere a few weeks ago, it prompted me to check out this latest release from the Texas singer/songwriter, who I wrote about years ago as a teenage underdog favourite on “The Voice”. The timing for “i am not who i was” is perfect for Chance as public ears are turning to male vocalists like Noah Kahan and Benson Boone again. Thankfully, for some performers, such TV appearances can lead to other things, and for Chance, it was a publishing deal. And while he continued to release solo music independently, one song, “Conversations in the Dark”, got pitched to John Legend, and recorded on his Grammy-winning 2020 gold album Bigger Love. Flash-forward to last year and Chance was courted by many labels, ultimately signing with indie ONErpm. “i am not who i was” is essentially a folk song, but one whose relatable emotions reach out beyond that genre. “i am not who i was” is earnest and simple proving that less is more often can be quite magnetic.
BENEDICT CORK, “Reasons I Loved You (I Can’t Think of One)”
UK singer/songwriter Benedict Cork returns with a fanciful way to say “piss off, sucker” to a past lover in “Reasons I Loved You (I Can’t Think of One)”. Being the victim of an ever-unpredictable narcissist is unfortunate, and Benedict digs deep to make sure the former object of affection gets his come-uppance in song. Aside from the lyrics, the song has a soulful arrangement, complete with an engaging chorus, sometimes reminding me of 1970’s Stevie Wonder songs in spirit. It’s a bit of a change-up for Benedict from his touching ballads, but “Reasons I Loved You” is rousing and bound to be a concert favourite.
Benedict is briefly touring the US this month, with upcoming dates in Nashville, Florida (Wilton Manors), L.A. and New York City.
WILL SWINTON, “Harmless”
The gritty and vulnerable voice of rising 23 year old New Zealander Will Swinton has me thinking of Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder or Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind in his latest release, “Harmless”. Will has already found his way into the New Zealand charts as an independent artist, but ultimately a meeting in a bar with Machine Gun Kelly opened the doors for subsequent North American concerts and a major label deal. The 90’s grunge influence is readily apparent in today’s modern and indie rock, and whether intentional or not, that along with the earnest edginess of “Harmless” drives Will’s appeal in this song. “Harmless” is a great fit for alternative and college radio, but Will’s open-ended style could see him straddling genres in the near future.
SLEEPY BENJAMIN, “Only Love”
“Only Love” will lift you up with its jaunty melody and upbeat rhythm, but this mainly acoustic guitar-driven track by Australia’s Sleepy Benjamin (aka Ben Beamish) is loaded with topical subject matter written from experience by the singer. And it’s an ideal song for the upcoming Valentine’s Day for all the lovers in the world – being in love somehow makes us feel complete and that there is nothing else that is important. It’s a few steps sideways from Sleepy Benjamin’s recent forays into more soulful songs with hip hop elements like “Wish You Well” or “Stuck”, but its good-natured appeal, enthusiasm and implied encouragement to keep looking for love if you haven’t found it is relatable and timely.
CLODELLE, “I Lost My Baby”
Having held careers as a model and singer in parallel for the last 10 years or so, Clodelle has a winner with her bilingual earworm “I Lost My Baby”. Originally from Sainte-Adele, Quebec, Clodelle has a wistful, earthy voice that will intrigue fans of Lana Del Rey, Amy Winehouse and Billie Eilish, which is set against a straight-forward, 60’s flavoured arrangement that packs a mysterious punch. “I Lost My Baby” was originally a huge hit in 1996 in Quebec for Jean Leloup, and is produced by John Nathaniel, once an independent artist who has gone on to be an award-winning producer for the likes of One Republic, Shawn Mendes, and many French-Canadian artists.
THE NON-RENEWED, “River Take Me”
Taking another dive into Denver duo The Non-Renewed’s EP, its title track is delightful melodic pop with jazz flavours that made “Runaway”, a track which I recently wrote about, go down so easy. The arrangement gives vocalist Meghan a chance to really soar, and the production is fluid and uncluttered. I think if The Non-Renewed continue on this pop/jazz tip that they will continue to attract fans of both genres, and I’m sure the sweeping nature of “River Take Me” would be even more potent in a live performance.
EARTHQUAKE LIGHTS, “Heartbeat”
Although it doesn’t quite have the same soaring effect as their previous single which I wrote about, last year’s “Silhouette”, NYC pop band Earthquake Lights fuses classical influences with other inspiration into “Heartbeat” from artists as diverse as Pink Floyd and Radiohead. But Earthquake Lights’ secret weapon really is vocalist/songwriter Myles Rodenhouse, who could sing anything so gracefully and wring out every bit of sentiment. “Heartbeat” also has a beautiful, haunting piano melody – for some reason it reminds me of Chicago’s “Colour My World” at times, but its structure is more deliberate. And like that song, “Heartbeat” is a solid one for a slow dance. I’d like to see more of an online presence for Earthquake Lights, who clearly deserve to be in the spotlight.
SAM HARDING, “Always You”
Sam Harding is a 22 year old new multi-talent based in L.A. but originally from Kansas City, Missouri, currently juggling a career as an actor and a singer/songwriter. “Always You” is a classic story of heartbreak about a guy who’s left in the dust while his GF has already moved on with someone else. Sam’s got a sympathetic high range to his voice which doesn’t really remind me of anyone else off hand, but the straight-up pop style of “Always You” will appeal to fans of Ed Sheeran or Niall Horan. I think the song tends to lean heavily on the lyrics and melody, and so it peters out a bit towards the end, but perhaps a little more focus in the production could help foster and develop Sam’s vocal power a bit more. Overall “Always You” is a solid, likeable introduction to Sam Harding, which makes him one to watch in forthcoming releases.
BILL’S NEW MUSIC PICK OF THE WEEK
My New Music Pick of the Week is a 5-7 minute radio segment that airs on several online radio stations around the world.
“Off Switch” is a 90’s flavoured house release by Australian dance artist VASSY
“BIG DADDY” RUSS HORTON’S PICK OF THE WEEK
“Big Daddy” Russ Horton is the host of the “Top 40 Timeline” radio program and owner of online stations Radio GTA, Halton Hills Radio Online, & FM108.ca. You can hear my Retro Pick of the Week every week on the “Top 40 Timeline”.
It’s Grammy-winning alternative rock band Cage The Elephant with “Neon Pill”
HUNTER J. WILBUR’S BOP OF THE WEEK
Hunter J. Wilbur is the host of the online radio show “Modern Hype” which can be heard on several online stations including Energy 885.
British indie pop artist Simon Jacobs brings us “Things” from his album 5
“THE MUSICMAN” JAMES ROGERS’ CLASSIC FIVE
“The Musicman” James Rogers is the owner and host of The 3D Variety Show heard Tuesdays on Planet Radio Canada. The Classic Five is “pop music 101” of the post-Beatles era – classics you need to know! Each title is linked to a Spotify stream of the song.
Atlanta Rhythm Section – So In To You
Jennifer Warnes – Right Time Of The Night
10cc – The Things We Do For Love
Eagles – Life In The Fast Lane
Boston – Peace Of Mind
BILLCS Top 30 FLASHBACK CHART – 2011
It’s hard to believe in some ways that these songs are 12 years old! Songs by artists such as Frankmusik, BT and Bright Light Bright Light continue to grace the blog and chart to this day. Other artists have changed their recording name. Christian TV became JMSN, Adam Tyler now records as McEwen, and Ro Danishei last recorded as Bad W0lfy. And others are either no longer recording or have moved their talents into another part of the entertainment industry (Elouise, Roz Bell, Colin Munroe).
02 01 THE FEAR INSIDE Frankmusik
03 02 S&M Rihanna
09 03 NIGHT AIR Jamie Woon
01 04 GOLDEN TRAIN Penguin Prison
08 05 MICHELLE Ro Danishei, Simon Curtis
06 06 THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL Elouise
07 07 FALLING Bright Light Bright Light
13 08 ROLLING IN THE DEEP Adele
10 09 TILL IT HURTS Native Underground, Javi
25 10 LOVE 2 BABY Christian TV
14 11 ICE MELTS Matt and Kim
15 12 ALL YOU NEED IS NOW Duran Duran
19 13 ROCKETEER Far East Movement, Ryan Tedder
04 14 TALK TO ME Andrea Lewis, Simon Curtis
18 15 ROBOT Andrea Lewis
17 16 HYPNOTIZE U N*E*R*D
20 17 MORE Usher
26 18 I WON’T LET YOU GO Adam Tyler
New 19 HURT YOU AGAIN Frankmusik
05 20 MONSTER Kanye West, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Bon Iver & Nicki Minaj
23 21 FOREVER, I DO Roz Bell
27 22 KEEP YOUR HEAD UP Andy Grammer
New 23 SUNLIGHT Bag Raiders, Dan Black
New 24 THE CITY (Richard X remix) Patrick Wolf
28 25 I DIE FOR YOU TODAY Alphaville
29 26 ABOUT US Neverest
30 27 THE EMERGENCY BT
11 28 JACKSONVILLE Brandon Flowers
12 29 BULLETPROOF MONSTER (LaRoux x Nicki Minaj Revox) Colin Munroe
16 30 ALORS ON DANSE Stromae
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