Tuned-On! Top 30 #364 – October 24/11

It took a month and a half of waiting – thanks to the instantly overpowering effect of his duet on “Wicked Baby” with Ro Danishei, which held court for 6 weeks – but “Laser Guns Up” by Simon Curtis takes the top spot this week on my personal chart. It’s one of the key reasons for you to buy his sophomore album R∆ on iTunes, and is one of a number of rousing and anthemic songs that will make you want more! But right behind “Guns” are buddies Frankmusik and Colette Carr, whose duet on “No ID” is one of those reasons why music can make you smile, take you away for three minutes, and be happy in 2011.

You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can click right here. You can hear all of the songs on the chart or watch their videos by clicking on the pics on the chart page.

I’m going to talk about the highest debut on the chart now because this song has all the makings of being MASSIVE. I previewed “Memorize Me” by Rune RK & Databoy this past summer, after the song found favour in the Ibiza club circuit, being touted by no less than the legendary Tiësto himself. There are several reasons why this song launches at an impressive #5 on my chart. The pairing of the two DJ teams is impressive. You combine European DJ/producer Rune RK’s flair for creating Ibiza beach party anthems with Austin duo Databoy’s creativity and vocals, along with a seductive lyrical subtext, and voilà – “Memorize Me” is a true original. Revel in each listen or dance your ass off, your choice 🙂 Way to go – I can’t get enough of this song right now. It will be available imminently as a free download but for now you can listen to it right here.

The stunning debut of “Memorize Me” has created a bit of a backup on the chart for songs 6 through 11. The infectious “Bad Dog” by Neon Hitch scoots up a notch to #6, while “Pull The Trigger” from Adam Tyler’s debut album Shattered Ice rises 9-7. Adam is touring actively to promote the album, and “Trigger” looks to join past chart hits “Friction” and “I Won’t Let You Go” in my Top 5.

Penguin Prison’s self-titled album was finally released in North America this past week and I’ll have my comments on it in the week. In the meantime the Dirty Vegas remix of “Fair Warning” moves 11-8.

Kyle Brylin’s “My Fizzy Pop” and Eric Saade’s “Stupid with You” round out the Top 10. The prolific Kyle has more new music coming for you in his upcoming “Revenge” project, while Eric’s upcoming album Saade Volume Two drops on November 30, with a new single featuring Dev arriving next week.

Most of the rest of the Top 20 looks Top 10 bound. Arriving this week in the rest of the world – Australia got the album last week – is Secret Codes And Battleships, the fourth solo album by Darren Hayes. His compelling and heart-felt Australian single “Bloodstained Heart” rises to #11. The song is available in a free download as a remix through Darren’s website by the talented Monsieur Adi right here.

“Famous” by Audio Playground is a certified hit in Canada and jumps to #12, while the smooth and sexy mid-tempo R&B ballad by Nick Hagelin called “Metaphor” moves up to #15. Agnes’ powerful “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” jumps to #18, while “The Way I See” by Will Young rises to #19, and Kyle Brylin’s second chart entry, the late night club rave-up “Never Love A DJ”, climbs to #20.

The fastest riser on the chart is the contagious fun that is “Block After Block” by Matt & Kim, which soars 25-16. The Brooklyn duo is playing a New Year’s show in NYC which is guaranteed to be a blast. I’ve been getting into their album Sidewalks more and more these past few weeks. Their music has an exhilarating and distracting effect – most needed right now!

Four more debuts round out the chart. The Netherlands’ Matt Blue is a talent to watch for internationally in 2012. His debut single “Can’t Help Myself (Keep Dancing)” has been released by Universal in most of the European countries and has started to breakout. Despite its familiar formula, the song has such a terrific sincere performance showcasing Matt’s supurb vocals. It debuts at #13. Watch the video below.

Down further is one half of the debut single by American singer Lana Del Rey, who is based out of London and is finding some success initially in the Benelux countries. “Blue Jeans” comes to us in the form of a sexy Penguin Prison remix. I like it a lot better than its other half, “Video Games”. Listen to “Blue Jeans” below.

At #25 is “White Horse” by New York trio Jessica 6, who I’m hoping to see in a club show in the coming weeks. It’s part of the group’s disco-music-with-a-conscience, you can move along to this song effortlessly while singing the chorus that gets stuck in your head. Take a look at the video below. Not to be confused with the 80’s hit by Laid Back.

Rounding out the chart at #26 is “Then I Go Twisting”, one of the stellar songs from the Frankmusik-produced album Tomorrow’s World by UK dance pop veterans Erasure. I’ll have my comments about Tomorrow’s World in the week. In the meantime, you can listen to the entire album for yourself right here.

Lastly, I’m going to leave you with an incredibly guilty pleasure. “I Like” is a new European dance single by DJ/producer Klaas and DJ/production duo Bodybangers. It gets right into your face and into your head, courtesy of lead vocals by the stunning singer/model Victoria Kern. Think Kesha meets Pussycat Dolls with a dash of “Jump Around” by House of Pain, and you’re right there. Watch the fun video below and don’t say I didn’t warn you. Like last year’s “We No Speak Americano”, it may be coming to a wedding or party near you sometime soon.

Tuned-On! Top 30 #363 – October 10/11

October is proving to be a watershed month in 2011 for album releases – yes that’s right album releases! As many of you know, I’m a singles-going-steady kinda guy, one song will do it for me over an entire album. So we have no shortage of album releases this month – priorities for me by Darren Hayes, Erasure, Penguin Prison, Chris Isaak, Florence & The Machine (Nov 1), and the already released Adam Cohen – plus Evanescence, Kelly Clarkson, Drake, Coldplay all on deck too… well the iTunes gift cards will be bountiful this year. So my new personal chart is a transitional one until the floodgates open. And I’m still waiting for some highly anticipated singles to drop – “Memorize Me” by Rune RK & Databoy and “Can’t Help Myself (Keep Dancing)” by Matt Blue to name two.

So something will likely give at the top of the chart in two weeks, and you can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can click right here. You can hear all of the songs on the chart or watch their videos by clicking on the pics on the chart page. But for now it continues to be “Wicked Baby” by Ro Danishei and Simon Curtis at the top but virtually neck and neck with Simon’s own “Laser Guns Up” in second place. Rumour has it that Ro is now signed to Sony BMG – fantastic! – but I’m not sure of details, and I’m sure they will be forthcoming at some point.

“Disco Moment” by Bright Light Bright Light should by all rights join “A New Word To Say” and “Love Part II” as number ones on this chart, but may get shortchanged in the coming weeks, so it jumps to #3 for now. New York’s Jessica 6 will be starting a small North American club date tour soon, which will then take them to Europe. “Prisoner Of Love”, their unique splash of disco nightlife pairing with Antony Hegarty of Antony & The Johnsons, climbs to #4. I’m anxiously awaiting the video for this song!

The Top 5 is rounded out by the Fastest Riser on the chart. “No I.D.” by Frankmusik and Colette Carr are in the running for the top as the song surges 20-5, thanks to relentless touring – now that the Erasure/Frankmusik tour is wrapping up overseas, there will be another tour for both performers along with fellow Cherrytree Records signees LMFAO and Far East Movement, starting very soon!

Songs 6 through 12 are trapped in the middle and some should break loose in two weeks. “Fix Me”, the stunning ballad by L.A.’s Matthew Kurz and his free download mixtape, holds at #6, while “Bad Dog” by UK singer Neon Hitch (and that’s her real name too!) jumps to #7. And what would a chart be without Adele? “Set Fire To The Rain” is her third Top Tenner for me from the 21 album, currently one of my favourite albums of the year along with others such as R∆ by Simon Curtis, Eric Saade’s Saade Volume One, and Do It In The A.M. by Frankmusik.

Contemporary electro pop is all a flutter right now as represented by a delightful next bunch: Adam Tyler’s “Pull The Trigger” becomes his third Top 10 entry at #9; “My Fizzy Pop” by Kyle Brylin follows “Everything I’m Missing” as his second Top Tenner; Penguin Prison does not look to miss the Top 10, making it five in a row in two weeks with “Fair Warning”; and “Stupid With You” by Eric Saade is simply charming pop at its best.

“Bloodstained Heart” by Darren Hayes can only be purchased in Australia right now, but will be on release worldwide in two weeks when his album Secret Codes And Battleships arrives. The song continues to rise up to #14. Florence & The Machine’s “What The Water Gave Me” is holding at #18 while their new album Ceremonials is on deck. And four more of last week’s debuts make headway. Will Young’s free download of “The Way I See” climbs to #22, while Swedish pop queen Agnes moves 29-23 with “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”. Nick Hagelin’s tender R&B ballad “Metaphor” also climbs to #20 and is a free download from his website. With every week that passes, “Famous” by Audio Playground manages to find more radio stations playing it in Canada – Top 50 on the Billboard Canadian Top 100. This past week saw the debut of the video of the French version of the song, featuring Randy Raymond. Watch it below.

I’ve spent the past week blogging and tweeting about Like A Man, the fresh start of a sophomore release by Adam Cohen (son of Leonard), as well as his lovely and intimate show I saw in Toronto this past week. His beautiful and thoughtful single “What Other Guy” (available as a free download) arrives at #24. One of Kyle Brylin’s latest releases, the propulsive and somewhat gleefully cynical “Never Love A DJ” joins “My Fizzy Pop” on the chart at #27. Lastly, on the more raucous side, Brooklyn duo Matt & Kim have been promoting the hell out of last year’s release Sidewalks. I saw them perform last Fall, and they won me over with their energy and crowd interaction. “Block After Block”, from Sidewalks, keeps grabbing my attention, and with a spot-on performance on the Jimmy Fallon show this summer, the song arrives on the chart at #25. If you don’t know about this fun pair, watch the Fallon performance by clicking on the link below, as well as the official video at the top of the blog, and you will be converted.

http://busk.com/news/matt-and-kim-late-night-with-jimmy-fallon-video

Tuned-On! Top 30 #362 – September 26/11

As Autumn is upon us, like the leaves that begin to fall, some recent favourites of mine drop off my personal chart to make room for some noteable new blood. You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can click right here. You can hear all of the songs on the chart or watch their videos by clicking on the pics on the chart page.

There is no moving the Top 4 songs, no sirree they just aren’t a budging. “Wicked Baby”, the insanely catchy song that updates the Ace of Base vibe courtesy of Ro Danishei & Simon Curtis hangs on to #1 vying with Simon’s own victory cry “Laser Guns Up” in second place. “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People keeps its summery lustre long enough for another chart at #3, while “Disco Moment” by Bright Light Bright Light is solid and still on the rise at #4. The only change-up in the Top 5 sees Jessica 6’s duet with Antony Hegarty on “Prisoner Of Love” belatedly making a big gain in the face of so many great songs on the chart. A video for the song is forthcoming!

The rest of the Top 10 sees a major shakeup. The intense emotions of Matthew Kurz’s “Fix Me” often give me pause for many thoughts, and the song soars 11-6. Do check out this talented singer/songwriter’s FREE mixtape using the link on my chart page. October 18 is the North American street date for Penguin Prison’s self-titled album. As Chris Glover and band continue to play dates throughout North America, they are present on the chart with both “Multi-Millionaire” at #7 and “Fair Warning” rising to #14. To entice you more, Penguin Prison has a FREE download of “Don’t Fuck With My Money” available with an email subscription right here. You can hear that song above this paragraph. Then, our favourite “Bad Dog” is on the loose! Neon Hitch played a well received gig last week in New York City, and her song is propelled to #8. Adele’s enduring and powerful “Set Fire To The Rain” takes 9th place, while the heartfelt “Never Will Be Mine” by Rye Rye featuring Robyn lands at #10.

The middle of the chart is nothing less than busy. “Pull The Trigger” is the hottest song on Adam Tyler’s very good Shattered Ice release, with it’s sad-but-gotta-do-it lyrics married with an anthemic house rhythm. It’s also the hottest song on the chart as the Fastest Riser, moving 22-12 and you can listen to the song above. Then, we have the ultra-prolific Kyle Brylin with a real pick-me-up if there ever was one, “My Fizzy Pop” at #13. Not only did Kyle cover Rihanna’s “S&M” earlier this year, but perhaps he’s drinking the same water, since she’s coming out with new stuff as frequently. He teases you below with a preview of the hard hitting trance track “Never Love A DJ” and “Poison Venus” below this paragraph. Full comments about these songs later! And by no means should you think that “Stupid With You” by Eric Saade is done, after moving one place to #15. It’s a fantastic pop song, one of many on Saade Volume One as we await Saade Volume Two sometime in November!

At the top of this blog, you watched the new video for Darren Hayes’ Australian single “Bloodstained Heart”, which climbs to #17. I’m hoping it will be released to the rest of the world after “Black Out The Sun”. In particular, I enjoy Darren’s soothing high register and the dramatic crescendo halfway that serves as anticipation for the final scene of the video. Darren’s album Secret Codes And Battleships is released October 17 in the UK and October 21 in the rest of the world. Right below “Bloodstained Heart” we see the debut song from Florence & The Machine’s sophomore album Ceremonials. “What The Water Gave Me” moves up 26-18 in this chart edition.

The rest of the chart sees six debuts! It’s a huge week ahead for Frankmusik as his second album Do It In The A.M. sees release on September 27. The latest single, “No I.D.” featuring the delightful Colette Carr, arrives on the chart at #20 and is gradually becoming one of the must-hear songs of the year along with its “Grease”-y video above. 2011 has been one heck of a ride for Frankmusik and it hasn’t stopped yet! Next up is the beautiful song from Nick Hagelin that I cannot get enough of right now. “Metaphor” (which I blogged about last week) premieres at #23. Further down at #26 is a song that has hung on throughout the summer despite no North American release for the singer’s album. “The Way I See” doesn’t appear on Will Young’s latest album Echoes, but you can get it in a FREE download from a link in my chart (the song was previously available for free through Amazon UK). It’s Will’s first appearance in these pages, and I look forward to paying closer attention to the songs in Echoes.

An impressive video for “Famous” by Audio Playground featuring Kardinal Offishall quickly arrived on our doorstep (above) and debuts at #27 on the chart. The song’s a certified hit, conquering Canadian radio by being added to practically every pop station in the country, while the French language version featuring Randy Raymond is everywhere in Quebec. Then at #28 we have Ms Grace Jones, sounding like she never left the music scene with her first release in 22 years called Hurricane. From that album we have the sinewy and compelling “Williams Blood”, which is available in the FREE Aeroplane remix radio edit (link in on my chart page).

This edition closes at #29 with a song hot off the presses this week by a singer whose voice I adore. Agnes Carlsson had a massive year in 2008/09 with her European album release Dance! Love! Pop! which contained the UK Top 5 and Billboard Dance Club Play #1 hit “Release Me”, one of my Top 10 favourites of that year. With voice to rival no less than a Leona Lewis, Agnes is back with a tougher and equally powerful pop/dance song that will turn more heads around the world this time. Watch “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” (not the Elton John song) above and keep your ears peeled for much, much more from Agnes throughout the year and into 2012.

Thanks for reading! Watch for changes to this blog coming soon too. One thing I hope to change after this week is to give you shorter and more timely blogs, as well as the longer bi-weekly recap of my chart.

Tuned-On! Top 30 #361 – Sept 12/11 plus Erasure and Frankmusik Concert in Toronto!

Last week was exceptionally busy and while I had already decided on my new chart rankings by Friday, I did decide to attend the Erasure and Frankmusik show at Sound Academy in Toronto, hence today’s belated blog. More on the show later, on to chart news.

I’m still riding the Rainbow – End of the Rainbow that is – thanks to one of the best records of 2011! That would be the sinfully delicious “Wicked Baby” by Ro Danishei featuring Simon Curtis (click to listen) that ascends to #1 on the Top 30, and looks like it might hold grip in wicked ways for the next several weeks. That “Wicked Baby” should blitz the chart all the way to the top is even surprising to me. And hand in hand with Simon’s anthem “Laser Guns Up”, which rises to #2, it knocked down what I thought was a sure thing for #1, which is “Made Of Pop” by Eric Saade, which now resides at #5. Two further items of note: Ro Danishei’s arrival at #1 is the first for a female singer on my chart since Lady GaGa’s “Teeth” back near the beginning of 2010 (I know I’m…. wicked). And Simon Curtis packs a 1-2 punch holding court in the Top 2 for at least likely the next month. If you have not sought out these talented singers, be sure to check out their respective albums (End Of The Rainbow for Ro, R∆ for Simon) on iTunes!

Definitely in the mix are the song that everyone’s trying to figure out, “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People, at #3, and Bright Light Bright Light’s “Disco Moment” at #4. In any other year they would both be chart toppers. Right below you can check out the “So Hard” mix of “Disco Moment” by Blx2 himself, Rod Thomas, also available on Blx2’s official site 🙂 Do I detect early 90’s Pet Shop Boys? Hmmm.

Next up are late night New York dance delights in the forms of Jessica 6’s “Prisoner Of Love”, which climbs to #8, and yet another Top Tenner for Chris Glover’s Penguin Prison and “Multi-Millionaire” at #10. Penguin Prison’s much-awaited self-titled debut album is out everywhere but in North America now (due date October 18). I’m also charting the Dirty Vegas remix of “Fair Warning”, which hops to #18 and will certainly join “Multi-Millionaire” as a Top Tenner sometime soon.

Outside of the Top 10 there are several songs looking in with confidence! Matthew Kurz’s amazing independent ballad “Fix Me” is now at #11, followed immediately by the glorious Adele with “Set Fire To The Rain” at #12, and then the Rye Rye and Robyn duet of the inspiring “Never Will Be Mine” at #13. Neon Hitch’s “Bad Dog” is turning into a new favourite as it’s the Fastest Riser on the chart, up 25-15. It’s followed immediately by a third song from Saade Volume One, “Stupid With You” by Eric Saade (watch for Volume Two later this year and hear this song in a concert clip below) and Kyle Brylin’s effervescent “My Fizzy Pop” at #16 and #17 respectively.

Our three debuts were previewed for you two weeks ago at around this time. “Pull The Trigger” is vying with “I Won’t Let You Go” as my favourite song from Adam Tyler’s independent debut album Shattered Ice, and soars into the chart at #22, as the singer completes a North American club tour and is off to Japan. I can’t wait to see the video for Darren Hayes’ Australian single “Bloodstained Heart” which arrives at #24. Don’t rule out a debut for “Black Out The Sun” sometime soon… there’s just that much competition right now! And lastly, powerhouse Florence Welch previews her forthcoming untitled album with “What The Water Gave Me” at #26.

You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can click right here.

Erasure and Frankmusik, Sound Academy, Toronto, Sunday September 11/11

Erasure and Frankmusik performed excellent sets last night which for me were just what the doctor ordered 🙂 I was anxious to see what Mr. Frank (Vince Turner) had to offer up for his debut performance in Toronto, since he is also the producer of Erasure’s upcoming Tomorrow’s World album (due October 4 in North America). The last time I saw Erasure in concert was in 2003 for their Other People’s Songs tour. In this show, there were no covers (yes, no ABBA, no Blondie), but they weren’t missed at all.

This was the fifth time I’ve seen an Erasure show, and I think this was one of their best and most engaging shows yet. Singer Andy Bell was definitely glad to be back in Toronto (“Toronto always makes me horny”). Andy looked extremely fit and basked in the audience’s gaze, while keyboardist/guitarist/producer Vince Clarke looked dapper in red and black behind his gargoyle-like keyboard.

They had an attentive audience that soaked in their new songs like “When I Start (To Break It All Down)” (which is bound for my chart), “A Whole Lotta Love Run Riot” and “Fill Us With Fire”, which may be some of their best songs in the last 10 years, and fell contently into place next to their hits. And what choices of hits they were! “Blue Savannah”, “Drama!”, “Ship Of Fools”, “Chorus” (view a clip of the song from the show at the top of the blog), “Love To Hate You” (I was singing every word to those last two), “Chains of Love”, and “A Little Respect”, and even something a little more obscure going back to 1986, “Push Me, Shove Me”, which most of the audience didn’t know (but I did since I have the Wonderland album). Their 90 minute set closed with the glorious “Oh l’amour” and, naturally, “Stop!”.

While a replay of greatest hits isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, when it’s this well done (despite some poor sound) and highly entertaining, then I’ll gladly have Erasure coming back again and again. The set certainly exceeded my expectations.

Frankmusik’s new album Do It In The A.M. is due at last on September 27, and to get word out in person, he’s opening for Erasure on their entire North American tour. Vince and band performed a 45 minute non-stop set that not only set the stage for Erasure, but showcased the clever singer/songwriter/producer’s repertoire and some of his inspirations. So he mixed in older songs like “Better Off As 2”, not only with excellent new songs like “Do It In The A.M.”, “Struck By Lightning”, “Ludicrous”, and my favourites of the evening “Wrecking Ball” and “No ID” (featuring his gal Casey Carlson subbing for Colette Carr), but with either sung verses from noteworthy hits “You Can Call Me Al”, “Disco Inferno”, and “Music Sounds Better With You”, or well-placed samples of Eric Prydz’s “Call On Me” and Daft Punk’s “Around The World”. Frankmusik wrapped the audience up tightly in his set and the unpredictability of it won them over. The cheerful club party vibe and Frankmusik’s eagerness to please made for an exceptional set.

Last week, we saw the premiere of the video for “No ID” by Frankmusik and Colette Carr. I’m so glad some of today’s videomakers are looking back to not too long ago (well, maybe before they were born but not me) for simple stories, inspiration (in this case a certain movie from the 70’s) and positive attitude with some fun choreography. If it doesn’t put a big smile on your face then back to bed with you! Watch in particular the scenes with Vince and Colette in the video below. And there’s a familiar male dancer in the blue sweater with Boy Robot glasses…

Be sure to leave any comments you might have, and thanks for reading

Tuned-On! Top 30 #360 – August 29/11 plus new music from Darren Hayes, Florence & The Machine, and Adam Tyler

The bi-weekly Tuned-On! Top 30 looked to be going in a topsy-turvy direction this week, so the only way to contain all of the insanity was to take some good listens to my favourite songs. As much as I’ve been obsessed with Ro Danishei & Simon Curtis’ sensational “Wicked Baby”, it debuts in the stratosphere at #3. That leaves “Just Once” by Databoy (#1) and “Made Of Pop” by Eric Saade (#2) to hold court for a second time as the last full month of summer comes to an end. Judging from the activity below, topsy-turvy may be the expression that stays intact in two weeks. Not surprisingly, “Laser Guns Up” by Simon Curtis is the fastest riser, blasting up the chart 16-4, while the breezy “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People arrives at #5. Be sure to check out the free euro-trance Skeet Skeet Show remix too.

Four out of the next five songs in the Top 10 are movin’ on up. In any other year, these songs would be destined for #1, but because of competition some may even fall short of the Top 5! Bright Light Bright Light’s “Disco Moment” climbs to #6, while Ro Danishei hangs in the Top 10 with a second hit, “Prey To The Beat” at #7. I can’t get “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera out of my head, so it continues up to #8, and NYC late night contemporary disco is in the form of “Prisoner Of Love” by Jessica 6 featuring the unique vocals of Antony Hegarty at #10.

Trying to break through the Top 20 are more songs on the rise. The Shook remix of “Multi-Millionaire” by Penguin Prison climbs to #12, and while we’re in anticipation of the self-titled PP album, I’m debuting the smoking Dirty Vegas remix of PP’s “Fair Warning” at #24. Amazing new L.A. singer Matthew Kurz jumps 21-15 with the stunningly beautiful “Fix Me”, while Wynter Gordon’s party anthem “‘Til Death” continues to move up to #16. A cornerstone of the 21 album is Adele’s “Set Fire To The Rain”, which rises to #17, while the infectious “Never Will Be Mine” by the duet of Rye Rye and Robyn jumps to #18. The man-who-would-portray Jeff Buckley, Reeve Carney, inches up to #20 with “Rise Above 1”.

Don’t be fooled by small moves by “Stupid With You” by Eric Saade and the exuberant “My Fizzy Pop” by Kyle Brylin, they both have to wait for other songs to move out before moving up more. Our last debut this week is one of the most energetic and catchy songs around, UK singer Neon Hitch with “Bad Dog” at #25.

You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can click right here. Be sure to leave any comments you might have, and thanks for reading

Darren Hayes Times Two: “Black Out The Sun” (video) and “Bloodstained Heart”

Well it’s fortunate for the Internet that we all get to see and hear two more songs from Darren Hayes’ upcoming album Secret Codes And Battleships. Australia gets “Bloodstained Heart” as the second single, and it’s an intensely emotional ballad that reminds me a lot of the sentiment from “How To Build A Time Machine” and “Casey” from This Delicate Thing We’ve Made. And if that’s not enough, the song has one of Darren’s most beautiful and affecting vocals, as well as lush instrumentation that sticks in your head. The UK and the rest of the world gets “Black Out The Sun”, which is more familiar to Darren fans who liked “Who Would Have Thought” from Delicate Thing, as well as his Savage Garden ballads. But the song would not be out of place next to darker tunes from Darren’s 2004 album The Tension And The Spark, such as “Unlovable” and “I Like The Way”. It’s a sad song to be sure, but with an emotional purpose. It looks like the rest of the songs from Secret Codes And Battleships may exceed all of our expectations!

Florence & The Machine “What The Water Gave Me”

Florence & The Machine’s Lungs was one of the most compelling releases of 2009, spawning memorable hits like “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” and “Dog Days Are Over”. Those two hits and other songs from the album transcended the last two years thanks to the band’s touring and Florence Welch’s magnetic presence on shows like this year’s Grammy Awards. So riding the wave of all of this is “What The Water Gave Me”, and if it’s of any indication, the sophomore album should outdo Lungs. Like with “Rabbit Heart” and “Dog Days”, “What The Water Gave Me” is a frenzy of musical power along with Florence’s vocals which evoke shades of no less than Siouxsie Sioux, Sinead O’Connor, and Annie Lennox. It’s scary to think that Florence & The Machine could also grab the ride that Adele got on at the inset of 2011.

Adam Tyler’s debut album Shattered Ice

It’s taken a long time to arrive, but an independent release has to be done just right in order to succeed. I think that Adam Tyler’s Shattered Ice has a stamp of success awaiting it. Earlier this year, we received a major taste of the LA-based singer/songwriter’s best work with “I Won’t Let You Go”, whose unique blend of affecting europop resonated through the Interweb. The full release of Shattered Ice also builds nicely on Adam’s 2010 single release, the frenetic “Friction”.

The album contains a varied mix of pop, dance, and three acoustically arranged versions of songs on the album, with credit to Sky Felix and his collaborators for the imaginative production. Best of all is “Pull The Trigger”, an intriguing mix of europop and 90’s styled house carried by the phrase “bang bang baby cry”. Hear the song at the end of the blog. While the song does the trick in its current version, it cries out for a remix that has a screaming bass undercurrent! Next up we have “Emergency”, an urgent song about shattered emotions that does very well in its original pop/dance mix, showcasing particularly strong vocals by Adam surrounded by some fun production tricks and instrumentation. But it’s also available in a softer and beautiful orchestral version. “I Won’t Let You Go” also appears in a stripped down piano version.

Also check out the intense “Music Freak”, more hearts on the sleeve in the title track, and a mid-tempo companion piece to “I Won’t Let You Go”, “Taking Back My Love”. To me sometimes the album gets caught up in arrangements that overwhelm Adam’s voice or overshadow some of the weaker songs. But pop music lovers will find much more to delight them on Shattered Ice. Get it on iTunes! “Pull The Trigger” by Adam Tyler

Databoy Collects #1 While Laser Guns Ablaze on the Tuned-On! Top 30 #359 – August 15/11

Databoy’s summer pop anthem “Just Once” lands at #1 four and a half months after I saw them perform in New York at Arjan Writes’ Superfraiche show. I couldn’t wait for the song to be released and it’s one of eight free downloads to reach the summit since late 2009 (facts and figures at the bottom of the blog). It dislodges “Flesh” by Simon Curtis after two months at #1, which is very strange happenstance because had I not seen Simon at the same Superfraiche show I would not have heard “Just Once” until much later 🙂 And while Simon’s “Superhero” leaves the chart, it is immediately replaced at #16 by the first song that I heard from R∆ from a clip of Simon’s L.A. show in January, and that’s the fan-favourite “Laser Guns Up”. I’m not sure what other plans Simon has for songs from R∆, so I’m instigating the proceedings a bit with this chart debut. And I’m still waiting for glow-in-the-dark lego guns 😉

Just so there’s an air of challenge, “Made Of Pop” by Eric Saade vaults 5-2 and will see eye-to-eye with “Just Once” in two weeks for #1. And just to keep competition fierce, I’ve also debuted another track from Saade Volume One at #25. “Stupid With You” is one of those happy-go-lovesick songs that puts a smile on your face, and it arrives as Eric’s #1 “Popular” leaves the chart after the maximum 10 appearances (20 weeks). “Talk Talk Talk” by Darren Hayes is by no means done as it holds at #4, while Marianas Trench guitarist Matt Webb puts “Cinnamon” at #5.

Actually 9 consecutive songs are ‘bulleted’ between #4 and #12, which means right now that I can’t get enough of them! In particular “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People is at #6 and is showing signs of a potential future chart leader. Long Story Short’s powerhouse rocker “Venom” slides to #7, while the next three songs arrive in the Top 10 for the first time. The Fastest Riser on the chart this week to no surprise is the valiant “Disco Moment” by Bright Light Bright Light, which climbs 16-8 and also eyes #1 from a distance. The third consecutive Top 10 smasheroo from the Ballroom Remixed project is “The Lover’s Rumba” by Elouise which moves up to #9, while the big 10 is rounded out by that hidden-dance-floor-filler “Prey To The Beat” by Ro Danishei, whose deluxe edition of her End Of The Rainbow album should be available on iTunes within the month! Wanting to join the Top 10 in two weeks are the irresistible “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera (video below) and Van Go Lion’s graceful dance pop of “We Don’t Miss A Beat”.

Surrounding the other high risers burning up the chart that are Jessica 6 & Antony Hegarty’s compelling “Prisoner Of Love” and the fierce “Set Fire to The Rain” by Adele (27-20) are delights from Penguin Prison, Blue Hamilton, Wynter Gordon, and NYC Spider-Man Reeve Carney.

Joining “Laser Guns Up” and “Stupid With You” in their chart premieres is the free download of “Fix Me” by Matthew Kurz (#21), about whom I blogged earlier in the week. “Fix Me” takes you on a magnetic emotional journey and you will be totally absorbed by the time Matthew stops the song dead in its tracks near the end before the chorus kicks in for one more eye-filling time. It’s a MUST LISTEN. Then further down at #26, in a totally carefree electropop kind of way that could only have been created by those involved, is “My Fizzy Pop” by Kyle Brylin, which I also told you about a few weeks back. It’s Kyle’s second chart entry, following a still-favourite “Everything I’m Missing”, which got to #5. Good things are in store for “My Fizzy Pop”! It’s from the Telephoto Lens EP which you can buy on iTunes. Last up is the debut entry from rapper Rye Rye, who has a dream match with a chorus sung by dance powerhouse Robyn on “Never Will Be Mine”, which I also mentioned this past week. Simply put, this one is stuck in my head, which is a good thing. On a chart data note, it’s only Robyn’s second appearance on this chart, her first being on Röyksopp’s #1 “The Girl & The Robot” from 2009. I think another song will change that in time so that Robyn actually has an appearance under her own name!

Here are the 8 songs that have reached #1 on the Tuned-On! Top 30 that have been/are available for free download:

100 Akres featuring Roz Bell “Pink Cadillac”

Simon Curtis “Delusional”

Simon Curtis “Beat Drop”

Penguin Prison “The Worse It Gets (Starsmith remix)”

Simon Curtis “8bit Heart”

Bright Light Bright Light “A New Word To Say”

The Temper Trap “Resurrection (Penguin Prison remix)”

Databoy “Just Once”

You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can click right here. Be sure to leave any comments you might have, and thanks for reading

Tuned-On! Top 30 #358 – August 1/11

After being in a highly blissful statis for the last month or so, the Top 5 on my personal chart receives an inevitable shake-up. It’s not enough however to dislodge one of the year’s best records bar none, the intense and sexy”Flesh” by Simon Curtis, which joins his “Delusional” and “Beat Drop” as one of the few songs to last four appearances (eight weeks) at the top.

Out to prove that a rare fifth appearance at #1 is unlikely are two fast risers on the chart. Set to release a full length record – as well as some other projects like the previously noted “Memorize Me” with Rune RK – are Texan electropop wonders Databoy, whose pure summer fun release “Just Once” soars into second place. The other is a debut from last week, Eric Saade’s memorable album track “Made Of Pop”, which quickly jumps to #5 in a tie as the Fastest Riser on the chart. Eric’s “Popular” – which “Flesh” replaced at the top – is set to exit the chart after a requisite 10 appearances (20 weeks). In-between are the Ballroom Remixed track “Out Without Your Boyfriend” by Jerry Reid (a new release from him coming soon) at #3 and “Talk Talk Talk” by Darren Hayes at #4.

Besides “Made of Pop”, we find new Top 10 entries from Canada/US group Long Story Short with “Venom” at an impressive #8, and the other Fastest Riser, “Pumped Up Kicks” by US band Foster The People, which climbs 16-9. I think by the Fall, the singalong chorus of “Pumped Up Kicks” will be on the tongues of pop fans everywhere. In-between, Matt Webb’s “Cinnamon” continues its rise to #6, while “The Puppet Who Gave Himself Strings” by Simon Curtis (also from Ballroom Remixed) inches up to #7.

As I mentioned a few weeks back, despite what may seem like road-jams in the chart, there is an extremely powerful glut of fantastic music out right now, and it tends to reside mid-chart for a while until the blockage gets unjammed. Thus, “The Lover’s Rumba” by Elouise (the third Ballroom Remixed song within) is yet again delayed a Top 10 placing, with “We Don’t Miss A Beat” by Van Go Lion and Ro Danishei’s “Prey To The Beat” right behind. “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera (official video coming) is only at mid-chart, and “Porcelain Heart” by Nicola Roberts seemingly squeaks up to #17.

Two of our recent debuts join the fray, the amazing Penguin Prison’s “Multi-Millionaire” rising to #18 and the emotional, pensive “Runway” by Blue Hamilton moving up to #20. The remaining debuts from last week, “‘Til Death” by Wynter Gordon and “Rise Above 1” by Broadway’s Spider-Man, Reeve Carney, along with Bono & The Edge (official video at the bottom of this blog), get stuck in the mid-20’s thanks to two high flying debuts.

The first of the aforementioned high flying debuts belongs to “Disco Moment” by Bright Light Bright Light, bowing at #16, which was premiered with its outstanding, refreshing video a few weeks back. I’ve reposted that video at the top of this blog because it’s destined to be one of the best and most memorable songs of the year. The single gets official release on August 7. I’m hoping that we’ll see release of the BrightLightx2 album, which I knew last to be called Make Me Believe in Hope, sometime before the end of the year. The second debut is from New York alt.disco trio Jessica 6 with “Prisoner of Love”, an excellent duet with Antony Hegarty which was reviewed earlier this week. The appeal of “Prisoner” is instant, and it pops onto the chart at #21. Lastly, we have the fourth appearance on the chart from a song from the album called 21. In This Year of Adele, “Set Fire To The Rain” has taken awhile to get under my skin, and arrives at #27.

Other News About Tuned-On! Top 30 Performers:

Darren Hayes will tour only the UK and Australia in 2011, while other international dates will happen in 2012. Remixes of “Talk Talk Talk” are now officially available, including the Hall & Oates remix “Out of Talk”
Long Story Short continue to record new material, one song of which is called “Girl Without A Name”
Foster The People are selling out North American tour dates – get your tickets!
Ro Danishei has been back in the West Virginia studio of producer Jeff “Jadion” Wells recording her next album
Frankmusik will open for Erasure on more than 25 North American dates, in advance of the September 27 release of his Do It In The A.M. album
Kyle Brylin, of the recent #5″Everything I’m Missing”, has a smashing five-song EP this week or next – my blog about it will appear later in the week!
Adam Tyler, whose “I Won’t Let You Go” also got to #5 in the Spring, has his full album Shattered Ice on release on August 23

You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can click right here. Be sure to leave any comments you might have, and thanks for reading

Note that when you click on the pictures in the first column of the chart pages that they will now allow you to either listen to the song or view the official video to the song. Enjoy this new feature!

Summer Popervescence #1 featuring the Tuned-On! Top 30 #357 – July 18/11

It’s been two weeks since we’ve written, so this time you get a longer two-fer blog: A new personal chart with commentary, and hot new music courtesy of Summer Popervescence #1. A lot of the latter music is creating some strife on the chart, causing an absolute glut of wonderful music. I’m loving it!

Tuned-On! Top 30 #357 – July 18/11

The Top 4 songs remain unchanged and seemingly unmovable. “Flesh” by Simon Curtis and “Do It In The A.M.” by Frankmusik featuring Far East Movement rank #1 and #2 for third appearances each (6 weeks). “I’m in Love” by Christian TV ranks 3rd as his latest single, the R&B-oriented “Girl I Used To Know” is released. “Out Without Your Boyfriend” by Jerry Reid stays at #4 as interest in the Ballroom Remixed project from which it comes continues to grow. “Talk Talk Talk” by Darren Hayes climbs 7-5 as the singer continues to promote the record in Australia. I’m waiting for my purple vinyl copy of the single in the mail 😀 View his performance on Australia’s “Dancing with the Stars” below (gosh, I adore Australian accents).

New to the Top 10 are “Just Once” by Databoy, a true summer song if there was one, which really makes its presence felt, zooming 14-6 to challenge those equally excellent songs in the Top 5! It’s so obvious that Lady GaGa has set a standard over the last three years for female vocalists with powerful voices. They are prevalent on the chart this week, so it’s fitting the Lady herself has another Top Tenner with “The Edge Of Glory” at #9. And Chris Brown lands in the Top 10 for the first time since 2008 with his feelgood Benny Benassi collabo “Beautiful People” at #10.

Recent additions to the chart from the past few weeks continue to move up nicely. “Venom” by Long Story Short is Top 10 bound in two weeks as it climbs to #11. “The Lover’s Rumba”, Elouise’s contribution to the Ballroom Remixed album, jumps 19-15. The fastest riser on the chart is the other, more laid back, summer confection, “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People, which is getting its slow burn groove on with more people each week. It soars 27-16 on the chart. Three other powerful female vocalists are right below… “We Don’t Miss A Beat” by Van Go Lion, featuring Amy Paige, is at #17; “Prey To The Beat”, the secret loaded weapon in Ro Danishei’s End Of The Rainbow album, charges up 28-18; Nicola Roberts’ “Porcelain Heart” is up to #19 and will continue to rise in two weeks; similarly “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera climbs to #20 and continues to build.

Five more debuts on the chart means five more songs to adore.

How does one follow such a magnetic song as Eric Saade’s “Popular”? Well, with an incredibly solid Saade Volume One album, which is full of truly happy-go-lucky pop from the Swedish singer who has some great people behind-the-scenes in his court. The album is a dazzler, an aural equivalent to Baked Alaska (ice cream baked in meringue) with peach and raspberry sauce!! At its best, Volume One is all cute and endearing… but with loads of power and know-how to support it all. Hence we have Eric the geek in “Stupid With You”, Eric the lonely retro romantic in “Me and My Radio”, and best of all, Eric Pop Personified with “Made Of Pop” (you can hear the song at the top of the page). “Made Of Pop” is a much more logical follow up to “Popular” than the weak-ish “Hearts In The Air”, so I hope it will be the third single. It has one of my favourite verses of the year: “My kings and queens are speaking through me / Got my degree in the big POP”. Single-handedly with these words has Eric given a huge shout-out to his fans – not unlike Simon Curtis with “Get In Line”, and Eric and Simon NEED to record and sing in concert together!! – and declared himself triumphant. Brilliant. And speaking of brilliant, you can read a much more in-depth review of Saade Volume One by MyFizzyPop. I’m not about to repeat so much of what he says so well 🙂

Next up at #24 is the Shook remix of Penguin Prison’s “Multi-Millionaire” about which I wrote previously. Penguin Prison has happily joined the Scissor Sisters and a number of other artists on Downtown Records for the release of the PP self-titled record and new single “Fair Warning”. But in the meantime, the Prince-ly influenced “Multi-Millionaire” will kick off the anticipation in advance. Then at #25 we have “Runway”, the highly emotional single from singer/music exec Blue Hamilton. I’m posting the video clip once again below so that you can all have a good cry. We first heard New Yorker Wynter Gordon on Flo Rida’s Top 5 hit “Sugar” back in 2009. In the meantime she co-wrote several songs for the Love? album by Jennifer Lopez and has seen her first album With The Music I Die become a massive hit in Australia – which makes two U.S. artists on this chart to have success Down Under (the other is Foster The People). So while North America only gets an EP version of With The Music I Die, the song “‘Til Death” (which contains the title’s lyrics) arrives on my chart at #26 (video below). Fellow New Yorker and star of the Broadway play “Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark” Reeve Carney climbs onto the chart at #27 with “Rise Above 1”, his inspiring collaboration with “Spider-Man” songwriters Bono and The Edge. Reeve is previously known for his work with his band Carney, which has released both a live album and a studio album to date and continues to perform throughout Reeve’s success with “Spider-Man”.

You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can click right here. Be sure to leave any comments you might have, and thanks for reading

“Runway” by Blue Hamilton

“‘Til Death” by Wynter Gordon

Summer Popervescence #1

“I Won’t Let You Go” by Adam Tyler

It would not be Summer ’11 without the long-awaited arrival of the video for L.A. singer Adam Tyler’s “I Won’t Let You Go”. It’s a visually stunning positive pastiche of images of handsome Adam in various appearances and hairstyles (and paint) which make it incredibly memorable. That the song is also a stunner makes it a winning combination, it’s one of my favourites of the year, having already peaked at #5 this past Spring. Watch the video below and purchase the song on iTunes.

“Bad Girl” by Matt Webb

I love how Matt Webb is carving out his own mark from Marianas Trench with his enjoyable EP Coda and Jacket. His track “Cinnamon” is already #7 on my chart. I don’t like the current single “Bad Girl” as much, but the video is enjoyable in the same way as… well, “Misery” by Maroon 5. Check it out below.

“My Name Is Kay” by Kay

It may be a little samey to The Ting Tings’ “That’s Not My Name” but Canadian singer Kay’s “My Name Is Kay” has a whole other smashing funky bassline side that speaks for it alongside her Britney-ish delivery when she’s not rap/singing. Watch the video below.

“Atlantis” by The Midway State

I previously wrote about this first single from the Toronto quartet’s upcoming album Paris Or India. The video for this jubilant and ethereal song below has also surfaced in advance of the album. The band will be performing at the Toronto Festival of Beer on August 5. “Atlantis” has done well enough as a lead up but I think the best new songs from The Midway State will be heard on the album.

“The Story of Us” by Nick Hagelin

I continue to be so impressed by Atlanta-based singer Nick Hagelin and the careful choice of cover songs for which he has been posting videos. The latest is a simply delightful rendition of Taylor Swift’s latest hit “The Story Of Us” (video below). This just goes to say that Nick Hagelin needs a record released soon along with a DVD that might include some of these enjoyable videos. Nick is a star just waiting to happen.

Rune RK & Databoy “Memorize Me” (teaser)

What would the summer be without an Ibiza-styled dance anthem? And what a great pairing – Rune RK (you’ll remember his “Calabria”, famously redone twice in 2007/08, once by Alex Gaudino featuring Crystal Waters as “Destination Calabria”, and then as “Calabria 2008” by Enur featuring Natasja) – and US duo Databoy, who’ve been gracing my chart with “Stupid” and “Just Once”. Get teased below.

And finally, we have four more videos by artists who appear on the Ballroom Remixed album, along with charting songs by Jerry Reid, Simon Curtis, and Elouise.

Dutch talent Jeromino sings about “How They Dance In Outer Space” on Ballroom Remixed. To completely get away from the novelty of that song, he’s released “Renaissance Man” which not only shows his diversity but how much the camera just loves him as well.

New York self-professed theatre nerd Joshua Desjardins gave us executive producer Melanie La Patin’s namesake theme song on Ballroom Remixed. So how does he follow it up? With “I’m A Nerd” of course! This is what could happen if a Weird Al Yankovic song got dunked in Europop (think Eiffel 65’s “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” or Dan Balan’s “Crazy Loop”). Joshua’s spot-on delivery makes geekdom seem way more than okay! Hear the song below and get your inner nerd on.

German singer Linda Teodosiu offered up the steamy “Body Heat” on Ballroom Remixed. Her latest single, which has a good chance to follow the worldwide success of her 2009 hit “Reprogram My Heart”, is “Alive”. It’s a slinky mid-evening dance number partnered nicely with Linda’s soaring voice.

Lastly, for a very recent glimpse at Simon Curtis singing at his acoustic best, watch the clip below of Simon singing “I Don’t Wanna Be Alone” (from 8bit Heart) and support his sick kids charity 100 Million Miracles ( a reminder that Simon is a cancer survivor).

Okay – are your ears full enough now? 🙂

Tuned-On! Top 30 #356 – July 4/11 and Top 25 of the First Half of 2011

Without a doubt, this week’s personal chart is full of some of the most amazing songs in recent years. Major label entries diminish (representing only 30% of this chart); independent and artist-oriented entries flourish. Who’d have thought that when listening to its lyrics, *NSYNC’s “Pop” from 10 years ago would have been such a tell-tale record. Somewhat ironically, it also comes from the album that still holds the record for greatest one week sales, No Strings Attached.

With such strong songs on the chart, I would feel so bad if all of the songs currently in the Top 20 do not reach the Top 10. So some songs are in it for the long haul up the chart; if they stop short of the Top 10 then it’s simply because much stronger songs are ahead of them, but in other recent years might have gone higher. Any song that reaches my chart is a winner.

As with a few weeks back, there are six debuts, and don’t let the lower chart positions of some of them set the wrong impression as every song is frequently played by yours truly. I’ve already blogged about the first three.

Not surprisingly, “Talk Talk Talk” by Darren Hayes is a brilliant introduction to his upcoming album Secret Codes And Battleships. It arrives in the Top 10 at #7 and is a future contender for the top of the chart. Darren’s already been to the top of this chart four times, first with “Crush (1980 Me)” in 2002, then with “Step Into The Light”, “How To Build A Time Machine”, and “Me Myself + I” in 2007. I’m hoping he plays some North American dates on his tour so that I can see his show again, and his album is one of my most anxiously awaited in 2011.

“Just Once” by Databoy bows at #14 as the follow-up to “Stupid” (which peaked two weeks ago at #5) and is one of THE breezy songs of the summer of ’11. You can listen to the song below but Cameron and Adam made the song available for free this past week and you can download it right here. “We Don’t Miss A Beat” is the latest from Oregon duo Van Go Lion, and it has followed its dancing feet onto the chart at #21. Great work from two talented duos on the rise!

The remaining three debuts are led by television sensation “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera, courtesy of a recent broadcast of “The Voice”, and it premieres at #23. This may have been one of the best things to happen to the recent careers of Maroon 5 and Ms Aguilera, which have suffered a bit on the pop charts. But on my personal chart, both artists have flourished, charting regularly. Aguilera’s “Not Myself Tonight” was her most recent hit, and it climbed higher than any other song by her, peaking at #5. While Maroon 5’s “Misery” got to #14, the band has reached the top twice out of its 10 entries, with “This Love” in 2004 and “Makes Me Wonder” in 2007.

Next at #27 is L.A. trio Foster The People, who found themselves breaking out of Australia last year. Their laid back pop/dance hit-by-way-of-the-beach is “Pumped Up Kicks” from their big selling Torches album. Watch for the band (which fills out to a quintet) on tour. The ever-influential Arjan Writes offered up the infectious Skeet Skeet Show Edit for free recently, and you can download that right here.

Last by no means least at #28 is “Prey To The Beat” by recent chart favourite Ro Danishei. The singer has found her way onto my chart as a consistently talented alternative to the Keshas and Britneys of the world, first with the Simon Curtis duet on “Michelle” (#4) and then with “Drunk Txt” (#16). “Prey” however is the secret weapon inside Ro’s album End Of The Rainbow. It’s the last track on the album and the one that’s the biggest grower on the record. Listen below – you will be hooked.

I’ve blogged previously at length about many of the songs at the top of the chart. #1 again is “Flesh” by Simon Curtis, which was recently remixed by the “Do It In The A.M.” guy at #2, Frankmusik, and you can preview that remix right here. “I’m In Love” by Christian TV charged into the Top 5, moving 7-3, while “Out Without Your Boyfriend” by Ballroom Remixed featured artist Jerry Reid climbs 6-4. Fellow Ballroom Remixed artists are not far behind! Elouise’s sensational cover of “Tainted Love” moves 10-8 (and her Ballroom Remixed track “The Lover’s Rumba” rises 23-19), while Simon Curtis’ “The Puppet Who Gave Himself Strings” continues the artist’s 7-song Top 10 streak at #9. From his debut EP Coda And Jacket, Matt Webb’s pensive “Cinnamon” moves up 16-10, tying this week with the rocking “Venom” by Long Story Short (which climbs 21-15) as the Fastest Risers on the chart. The rest of the songs on the rise outside of the Top 20 are pretty much roadblocked by stronger songs but they will all have their day!

You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can click right here. Be sure to leave any comments you might have, and thanks for reading

Top 25 of the First Half of 2011

In reverse order… only songs that have peaked on my chart appear in this listing. This listing could change considerably by year’s end!

25 ANDY GRAMMER Keep Your Head Up
24 FAR EAST MOVEMENT featuring RYAN TEDDER Rocketeer
23 JAMIE WOON Lady Luck
22 BAG RAIDERS featuring DAN BLACK Sunlight
21 ELOUISE The Winner Takes It All
20 KANYE WEST featuring JAY-Z, RICK ROSS, BON IVER & NICKI MINAJ Monster
19 KYLE BRYLIN Everything I’m Missing
18 RO DANISHEI featuring SIMON CURTIS Michelle
17 DATABOY Stupid (Brad Walsh Remix)
16 ADAM TYLER I Won’t Let You Go
15 SIMON CURTIS Superhero
14 LADY GAGA Born This Way
13 BRANDON FLOWERS Jacksonville
12 ANDREA LEWIS featuring SIMON CURTIS Talk To Me
11 ADELE Someone Like You
10 FRANKMUSIK Hurt You Again
09 RIHANNA S&M
08 FRANKMUSIK featuring FAR EAST MOVEMENT Do It In The A.M.
07 JAMIE WOON Night Air
06 CHRISTIAN TV Love 2 Baby
05 ADELE Rolling In The Deep
04 FRANKMUSIK The Fear Inside
03 PENGUIN PRISON Golden Train
02 SIMON CURTIS Flesh

01 ERIC SAADE Popular

Watch what I feel is the year’s star-making performance of “Popular” below!

Tuned-On! Top 30 #355 – June 20/11

Another personal chart is here and it’s the start of a sizzling and scintillating summer of synthpop, which will also be known as in some future posts as Summer Popervescence 🙂

As we begin the sun-worshipping dancing, Simon Curtis has done what both Adele and Frankmusik could not do: Replace Eric Saade’s “Popular” – my favourite song so far this year, by the way – at the top of my personal chart. So the rivetting “Flesh” – which should by all rights be a prime candidate as a featured song on the new season of “The Vampire Diaries” – becomes Simon’s 4th number one song on this chart, joining “Delusional”, “Beat Drop”, and “8bit Heart” in that special group. Look for a special announcement from Simon on Monday, June 20, which I’m sure has something to do with the R∆ album and moving full steam ahead! Simon’s own “Superhero” continues to hold the charge at #4, while the still fantastic “Do It In The A.M.” by the very busy Frankmusik and Far East Movement, climbs to #2 but won’t possibly be able to dislodge “Flesh”. Pop/dance duo Databoy take advantage of the middle of the Top 10 and find “Stupid” rising up to #5. A pic of the boys from their Superfraiche show in NYC on April 1 is below.

Further into the Top 10, we find the Ballroom Remixed project making its presence known. First up from that record is the sock-hop swing of Jerry Reid’s “Out Without Your Boyfriend” at #6. Both Christian TV and Elouise make welcome returns to the Top 10. Christian scores his third straight Top Tenner with “I’m In Love” at #7, while Elouise’s tantalizing cover of “Tainted Love” becomes her third Top 10 entry as well at #10.

Just below is a mid-section of the chart abuzz with activity. A totally different and non-R∆ song by Simon Curtis appears on the Ballroom Remixed album. “The Puppet Who Gave Himself Strings” is a heart-tugger at #11. Benny Benassi and Gary go lead a sparkling summer charge to the Top 10 with “Cinema” at #13, followed by Lady Gaga and “The Edge Of Glory” (along with its underwhelming video) at #14, and then we’re back with Benassi, this time with Chris Brown (whodathunkit) on the feel-good dance song “Beautiful People” at #15. The emotional “Linda” by Toronto’s Andrea Lewis continues to climb at #17, Adele’s snappy “Rumour Has It” rises to #18, and the buoyant voices of Blue carry “I Can” to #19.

But the big news within the Top 20 is with “Cinnamon”, by Marianas Trench guitarist Matt Webb. Smack me on the head and send me through the wayback machine to the 1983 pop hooks of songs by the likes of Rick Springfield or Huey Lewis, and give me guitar riffs that won’t quit and are as memorable as those in a song like “Let It Rock” by Kevin Rudolf. I think a lot of broken hearts will identify with the lyrics of “Cinnamon”. As much as I like Matt’s lead single “Bad Girl”, “Cinnamon” is a winner and the fastest riser on the chart moving 26-16.

Finally, four debuts arrive on the chart this week.

You may recall that I blogged about Montreal/L.A. duo Long Story Short earlier this year, who have debuted with their album What A Scene which includes the song “Caved In”. The band has since amassed a following in the Philippines (!!), came second in a couple of songwriting contests, is about to make a video for the song, and has seen “Caved In” added to several radio station playlists across Canada – a difficult thing to do when you’re an independent artist. Even better, Dan and Nicky have recorded a new song, “Venom”, which is included as a free download if you subscribe to their newsletter. It’s also their best song to date, a true late summer night driving song, and you can hear it at the top of this blog. Taking the best pages from the edgy sides of bands like Lifehouse, Matchbox 20, and Goo Goo Dolls, producer John Nathaniel has helped craft a wickedly catchy song that documents a relationship’s dive into a hellish abyss. “Venom” is the highest debut on the chart at #21 – go get it!

Ballroom Remixed Part 3: I’ve already blogged about the dance/pop wonders of “The Lover’s Rumba” by Elouise, and while her version of “Born This Way” exits the chart, our torch club queen remains on the chart with “Rumba” at #23. Then at #24 we have a song that totally floored me over the past few weeks, thanks in part to MuuMuse touting the artist and the song. Former Girls Aloud member Nicola Roberts slid onto the UK charts with “Beat Of My Drum” and then promptly slid back off. Perhaps it’s because “Porcelain Heart”, also released on the single, is the better song of the two, with some cool drama carried by successfully emotive vocals. It’s a real grower!

The last premiere belongs to the creative producer/remixer Monsieur Adi, who in the last year has had triumphs with the likes of Madonna (his take on “Get Together” must be heard), Ellie Goulding, Javi Silva, Reni Lane, Gary Go, and Marina & The Diamonds, as well as his own songs. His most recent free download is the mesmerizing and commanding “Chariot”, which bows on the chart at #26. Listen and download below.

http://soundcloud.com/monsieuradi/chariot

You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can click right here. Be sure to leave any comments you might have, and thanks for reading