Lists on BILLCS Music Blog – Page 6

Tuned-On! Top 30 #337 – October 11/10

“Love Part II” by Bright Light Bright Light continues its reign at the top of my chart as we slide into October. Unfortunately those of us outside of the UK cannot yet purchase a download of the track and if you want a hard copy of the CD single it’s a $12.99 purchase through Amazon plus shipping. Hopefully PopJustice HiFi and Virgin Records will rectify this soon. You can however grab a free Louis LaRoche remix – but it’s less satisfying than the original minus almost all of the lyrics.

The Top 5 changes about as Elouise’s gorgeous “Pretender” claims the runner up spot, and then in sharp contrast, Ryan Star’s rockin’ “Start A Fire” climbs to #3. Other upward movement in the Top 10 comes courtesy of Saint Motel’s “Dear Dictator”, “Get Outta My Way” by Kylie Minogue (which really should be igniting outside of dance clubs), as well as new arrivals from Russ Chimes’ “Never Look Back” and, as “A New Word To Say” leaves the chart, Bright Light Bright Light’s CD single flip side “Cry At Films”.

It looks like a Penguin Prison Fall for remixes! The vibrant redux of “White Knuckle Ride” by Jamiroquai soars to #12, while that intensely disco flavoured remix of “Resurrection” by Australia’s The Temper Trap stands to be noticed at a high #18 debut this week. Elsewhere, Christian TV’s fun-and-full-of-attitude “When She Turns 18” continues to climb, as do “Dance In The Dark” by Lady GaGa, 100 Akres & Roz Bell’s new singalong “Breakup Anthem”, and Jackanory & The Ball’s pop/rap/jazz of “Audio Precision”.

At the top of this page you’ll see the charming video of “Glow” by Richard Barone, which is the fastest riser on the chart this week, up from 27-19. I love the refreshing simplicity of this song, which makes it a bit anomolous in these times, but really at times you get more from a song when it’s stripped down. Richard’s 10/10/10 CD release show for Glow is in NYC at Le Poisson Rouge.

Also on this day 10/10/10 on release online is Andrea Lewis’ 54321! Her punchy first single “Voodoo” slams onto the chart at #24. Be sure to watch for all of the details about 54321 right here. Also debuting this week is “Change of Seasons” by Canadians Sweet Thing, as discussed last week in my blog, as well as a song that I would call a guilty pleasure of mine. I don’t know how far up the chart it will go but “Like A G6” by Far East Movement gets cranked in the car whenever it comes on. I shouldn’t really like it because of all of the autotune and sonic tricks I’ve heard before, but somehow the entire package works, kitchen sink and all.

You may notice that almost half of my chart consists of relatively new artists, and to be honest, I didn’t know about almost half of those artists a year ago! I’m absolutely loving the online connection to all of this great music, it makes the songs on pop radio pale in comparison.

View the full chart using the link to the right under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** or simply click right here… Enjoy!

Tuned-On! Top 30 #335 – September 13/10

It’s somewhat of a no frills blog this week, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t much to chat about or that the chart isn’t any less active…

There’s a new #1 song on top. And it’s the second time this year, and only the third time since 2007, that a song has debuted at the top. Rod Thomas and the folks at Popjustice Hi Fi made a good decision to debut Bright Light Bright Light’s “Love Part II” online this summer, followed by the video at the top. For “Love Part II”, simply put, is one of the most glorious, revelatory songs of 2010. It has a melody that sings by itself under the vocal, which in turn sings this absolutely fantastic chorus: Do what you want with me / And let everybody see / I’m in love again / I’m in love again / And you changed my mind / And took me by surprise / And I’m in love again / I’m in love again… “Love Part II” is a song that I’ll be listening to years and years from now – it’s one of the sure bets of 2010! Congratulations, Rod and friends 🙂

With “Love Part II” arriving in the best possible place on the chart, that’s not to slight the gentle and raw emotion of Bim’s “Head Over Heels”, which moves to #3. Adam Tyler’s “Friction” is a song that will change the mood you’re in with its zesty rhythm, and it moves up to #5. Lifehouse’s powerful “All In” bounds 12-10, while gorgeous UK pop singer Elouise climbs 15-10 with “Pretender”. Check out some of these pictures on Facebook from her September 11 show in London !

It appears that I’m not the only one who finds “Start A Fire” as the best new track from Ryan Star’s 11:59 CD. It’s the Fastest Riser on the chart, headed towards the Top 5 I would say, moving this time from 18-11. Kylie Minogue’s “Get Outta My Way” continues to rise, 16-13, and courtesy of the noted Arjan Writes, download the Penguin Prison remix . Into the lower teens, Saint Motel’s “Dear Dictator” is one of the more endearing and quirky songs around, The Script’s “For The First Time” is off to a great start as lead single from Science & Faith, and “Love Part II” B-side “Cry At Films” has a life of its own on this particular chart 🙂

Aside from the debut of “Love Part II”, I blogged specifically about two of our other debuts during the last few weeks. Darin’s “Lovekiller” is growing and growing on me by the minute (Paul of My Fizzy Pop , of course, is right about this one!), and Russ Chimes’ “Never Look Back” may be the best dance instrumental I’ve heard in years, with extreme pop crossover appeal! Check out part two of his “Midnight Club” trilogy video series at the bottom of this page, “Tertre Rouge”. It’s not quite as good as “Look Back” but continues the intriguing story in that video. Last, UK perveyors of miscellaneous fun pop styles, Jackanory & The Ball arrive on the chart with the indelibly infectious “Audio Precision”, which you can hear on their MySpace page .

You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right or save yourself a couple of clicks and view it right here .

Tuned-On! Top 30 #334 – August 30/10

As the end of summer approaches, another season of music begins, and I’m pleased that it includes the artists of my top two songs.

I was fortunate enough to see Brandon Flowers in concert on Wednesday, August 25 at the Mod Club in Toronto. It was a good – but not great – 50 minute show to focus on his upcoming solo debut Flamingo (picture of deluxe version cover above), which drops on September 14. There are definitely some solid songs which I’m looking forward to hearing on my stereo – Jilted Lovers and Broken Hearts, Playing With Fire, Magdalena. Brandon was in good voice but his Killers band members were sorely missed. In any event, “Crossfire” is still the best song of the bunch thus far, and it retains its #1 status on my personal chart this week. At the bottom of this post are some pics from the concert 🙂

Rod Thomas aka Bright Light Bright Light (or Bright Light x 2) is one of 2010’s pop music treats, and I can’t wait enough for a full album. Former #1 “A New Word To Say” holds tight at #2, while “Cry At Films”, the B-side of the forthcoming “Love Part II” single, arrives on the chart at #25. For me, the ‘B-side’ no longer has the same meaning as the halcyon days of 45 vinyl singles. Rather than filler, sometimes the B-side is better than the track being promoted. And while that’s not the case – as you’ll find out in two weeks, when “Love Part II” is released and debuts on my chart 😉 – it’s easy to revel in the soft, emotional, and danceable qualities that Rod brings on “Cry At Films”.

The Top 10 has a change-up that still allows Two Door Cinema Club’s “Something Good Can Work” – one of the more chipper songs of the year – to advance to #3. British duo Bim – whose lush and emotional album Scatterheart you must check out – score in the Top 5 with “Head Over Heels”, and L.A.’s Adam Tyler’s “Friction” is contagious enough in its Ricardo Autobahn edit to become the Fastest Riser on the chart, up from 14 to 7. Toronto’s Roz Bell is one of Canada’s most interesting and underrated talents, whose third effort Songs For Leaving will be well worth the wait when it arrives. In the meantime, bask in “Endless Summer Night”, which climbs to #8.

I expect a chart housecleaning in two weeks, which will get rid of a log jam of wonderful songs stuck behind each other in the Top 20. I’m eyeing songs by Chris Mann, Elouise, Ryan Star, and perhaps Hanson to bust out and eventually they all may land in the Top 10, pending competition. And Billy Franks’ “The Beautiful Game”, now at #17, keeps reminding me that humility and a great tune will do wonders with each listen. Maroon 5’s fun “Misery” lands at #20… which feels somewhat underwhelming for such a good band, but there are indeed many stronger songs out there, and we’ll have to see how powerful the other songs are on the forthcoming Hands All Over album.

“Dear Dictator” by Saint Motel continues to get stuck in my head and advances to #21, with The Script’s “For The First Time” not behind at #23. The other new songs this week arrive in a revisit to Lady GaGa’s The Fame Monster album, allowing “Dance In The Dark” to bow at #24. And at #26 is a new Detroit-raised singer who comes via L.A. with a great summer song. Christian TV’s flirty and maybe a tad naughty “When She Turns 18” is a grower and may yet become a hit going into the Fall months. Check out the video below.

Despite the lack of blogs within the last two weeks I have been listening to a lot of music, and expect to update you all on some of the better ones over the next few days. Enjoy!

Tuned-On! Top 30 #333 – August 16/10

Elouise

It’s now a few weeks away for the release dates of what could be a few of the year’s great records. One of those belongs to Killers singer Brandon Flowers – his solo debut Flamingo is due September 6, and “Crossfire” has wasted no time in attaining the pole position on my chart. It steals it away after one appearance from Bright Light Bright Light’s “A New Word To Say”, which slips to #2, but Rod Thomas and friends of course have the utterly brilliant “Love Part II” coming for official release on September 13. Expect that song to chart here in two weeks.

Two Door Cinema Club’s Tourist History is quietly becoming one of the albums that should be heard right now. The Irish band is coming to my city (Toronto) in October, complete with Penguin Prison as opener!! “Something Good Can Work” finds a weak part of the Top 10 and takes advantage of it, moving 9-4. Evan Taubenfeld’s “Pumpkin Pie” and David Guetta’s “Gettin’ Over You” both move up a notch. Three new songs join the Top 10 – the sublime 70’s disco influence of Goldfrapp’s “Dreaming”, the modern electro-punk energy of “Your Body Is A Machine” by The Good Natured, and the tears behind the pop smile of Bim’s “Head Over Heels”.

The middle of this chart continues to be log-jammed with great songs. The ones more likely to cut through are this edition’s fastest riser, the gorgeous Steve Anderson-produced torch song “Pretender” by UK’s Elouise, climbing 27-18. Londoners be sure to check out her show for me on September 11 at the Tabernacle! Then we have boy power pop courtesy of Adam Tyler’s “Friction” and its free propulsive Ricardo Autobahn edit. Still awaiting the Lullabies for Rattlesnakes album! The Top 10 will also have to make way for Roz Bell’s should-be-summer-anthem “Endless Summer Night”, while other songs by Reni Lane, Lifehouse, Chris Mann, Hanson, and Kylie Minogue are all just plain solid. Maroon 5’s “Misery” pulls up the rear and advances 28-24.

I’m going to continue to plug “The Beautiful Game” by UK singer Billy Franks, which moves up to #19. It has a lot of hidden quiet power in its melody and emotion, and proceeds go to a charity set up by Prince Harry to help African children, and you can purchase it on iTunes. Billy – the former leader of one of the 80’s treasures called The Faith Brothers – has also made available for free download a full album of music called Euphoria, which I expect to blog about in the coming weeks. Download it right here.

On to the debuts. Surely it’s no surprise after his August 3 concert that another track from Ryan Star’s 11:59 appears (while “Breathe” tumbles to #8)! And yes it’s “Start A Fire”, which is about to blaze a path of glory in these parts, arriving at #22. Then we have the fun and slightly eccentric dance sounds of Saint Motel. The LA quartet lands at #27 with the Sam Sparro remix of “Dear Dictator”. Finally, The Script haven’t been away from this chart for long, as the long legs of the band’s self-titled debut album have proven a lasting commercial success. From their upcoming sophomore record Science and Faith comes “For The First Time” at #28. It’s very samey-sounding to songs off the debut record but it certainly grows on you, and their audience sure enjoys the earnest and emotional style of this Irish trio.

It’s been a quiet, dull live concert scene in Toronto for me this summer. Most of the artists I’ve wanted to see did not come to my town. A whole bunch – Two Door Cinema Club, Penguin Prison, Florence & The Machine, Matt and Kim, Miike Snow – are coming within weeks of each other in October – and Brandon Flowers is performing a show for Virgin Mobile members only (you must be a member – which I am 🙂 – to enter the contest, so I’m crossing my fingers!!). And I’m hopeful that others like Lifehouse, The Script, and Ryan Star, will find there way here to make the winter months more pleasant.

Tuned-On! Top 30 #332 – August 2/10

This will be a quick and early blog as I am off to New York City tomorrow for 5 days with my daughter, during which time we will see Phantom Of The Opera, Ryan Star’s CD release show (Ryan hangs at #5 with “Breathe”), and perhaps visit the Jewish history museum as well as other sites.

That new pop meister extraordinary, Rod Thomas, aka Bright Light Bright Light, grabs #1 on the new chart with “A New Word To Say”, a free download that will hopefully be on BrightLightx2’s upcoming album. That having been said, I can’t wait for the official release of “Love Part II“!

It looks like Brandon Flowers’ “Crossfire” is destined for the top, as it zips into the Top 5 at #2. “Pumpkin Pie” by Evan Taubenfeld and “Gettin’ Over You” by David Guetta move up in the Top 10, and Two Door Cinema Club’s “Something Good Can Work” does get there amid stiff competition. As you will see, every song from 11-19 moves up, and really good stuff like “Broken Tonight” by Armin Van Buuren featuring VanVelzen gets stuck at #13 in a year rife full of grand pop songs. So how does one compete with songs that rev in my mind like those on the chart from Goldfrapp, The Good Natured, Reni Lane, Lifehouse, and Roz Bell? Last week’s debuts by Adam Tyler and Chris Mann shove along into the lower teens, with Bim’s gorgeously contagious “Head Over Heels” as the fastest riser (and congratulations on the release of the Scatterheart album, now available in iTunes!), moving up 27-17. Still further down, songs by Hanson and Billy Franks continue to make inroads.

The debuts will continue to bend my ear for months. How can one resist the happy feet dances generated by Kylie Minogue’s “Get Outta My Way” (her first appearance on my chart since 2004’s “Slow”), the powerful show-stopping drama of Elouise’s “Pretender”, and the sarcastic wit of Maroon 5’s “Misery”?

To see the full chart, click on the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or click right here. Any comments are more than appreciated 🙂

I don’t know if I’ll get a chance to blog while I’m away but you can check in on me on Twitter.

Tuned-On! Top 30 #331 – July 19/10

“8-bit Heart” by Simon Curtis continues in its second appearance at the top on my latest personal chart, as Simon begins recording his next release in West Virginia, and his Robot Army of fans just can’t wait! But challenging for the next chart in two weeks is “A New Word To Say” by Bright Light Bright Light at #2, who have just signed to Virgin’s new Popjustice Hi-Fi label. “A New Word To Say” is available to you free if you subscribe to Rod’s newsletter at the Bright Light x 2 website . And if it can’t get any better, the first ‘official’ Bright Light x 2 single will be out on September 12 called “Love Part II”, and for now you can hear this amazing tune, certain to be one of the best of the year, right here .

As we head closer to the August 3 release of his 11:59 album, Ryan Star’s “Breathe” moves into the Top 5. Justin Nozuka’s “Unwoken Dream (King with Everything)” moves up within the Top 10, and then we have four new Top 10 entries. Not surprisingly, the first is Fastest Riser “Crossfire” by Brandon Flowers, obviously a contender for the top spot on my chart in a few weeks. View the excellent video right here . It’s taken perhaps a little longer than usual for them to get to the Top 10 because of the competition, but Evan Taubenfeld’s “Pumpkin Pie” and “It’s Like That” arrive, as does “Gettin’ Over You” by David Guetta & friends. Next into the Top 10? “Something Good Can Work” by Two Door Cinema Club, perhaps, as it leaps 17-12.

The chart has been pretty slow paced lately, not to deny the calibre of the songs, as tunes by Goldfrapp, The Good Natured, Reni Lane, Roz Bell, and Lifehouse all move up nicely.

Our three debuts speak loudly about the quality of pop music in 2010. I didn’t even really like George Michael’s “I Want Your Sex” when it came out in 1987, but it may have brought down some in-your-face barriers for music on radio. While the song is definitely tamer now, and I never really thought it would be revived other than in kitschy or campy situations, it has been brought home in style. As I blogged about recently , L.A. singer (and “Glee” backup vocalist!) Chris Mann recently released the song on iTunes with an especially strong vocal performance (you can view the stylish video right here) that may just be too good for the song itself, but here it is on my chart bowing at #23.

Next up, it’s taken me a little longer to warm up to “Friction” by LA’s Adam Tyler, as other bloggers took to it well before its official release last month. Right now, I’m loving it when alternate free download versions of songs appear online, and the late 80’s early 90’s near-Hi-NRG frenetic vibe of the Ricardo Autobahn edit has sold me on it. The video, at the top of this page, is definitely intriguing and Adam is a talent to watch!

Lastly, London-based duo Bim, comprised of Rebecca Rosier and Tim Davis, have released glorious if melancholy ear candy in the form of “Head Over Heels”, from their upcoming release Scatterheart, which will be accompanied by a number of videos. Despite its upbeat title, “Head Over Heels” is indeed a sad song about the end of a relationship. It’s empathetic theme sinks in after a few listens and hits a home run. If you’re in England, watch for Bim on tour! Listen to “Head Over Heels” on Bim’s MySpace page .

View the full chart right here or using the link underneath ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** on the right. Enjoy 🙂

Note for Chartphiles 🙂 – My online database – the link is under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** – with my complete chart history since 1998 is updated to the current chart. If you get any strange messages, click Run, then No, and then you may also have to refresh.

Tuned-On! Top 30 #330 – July 5/10

As we now sit two weeks into summer and into the second half of 2010, Simon Curtis returns to #1 after a month’s absence, this time with the title track to his mixtape 8-bit Heart – view the charming acapella video here. While the song initially struck me during my first few listens earlier this year, I set it aside in favour of the excellent “Beat Drop”, “Delusional” and “Joystick”. It wasn’t until I realized that the song was the emotional core of the mixtape that my initial perspective returned, hence it arrives at the top of my personal chart. That makes it 3 #1’s for Simon since last December 🙂

Mike Posner’s “Cooler Than Me” and Christina Aguilera’s “Not Myself Tonight” look to be peaking in the Top 5, while Bright Light Bright Light’s “A New Word To Say” looks to charge up the middle and end up in the Top 5 in two weeks. Justin Nozuka’s beauty that is “Unwoken Dream (King with Everything)” – though I’m becoming awfully partial to “Heartless” from his You I Wind Land And Sea CD – and Ryan Star’s “Breathe” arrive in the Top 10. I’m looking forward to the release of Ryan’s full length major label debut 11:59 on August 3, the same date as his concert at Irving Plaza in NYC which I will be attending.

The Top 10 looks to be an interesting place in two weeks as two Evan Taubenfeld tracks, “Pumpkin Pie” and “It’s Like That” are held at bay, followed below by summer party jam “Gettin’ Over You” by David Guetta, Chris Willis, Fergie and LMFAO. Two Door Cinema Club’s “Something Good Can Work” sends positive thoughts through to summer listeners in the Top 20, while solid second chart moves come from Goldfrapp’s “Dreaming” (the fastest riser), Reni Lane’s “Place for Us”, and The Good Natured’s “Your Body Is A Machine”, which is now available on iTunes.

I’ve already discussed at length recently this week’s debuts by Roz Bell “Endless Summer Night”, Billy Franks “The Beautiful Game”, and Hanson “Thinkin’ ‘Bout Somethin'”, so I’ll move to the other debuts. Lifehouse’s Smoke & Mirrors CD has been keeping me plenty company since its arrival last Spring, and the second official single arrives on the chart, “All In”. It’s a tougher single than “Halfway Gone” but pop radio needs a good rocking charge right now anyway. And last but by no means least is the debut single from Killers lead singer Brandon Flowers. “Crossfire” simply said strikes the listener so immediately with piano hook, straight forward melody, and highly identifiable vocal that it becomes an instant classic. If by chance you haven’t heard it yet, please listen below and watch for the video on July 8 (starring Oscar winner Charlize Theron).

Tuned-On! Top 30 #329 – June 21/10

Summer is upon us, and the music in this edition of my personal chart is generally very sunny and Popervescent! And that’s always something I can turn to, especially during the past few weeks where life has been full throttle and I’ve just been unable to find the words to write… hence this is my first blog since June 7! Well that’s an exception… Tomorrow, I hope to write about a few more tunes and artists that have interested me over the past while.

Penguin Prison’s “The Worse It Gets” puts me in a good mood whenever I play it, so it hangs onto the #1 spot for a 3rd chart (6 weeks). Just below it, Simon Curtis’ “Beat Drop” stays put at #2 and I’ve now resigned myself to the fact that it is indeed my favourite track from Simon’s 8-bit Heart mixtape – I had previously wrote that “Delusional” (which like “Beat Drop” held court at the top for 4 charts) was my fave… but they’re awfully close! Simon’s got some new music up his sleeve for sometime during the summer too. The title track from his mixtape also lands at #4 and is surely a contender for #1. Right behind him at #5 is Mike Posner, whose “Cooler Than Me” is now a North American hit.

The more negativity I read about Christina Aguilera’s “Not Myself Tonight”, the more it seems I appreciate it. The song jumps 10-7… flashy and edgy video aside, you folks are missing a good song with a terrific vocal if you shunt it aside. The Gossip lands in the Top 10 with “Pop Goes The World”, and Welsh singer Rod Thomas, aka Bright Light Bright Light, has the fastest riser on the chart with the taste he’s providing of his upcoming album, “A New Word To Say”.

Below the Top 10, there’s a great deal of activity with songs pushing their way to the Top 10, including those by Justin Nozuka, Ryan Star (whose album release show in NYC I will be attending on August 3!), Evan Taubenfeld x 2, Armin Van Buuren, David Guetta, Drake, Travis Garland, and Two Door Cinema Club. You will certainly get an infectious case of good cheer by listening to many of these songs successively!

The debuts this week all belong to women with unique vocal stylings. First up is actually a UK trio called The Good Natured, fronted by lead singer Sarah, who could be the happy result of Adele-meets-Tracey Thorn with her own brand of intrigue. Their track “Your Body Is A Machine” as remixed by Baby Monster debuts at #26 – a delightful acoustic video clip of the song is at the top of this page. Next up, Goldfrapp arrives on this chart for the first time with “Dreaming”, a track from the duo’s latest album Head First. I’ve never truly got to appreciate Goldfrapp’s past efforts beyond passing listens, and the songs from Head First have yet to really gel with me – almost an about-face for the duo to create a record that might be over-the-top commercial. But within it is “Dreaming”, which captured me with it’s heavy late-70’s disco influence while also giving a tip of the hat to Kate Bush along the way. Last up, Reni Lane is an American singer whose album Ready dropped last Fall. “Place for Us” has been gracing my iTouch for a while now, and the haunting quality of her voice in the Will Eastman remix has sunk in. You can check out the video of the original mix at the bottom of this page.

You can view the chart in its entirety by clicking on the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or by clicking right here.

Thanks for reading and any comments that you have are greatly appreciated!

My next chart will be posted early in two weeks as I will be on a family vacation during the first week of July.

Pop Goes The Summer?: Tuned-On! Top 30 #328 – June 7/10

There’s way too much going on in my life right now… including a ‘magic’ birthday of mine later this week… but Music is among a select few things that I can count on 🙂

Penguin Prison’s “The Worse It Gets” hangs on to the #1 spot for a second chart, and despite its melancholy sounding title, it’s a rather chipper song for a long drive… I like to think of driving along the ocean in L.A. And there’s a great late-70’s-sounding remix by Starsmith that’s perfect for the sunniest of days. Kelis’ knowing “Acapella” moves up to #3, so we’ll see if she can challenge Mr. Chris Glover for the top. Clayton Senne’s energetic “Wonderland” has been patient but gets up to #4 – worth the wait!

Simon Curtis had his second live set in Kansas City this time, and while the glorious “8-bit Heart” continues its rise to #6, he also got to perform “Joystick” for the first time (definitely nice to hear more of Simon in the live mix this time too)… video is at the bottom of this blog. A guy he’s praised, who is also his competition in some ways, is Mike Posner, whose playful “Cooler Than Me” glides up to #7. Even though the movie fell short at the box office – and I still want to see it – Mika’s “Kick Ass” climbs to #8. And a needlessly maligned “Not Myself Tonight” by Christina Aguilera lands in the Top 10 – it’s only her fifth chart appearance in Tuned-On! land, but they’ve all gone Top 10, too.

This week’s fastest riser is a song that’s grown on me immensely during the last few weeks. Australian trio The Gossip spice up the upcoming summer with “Pop Goes The World”. I know a lot of people prefer other tracks from Music For Men, but I really like Beth Ditto’s vocals on this one. The glory of “Unwoken Dream (King With Everything)” by Justin Nozuka looks Top Ten bound, as does journeyman rocker Ryan Star’s “Breathe”, which is becoming a force to be reckoned with almost a year after first appearing in iTunes. Rod Thomas aka Bright Light Bright Light is performing showcase shows in England in anticipation of his first official release. In the meantime, enjoy “A New Word To Say”, which is the highest rising of the last chart’s debuts at #18.

This chart’s newbies are a varied lot. We start with the party-hardy of “It’s Like That”, another track from Evan Taubenfeld’s winning Welcome To The Blacklist Club digital release. Then we have what could be this summer’s jam. Yes it’s VERRRRY familiar – almost a knock off of 2006’s “Love Is Gone” mixed with a few other catchy and borrowed hooks – but David Guetta has it together with fave vocalist Chris Willis, as well as Fergie and LMFAO (who also graced one of last year’s big jams, “Shooting Star” by David Rush), and it’s just impossible to resist – witness the video at the bottom of this blog. Next up, newcomer Travis Garland’s first single is “Believe”. I heard it before his American Idol appearance and didn’t even see it – just heard about it. This one has mass appeal and shouldn’t be ignored. Lastly, Irish band Two Door Cinema Club grow on you with tracks from their CD Tourist History, most notably with “Something Good Can Work”.

Enjoy the full chart using the link to the right under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** or simply click right here.

David Guetta & Chris Willis featuring Fergie & LMFAO “Gettin’ Over You”

Simon Curtis “Joystick” live in Kansas City (June 5)

Tuned-On! Top 30 #327 – May 24/10

As we get closer to the summer months (and at least with some summer weather where I’m from), all kinds of bright and shiny new music continues to surface. But first things first: A new #1!

Penguin Prison’s “The Worse It Gets”, a great song for a spring/summer drive (the last such escapist song about cars recently that comes to mind is Darren Hayes’ “Casey”) in a car called Jenny, steals #1 away from the very busy Simon Curtis who spent 4 charts (8 weeks) atop with “Beat Drop”. Javi’s gorgeous “Situation” slides up 4-3, while “Acapella” by Kelis (who looks like she will be touring with Robyn) looks like a future #1 as it moves up 12-5.

Our favourite new and Florida-based piano man, Clayton Senne, soars 10-6 with the rollicking “Wonderland”, while long-lasting songs by BT (“Suddenly”) and Vampire Weekend (“Cousins”) continue to rise within the Top 10. And there he is again – the emotional centrepiece to our Boy Robot’s same titled mixtape, “8-bit Heart”, is the fastest riser on the chart, moving 21-10 for Simon Curtis.

In a competitive mid-chart, songs by Mika, Christina Aguilera, Mike Posner, Fabio Lendrum, and Matt Morris either get stuck or hold for two more weeks until other songs above begin to tumble. This leaves last week’s remaining debuts by Justin Nozuka, The Gossip, and Ryan Star to all rise 6 positions on the chart and stake their claims!

Back to those debuts. They comprise a bright and shiny mix of electronica, dance, pop/rap, and power pop. Bright Light Bright Light is really Welsh singer/songwriter/producer/remixer Rod Thomas, who is getting a lot of attention in the BlogVerse (brought to my attention by Paul at MyFizzyPop) with the 80’s post-new wave vibe of “A New Word To Say”, which debuts at #24 (you can hear the song at the top of the page and can download it from the BrightLightx2 official site when you subscribe to Rod’s newsletter). Next up, Holland’s Armin Van Buuren never fails to disappoint every few years with an intense brand of emotional electronica that is rarely found elsewhere. Teaming with vocalist VanVelzen, who has a beautifully imperfect voice with great range, his latest is “Broken Tonight” at #25 (see the video at the bottom of the page). Just on sheer personality alone, my fellow Canadian Drake’s “Over” has immense appeal and it debuts at #26. And this past week saw the digital release of Evan Taubenfeld’s Welcome To The Blacklist Club, which opens with his latest single “Pumpkin Pie”, which I blogged about previously and now debuts at #27.