The various social networks are all abuzz this afternoon with Billboard’s spotlight on Simon Curtis and a preview of his upcoming album, which he has called “R∆” – I’m sure we’ll find out what that all means in due time. In the meantime, the preview contains snippets of “Don’t Dance”, “Enemy”, “Pit of Vipers”, and “Laser Guns Up”, some of which fans have already heard at Simon’s recent shows and sound like much more aggressive, in-your-face electro pop than in the music and themes from “8-bit Heart”.
AND… speaking of shows, Simon is playing at Superfraiche, the amazing concert series by noted blogger Arjan Writes, this time in Brooklyn NY on Friday April 1. I’m hoping to find out later this week if I can splurge and go.
While my new personal chart is hopping with activity, it’s generally been pretty quiet in the music world these past few weeks, and both Canadian Music Week and SXSW are in progress. So for those who are unfamiliar with this blog, allow me to reintroduce it for you.
BillcsIsTuned-On! the blog began in September 2009 as my outlet for selective things good and musical and mainly current that I enjoy and would like to share with others. Like other bloggers, the benefit of others discovering the music that we are talking about – even if we aren’t the first to talk about them – is the reward of writing this blog. The blog also frames the bi-weekly publication of my favourite 30 songs of the moment, the Tuned-On! Top 30, which I have been producing online since late 1997 and is now in its 348th edition. Like everyone, I have my favourite singers and performers. Unlike many bloggers, I have over 30 years of music fandom, college radio and writing experience. I love documenting the history of music and compiling lists, and this forum is one way I can share this kind of information with you as well.
Meanwhile, back on the Top 30 🙂 When I look at the current chart, it makes me wanna be at SXSW so much. I’ve been to Austin TX and enjoy it a whole lot. Combine that ‘weird’ city with artists on my chart who are performing there – Jamie Woon, Frankmusik, Duran Duran, Andy Grammer, Bright Light Bright Light, and Penguin Prison – and I guess I’ll just say that I’m there in spirit.
Jamie Woon fortunately is coming to my town (Toronto) on March 25 and I’m hoping to catch his show. “Night Air” climbs to #1 this week a month before his CD Mirrorwriting is due in the U.K. Can’t. Wait. I posted a preview of the video for “Love 2 Baby” by Christian TV a few weeks back. The song scores a very competitive runner-up spot on the chart.The full video debuts on Monday March 14 and I will post that clip once it’s available. EDIT! The video’s below 🙂
Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep” climbs easily to #3, while Ro Danishei and Simon Curtis stay at a strong #4 with “Michelle”. There’s double Frankmusik, with “The Fear Inside” slipping from the top to #5 and glorious ballad “Hurt You Again” moving to #6. Far East Movement and Ryan Tedder get stuck at #7 with “Rocketeer”, and three songs make their first appearances in the Top 10.
“I Won’t Let You Go” is one of Adam Tyler’s best songs and it leaps to #8 – I’m so looking forward to his debut album Lullabies for Rattlesnakes. “Sunlight” by Bag Raiders featuring Dan Black will be more effective with Spring around the corner and moves 16-9. “More” by Usher continues to impress me with the singer’s delivery and the production, and it becomes his first Top 10 hit on the chart (his 9th entry) since “Yeah” reached the summit in 2004.
Songs by Andrea Lewis, Andy Grammer, Alphaville, Neverest, and BT all move up, but surround songs that make greater gains. “The City” by Patrick Wolf is Top 10 bound as it jumps 20-14, and “Tonight” by Enrique Iglesias & Ludacris (in whatever version you prefer) moves 26-20. But the song that has captured music fans’ attention the most this Winter is also the fastest riser, and that’s “Born This Way” by Lady GaGa, up 25-17.
Three of the four chart debuts have already been mentioned previously. Don’t get me started on Adele’s “Someone Like You”. The song makes a splashing debut at #12, and continues as the deserved UK #1. It looks to be one of the best songs of the year from the 21 album, which could be the best album of the last several years. Further down at an impressive #23 is “How To Make A Heart” by Bright Light Bright Light – don’t forget to watch the sad but entertaining video. On a danceable but totally different bent is Kyle Brylin’s “Everything I’m Missing” at a smashing #24, a song that I’ve found to be quite contagious over the past few weeks. And yeah check out the video again, while you’re at it, and then pick up the song as a free download right here. Lastly, as “Jacksonville” departs so continues the presence of songs from Brandon Flowers and the enduring Flamingo album on this chart. One of the best songs he performs live in concert is at #27, “Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts” – watch the clip below.
You can view the full chart using the link to the right under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** or just click right here. Enjoy and post your comments 🙂
New talent 18 year old Matt Blue, whose striking cover of Jason Derulo’s “What If” was featured in this space last month, did a TwitCam chat this afternoon.
He revealed that an album is being recorded in Belgium, that he’s in talks with major labels about the record, and that he has performed live in and outside of the Netherlands. I asked:
@billcs: @mattbluemusic What was the turning point that made you want to sing, perform and record?
@mattbluemusic: @billcs Well i was diagnosed with cancer last year that made me wanna sing for a living
@mattbluemusic @billcs I fought it and it’s cured now!
Congratulations Matt!! That is always so amazing for me to hear. As you all know our favourite 8-bit Heart guy, Simon Curtis, also beat cancer but at a younger age. And my 17 year old son has a close friend who had cancer at age 11 and is now clean.
My newest personal chart is a busy one despite the lack of debuts. Continuing to lead at the summit is the top notch “The Fear Inside” by Frankmusik, while Mr. Frank’s ballad “Hurt You Again” soars into the Top 10 at #8 as the Fastest Riser on the chart. Inching up to runner-up spot is “Night Air” by UK singer Jamie Woon, who has some North American show dates on deck, including SXSW in Austin and one in my town on March 25 🙂 Making the Top 3 songs extremely competitive is the irresistible “Love 2 Baby” by Christian TV, whose video is in the works as you can see in the behind-the-scenes preview at the top of this page. We’ll see who places first in two weeks.
Continuing its impressive rise is the scorching “Michelle” by Ro Danishei featuring Simon Curtis, now entrenched in the Top 5. And joining it is Adele’s soulful “Rolling In The Deep”, from her brand new album 21. Besides “Hurt You Again”, the Top 10 has a change up with three additional debuts. “Rocketeer” by Far East Movement featuring Ryan Tedder (which Frankmusik is performing on tour instead, since the Far East guys are his label-mates) climbs 13-7, while Duran Duran’s “All You Need Is Now” and “Ice Melts” by Matt & Kim (who were recently in Europe) round out the Top 10. Duran Duran are also featured in SXSW next month.
Also on the rise for a sunny Spring and looking good for Top 10 status soon include Adam Tyler’s europop flavoured “I Won’t Let You Go”, “Sunlight” by Australia’s Bag Raiders featuring Dan Black (video at the bottom of the page – love the use of the word iridescence!), “Keep Your Head Up” which has L.A.’s Andy Grammer (another SXSW performer) accentuating the positive, Alphaville’s update of their 80’s eurodisco with “I Die For You Today”, and the sparkling Richard X mix of “The City” by Patrick Wolf.
The newbies on the chart this week are actually huge hits which I’ve already discussed in previous blogs: Lady GaGa’s forever anthem “Born This Way”, and “Tonight” (in whichever version you want) by Enrique Iglesias and Ludacris.
You can view the full chart using the link to the right under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** or click right here. Please post any comments you might have – thanks for reading 🙂
I’ve been thoroughly enjoying Australian electropop singer Nelson Clemente’s songs since I first heard them three years ago. Alternately tantalizing us with mystery, intrigue, sexual innuendo, and that simple act of being human, Nelson’s latest and free download EP release continues with the simplicities and complexities of life. My favourite song within is “You’re A Star”, which starts off with a Darren Hayes-ish vocal but gradually captivates the listener with the basic sense of wonderfulness that the song conveys. It’s not quite as simple/sparse as Nelson’s own “You Me Us We” but like that song its message is convincing. We also have two more mysterious and layered songs, “No Protection” and “Unsaveable”. “No Protection” is somewhat like last year’s “90 Days” (also in the EP in its original and excellent Soundbaker remix), it has a sinewy hook that gets under your skin. “Unsaveable” is quieter food for thought and shows off Nelson’s flair for a lovely melody while name checking the title of the EP, the essence of all of the songs within. Enjoy all of these songs bydownloading them right here.
Bright Light Bright Light “How To Make A Heart”
Our favourite current one man show, Welsh singer/producer/DJ Rod Thomas, continues to impress with every record he releases in anticipation of his full length album Make Me Believe In Hope. In the first of a series of animated videos, we have a sad robot starring in “How To Make A Heart”, one of BLx2’s more elegantly beautiful songs which I first enjoyed on a limited EP purchased at the end of BLx2’s late 2010 UK tour. I enjoy how each release is a project unto itself because by the time we have the full album in our hands it is sure to be one of 2011’s very, very best. Not too much you can say about this one except to soak in the video clip above. For anyone in New York City or at SXSW in Austin, TX in March, Rod will be performing some gigs to both showcase his wonderful songs and his DJ skills which you can hear in some mixes he’s posted at http://soundcloud.com/brightlightx2
Matt Blue “What If”
Who is Matt Blue, you may ask? Well all that I know is that he’s 18 years old, resides in the Netherlands, seems to have a loyal Twitter and Facebook fanbase, and has a penchant for spot-on cover versions of recent songs, though I understand he writes his own stuff too. But that’s all I know, and once I know a little more I will update you. Until that time, I must admit that I am totally astonished at his cover version of Jason Derulo’s “What If” – to me, it’s better than the original. And when you have a voice THAT good, as you can hear above, the world simply will not wait. Matt Blue is one to watch for 2011!
Simon Curtis show alert: If you happen to reside near Cornell University in Ithaca NY, you can find Simon performing a set at the university’s “Filthy/Gorgeous” show at 10:00 pm on Saturday, February 26. Event info is right here.
I had actually thought about a week ago that another song would be on top of my personal chart in this edition. But I got excited all over again at the prospect of hearing the new Frankmusik album Do It In The A.M. sometime in the Spring. And Mr. Frank made available all of the songs he’s been posting one by one on his site http://freefrankmusik.comas parts one and two of the EP Long Live Frankmusik (more on that later). So after waiting patiently for Penguin Prison’s “Golden Train” to leave the top, Frankmusik’s “The Fear Inside” ascends to the summit as the preview of that long-awaited album (and I love that artwork above!).
Rihanna has to settle for second place alas, with “S&M” becoming her biggest hit on my chart to date. The link to the naughty video is right here courtesy of Just Jared’s blog. Then rising 9-3 we have one of 2011’s most promising new talents, UK singer Jamie Woon with the magical “Night Air” closing in quickly on #1. Another worthy potential chart-topper is “Michelle”, the fierce duet by L.A. singers Ro Danishei and Simon Curtis, rising up to #5.
The two new additions to the Top 10 are nothing short of stunning. Adele’s amazing “Rolling In The Deep” climbs to #8, while the fastest riser on the chart belongs to one of those simple and infinitely infectious songs that comes along only once in a while. “Love 2 Baby” just tells it straight up and Christian TV has his second Top Tenner, following last summer’s “When She Turns 18”, all from his forthcoming debut solo album. Just can’t wait for that! But “Love 2 Baby” drops on iTunes on Tuesday (February 15) too!
There’s plenty of upward movement in this chart edition, including “Rocketeer” by Far East Movement & Ryan Tedder (video at the bottom of this blog), the latest very European-styled single from Adam Tyler, “I Won’t Let You Go”, and “Keep Your Head Up”, which is a great song to brighten your bad day courtesy of Andy Grammer. “Ice Melts” by Matt & Kim and Duran Duran’s “All You Need Is Now” look like sure bets for the Top 10 in two weeks.
But we’re back to Frankmusik for the highest debut on the chart. I’ve heard rumours that this song won’t be on Do It In The A.M., which seems almost unfathomable given the elegant and beautiful lyrics and performance. So for now “Hurt You Again” is a free download so be sure to get it (go to my personal chart for the link)! It crashes the chart at #19 to help bridge the gap between “The Fear Inside” and the release of Do It In The A.M.
Then we have two songs that I raved about in an earlier blog. Australian duo Bag Raiders are on release worldwide with their self-titled album, and they’ve given us their collaboration with Dan Black (that fab UK musical mad scientist) “Sunlight” as a free download. It arrives at #23. And just below it is the return to less dark and alternative dance music for Patrick Wolf with the Richard X remix of “The City”, also a free download, at #24. It’s from Patrick’s forthcoming album Lupercalia. Links to the free downloads also appear inside my chart.
You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right or by clicking right here. Please post any comments you might have!
This briefer-than-usual blog has been brought to you courtesy of competition with the Grammy Awards 😉
It’s a decades old debate that keeps rearing its head. And with the release of Lady GaGa’s “Born This Way” yesterday, the subject came roaring back, and precipitated me putting together my thoughts about what you’re hearing on pop radio these days, and how it all got there.
For me, it goes back to growing up in the 1970’s, when the sudden change in subject matter for singles on pop radio started to be all too apparent. You couldn’t get any more obvious than sexy and seductive singles like Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”, Sylvia’s “Pillow Talk”, Barry White’s “I’m Going To Love You (Just A Little More Babe)”… and on the flip side there were other unique-sounding hits such as David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” – this one not for the subject matter but more for the artist – and of course Lou Reed’s only charted hit, the groundbreaking “Walk On The Wild Side”. And this, folks, was 1973!!
So while Elton John grabbed hold of glam rock for his look and perhaps inspiration for some of his songs, he was the first artist that I can remember whose song used a swear word – other than say hell or damn – in its title no less, and one describing himself! I’m referring to 1974’s “The Bitch Is Back”, which was a Top 5 hit. I think perhaps the song would have went to #1 because there were radio stations that refused to play it. The swearing didn’t stop there! Veteran R&B act The Isley Brothers released in 1975 “Fight The Power”, which sang about “All that bullshit going down” and was censored on radio (usually with a ‘beep’) but was still a Top 5 hit in the U.S. By 1977 The Eagles exclaimed “Haven’t seen a goddamn day” in “Life In The Fast Lane” and for some reason got away with it at radio. But Steve Miller ended up with “Funky kicks going down in the city” instead of “Funky shit” in “Jet Airliner” the same year. And after that, changing the lyrics seemed to be the way to go. It no longer seemed to be an issue, even in the hot and heavy days of disco when sexual lyrics and subject matter pretty much remained in clubs.
In fact I can’t think of it being much of an issue until the late 80’s, but that was with videos which were spearheaded by one Madonna. But those videos helped promote Madonna to radio, and controversial hits like “Like A Prayer”, “Justify My Love”, and “Erotica” were all still huge hits. And it was all about the video star… until recently since TV stations like MTV and MuchMusic long ago dispensed with music videos as their main showcase in favour of other programming.
The Internet is the new MTV for videos, and it was not until 2010 that songs that prominently featured swearing or sensitive subject matter began to find their way to success through the Internet as well. By late 2010 this had reached its pinnacle, with some of the world’s most popular artists releasing songs that, in fact on this very day are at the top of iTunes Canada’s chart. They are “Born This Way” by Lady GaGa, “S&M” by Rihanna, “Fuckin Perfect” by Pink, and “Tonight (I’m Loving You)” by Enrique Iglesias, which I wrote about last week as “Tonight (I’m Fucking You)” (and even Avril Lavigne’s “What The Hell” is #5 – though in Canada we had Michel Pagliaro’s hit “What The Hell I Got” in 1975). And it’s no longer possible to cover your ears or those of your children if you want to hear pop music on the radio or online, you would just basically have to avoid it all together.
For every bit of imagery borrowed from Elton John, Madonna or perhaps Donna Summer, “Born This Way” has a strong, strong message of equality that made me immediately think of those “Walk On The Wild Side” lyrics from 1973 but I’m extremely aware that that message would not be so strongly felt without Lady GaGa’s current status on the 2011 platform shoes of pop music. “S&M” takes Madonna’s images from “Justify My Love” and “Erotica” a few steps further with a playful video and lyrics “Well I might be bad but I’m perfectly good” which make the topic seem very – routine. And sure Pink has used swearing before, but of course in a song title you’re not going to have retail or radio promoting the F-word so even in 2011 the song becomes “Perfect” just as in 2004 when Eamon’s “Fuck It (I Don’t Want You Back)” became a parenthetical title only – and in the UK the song was an even bigger hit than in North America, as was its reply song by Frankee which was just called “F.U.R.B.” Ditto with Enrique Iglesias’ latest song. A singer with such a nice-guy image as Enrique singing “Tonight I’m fucking you”? Relegated to clubs and the online community, alas.
Only "Tonight I'm Fucking You" fan-made artwork available!
So yes, it’s the mid-seventies revisited at pop radio. One day the swearing barrier will come down because it will no longer be an issue. But we’ll have to see what kind of content we will hear next on pop radio, and who will bring that next step to the forefront.
If it wasn’t for huge anticipation of upcoming releases from Frankmusik (still TBA for Do It In The A.M., but Vince has been posting some amazing free downloads that show positively MAJOR potential to be unveiled), Penguin Prison (now scheduled for April), and new UK pop/R&B sensation Jamie Woon (March), I don’t think I would be getting signals that 2011 more than ever appears to be a year in which Pop and Electronica are fusing more to commercial appeal. To support this, we are getting some terrific fusion both on the pop charts and in some potential new talent.
I currently enjoy Enrique Iglesias’ music much more than 10 years ago when he won fame as a balladeer. Lately Enrique’s been on a really fun club sound bent, and though huge pop hit “I Like It” burned on me after a while, and ballad “Heartbeat” with Nicole Scherzinger turned into a minor European hit, it looks like “Tonight (I’m Fucking You)” is going to be even more massive. Credit that to the busy and infectious electronica backdrop that sets the song firmly in Clubland… and radio has jumped on the more, erhm, polite version “Tonight (I’m Loving You)”. I think the appearance of a Ludacris rap is kind of unnecessary but is playing to both radio and street cred. So is North American radio finally set to embrace a steadier diet of Poptronic sounds, or is this just a one off? We’ll see later this year.
Then we have the latest case in point from UK’s Patrick Wolf, whose songs have alternately been darker, alternative affairs and fantastic bursts of pop/dance. The vibrant, catchy pop of 2007’s “The Magic Position” won me over, wondering what Patrick would offer next. It’s taken till now for something equally brilliant to surface, but the free download of the Richard X mix of “The City” signals good times are ahead for Poptronics. Watch the feel-good video above, which captures the essence of the positivity in the song, and download the Richard X mix below while you still can.
Australian duo Bag Raiders signal the first signs of Western world summer – though for Aussies they are well into it right now in the East – with their latest song “Sunlight”. What makes this sparkling song even more special is the presence of Poptronics whiz Dan Black on vocals, and the result is summer beach party central. I can’t wait for what Mr. Black has to offer us next, and this kind of collab will help bridge that gap in time. Be sure to get this one for free right here!
Blu Eden is a new pop/dance vocal duo who have already started to achieve some notoriety in London with some live showcases. Comprised of vocalist Nora Blu and partner/producer Richard Eden, the duo combines a UK soul and club sound with edgy electronics, which are featured prominently in the crunchy production in the extended version of “Rip It Up”, the original version of which you can hear on their official website. Songs like “Rip It Up” make the UK dance sound seem fresh all over again, and club DJ’s in particular should find favour with Blu Eden’s songs.
Lastly, 21 year old Toronto-based producer/DJ Volta! is a name to watch both for experimental electronica and Poptronics. His Soundcloud page is full of interesting ideas fleshed out with swirling electonics. You won’t be able to deny the infectious appeal of one of the songs remixed by Kash Jay called “Conan”. The original song appears on Volta!’s Soundcloud page and doesn’t really sound too similar to the remix. But the remix definitely gets planted in your head and stays there. It works fine as an instrumental but something tells me that a honkin’ female R&B vocal might suit the song in an alternate version. Check out the free download below.
The top songs on this edition of my personal chart stay the same once again. Penguin Prison’s amazing “Golden Train” hangs tight for a 4th appearance at #1, while Frankmusik’s addictive “The Fear Inside” follows at #2 for a third appearance. So what will happen in two weeks? I’m not so sure, but Rihanna’s “S&M” has made an interesting surge to #3 – the peak of 2007’s “Don’t Stop The Music”, her highest ranking song on my chart to date. Will she get to #1? There are a few challengers below.
Each song below makes a good case why it might reach the top in two weeks. “Monster” by Kanye West is one of his most ferocious and entertaining songs to date and moves up to #5. But he’s been to the top with Estelle in “American Boy” and to the runner up spot with “Gold Digger” – can he get to either again? Then there’s the beautiful rendition of ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All” by UK chanteuse Elouise, which moves up to #6. Last year, her “Pretender” soared to #2. “Falling”, the theme song to the 1990-91 TV show ‘Twin Peaks’ has been redone and reshaped by UK electro sensation Bright Light Bright Light, and becomes Rod Thomas’ 4th consecutive Top 10 entry here. Both “A New Word To Say” and “Love Part II” were #1’s last year – will “Falling” follow suit?
Then there are the extremely strong new entries to the Top 10. First is the scathing “Michelle” by LA fireball Ro Danishei which becomes a duet when Simon Curtis (who is apparently playing a show in upstate New York sometime in February!) enters mid-way. One of the most fun but aggressive songs in recent years, “Michelle” climbs 13-8. Then we have the dreamy, mysterious, fastest riser in the chart – “Night Air” by Jamie Woon, which zips up 18-9. Can’t wait for Jamie’s album Mirrorwriting, due out in Spring, but “Night Air” will do just fine right now. Then we have that early 80’s dance flashback courtesy of Javi Silva and his project Native Underground at #10 with “Till It Hurts”. JUST SO MUCH GOOD STUFF!!
A great trio of very different songs that debuted at the end of last year find themselves mid-way on this edition of the chart. Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep” was prevented from #1 in the UK by “Grenade” by Bruno Mars, and rises 17-13 this week. Immediately below is Brooklyn’s fun rock indie couple Matt & Kim with “Ice Melts” from their sophomore CD Sidewalks at #14. Then Duran Duran are in full comeback mode as the title track from All You Need Is Now is #15.
More of the last chart’s debuts continue to do well. “Robot” by wild Toronto gal Andrea Lewis glides to #18, while Far East Movement join with OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder for the uplifting “Rocketeer” at #19. Usher’s surefire hit “More” makes you want just that as it moves up to #20.
Two of our six debuts were featured earlier in the week in the blog and I can’t get enough of them right now, Christian TV’s “Love 2 Baby” and “I Won’t Let You Go” by Adam Tyler. An uncharacteristic but extremely likeable song that’s been on a slow burn is “Keep Your Head Up” by Andy Grammer. Create your own variation of his video for the song at his website right here.
I lived through 80’s electropop and one of my favourite acts was Alphaville, which started as a trio and essentially is now the performing name for singer Marian Gold. You know Alphaville from “Forever Young” (prominently sampled by Jay-Z recently on “Young Forever”) and “Big In Japan”, and now we have “I Die For You Today” at #28, from a forthcoming album called Catching Rays On Giant. Alphaville almost toured in North America a few years back; a live clip of “I Die” is at the top of the blog.
It seems like they may be more than just your everyday boy band, but Canadian quartet Neverest have arrived with their debut single, a ballad called “About Us” which lands at #29. They are managed by Howie Dorough of Backstreet Boys and CJ Huyer of 3Deep (remember “Never Gonna Give Up” from 1999?), but we’ll need to hear more to see what else they have to offer. Great start though! And last is another emotional adventure from These Hopeful Machines, the latest album by electromeister BT. “The Emergency” is the final debut at #30. Its video is at the bottom of this blog.
The full chart can be found using the link to the right under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** or just click right here. Please leave any comments – thanks for reading!
You can expect the sounds of the early 2000’s to start and creep back into the music scene. Our favourite singers ages 17-27 were pre-teens and teens back then in those formative years of listening to music. This explains the current rise of male pop/dance singers who now seem to be dabbling in an upbeat European pop/dance sound. So flashback to 2000 and who was hot? Britney, Christina, N Sync, Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls, Savage Garden, S Club 7, Sonique, Billie Piper, Westlife, 5ive, and European dance hits by the likes of Alice Deejay, Eiffel 65, Daft Punk, and Vengaboys.
“Love 2 Baby” by Christian TV
After ear-grabbing debuts with “When She Turns 18” – one of my faves from last year – and an edgy mixtape called Who The Fuck Is Christian TV?, the Detroit-bred, L.A.-based singer has not only been busy remixing for others – check out his version of Miike Snow’s “Animal” – but working on an upcoming album. For a pop/dance record more along the lines of “When She Turns 18”, “Love 2 Baby” has it all: Immensely hooky chorus, energetic vocals to pull you in, and a European keyboard backdrop that comes directly from the late 90’s. Of course Britney tweeted about “When She Turns 18” last summer, so think about this: “Love 2 Baby” is a great companion to “Hold It Against Me”. And if you’re not stuck on Britney, well the song stands well on its own, creating more anticipation for Christian’s upcoming album.
“I Won’t Let You Go” by Adam Tyler
Adam’s been offering a lot of free music online lately – check out his affecting cover of Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn” especially. Returning to a more emotional dance sound started by last year’s excellent “Friction” is “I Won’t Let You Go”, now available on iTunes in most territories. So it starts off like it might be a ballad, but before you know it those Swedish “Better Off Alone” keyboards kick in, the energy level is cranked up, and you have a fantastic example of a mass-appeal worldwide hit. Adam’s currently in England where he’s performing in an Electroqueer showcase tonight.
“Dangerous” by Pierre Lewis featuring Emshey
UK singer Pierre Lewis got my interest in late 2008 when the ballad “Broken” was released to some success in the UK and Europe. It was then remixed by Joe 90 into an infectious dance track that took nothing away from the original ballad. After knocking on the public’s doors with a few tracks since then, Pierre is back with a punchy dance sound for “Dangerous”, which features female rapper Emshey. With a definitely retro sound both musically and vocal back to the beginning of the last decade, this one may be a harder sell but with proper word-of-mouth this could find its way into dance clubs throughout the world. Download for free right here.
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