“Cake By The Ocean” by new quartet DNCE must have been brewing behind the scenes for a while but exploded seemingly out of the blue on to social media a few weeks ago, so I wanted to give it a bit of time to sink in before writing about it. I was a fan of songs from Joe Jonas’ 2011 solo album Fastlife – not the singles that were released from it but rather the deeper EDM/R&B-influenced songs like “Make You Mine” and “Not Right Now” which featured some excellent vocals that reinforced my opinion about the singer’s talents. So DNCE has allowed him once and for all to break free of the Jonas Brothers’ Disney-confined sound and life, much like brother Nick did with his solo album last year. “Cake By The Ocean”, with its slinky riffing, anthemic/shouty chorus, and some not-out-of-place swearing, kind of takes you to the Fastlife side of Joe (who is now 26 😮 ) that his solo album wanted to be. He’s helped out here by guitarist JinJoo Lee, bassist/keyboardist Cole Whittle (a familiar face to all of you Semi-Precious Weapons fans while that band is on legal-imposed hiatus), and Jack Lawless, once a drummer with the JoBros. It might be a battle for this to get attention at radio, but “Cake By The Ocean” should certainly be embraced by clubs especially if there are remixes coming. I definitely admire this new start for Joe and his band.
As I await UK quartet Lawson’s return to my city one of these days (I’ve seen them twice in concert), I’m pleased to say that the band continues its trademark stable of relatable songs along with a universal sound with “Love Is You”. You can get it as a free download from the band’s websitewith an email subscription. “Love Is You” previews their upcoming sophomore album, tentatively called Perspective. Neither incarnation of their debut Chapman Square was released on North American shores. The band are superstars in the UK, not so much the rest of the world. Given the broad appeal of recent single “Roads” as well as “Love Is You”, that could change by 2016. They opened recently in the U.S. for Aussies Sheppard, and are now off to that part of the world and Asia to support Robbie Williams on tour. Couldn’t happen to better guys 🙂
The top of the chart continues to be difficult to dislodge though that will likely change in October. For we have an impressive debut in the Top 10, and a fast riser from one of the last chart’s debuts. Two debuts are also album cuts where I dive deeper into the album hoping for additional singles 🙂
The Top 10
Uno, dos, tres, quatro… Y&Y, Brandyn, Nathan, and PP, once again all comfortably atop the chart.
I thoroughly enjoyed Years & Years in concert last week. They were able to pretty much replicate the songs from Communion, with “Shine” (my current #1), “Real”, “King”, “Memo”, and “Foundation” all standouts, plus a cover of Blu Cantrell’s 2003 UK #1 “Breathe”. Olly Alexander has a genuine and affecting stage presence that will take him far 🙂
A definite contender for the top of the chart is “Pain Told Love” by Tribe Society featuring Kiesza, which climbs 9-6. It definitely marks the transformation of the former pop/rock Gentlemen Hall into the darker and thoughtful alt.rock songs of Tribe Society.
It baffles me why this song isn’t being played in every club everywhere, but “The Other Boys” by NERVO featuring super-friends Kylie Minogue, Jake Shears, and Nile Rodgers, advances 11-8 from the dance production duo’s album Collateral.
Just can’t get enough of songs by The Weeknd right now. My fellow Torontonian is now at superstar heights, with three almost sold out dates in November at Toronto’s own Air Canada Centre. “Can’t Feel My Face” climbs 14-9.
Another Torontonian, Tommy Paxton-Beesley, definitely has created some of his best music for his brand new EP as River Tiber called When The Time Is Right. He’s shifting from progressive alt.rocker to an inventive mix of EDM, rock, soul, and hip hop. No more is that evident on the new River Tiber single “Let You Go” (up top), which bows at #10, following the #2 “No Talk” also included in When The Time Is Right. “Let You Go” is River Tiber’s 8th BILLCS Top 30 entry which includes two previous #1’s “Someday” and “The City”. Simply not to be missed – and a contender for #1 on my chart – get When The Time Is Right on iTunes! 🙂
And now for a bit of BILLCS chart geekery: “Let You Go” arrives in the Top 10 at the same time as “Let You Go” by The Chainsmokers & Great Good Fine OK is at #5. It’s the first time two different songs with the same title have been in the Top 10!
Movin’ on Up
After a wonderful set at his release party last week for his debut album Yesterday, Tyler Shaw makes no hesitation to weigh in as the Fastest Riser on the chart with “Dizzy” soaring 21-11.
While UK brother duo Disclosure continues to unveil new songs from their upcoming album Caracal, their partnership with Sam Smith continues to build with “Omen” rising 18-12.
NYC duo (a five piece band in concert though!) Great Good Fine OK are both Top 5 with The Chainsmokers on “Let You Go”, and Top 15 with their pairing with St. Lucia on “Something To Believe In” from the EP 2M2H. The busy and prolific GGFO premiered their new richly produced song “Take It Or Leave It” on Soundcloud last week (below).
I absolutely adore the mystery of a Jane Badler song! Her latest single from Opus, “Dead Eyes”, is dollied up in a well-matched remix from Eel Eye to put the mystery front and centre. “Dead Eyes” climbs 22-18.
Matthew Koma’s delightfully punkish stab at lovelife, “So F**kin’ Romantic”, moves up 24-19. The singer’s new album is finished, can’t wait to hear what’s been in the works now for so long.
The Rest of the Debuts
Three additional songs premiere on the chart.
Following up the sensual intrigue of “Guilty As Sin”, which peaked at #3, Toronto’s Dan Talevski continues his audio seduction with “My Religion”, which in turn is featured in another sexy video. Ain’t nuthin’ wrong with that! And the beautiful Spanish scenery makes a lovely backdrop. “My Religion” bows at #24.
“Wildstar” is a standout song from Giorgio Moroder’s album Déjà Vu featuring a charming vocal from Foxes that in some ways recalls Donna Summer in her heyday from my favourite album by her called I Remember Yesterday. So it’s a no brainer for my chart, whether or not it’s released as a single! “Wildstar” arrives at #25. It’s Foxes’ second appearance on the chart following 2013’s #2 “Clarity” with Zedd. “Wildstar” also follows Giorgio’s chart successes here with the title track featuring Sia peaking at #6, and “Right Here Right Now” with Kylie Minogue landing at #4.
There is no doubt that Adam Lambert’s The Original High is one of my most unexpected favourite albums of 2015 so far, with brilliant production nursing Adam’s wide-ranging voice to excellent effect. It’s so rich in songs yet I don’t see a whole lot of attention being paid to them other than of course “Ghost Town”, which should have done better as a lead off single. Nonetheless in my chart world that song peaked at #4, and “The Light” is a riveting EDM song that would make a perfect follow up! “The Light” debuts at #26.
You can hear me online onhttp://www.planetradio.ca every Monday at 10:15 pm EST counting down a Toronto Top 10 chart from yesteryear!
One of my most played albums of 2013 was the self-titled release by L.A.-based singer/songwriter Travis Garland, whose R&B/soul/hip hop pop style can veer similarly from Robin Thicke to Justin Timberlake to JMSN. Like with songs such as “Homewrecker” from the last record, “Bodies” pushes the envelope stylistically with a savvy mix of rock and hip hop, which serves as a basis for a song that may or may not be a bit of a horror story, both in literal or psychological senses. The video is haunting because it leaves you to draw your own conclusions. As always Travis’ voice seethes and soars when it should, and serves as a fine introduction to his latest free download UPPERS + DOWNERS which I hope to listen to within the next while. I like how Travis is following the same kind of marketing plan with the last album, which was preceded by a couple of free release EP’s and built up a real calling card for his full album. “Bodies” shows signs that the game plan shall unfold similarly! Watch the video for “Bodies” above and download the song for free below.
“Over” is one of those songs that doesn’t sink in right away but scores with repeated listens thanks to a familiar and bitter story that I know all too well. It’s brought to us by Chicago-born producer/songwriter/singer Goldhouse (aka Grant Harris), who has remixed many a fine song including those by Katy Perry, Sam Smith, and perhaps most notably Lady Gaga’s “Applause”. “Over” definitely sparkles in the production department and should be dancefloor bound. But I like the way he writes – “Over” is as caustic and direct as a post-breakup song can be, and setting it to such an engaging and sizzling EDM backdrop is somewhat cathartic. Goldhouse also cleverly mashed up “Over” recently with last year’s surprise hit by Nico & Vinz, “Am I Wrong”. Listen to both original up top and the mashup below. I can’t find “Over” in my iTunes Canada store but it seems like it may be on release in the U.S. or in your country.
Toronto’s River Tiber releases the new EP When The Time Is Right on Wednesday September 16. “Let You Go” to me is a defining moment for the inauspiciously talented Tommy Paxton-Beesley after following the multi-instrumentalist’s progress these last 3 years. For “Let You Go” is as soulful as R&B gets. Plunked right down in a time where fellow Canadians Drake and The Weeknd are ruling the charts, “Let You Go” is beautifully languid alt.soul featuring a personal best vocal from Tommy. River Tiber creates complex, layered music which draws you in because you never know what to expect. All I know is that When The Time Is Right should turn even more heads later this week and should be on your must-hear list for the rest of 2015.
River Tiber plays Adelaide Hall in Toronto on Thursday, October 8.
Call me converted. South Africa-born Australian social media sensation Troye Sivan did very well out of the gate with his first EP, which reached the Top 5 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums. I wasn’t quite convinced with either his voice or songs, but sometimes all it takes is some changes between releases. Thus we have “Wild”, the lead off single from his upcoming album. It may just be me, but his voice sounds different. A richer tone has replaced a more boyish quality like on “Happy Little Pill”. “Wild” is a retrospective song about the innocence of our childhood and how it does set the stage for adulthood, as you will see in the very last frame of the video in this particular story. With his recent work with Zedd also catching attention, it would be no surprise to see “Wild” climbing the radio charts soon, and it will make you want to hear more from Troye Sivan.
After Romeo are one of the busiest groups I’ve seen online in terms of social media fan engagement with their Juliets and Bromeos. This has helped the L.A. vocal quintet to get to the Top 10 on the Radio Disney charts. And while some performers never break out of that teen-oriented image, I think After Romeo has the chops to go much further if “Where The People Go” is any indication. This is one short but loaded and memorable anthemic pop single that will also keep you entertained with its smart video, which appears to be the backdrop for about 5 different films or videos being made. Makeup and costumes abound, and the director keeps it at a high energy pace, crafting an excellent showcase for the lads, who to me have that something extra that other similar vocal groups don’t have. Chances are if you follow After Romeo on Twitter you might find yourself in a video chat with them, they are pretty accessible. Pick up “Where The People Go” on iTunes.
A lot of the songs on the chart two weeks ago were stuck on hold… not a bad thing at all and shows staying power! But the new chart is shaken ‘n stirred but good, with only two debuts, but several favourites finish up their chart run at the lower end of the chart.
The Top 10
It appears that nothing is about to dislodge Years & Years and Brandyn Burnette from the top spots. “Shine” continues at #1, while former #1 “I Wanna Be (Free)” (which will soon have a hip hop flavoured remix) stays at #2. The songs in the rest of the year to come are going to need to be pretty special to beat out these two at year end. Oh, and next week I get to see Years & Years in concert in Toronto. Just cannot wait to hear the gorgeous songs on Communion in live performance!
Both Nathan Sykes’ “Kiss Me Quick” and “Show Me The Way” by Penguin Prison advance a notch to #3 and #4 respectively, but are the #1 and #2 songs going to keep them from moving up further? You’ll find out in two weeks! Again, both are very strong songs in 2015 against fierce competition.
Formidable NYC producer/DJ’s The Chainsmokers are touring (they play in Toronto on November 7) with a fun cast of performers depending on what city you’re in. The guys’ collab with Great Good Fine OK in a rollicking Tiesto remix on “Let You Go” climbs 9 to 6. Oh, and it’s a free download 🙂
Yeah it is all about that sample from the 60’s TV show The Munsters, but “Uma Thurman” by Fall Out Boy also has a wicked, fun vocal by Patrick Stump to carry it home. The song rises 11 to 8.
I have my fingers crossed that Island Records will recognize the emotional power of the fastest riser on the chart this week and release it to radio and as a single. The gorgeous heartbreak of “Pain Told Love” by Tribe Society (formerly Gentlemen Hall) featuring a stunning turn by Kiesza burns up the chart, soaring 25-9.
Movin’ On Up
It’s still a mystery to me why “The Other Boys” by NERVO featuring Kylie Minogue, Jake Shears, and Nile Rodgers isn’t all over the dance clubs. It’s a smash waiting to happen no matter how long it takes! It climbs 20-11!
Eric Saade’s “Girl From Sweden” and Janet Jackson’s “No Sleeep” have been unlikely bookend for the past few weeks, and it continues as they both rise to #12 and #13 respectively. Janet plays in Toronto on September 15 and I look forward to hearing more from her upcoming Unbreakable album!
With The Weeknd’s superlative Beauty Behind The Madness set to debut at #1 this week, it’s fitting that “Can’t Feel My Face” climbs 22-14, eventhough it’s been #1 everywhere. Abel (who is from my part of Toronto) is unstoppable right now!
“Natural Disaster” by Molly Moore is one true grower, many folks that I’ve played it for have enjoyed it or asked about it, in its original form or delightful Win & Woo remix. The song moves up 19-15.
It’s taking its time to breakout, but I feel that about to happen… the title song from Robin Schulz’s album Sugar, featuring my talented fellow Canuck Francesco Yates, advances 23-16 (Francesco’s own “Better To Be Loved” peaked out at #6 two weeks ago).
Nerds, ravers, and dance music lovers unite and support this quirky and fun song! Quebec producer/DJ’s J-Mi and Midi-D move up 21-17 with their Avril Lavigne-meets-Vengaboys single “So Much For That”.
And speaking once again about NYC R&B/pop/dance act Great Good Fine OK, they play in my city at The Drake Hotel once again on September 10, and undoubtedly will perform “Something To Believe In”, their recorded duet with fellow dance act St. Lucia. From the EP 2M2H, the song climbs 26-19.
Premiering
It’s his best single yet, and is culled from his freshly released debut album Yesterday. British Columbian Tyler Shaw has a real winner with the zippy “Dizzy”, which arrives at #21. Not to be underestimated, this one! Tyler’s album release party takes place in Toronto on September 10 at the Virgin Mobile Mod Club.
Matthew Koma has blended the best of both of his worlds – EDM and pop with a punk attitude – on his humorous latest solo single “So F**kin’ Romantic”, which bows at #24. Matthew is a most welcome veteran on my chart – “Romantic” is his 4th solo entry (including two #1’s “Parachute” and “1998”) and he also is featured on 4 others (including #1’s “Spectrum” with Zedd and “Cannonball Earthquake” with Showtek & Justin Prime). Now he needs to play his own gig in Toronto – soon! 😀
The Full Chart
Listen to the songs or watch the videos using the links on the pictures on the pretty and detailed web edition of my chart. Go on, have a look and listen/watch 🙂
You can hear me online onhttp://www.planetradio.ca every Monday at 10:00 pm EST counting down a Toronto Top 10 chart from yesteryear!
Sometimes it takes five steps backwards to move two more forward and sorting out each other’s feelings to get to that happy ending to a disagreement or misunderstanding. That’s why Tristan Thompson’s “Reason To Believe” might be your go-to end-of-summer ballad, once again written by Tylor Johnson. I’ve written about the talented young singer from British Columbia numerous times over the last year since his R&B/pop song “Tidal Wave” got to the top of my personal chart. Momentum continues to build for the 17 year old after some national radio success with “Burn Again” and the title song from his debut album Here For You. There’s no reason why “Reason To Believe” shouldn’t find more believers! The video is likely Tristan’s best visual showcase yet as it unveils a familiar story but you’re still not quite sure if it’s going to get where you would expect it to go. It’s never too late to discover a most deserving young talent, so head over to iTunes and get “Reason To Believe” and Here For You.
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