BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

A soulful new original from @NBCTheVoice contestant @Travis_Ewing, “Obsessed”

TRAVIS EWING, “Obsessed”

Many contestants from “The Voice” go on to be very successful whether locally or internationally, and one singer I had my eye on in the early part of last season’s competition was Lafayette, Louisiana’s very own Travis Ewing. His blind audition (below and which you can buy on iTunes) was the powerful, turned down rendition of Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name” that got the attention of three judges and the opportunity for Travis to be on Pharrell Williams’ talented team, and then with Blake Shelton. “Obsessed” is an acoustic version of a song that will sound much more fleshed out in a full production. But it’s here to show why Travis’ voice requires your attention, as his silky vocal sails through the song with some fun patter near the end and a beautiful falsetto that’s right up there with Justin Timberlake. Just remember too that Travis left the competition (prematurely, to me) after competing against Meghan Linsey, who ultimately went on to second place success. “Obsessed” shows a sign of great things to come for Travis Ewing. Watch the video above.

@JamesPoole_ pays tribute to Amy Winehouse with “Back To Black”

JAMES POOLE, “Back To Black”

To coincide with the documentary “Amy”, UK singer James Poole digs down deep into the talent of Amy Winehouse for a rendition of her “Back To Black”. This song is a unique one, and it took me a number of listens before coming up with my opinion. Vocally, it’s a pretty flawless and spot-on interpretation as James captures the essence of the forlorn and jealous sentiments of the song, which was a UK Top 10 hit and is probably better known now than ever. James hardly changes a thing, including the lyrics, a smart choice knowing that it’s not a song you’d expect to hear covered by a guy, and where he makes it his own is at the 3 minute mark which is the bridge of the song – taut, understated, soulful. Hearing “Back To Black” only makes you want to hear more James Poole. A record is in the works, and he’s probably my most-written-up performer who has yet to have an official release. And “Back To Black” gives long-time listeners confidence that when that record is ready, James Poole will indeed have worldwide attention – this is an amazing choice to cover in concert and wow the crowd.

#BILLCSTop30 #461 – July 13, 2015

The summer months start off with a very busy and active Top 10 and three new entries 🙂

The Top 10

#1 is showing no indication of leaving the top any time soon. It’s Brandyn Burnette’s glorious “I Wanna Be (Free)”, a song that contains a lot more to it than meets a casual listening ear. And the outstanding video is perfect representation of the song, which is from Brandyn’s upcoming EP Made Of Dreams.

I think “Shine” by Years & Years got shortchanged in the revamp of the UK singles charts being compiled on Fridays instead of Sundays, and it ended up debuting at #2. Not to say that it might not get to #1 though! It’s on its way there on my chart too, but will definitely have to wait for “I Wanna Be (Free)” to give it up first. “Shine” rises 9-3. The trio’s debut album Communion also finally saw release last Friday 🙂

“Can’t Deny My Love” by Brandon Flowers was just too good to have anything but a Top 5 ranking on my chart. It advances 6-4 amid fierce competition.

It’s one of the most different but appealing dance songs around, even in its radio edit! “Sensation” by producer/DJ Antonio Giacca moves up 8-5.

It’s always nice for bloggers to be recognized by rabid fans of certain performers. I’m pleased to have the #Glamberts on board as “Ghost Town” climbs 10-6 for Adam Lambert, from his excellent album The Original High. More to come from that album in terms of hits but let’s give “Ghost Town” its time! Remixes are now available on iTunes!

It’s Top 10 hit number two here for Giorgio Moroder, this time with Sia, on “Deja Vu”, the title song from his very fine album, which also begs for more single releases. “Deja Vu” rises 12-7.

The fastest riser on the chart is turning out to be one of the surprise earworms of 2015. It’s the sinewy “Guilty As Sin” by Toronto’s Dan Talevski (video up top), which storms the Top 10, up 18-8!

The last but hardly least new Top 10 entry allows Eurovision 2015 to live on in the form of Serbia’s entry “Beauty Never Lies” by Bojana Stamenov, advancing 14-10.

Movin’ on Up

And right behind Bojana are two other songs that have had a bit of a long haul waiting in the ‘teens before moving up. Lawson’s “Roads” climbs 15-11 as the band will be opening on a US tour in support of Australia’s Sheppard, while Canada’s Smashing Satellites continue to attract North American attention with their album Sonic Aluzion and the upbeat single “What It’s All About”, which moves 16-12. The new lyric video is below.

Last week’s debuts waste no time making their presence known. Dance smash in-the-making “East Side Bay” by L.A. producer/DJ – and here, singer! – Mi Disguise jumps 24-19; Fall Out Boy’s just plain fun “Uma Thurman” rises 26-21; and Eric Saade’s follow up single to “Sting”, “Girl From Sweden”, charges up 29-22.

Debuts

Looking to make a huge impression on this chart is “Kiss Me Quick” by The Wanted’s Nathan Sykes at #20. Like Adam Lambert’s fans, Nathan’s fans have rallied around my original post about “Kiss Me Quick” and subsquent tweets. Good to have his fans on board 🙂 This is an amazing start, unleashing the skinny soulful beast from the boy band trappings 🙂

Being an independent release should not stop Janet Jackson with even more success than her 2008 album Discipline, which yielded “Feedback” (a #4 on my chart). This time we have sultry and classic R&B keepin’ you up all night with “No Sleeep” at #25. It’s from Janet’s forthcoming album Unbreakable. She’s on tour throughout the late Summer and early Fall, so check your local concert listings! Watch the lyric video below.

The final chart debut belongs to “Summertime” by Trevor Guthrie at #27. I wasn’t about to let this fine summer song slip away! It’s Trevor’s first appearance on the chart since 2013’s massive and Grammy-nominated “This Is What It Feels Like” (#6, with Armin van Buuren). Of course he appeared several times on the chart with his early 2000’s band soulDecision, the first three from debut album No One Does It Better, and the next four from funky/jazzy sophomore pop album Shady Satin Dress (partially produced by Nile Rodgers!):
- “Faded”, #1, 2000
- “Ooh It’s Kinda Crazy”, #7, 2000
- “Gravity”, #8, 2000
- “Cadillac Dress”, #4, 2004
- “Don’t Dance Close to Me”, #5, 2005
- “Kiss The Walls”, #20, 2005
- “Hypnotize”, #12, 2005

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 🙂

The soulful angst of “Take Out Of Me” by @MartinLukeBrown

MARTIN LUKE BROWN, “Take Out Of Me”

There I was, standing in SportChek, and this edgy falsetto is crying out from the speakers. It’s one of those holy shit! moments when you find out that the song is by someone entirely new. And that is British singer Martin Luke Brown whose “Take Out Of Me” will turn your head and make you go whoa all the same! It’s from his debut four song EP recorded for Parlophone, which has been out for a few months now, so there is absolutely no reason why radio shouldn’t be playing this song everywhere. And yeah, whatta voice, conveying soulful angst like the best British soul singers do. Let’s say Martin is the British counterpart to Mikky Ekko. Pick it up on iTunes.

@NathanSykes just kills it with his cover of “Marvin Gaye”

NATHAN SYKES, “Marvin Gaye”

Just to prove that his work with The Wanted and his soon-to-be-smash “Kiss Me Quick” are no flukes, Nathan Sykes dropped a live acoustic cover of Charlie Puth & Meghan Trainor’s “Marvin Gaye” for Capital-FM. It’s simply a killer performance of one of my current faves! Nathan’s voice gets right down into that soulful and sexy grittiness, and I do believe he adds a few more lyrics from Marvin’s own “Let’s Get It On” into the mix – now I’d love to hear him record a cover of that song in its entirety. Watch and bookmark this delight in your favourites 🙂

You should hear Melissa Manchester’s new single “Open Spaces and Gas Stations” @Melissashares

MELISSA MANCHESTER, “Open Spaces and Gas Stations”

Grammy-winning superstar Melissa Manchester carves out some new territory in her illustrious and busy career with “Open Spaces and Gas Stations”. What pop music fan doesn’t own at least one of her records? 🙂 This new single follows the New York-born singer’s recent pop/jazz success with You Gotta Love The Life, which features Al Jarreau and Dionne Warwick among others. The singer has nary skipped a beat over the years with album releases, performing, and teaching, and “Open Spaces” switches pop styles for Melissa, in this collaboration with Toronto-based singer/songwriter James Collins, who co-wrote Melissa’s “My Christmas Song for You” as well as the much-played “Frozen In Time (The New Wedding Song)”. “Open Spaces” treads successfully into Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac territory – think of Stevie’s duet with Don Henley on “Leather and Lace”, or maybe Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” or “As Long As You Follow”. The former to me is the best reference, which also captures not only the standout country-flavoured backdrop but also the delicate, seasoned production. It’s the kind of gentle song that makes you feel good and will hush an attentive audience in concert. It may not necessarily sound too much like Melissa Manchester in her heyday, but audiences will find much to enjoy with “Open Spaces and Gas Stations”. Give it a listen below.

Oaked or Unoaked? New Jersey’s @TheStolen and a gal who likes “Chardonnay”

THE STOLEN, “Chardonnay”

Stalwart New Jersey quintet The Stolen continue on with a tight brand of power rock with “Chardonnay”. Featuring lead singer Dom Cuce’s sometimes rough-around-the-edges boy-next-door vocal, “Chardonnay” tells the story of a gal with a taste for certain guys befitting to her signature wine, so much so that, according to the video, she will hunt him down and take him home. The video might seem a tad odd at the start but stick with it and enjoy The Stolen’s energetic performance, which will probably go over more like beer than wine in concert. In fact, The Stolen is opening for Jake Miller on his brand new tour, and they play other dates as well. It’s no rocket science – “Chardonnay” is one of those ear-ringers that will keep you humming all summer. Watch the video below.

The Stolen plays The Cavern Bar in Toronto on Thursday, August 20.

A new young R&B voice shines: Malcupnext @Malc____ with “This Feeling”

MALCUPNEXT, “This Feeling”

“This Feeling” by Malcupnext is my surprise for you this week. While the mentorship by OutKast’s Big Boi definitely signaled an intriguing prospect, you don’t know it till you hear it – Cleveland’s Malcolm White has it signed, sealed and delivered with a beautiful tenor at only age 14. And don’t this is traditional old-style R&B – “This Feeling” is appealing contemporary R&B with enough hip hop swagger to get your groove into check 🙂 And it’s not Chris Brown or Li’l Bow Wow or anything like that either. Instead, think of the early years of Brandy, Monica, or Aaliyah. Malcolm White, or Malcupnext, that talented young man with the recognizable glasses, could be a male counterpoint, and like those young women, I’ll be interested in hearing what he sounds like after a few natural vocal changes take place. “This Feeling” can be equally enjoyed by of Radio Disney or BET. It’s a promising introductory showcase for Malcupnext.

Conquering “The Grind” with Canadian singer/guitarist @DavidCeliamusic

DAVID CELIA, “The Grind”

The timing could be just right for veteran Toronto singer/guitarist David Celia with the release of his recent album Double Mind. Not only does David’s earnest and edgy rock sound recall fellow Canadian Sam Roberts and perhaps even older Neil Young songs, but it’s suddenly very current with the recent arrival of similar performers such as Hozier and James Bay. “The Grind” possesses a theme to which anyone can relate – trying to withstand and beat whatever ‘grind’ is pushing you down. It’s a folk-flavoured 3 minute record chock full of ace musicianship that goes down just easy, making it very radio friendly (which Canada’s CBC has already recognized). After more than a decade of releases (including one for Universal) and supporting other notable musicians, David Celia could get his due with “The Grind”. Watch the video above.

Progressive EDM meets Hip Hop on “First To Know” by @DAPdabeatx featuring @RiverTiber

DA-P featuring RIVER TIBER, “First To Know”

I enjoy songs which infuse different styles which arrives at a well-crafted pop song. So Montreal producer DA-P has done just that with trippy, hippy and melodic songs on his EP Sapphire. One of those songs happens to feature River Tiber, who I gush about fairly often – sometimes a live performing Toronto band, but usually on record the talented multi-instrumentalist also known as Tommy Paxton-Beesley, who is not only Justin Nozuka’s right hand guitar player, but also contributor to the recent BADBADNOTGOOD album and creator of the basis for Drake’s “No Tellin'” (actually River Tiber’s recent single “No Talk”). So DA-P and River Tiber’s idiosyncratic styles mesh beautifully, with Tommy’s voice up front, to form a song that takes its time getting going with its hypnotic EDM hip hop mix but then could easily have gone on for another minute or so, it sounds that effortless. Well done to all, and more, please 🙂