PLEASE READ: More help for performers is needed and @TaylorSwift13’s stance against @AppleMusic is the start

I bring you a rare “opinion” post amid my usual blog posts about music and songs.

It’s only the start, but Taylor Swift’s stance against Apple is something for which performers can be thankful.  To think that a company as large as Apple, and one that we thought was cutting edge and in favour of performers, suddenly turned very corporate and wasn’t even going to pay performers for using their music during a three month trial period of their streaming service.  So Taylor didn’t ask, she succinctly demanded it, and in a nice but public way too.  And the result was an immediate about face.  That shows how much financial wiggle room Apple has in their business plan.

But as I say this is only the start for an industry that is otherwise a two-headed monster, with one head eating itself and spewing out bile, and with the other all decked out with everything money can buy, still creating stars and breaking new performers (although select few) into the biz.  

The mess that the industry continues to ignore, despite being in front of its own face with enough room to bite off its own nose, includes:

  • Performers have to pretty much play for free.  At clubs, the pay goes to the door person and sound person.  What’s left goes to the band, and more often than not, there’s nothing.
  • In order to navigate the new world of social media and still be able to play in the big leagues, performers need managers who are available 24/7.  They can’t pay them, so a lot of the times it’s a family member or very good friend who takes on the role because they believe in them.
  • They need to record to get their music out there in digital or solid forms, and work several part-time jobs to come up with the payment for a good job.  If not, they record it in their own home studios, losing quality and professionalism, as well as connections through decent producers.
  • Performers need gigs nationally, not just in their own backyards.  Costs include gas/travel, equipment, food, extra help.  More exposure = more fans = higher profile = ultimately some coin in their pockets.
  • Performers need merchandise.  It can make them some money, but again the upfront investment has to happen.  Fans don’t just want buttons or plastic wristbands.  A variety of clothing, signed mementos, and most of all, face time with their favourites.  Fans will pay for this – and especially lately the “VIP” experiences that even indie acts have scored – but getting it for free is nice too.
  • Performers need people to buy their finished and recorded music more than ever, yet the current climate is that the mass public will not pay for it, not even 99 cents on iTunes.  The public, we’re told, wants the music for free.  Hackers and savvy computer programmers find all the ways to make it happen.
  • Contracts that no one understands.  Clauses negotiated that don’t mean anything.  Performers don’t have the money to fight for their right to party.
  • Signing a record company deal and having your projects shelved.  Forever.  No access to your own material because you signed it away, likely without knowing.  Or maybe even ‘just because they can’.  What good is music that supposedly had potential, all locked away?

So what are the solutions?  Your guess is as good as mine, and I’d love to hear your thoughts.  

Those who can move forward often are financially independent or have people or even companies who are investing in them.  Once that kickstart happens then you’re on your way.  So the entire Pledge Music, Kickstarter, etc. movement is a worthy one, but we need one that will create the whole enchilada and help form a base for the business that is that performer, not just fan-source a project.  That means that someone, likely a wealthy person or company or bank, would have to take a risk.  And why at this time would anyone want to take a risk on something related to music when the reaction would be that it’s too much of a risk?  It’s all about the money, right?

And while Taylor Swift getting a win for performers against the mighty Apple is a sign of better times, the industry needs knowing and caring champions who can similarly tackle the issues I’ve raised plus many which I have not.  It would then be nice to think of the music industry not as a two-headed monster but as a selective but nurturing set of experts who can shape many more performers into something better and help make those hard-earned dreams come true.  Some people say it’s all about the music.  To me, it’s all about the people who make it.

BILLCS Top 30 #459 – June 15/15

459 editions later and it’s always exciting to create a new personal chart for me to see what changes are in store.  And it’s a slew of newcomers (about which I’ve already written) that will make the summer months great music months to watch.

The Top 10

  • It’s not the top of the chart that sees change though.  Corey Niles & Alex Lacasse reign supreme again with the dreamy and inspiring “Chasing Stars”, and River Tiber’s funky alt.rock in “No Talk” stays at #2, while it’s “No Words” by Erik Hassle that you might want to make a mental note about, remaining at #3 but a newer song, so it definitely has designs on the top in two weeks.  But would you believe Erik is the featured singer on Icona Pop’s new one called “Emergency”?  Reminds me a bit of “We No Speak Americano”.  Give a listen below.

  • The cat’s out of the bag:  my first debut in this edition is at #6.  No song right now is worthier than Brandyn Burnette’s carefree but thought-provoking song for summer, “I Wanna Be (Free)”, which saw official release last week on iTunes.  It’s from Brandyn’s upcoming EP Made Of Dreams, and I can’t wait to see what other recent songs made the cut.  Watch the emotional video up top featuring contributions from fans.  It’s a bit overwhelming and in some ways in stark contrast to the inspiring vibe of the song.  A #1 contender for sure, to follow up his own “Sleeve”, which held court for 4 appearances (8 weeks) earlier in the year.
  • With “See You Again” still on top of North American charts, I’m glad some interest is being directed towards Charlie Puth’s “Marvin Gaye”, featuring Meghan Trainor.  It’s a bit off the beaten path in this world of high energy radio pop but it has undeniable ear candy appeal.  It moves up 9-7.

  • Brandon Flowers scores his 4th Top Tenner here with “Can’t Deny My Love” from his second solo album The Desired Effect.  I still have to catch up with that album but everything I’ve heard from it so far sounds promising.  “Can’t” rises 11-8.

  • The final newcomer to the Top 10 is James Bay’s long-lasting “Hold Back The River”, likely because it has such a classic melody.  I hear he’s coming to Toronto in August… the song climbs 12-10.

Movin’ On Up

  • I’m pleased to say that Steve Grand’s “We Are The Night” will be the singer’s next video, as the song continues to climb 14-11, from his debut album All-American Boy.  In fact the singer is looking for lyric video makers – look for details here: https://t.co/VV4i61vcO0

  • My second big chart shaker this week is essentially a dance instrumental, by Antonio Giacca who gave us the infectious “Ignited” earlier this year, which peaked at #6.  “Sensation”, with its percussive rhythm that teases us till the bass synth drops, bows at #12.  It also recalls a lot of 80’s dance and house music, which makes it a perfect fit for today’s dance floor.  The video however remains a bit of an interesting head-scratcher.

  • Also very dance club worthy is the early 90’s sound of Adam Lambert’s “Ghost Town”, rising 19-14.  What I also like about this song is that it shows off Adam’s versatile voice – every song for him does not need to be powerful and upbeat.  His album The Original High bows on Tuesday!

  • Also out on Tuesday June 16 (though it has been released in some parts of the world already) is Giorgio Moroder’s first album in 30 years, Déjà Vu.  The title song, featuring a gorgeous, sometimes retro-sounding vocal by Sia, continues to climb, up 20-17.

  • And also out this week is the full album Sonic Aluzion by Canadian rock band Smashing Satellites.  You can embrace some fine positive thoughts in “What It’s All About”, which moves up 21-18.

  • It probably would have made a bigger jump up the chart had so many fine songs not been ahead of this, but keep your eyes on “Shine” by Years & Years in the coming weeks.  Ahead of the July release of their Communion album, “Shine” moves 25-19.

  • The fastest riser on the chart this week belongs to the powerful voice of Serbia’s Bojana Stamenov with the ever-gorgeous “Beauty Never Lies”, up 27-20.  Like “Shine”, look for this one to make its presence known in the next month or so.

  • And don’t let what might seem a lowly move up 30-24 for Maroon 5’s “This Summer’s Gonna Hurt Like A MotherFucker” fool you.  How can you resist a summer anthem like that?

The Rest of the Debuts

  • Dan Talevski’s seductive “Guilty As Sin” makes an impressive splash at #23 for the Torontonian, hopefully in advance of a debut album or EP!  Watch the steamy video below.

  • 19 year old Francesco Yates, also from Toronto, bows at #25 with “Better To Be Loved”.  Francesco is working with Pharrell Williams for his debut full release.  Wow!

  • The fifth debut is for ex-Gentlemen Hall singer Cobi Mike, whose thought-provoking video for “Walking Through The Fire” was recently released.  The song enters at #26, check out the video below.

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 🙂

 

Uninvited Guests (@GouldUninvited) and their own special guests update the music of Glenn Gould

UNINVITED GUESTS:  Glenn Gould vs Missy Elliott “That Yo Chick”; vs Dr. Dre & Gwen Stefani “Ya’ll Know Me”; vs B.o.B. “Headband”

One of 2015’s more inspired and interesting projects is brought to us by the mysterious Uninvited Guests.  For these talented folks have the backing of unparalleled Canadian classical talent Glenn Gould’s estate to bring his music to a new audience.  So not unlike fusion ideas of a project like Verve Remixed (for classic jazz and R&B) or even a recent band example like fellow Canadians BADBADNOTGOOD (jazz/pop/rock/hip hop but not the kitchen sink), Uninvited Guests use skills and styles to fuse Glenn Gould’s music with contemporary rhythms and songs by the likes of Missy Elliott, Dr. Dre, Gwen Stefani, B.o.B., Justin Timberlake, J. Cole, and even The Beatles.  

Now that doesn’t mean just about anyone’s fair game; this isn’t about goofing around.  Uninvited Guests have already set some of their mashups to videos.  “That Yo Chick” uses the bizarro “13 Ghosts” (Margaret Hamilton gives it away 😉 ) as its visual basis, and works best (above); “Ya’ll Know Me” (“Forgot About Dre” meets “Hollaback Girl”) uses a boxing movie backdrop; “Headband” features old clips of ultra-limber women; “Sexy Bach” (with Justin Timberlake of course) gets it on to old jazzercise videos.  The project is not really for purists but definitely for the curious, both musicians and fans alike.  

I like it best when Glenn Gould’s piano really get lost in some of the arrangements as if it’s an alternate recording more than a mashup.  In some cases, like with “Sexy Bach”, it honestly doesn’t work too well.  But definitely top marks here for Uninvited Guests in creating some unique far-outside-of-the-box works.  I hope they’re able to parlay this into live performance, where it could be striking to see in person.

Collaborations like this do work: @FFS_music with “Johnny Delusional”

FFS, “Johnny Delusional”

It’s the perfect slice of alt.rock to tickle your fancy as we head into the summer months.  From their self-titled album, due this week, is FFS with “Johnny Delusional”.  FFS = Scotland’s Franz Ferdinand + legendary U.S. brother duo Sparks.  And while that pairing may cause heads to scratch initially, when you hear “Johnny Delusional” you will know exactly why it works.  For Sparks arrived on the music scene well over 40 years ago with their irreverent, unique, and yes sometimes confusing approach to pop/rock, which worked well for them particularly in the UK with many Top 10 hits that spanned from the glam rock through the disco eras.  In the 80’s they found themselves part of the new wave cadre, with their biggest pop successes in North America in 1982-83.  Then came another revival, with more inventive dance music (recalling their 1979 collaboration with Giorgio Moroder) in the mid-90’s.  But Sparks have never been idle, and bring a fresh approach to today’s alt.rock with Franz Ferdinand, themselves mainstays of the UK charts in the last decade.  The video may have your head spinning a bit with the seamless editing and seemingly endless camera work similar to the videos for The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” or even the feel of the one-take 80’s video of “Girls with Guns” by Tommy Shaw.  But “Johnny Delusional” has built a bridge from the 70’s to today, with humour and sarcasm in the lyrics that recalls both Sparks and Franz Ferdinand.  Try to escape this one on alt.rock radio for the rest of the year… it will only grow on you.

Slick Nick: “Never Enough” by Nick Hagelin @nickisthetruth feat. Max Stisser in a @DoctorWig production

nickhagelin9

NICK HAGELIN featuring MAX STISSER, “Never Enough”

After dropping a self-titled EP earlier this year of previously unreleased songs, Atlanta-based pop/soul singer/dancer Nick Hagelin is back working with Doctor Wig again with some slick contemporary sounds happening on “Never Enough”.  It’s almost like this song picks up where Nick was supposed to go with “Ex-Games” (from his album City Lights).  So it’s great to hear some fresh inspiration in a song that could easily fit beside songs by Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, or Drake in a mix.  What I often find in Nick’s songs (which I’ve written about many times over the last several years), even if in the background, is that slight and soulful falsetto that helps pull out a romantic side in even a darker song like this.  Max Stisser’s rap is well done and fits like a glove.  I think a Nick Hagelin album with Doctor Wig at the helm is what’s in order.  Watch the eye-catching video below.

BILLCS Top 30 #458 – June 1, 2015

The slow rise of some songs and sharp drops of others continue thanks to the bevy of great music out there!  But other songs make great gains as they become some of my favourites this year.

The Top 10

  • “Chasing Stars” by Corey Niles & Alex Lacasse has a solid grip on #1 for a second appearance at the top, but with River Tiber’s “No Talk” advancing 3-2 and “No Words” by Erik Hassle rising 6-3 – it’s getting pretty hot up top!

  • As his new single “Girl From Sweden” is released, Eric Saade’s “Sting” continues to climb my chart, rising 5-4.

  • Australia’s Parralox has its second Top 5 placing on my chart with the 80’s fan fest “Aeronaut”, moving up 9-5.  Dig all of that Paris scenery in the video too!

  • There’s no stopping CHIC reviving its classic feel-good 70’s disco sound on “I’ll Be There”, which is also now a Top 5 Billboard Dance Club hit.  It rises 12-6.

  • Years & Years is making some of 2015’s most recognizable music.  As former #1 “King” is about to leave the chart in its 10th appearance, now at #10, previous single “Desire” climbs 10-7.  And there’s more Years & Years to come…

  • With Jully Black just about appearing everywhere in Canada as fierce and proud as ever in 2015, plus being a Pan-Am Games ambassador in Toronto, it’s no wonder that she has her first Top Tenner on my chart since “Seven Day Fool” in 2007.  That’s “Fever”, from her upcoming album, climbing 11-8.

  • New Jersey’s Charlie Puth is better known as the vocalist on “See You Again” (at #16), but he and Meghan Trainor have concocted a delightful bit of R&B-oriented sock hop pop with “Marvin Gaye” leaping into the Top 10 17-9.

Movin’ On Up

  •  Five years after his debut solo album, Brandon Flowers has done it again with the first single from The Desired Effect called “Can’t Deny My Love”.  It’s the fastest riser on the chart, vaulting 20-11, and about to join the three songs that made the Top 10 from Flamingo, including #1 “Crossfire”.

  • After their rollicking and extremely fun concert almost two weeks ago, Matt & Kim’s “Hey Now” from their latest album New Glow jumps 22-17.

  • Their latest EP Roads has been released in the UK, but here in North America we have a single for UK quartet Lawson’s title song.  “Roads” moves up 21-18.

  • All three of the last chart’s debuts make short work of the chart and follow each other in succession.  So we have “Ghost Town” by Adam Lambert (26-19), “Déjà Vu” by Giorgio Moroder featuring Sia (27-20), and “What It’s All About” by Smashing Satellites (28-21, below) all about to take off.

Debuting

  • More Years & Years??  Yes, please!!  And it’s kind of an unintended companion song to Erik Hassle’s “No Words” above, they have a very similar song structure and melody at times (play them one after another!).  “Shine” (at the top) appears on the trio’s upcoming Communion album and bows at #25.
  • I was really rooting for the incredible vocal performance by Bojana Stamenov to make her country Serbia’s entry to Eurovision 2015, “Beauty Never Lies”, the winner.  Alas the winner ended up being the also worthy “Heroes” by Måns Zelmerlöw, but nonetheless the song has opened the doors worldwide for the talented Bojana.  “Beauty Never Lies” arrives at #27.

  • It’s hard to believe that Maroon 5 has not appeared on my chart since 2011’s “Moves Like Jagger” but their latest single “This Summer’s Gonna Hurt Like A Motherfucker” is so irresistible in so many ways… and as atypical a song for the band as were some of those within their debut Songs About Jane 12 years ago!  “This Summer’s Gonna Hurt” is their 11th chart appearance and premieres at #30.

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 🙂

 

 

@BrandynBurnette gets tough with “Stand Down (2150 AD)” featuring sister LaRaisha (@RaiDiEvelyn)

https://soundcloud.com/brandynburnette/stand-down-ft-laraisha

BRANDYN BURNETTE featuring LaRAISHA, “Stand Down (2150 AD)”

And these one-of-a-kind songs just keep coming from L.A.-based singer Brandyn Burnette.  This time Brandyn goes to the street into the future to get tough with the compelling and funk-edgy “Stand Down (2150 AD)”.   This one has all kinds of elements brewing – rock, R&B, hip hop – to help concoct a bleak view of the future where crime still prevails and it’s finally time for the shooting to stop.  Obviously inspired by recent current events, Brandyn also brings his sister LaRaisha into the mix and they harmonize just beautifully as the choir of two that sings the message.  There’s always a lot of passion that Brandyn brings into his music, so do give this one a listen.  Another tough choice – will it be on his upcoming album, amid so many great recent songs?  

Get lost on the dance floor with “Sensation” by @AntonioGiacca

ANTONIO GIACCA, “Sensation”

Italian producer/DJ by-way-of-the-U.S. Antonio Giacca landed on my chart earlier this year with the pop/dancetastic “Ignited”, which peaked at #6.  The prolific Antonio has certainly grabbed my attention with “Sensation”, which is essentially an instrumental with some soulful vocals which almost sound like they were from the 80’s Loleatta Holloway heyday.  It’s a unique, standout highly percussive-sounding track that’s accompanied by a real odd duck of a video that you’ll need to watch about three times before it makes sense, if that at all is the intention.  It reminds me in some ways of Martin Scorcese’s 80’s movie “After Hours” (one of my faves).  But I digress!  Regardless, dance club DJ’s will revel in this one and definitely anyone who’s interested in a truly modern sounding progressive house track will have a blast with it.  “Sensation” is available to buy on iTunes.

The funky side of @SmashSatellites arrives with “Us”

SMASHING SATELLITES, “Us”

While I’m still digging the anthemic, feel good “What It’s All About”, Canadian rock band Smashing Satellites have given us another taste of what’s to come in their full album Sonic Aluzion with “Us”.  And unless you happened to see them perform it in concert like I did, “Us” is going to come as a surprise after the intensely emotional “Waterfall” and alt.rock of “Hounds”.  “Us” is pretty much  a crunchy and funky pop/disco whirlwind – and who should know better than someone like me who lived through the era 😛 – which shows a band whose stylistic borders are not at all limited.  Sneer if you will, but memorable songs like “Us” grab audiences and make them react.  And lead singer Salvatore Costa’s vocal gets not only the groove on but rocks out at the same time.  You can pick up “Us” in advance of Sonic Aluzion’s release right now on iTunes.

Smile :) @Mike_tompkins gets acappella with @TheMuppets and goes 360 with “Lost In Paris”

MIKE TOMPKINS & THE MUPPETS, “Cool Kids”

MIKE TOMPKINS, “Lost In Paris”

If you’re heading into the weekend after a long busy week like me, then turn to sounds-master Mike Tompkins and be guaranteed some smiles.  

First up there’s his cover of Echosmith’s surprise hit from last year “Cool Kids” (ab0ve) with none other than The Muppets!  And who are always so uncool that they are cool but The Muppets!  Can’t wait for their new TV show this Fall.  Mike did a great job with combining all of the unique Muppets’ voices into a song that will make anyone from any age group feel good.

Then Mike takes us on a journey in a bar/cafe – a 360 degree journey – with “Lost In Paris” (below), a funky little number that will have you grooving while you’re spinning up, down and all around the room with many different Mikes along the way.  

For someone who’s always cool and down with new ideas and sounds, it’s my fellow Canadian, Mike 🙂