It’s quite clear with the arrival of “Talking About” by 22 year old Brighton, England native Conor Maynard that the singer who charmed teens and maybe some of us older types too a few years back with his natural presence and songs like “Can’t Say No” and “Turn Around” is here to stay. Looking a bit like a young Andy Bell (from Erasure), Conor continues on with the immensely catchy pop/R&B style that attracted all of the interest in the first place, and the video, which finds Conor cruising in cars and trucks with all kinds of folks, is good-natured fun that gets even better in the last minute. With a good solid push, “Talking About” could end up being one of the Spring’s unexpected radio pleasures. Conor’s EP of the same name arrives in Canada on April 21 (not sure about the rest of the world).
The first single from the sophomore album by the all-star team collectively known as Slow Knights is “Just Kiss”, complete spicy pop-soul-electro bliss that could be a breakout for the group. This can’t go wrong, led by Scissor Sisters’ Del Marquis and Rod Thomas (aka Bright Light Bright Light), and featuring the immensely talented voices of Bridget Barkan (who is stunning here), Mykal Kilgore (from BLx2’s “Feel It”) and Xavier Smith. If “Just Kiss” was picked up by Rihanna or Beyoncé, it would be everywhere. It’s exactly where contemporary soul-pop should be today and deserves every success. The new Slow Knights album is called Living In A Dark World and not due till April 21 – so looking forward to hearing more. Fantastic job with “Just Kiss”!
REIGEN, “Another Dimension” and “Chandelier” (Sia cover)
NYC singer/songwriter Reigen Miller isn’t looking to follow a conventional path with his blend of electronica and pop. After the emotional electro-balled “Come Back To Me” (peaking recently at #2 on my personal chart), which has every potential to be a pop hit, Reigen returns with a funky slice of alternative dance music with “Another Dimension” (above). It’s got this drunken, lazy kind of feel to it in somewhat contrast to Reigen’s sometimes breathy vocal which is peppered with the same kind of high notes found in “Come Back To Me”. It’s an obvious example of how versatile Reigen is and shows how much he enjoys his craft.
As well, I will ask you to turn your ear to Reigen’s cover of Sia’s “Chandelier” (below), which he recorded last summer. It’s as different as Sia’s original. The song is meant to be almost ‘over the top’ but perhaps some of his vocal could be less exaggerated in spots. Yet there is not a note out of place, and that makes it inspiring, captivating and worthy of your attention – Reigen can likely nail it in live performance.
A huge WOW event occurred in the past few weeks for Toronto’s River Tiber, a band that brings the music of the extremely humble and crazy-talented multi-instrumentalist Tommy Paxton-Beesley to life in concert, while Tommy usually handles all vocal, instrumental and production duties on the River Tiber records. Drake unleashed his surprise album If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. That #1 album contains a song called “No Tellin'”.
Although neither Tommy nor River Tiber receives a credit for it, “No Tellin'” (which has already reached #81 on the Billboard Hot 100) samples the newly-released River Tiber song “No Talk”. As regular readers know, I’ve been writing about River Tiber for the last two years, since the inauspicious independent debut From Now On, and River Tiber songs have graced the upper reaches of my personal chart. What’s great about “No Talk” is that it’s one of Tommy’s most intriguing songs that will have you thinking about it as much as enjoying it. Getting with its off-kilter rhythm is a challenge but fun. You’re then left to create your adventure and find your way through a busy jungle full of layered instruments (including cello) and vocals.
“No Talk” however has this sly groove underneath that would be more likely found on a hip hop record, which of course leads us back to Drake’s song and also to the Sour Soul album by BADBADNOTGOOD and Ghostface Killah (which I wrote about recently) – to which Tommy contributed strings and horns! The door is suddenly opening wide for River Tiber and I couldn’t be happier. Listen to “No Talk” above and get it on iTunes, and of course listen to Drake’s “No Tellin'” below.
Chicago’s Steve Grand is now everyone’s All-American Boy and one of music’s hardest working new talents. His All-American Boy album, funded by you, is set for release on March 23, and I have, happily, my own advance copy to write about closer to that time. In the meantime, Steve’s new single “Whiskey Crime” dropped this week. It aptly prepares you more for the classic pop/rock influences that pervade the album, but also carries on the good-natured fun led by his initial singles “All-American Boy” and “Stay”, both of which also had significant Country music flavour. But really, with Steve, you’re going to have to learn to expect the unexpected. “Whiskey Crime” is as much about George Thorogood and Bruce Springsteen as it might be about George Strait or Garth Brooks. Steve’s got this winning, contagious, no-holds-barred delivery in this song that’s sure to make you smile whether or not you like the hard stuff or even an Appletini 🙂 Let your hair down, kick back, and pick up “Whiskey Crime” on iTunes. Watch the lyric video above.
UK quartet Lawson – they’re Andy, Ryan, Joel, and Adam – is back doing with what its fans love them the best – uptempo kick-ass pop/rock with an urgent and emotional vibe. “Roads” is a great song for a long summer drive from their forthcoming album, and it could be their biggest record yet. It actually reminds me of their single “Juliet” a bit with somewhat of an Caribbean island flavour leading it. “Roads” also has a great Andy Brown vocal! Lawson are touring once again in the UK, but let’s hope they can come back overseas again as the crowd reaction when I saw them twice in 2013 was outstanding. I don’t believe either of their Chapman Square albums saw release in North America; in Canada it was only the single “Learn To Love Again”. So I hope some well-deserved $$$ are reserved for these lads – they’re great guys and deserve every success. Watch the lyric video below and look for official release in May.
Spring is almost here and over 70% of the songs on my new personal chart are on the rise or holding, which means that competition to get to the top is pretty fierce! It also makes it difficult when I want to write about them all, but I’ll have to resist 😉
“Sleeve” by Brandyn Burnette is not letting go of #1 yet, as the L.A. based singer/songwriter is about to preview another new song called “Lottery”. Watch for it on Brandyn’s Soundcloud page!
Season 7 contestant on “The Voice”, pop/R&B singer Chris Jamison, moves up a notch to #2 with his slick song “Velvet”.
Having Kylie Minogue and Giorgio Moroder on a tour together would be an absolute dream, not to mention a huge dancefest! I’d love to hear Giorgio remix some of Kylie’s older songs *hint hint* but in the meantime “Right Here Right Now” advances 6-4. Pop radio should not be ignoring this one!
To get you through until Anton Ewald’s upcoming single “Higher” is released on April 7 is sexy R&B-influenced album track “Save The Last Dance” moving up 7-6.
Don’t understimate the power of “King” by Years & Years, as it became the new #1 song in the UK today! It’s the only new entry in my Top 10, and I predict some great things are in store for it on my chart too. Interscope releases it in the U.S., Polydor elsewhere. It climbs 12-10.
Movin’ On Up
All of the songs between #9 and 17 are on the rise!
If there’s room for Years & Years in the charts of the world, then fellow British performer Shift K3Y could also find himself there at some point! “I Know”, which climbs 15-11, did become a Top 30 hit in the UK last Fall but deserves international attention!
Suddenly, there seem to be Smashing Satellites fans all over North America, as the quartet heads to the U.S. to play some shows. Check out the Canadian band’s impressive video for “Waterfall”, which soars 18-13.
The fastest riser on the chart belongs to the singer who is also at #3 with “Pieces” – Jessie Ware. She will be headed back to North America very soon, supporting her new single “Champagne Kisses”, which vaults 23-14.
“Hurricane” by Lifehouse is a kick-ass rock song that has the now-trio back in fine form. The song moves up 22-17 – look for it to break open on the chart in two weeks.
Adam Tyler is a busy guy – wrapping a self-directed video for “Knew You Better” (from the Shattered Ice deluxe edition release), and featuring on both The Wookie’s “The Dreamers” and the song that lifts off 27-22, “Alive” by his label mate Mi Disguise.
One song that will creep up and grab your attention with its simple story and sunny melody is “Memories” by Samantha Gibb (daughter of late Bee Gee Maurice), which rises 28-24.
Three High Flying Debuts
It’s the best song on their album The Velvet Flame, and I’ve been waiting to put it on my chart, but “Reason” (which drops off) prevailed first. “Sacred” is Erasure at their classic best, and should fare even better in dance clubs than “Reason” as the third single release from the album. It bows at #18 – likely because I’ve had it on repeat since I downloaded the album!
At #19, and continuing to win me over with every listen, is “Chasing Stars”, the moving and contagious pop/hip hop song from Canada by Corey Niles featuring Ottawa native Alex Lacassewhich I wrote about recently. This is one radio-ready song worth fawning over!
Arriving at #20 is the dance floor rave-up (begging for remixes)which I also wrote about recently, “When It Rains, It Pours”, by BILLCS chart veterans, the duo DATABOY. Featuring producer/remixer Niko The Kid, “When It Rains” has a different sound for the guys, and it suits them to a ‘D’ 🙂
The Full Chart
Listen to the songs or watch the videos using the links on the pictures on the pretty and detailedweb edition of my chart. Go on, have a look and listen/watch 🙂
Listen for My New Music Pick Of The Week onD-Moos.com!
Every week I feature a New Music Pick of the Week on D-Moos, which is usually either on my chart or may soon be! Listen in amid the great variety of older music as I bring cutting edge new music to the rotation of over 20,000+ songs!!
R&B queen Jully Black has been a force like no other in her own country since she arrived on the scene back in 1999 with the still very timely and relevant independent release “Rally’n”. Since then she’s had several Top 40 hits, most notably the Top Tenner “Seven Day Fool”, has performed for Queen Elizabeth, and has served many times as a Canadian ambassador of music. “Fever” comes from her upcoming album Made In Canada, her first in a few years since Black Book, yet Jully has never been away from the music scene and has been a very visible presence on Canadian TV. Unlike past hits like “Sweat Of Your Brow”, “Fever” has a much sweeter and less forceful vocal, yet embraces both the delicate and sexy nature of the lyrics. Vocally you might put this song somewhere between Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, and Rebecca Ferguson, and place Jully on a bill with any of them in concert and you will have a showstopper and crowd-pleaser! “Fever” is co-written by and produced by YoungPete Alexander, and he and Jully have formed the Officials Music Group, which looks to be a very fine partnership indeed. Radio stations could easily embrace “Fever” and I look forward to hearing what the Made In Canada album will bring to us by Jully Black.
Ah the beautiful songs of UK duo Bim often leave me sighing in wonder how Becky and Tim can create them with such symmetry. Lo and behold, the video for “What You Wanted” finds the duo almost identically dressed with two chairs in an empty room. This is a fairly common scene with choreographed dance but not so much with a video, which allows for some creative editing – and Becky achieving a handstand! Aside from that, “What You Wanted” tells about the inner-workings of a relationship when you want each other so much but find shortcomings with your partner. Do you continue? Hide your feelings? Tell the truth? It’s a pensive, honest story to which so many of us can relate, and the duo gives a lovely performance. “What You Wanted” is from their new album Two, coming very soon!
It’s been a hot second since I was raving about Hannis’ debut single “Time Has Come”, the unique Europop-meets-dubstep tune that ended up as my #20 song of 2014. Sticking with the same innovative production team, but co-writing “Firebreak” herself, Hannis builds on the notoriety achieved by “Time Has Come” with a more pop radio friendly song. But whereas “Time Has Come” focused on the softer and more delicate tones of her voice, “Firebreak” shows what a powerhouse Hannis can be when interpreting the emotion of her song against a feverish melody. “Firebreak” is one crackerjack electronic pop song and should continue to attract worthy attention for Hannis. And while it wasn’t released until January of this year, you can get a glimpse of the singer at last by watching the video for “Time Has Come” below. Get both songs on iTunes.
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