BILLCS Top 30 #449 – January 26, 2015

In this edition, some songs on the chart get a few jolts and rise or tumble quickly, while four debuts keep on changing it up!

The Top 10

  • As a new wave of gentler pop songs arrives in the Top 10, Deniz Koyu & Twoloud advance to #1 making EDM rule for another appearance at the top with “Goin’ Down”, a song that will catch anyone’s attention no matter where they are!  Spinnin’ Records keeps putting out more gems like these!

https://soundcloud.com/brandynburnette/01-sleeve

  • Family is everything to most people, and Brandyn Burnette sings about it like no one else because he wears it on his “Sleeve”, which leaps up the chart 12-2, tying as the fastest riser on the chart.  This tender ode looks like it is most likely to succeed “Goin’ Down” at the top in two weeks 🙂
  • Also in the gentle but EDM kind of way is “Come Back To Me” by New York indie singer Reigen, which continues to advance, this time rising 5-3.
  • Positive pop comes in the form of “Lightning In A Bottle” by Eli Lieb, which climbs 7-4, somehow displacing Erasure’s “Reason”!
  • It’s one of her most gorgeous songs, and Jessie Ware (now on tour) rises 14-10 with “Pieces” from the still-stunning Tough Love album.

Movin’ On Up

  • If there’s one song on the chart that will have you rocking out, it’s New Jersey singer Graham Alexander’s “She’s A Chameleon” from his album Repeat Deceiver.  The song ties “Sleeve” as the fastest riser, moving 22-12.
  • More beautiful ballads make their way up the chart in the form of Boycode’s “It’s A Mistake” (18-14) and “There’s Nothing Wrong” by Canada’s Eleven Past One (19-15).
  • Some sexy R&B influences send “Save The Last Dance” by Anton Ewald up the chart, 24-16.
  • Neverest’s song about striving to be your best, “Someday”, climbs up 20-17.
  • Marianas Trench’s “Here’s To The Zeros”, obviously a bit of a sonic autobiography for Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Josh Ramsay (co-writer of “Call Me Maybe”), moves up 26-19, from their forthcoming album apparently called Astoria.

Those 4 Debuts

  • Crashing on to the chart at #13 are more sexy R&B vibes from Pittsburgh’s Chris Jamison, who placed 3rd on the last season of “The Voice”, with “Velvet”.  The song is just dashing enough to have the gals swooning and the guys full of respect.  It’s a great start for Chris, who could be another Justin Timberlake IMO if things go his way!  “Velvet” is a top-of-the-chart contender for sure.
  • A real surprise in some ways bowing at #21 is Buffalo, NY’s Daniel Robinson with “Moonmolt” from his upcoming release Truant.  You don’t have to figure out what that is to enjoy the song.  It’s just that intangible sense of being surrounded with all that’s good and right as things begin to change.  At least to me!  “Moonmolt” has a great melody that’s a throwback to the mid-80’s in a lot of ways.
  • It was previewed and then, boom, it’s on official release.  The sensational Giorgio Moroder matches up with Kylie Minogue for “Right Here, Right Now” which arrives at #24.  Will this put the 74 year old disco-meister on the pop charts?  We’ll see!!
  • One of the most anticipated releases of 2015 will be the album from UK trio Years & Years.  Their singles just keep on getting better, and so do their videos (this one has great choreography and editing), and “King” premieres at #28.

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.

02 01 GOIN’ DOWN Deniz Koyu vs Twoloud
12 02 SLEEVE Brandyn
05 03 COME BACK TO ME Reigen
07 04 LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE Eli Lieb
04 05 REASON Erasure
06 06 LOVE COME HOME Kristine W.
08 07 IGNITED Antonio Giacca
01 08 HEADPHONES (Matt Mancid Retro Crossover Mix) Color Theory
09 09 TIME Steve Grand
14 10 PIECES Jessie Ware
03 11 GOLD SKIES Sander Van Doorn, Martin Garrix & DVBBS featuring Aleesia
22 12 SHE’S A CHAMELEON Graham Alexander
New 13 VELVET Chris Jamison
18 14 IT’S A MISTAKE Boycode
19 15 THERE’S NOTHING WRONG Eleven Past One
24 16 SAVE THE LAST DANCE Anton Ewald
20 17 SOMEDAY Neverest
21 18 LIKE I CAN Sam Smith
26 19 HERE’S TO THE ZEROS Marianas Trench
10 20 BURN AGAIN Tristan Thompson
New 21 MOONMOLT Daniel Robinson
25 22 COULD IT BE MAGIC Color Theory
11 23 SAY YOU LOVE ME Jessie Ware
New 24 RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW Giorgio Moroder featuring Kylie Minogue
13 25 CALLING OUT Penguin Prison
15 26 ARMS OF ANOTHER Bright Light Bright Light
16 27 HOUNDS Smashing Satellites
New 28 KING Years And Years
23 29 YELLOW FLICKER BEAT Lorde
27 30 BRANDO Semi-Precious Weapons

 

Listen for My New Music Pick Of The Week on D-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!!

@AdamTylerx Pairs Up with The Wookie (@wookie_official) for “The Dreamers” (free download)

https://soundcloud.com/adamtylermusic/the-dreamers

THE WOOKIE featuring ADAM TYLER, “The Dreamers”

To paraphrase the old song, what do you get a Wookie(e) when he already has a comb?  Well, you match him up with L.A.-based singer Adam Tyler, that’s what!  It’s great to hear Adam both in and out of his element on “The Dreamers”, this EDM collaboration with producer/DJ The Wookie (aka Gabriel Garcia).  The Wookie has provided a rich production with somewhat of an echoey effect which makes Adam’s vocal sound a little disembodied, but that’s not a bad thing at all, it makes the song highly recognizeable.  Of course having Adam’s encouraging vocal also greatly enhances the positive vibe of the song, because where would we be without the dreamers of the world?  “The Dreamers” soars at all of the right moments, and making it highly dancefloor-worthy, so I hope some remixes are in the offing soon.  Download “The Dreamers” at the Soundcloud link above.

Catch a Wave with “Girl Named Summertime” by @BrandynBurnette While @MissMollyMoore Tantalizes with “Break”

https://soundcloud.com/brandynburnette/brandyn-gns

BRANDYN, “Girl Named Summertime”

Brandyn Burnette continues to shower us with new tunes.  And this is a great thing because he also shows the diversity of pop music styles that he can write and perform.  “Girl Named Summertime” is a feel-good song for sunny days and good times.  The production by Jon Bellion really makes the song bounce, and yet still allows Brandyn to slay us with one of his really high notes for good measure.  Keep ’em coming Brandyn – and the dilemma now might be how he is going to fit all of his great tunes onto his upcoming album…

https://soundcloud.com/molly_moore/break

MOLLY MOORE, “Break”

Many times, good things come in pairs, and Brandyn and Molly Moore are just that, though they are quite different!  Like “Natural Disaster”, Molly’s “Break” has a dark side to it.  This allows us to contend with the dramatic arrangement awash with emotion.  Molly has her own style, recalling many other female singers of the recent past yet never sounding directly like one of them.  Like her beau, there ain’t nuthin’ wrong with being a bit of a musical chameleon.

30 Years Later: The Amazing Return of Susan Jacks’ Album “Dream”

susanjacks_dream

http://www.d-moos.com Canada’s National Internet Radio Station will feature songs from Dream by Susan Jacks which are mentioned in this blog post during the week of January 19 to 23, with introductions by yours truly.

I’m pleased to re-introduce you to the 1975 sophomore album by Canadian singer Susan Jacks called Dream.

But why this specific album, you ask?

It’s sad to report in retrospect that Dream was completely unavailable for 30 years!  It was pulled out of stores shortly after its release.

But Susan won back the rights to release it! It’s a victory for the pop singer for a change!!

Reading between the lines, it appears that industry politics have kept Dream out of the public ear. I don’t understand situations like this; it must be more about personal or corporate power because it’s clearly not about the music, the singer, or the fans, and one can only imagine all of the music that’s simply locked away because a record label exec said it should be so. The Canadian record label that released Dream, Casino Records, went out of business went out of business in 1978, but the album’s rights somehow ended up being owned by a major label.

Susan Jacks is of course best known for her time first as the lead singer of The Poppy Family, famous for the worldwide 1969/70 hit “Which Way You Going, Billy?” and others such as “That’s Where I Went Wrong” and “Where Evil Grows”, which hold a special place in my own childhood (I still have an original 45 of the latter). Susan then had a solo career that followed, which generated domestic hits from 1973 to the early 80’s. Susan has the unique distinction of being the first female vocalist of a Canadian band to acquire a gold record for “Which Way You Going, Billy?”.

Her own hits “I Thought Of You Again” and “You Don’t Know What Love Is” both received significant radio play across Canada in 1972-73. Some of her other notable songs are “Anna Marie” (the first single from Dream) in 1976 and “All The Tea In China” in 1980, before embarking on a Country music career in Nashville in 1984 for a few years. She has been nominated four times for Canada’s Juno Awards, twice in the pop category and twice as a Country artist.

susanjacks

I’ll bring you back to some of the songs from Dream, which is produced by the respected musician Claire Lawrence and well worth hearing as its earnest blend of pop, country and rock easily stands the test of time. I used to hear the lovely story of “Anna Marie”, the Top 20 Canadian hit from Dream, all the time on CKOC 1150AM Hamilton, Ontario back in early 1976, and still know all the words. The second single, the title song “Dream” is splendid storytelling not unlike Linda Ronstadt songs of the time. “Sometimes It’s Hard To Know” is softer country flavoured pop which wouldn’t be out of place on an Emmylou Harris album of the 70’s. “Dirty Blues” is a more fun, rocking, bar-stomping romp that you might not expect from Susan and it breaks up the pace of the album nicely. On D-Moos.com Canada’s National Internet Radio Station here’s Susan Jacks with “Dirty Blues”. “Love Has No Pride” is another song on the album that taps into Susan’s flair for Country music – play it alongside a 70’s Dolly Parton song and you’ll hear why. The longest and most ambitious song on Dream is the deeper, darker and more progressive-sounding closing song “Into The Night” and once again showcases Susan’s versatility.

So, Dream by Susan Jacks now has a highly unique place in pop music history. Well done to Susan and all who fought so hard to make Dream available for us.

Singers can fight for the right to their music!

You can purchase Dream on CD from Susan’s website right here and follow Susan on Facebook. D-Moos is happy to reacquaint you with its songs, which move into the regular rotation of over 20,000 that you can hear 24/7.

Susan Jacks_dmoos

@GiorgioMoroder. @KylieMinogue. Right Here. Right Now.

giorgiomoroder_kylieminogue

GIORGIO MORODER featuring KYLIE MINOGUE, “Right Here Right Now”

The ever-amazing Giorgio Moroder teased us late last year with the title instrumental song from his upcoming album 74 Is The New 24.  And after having appeared at many dance/EDM events last year, he’s following up his work on the Grammy Award-winning Daft Punk album Random Access Memories with more collaborations, which are rumoured to include Britney Spears, Sia, Mikky Ekko, Foxes, and others.  Last week, his pairing with Kylie Minogue on “Right Here Right Now” surfaced and you can hear it right here on Kylieblog.com.  Like Daft Punk’s chart takeover in 2013 with “Get Lucky”, I would not underestimate Giorgio’s collaborations as they will bring a whole new dimension to the dance/pop played on the radio largely in the David Guetta and Calvin Harris molds.  “Right Here Right Now” brings a trademark Giorgio Moroder disco sound full circle, and how he produces Kylie’s voice on this song is like nothing you’ve ever heard from the singer.  I think the song gets a little too busy with effects competing with Kylie’s voice at times, but in its memorable chorus the song just soars.  74 Is The New 24 will be a must-hear for pop music fans.

Listen Attentively to @Waterboys with “November Tale”

WATERBOYS, “November Tale”

More than 30 years after the first Waterboys record, Mike Scott continues to shape great stories into songs.  And with The Waterboys now actively recording and performing music again instead of waiting years between albums, their fans are rabid for more and more.  So this week, some parts of the world get their new album Modern Blues (we in Canada will have it on April 7), but it’s been preceded by “November Tale”.  Modern Blues was recorded largely in Nashville, and perhaps that music city’s spark helped return The Waterboys to their more familiar Irish folk sound which we heard in concert on their recent tours, though of course some of us will long for the day when they might perform “Red Army Blues” at a show again 😉 .  “November Tale” is simply classic Mike Scott storytelling that harkens back to the Fisherman’s Blues days particularly.  Their last album, An Appointment With Mr. Yeats, was just fine but very specific, and “November Tale” sounds looser and more vibrant.  You can pick up “November Tale” on iTunes.

Redux: @AndyKimmusic Modernizes “Shoot ‘Em Up Baby” via @ArtsandCrafts

ANDY KIM, “Shoot ‘Em Up Baby”

Around 47 years ago at this time, award winning Canadian singer/songwriter Andy Kim had his first charted international hit with “How’d We Ever Get This Way”.  Next up was “Shoot ‘Em Up Baby”, which wasn’t quite as big a hit, but one that helped trademark the earnest and likeable sound which got added into the ‘bubblegum’ pop mix of the day, culminating in the #1 song of 1969, the irrepressible “Sugar Sugar” by The Archies, which Andy co-wrote.  Andy’s songs were radio staples between 1968 and 1975, including his own #1, “Rock Me Gently”, in 1974.  With his first record in almost 5 years called “It’s Decided”, Andy has given “Shoot ‘Em Up Baby” a significant redux as produced by Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene (as a comparison, think Johnny Cash meets Trent Reznor).  His new take on the song brings a bolder, sensual, and affecting interpretation with that still-identifiable voice which only sounds somewhat different in his lower register (think Neil Diamond-ish).  Its slower melody makes you hang on all of those lyrics that you know in the back of your head but are linked to the original snappy pop tune.  The rest of the titles on “It’s Decided”, due on February 24, look like they may be all originals, so “Shoot ‘Em Up Baby” looks like a good place to start to spark your interest in this ambitious project, released through Canada’s noted Arts & Crafts label (Feist, BSS, etc.).   

BILLCS Top 30 #448 – January 12, 2015

I love a busy and active new chart! I just can’t write about it all, so this edition’s focus is on the upper part of the chart full of movement. And what will be #1 in two weeks amid the activity up top?

 

The Top 10

  • Color Theory’s “Headphones” stays at the top for a second appearance (but also has one of our four debuts!), leaving dance anthems “Goin’ Down” by Deniz Koyu vs Twoloud and “Gold Skies” by Sander van Doorn, Martin Garrix & DVBBS to advance to #2 and #3 respectively.

https://soundcloud.com/erasureinfo/erasure-reason-parralox-remix/s-TxMIM

  • Now berthed in the Top 20 of the Billboard Dance Club Play chart, their second song to head that route from The Violet Flame following “Elevation”, Erasure moves into the Top 5 on my chart with “Reason” (7-4).  Listen to the crunchy Parralox remix above.

  • Equally dance worthy but in a slow and passionate way is pop/EDM singer Reigen’s “Come Back To Me”, which climbs 8-5.
  • Where would dance music today be without Kristine W.? Her latest “Love Come Home”, a rework of one of her first vocal appearances from a minor UK hit in 1994, and her latest in consecutive Billboard Dance Club Play Top 5 hits (20 – that’s gotta be a record!), moves up 9-6.

  • Eli Lieb’s splendid pop song “Lightning In A Bottle” surpasses the #10 peak of “Zeppelin” last year, making it two-for-two, to bound into the Top 10, up 12-7.
  • Right behind is a song that should be a dance anthem in its own right. DJ/producer Antonio Giacca’s “Ignited” (which also has a strong pop vibe) is the second Top 10 entry, up 13-8.  Listen to the radio edit right here.

  • Steve Grand is carefully preparing his debut album and will be playing in NYC on Valentine’s Day at Subculture, so if you’re in NYC you know where you should be! “Time” advances 11-9, surpassing the #10 peak last year of “Back To California”, also making it a two-fer!

Also On The Rise

https://soundcloud.com/brandynburnette/01-sleeve

  • The Fastest Riser on the chart is Brandyn Burnette’s affecting ode to home and family, “Sleeve”. A while ago, the singer gave me the exclusive back story on the song which you can read right here. I’m hoping “Sleeve” will get an official release on Brandyn’s upcoming album. The song soars 21-12.
  • Jessie Ware’s gorgeous and emotional “Pieces”, from Tough Love, is off to a grand start, rising 20-14.

  • Belgian quartet Boycode have a classy hit-in-the-making with “It’s A Mistake” advancing 26-18.
  • Equally worthy, and produced by Goo Goo Dolls’ John Rzeznik, is “There’s Nothing Wrong” by Canadian quintet Eleven Past One, with the striking vocal by singer Daniel Richter. The song rises 25-19.

Four Debuts

  • It’s been waaay too long since I heard a good, solid rock album, and Graham Alexander’s Repeat Deceiver is just that, so read about it right here. The New Jersey singer’s single “She’s A Chameleon” (video up top) bows at #22.

  • I’m going deeper into Anton Ewald’s EP On My Way even though “Save The Last Dance”, which debuts at #24, is not a single. It’s a sultry R&B-inspired affair of the Justin Timberlake school that should be heard – and I think when a singer like Anton is also a choreographer and dancer, that you better save that dance for him 🙂

  • As mentioned above, Color Theory has one of our debuts, and it’s Brian Hazard’s cover of Barry Manilow’s “Could It Be Magic” (Lyder Janøy remix). The song really meets the Manilow and Donna Summer versions about halfway and works beautifully. It arrives at #25, and two years or so after UK singer Elouise got to #10 with her interpretation. Chart geek moment: “Could It Be Magic” is the only cover version of an older song to chart twice in my chart’s 16 year history! Other more recent covers have charted – “Marry The Night”, “Viva La Vida”, “Midnight City”, and if you want to stretch it, Colin Munroe’s mashup of “Bulletproof” and “Monster”, or the two reduxes of “Calabria” in 2007 (“Calabria 2008” and “Destination Calabria” respectively)!!!

  • Lastly, Marianas Trench has its first appearance in three years with “Here’s To The Zeros” at #26, but the band’s premiere occurred in late 2006 with “Say Anything”. Great to see support for the quartet stateside from their label Cherrytree/Interscope! A new album called Astoria will arrive sometime this year!

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.

01 01 HEADPHONES (Matt Mancid Retro Crossover Mix) Color Theory
03 02 GOIN’ DOWN Deniz Koyu vs Twoloud
04 03 GOLD SKIES Sander Van Doorn, Martin Garrix & DVBBS featuring Aleesia
07 04 REASON Erasure
08 05 COME BACK TO ME Reigen
09 06 LOVE COME HOME Kristine W.
12 07 LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE Eli Lieb
13 08 IGNITED Antonio Giacca
11 09 TIME Steve Grand
10 10 BURN AGAIN Tristan Thompson
02 11 SAY YOU LOVE ME Jessie Ware
21 12 SLEEVE Brandyn 
14 13 CALLING OUT Penguin Prison
20 14 PIECES Jessie Ware
06 15 ARMS OF ANOTHER Bright Light Bright Light
16 16 HOUNDS Smashing Satellites
05 17 SMILE Mikky Ekko
26 18 IT’S A MISTAKE Boycode
25 19 THERE’S NOTHING WRONG Eleven Past One
22 20 SOMEDAY Neverest
24 21 LIKE I CAN Sam Smith
New 22 SHE’S A CHAMELEON Graham Alexander
15 23 YELLOW FLICKER BEAT Lorde
New 24 SAVE THE LAST DANCE Anton Ewald
New 25 COULD IT BE MAGIC Color Theory
New 26 HERE’S TO THE ZEROS Marianas Trench
17 27 BRANDO Semi-Precious Weapons
18 28 STAGE FRIGHT Jake Barker
19 29 SUPERHEROES The Script
23 30 LOSING YOU Jane Badler

Listen for My New Music Pick Of The Week on D-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!!

What’s “Moonmolt”? Daniel Robinson (@leinadrobinson) Explains It All!

danielrobinson

DANIEL ROBINSON, “Moonmolt”

Buffalo NY singer Daniel Robinson always seizes the unexpected and unique in his songs, and his latest, “Moonmolt”, is likely one of his best yet, holding promise for his upcoming album Truant.  “Moonmolt” breezes along with a very 80s bright electro-Britpop kind of melody (which reminds me of UK group China Crisis ca. 1984) with optimistic lyrics that resonate and hold a bit of the unknown over your head (“let it change me, until I’m not myself”).  While the song is sometimes awash with synths, Daniel’s vocal has a raw, edgy appeal that comes out in the song’s simplest moments.  And that simplicity combined with the complexity of the lyrics is what will attract you to the music of Daniel Robinson.  Listen below and pick it up on iTunes (for $.69 while it lasts!).

https://soundcloud.com/leinadrobinson/moonmolt

Brandyn (@brandynburnette) Gets You On The Lookout for “War Paint”

https://soundcloud.com/brandynburnette/war-paint

BRANDYN, “War Paint”

Brandyn Burnette has been offering up new music online in the forms of brand new songs, either acoustic or studio-produced.  “War Paint” was originally posted in its raw acoustic version (below), but is punched up considerably in its fully produced version (above) from The Couch Surfing Chronicles set, which you can stream in its entirety right here.  The one thing that’s always consistent in a Brandyn song is for the listener to be progressively engaged.  You wonder initially why Brandyn’s singing about a gal wearing “War Paint” – but then it turns out his character in the song has a real thing for a girl who’s just been through a breakup.  The giddiness of that kind of crush just kind of takes over and the winning story ensues.  Can’t wait for his new album – rumoured to be called The Healing – sometime very soon!

https://soundcloud.com/brandynburnette/war-paint-acoustic