BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

BILLCS Top 30 #443 – November 3, 2014

After 6 weeks of having a lock on the chart, making it some of the best music weeks of the year thus far, the Top 3 songs have faltered and an influx of new songs is on the way, but that will probably still take another month or so, with the exception of one song which has its sights on #1. A list of the complete chart follows the blog post further down 🙂

The Top 10

“Smile” by Mikky Ekko gets an appearance at #1 after holding down the fort at #2 for six weeks. I’m looking forward to hearing the singer’s album Time when it surfaces – not sure of a release date now, and I’d be surprised if it wasn’t shoved back till the new year after he completes his tour with Alt-J. Ironically the singer’s collaboration with Chris Malinchak, “Stranger” (which peaked at #8) is #30 in this edition.

After killer performances in a four city North American tour – including Toronto, where I was fortunate to bear witness to her amazing voice and show – Jessie Ware’s “Say You Love Me” soars 6-2 to challenge “Smile” for #1 in two weeks. I don’t understand why “Say You Love Me” isn’t tearing up charts everywhere (it did reach the Top 25 in the UK), but there’s a dearth of beautiful songs on her album Tough Love too!
While Sam Smith’s “I’m Not The Only One” slips to #3, do not fear, fans, “Restart” is on its way up at #15!

He continues to post a lot of new music on his Soundcloud page, but for now “Thanks For Nothing” by Brandyn Burnette holds its own at #4.

Jamie Scott’s “Unbreakable” is slowly attracting friends at radio, and the song climbs this week 9-7, as his album My Hurricane will see release this month.

5 Seconds Of Summer’s memorable ballad “Amnesia” enters the Top 10, right behind the #7 peak of “She Looks So Perfect” at #8.

Oh look! Two Adam Tyler songs in the Top 10! No surprise that, I believe he’s done it before 🙂 So we have the Aron Friedman remix of “I Won’t Let You Go” at #5, and the Paul Hetherington 80’s retro-styled production of “Criminal” becomes yet another Top Tenner for Adam at #9!

Movin’ Up

Chromatone’s pop-rock-R&B flavoured song “Play For Me” continues to climb to a new peak, at #11 in this edition!
The last chart’s fastest riser, Jake Barker’s “Stage Fright”, moves up just outside the Top 10 at #12.
Semi-Precious Weapons look to follow “Aviation High” into the Top 10 with the unconventional love song “Brando”, moving up 17-13.

Actress and singer Jane Badler’s hypnotic and stylish “Losing You” makes a big move this week, rising 20-14!

The fastest riser on the chart this week can only be found within the new EP An Open Heart by Bright Light Bright Light. It’s “Arms Of Another” (musically inspired by Crystal Waters’ classic “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)”, climbing 24-16.

It debuted inside the Top 50 this week on the UK Official Singles Chart so “Gold Skies” by the triple threat of Sander van Doorn, Martin Garrix and DVBBS (featuring Aleesia) is proving to be an international chart threat, and it rises 27-20 on my chart in this edition.

It took a while to reach the chart, but “Superheroes” by The Script is well on its way, rising 28-22, from their 4th album No Sound Without Silence.

Chart Newcomers

Erasure has been one of my favourite groups since I first saw their show in 1986 (!), and their latest album The Violet Flame is one of their finest, harkening back to their classic late 80’s period. They’ve only surfaced on my chart three times since 2003, but each time it’s with a personal Top Tenner: Their cover of “Solsbury Hill”, “I Could Fall In Love With You”, and “Then I Go Twisting”. Can “Reason” join this trio? It arrives at #26 as the group completes its recent four.

Arriving at #27 is the initial single from the intriguing-looking soundtrack to the latest edition of “The Hunger Games” called “Mockingjay” (Part 1). I wasn’t a fan of the first movie, but award-winning singer/songwriter Ella Yelich-O’Connor, aka Lorde, is the curator of the soundtrack (not bad for turning 18 years old this coming week!) and the alluring “Yellow Flicker Beat” debuts on the chart. Lorde’s “Royals” only got to #11 before I tired of it; perhaps “Yellow Flicker Beat” will do better!

Lastly at #28, is the second official single by British Columbia singer Tristan Thompson, “Burn Again”, which I wrote about recently. This 16 year old will be a contender in the next year, mark my words!

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 SMILE Mikky Ekko
06 02 SAY YOU LOVE ME Jessie Ware
01 03 I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE Sam Smith
04 04 THANKS FOR NOTHING Brandyn Burnette
05 05 I WON’T LET YOU GO (Aron Friedman remix) Adam Tyler
03 06 AFTERGLOW Harriet
09 07 UNBREAKABLE Jamie Scott
11 08 AMNESIA 5 Seconds Of Summer
12 09 CRIMINAL Adam Tyler
10 10 ZEPPELIN Eli Lieb
13 11 PLAY FOR ME Chromatone
15 12 STAGE FRIGHT Jake Barker
17 13 BRANDO Semi-Precious Weapons
20 14 LOSING YOU Jane Badler
22 15 RESTART Sam Smith
24 16 ARMS OF ANOTHER Bright Light Bright Light
18 17 KILLER WHALES Smallpools
21 18 THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID The Janoskians
07 19 GET TO KNOW YOU Corey Niles featuring Ish
27 20 GOLD SKIES Sander Van Doorn, Martin Garrix & DVBBS featuring Aleesia
08 21 NO FUN The Presets
28 22 SUPERHEROES The Script
16 23 THIS COULD BE SOMETHING Anton Ewald featuring Medina
19 24 HANG ON TO YOUR LOVE Penguin Prison
14 25 MUSIC GODS Davis Redfield featuring Carl Man
New 26 REASON Erasure
New 27 YELLOW FLICKER BEAT Lorde
New 28 BURN AGAIN Tristan Thompson
25 29 I BELIEVE Bright Light Bright Light
26 30 STRANGER Chris Malinchak featuring Mikky Ekko

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

As many of you are already aware, after many years away from the microphone, I am now pleased to be back as a voice on D-Moos.com Canada’s National Internet Radio Station, which mainly plays a selection of oldies, mostly from the 50’s to the 90’s, with soon to be more intrusions from the 2000’s and other new music.

Do listen in for my New Music Pick of the Week feature on D-Moos.com 8 times per day starting at 2:05 AM EST on Mondays, and while the station is only live in the evenings from 9:00 pm to midnight (with my long-time musical partner in crime “The Musicman” James Rogers), you can hear my voice at other odd times, particularly if you’re an oldies loving night owl on the weekend overnights 🙂

Introducing the A-Side (SonicAluzion) EP by Smashing Satellites (@SmashSatellites)

SMASHING SATELLITES, A-Side (SonicAluzion) (EP)

Canadian rocker Salvatore Costa broadcasts his visions through his new quartet Smashing Satellites. Their EP A-Side (SonicAluzion) draws heavily from Salvatore’s influences such as The Doors, Nirvana, and fellow Canadians Our Lady Peace, and arrives at a sound that is as much retro 70s/80s progressive-styled rock like Styx, Gowan, or Rush as it is 90’s post-grunge like Stone Temple Pilots, The Tea Party, and Moist. Salvatore has a big, distinctive but versatile voice which can be heard at its best through the very accessible “Calm Me Down” or “Hounds” (video below), or my favourites “Taste Of Fame” and next single “Waterfall”. The songs are alternately bold and loud or quiet and passionate. Using a self-admitted unconventional approach and thought process, Salvatore and Smashing Satellites succeed with vibrant melodies that are both intricate and powerful. Be sure to check out SonicAluzion on iTunes and watch for Smashing Satellites on tour in your area soon.

Smashing Satellites shares the bill with In My Coma and Moist on Saturday, November 22 at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto.

They Shall Overthrow: Galt Aureus (@GaltMusic) Presents “Treason”

GALT AUREUS, Treason

Galt Aureus is the American duo of vocalist/pianist Saher Galt and guitarist/vocalist Susan Williams, and they have recently released their third independent album called Treason. I previously wrote about their song “Citadels”, and the duo continues to make symphonic, orchestral, majestic-sounding alternative rock. For those of you who enjoy medieval lore mixed in with futuristic sci-fi, Treason is definitely for you. It’s highly cinematic, and would also serve well as a soundtrack to an epic kind of video game. With dogged determination and passion, the protagonist in the story throughout Treason is revolutionary, leading a charge to overthrow the dominant machines. The story is consistently compelling throughout from “Machine” and the title song, through to “Decay” (watch the animated lyric video below), “Fractures In The Steel”, and “Revive The Light”. It seems like a dark, nihilistic story but there is promise at the end, but through revolution. And sometimes you have to overthrow to save the world! Galt Aureus takes the best of progressive songwriters and artists like Jim Steinman, Alan Parsons, and Pink Floyd, channels it through classical music and contemporary modern rock to arrive at a unique sound that commands your attention. I’ve also included the promo video for the album below. You can purchase Galt Aureus’ Treason on iTunes or through their smart-looking website right here (where you can also join their “Legion”).

Chart Bound: “Burn Again” by Tristan Thompson (@TristanTMusic)

TRISTAN THOMPSON, “Burn Again”

“Burn Again” is the second official single from 16 year old British Columbia native Tristan Thompson’s debut album Here For You. I’ve been championing Tristan’s music since the Spring through several blog posts. While I prefer “Tidal Wave” (which got to #1 on my personal chart) and “Mistaken” over “Burn Again”, it’s a strong but inauspicious ballad that looks to be a better fit for radio play. And it’s doing just that – Tristan’s been named as Bell Media’s future star for November, and the song is being played on over 100 radio stations across Canada including Toronto’s influential CHUM-FM. Hot off the presses is the excellent new video which tells its story through dance, and you can see that everyone in the video is very committed to the smooth choreography. I expect by the end of 2014 the rest of Canada will know who Tristan Thompson is, and then this fine young talent with a soulful voice will be on his way to an international breakout (New Zealand has already caught on!). Put Tristan about halfway stylistically between Shawn Desman and Shawn Mendes 🙂 Watch the video above and be sure to pick up Here For You on iTunes.

Stylish Horror: “Fame Kills” by @DangerousMuse, and New Song “Pardonnez-moi”

DANGEROUS MUSE, “Fame Kills”

It comes a year after the release of the EP Red, but the video for “Fame Kills” (ab0ve) is well-timed for Dangerous Muse, now a quartet led by the always intriguing Mike Furey. Dangerous Muse recently opened on a series of American tour dates for Erasure (next time, Toronto too please!) and will be playing in London, England on November 6. The video is a stylish horror show, full of stark images, great special effects, costumes and make-up. It’s a well-built foundation for a club song with such a memorable vocal and chorus.

But some changes are in store for Dangerous Muse if “Pardonnez-moi” is any indication. From the forthcoming Green EP (and there will be a Blue EP too), “Pardonnez-moi” (below) is more straight ahead pop than most Dangerous Muse songs but like always there are some strong lyrics (a guy’s trying to get through a crowd but people seem to think otherwise!) which draw you in easily. So with the Red, the Green, and the Blue, it sounds like exciting things are in store for us from Dangerous Muse.

Dangerous Muse plays The Underbelly, 11 Hoxton Square, in London, England on Thursday, November 6, as presented by our friends at EQ Music Blog!

@JamesPoole_ Slays the Beast That Is “I Put A Spell On You”

JAMES POOLE, “I Put A Spell On You”

UK singer James Poole is full of surprises. So for a Hallowe’en treat, James brings us his rendition of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ classic 50’s R&B tune “I Put A Spell On You”. The song has never really been a big hit in any version in North America, though the UK saw hits of it by Alan Price in the 60’s and Sonique in 2000. Nina Simone also recorded a well-respected version in the 60’s. I love the original song and it’s a hard one to sing, so I was a tad iffy about an adaptation of it, since I’ve heard other versions of the song come off like huge soggy noodles instead of powerful and eerie and fiery. Well, James tackles this beast of a song, and boy does he slay it in his own soulful and jazzy rendition. He shows off his spectacular high register vocal technique like no other song that I’ve heard him sing yet. It’s suitably creepy for Hallowe’en, yet James teases when he briefly brings down his vocal. “I Put A Spell On You” continues to increase the ‘wow’ factor for James, and I for one am looking forward to the release of his record when it comes, all in good time. In the meantime, be sure to put “I Put A Spell On You” on your must-hear list. Just for comparison’s sake, you can also listen to another fine version, by New Zealand singer Willy Moon, below.

Wrapped Up In The Music: @ColorTheory Presents “Headphones”

COLOR THEORY, “Headphones”

For readers not familiar with Color Theory, this one-man band, producer and engineer (aka Brian Hazard) has over the past 20 years or so specialized in a reverent Depeche Mode style of electronic music amid many original pieces of music as well. Most recently Color Theory crept onto my personal chart as guest artist on the hypnotic “Colder” by Amelia’s Fault.

Color Theory’s most recent album is Adjustments Part 2, in which you will find “Headphones”. This song is one of those unassuming gems that surfaces every now and then and I just love it! The lyrics depict an obsessive loner who is wrapped up in the music inside his headphones. I think music fans will totally relate – there are just times when music consumes you and sometimes the best way is just to block everything else and let the sounds in the headphones take over. And while the original version above pulls you into its technological fortress, the Matt Mancid retro crossover mix (which you can hear and download right here) gives the song a vibrant, more 80’s kind of makeover, particularly at the beginning, with a more lilting melody and less mechanical arrangement, making it perfectly suited for the dancefloor, very reminiscent of electronic music circa 1985 (I want to point to Depeche Mode’s “Everything Counts” or Talk Talk or Pet Shop Boys). Brian himself suggests you might hear Madonna’s “Borderline” – and I do, but it’s only a small part of the melody.

Even though the subject matter is introverted, the result is fascinating and enthralling. “Headphones” in its original version or remix is one of those intriguing songs that slips inside your head and stays there for good. You can pick up the original version and the album Adjustments Part 2 on iTunes.

The 80’s Are Calling You Back: “Retro Romance” by @BlakeLewis

BLAKE LEWIS, “Retro Romance”

It took a long time for his third and independently released album Portrait Of A Chameleon to arrive, through the funded support of fans, after last year’s “Your Touch” was off to such a great start and became a UK Top 40 hit. So now we have “Retro Romance”, a fun, likeable pop tune that is showcased via an eye-catching video where you won’t want to miss the 80’s teen movie references or inspirations. And you know when Mr. Belding from “Saved By The Bell” appears that a good time will be had by all. You’ve seen “The Breakfast Club” and “Pretty In Pink” way too many times not to be enthused by “Retro Romance”, and you don’t have to be in your 40’s to ‘get it’. And whether it’s “Your Touch” or “Heartbreak On Vinyl” or “Break Anotha”, Blake Lewis constantly delivers something inventive and striking. “Retro Romance” is no exception to that! Download it for free from his Soundcloud page below.

Siren Songs: Meet @SirenGene Taking on “Leave Your Lover” by @SamSmithworld

SIREN GENE, “Leave Your Lover”

With all of the covers of Sam Smith songs out there, something’s gotta be pretty special these days to distinguish one rendition from the rest. And in this case it’s Canadian You Tube sensation Siren Gene’s well-honed, pure, and beautiful voice. Her notes are spot on, with the kind of voice that you would expect to hear on a Disney movie soundtrack (and yes she’s got a cover of “Let It Go”, not surprising) let alone covering Sam Smith. There’s a lot of personality and commitment to this performance otherwise I would not be drawing it to your attention! This bodes well for Siren Gene’s recently released crowd-funded EP One Woman Army, now available on iTunes and featuring the original single “Give Me All Your Love”, which you can check out below. Be sure to keep Siren Gene on your radar!

https://soundcloud.com/sirengene/siren-gene-give-me-all-your-1

Perfect Pairing: @iamEmbody meets @theofficialAME for “Give Me Your Love”

EMBODY featuring A*M*E, “Give Me Your Love”

When soulful UK house music is done right, it will warm your bones and draw you out onto the dance floor. “Give Me Your Love” is the collaboration between London DJ/producer Embody and chanteuse-on-the-rise A*M*E (already noted for her work with Duke Dumont and Monsieur Adi). No filler this – it’s a slick, crisp slice of house, without going too deep and dirty, the kind of song that positions you on the dancefloor before the DJ starts playing the latest and greatest. And “Give Me Your Love” could end up as one of the latter too with its distinct sound and yet another rich and versatile vocal by A*M*E. Listen below and download for free by ‘liking’ Embody’s Facebook page.