Latvia’s reknown DJ, singer, actor and model Markus Riva takes away the dance beats and trades them in (as well as brunette locks for blond) for a powerful ballad melody with “Take Me Down”. Markus did so well finishing in the Top 10 for Latvia’s competition leading to a Eurovision entry with “Lights On” that he once again has his sights set for a similar goal with “Take Me Down”. Like “Lights On”, “Take Me Down” has broad international appeal with a great hook and this time a smouldering performance that wouldn’t be hard to visualize on stage. Markus is making some of his best songs and this rock power ballad shows another side of him where he sounds just great. You can buy “Take Me Down” on iTunes.
It’s that time of year when chart activity starts to slow down a tad, so there are two debuts in this edition. But a lot of recent favourites will depart the chart in the coming weeks, so expect an influx of new activity!
The Top 10
Jessie Ware’s “Say You Love Me” continues at #1 in a year when there have been more than usual #1’s. “Say You Love Me” ties “Stay With Me”, “Money On My Mind”, and “I’m Not The Only One”, all by Sam Smith, for 3 appearances (6 weeks) at the top. Jessie is back on tour in the New Year with a spate of new dates just announced and available for purchase (and why can’t more performers do this)through her website.
It looks like “Headphones” by Color Theory will succeed “Say You Love Me” at #1. It’s one of the most infectious and memorable songs of the year. Also check out Color Theory’s rendition of Barry Manilow’s “Could It Be Magic” (below) from the Adjustments Part Two album. It’s one part Donna Summer’s version and two parts Barry’s! Could it be… chart bound too? A cover by Britain’s Elouise got to #10 in Spring 2012.
Get dancing up a storm to both “Goin’ Down” by Deniz Koyu vs Twoloud and “Gold Skies” by the quartet of Sander van Doorn, Martin Garrix, and the DVBBS lads. They’re new to my Top 5 at #4 and #5 respectively. Play loud!! Oh and those DVBBS guys have sold out three shows this week in Toronto! Great news for the brothers from just outside of Toronto (Orangeville) who scored a #1 record in the UK earlier in the year.
“Arms of Another”, the ‘B’ side to “An Open Heart” if you will, continues to climb and advances 8-6 this week for Bright Light Bright Light, now promoting his participation in the sophomore Slow Knights project led by his friend Scissor Sisters’ Del Marquis!
Also new to the Top 10 is Erasure’s “Reason”, up 13-9, which you can hear as remixed by the wonderful Parralox!
The fastest riser on the chart is last chart’s highest debut, with video up at the top of this blog post, the soulful and gripping “Come Back To Me” by New York City singer Reigen. It’s an independent release so do your duty and pick up this fabulous song on iTunes as it climbs 22-11!
Tristan Thompson’s “Burn Again”, moving up 16-12, has just been remixed by none other than Michael Jackson and Lady GaGa producer Alex Greggs, who puts a nifty spin on the ballad – and it all syncs up in the video too! Watch below.
Kristine W has had a never-ending streak of Top 5 hits on the Billboard Dance Club Play chart as a lead artist – and I’m not sure who else has! So I asked Billboard chart guru Gary Trust, let’s see if he investigates! In the meantime, “Love Come Home” climbs 23-15 on my own chart.
Eli Lieb’s “Lightning In A Bottle” is perhaps landing on my chart with an even greater splash than his previous entry “Zeppelin”. This ultra-positive song moves up 27-20.
It’s the 12 days of Smashing Satellites giveaways starting Monday December 15, so watch the rock band’s Twitter feed! “Hounds”, the first single from the EP A-Side (SonicAluzion) rises 25-21.
Those Two Debuts
A hot spanking new favourite to add to your dance/EDM repertoire is “Ignited” by L.A. based DJ/producer/performer Antonio Giacca. It’s got a very European flavour but enough to translate it to radio play alongside David Guetta and the like if it gets to that. A delightful mix of house and contemporary electronica, “Ignited” arrives on my chart at #22. I’m anxiously awaiting dance club play action! Below is the progressive club mix.
Joining three previous chart entries, including last year’s #1 Rewind, is “Someday” by Toronto trio Neverest, who have their hearts and thoughts in all of the right places supporting WeDay and through RBC Free The Children. Tonight (Sunday December 14) is the last day where “Someday” is available for freeright here. Otherwise get it on iTunes. “Someday” bows at #27.
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.
01 01 SAY YOU LOVE ME Jessie Ware 03 02 HEADPHONES (Matt Mancid Retro Crossover Mix) Color Theory 02 03 SMILE Mikky Ekko 12 04 GOIN’ DOWN Deniz Koyu vs Twoloud 09 05 GOLD SKIES Sander Van Doorn, Martin Garrix & DVBBS featuring Aleesia 08 06 ARMS OF ANOTHER Bright Light Bright Light 05 07 BRANDO Semi-Precious Weapons 06 08 STAGE FRIGHT Jake Barker 13 09 REASON Erasure 07 10 LOSING YOU Jane Badler 22 11 COME BACK TO ME Reigen 16 12 BURN AGAIN Tristan Thompson 15 13 SUPERHEROES The Script 17 14 TIME Steve Grand 23 15 LOVE COME HOME Kristine W. 20 16 YELLOW FLICKER BEAT Lorde 21 17 CALLING OUT Penguin Prison 04 18 I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE Sam Smith 10 19 THANKS FOR NOTHING Brandyn Burnette 27 20 LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE Eli Lieb 25 21 HOUNDS Smashing Satellites New 22 IGNITED Antonio Giacca 11 23 RESTART Sam Smith 14 24 THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID The Janoskians 18 25 I WON’T LET YOU GO (Aron Friedman remix) Adam Tyler 24 26 PLAY FOR ME Chromatone New 27 SOMEDAY Neverest 26 28 AFTERGLOW Harriet 19 29 UNBREAKABLE Jamie Scott 28 30 AMNESIA 5 Seconds Of Summer
Listen for My New Music Pick Of The Week onD-Moos.com!
I am now a radio voice on D-Moos.com Canada’s National Internet Radio Station! Every week I feature a New Music Pick of the Week, 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!!
While the UK has already fawned over London pop/dance trio Years and Years – a Brit Awards Critic’s Choice nomination, a Top 10 hit with a featured vocal on The Magician’s “Sunlight”, a #1 dance EP “Take Shelter” – 2015 could be a big year for vocalist Olly Alexander and band. For they have captured a unique sound, a hybrid of not-so-boy pop meets early 90’s house-influenced EDM pop – think Londonbeat, Roachford, Sydney Youngblood, even Haddaway (but maybe not the London Boys 😉 ). Olly’s emotive and sometimes fragile-sounding vocals stand out and give their music personality. “Desire” is a recent UK Top 25 hit that will get between your ears and under your skin. The video is sort of a collage/mirage of images, events, and people that is less of a story and more of a backdrop once again to show off Olly and his voice. So now’s the time to jump aboard the Years and Years train because 2015 will be a wicked ride.
“It’s A Mistake” is one of those sheer delights that tries to be nothing but a great pop song with complimentary vocals courtesy of Belgium quartet Boycode (aka Lennert, Mattias, Greg, and Timmy). So there is no pretense here, no added blue-eyed soul, no rap or beat boxing to distract you, just fine vocals, beautiful lyrics, and low-key instrumentation that lets the former features rule. It’s the best single yet from the promising quartet. Don’t let the understated beginning of the song sway you – “It’s A Mistake” really soars after the minute mark and all of the guys get their chances to impress. I’m so glad the song itself has risen to see the light of day after a gorgeous rendition (which I wrote about) was created earlier in the decade – and then much to my horror, was prevented from release! Fortunately for them, Boycode gets it all for the win 🙂
It may have just been me hiding under a rock, but I was not aware that another member of the esteemed Gibb family is in our musical midst. Naturally, I’m referring to The Bee Gees as well as brother Andy, who all scored countless hits between 1967 and the late 90’s. Unfortunately we’ve lost Samantha’s father Maurice, and uncles Robin and Andy along the way. After spending the best part of the last decade or so in a variety of bands (most notably Samantha Gibb & The Cartel), between Miami and Nashville, as well as recently touring with Uncle Barry in Australia, Samantha is now on a new solo journey with “Wild At Heart”. It’s a jaunty and good natured song, which sounds nothing like her relatives, taking on a more relaxed Sheryl Crow-like pop vibe, which has translated into a video where a bunch of folks of all ages just act it all out in front of the camera. “Wild At Heart” is a promising slice of pop that will make you want to hear more from Samantha Gibb.
Digging deeper into his Volume One album is New Haven, Connecticut singer and blazing piano player Sean O’Reilly. You first encountered Sean in these blog posts much earlier in the year when the inventive “Ready For You Now” grabbed my ears and climbed to #16 on my chart. “My Lighter” continues to show Sean’s versatility with an alt.pop song with dizzy-impressive piano work that draws you deeper into the song when it kind of goes off the hook crazy just before the 2:00 mark – but in a good way of course. By then, the boat has sailed, with you aboard for the rest of the song! “My Lighter” proves in spades that Sean O’Reilly is a man of many musical talents, and what better way to discover him by listening to it above. “My Lighter” and Volume One are also available on iTunes.
Add Graham Alexander to the great list of rockers hailing from New Jersey on the eve of his new album, with the featured song “She’s A Chameleon”. Graham offers up no holds barred entertainment that incorporates a familiar blend of rock, blues, and R&B, while serving it in original, high energy portions. I must admit Graham doesn’t look like his voice, and the singer he reminds me of most in this song is Chris Robinson from The Black Crowes, another guy by appearance you wouldn’t think would belt out an Otis Redding classic like “Hard To Handle”. But throw in a terrific arrangement with a five piece band including horns, and you have music that will bring in passersby on the street outside of a local club with no problem. Graham Alexander’s sound is big and solid and ready to compete with the best of them. “She’s A Chameleon” is a fine introduction and I’m sure I’ll have more to say about his upcoming album very soon.
Italy-born, L.A. based producer Antonio Giacca has released a killer dance tune that’s sure to heat up the cold winter months for many of us. “Ignited” has a gorgeous song-structure and positively winning vocal that should send the song to the top of the dance club play charts. Its effect is instantaneous, with all of the makings of a centerpiece song that will pull club goers onto the floor. Besides that though, “Ignited” is very radio friendly with its hybrid europop and house music influences, and could bring Antonio more international exposure on top of his already significant club success. The club mix is much deeper, bringing in dirty dubstep and trap flavouring for a heavier late night experience. Expect Antonio Giacca’s “Ignited” to become one of your new favourites.
From beauty pageants, modelling, and acting, and on to music, Toronto’s Victoria Trinetti brings her A-game with her new single “Yesterday”. The 18 year old has wisely chosen a song to empower youth against bullying, which makes it a great companion piece to Eleven Past One‘s latest single “I’m Ready” too. “Yesterday” has enormous potential, and while Victoria might slide nicely into the Selena Gomez/Bridgit Mendler niche, I hear versatility that aims for a more Kelly Clarkson kind of power. As a result, “Yesterday” breezes by quite splendidly, with taut message in hand, and I think her target audience will love it while reeling in their parents and older relatives too. The Soundcloud link above is just a snippet. If you want to hear the entire song, head over to Victoria’s radio station on Jango.comright here,or of course purchase “Yesterday” on iTunes.
L.A.-based singer/songwriter Brandyn Burnette once again has unveiled another song from his upcoming album due internationally in early 2015. It’s a beauty of a ballad called “Sleeve”, which puts well-fleshed out words over top of a simple piano melody. Love is a complex thing and Brandyn has a lot to say about it – and he sings in such an affecting, understanding way from life experience that you will hang on to every word. There is no denying that Brandyn’s album will be every bit as special as he believes it will be when we are able to purchase it. Songs like “Sleeve” set the bar quite high for other singer/songwriters out there and Brandyn’s place among them is well deserved. Brandyn is also working with Sean Kingston… should be interesting!
And here’s the exclusive backstory about the song from the singer himself 🙂
The story for this song happened so organically. I was actually working with the legendary Diane Warren in her studio when she took a lunch meeting and let me hang out while she was gone and play her grand piano. My mom called me and I rushed her off the phone because I was in this fancy studio and didn’t want to spend too much time on the phone. Immediately I felt gutted because my mom just wanted to say hello. So when I hung up the phone, there I was, staring at the view of the Hollywood sign through one of the biggest songwriters in history’s studio. I thought to myself as I shuffled my gaze between the Hollywood hills and my cell phone, is this what I traded for my dreams? Family for fame? In that moment I felt so disconnected from home and where I was brought up… So in the moment I put my iPhone voice memo on record and I started playing what became ‘Sleeve’.
BILLCSMUSIC BLOG 
You must be logged in to post a comment.