UK singer Craig David returns back in form with “Cold”. You know the 33 year old best from his 2000 album Born To Do It and his distinct vocal delivery on hits like “7 Days” and ‘Fill Me In” – my favourite by him in fact is the more electronic and lesser known “Can’t Be Messin’ ‘Round”. “Cold” almost sees him stepping back in time to songs from that album to revisit the style that made him successful. It’s not easy to create a message about a past love gone wrong and have people listen. But Craig makes the story compelling and the song’s got that funky edge that has always made me see him as the UK rival to Usher. Give a listen on Soundcloud below. I’m sure 2014 will be bringing us more new Craig David music songs.
On Thursday evening, I was most impressed with the set by L.A.-based rock quintet Nightmare And The Cat as they opened for Neon Trees and Smallpools. This is a tight band that seems to draw their inspirations from sources too numerous to mention; I’ve read comparisons to The Arcade Fire, Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, and other post-90’s performers, but there’s a lot in their roots that seems to stem from rock as classic as The Rolling Stones or David Bowie. And that’s not too far of a stretch considering that lead members singer Django Stewart and guitarist Samuel Stewart are the offspring of Eurythmics’ David A. Stewart and Bananarama/Shakespear’s Sister’s Siohan Fahey!! Django has a compelling and natural stage presence which can easily win over an audience. But Nightmare And The Cat do have the songs that will take them places, and Capitol Records has already made that investment. “Blackbird Smile”, “Undercover”, and “Goodbye So Many Times” are instantly memorable from their show. Nightmare And The Cat’s full album Simple is due before the end of July, but in the meantime you can treat yourself to the EP on iTunes and stream it below on Soundcloud. I’ve also included a clip of them performing “Undercover” from a May broadcast of The David Letterman Show.
His songs seem to come to us in fits and starts, but L.A.-based singer Kaden James has another electropop gem with “Taking Back My Power”. His song “Black Light” was my #2 song of 2013, a real out-of-the-blue surprise which could not leave my head with its sophisto-mysterious music and lyrics which could be truthful to anyone. “Taking Back My Power” is hard to dislike, with its positive but emotional nature and encouragement (even in a spoken word break) to never back down by seizing what you know is yours (“you can’t hurt me” – repeat). Kaden’s got a fine voice that suits his songs, so now after teasing us with this song, “Black Light”, and “Fuel For The Machine” (from the comp of the same name), all we need is a full Kaden album. Official release of “Taking Back My Power” is coming soon with other new songs, so in the meantime listen to it via Soundcloud below.
Canadian singer Justin Nozuka released an album of mainly quieter songs that is not necessarily for everyone this past Spring called Ulysees. It’s a brave move for sure on his third full release, but the 25 year old seems to actively promote peace, love, kindness, beauty and a host of other wonderful states of mind and being that we often take for granted. “Sweet Lover” is one of the more striking songs on the record, and what better way to cross-promote the song than with a soothing, peaceful well-shot video that captures earth and nature at its most serene. The few times that Justin uses his high register are goosebump moments, and if you saw his show on his recent tour, you’ll know that those moments in this song easily silenced the noisiest club goers. The production is layered and crisp, very reminiscent of the Wall of Sound style of the 60’s. Justin Nozuka is carving out a unique style for himself and his fans are loving it. You can purchase Ulysees on iTunes.
The end of June edition of my personal chart sees plenty of upward movement and four debuts, so I’ll be focusing on those this time. Plus I have three winning chart ‘extras’!
THE TOP 10 DANCES UP A STORM
Well perhaps except for the songs by the performer of our #1 and #6 songs…
Sam Smith is entrenched at #1 for a third appearance with “Stay With Me”, which will go down as a classic for which 2014 will be remembered. Sam’s also at #6 with the beautiful “Not In That Way”. Sam’s album In The Lonely Hour is thoroughly enjoyable, though I had already heard most of it anyway, and it’s not entirely a sad song affair, though that does seem to be his specialty 🙂
New Canadian boy wonder Tristan Thompson is poised to steal away #1 from Sam Smith in two weeks with “Tidal Wave”. A great new voice plus a classic melody and infectious arrangement makes “Tidal Wave” an easy sell.
Jason Walker’s rendition of “Tell It To My Heart” (up top) moves up 10-4 and is just one of those records that smacks you in the face and changes your mood for the better, every time. I absolutely adore it! And whatta voice 🙂
Carl Man is a voice to get to know better on his collaboration with House Rockerz and Davis Redfield, “Electrify The Night”, which soars 12-5. And it’s a great song all ways around too!
Convulsic’s crazy pop-inflected one-of-a-kind dubstep of “The Day You Left” climbs 9-7!
Attention, attention! DVBBS & MOTi have arrived in the Top 10 with EDM that commands your attention, “This Is Dirty”, up 11-9.
Mr. Zorro Blakk (aka Daniel Volpe) also lands in the Top 10 with the pop-culturiffic “Good News (For People Who Love Bad News)”, climbing 15-10, and features a nice blend of voices with singer Deniz Olivieri. More on El Zorro later!
UP, UP AND AWAY
Stuck. In. My. Head. That’s a very good reason for it to be the fastest riser, blazing up the chart 23-11. It’s the Steve Smart and Westfunk radio edit of “Little Me” by Little Mix!
While radio is still giving attention to “Come With Me Now”, my preferred song by Kongos at this time is the bass-laden, playful “Hey I Don’t Know”, which moves up 19-15.
“Miracle” by E-Mute is no unassuming song, no sirree. It keeps building and building, carried by Theo Mak’s riveting vocal and a classical piano melody that sticks in memory long after the song ends. “Miracle” rises 20-17.
“The Fault In Our Stars” is a huge hit with the teen crowd, and it’s no surprise that Charli XCX’s “Boom Clap” is about to be a defining song of summer. It climbs 24-18.
DEM DEBUTS
I’ve already wrote about the four debuts in one form or another…
One of the most impressive songs I’ve heard in a while is the hybrid of Europop and dubstep in “Time Will Come” by new Finnish singer Hannis. It bows at a high #23!
As the deluxe edition of Adam Tyler’s Shattered Ice continues to resonate with me, the first single from the album premieres at #25, just as the long lasting “Electric Valentine” (also on the album, and Adam’s highest charting song to date, peaking at #3) is about to exit the chart. “Knew You Better” is another Adam Tyler song about to make its mark on my chart 🙂
This one just makes you want to dance! It’s the second entry by Zorro Blakk, taking lessons from hits by Fall Out Boy and Panic At The Disco with his penchant for long song titles! “Big City Girls (Don’t Fall In Love With Small Town Boys)” will leave you equally breathless while you’re dancing, and it lands on the chart at #26.
Sam Dickinson’s debut album The Stories That Occurred is about to get a 37 song reboot, and the first single is an excellent choice that grabs you right from its guitar opening, carried by Sam’s potent voice. “When You Left Me” debuts at #27. Sam’s “Learn To Wait” reached #8 on my chart last Fall. “When You Left Me” gets its official single release on July 7!
EXTRA! EXTRA! EXTRA!
WRATHSCHILD, “Angeles”
As “Fall Into Love” is about to leave the chart after peaking at #8, the duo of Simon Curtis and Wolfy released their second single together today, “Angeles”. It couldn’t be a more different affair than “Fall Into Love”, but showcases the power of the pair. “Angeles” has this beautiful, wistful melody, where you can picture a late night camp fire on an L.A. beach. But the lyrics are bittersweet, arriving in L.A. with stars in your eyes only to find that the city is remote and disenchanting when all is said and done. “Angeles” is a pleasing, personalized distraction, and will fit in nicely with this year’s end of summer songs.
ANTON EWALD featuring MEDINA, “This Could Be Something”
“This Could Be Something” is part of 20 year old Swedish singer/dancer/choreographer Anton Ewald’s latest fine EP On My Way, and it’s a danceable pop outing that definitely has designs on radio worldwide, and it could get there. The talented singer duets with Danish singer Medina, and their combined forces really give an edge to the song’s chorus. A song full of ‘ooh oohs’ and ‘oh ohs’ might not seem so favourable but for the enthusiasm of these two talents. Katy Perry watch out, “This Could Be Something” could definitely be just that!
JAKE BARKER, “Stage Fright”
I was really pleased when Jake Barker was added to “The Voice” tour, even though he didn’t finish in the Top 10. His talent and personality are unmistakeable. The title song from his independently released EP is an up close recounting of that thing singers dread, whether on stage or about a relationship, and the cure is having his girl by his side. Remember, Jake had never performed in concert before appearing on “The Voice” – and you’d never know it from the confidence he displays on stage. The EP doesn’t mince any words, and Jake’s soothing R&B-influenced style makes it both romantic and easy to take in many doses.You can hear an excerpt of the song only on iTunes.
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 STAY WITH ME Sam Smith 02 02 TIDAL WAVE Tristan Thompson 03 03 PROXY Martin Garrix 10 04 TELL IT TO MY HEART Jason Walker featuring Bimbo Jones 12 05 ELECTRIFY THE NIGHT House Rockerz featuring Davis Redfield & Carl Man 08 06 NOT IN THAT WAY Sam Smith 09 07 THE DAY YOU LEFT Convulsic 04 08 ME AND MY BROKEN HEART Rixton 11 09 THIS IS DIRTY DVBBS & MOTi 15 10 GOOD NEWS (FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE BAD NEWS) Zorro Blakk featuring Deniz Olivieri 23 11 LITTLE ME (Steve Smart & Wildfunk radio edit) Little Mix 13 12 BACK HOME Andy Grammer 05 13 LOVE SPACE Convulsic 07 14 SHE LOOKS SO PERFECT 5 Seconds Of Summer 19 15 HEY I DON’T KNOW Kongos 18 16 BLACK LEATHER SIRPAUL 20 17 MIRACLE E-Mute 24 18 BOOM CLAP Charli XCX 06 19 DEAR NICOLE FrankMusik 21 20 TEENAGER IN LOVE Neon Trees 25 21 YOUR LOVE FADES AWAY Simone Denny 26 22 TRUST IT Nick Hagelin New 23 TIME HAS COME Hannis 14 24 ELECTRIC VALENTINE Adam Tyler New 25 KNEW YOU BETTER Adam Tyler New 26 BIG CITY GIRLS (DON’T FALL IN LOVE WITH SMALL TOWN BOYS) Zorro Blakk New 27 WHEN YOU LEFT ME Sam Dickinson 16 28 BE MINE Kendal Thompson 17 29 FALL INTO LOVE Wrathschild 22 30 LATCH Disclosure featuring Sam Smith
It’s strange sometimes when two songs arrive closely together with the same title, yet have nothing in common, except of course that they are both completely noteworthy 🙂
Readers of this blog know Swedish singer Andreas Moe all too well for his vocal appearances on dance hits by Tiesto and John de Sohn, as well as for an original EP from two years ago called Collecting Sunlight. “Ocean” continues in the acoustic, folk-influenced vein, but this time there seem to be more traditional folk elements about the song as its story unfolds into something on the mystical side, captured nicely by the free-spirited look of the video, below. Big things continue to happen for Andreas – such as opening recently for John Mayer! His four song EP Ocean is due July 14, but in the meantime you can buy the title song on iTunes.
It’s hard to imagine such a deep R&B flavoured sound coming from an Australian singer, but Vanessa Elisha is back with “Ocean”, which continues a similar style started by “Home To Me”, from her previous EP Don’t Go. Vanessa’s voice has all of the best qualities of the biggest name female R&B singers, but her style fits in more comfortably with those on the more alternative/hip hop side. When she sings “surround me like an ocean”, you will immediately want to do the same (especially if it means warm Aussie waters). She has a cool way of expressing longing and desire when missing her guy. It’s no surprise that Vanessa’s main audience is in North America, it’s just a matter of getting over here for the exposure, which I’m sure will happen one day. I’ve also heard that Vanessa wants to work with JMSN… would be a great pairing! Listen to “Ocean” below.
Jason Mraz and Joshua Radin are two performers who have proven that they can succeed with great lyrics and melodies, even if their music is on the softer side of pop. Well make room for Lyonn, otherwise known as Tyler Gelrud, who is based out of Knoxville TN but originally from California. What comes particularly to attention as you move through his four song EP Promenade is the warmth and sincerity of his songs. The music and vocals aren’t all quiet, and sound great when Tyler’s voice soars. The EP turns out to be a huge surprise, well arranged and produced, with my preferences going to “Midnight Mind”, where Tyler’s vocal most impresses, and “Just Say Hello”, which are the stronger of the four songs. “Sing You To Sleep” however is a delightful contemporary lullaby, and there aren’t many of those around. Only “Dancing Machine” seems perhaps a little too overly familiar. Promenade is a great effort and a fine introduction to Lyonn. And I’m sure we’re all waiting to find out more about Tyler’s fascination with Leonardo DiCaprio! 🙂 Promenade is available on iTunes for less than $4.00. You can download “Midnight Mind” for free at the link below, and stream the entire EP on Lyonn’s Bandcamp page.
If you’re in the Knoxville TN area, a video shoot for “Just Say Hello” is taking place on Sunday June 29. VisitLyonn’s Facebook page for more details.
“Play For Me” is the latest slice of rocking R&B/dance pop by the UK’s Chromatone, who has appeared in these blog post pages many times over the past few years. Taking cues from Justin Timberlake and Jamiroquai for this one, “Play For Me” has the benefit of an excellent, joyous video. He is a great hip hop dancer who is obviously more diverse than just that, as the video shows. I thoroughly enjoy the story that unfolds through dance in the video. The dancers feed off one another beautifully to make it work, especially at the partnering moments which are usually reserved for us on shows like “So You Think You Can Dance”. The song is breezy jazz-influenced and summery R&B pop that stands out from the rest. I’m not sure when it will be released exactly, but over 40,000 views of the video means that word is getting out. Chromatone definitely has the full package with “Play For Me”.
Some really great things just can’t wait. And I can understand so soon after releasing your most accessible, colourful, and fun video yet (for “Stabilizher”) might be seen as a tad risky. But who is Vincent Frank but to embrace risk!
So here it is, “2B” by FrankMusik, which doesn’t even appear on the singer’s recent By Nicole album. “2B” is unlike any other FrankMusik video or song. This is a complete throwback to 80’s/90’s house music, and my go to’s here would be Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis from their own Tabu Records roster, as well of course as their Janet Jackson productions, plus perhaps Michael Jackson and Hall & Oates’ work with Diana Ross earlier on in the 80’s. I love the dirty groove which just slams hard enough.
The video, shot by Danny Land again, is simple and classy, with a fair bit of edits, but all FrankMusik. I can’t wait for “2B” to be officially released. It’s going to open a door back into clubland that the songs on By Nicole were not meant for. And the remixes… oh yes, I hope there will be some crazy remixes! I was completely taken aback – excellent job all around on this!!
Il l’a fait à nouveau! Pour nous encore 🙂 After having such a massive hit in French-speaking places a few years back with the jaunty “Elle Me Dit”, the ever-talented Mika once again looks to French culture and language for the entertaining “Boum Boum Boum” and its fun animated video. When I saw Mika’s stripped down acoustic piano show in Toronto last year, there were a lot of French speakers in the audience who knew every word to “Elle Me Dit”. So I’ll take Mika singing in either language any day, just no need to translate this one into English. The Origin Of Love was indeed a lovely but very deep album, which I think kept some older Mika fans away, so I’m hoping the singer goes for lighter fare this time as I think it will serve him well. You can buy “Boum Boum Boum” right now on iTunes.
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