@SteveGrandMusic Serenades Us with “Back To California”

Steve Grand

STEVE GRAND, “Back To California”

If you haven’t yet checked out Steve Grand’s music, now is the time.  The pop/country singer who made millions of heads turn with his previous videos for “All American Boy” and “Stay” is about to launch his All American Boy album – which exceeded its Kickstarter goal yesterday by $4,000!  So high expectations are the order of the day for this earnest and charmingly low key performer with “Back To California”.  It’s his best song yet – a traditional kind of pop story about a friendship that endures despite changes in the characters’ lives, alternating between younger days and now.  It tugs on every string – happy, sad, forlorn, hopeful – and the California beach and mountains become very alluring.  But the honesty in the performance and endearing story keep your attention through the 5+ minutes.  “Back To California” is a beautiful song that might help put this kind of music back on the radio.  On a slight side note, it’s kind of funny how Steve recently met Elton John and the words “tiny dancer” appear in the song too 🙂  If that’s not a coincidence, it’s great inspiration nonetheless!  You can find out more about Steve’s Kickstarter project at the end of the video and you can get the single on iTunes.  All American Boy – The Album, is set for release in May.

Rockin’ With You: @CoreyNiles, “Just The 2 Of Us” (Lyric Video)

COREY NILES, “Just The 2 Of Us” (lyric video)

I tipped you off to this new song as a Valentine’s Day sneak preview 🙂  Toronto’s Corey Niles shows his softer style, which fans of Drake will enjoy, with “Just The 2 Of Us”.  The song has a melody that’s totally in sync with the emotional quality of the song.  But it’s not too soft – a pointed hip hop rhythm keeps the song moving, which will attract a lot of handsome couples to the dance floor 🙂  It’s a fine follow-up to Corey’s harder hitting “Rollercoaster”.  Get it on iTunes!

Meet Singer/Guitarist @DylanMcGuire with his album “Gravity (Or Lack Thereof)”

dylanmcguire

DYLAN McGUIRE, Gravity (Or Lack Thereof)

The first things you will notice about the songs in Dylan McGuire’s Gravity (Or Lack Thereof) are the guitar work and the melodies.  These alone are two compelling reasons to listen through Dylan’s entire recent album.  The Philadelphia-based singer/guitarist is an expert craftsman who knows how to make his guitar sing and his melodies ring.  The music is very 80’s inspired, and anyone who enjoys Bon Jovi through Guns ‘N Roses through The Replacements will have a blast.  Most impressive are songs like “Sunny & 71” (below) and “Tracy Likes”, which use sarcasm and humour to drive you through Dylan’s stories (I’ll wait for the mashup of “Tracy Likes” and The Cuff Links’ 1969 hit “Tracy” 😛 ).  “Chicago” seeths with breakup pain, while “My New Wings” is the best song within, uplifting and full of energy and awaiting a clear day when you can just get away and do whatever.  

Dylan’s voice and music has a similar niche to what Kevin Rudolf found in 2009 with “Let It Rock” though Kevin’s music clearly skews more R&B.  The entire album (which you can stream through Reverb Nation) sounds a bit on the raw side, which can only be improved with future releases, but Gravity (Or Lack Thereof) is an honest and passionate effort – and, oh yeah, did I mention the guitar playing and the melodies? 🙂  Get it on iTunes or at Dylan’s store on his website.

BILLCS Top 30 #425 – February 24/14

There’s a new #1 and two big debuts that happen to be free downloads 🙂

The Top 10

Buzzing with activity:

  • Coincidentally the new UK #1 single (as it held the chart all week long) is also my new #1, Sam Smith’s “Money On My Mind”.  He’s been performing alternately solo gig or select ones (such as for TV) with Disclosure.  I’m looking forward to his Toronto show on March 28.  His entire EP Nirvana has the goods!

  • Martin Garrix slips to #2 with “Animals” as it hits the Billboard Top 40.  As I wrote about this week, his new single “Helicopter”, should be equally huge.
  • Travis Garland advances to #3 with the sexy and repeatable “Motel Pool”.

  • Neverest climbs 9-4 with their dance song “Take Cover”.  The quartet is performing at the new Avenue nightclub in Vaughan, just north of Toronto, on Friday February 28.
  • “Cannonball (Earthquake)” by Dutchmen Showtek & Justin Prime and featuring American Matthew Koma on vocals needs to be released worldwide!! It climbs 11-5 on my chart and is a dance floor killa!
  • Jake Miller’s pop gem “Collide” moves up 10-6 as the new L.A. resident gets ready to release a new video!
  • Bright Light Bright Light’s “In Your Care” climbs to a new peak of #7, but Rod’s duet with Elton John will storm this chart closer to its April 7 release.
  • Rounding out all of the Top 10 movement are newcomers “MANiCURE” by Lady GaGa at #9, and the sensational “Addicted To You” by Avicii at #10 but given its vocal life with a bluesy vocal by Audra Mae!

Rising Up:

  • It looks like the rest of the world will be pretty “Happy” soon as Pharrell Williams’ ditty with an old-style Motown beat climbs 15-11 on my chart, but should get to #1 in the US and internationally too.
  • Kylie Minogue’s “Into The Blue” also has a great shot at being her first international pop hit in some time.  It moves up 17-12.
  • Matthew Koma is part of one Top 10 song this week, but he’s also the vocalist of Hardwell’s “Dare You” (#14) and Zedd’s “Find You” (#19), along with sensational newcomer Miriam Bryant.  Matthew was still charting a year ago on my chart with #1’s “1998” and “Parachute”.

  • The fastest riser on the chart is the dynamic pairing of Disclosure with Mary J. Blige on the rework of “F For You”, up 25-16.
  • “Love Me Again” by UK singer John Newman is going great guns all over the world, and is back in the UK Top 40.  It moves up 24-17.
  • Sve’s beautiful “Talking To The Walls” jumps to a new peak of #18.

New to the Chart:

About those two at the top of this blog post 🙂

  • Adam Tyler has graced my chart with many of his songs since his debut in 2010 with “Friction”, still his best charting song peaking at #4.  2012 was all about “Fade Into The Light” (#9), with its well shot video and appearance on the compilation This Beat Is… Poptronik Volume 2.  Adam released “Electric Valentine” as a free download on Valentine’s Day.  It has received massive response as a free download, and to me is one of Adam’s best pop confections thus far.  It debuts on my chart at #22.  Oh and there’s a tiny tease of a classic pop song near the end 🙂
  • Nick Hagelin has only appeared in my chart once, in 2011 with the dreamy ballad “Metaphor” (#12) from his Take Off EP.  Since then, he’s been signed to Streamline (Lady GaGa’s label), distributed by Interscope, but has yet to see release with any songs through that label.  In the meantime, the free EP City Lights is coming on March 5, and in advance of that we have “Finest Clothes In Town”, a funky slice of R&B pop that will put you in a great, sexy mood 😀  “Clothes” bows at #23 on my chart.
  • U2 last appeared in my chart in 2005 with “Sometimes You Can Make It On Your Own” (#21), and was last in the Top 10 with 2000’s “Beautiful Day” (#7), though Bono & The Edge appeared in Reeve Carney’s “Rise Above 1” (#19, 2011) from their soundtrack to the “Spider-Man” broadway play (which I quite enjoyed).  “Invisible” is one of their best singles in recent years and I got it from iTunes when it was available as a limited free download.  Some of its proceeds go to the RED fund.  The song arrives at #25.

  • While I’m looking forward to hearing their full album when it arrives, and seeing them on tour when it happens, Semi-Precious Weapons have altered their sound somewhat from hard-hitting, edgy-danceable-punkish rock, to a slicker, anthemic but still edgy pop/rock flavour.  And, as demonstrated by last year’s Aviation High (#9), it works beautifully.  “Drink” is punchy and contagious, and debuts at #26.

  • I love discovering new music by talented independent artists with lots of potential.  Such is Sean O’Reilly, whose “Ready For You Now” is crammed full of varied pop influences and striking piano playing.  From the Connecticut native’s album Volume 1, “Ready” arrives at #27.

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.

06 01 MONEY ON MY MIND Sam Smith
01 02 ANIMALS Martin Garrix
04 03 MOTEL POOL Travis Garland
09 04 TAKE COVER Neverest
11 05 CANNONBALL (EARTHQUAKE) Showtek & Justin Prime featuring Matthew Koma
10 06 COLLIDE Jake Miller
08 07 IN YOUR CARE Bright Light Bright Light
02 08 EASY Travis Garland
12 09 MANiCURE Lady Gaga
13 10 ADDICTED TO YOU Avicii featuring Audra Mae
15 11 HAPPY Pharrell Williams
17 12 INTO THE BLUE Kylie Minogue
03 13 AN OPEN HEART Bright Light Bright Light
19 14 DARE YOU Hardwell featuring Matthew Koma
05 15 GOLD Eurielle
25 16 F FOR YOU Disclosure featuring Mary J. Blige
24 17 LOVE ME AGAIN John Newman
20 18 TALKING TO THE WALLS Své
26 19 FIND YOU Zedd featuring Matthew Koma & Miriam Bryant
07 20 BREATHE ME Carlos Nóbrega
14 21 EVERY SINGLE MOMENT  SIRPAUL
New 22 ELECTRIC VALENTINE Adam Tyler
New 23 FINEST CLOTHES IN TOWN Nick Hagelin
18 24 WHAT’S GOING ON Monsieur Adi featuring A*M*E
New 25 INVISIBLE U2
New 26 DRINK Semi-Precious Weapons
New 27 READY FOR YOU NOW Sean O’Reilly
16 28 MARRY THE NIGHT Glee Cast featuring Adam Lambert
21 29 ROLLERCOASTER Corey Niles featuring Dru
22 30 DO WHAT U WANT Lady Gaga featuring R. Kelly

Dubstep Drops Meet Lots of Melody with @Convulsic’s “Love Space” and “The Day You Left”

CONVULSIC, “Love Space” and “The Day You Left”

Convulsic (aka Erik Hale) is a relatively new DJ/producer based out of San Diego whose music will totally slay and sway you with lots of energetic shifts and drops, without sacrificing melody.  In fact melody is essential in both “Love Space” and “The Day You Left”.  It makes both songs a lot more accessible than heavier songs in the EDM genre, while still retaining plenty of crunch, which makes both songs quite memorable, if not somewhat dazzling 🙂  The vocal sample in “Love Space” sounds like Bjork (but is not) and also adds to the ear-catching proceedings.  “The Day You Left” is much more frantic and full of countless effects that draw you in and keep you there.  Convulsic has an innate ear that knows what works.  Listen to “Love Space” above and “The Day You Left” on his Reverb Nation page.  A video is coming for “Love Space” – check out the preview below.  Both songs are available on iTunes for purchase – also check out the very cool artwork for “The Day You Left” below.

Convulsic_The_Day_You_Left_Album_Art

Get @BlareLevoir’s “Waiting For Love” for Free!

TREND DEF STUDIOS BLARE

BLARE, “Waiting For Love” (preview)

I gave you a heads up a few weeks back (as an extra to my personal chart post) that Blare (Levoir)’s new single “Waiting For Love” was previewing in advance of release.  I didn’t know at the time that Venezuela-born, Texas-raised, and L.A.-based Blare would be making it a free download via email subscription on his website.  And that’s excellent news!  It’s a classic slice of dance pop that should do well for the singer, who has already had success with previous songs, developing a rabid fan base in the process.  “Waiting For Love” is just a taste of what Blare has to offer.  Check out recent recordings on his You Tube channel and you’ll find that he has a terrific voice that is accentuated by effects (perhaps a few too many) in “Waiting For Love”.   Can’t wait to hear what else Blare has coming for us soon! 🙂

Hey! There’s a @MartinGarrix and @Firebeatz “Helicopter” on the Dance Floor!!

MARTIN GARRIX & FIREBEATZ, “Helicopter”

Martin Garrix is the latest, and probably youngest, king of the dance clubs thanks to his beyond-infectious Billboard #1 dance hit and now Top 40 hit “Animals”.  He has a distinct and big, big progressive sound in his music which makes it rise above so much other equally trippy sounding dance music of today.  “Helicopter”, his pairing with Firebeatz, proves that Martin is no flash in the pan.  It’s equally as contagious as “Animals”, will set raves afire, and who knows, might even start a new dance craze 😀  Be prepared to whirl away to “Helicopter” through the summer months.  You can get it right now through Beatport.

@EltonJohndotcom joins @BrightLightx2 for “I Wish We Were Leaving”

BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT and ELTON JOHN, “I Wish We Were Leaving”

The deeper “I Wish We Were Leaving” gets, the more wrapped up you will become in all that’s going on in this latest surprise from Bright Light Bright Light.  It’s just incredible to hear Elton John on an independent release, and as different as his voice is to that of Rod Thomas, they truly mesh in the song.  Elton’s lower register in particular resonates in a lovely way.  Once you can get past this you’ll find a sad, earnest story, carried by a dreamy, soft melody, with an open door to hope – never something anyone wants to hear when they’ve just split with someone – but putting that aside, this is one huge and delicious box of chocolates that comes with tissue paper if you need it.  Kudos to Rod and Elton on this real stunner of a collaboration.  Chart bound!! The EP of I Wish We Were Leaving is set for release on April 7, so play it to death on the Soundcloud link above in the interim.

Inspired Pairing: @DarinOfficial and Eagle-Eye Cherry with “Dream Away”

DARIN & EAGLE-EYE CHERRY, “Dream Away”

I think this inspired recording has fallen under the radar, but the beauty and simplicity of “Dream Away” by Sweden’s Darin and Eagle-Eye Cherry shouldn’t go unnoticed.  It’s a charity single recorded for SOS Children’s Villages, and brings Neneh Cherry’s brother Eagle-Eye back to the forefront where he is known throughout the world of course for 1998’s massive hit “Save Tonight”, which I among many others have in my iPod Touch shuffle for regular play 🙂  Fine showcase as it is for Eagle-Eye, it’s Darin who really scores with a far reaching and soulful vocal.  As far as I know it’s not released in North America so if you’re outside of the continent check your local iTunes or online store.  The clip above is from a Swedish TV show.

Welcome Back to One of the 90’s Queens of Dance @theLonnieGordon with “Horny”

LONNIE GORDON, “Horny”

Sure to spice up club life during this long winter is “Horny” by 90’s dance music queen Lonnie Gordon.  The American singer had a spate of #1 dance hits – “Bad Mood” plus UK chart hits “Gonna Catch You” (produced by Black Box – I’m pleased to have an original 12″ vinyl of it) and Top Tenner “Happenin’ All Over Again” (produced by Stock-Aitken-Waterman) – and has never really been away from the club scene.  But there’s no one more appropriate to produce this comeback of sorts than the ever-remarkable Ricardo Autobahn, and the songwriting team of Charlie Mason, Richard Hymas, Autobahn, and Gordon have really got their sexy hard on (ooops)!  Bringing it on with a video full of hot bodies and good times (and a refreshing sax break), Lonnie Gordon should find herself back on the dance club charts asap.  And club DJ’s just might want to match it up with Mousse T’s classic of the same name for a “Horny Horny” grand time!  Have lots of fun with this one folks.