Charting the internet pop world one blog post at a time.
SANNA NIELSEN, “Undo”
Could this be a year of big Eurovision ballads? Sanna Nielsen’s gorgeous and touching “Undo” was the surprise winner in Sweden’s Melodifestivalen 2014 last night. There was a lot of buzz particularly about Alcazar’s entry “Blame It On The Disco” and to a lesser extent “Natural” by Anton Ewald. But the audience favoured “Undo” and so we will see how it fares against the rest of the European contingent at Eurovision.
MATT DUSK & THE MAX RIVER BAND, “Juno Awards Medley”
Juno nominee himself Matt Dusk continues to show is versatility by taking on a medley of songs that by all rights should not go together. But with Matt’s slick voice and sound, it’s all good. So give us songs by Drake, Serena Ryder, David Myles, Robin Thicke and Mr. Dusk himself and it’s quite an earful. The Juno Awards – Canada’s Grammys – take place on March 30 from Winnipeg featuring co-hosts Classified, Serena Ryder, and Johnny Reid. http://www.junoawards.ca
MARTIN GARRIX, “Proxy”
As a thank you from Martin for the fans, the talented Dutch DJ/producer dropped “Proxy” for free download last week. And like “Animals” and “Helicoptor” it’s a hot, catchy, and very distinct song that could be the theme music to something, when it’s not busy making audiences react and go crazy on the dance floor. What I like about Martin’s music is that it’s full of high quality, and easily measures up to his better known counterparts like Tiesto and Zedd. Listen to the preview up top then save it using the Soundcloud download link below. Ah to be 17 and travelling the world… thanks Martin!!
MATT WEBB, Right Direction (EP)
Though it was released last month, I held off writing about Matt Webb’s sophomore EP Right Direction until his very successful solo concert last night at Adelaide Hall in Toronto. Right Direction is just one of those records that’s so loaded with solid pop/rock singing, songwriting, production, and instrumentation, that no one song stood out for me in my first several listens. After last night’s show, I’m more partial to “Heartbreakers” (featuring friend and producer Kevvy of Fake Shark Real Zombie), and iTunes-only tracks “Lucky Numbers” and particularly “Hang Tight”. For those who don’t know, Matt is Marianas Trench’s guitarist, so you won’t find as much edge here but Right Direction is heavy on melody. It’s a little too unassuming at times though, very reminiscent of 80’s Bryan Adams (nothing wrong with that – “Hang Tight” recalls “Can’t Stop This Thing We Started”), and I think one of the songs I mentioned could do better at radio than the title song. But definitely solid music to get you through to the next MT record, and given the response last night there will likely be more Matt Webb shows coming around again before that. Watch the video for “Right Direction” below.
MIKE TOMPKINS, “Dark Horse/Jaguar”
23 year old London, Ontario area native Mike Tompkins first went viral with his acapella medley of “Teenage Dream” and “Just The Way You Are”, which landed him on TV on “Ellen” and “The Today Show”. Canadians have seen him recently in commercial for Bell Canada with his version of Depeche Mode’s “Just Can’t Get Enough”. Mike’s latest project is “Dark Horse/Jaguar”, accompanied by a fascinating video which shows off his many vocal talents. Even though it doesn’t sound like it, all of the sounds in the song are Mike (other than of course the vocals by his pal Dumbfoundead), as he explains at the end of the video. His talent is startling and one-of-a-kind which should earn him more fans with the timely release of “Dark Horse/Jaguar” and takes acapella music to a completely different level. He has many singles for sale on iTunes, including this one, as well as videos for you to peruse on You Tube. Mike’s also started a campaign that you can participate in on Patreon to raise funds for future videos like “Dark Horse/Jaguar”.
5 SECONDS OF SUMMER, “She Looks So Perfect”
Yes, it’s going to go down as “the underwear video”. But aside from that “She Looks So Perfect” by Aussie quartet 5 Seconds Of Summer is a joyous and anthemic slice of power pop that should help melt the snow away on these still cold shores before their four song EP (below) is officially released on April 1. Strong production, harmonies, arrangement and a powerful hook should mean some chart action for these lads, who don’t sound like flashes in the pan to me. So check out the fun video and let the underwear parties begin 😛
NATHALIE ARCHANGEL, “It’s Time”
Her voice recalls what might happen if Stevie Nicks melded with Marianne Faithfull. She’s put out three albums, her last being Raven (containing the lovely “Next To Me”), which came out last year and was her first in over 20 years. Not too much is known about Nathalie Archangel but “It’s Time” hits all the right notes in more ways than you can imagine (and no I don’t mean Imagine Dragons 😉 ). It’s subtle and taut and emotional, drawing you in with a hypnotic vocal performance. Ricardo Autobahn’s ace production gilds all of the fine moments together seamlessly. And it’s another fine tune from the Hymas-Matthews-Mason (that’s HMM) songbook. “It’s Time” is a diamond in the rough and I hope that more will find out about Nathalie Archangel well in advance of her fourth full release.
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.
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!
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.
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