BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

BILLCS Top 30 #418 – November 18/13

This new edition of my personal chart sees a busy Top 10, as well as five new entries, which means some songs on the rise get held up in the middle 😉

The Top 10:

Miguel and Jessie Ware hang on to #1 with the remix of “Adorn”, which faces immense competition in two weeks, so this will be the last for “Adorn” at the top.
Sliding comfortably into second place is “What’s Going On”, the rework of Soul II Soul’s “Back To Life” courtesy of the spectacularly talented Monsieur Adi and British chanteuse A*M*E. Will it get to #1 in two weeks?
Betty Who’s love fest that is “Somebody Loves You” holds at #3 as a new remix by Jump Smokers has been made available for free download, below 🙂

Lady GaGa’s “Applause” slides to #4 after the release of ARTPOP, which certainly looks to be holding its own sales-wise. I’m still torn between two or three of the songs on the album as my next favourites, but her duet with R. Kelly “Do What U Want” is certainly a good choice for a follow up single.
As Anton Ewald releases new single “Close Up” in the Nordic countries, “Can’t Hold Back”, from the A EP rockets to #5 as the fastest riser second week in a row, his second Top 5 entry on my chart following #2 “Begging”. Lyrics video for “Can’t Hold Back” is below.

Osvaldo Supino’s emotional and extremely positive entry from This Beat Is Poptronik!… Volume Two is “I Have A Name”, and it climbs 9-6 this week. And just outside of the Top 10, “Ma Radio” is still on the rise at #11!

Our favourite electropop duo from Austin, Texas, DATABOY are vocally at their best on their free download mashup of “We Can’t Stop Summertime Sadness”, which moves up 10-7.

The big news on the chart is the song that’s at the top of this post. “An Open Heart” bounds onto the chart for Bright Light Bright Light, a week before its accompanying EP In Your Care is released. Be sure to purchase this one on iTunes on November 24, it contains some of BLx2’s best and most affecting songs!

More Fast Risers:

I was too ill to attend Travis Garland’s recent show in Toronto, but his self-titled album is one of my most played records of the year. It contains much diverse music such as the Latin/disco-influenced “Easy”, which jumps 18-12.
Right behind is Lawson’s incredibly infectious “Juliet”, rising 17-13, as we in North America still await news on what’s next for these talented guys over here.
While his dance epic “Do I Have To Dance” inches into the Top 10 at #9, the raucous “Berlin Wall” continues to make headway for Simon Curtis, climbing 19-14, from his free download mixtape WWW.
Shortly after the release of his Seventh Star album, which I wrote about recently, New York’s dance music master SIRPAUL released the attractive video for “Every Single Moment”, his single which moves up 24-21 this week. Our singer looks fantastic as he patiently waits in a Soho, London setting. Easily his best single to date 😀

More New Entries:

I’ve written about three of these entries recently, so only the fourth entry might be a bit of a surprise 😉

As I wrote last week, the electronic instrumental “Animals” by 17 year old Dutch DJ Martin Garrix is the #1 single in the UK this week. It’s an amazing feat and shows the undeniable power of this song’s melody. Be prepared to hear it all through the holidays! It arrives at #24. Just avoid the radio edit and the awful video, which for some godforsaken reason ties in clubbing, dancing, and destroying a car. Give a listen to a remix below.

Eurielle is a new British singer who is a trained soprano and has made a sophisticated EP called The Incarnation, from which comes the first single “Gold” below. It debuts at #26.

Carlos Nóbrega has recorded a stirring cover of an early Sia single, “Breathe Me”, accompanied by an equally pensive video. It’s Carlos’ third entry on my chart and bows at #28.

I recall being disappointed upon hearing Dangerous Muse’s “I Can’t Help It”, which appears on the amazing dance comp This Beat Is Poptronik!… Volume Two. The group is led by singer Mike Furey and performs regular gigs in New York City. Now I get to eat those words as I’m absolutely loving the 80’s Depeche Mode influences meeting 80’s house music (circa Royal House’s “Can You Party” era). It’s a very clever grower indeed and premieres at #29.

More New Videos:

It should arrive on the chart in the coming week, but I didn’t want to go without posting Cage The Elephant’s video for “Come A Little Closer”. It’s an animated video that was entirely hand drawn by singer Matt Shultz – obviously multi-talented! The great thing about creating the video for your own song is that you can figure out how to get yourself into and out of trouble, which makes it a breezy and enjoyable watch.

I’ve been enjoying Parralox’s “Headhunter” (#8 on the chart) so much that singer John von Ahlen shared an inventive mashup with me of that song plus one of Parralox’s earlier songs. And in the meantime, the von Ahlen-directed video for the second single from the Australian group’s Recovery album has appeared. It’s a straight forward cover of The Alan Parsons Project’s 1982 hit “Eye In The Sky” – a much-loved song you definitely don’t want to mess with. Watch below.

Listen to the songs or watch the videos using the links on the pictures on the pretty and details web edition of my chart.

Here’s the full BILLCS Top 30

01 01 ADORN Miguel F/ Jessie Ware
05 02 WHAT’S GOING ON Monsieur Adi F/ A*M*E
03 03 SOMEBODY LOVES YOU Betty Who
02 04 APPLAUSE Lady Gaga
12 05 CAN’T HOLD BACK Anton Ewald
09 06 I HAVE A NAME Osvaldo Supino
10 07 WE CAN’T STOP SUMMERTIME SADNESS DATABOY
08 08 HEADHUNTER Parralox
11 09 DO I HAVE TO DANCE Simon Curtis
New 10 AN OPEN HEART Bright Light Bright Light
14 11 MA RADIO Osvaldo Supino
18 12 EASY Travis Garland
17 13 JULIET Lawson
19 14 BERLIN WALL Simon Curtis
04 15 REWIND Neverest
06 16 AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME Ryan Adamés
07 17 LOVE IS A BOURGEOIS CONSTRUCT Pet Shop Boys
20 18 IMPOSSIBLE Ryan Star
21 19 REPLAY Zendaya
22 20 4TH OF JULY Jarell Perry
24 21 EVERY SINGLE MOMENT SIRPAUL
13 22 BLACK LIGHT (Stormby remix) Kaden
15 23 HYMN FrankMusik
New 24 ANIMALS Martin Garrix
16 25 LEARN TO WAIT Sam Dickinson
New 26 GOLD Eurielle
29 27 KEEP ME RUNNING Andy Suzuki & The Method
New 28 BREATHE ME Carlos Nóbrega
New 29 I CAN’T HELP IT Dangerous Muse
27 30 SKIRT Kylie Minogue

Simplicity in Emotion: @CarlosdNobrega Covers Sia’s “Breathe Me”

CARLOS NOBREGA, “Breathe Me”

Portugal’s favourite multi-talented son is back, after dancing his way through 2012 with “Pitiful” (from This Beat Is…Poptronik Volume One), “Turn It Up”, and particularly “Music Makes You Lose Control” (which had control of the top of my chart about a year ago – jogging your memory below). Carlos Nóbrega has toned it down to a tender state with his brilliant cover of Sia’s “Breathe Me” (available for free through Carlos’ website via email subscription). That song was recorded back in 2004, so it’s a timely rendition. And it’s funny being a parent sometimes. I played “Breathe Me” for my daughter, who promptly told me that she’s known the song for years, having also been featured in the film “Cyberbully”. Trumped!

Anyway, the video is simple and eloquent, focusing on Carlos performing the song while other people around him are at the edge of various emotions. It’s very well directed (by Fran Martinez) and edited, I’m sure when it all came together in a final edit it felt amazing. “Breathe Me” is from Carlos’ upcoming EP, due in December, called The Cover Love Sessions, because with our dear friend Mr. Nóbrega, love definitely comes first 🙂 PS he’s also made two films during the year – busy guy!

Return of the Pop Instrumental: “Animals” by @MartinGarrix Blazes Through

MARTIN GARRIX, “Animals”

Throughout the rest of the year, you will not be able to escape the melody of “Animals” by 17 year old DJ/producer Martin Garrix, and it will make you want to jump up and pump your fist at some points. It will be everywhere, in the background, waiting to grab you! The strange thing is that this Billboard Dance Club Play hit is an instrumental. It’s been years since an instrumental actually broke through to pop radio, but I think “Animals” is a catchy enough piece of business to cut through (and Major Record Label, please do not insert any Rap singer into the mix, thank you). Neither the single edit nor the video do the song justice; just listen to it in its full 5 minute original mix. It’s one of 2013’s biggest surprises – look for it to be #1 on the UK Singles Chart next Sunday.

From The Bottle Of Blues: “Drink of You” by Jamar Rogers (@jsquidward)

JAMAR ROGERS, “Drink Of You”

To me, Jamar Rogers got the short end of the stick on season two of “The Voice”, finishing just outside of the Top 4 – for season three, the rules were changed which probably would have seen Jamar in the Top 4. Nonetheless, it was great exposure, and I still to this day really enjoy his rollicking and heartfelt performance of Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life”. With “Drink Of You”, Jamar’s first release for Tommy Boy Records, he takes us deep down to the bottom of the bottle of blues. This is a crunchy and almost hardcore rock ‘n blues performance that shows the diversity that he displayed on “The Voice”. While I’m not sure if we could withstand the power of a full album all of songs like “Drink Of You”, I’m confident this is just a taste of what will come. Jamar will mix it up and we will reap the benefits. This is an uncharacteristic but powerful release.

Reflections on a Relationship: @JarellPerry’s “Braindead”

JARELL PERRY, “Braindead”

Some really contemporary and complimentary production enhances Jarell Perry’s “Braindead”, another thoughtful reflection on a past relationship and miscommunication, which comes from Jarell’s upcoming EP White. The man has an affecting and classic R&B voice that gets across exactly the intent of his songs. Of course you may have already downloaded his glorious free album Simple Things from earlier this year, as well as other songs he’s released such as the oh-so-poignant “4th of July” (currently on my chart). You can also download “Braindead” for free from Jarell’s Soundcloud below, along with a couple of other songs previewing the EP White. Big things are in store for Jarell Perry in 2014, I can just feel it!

Discover New UK Singer @Eurielle_Music and New EP The Incarnation

EURIELLE, The Incarnation (EP)

It’s nothing quite like you might expect in 2013. Eurielle is a new singer originally from Yorkshire, England, who is a classically trained soprano. Her contemporary comparisons might be to Enya, Bat For Lashes, and Ellie Goulding. But a veteran music listener like me can’t help but harken back to the 80’s of Kate Bush, Maggie Reilly, Kirsty McColl, and Annie Haslam. Her songs are magnetic cinematic pop statements. The 3-song EP was preceded by one of its songs as a single, “Gold”, whose beautiful, unique, and certainly provocative video you can watch above. Eurielle’s music instantly draws you in and once there you are submersed. The other songs in the EP, “Waterfalls” and “I’ll Be Waiting” are well-chosen and high quality; less being more in this particular case, making you want much, much more. Listen to the EP sampler below and you will be convinced. The Incarnation is available for purchase – in Canada it’s $2.97 – on iTunes. It’s a stunning debut.

Quacking Their Way Through Genuine Rock and Funk: @TheAquaducks EP

THE AQUADUCKS (EP)

There’s a party that’s started in Nashville, and I’ve given you a few heads’ up over the last year so that you can get your VIP ticket when it starts to spread. Rock, funk, and jazz fans (as well as other styles) will be extremely happy with The Aquaducks’ debut 7 song EP. While their videos for “Fuel The Funk” and “This Far” portray them as a wacky party band – oh, and they sure are – the rest of the EP sees the band in more serious mode vocally and lyrically, so a song like “Lift Me Up” is beautifully sung and played, and just inserts an intermission into the fun. Even “Why Can’t You See” appears to have a serious message, but has a Caribbean rhythm that will still have you on your feet.

Best of all of course are all of the real instruments you hear, no synthesizers to sweeten or wash everything into one kind of sound, and there’s a great lead singer here in Creigh Reipe. “All In” is about as straight ahead rock song as you can get within, and “New Growth” tips to R&B and features rapper Voltaire. What you hear in the EP is the same music you will hear in concert – like the jam session going on in “Po’ Man Shuffle”. If you’re going to make a splash, with some requisite quacking along the way, it’s gotta be great, and The Aquaducks’ EP is extremely enjoyable, full of explosive talent waiting to be heard. You can get it on iTunes (USA / Canada) or stream it on Spotify (USA).

In Transformation Mode: @Aiden (Grimshaw) with “The Cleaner” and “The Way We Are”

AIDEN, “The Cleaner” and “The Way We Are”

I can’t say Aiden Grimshaw’s releases after his Top 10 placing in the UK’s X-Factor show a few years back caught my attention. However both his album and debut single “Is This Love” charted, in the Top 20 and Top 40 respectively. While it took a while to grow on me after surfacing this past late summer as a free download, “The Way We Are” has a gorgeous and mysterious danceable pop rhythm that stands out from a lot of music out there. And of course just as I’m digging this song, along comes a new song called “The Cleaner”, on which we’ve found Aiden is just Aiden (albeit with an image of him with a snake around his neck). “The Cleaner” has a mix of angst-filled 80s new wave and electronically processed vocal, followed next by a big stadium-sounding vocal version of Aiden that reminds me of people like Noel Gallagher. But it has this slinky and again danceable melody that gets under your skin. So I’m not sure if this ‘transformation’s is meant to point to “The Way We Are” as an end to Aiden Grimshaw – I hope to hell not, I want it on his upcoming EP. But “The Cleaner” is equally interesting if more stylistically removed from “The Way We Are”. So here’s to Aiden and transformation and let’s hope it all doesn’t get too mucky in style versus content.

New Video: “An Open Heart” by @BrightLightx2

BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT, “An Open Heart” (video)

I’m always pleased to write about new Bright Light Bright Light, and I’ve already written about this song, which will be on “In Your Care”, the upcoming EP by BLx2 (Rod Thomas). But Rod has taken to release a video ahead of the EP as well. It’s a simple affair, with Rod alone in a bright but barren room, which is in complete contrast to the upbeat melody but on point in terms of the sad lyrics that form part of the song. Like with many of BLx2 songs, Rod wants you to think about your emotions and then do something about them. As I mentioned a month ago, this could be one of my very favourites of 2013 (and it sounded oh so great in concert in NYC a few weeks back too).

Redux for 2013: “All Our Love” by @GentlemenHall

GENTLEMEN HALL, “All Our Love”

Regular readers of this blog are already familiar with Boston sextet Gentlemen Hall, who have released an EP When We All Disappear and the single “Sail Into The Sun”, heard in Target and on Samsung smart camera commercials earlier this year. Island Records picked up on “Sail” and released it officially this summer. Well great things are happening, the band’s been touring with Third Eye Blind, and Island decided to release a fuller, brighter-sounding “All Our Love”, which was initially on the Disappear EP. Like “Sail”, “All Our Love” is one of my favourite songs by the band, reaching #7 on my chart last year. Gentlemen Hall have also released other songs online to You Tube or Soundcloud and I’m hoping some of them will appear on another EP or perhaps an album when it surfaces. In any case, you will be hearing (and likely seeing) much, much more of Gentlemen Hall. Watch the new lyric video above.