BILLCS Top 30 #420 – December 16/13

Edition #420 is my last chart of 2013, and my Best 75 Songs of 2013 will be posted on the weekend of December 28, before the next chart.  Any songs that are expected to rise after this chart will appear on next year’s Best Of list.

Much of the top of the chart stays the same as two weeks ago, with locks on 1, 2, and 3,  so I’ll focus on movement, debuts, and two ‘extras’ 😀

The Top 10:

  • Travis Garland is a name you will get to know more in 2014.  I wrote about the video to his new EP “Motel Pool” this past weekend.  But right now, the classy and rhythmic “Easy” soars 9-4 on my chart.  Live clip is above.
  • “Berlin Wall” by Simon Curtis joins “Do I Have To Dance” in the Top 10 as we anxiously await news of his upcoming video and more new music.
  • Also debuting in the Top 10, and looking mighty mighty 😉 is “Every Single Moment” by SIRPAUL, which crashes in at #8.  Remixes coming soon!
  • The last debut is Lawson, who’ve had a splendid year in these parts, charting with both “Learn To Love Again” and “Brokenhearted” in my Top 10.  “Juliet” makes it a triple play at #9.  Top notch live clip is below.

Movin’ On Up:

  • “Animals” ultimately did get to #1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Play chart after hovering in the Top 10 for a while.  Martin Garrix has the fastest riser on this chart as it moves 18-11.  More to come from this new whiz kid 🙂

  • That stunning new singer from England, Eurielle, has some cool stuff brewing in the background which will make 2014 most interesting for her.  The seductive and catchy single “Gold” climbs 19-13, from her debut EP The Incarnation.
  • Mid-chart emotions strike big time with Jarell Perry’s breathtaking “4th of July” at #14, as well as “Breathe Me”, the minimalist cover of the Sia song by Portugal’s Carlos Nóbrega, bounding 21-15.  It’s looking to become Carlos’ second Top 10er.
  • Last week’s premieres all had the number 6 waiting for them, as they each move up 6 places:  “Marry The Night”as vocalized by Adam Lambert (#18) via “Glee”; “Do What U Want”  right on his monster boot heels by Lady GaGa & R. Kelly (#19); and Corey Niles & Dru with “Rollercoaster” (#22), which is pretty damn difficult to get out of your head.

New to the Chart:

  • Catch Bright Light Bright Light on the west coast if you can!  The wistful title track from his latest EP In Your Care arrives on the chart at #24.

  • I like ARTPOP.  It’s not the great album that it could have been.  It sounds terrific but there are too many songs that I pass on to hear again.  Joining “Applause” and “Do What U Want” on the chart is the rocking “MANiCURE” at #28.  This is Lady GaGa emulating Annie Lennox circa 1986/87 – think of “Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves” and “I Need A Man”.  It’s one of the songs that draws me in to ARTPOP every time!

  • Lastly, “Come A Little Closer” by Cage The Elephant is an uncharacteristic alt.rock entry (#29) – at least lately, my chart was full of it at the turn of the century.  Both the concert video and animated one will make you go ‘wow’, I promise!

Extras:

  • You couldn’t go a blog post from summer 2012 to winter 2013 without me talking about Indiana native Chris Wallace.  He’s been touring the States backwards and forwards, and seems to be having such a great time of it all.  His #1 on my chart “Remember When (Push Rewind)”, was my #2 song of 2012.  He has two songs this year in my year end list, and one is his new single “Keep Me Crazy”.  If it might seem a little late to you, remember about momentum and radio play, which have guided this song into the Top 40 radio songs.  That great time touring has rubbed off in the video, which is a whole lot of fun, starting off with Oscar nominee Eric Roberts as Chris’ psychiatrist, who makes him dream of crazy situations… or does he?  I suppose it would have been nice if Eric’s character could have evolved into Julia Roberts, but the makers are shy of a few million for that 😉  Anyway have a good time with “Keep Me Crazy” below.

  • My other extra is hot off the presses today, and is so different, you need to give it a watch/listen.  I raved about L.A. based singer Ryan Adamés’ acoustic and thoroughly enchanting cover of Justin Bieber’s “As Long As You Love Me”, which was #2 for six weeks on my chart and has just exited after a maximum of 10 appearances (20 weeks).  He’s back with another acoustic rendition, but this time it’s Britney Spears’ “Work Bitch”, accompanied by singer Todrick Hall.  I don’t like the original; so Ryan provides a fine vocal, sometimes in sing-along mode, over the lyrics which for the most part were spoken or shouted by Britney.  While you admire how Ryan smolders again in the video, you really have to get to the 3 minute mark for Todrick’s break and after which the vocals harmonize so, so beautifully that you’ve almost forgotten that it’s “Work Bitch”.  Mucho points for creativity, excellent harmonies, and for Ryan (as a Britney fan) making the song his own.  Watch below and download for free from Ryan’s Facebook page (you must ‘like’ it first).

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 AN OPEN HEART Bright Light Bright Light
02 02 WHAT’S GOING ON Monsieur Adi F/ A*M*E
03 03 CAN’T HOLD BACK Anton Ewald
09 04 EASY Travis Garland
05 05 I HAVE A NAME Osvaldo Supino
06 06 WE CAN’T STOP SUMMERTIME SADNESS   DATABOY
07 07 DO I HAVE TO DANCE Simon Curtis
13 08 EVERY SINGLE MOMENT   SIRPAUL
11 09 JULIET Lawson 
12 10 BERLIN WALL Simon Curtis
18 11 ANIMALS Martin Garrix
04 12 SOMEBODY LOVES YOU Betty Who
19 13 GOLD Eurielle
16 14 4TH OF JULY Jarell Perry
21 15 BREATHE ME Carlos Nóbrega
08 16 ADORN Miguel F/ Jessie Ware
10 17 APPLAUSE Lady GaGa
24 18 MARRY THE NIGHT Glee Cast F/ Adam Lambert
25 19 DO WHAT U WANT Lady GaGa F/ R. Kelly
22 20 KEEP ME RUNNING Andy Suzuki & The Method
23 21 I CAN’T HELP IT Dangerous Muse
28 22 ROLLERCOASTER Corey Niles F/ Dru
15 23 IMPOSSIBLE Ryan Star
New 24 IN YOUR CARE Bright Light Bright Light
14 25 HEADHUNTER Parralox 
17 26 MA RADIO Osvaldo Supino
20 27 REWIND Neverest
New 28 MANiCURE Lady GaGa
New 29 COME A LITTLE CLOSER Cage The Elephant
27 30 BLACK LIGHT (Stormby remix) Kaden

Bring On 2014: “Ephemeral Summer” by @TheFrankMusik

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FRANKMUSIK, “Ephemeral Summer”

2013 started the introduction to FrankMusik’s albums Between and Between Us with “Fast As I Can”, so it’s fitting that the next phase of FrankMusik begins in the last month of the year with “Ephemeral Summer”.  Like with many songs from the other two albums, it’s highly reflective, not intended to be The Big Hit Single, and I must say that you need to stick with the video (with its huge amount of close-close ups) into its second minute in order to appreciate the song as a whole.  

FrankMusik also returned to England this year from L.A., so just about any summer in most of England is indeed short.  But to me the title subject is a bit of a metaphor for being home, finding a girl or two to date, being in your comfort zone where you can usually flourish the most.  And with the big, big sound of the latter part of the song, leading into whatever he has to offer next, I can only say: Flourish on – I (and many others) just can’t wait for more.  “Ephemeral Summer” is from his upcoming fourth album, apparently titled And So It Begins.

A Proper Damn Sexy Video: “Motel Pool” by @TravisGarland

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TRAVIS GARLAND, “Motel Pool” (video)

“Motel Pool” signals a return to a proper damn sexy music video.  It has a great build up, shots of a couple of lovely bodies, and of course romance in the title place of choice, very well directed and edited.  “Motel Pool” also solidifies my thoughts from throughout 2013 that Travis Garland is one of the most important unsigned performers to watch.  His self-titled album, which includes “Motel Pool” among its diverse selection of R&B/pop, is one of my Top 5 favourites of the year.  “Motel Pool” is also from the four song EP of the same name, due December 17, which includes two ‘B-sides’.  Watch the video below.

An Adventure of the Soul: Sophomore Album from @BaiyuMusic “Ayahuasca”

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BAIYU, Ayahuasca

The sophomore album from New York singer Baiyu, is somewhat of a turnabout from her debut release, last year’s Hunter.  Ayahuasca (the name of a hallucinogenic herb which is said to have spiritual properties) allows Baiyu to delve inward and project hopes, dreams, and fears into her songs.  She released a song a month for free throughout 2013, leading up to this release, and some of those songs are included on the album.  

The songs in Ayahuasca are mainly alternatives to pop/R&B songs on the radio, with a few short interludes, though like with Hunter, Baiyu’s strength is to gild her pitch-perfect voice to softer songs which have appealing quiet-power.   “Paper” and “Fire” are very different from each other, but likely the two examples of Baiyu at her best.  Musically the record is at its most experimental with the title song, and lyrically with “Sandman”.  On a whole Ayahuasca is an adventure of the soul – moody, romantic, dreamy.  It’s a great example to display the development of an artist, and Baiyu has much, much more to offer.

Download Ayahuasca for free from her website right here and listen to “Paper” below.

Latvian Singer @MarkusRiva Cranks It Up with “Fire”

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MARKUS RIVA, “Fire”

Many of us first met him through his contribution to last year’s This Beat Is Poptronik! Volume One compilation “How It Feels To Be A Man” (which got to #7 on my personal chart).  Latvian singer/DJ/producer/presenter/model Markus Riva is back with “Fire”.  And you can think all things literal about that word.  The songs seethes with anguish about a love gone wrong, and it will just pour out of loud club speakers as the dance unfolds.  The video plays on this and comes off as intense but very watchable.  The brooding vocals are Markus sounding his absolute gruffest.  Look for this single on iTunes.

Unbeatable Toronto Team: @JoeeDeSimone Meets @DJDelirious416 for “Control”

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DJ DELIRIOUS & JOEE, “Control”

Two Toronto powerhouses – the noted DJ Delirious and comeback kid  Joée are onto a good thing with their latest single “Control”.  For one thing,  Joée’s vocals are taken out of comfortable sunny freestyle zone and into edgy electronica, a fine follow up to the singer’s recent cover of New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle” which I wrote about a while ago.  It’s great to have a familiar and always listenable voice match up with other fine talent, and “Control” should find a home in clubs and perhaps some success overseas with its Euro flavour.  Get it on iTunes!

“Money On My Mind” by @SamSmithworld – The First Great Song of 2014

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SAM SMITH, “Money On My Mind”

21 year old UK R&B/pop singer Sam Smith has a voice we will be hearing for years.  He’s already been featured on UK #1 “La La La” by Naughty Boy and the much better “Latch” by Disclosure.  While he’s currently on a limited USA tour, he dropped “Money On My Mind” last week from his upcoming EP Nirvana.  And if the rest of his songs are like “Money”, it will indeed be Nirvana.  Its appeal is instantaneous, snappy rhythm with a great lyric that allows Sam to tower over it all.  All of the raves this year are correct.  So “Money On My Mind” is indeed the first great song of 2014 that you can hear now.  Mark it on your calendar – official release date is February 16, 2014.

Listen right here:  https://soundcloud.com/samsmithworld/money-on-my-mind

Note that currently there does not appear to be a Soundcloud sharing function to create a player within WordPress documents.  If I learn of one I will repost the song.

(Re)Work This! @AngelicaSalem Scores with “Drop A House On That Bitch”

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ANGELICA SALEM, “Drop A House On That Bitch”

Think of this as your pre-Christmas present when you might be going to watch Dorothy in the tornado on the way to Oz.  Its origins are actually in the 80s (by Urban Discharge featuring uncredited vocalist Heather Leigh-West), and it became a UK #1 single in 1998 mashed up with a sample of “Can You Feel It” by The Jacksons as “Feel It” by The Tamperer featuring Maya Days.  And it was Ms Days who tweeted Angelica Salem’s rework of the classic “Drop A House On That Bitch” to me on the weekend.  Score!!  It’s got a dirty bassline with an appropriately fierce vocal by lovely 20 year old Connecticut native Angelica (who has appeared on a recent mixtape with Wyclef Jean), and I think that clubs should embrace it. For upcoming official release:  Click! Click! Click! go the ruby slippers 😀

BILLCS Top 30 #419 – December 2, 2013

December certainly means Christmas and the holidays, but it also means developing and finalizing year end lists – is yours in progress?

The Top 10:

  • I knew after hearing Bright Light Bright Light’s “An Open Heart” (above), my last few charts of 2013 and my year end list would be shaken up a tad.  Indeed, “An Open Heart” takes over at #1, the fastest riser on the chart up from #10, becoming Rod Thomas’ 4th chart-topper with one of his strongest songs both lyrically and melodically 🙂  Los Angeles – BLx2 is coming for you!!
  • It’s going to be a while before any song shakes “What’s Going On” by Monsieur Adi & A*M*E (below) out of second place, which also means that new arrival at #3 “Can’t Hold Back” by Anton Ewald will probably stay steady too!

  • Betty Who’s “Somebody Loves You” gets displaced but stays close at #4, while “I Have A Name” by Osvaldo Supino brings all of its fine, positive vibes into the Top 5 🙂
  • DATABOY’s “We Can’t Stop Summertime Sadness” mashup advances to #6, while mega dance epic from blog fave Simon Curtis “Do I Have To Dance” climbs to #7.  Both are free downloads (see the chart for the links!).
  • It’s going to be near the top of my Best Of list for albums of the year… Travis Garland’s self-titled debut yields another Top 10er with “Easy” at #9.

Rising Up the Chart:

  • Boom! goes “Every Single Moment” by SIRPAUL (above) from his most enjoyable album Seventh Star, its best chart run yet as it soars 21-13.
  • Ryan Star’s new album is scheduled for release on January 14, and New Yorkers will be lucky enough to experience another album release concert.  “Impossible”, from his EP Animals, moves up 18-15.
  • Jarell Perry’s EP White is on deck soon and he keeps on offering out new songs for free download, such as a cover of Lupe Fiasco’s “Paris, Tokyo” which has a breathtaking vocal.  His absolutely lovely and sad (and free for download) “4th of July” climbs 20-16.  Both songs are below for your listening and downloading pleasure.

  • Martin Garrix’s “Animals” got a week in at #1 on the UK Singles chart and it resides at #2 on Billboard’s Dance Club Play chart.  This innovative instrumental by this 17 year old Dutchman rises 24-18 .
  • “Gold” by British singer Eurielle is one of the most unique singles of 2013, marrying styles by the likes of Enya, Loreena McKennitt and Enigma for an enchanting effect.  It’s being played on D-Moos National Internet Radio (to which I contribute artist profiles and voiceovers) here in Canada, and climbs 26-19.

  • Carlos Nóbrega’s “Breathe Me” (above) reached the Top 5 on Hypem’s chart this past weekend, and this beautiful cover of Sia’s song moves up 28-21.
  • “Keep Me Running” by NYC trio Andy Suzuki & The Method jumps 27-22 as their new video, the title track to their album Born Out Of Mischief, has surfaced with some heartwarming scenes of Andy as a child with his family.  Both videos are below 🙂

  • It’s clever 80’s retro dance at its best – “I Can’t Help It” by Dangerous Muse, from This Beat Is Poptronik!… Volume Two, rises 29-23.

Debuts:

Having the next two songs back-to-back on the chart was not planned or realized until after the chart was made 😛

  • The original got to #12 on my chart in early 2012, and probably would have gone higher had it not been the last single release from Born This Way.  But “Marry The Night” is back thanks to a superlative performance on “Glee” by Adam Lambert.  I think we’re all just waiting for new Lambert music anyway, so this fills the gap nicely.  It bows at #24 and to me is one of the best-ever performances from the show (no songs from the show have previously appeared on my chart).

  • Lady GaGa’s next single “Do What U Want”, with R. Kelly, is just fine, thank you very much, as is the ARTPOP album overall.  Despite some forays into true disaster, the better songs out weigh the others, though the album is much stronger in melody to me than in words.  “Do What U Want” premieres at #25.  It’s R. Kelly’s first appearance on my chart since 2004, as a featured artist on Cassidy’s “Hotel”.  He’s hit the Top 10 once, in 1999 with Keith Murray on “Home Alone” (#7).

  • It’s blowing up from a special feature in this blog to a radio and video hit.  Torontonian Corey Niles arrives at #28 with “Rollercoaster” (featuring Dru), and this is the kind of slick, fun R&B/Hip Hop that doesn’t go unrecognized.  Check out the “Making Of” video as well.

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 :)

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

New Video for “Rollercoaster” by @coreyniles featuring Dru

COREY NILES featuring DRU, “Rollercoaster” (vide0)

After some delays, the long-awaited video to slamming new Canadian R&B/Hip Hop singer Corey Niles’ “Rollercoaster” dropped yesterday.  And as I wrote about a month ago (you’ll have to scroll down the page), there is more to Canada in this style than Drake, for even in its video “Rollercoaster” doesn’t stop with the party.  Noooo… situated in one endless-looking room, Corey and featured artist Dru set up the room (sort of…), invite some ladies in, and then a few, well, unexpected things start happening.  But it doesn’t phase the guys one bit, as you will see.  Now that the video is here, look for “Rollercoaster” and Corey Niles (the songwriter of “Rewind” by Neverest, a recent #1 on my personal chart) to start making a lot more noise just in time for holiday parties 🙂