SIMIAN GHOST, “A Million Shining Colours” (Trailer)
Just when you think that the year end of 2013 might have run out of great new music to anticipate. Along comes the highly praised Swedish trio Simian Ghost with new music that seems to have its heart set right in the middle of the 1980’s, at least for their upcoming “A Million Shining Colours”, which arrives in December, and you can preview it below. But to whet your ears a little more, they have covered the David Bowie song from his 1977 album Low, “Be My Wife” (also below) – and makes you forget that this was supposed to be his reconciliation song with then-wife Angie. Familiar and innovative all the same, I’m looking forward to hearing more by Simian Ghost.
Over the last month or so, nary a week seems to go by without me writing something about Bright Light Bright Light. So the EP In Your Care saw release yesterday on iTunes everywhere, and you all should go and snatch it up immediately! Another of the beautiful songs within has already been previewed a while back, and now there’s the accompanying video to the title song. “In Your Care” is a poignant, softer song from Rod Thomas about knowing what you have to do that may take you away from the people you love, and what’s left behind is waiting for you and being nurtured. It’s funny I thought the song had a bit of a double meaning upon first listens but the video gives a loving, straight-forward interpretation, with Rod singing with that New York City (*sigh*) backdrop where I saw him in concert last month. The In Your Care EP is one of the year’s best delights!
I’ve been writing for close to two years now about the amazing alternative electronica pop/rock music released independently by Toronto’s River Tiber, which is a live, functioning, and very tight band, but otherwise a studio project for ace multi-talent Tommy Paxton-Beesley. A review of “The City” by SPIN Magazine this past summer signals some great things about to happen. So on deck tomorrow on iTunes we have a new EP focusing around “The Star Falls”, a song from the earlier Synapses free album release (now pulled off the market I’m afraid – some things you’ve just gotta get when you have the chance – but I think a re-release is in store 😀 ). Watch the video below which was released earlier this year. The EP will feature two unreleased songs, “California” and “North”, which naturally is very appealing to me 🙂 as well as “The City” and “What Are You Afraid Of”, also both previously on Synapses.
Also focusing on the diversity of the music of River Tiber, Tommy’s pal DJ/producer Kwik Fiks has transformed “The City” from being a mini-odyssey lost in the beauty of a big city, and into a seriously catchy and house-y club affair. Dance mavens and DJ’s will love this one as it stands out well on its own without taking anything away from the original. Big bonus: Download it for free below.
And I won’t finish up here without posting the stunning video for “The City” which captures the essence of the song. “The City” was #1 for a month on my personal chart this past February.
River Tiber plays a release party for The Star Falls on Thursday, November 21 at the Drake Hotel in Toronto.
Like me, many of you know Oklahoma singer Graham Colton from his deliriously happy 2008 hit “Best Days”, one of my personal faves that year, which gave him lots of exposure and attention as a sought after new performer, having had a 5 year career that started a few years earlier with The Graham Colton Band. After leaving his major record label a few years later, Graham released a number of independent records, with 2010’s Pacific Coast Eyes garnering the most attention. But different flavours of music were brewing underneath, and now we have a new and still indie single called “Born To Raise Hell” that’s a light year or two away from “Best Days”. And by gar, it works, a really short cinematic song with just enough creepiness in the atmosphere and vocal to make you shiver a bit. I’d love to see it used in any one of the latest TV horror/fantasy shows. But it does have its own video, which has a more psychological bent to it, based on a true story, about how one child’s life for a while seems to circle around that of serial killer Richard Speck, without ever meeting. So watch the video and brace yourself mentally, or think of your own scenario and keep an even keel. “Born To Raise Hell” is afree downloadfrom Graham’s 2014 album release Lonely Ones. Very well done!
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 detailsweb 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
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!
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.
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.
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 gloriousfree 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!
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.
BILLCSMUSIC BLOG 
You must be logged in to post a comment.