BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

Rockin’ Soul: @JanelleMonae featuring @MiguelUnlimited in “Prime Time”

JANELLE MONAE featuring MIGUEL, “Prime Time”

From her upcoming album The Electric Lady comes this mighty fine duet between fiery talent Janelle Monáe and suave and unmistakable Miguel, “Prime Time”. The song combines the best of mid-70’s soul that makes you think of Chaka Khan and Patti LaBelle meeting Major Harris or Tyrone Davis, with the rock sounds that evolved from Michael Jackson, Nona Hendryx, and particularly Prince (who apparently is featured on Janelle’s album).

While her jumping off point was certainly her featured role in fun.’s “We Are Young”, songs like “Prime Time” will undoubtedly put that song quickly into the past to focus on the talents that she started to showcase a few years back on well-received albumThe Arch-Android. Janelle Monáe has her A-game going and the celebrity support from Prince, Miguel, Erykah Badu and others should not be dismissed. Can’t wait to hear the complete results.

It’s The Real Deal: “Applause” by @LadyGaGa

LADY GAGA, “Applause”

While GaGa certainly doesn’t need my help with some kind words about the video for “Applause”, I’m writing it up nonetheless because it is The Real Deal in so many ways.

Having experienced the GaGa concert experience earlier this year – 3 shows before her tour ended – “Applause” continues the grand splash of visuals, costumes, dancing, and singing that made her concert so impressive. Only at one memorable point in the video do I think it goes overboard, even beyond GaGa, but the rest of it is spot on, extremely well directed and paced by fashion photographers Inez & Vinoodh – GaGa is on display clothed, little clothed, wigged, unwigged, costumed crazy, covering all the bases without it all even seeming too busy.

So what Lady GaGa has done with “Applause” is made a video that is consummate entertainment, especially impressive for those of us who have seen the music video era from the start. The song itself is a truly storming dance record that breezes by. If ARTPOP will be filled with songs as well done as “Applause”, we will all be the richer.

Action and More Action: Video for “Rewind” by @Neverestmusic

NEVEREST “Rewind”

I’ve already written about how much I like the power and energy which is transforming the sound of Toronto quartet Neverest, and the song landed on my personal chart this week at #23. The band had already posted a huge tease of a trailer for the video for “Rewind”, and it has arrived. The teasing and waiting is well worth it. The video, directed by the award-winning RT!, is heavy on action and story, with excellent performance shots of the band interspersed, and it looks like a large amount of dollars was sunk into its creation. This makes for top notch entertainment value in 3 minutes or so as cute but evil gal absconds with what was supposed to be shared loot, and sics her thugs on our boys, who manage to get survive it all, even amid cell phone interruption (note the “About Us” ringtone)! Congrats to Neverest and their team for making one of the best video’s I’ve seen all year.

@JesseMcCartney Joins the Indie Ranks with R&B Flavoured “Back Together”

JESSE McCARTNEY “Back Together”

It was such a huge surprise for me back in 2008 when I found some of my favourite songs that year came from Jesse McCartney’s Departure album. The album was a retreat from the teen pop of successful songs like “Beautiful Soul” in favour of current R&B flavouring along with stretching a vocal range that had developed over the years. The hits were “Leavin'” and “How Do You Sleep”, but album-only songs like my personal favourite “Relapse” and “Freaky” also commanded attention.

After a long stretch which saw no album release and a few singles that simply did not resonate, 27 year old Jesse returns with “Back Together” – and it sounds like a more logical successor to songs from Departure. And this time, like The Jonas Brothers and others, he has no major record label, so the song wisely keeps abreast of the ongoing R&B pop trend, joining Robin Thicke, Justin Timberlake, 98 Degrees, and others. Opening for Backstreet Boys on their current tour, performing on the “Army Wives” TV show, and lending his voice as Theodore in the “Alvin & The Chipmunks” movie series will certainly help keep Jesse McCartney in the public eye. And I’m really hoping he will achieve similar reaction to Departure whenever his new album is released. “Back Together” is a great taste of things to come. Listen below.

With @adamtylerx Love’s Gotta Be “Concrete”

ADAM TYLER “Concrete”

From a forthcoming EP that will also include “Fade Into The Light” (which recently got to #9 on my chart), LA-based pop/EDM singer/songwriter Adam Tyler has launched one of his best songs in “Concrete”. Lyrically and melodically, this song has it all. Take the best elements of many of Adam’s songs from his Shattered Ice album, mix them with a contemporary and edgy production that started with “Fade Into The Light”, and add a sly, sexy vocal break reminiscent of “Like A Drug”. The video for “Concrete” also captures many of Adam’s best moments on tour around the world over the past two years ago, as well as snippets from his other videos. Adam Tyler does not let up with giving you the goods each time he releases new music,. He engages with fans regularly on Twitter and in online chats, and is once again a featured artist on the dance compilation This Beat Is…Poptronik Volume Two. Can’t wait to see what other new music Adam has in store for us on the EP. Watch “Concrete” above.

You Know That Voice and It’s @MatJolyMusic : “Don’t Tell The Girl”

MAT JOLY “Don’t Tell The Girl”

Singer Mat Joly has one of the most recognizable voices in Canadian pop music over the last 10 years or so, you just may not know him by name. Mat was the vocalist for the successful Quebec band Mobile on their 2005 Tomorrow Starts Today and 2008 Tales Of The City albums, which yielded huge radio hits in “See Right Through Me”, “Out Of My Head”, and “The Killer”. I was fortunate to see Mat perform in an acoustic showcase this past Spring, and this new song “Don’t Tell The Girl” is a great shot of rock that could fare equally as well as the Mobile hits, with a choppy guitar riff and solid vocal that keep you listening until you realize that the song seems all too brief at under three minutes. But that’s tidy and tight, and an album is in progress, so you’ll be hearing more from Mat Joly this year. Listen below.

@lisajstansfield Returns After Almost 10 Years with “Can’t Dance”

LISA STANSFIELD “Can’t Dance”

I was delighted to find out that British singer Lisa Stansfield will be releasing her new album Seven this Fall, her first in almost ten years, and that it is being preceded by the slick and retro R&B-inflected song that captures her signature style, “Can’t Dance”.

Lisa started off as a member of dance outfit Coldcut with their hit “People Hold On”, in the late 80’s, and went on to have million-selling hits that are still played today such as the sinewy “All Around The World”, the emotional dance pop of “This Is The Right Time”, and “Real Love”, which became her 3rd R&B chart #1. One of her best vocal performances is in the cover of Cole Porter’s “Down In The Depths” from the Red, Hot & Blue project, and she also tackled Barry White’s “Never, Never Gonna Give You Up” in the late 90’s.

“Can’t Dance” is one of those songs that will light up Nu Disco dance floors with that familiar voice of hers – I’m hoping there will be some remixes to ensure its success in clubs. Listen above.

BILLCS Top 30 #411 – August 12/13

My new Top 10 song listing has had such a major overhaul in the last two weeks that leaves some rising songs temporarily stranded below the Top 10.

The Top 3 songs remain the same by a considerable margin. Would I have ever imagined a Pet Shop Boys holding at #1 in 2013 (with “Vocal”) for a fourth appearance (eighth week)? Get the entire Electric album, it’s excellent.
No longer a teen as of this past week, Swedish sensation Anton Ewald hangs at #2 again with “Begging”, while Dan Black & Kelis cannot break through the roadblock with “Hearts” to advance beyond #3.
It happened back in June, and it’s happened again. The highest debut on the chart bows at #4. The song that did just that 10 weeks ago – “Vocal” by Pet Shop Boys! This bodes very well for L.A. singer Kaden, as my long wait to have “Black Light” officially on release ended, as I wrote about last week, leaving the song that I heard and loved many months ago to arrive at #4 (particularly the Stormby remix below). PSB and Anton Ewald, your competition has arrived. Kaden will also appear with new music on Volume 2 of the dance compilation This Beat Is…Poptronik!

After premiering at a smashing #8 two weeks ago, “As Long As You Love Me” by Ryan Adamés can only climb to #5, but should continue to move forward. This is one cover version that has received more positive reaction from people for whom I’ve played it than any other in recent memory.
Even though Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” slips to #7 because of this fierce competition, don’t overlook the fact that it might climb back up… just saying.
Kylie Minogue’s “Skirt” continues to make its presence known even if the rest of the world isn’t falling head over heels for it outside of dance clubs. It’s the fastest riser, again, vaulting 19-8.
On the eve of some brand new music in the form of new song “Concrete”, as well as a recent cover of Zedd’s “Clarity”, L.A. singer Adam Tyler climbs up to #9 with his dance delight “Fade Into The Light”. Like Kaden, Adam appears on Volume 2 of This Beat Is…Poptronik!
After performing a free show this weekend in New York City, Andy Suzuki & The Method will soon announce a tour. Their gritty song “Dirty Floors” moves to #10 on the chart (listen below).

You can view the full Top 30 using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can click right here. You can hear all of the songs on the chart or watch their videos by clicking on the pics on the chart page. Any free downloads that are identified are sanctioned by the performer. There’s always a tiny place at the bottom of the blog post with tags and the statement “Leave A Comment” – please feel free to do so

Though songs like “Black Light”, “As Long As You Love Me”, and “Skirt” are charging into the Top 10, there are some mighty fine songs waiting to get there…

We have the story of the two point rise happening on this chart. Participating in this event are songs by Lawson, Killian Wells (& Kristinia DeBarge, FrankMusik, Kim Smith, Travis Garland (songs 12-16 respectively), Amelia’s Fault with Color Theory at #18, Sam Dickinson at #20, and Eric Saade (whose new album Forgive Me is coming soon) at #22. Slow and steady keeps the pace! Both FrankMusik and Killian Wells also have songs on Volume 2 of This Beat Is…Poptronik! making it four performers on what will be a crazy collection of contemporary dance pop and europop! The stylishly futuristic Liam Curry album cover is above.

In-between this activity, we have our second debut, “Take Back The Night” by Justin Timberlake (above) at #17 (while “Let The Groove Get In” slips to #19), from the upcoming Part II of The 20/20 Experience. To me this song is better than any song within Part I. Its roots appear to be based in Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall album, and the results are more than just slick, they are exquisite.
Lorde’s “Royals” advances only four places to #21, but should gain more in the coming weeks. The song will be on everyone’s tongue by the end of the summer and she will advance to play bigger gigs – her show at the small venue The Hoxton in Toronto sold out quickly, among others.

Third of five debuts belongs to Canadian quartet Neverest, with their tough new single “Rewind” at #23, which I wrote about a while back. Watch for what looks like an intense video coming soon! Listen above.
After my chronicle of the recent success of French electro-meister Monsieur Adi, it’s appropriate that his pairing with A*M*E arrives on the chart. “What’s Going On”, essentially a rework of Soul II Soul’s 1989 hit “Back To Life”, debuts at #28.
I haven’t written about her before, and I’m a bit behind on this one, considering there has already been a subsequent single, but there’s no time like the present to help turn you on to British singer Natalia Kills with “Problem”, from her upcoming album Trouble, at #29. It’s the Kat Krazy remix that gives this one the boost for me 🙂

Remixes Galore: The Rise of @MonsieurAdi

MONSIEUR ADI, Remixes and “What’s Going On” (featuring A*M*E)

Beyoncé, “Grown Woman”; Mikky Ekko, “Kids”; Bastille, “Pompeii”; Capital Cities, “Safe & Sound”; Seal, “Crazy”; Jamie N Commons, “Rumble Away”; Say Lou Lou, “Julian”; Swiss Lips, “U Got The Power”; Laura Mvula, “Green Garden”; Lana Del Rey, “Summertime Sadness”; Don Diablo featuring Noonie Bao, “M1 Stinger”; Lana Del Rey, “Born To Die”.

I’m so very pleased to have heard the rise of 26 year old French producteur, remixeur, et magicien des electroniques, Monsieur Adi, over the past three years with his own songs like “We Are The Romans” and the aggressive instrumental “Chariot”, as well as initial remixes like the heavily 80’s flavoured “Situation” by New York singer Javi Silva.

Since that time, le Monsieur has gradually become the go-to-guy for unique and very personalized remixes for the likes of Ellie Goulding, Darren Hayes (who have both lavished praise upon him in social media), and Lana Del Rey among others. He released his own EP last year called Fire Fire Fire, and it’s all resulting in an hour long A-list of remixes (which you can hear streamed above) as well as enhancing songs by newer performers like Swiss Lips and Say Lou Lou.

In particular, I’m really impressed with his takes on the new Beyoncé song “Grown Woman”, and Mikky Ekko’s solo bid for stardom after being featured in Rihanna’s “Stay”, “Kids”. His remix of “Pompeii” by Bastille got me into that song, and it looks like the same will happen with the current hit “Safe & Sound” by Capital Cities. But most outstanding of late has been his collaboration with young UK-based chart topper A*M*E, “What’s Going On”, below, which completely transforms one of my favourite late 80’s smashes, Soul II Soul’s “Back To Life”, with A*M*E amply filling the big shoes of Caron Wheeler. SMASH. And more to come, OUI OUI! 🙂

Official and On Release: “Black Light” by @kaden

KADEN, “Black Light”

At last! I wrote about “Black Light” by L.A. singer Kaden back in April. I’m pleased to say that it’s now officially available in just about any shape of a remix imaginable that might involve Stormby (below), Chris Jay, Sebastian Delsalto, David Bernardi and much more. No word yet on a reshot video which I hinted at earlier other than the teaser above. That’s oksy, for now I think the original video (below) is a terrific showcase for Kaden that totally suits the mood and imagery of the song. Bound to be one of my favourites of 2013! Waiting patiently pays off 😛 Buy it on iTunes now!!