BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

BILLCS Top 30 #405 – May 20/13

With so much new music arriving on the chart over the past month, there is considerable activity!

Amid it all, though, FrankMusik holds at #1 with “Map” (ab0ve), as the release date for Between as well as Frank’s US tour approach. But it’s being immediately challenged by “Blue Electric Roses” (6-2, below), my favourite song from Travis Garland’s magnetic free download Fashionably Late II EP. Travis’ song “Homewrecker” got a huge unexpected endorsement on Twitter this weekend by pop singer Richard Marx!! “Lifted” by Kwik Fiks & Bongiovanni slips to #3 but seems very attached to the top portion of the chart 🙂 “Outta My Mind” the Europop dance hit by Dutch singer Matt Blue jumps 10-4, while Willy Moon’s “My Girl” hangs in at #5 as his album Here’s Willy Moon looks to be released in North America soon.

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

Songs 6 through 12 are all on the upswing, which of course means that no song within the Top 5 is truly safe. “Your Touch” by Blake Lewis is deservedly right at the heels of the Top 5, and it’s followed by the fastest riser on the chart, “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk, which climbs 16-7. Could “Get Lucky” be one of the songs of Summer ’13? Watch below, and check out the splendid alternate unreleased version with Sam Sparro on vocals.

Ariana Grande & Mac Miller’s “The Way” inches up to #8, while both Bastille’s “Pompeii” and “Aviation High” by Semi-Precious Weapons arrive at last in the Top 10. Almost there are the radio-cranker “This Is What It Feels Like” by Armin Van Buuren & former soulDecision singer Trevor Guthrie (18-11, below), and “One Night” by Matthew Koma (14-12), which arrives in new remixes tomorrow on iTunes. It’s from his upcoming album Arcadia. Cherrytree Records has posted them on their Soundcloud site.

Meanwhile, “Somebody To Love Me”, the dance club rave-up by Eli Escobar featuring Jessica 6’s Nomi Ruiz soars 23-15, and Jarell Perry’s pensive but uptempo “9 2 5” jumps 20-16. Ghost Town’s edgy “Too Young” in a definitive Penguin Prison remix rises 25-18, while both “On My Way” by Charlie Brown and “Kiss My Lipstick Off” by Georgia Haege (both below) land in the Top 20 finally. And our third debut of last week, “Silent Morning” by Parralox featuring Ryan Adames, a cover of Noel’s classic mid-80s dance hit, moves up 26-21, with new remixes in tow on iTunes (including that crunchy rock-oriented one by Cherry Cherry Boom Boom).

At least one of my three debuts might be of surprise to you. I’ve been fighting with myself about what song from Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience would succeed the #11 charting “Suit & Tie”. Initially I was wrapped up in the beautiful “Strawberry Bubblegum”, but with all of the dance music energy on the chart right now the rump shaker and 70’s R&B-inspired “Let The Groove Get In” has won out and bows at #24.

Absolutely no stranger to the chart over the past three years is Adam Tyler, whose new and creative “Fade Into The Light”, especially with the huge dub-steppy break in the extended version, lands on the chart at #27.

I also can’t get enough of the song “Shame” by Slow Knights, a project spearheaded by Scissor Sisters’ Del Marquis – again the powerful R&B vocal and groove get stuck in your head and make you move. It’s from the project’s Cosmos album and bows at #28.

Your Long Weekend Playlist Part II: Lawson, Lenka, Magneta Lane, Darin, Kim Smith, Josh Kumra, Late Nite Tuff Guy, and tet:Dior

LAWSON featuring B.o.B. “Heartbroken”

In case you haven’t yet had enough of Andy, Ryan, Joel and Adam, the four young men who have had considerable UK success as Lawson, they are dropping this new single featuring rapper B.o.B. which could be the international breakthrough that I thought would happen with “Learn To Love Again”. The band sways comfortably back and forth with harder-edged rock songs with more thoughtful softer pop ones. This is as tight as it gets… and the rap by B.o.B. works just fine, as it did with another band – the alternate version of “Walk Away” by The Script. Watch the video below as well which documents the band’s AustralAsian tour and shows how much synergy they have among each other as band members. These lads are gonna go far!!

LENKA “Heart to the Party”

US-based Australian singer Lenka is on deck to release her third album Shadows, preceded by a new single “Heart to the Party”. You probably know Lenka best from her ear candy that was featured in a Windows 8 commercial over the last year, “Everything At Once”. This new song is a much more gentle, feel good record that wants to take you sunny days where you can forget about everything and feel like a kid again. Score!

MAGNETA LANE “Burn”

In stark contrast to the above video, is the latest from Canadian trio Magneta Lane, whose EP Witchrock I wrote about earlier this year. The song lyrics and the video don’t really have anything to do with each other, “Burn” being a scathing breakup song, and instead the video makes a huge and compelling statement about the portrayal of images of women to young girls. Don’t take the video literally; if you’re a parent of a teen or pre-teen girl (who happens to be a competitive singer/dancer) like me, then you know that videos like this just try to reinforce the message which is an ongoing one throughout the teen years and into the early 20’s. “Burn” is also a good performance showcase for Magneta Lane despite the obvious focus on the message. Well done.

DARIN “Check You Out”

I guess it’s time for me to backtrack to Swedish singer Darin Zanyar’s latest release Exit. Its second single “Check You Out” is indeed a bristling dance number sure to shake your tailfeather and more. Darin seems to be filling the gap of Swedish male dance pop while Eric Saade is releasing softer R&B-oriented pop songs. My only complaint, as with many records from the Nordic countries and northern Europe – it’s not released in North America. Darin could have so much dance club play success with “Check You Out” worldwide. It’s a strong and unique ready-for-play offering that stands readily next to dance club hits by Jennifer Lopez or Usher. There’s also a really gleefully grimy-sounding John De Sohn remix on deck (listen to the preview below).

KIM SMITH “Never Ever” (J-Mi & Midi-D’s Highly Improbable Radio Edit)

Fresh from some glorious reviews for his debut pop single “Jealous” comes New York-based Australian singer Kim Smith’s second single “Never Ever”, from his upcoming album. This song, in its original format, is all about the the sterling vocal performance, as you will find out when it’s released worldwide on iTunes tomorrow. This J-Mi & Midi-D remix surrounds Kim’s classic voice with all kinds of sneakily creative big-sounding business, which takes the song to a new level on which you will find dance club DJ’s simply wanting more. Listen below – there’s more to come from this great new talent in 2013!

JOSH KUMRA “The Answer” (Russ Chimes remix)

Highly reminiscent of classic mid-90’s electro, “The Answer” by 22 year old UK singer Josh Kumra gets its groove on and doesn’t stop. Russ Chimes’ remix brings it down low and then brings you back and wanting much, much more. UK chart buffs will know Josh from his vocal on Wretch 32’s #1 hit “Don’t Go” two years ago. More like this please 🙂

LATE NITE TUFF GUY remixes JAMIROQUAI’s “Too Young To Die” (LNTG Capricorn High Remix)

Someone who knows how to lock into a groove, reshape and transform it, without taking anything away from the original, is Australia’s Late Nite Tuff Guy. This talented producer/DJ recently won a contest to remix a song by Jamiroquai, so behold his Capricorn High remix of “Too Young To Die”, which originally appears on Jamiroquai’s 1992 massive debut album Emergency On Planet Earth. It’s a bit different even for a Tuff Guy remix, very classy electro-disco-jazzy that truly shows off Jay Kay’s vocal. Everything that a remix should be – I hope it receives official release.

The Tuff Guy also posted about a contemporary electro remix which re-envisions Donna Summer’s “Love To Love You Baby” a year after her passing. Do take the time to listen to tet:Dior’s “Love2Love” below. How very fitting considering the good times and influences of disco music are on the rise this year 🙂

Your Long Weekend Playlist, Part I: FrankMusik, Bright Light Bright Light, Graffiti6, Charly Mae, Anton Ewald, and Oscar Zia

FRANKMUSIK “Chasing Shadows”

When you hear the compelling beauty of a song like “Chasing Shadows”, you know that the rest of the songs you haven’t already heard from FrankMusik’s upcoming album Between (due June 8) are going to be equally grand. It’s a really rich song – almost too rich – that almost makes you want to get sad and teary-eyed. But no!! Where his song “Captain” is the chaotic storm, “Chasing Shadows” is the calm resolution where you’ll see the rainbow once you get past the mountain ahead. The supurb high notes and huge chorus make you feel glad and relieved at the same time. As his previous EP title said, the journey is ‘far from over’.

Get “Chasing Shadows” on iTunes, but also be sure to listen to and download a song that won’t appear on Between, “One Mile” (below). As with many of his other songs that don’t fit into the final package, FrankMusik does not just give you filler. “One Mile” is a joyful and soulful pop confection.

BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT “Blueprint”

Rod Thomas (who is BLx2) is currently playing a number of shows in the USA (New York, Boston, Washington DC) in advance of the final single release from his 2012 debut album Make Me Believe In Hope. “Moves” is a brilliant choice, one that I certainly hoped for, since I added it to my chart last year (where it peaked at #6) in-between releases of “Waiting For The Moment” (#1) and “Feel It” (#5). As an added attraction to the single, BLx2 is including “Blueprint” (first available last year on a limited USA release), which starts off slow and thoughtful as do many BLx2 songs, but gets out in the open and reaches for the sky at about the 2 minute mark and by then you’re just hopelessly hooked. The “Moves” single including “Blueprint” arrives June 3.

GRAFFITI6, “Wash My Sins”

After a well-deserved success in 2012 with the enduring “Free” from their Colours album, duo Jamie Scott and Tommy Danvers are back with new songs. “Wash My Sins” is the first taste of new Graffiti6 for your ears, and if you would like a gospel-flavoured dose of pop/R&B to wrestle you out of bed in the morning, then “Wash My Sins” will do just that! It’s definitely several steps away from “Free” or “Stare Into The Sun”, but it shows you that this duo is muscling ahead and chock full of surprises for you. Very much looking forward to more new songs from Graffiti6.

CHARLY MAE featuring PW, “Girls Go Hard”

There is no doubt in my mind that I think UK singer Charly Mae is a potent voice waiting to happen. And “Girls Go Hard”, a powerful female empowerment song that draws on inspiration from Beyonce and Rihanna songs, could help get her there. It’s probably the most deliberately aggressive song by Charly Mae yet, and the rap by PW is well-placed and memorable. I would have liked to have heard less power and more vocal range, as in Charly Mae’s covers of Christina Aguilera songs among others, but overall it’s still quite well done. For another side of Charly Mae, check out the fun duet with Brazilian singer Edoo below on “Scream and Shout”, which to me is an awful song but the two tackle it and make much more of it than I expected. Watch for more songs from Charly Mae soon!

ANTON EWALD, “Begging”

I know I’m a bit behind on writing about this one, but it seems like every other year there is a truly winning performance that comes out of Sweden’s Melodifestivalen contest, even if it’s not the song that wins. This time we have 19 year old singer/dancer/ choreographer Anton Ewald, whose showy presence in “Begging” (which he choreographed – he’s also been a dancer on the show in recent years) comes close to rivalling his friend Eric Saade, who had better keep his eye on that Swedish male pop crown he wears 😉 So many pop singers from Sweden deserve an international shot – the Nordic fans have to let go of them for just a little while so that the rest of the world can embrace them!

OSCAR ZIA, “#Fail”

16 year old Swedish singer Oscar Zia has released one of the year’s delightful trifles, “#Fail” (aka “Hashtag Fail”), and I’m hoping pop philes will help spread the word to take the song around the world. File it less next to Anton Ewald – whose “Begging”, ironically, beat out “”Jalla Dansa Sawa” by Behrang Miri in Melodifestivalen, a song in which Oscar provides vocals – and Eric Saade, and more beside the feel good pop of Dutch singer Jeronimo. Oscar gives a much more mature performance than his years with a lot of help from great songwriter pedigree 🙂 It’s already been #1 on Sweden iTunes – big, fun, shiny tunes like this should rarely be kept under wraps!

Welcome Back to 98° for Phase ‘2.0’

They’re back for the first time in over 10 years! 98° – Nick, Justin, Drew and Jeff – makes a timely return with a new album, the independently released 2.0 (available in Canada by eOne Entertainment), and a May-to-August North American tour in support of New Kids On The Block. And I say timely for multiple reasons, one being a return in pop music to an appreciation of very fine voices which are a prime reason these days why records are being bought.

I first heard 98° on the radio back in 1997, when a local Top 40/Dance station interviewed them on air. With being newly signed to Motown Records and a flavour at the time that skewed more R&B than pop, they sounded like a pretty laid back but eager-to-please quartet from Ohio, and they ended up with a huge single out of the box with “Invisible Man”. I was definitely impressed. They left Motown as it was being absorbed into the Universal Music fold at the time and moved on to Universal proper where their biggest hits awaited them – “Because Of You”, “The Hardest Thing”, “Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)”, and the Grammy-nominated #1 “Thank God I Found You” with Mariah Carey and Joe. And like some groups caught up in the boy band era of 1997-2003 (most of whom split up), the guys went on indefinite hiatus, while Nick Lachey of course got a solo hit in 2006 with “What’s Left Of Me” and recorded two albums, and brother Drew won on (and later co-hosted a season of) “Dancing With The Stars”.

So as I say, the key selling feature of 2.0 is the guys’ voices, which have never sounded better. First single “Microphone” (below) takes square aim at drawing in the younger audience with a peppy pop number that in a most complimentary way wouldn’t sound out of place on a Jonas Brothers album. The best songs are the slower ones. “Take The Long Way Home” is the album’s true stunner that takes its time to enthrall you. Other stand out songs are “Agree On Goodbye”, “Lonely”, and “Hush Hush”. The album only stumbles when it veers into dated Timbaland/will.i.am kind of territory with “AYO” , and “Impossible Things”, which treads unevenly on Jason Mraz acoustics.

But they have timed it right, given the recent new releases by singers like Justin Timberlake and Robin Thicke, and I think through exposure and pop radio play 98° will earn back their place on the charts while still keeping their fans from their heyday.

BILLCS Top 30 #404 – May 6/13 – Mapping His Way to the Top Again!

This edition of my personal chart is full of ups and downs with only a handful of songs staying static.

That of course means a new #1 song. It’s very fitting that FrankMusik’s “Map” should grab the top spot (his third time, following “The Fear Inside” and “No ID”) with the imminent arrival of his album Between, and another of acoustic songs, Between Us. In a case of great timing, Vince posted his acoustic version of “Map” (below) on Soundcloud last night, and it’s a lot more raw and cutting (and I mean, ouch!) than the original version. The frenetic “Captain” also climbs to #4, and new single and video “Chasing Shadows” is on deck. There’s so much happening with FrankMusik that it seems absolutely crazy, but I’m happy to be along for the ride 🙂

This means that “Lifted by Kwik Fiks & Bongiovanni surrenders to second place after 3 charts (6 weeks) at #1. Gentlemen Hall’s “Sail Into The Sun” holds steady at #3 – I hear some radio stations are now playing it, probably wise since it’s been all over TV for the last two months! I can’t wait to hear more new music from the Boston sextet. Willy Moon’s highly contagious “My Girl” (video below) soars to #5, and thank goodness it’s available as a single here since Universal Canada has not got around to releasing the Here’s Willy Moon album…

The Top 10 got turned inside out, with James William’s “Lay Your Love On Me” and “The Way” by Ariana Grande & Mac Miller each advancing one position. They had to contend with the soon-to-be unstoppable force that is Travis Garland, whose stunning and direct blue-eyed soul ballad “Blue Electric Roses” is the fastest riser again, this time vaulting 18 to 6. And right behind is “Your Touch”, whose song and groove are embedded in my head now, courtesy of Blake Lewis, climbing 16-7. Then there’s also the irresistible dance fest that is “Outta My Mind” by young Dutch singer Matt Blue (video below), already advancing to #10 in its second appearance.

Also on the rise and likely headed for the Top 10 are “Pompeii” by UK sensations Bastille, Semi-Precious Weapons’ “Aviation High”, “One Night” by current travelling man Matthew Koma, “Heart Attack” by Demi Lovato (loving the remixes, video and remix below), plus huge movers “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk (27-16), “This Is What It Feels Like” by Armin van Buuren & Trevor Guthrie (25-18) which has become a massive radio hit in Canada, and the thoughtful ode about being stuck in a “9 2 5” (28-20) world by the new R&B singer with the amazing voice, Jarell Perry.

While “On My Way” by Charlie Brown and “Kiss My Lipstick Off” by Georgia Haege may seem stuck below #20, they will still likely move up in two weeks and attempt to hang around amid fierce competition, which includes three new entries, about which I’ve already written.

I love how DJ/producers like Eli Escobar are re-inventing Disco in the NuDisco format, deep house music mixed with old school disco, techno and trance at times. His collaboration with Jessica 6’s Nomi Ruiz is a stunner, and “Somebody To Love Me” arrives at #23. It appears on Eli’s EP Feel It.

Like Eli Escobar and Nomi Ruiz, the guys (Josh Ocean and Eric “Doc” Mendelsohn) who comprise NYC duo Ghost Beach seem to mesh the past with the present with ease. To think they were in town a couple of weeks ago, when I had just found out about the Penguin Prison remix of “Too Young”, which bows at #25. What makes this record are the vocals which remind me of late 70’s Joe Jackson meeting Justin Tranter of Semi-Precious Weapons about halfway. Listen below and pick up the remix as part of the duo’s EP Modern Tongues Remixed.

Lastly, it’s been a big week for Aussie duo Parralox and rising US singer Ryan Adamés and their wonderful team. Parralox’s John Von Ahlen has unleashed an eye-popping animated lyric video (below) for their rendition of Noel’s seminal 1987 freestyle classic “Silent Morning”. And as I wrote about earlier in the week, Cherrytree Records prez and Interscope Records VP Martin Kierszenbaum, aka Cherry Cherry Boom Boom, remixed the song to give it a punchier alternate identity (also below). In either version, the song is a huge grower and I hope that dance clubs fawn all over it in the coming months. It debuts on my chart at #26.

Dance Into Spring, Spring Into Dance?: Mika & Ariana Grande, Pet Shop Boys, The Wanted, and Boris Dlugosch & Róisín Murphy

I swear the clubs and dance floors are gonna be hot this summer, given the music that keeps arriving to make our feet aflutter 🙂

MIKA featuring ARIANA GRANDE “Popular Song”

I know that zeroing in on a song from Mika’s The Origin Of Love album since last Fall may have been difficult, especially with the multiple videos which didn’t seem to help promote the album very well. First, “Make You Happy”, then “Celebrate”, and more recently “Underwater”, whose video was spell-binding, until the end which left a rather poor aftertaste. Nevertheless seeing Mika for the first time in concert a few weeks ago was a real treat, he is an amazing showman, and it was still so surprising to hear how many fans knew all the lyrics to his songs from Life In Cartoon Motion six years later. The focal song for me from The Origin Of Love has always been “Popular Song”, with its playful inclusion of the chorus of “Popular” from the play “Wicked”, so much that I’ve already charted the song twice, in its original album version and then with this Ariana Grande version, which has now surfaced as a video. If there’s a song to reignite interest in the album, it’s “Popular Song”, and this immensely fun and Tim Burton-inspired video (with its bullying theme undercurrent, note!), full of style and delightful ghastly humour.

PET SHOP BOYS “Axis”

Now that PSB have finally left Parlophone after their 25 years with them, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe return to the classic PSB sound of 20+ years ago with “Axis” from their upcoming album Electric, released on their own X2 label. While “Axis” might be an official single, to me this is just PSB whetting our appetite for what are likely to be much, much different songs than on their last (and IMO weakest) album Elysium. “Axis” is the buoyant, layered stuff that paved the way for current EDM/electronica, and it’s primarily an instrumental, which reminds me of many a PSB B-side. Look for a second single to bring the Boys back in true style along with the album release. Then there’s a tour which appears to be taking them everywhere, including my city (Toronto) on September 25. Absolutely can’t wait.

THE WANTED “Walks Like Rihanna”

Say what you will about The Wanted, I think they’ve got a lot of strong vocal talent which is also blessed with songs from very good songwriters indeed. “Walks Like Rihanna” may seem obvious but quite truly you will neither be able to escape this song in the coming summer nor will you be able to get it out of your heads. And that’s what is setting the quintet apart from other current boy bands. Not out for sale until June 23 unless that’s bumped up.

BORIS DLUGOSCH featuring ROISIN MURPHY “Look Around You”

“Look Around You” neatly joins songs about which I’ve been writing lately that might bring disco music back to its heyday. Note: You will get sick of me saying this in upcoming blog posts, so be warned 🙂 Taking its cues from turn of the century house music – not surprising since German producer Boris last teamed with the essential Róisín around that time with “Never Enough” – “Look Around You” beckons you to move with a sultry and polished Róisín vocal. More like this, please! For sale on May 17.

Remixes! Covers! Action!

My stereo and iPod Touch are currently being flooded with supurb male R&B voices and remixes, and as I mentioned in a previous blog post, I’m wondering if these are all signposts for a disco comeback? The vibe is definitely out there and people are in such need of true feel good music. So I have for you today some remarks on some choice remixes and cover versions (and y’all know I’m selective about the latter…).

Remixes

ARMIN VAN BUUREN featuring TREVOR GUTHRIE “This Is What It Feels Like” (W&W remix)

While this has quickly become a song that I can foresee being played way past the summer months, the W&W remix gives the song a really deep trance drop right at the two minute mark that is repeated later on. These guys clearly know how to take an already great song and make it go boom on the dance floor. If you’re not grooving to it, shame on you!

PARRALOX featuring RYAN ADAMES “Silent Morning” (Cherry Cherry Boom Boom remix)

I’m actually loving this remix, and while it kind of abandons the freestyle origins of the song itself, it adds a different bunch of punches. They include Ryan’s hard hitting vocal at the beginning, as well as the influx of some crunchy rock guitar in the midst of a lot of fancy razzle dazzle that doesn’t overwhelm the song at all. Not what you’d expect, and that’s a good thing for such a recognizable dance song done in style by Australian duo Parralox and American guy-on-the-rise Ryan, as I wrote about a while back.

FAITH EVANS “Love Like This” (Kwik Fiks Can’t 2-Step Remix)

Not sure if this garage house flavoured remix is designed to make you want to attempt the 2-step or not 😉 but Canadian producer/remix Kwik Fiks (still comfortably sitting atop my Top 30 with “Lifted”) has messed with Faith Evans’ 1998 smash by giving it a new set of grooves. What it might just do is make you forget what Fatman Scoop did to the song about 10 years ago, right? This is the kind of inventive remixing that will keep ears on Kwik Fiks. Free download, to boot 🙂

GHOST BEACH “Too Young” (Penguin Prison remix)

Penguin Prison (Chris Glover) is definitely on a roll, recently with a fine remix of Churchill’s “Change” and now with something much rockier, New York band Ghost Beach’s “Too Young”. The rock basis of the song is kept along with the terrific almost punk-ish vocals amid disco synths that will send your mind into a bit of a time trip. It’s a really playful remix for clubs to try.

VAGUE-A-BONDE “Our Love” (Camache remix)

The original version of “Our Love”, from the Minnesota-based singer’s recently released (and reviewed) EP 222 is transformed from an other-worldly synth-laden ballad into another club mix that leans heavily on a harder rock sound along with some deliberate distortion near the end. It’s definitely got crunch that stands out from the rest in a set.

Covers

SAM SPARRO vs DAFT PUNK “Get Lucky”

The Nile Rodgers connection thing is a-happening with what is actually such a deft alternate version of the new hit featuring Pharrell Williams on vocals. Sam’s slick voice seduces the lyrics and those disco guitar riffs that offers its own experience which some may like better than the hit version. Official release, pretty please?

CHRIS WALLACE “I Knew You Were Trouble”

I’ve watched this video many times over the last few weeks, and Indiana-born Chris Wallace absolutely kills this Taylor Swift cover in a live House of Blues performance that really makes you want to be a fly on the club’s wall. The success of “Remember When (Push Rewind)” on US radio has set the stage for huge things to happen for this multi-talent, and performances like this only seal the deal.

CHROMATONE “Fine China” and “Justin Jackson”

Chromatone is hard at work on new songs for an upcoming release, and in the meantime we are being treated to some choice cover versions. I already wrote about the version of Emeli Sande’s “My Kind Of Love”, and now we have two videos to keep us going while we’re waiting. “Justin Jackson” is a supurb medley of Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake songs (including JT’s recent “Suit & Tie”) with a raw vocal, that is designed to be a crowd pleaser and succeeds (gotta like his British accent amid the songs too 🙂 ). “Fine China” is transformed in an amusing video and with a really potent vocal from him that might just make you leave Chris Brown’s original in the dust. Watch both highly entertaining videos below.

New Jams by Adam Tyler, Eli Escobar & Nomi Ruiz, and Ashton Zanecki

ADAM TYLER “Fade Into The Light”

This week sees the official release of the first new original song from L.A. based singer Adam Tyler since Summer ’11, when songs from his debut album Shattered Ice popped out in all the right places. He steps back as far as 2010’s “Friction” to grab some darkness for both the lyrics and melody of “Fade Into The Light”, darker in a much different way than say from “Like A Drug” from Shattered Ice. As portrayed in the video, hot off the presses today, the song broadcasts images of isolation and emotional scarring, but with the intent on letting go for something better. Both radio edit and extended versions (available on iTunes) wrap you up in mid-tempo dance rhythms that shift into Skrillex-y dubstep territory which becomes a climactic moment in the song. “Fade Into The Light” is a grower for sure and serves as both a welcome introduction for new fans and a change up for those of you like me who look forward to whatever Adam sings next. I’m looking forward to seeing some producers get their hands on “Fade Into The Light” for some remixes to help it blow up in dance clubs! Adam is great to connect with – high school students who saw him in concert recently at their schools know what I’m talking about 🙂 Join him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/adamtylerx!

ELI ESCOBAR featuring NOMI RUIZ “Somebody To Love Me”

I love dance music that wraps itself up in many styles and then…. BOOOM! “Somebody To Love Me” benefits greatly from Jessica 6 vocalist Nomi Ruiz’s diverse and seductive voice that we fell in love with a few years back with songs like “Prisoner Of Love” from the NYC trio’s See The Light album. Since then they’ve played worldwide in clubs, and another new record will put them on the international map. Producer Eli Escobar’s melting pot of styles sends you swinging one way back to 70’s disco days (Cher’s “Take Me Home” comes instantly to mind and not for kitschy reasons) and then onward to the mid-90s to bask in flavour from the likes of Crystal Waters or The Bucketheads. “Disco -that’s where the happy people go, and they’re just dancing along, to the perfect song” sang The Trammps in 1975. Songs like “Somebody To Love Me” help put you right there.

ASHTON ZANECKI “1,000 Grand”

I’m really sold on the talent of young American singer Ashton Zanecki, who has been garnering attention online since he was 14. A few years later, and he is growing song by song. Earlier this year, I was totally abuzz in Winter Popervescence about his gloriously fun cover of Cher Lloyd’s “Want U Back” – a song I don’t even like in its original version! But his spontaneous performance and appealing sense of wacky humour convinced me (you can watch “Want U Back” again below, especially if you want to smile). “1,000 Grand”, an original (available on iTunes), might try to portray him as almost a male version of Ke$ha, but our boy has other vocal and lyrical tricks up his sleeve to say yeahhh… but there’s so much more to listen to. It’s all about bringing the entire package home and Ashton Zanecki does just that. Given more time and guidance, he should soon have a large fan base. So great to see our friends at EQ Music Blog managing Ashton for this start of promising songs to come.

BILLCS Top 30 #403 – April 22/13

And the new music keeps on coming, with four new entries (all but one of which I’ve written about), causing premature exits on my personal chart for some songs, but it looks like we are in for a grand summer given the quality of music on its way. And can the flavour of 1970’s disco make its comeback with the help of one of the new songs? Read on…

“Lifted” by Kwik Fiks & Bongiovanni holds tight at the top for a third chart appearance (6th week), and the guys are busy with other projects, including Bongiovanni’s “I Think I Love You” rework which I wrote about earlier. Zedd & Foxes (video below) and Gentlemen Hall continue in the runner-up spots, with Lawson ranking 5th, while FrankMusik’s “Map” climbs to #4 and “Captain” rises to #6. FrankMusik is no stranger to my Top 5, with two previous #1’s (“The Fear Inside” and “No ID”) and three other Top 10’s, including “Fast As I Can”, which will also appear on his upcoming album Between in May. New single “Chasing Shadows” is on deck soon! If “Lifted” doesn’t hold at #1 in two weeks, I think a new #1 will be a surprise 🙂

Most of the chart is in a tight lock, as often happens when a lot of new songs arrive, so there is minimal upward movement. Nonetheless The Presets’ “A.O.” grabs #7, and “My Girl” by Willy Moon (whose album Here’s Willy Moon is still not out in Canada) rises to #8. James William’s supremely catchy “Lay Your Love On Me” (sing it – wo-oh-oh-wo-oh-oh – below) becomes a Top 10 hit in its own right and it’s still available as a free download. “The Way” by Ariana Grande & Mac Miller is becoming a deservedly huge pop hit and climbs to #10.

Songs by Matt & Kim, Semi-Precious Weapons, and Jerry Reid are still locked in below the Top 10, so there are bigger moves just below. You can find me jamming in my car to “Your Touch” by Blake Lewis pretty much every day, and the song jumps to #16. Matthew Koma’s glorious slice-of-life of “One Night” is right behind at #17. But it’s Travis Garland’s “Blue Electric Roses” (below) which is the fastest riser, moving 25-18. It’s a phenomenal song that gets better with each listen; the lyrics are pointed but thoughtful, and the vocals… well don’t get me started being overly partial to male R&B-sounding voices. Travis has it in spades with his recent EP Fashionably Late Part II which you must download from his website.

Locked into the chart #20 and below are the bluesy jamming in “Right Back Home” by Lifehouse featuring Peter Frampton and Charles Jones (live clip below), Demi Lovato’s “Heart Attack”, “On My Way” by Charlie Brown, and “Kiss My Lipstick Off” by Georgia Haege.

The newcomers to the chart are all pretty brilliant.

Dutch singer Matt Blue has already had two chart appearances in 2011, first with a collaboration with Bass Robbers called “Another Dimension” (#8), and then with his own feelgood jam “Can’t Help Myself (Keep Dancing)”, which got to the top of the chart in November 2011. The singer has returned as featured in Kontor’s massive Top of the Clubs series, with his single “Outta My Mind”, which is now available on iTunes everywhere and makes a huge splash at #19. There is no end to how great summery feelgood songs can be if they are done right, and I am looking forward to a full album from Mr. Blue one day that will show off his big, big vocal range.

Another Dutchman, Armin van Buuren, is back with a new album appropriately called Intense. I’m predicting incredible things to happen with the first single “This Is What It Feels Like”, which I wrote about last week, and it bows at #25. A major plus is the return of soulDecision singer Trevor Guthrie to the music scene, I just never expected it to be on a dance record. Wise choice – it’s a great song, and van Buuren has a 10 year pedigree for successful emotional dance pop.

The big news of the last week was the official release of “Get Lucky” (at the top of the post), French duo Daft Punk’s return with vocalist Pharrell Williams (who sounds tremendous) in tow along with music legend Nile Rodgers providing his distinct, recognizable sound. “Get Lucky” starts out at #27 but will undoubtedly take off in the coming weeks. I think it could be not only one of the best pop and dance records of the year, but its celebratory vibe could bring back the happy disco sound of the late 70’s. Young people have never experienced the glorious days of disco, and I think considering so many recent tragedies that the impetus is there for a joyous update. The older disco haters have long gone… now is the time!!

Lastly, it’s hard to cherry-pick songs from Jarell Perry’s debut free download album Simple Things. It’s ALL more than good and I will be a broken record about it over the next few months. I’m leaning heavily towards the day-in-a-snapshot as told in “9 2 5”, a big and emotional song which arrives at #28. Jarell Perry’s got way too much talent not to get a record deal, and if not, someone is missing out and he will succeed on his own terms. Listen for this fantastic singer.

Spring Popervescence #1 – Armin van Buuren & Trevor Guthrie, Bongiovanni, Jonas Brothers, The Wanted, and previews from Adam Tyler and Jeronimo

When several songs all go ‘pop’ at once in my books, then it’s time for our seasonal Popervescence collection!

ARMIN VAN BUUREN featuring TREVOR GUTHRIE “This Is What It Feels Like”

Dutch producer/DJ extraordinaire Armin van Buuren has been no stranger to my chart and playlists over the last decade. He has a knack for crafting wicked melodies and pairing them with great singers and lyricists who tap into the offen emotional content of the songs. He’s had two #1’s on my chart – “Yet Another Day” (featuring Ray Wilson) in 2003 and “Going Wrong” (featuring Chris Jones) in 2008. He’s eyeing that upper chart territory again with “This Is What It Feels Like”, and brings back M.I.A. soulDecision vocalist Trevor Guthrie in the process. Trevor last posted some songs online in 2009, and one of my first blog posts was about that. It’s one of my most-hit posts to date, and so I’m hoping that his appearance in this song will not only quench his fans’ appetites but also kickstart a solo career for the talented Canadian. soulDecision created one of my favourite songs of the last decade with their international hit 2000’s “Faded”. Armin takes Trevor’s voice to a place where we least expect it, and it’s a beautiful job by all.

BONGIOVANNI “I Think I Love You”

Hot on the wings of the gliding chilled out deep house song “Lifted”, currently gracing #1 on my chart, comes another rework, remixed by Canadians Kwik Fiks & Bongiovanni, this time it’s Detroit rapper Dwele’s “I Think I Love You”. You know Dwele best from his ear-popping appearance in Kanye West’s “Power”. This is a slick transformation, perhaps not near as well known as “Lifted”‘s variation on Baby Bash’s “Suga Suga”, but compelling nonetheless, with Victor Bongiovanni’s distinct mellow voice making the song his own. These guys are on a roll… keep going! It’s also a free download.

JONAS BROTHERS “Pom Poms”

A couple of weeks after it suddenly appeared as an independent release, I get to chime in my thoughts on the JoBros “Pom Poms”. It has the same vibe as a male version of Toni Basil’s “Mickey” of course in principle. It’s one of the best songs that the trio has released and elevates them from the teen boy band du jour scene. I’ve always liked the Jonas Brothers, and have thought they got a bad rap with excessive hype overshadowing their talents. That became all too apparent with Joe’s solo pop/electronic album Fastlife, which is nothing like “Pom Poms”. Here’s hoping the summer months keep room for this catchy tune.

THE WANTED “All Time Low (The Live Experience)”

It’s not new to the rest of the world (reaching #1 in the UK in 2010 as their first single), but may seem new to North American audiences as a stop-gap between the The Wanted’s last release and their upcoming TV show, for which they say there will be a new song which will be an official single. So for now “All Time Low” makes an entertaining behind-the-scenes and performance video. I wish more support would have been thrown behind “I Found You” and its Sam Sparro-esque harmonies, which kind of fell through the cracks. The Wanted has a very dedicated audience, as well as some strong voices, so with a TV show and new tunes ahead, they should hardly be dismissed.

PREVIEWS!! From two young singers who both have tremendous outreach to their fans.

ADAM TYLER “Fade Into The Light”

L.A. based Adam Tyler looks to have a winner up his sleeve with his brand new song “Fade Into The Light”, which follows up his 2011 album Shattered Ice as well as many live concert appearances over the last few years, including a couple of high school tours in California. Adam’s a fixture on my chart with Top 10’s like “Friction”, “I Won’t Let You Go”, “Music Freak”, and “Like A Drug”. The slick new image also looks promising. Can’t wait for the full album. “Fade Into The Light” drops on iTunes on April 22.

JERONIMO “Flying Solo”

Dutch singer Jeronimo follows up his One Kiss album from last year (and its joyous title song, reaching #1 on my chart) with “Flying Solo”, which instantly made me think of Jason Derulo’s “Ridin’ Solo” but will obviously have Jeronimo’s unique vocals all over the full song to prevent that from happening. Being the station ID voice of The Cartoon Network in the AustralAsia part of the world, it’s so appropriate for his blog to feature an impressive anime-looking version of himself 🙂 If “Flying Solo” and other new songs are as great as those on One Kiss, I’m hoping to see Jeronimo have success worldwide.