BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

BILLCS Top 30 #402 – April 8/13 – Six Songs Debut!

The newbies are taking over, sending some songs that should have peaked higher down or off the chart. And you’ll be more than a little bit surprised at some of the chart entries as I haven’t yet written about them 🙂

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

It’s a no brainer that “Lifted” by Kwik Fiks & Bongiovanni reigns supreme for another chart… with nothing below it really challenging to take its place in two weeks. Good thing for our boys Danny and Victor, who are recording some follow up songs to this one 🙂 Right below, #1 Dance Club Hit (and now charting on the Billboard Hot 100 too) “Clarity” by Zedd & Foxes ascends to runner-up status, while the summertime smash-in-waiting “Sail Into The Sun” by Gentlemen Hall (above) climbs to #3. Lawson’s “Learn To Love Again” moves up to #5 as a fifth single “Gone” will be released from their UK gold record Chapman Square.

FrankMusik has a double headed for the Top 5, as “Map” and “Captain” (both above) are now back-to-back at #6 and #7 respectively, while Mr. Vince Turner finalizes his new album Between. The Presets are coming! The Presets are coming! Back to my city on their tour on May 10, with Dragonette opening! The otherworldly “A.O.” becomes their second Top Tenner on my chart at #9 following “If I Know You”, which got to #4. Willy Moon is on deck with Here’s Willy Moon arriving in most places around the world tomorrow, and “My Girl” follows “Yeah Yeah” into Top 10 status at #10.

And here’s where I have to choose what not to write about… a busy chart with six debuts. 3 of our last chart’s debuts make significant inroads. Semi-Precious Weapons soar with “Avaition High” at #15, while Jerry Reid’s mysterious rocker with great lyrics “Tell The Night” follows suit at #16. Bastille’s irresistible pop rocker “Pompeii” (above) is the chart’s fastest riser, moving 28-20.

But it’s those debuts that have my attention right now. 19 year old Ariana Grande’s “The Way” is one of the most instantly likeable songs out there right now, and the song (featuring rapper Mac Miller) bows at a spectacular #13. It’s from the Victorious star’s upcoming debut album Daydreamin’. That’s an interesting title. Ariana’s ultra sweet vocal on “The Way” immediately captured Mariah territory comparable to her 90’s work. Of course one of Mariah’s albums is called Daydream (not to mention one of my fave Aretha songs is “Day Dreaming”). I think the reason I enjoy this song the most is that it’s the teen version of Estelle & Kanye’s 2008 hit “American Boy”. But the gal has the built in goods in her voice, I have heard her sing live and she is the real deal.

Down further at #21 is one of the better known American Idol contestants, 31 year old Blake Lewis, with his latest single “Your Touch”. This song has grown on me immeasurably over the last month, and it’s chorus is loud flat out belt-worthy with such a feel good vibe. It’s from Blake’s upcoming third album Portrait Of A Chameleon, and it’s his first chart entry here since 2009’s classic “Heartbreak On Vinyl” got to #4.

I just wrote about it yesterday, but Matthew Koma’s “One Night” has wasted no time in debuting at #22. Let’s see how good a job it does in two weeks trying to take over the chart as his most recent #1, “1998”, leaves after the mandatory 10 appearances (20 weeks).

First Ariana Grande, and now… X Factor judge Demi Lovato makes her first chart appearance here with “Heart Attack” at #24. Her voice keeps getting better and better, so her new album, Demi, will be well worth hearing. She attacks the cutting and biting lyrics like there is no tomorrow, and that’s exactly what was required for the song. Bravo.

I’ve already been raving about Travis Garland’s Fashionably Late Part II EP being one of the best of 2013 so far. My favourite song from it is “Blue Electric Roses” at #25 – the kind of innovative song that I was expecting on Justin Timberlake’s latest album. But sometimes the innovation has to be left to others and I think Travis is on the right track for making the right kind of big splash soon. The EP is available for free download at Travis’ website.

The last debut at #27 belongs to Mr. Charlie Brown, whose “On My Way” got to #7 in the UK last week. He will be touring with Craig David in the UK soon, and I’m hoping his management has big things planned for a North American debut. This is soulful pop at its best from someone who should have broke out four years ago. Charlie is very big on interacting with fans on Twitter too @CharlieBrownLDN 🙂

“One Night” by Matthew Koma Looks Forward Into 2013 + First Quarter Review, plus Kaden’s “Black Light”

There is no question in my mind that New York-born singer Matthew Koma leads a promising pack of performers and songs into the rest of 2013 with his new single “One Night”.

MATTHEW KOMA “One Night”

The video for “One Night”, the upcoming single from Matthew Koma’s debut album Arcadia, takes its cue from (and could be the title song to one of the) coming-of-age movies that become signposts for a generation (well, despite a bit too much mugging later on). Four cute guys in a car meet four cute girls in an amusement park, and for once it’s not a horror movie. Flirtation and posturing happens, and then expect the unexpected. Matthew’s song itself is a well-produced pop jolt that’s quite different from the songs in his Parachute EP. It’s more direct and obvious, and designed to grab ears like the best records on the radio. I think it will succeed on its many strengths, including the vocal charm of the singer.

Here’s what you might have missed in the first part of 2013, alphabetically by performer (hyperlink indicates a free download).

FRANKMUSIK Far From Over (EP) including “Map” and “Captain”
GENTLEMEN HALL “Sail Into The Sun” appearing in Samsung and Target commercials
MATTHEW KOMA Parachute (EP) including the title song and “1998”
KWIK FIKS & BONGIOVANNI “Lifted”
LAWSON “Learn To Love Again”
WILLY MOON “Yeah Yeah” – his album Here’s Willy Moon drops April 8
DAVIS REDFIELD “A World Apart” – dance smash waiting to happen featuring a mystery female vocalist
RIVER TIBER Synapses – featuring “The City”, “What Are You Afraid Of”, and “Reverie”
TAO HYPAH “Play The Girl”
VARIOUS Kiss My Lipstick Off
CHRIS WALLACE “Time Bomb (Walk Away)” and “Keep Me Crazy”
ZEDD featuring FOXES “Clarity”

And before this page is finished, I’m going to light a bit of a fire about a song that I so want to see released!!

KADEN “Black Light”

Kaden James is an L.A. based singer and I think he has a smash-in-the-making with “Black Light”. It’s been a long time coming, but the official release of the song should arrive along with a full album. It’s one of those songs that has a perfect combination of a strong but boyish voice, scintillating rhythm, and truthful lyrics that anyone can claim as theirs. What the song also possesses is an innate sense of drama. Producer/remixer Stormby has a spectacularly effective remix of “Black Light” that is just waiting to lay conquer in clubs. I’m posting a link to a video made of the song last year. And if you ask me, it’s pretty darned nifty, but apparently a new one is in the works. Plus I’m posting a teaser to Stormby’s remix which will hopefully see the light of day when “Black Light” is officially released. Okay – fire is lit – now we wait 🙂

The Sweet Sound Of R&B: Jarell Perry, Travis Garland, and Chromatone

I love hearing R&B music, I have ever since I was a kid growing up listening to Motown, Atlantic, and Stax, and seeing it evolve in the subsequent decades. The free downloads of Jarell Perry’s Simple Things and Travis Garland’s Fashionably Late Part II are two of 2013’s best records so far….

JARELL PERRY Simple Things

Jarell Perry is a new L.A. based singer and I expect by the end of the year you will hear much more about him, thanks to this highest calibre free download Simple Things. Jarell has a classic soul voice that recalls only the best male singers of the last 50 years. His voice alleviates even the weakest songs on the record to send them to another level. And I’m talking Usher, Chris Brown, Miguel, Frank Ocean potential.

But when Simple Things is at its best, it is simply grand. The themes are pretty basic, revolving around falling in and out of love, as is the case with the best R&B songs. “Awkward”, “9 2 5”, “Happy 4 U”, and “Whiskey A Go Go” are memorable and you will want to hear them again immediately. The production is beautiful, even when venturing into dubstep territory it really shines, largely because the focus is on the way Jarell interprets the songs. “Perfect” also surprises by including the main chorus from Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Want To Wait”, a seminal pop song now for those who grew up in the late 90s. There are also two ‘bonus’ songs available for download. “First Time” (like “Happy 4 U”) shows how Jarell’s voice fits amid some solid rapping, and then there’s a rendition of Semi-Precious Weapons’ “Aviation High” that completely captures the inspiration of that song in a way that the band probably didn’t anticipate.

Simple Things is an essential record that you must download along with its bonus songs. You do not need to be only an R&B fan, many of the songs are definitely on the Pop tip. You will be soooo glad you did! Listen to a stream of the album below, as well as the free downloads of “First Time” and “Aviation High” individually.

TRAVIS GARLAND Fashionably Late Part II (EP)

Back in early February, I thought it was great that Part I of Fashionably Late was a fresh R&B-oriented start for L.A.’s Travis Garland, after making some impact with his pop song “Believe” in 2010 through a major label deal. He’s back as an independent and the Part II EP clearly showcases an inbred love for R&B that some of the songs from Part I didn’t capture. In fact, Part II bests Part I in so many ways, and its timing is perfect in light of Justin Timberlake’s success with The 20/20 Experience.

The best song on Part I is “Didn’t Stand A Chance”, a really sweet acoustic ballad that I’m playing a lot right now. The best song on Part II is so hard to pick because I thoroughly enjoy them all. Travis sticks to Justin / Robin Thicke / Miguel territory as his target, but he moves back and forth from that target with some highly personal-sounding lyrics as well as some experimentation. I love the story behind “Blue Electric Roses”, “Where To Land” features a glorious falsetto, “From Adam (interlude)” wears its heart on its sleeve, and “Neighbor” gets into a deeper, dirtier flavour and some flirty lyrics. The experimentation comes in the form of the 5 minute + “Homewrecker”, which sounds like Travis has his ear on contemporaries like JMSN by singing a complex song and holding your interest all the way through with its sparser sound.

Fashionably Late Part II gets even higher marks for being a total surprise. Be sure to download it for free while it lasts. Travis Garland has upped his own ante with this one! You can also stream the EP at the link below.

CHROMATONE, “My Kind Of Love”

I get to include the latest from the UK’s Chromatone because like the above releases, Chromatone’s style is rooted in R&B, as you heard last year with songs like “She Tries” and “One Half”. This time he has tackled an acoustic cover of Emeli Sandé’s “My Kind Of Love” – a song not yet too well-known outside of the UK and Europe, since North America is only starting to dig “Next To Me”. For being such a sad song in its original version, Chromatone puts a Jay Kay/Jamiroquai-esque vocal to the song and then parcels it with a humourous video to make the song its own. Watch below and I hope to bring you more from Chromatone soon. You can also download it for free from the Soundcloud link below (the download is in .aif format – you may need to convert it to mp3).

Doing It Her Way: Listen to Vague-à-bonde’s New EP 222

Vague-à-bonde, 222 (EP)

I’ve been pleased to await the official arrival of the new EP 222 by Vague-à-bonde, aka Minnesota-based Nicole Brenny. You already know her from these pages for her instantly contagious electropop song “Evolved”. That song reached #7 on my personal chart last Fall, thanks to a chorus that hits you square between the ears, and Nicole recently released a stylish, futuristic video for the song (below). “Evolved” is among the 5 songs within 222 that seem to involve a stopover part of Vague-à-bonde’s ongoing journey.

The lyrics often don’t beat around the bush, such as in “BP!” which is actually about a breakup, or in “Broke”, which shows Nicole’s versatility as a vocalist – I keep hearing Dusty Springfield alongside contemporaries like Lights or Sky Ferreira mixed with 80s new wave singers like Terri Nunn of Berlin or Katrina Leskanich of Katrina & The Waves. Quite often though the melody is key here and I think the ambitious production for an independent release, featuring not only synths but live instrumentation too, drives it home in songs like the lush follow-up single “Our Love”, which you can hear below, and the much more experimental but entertaining “New Pop”. All in all, Vague-à-bonde is heading into interesting directions with her music. I like a record that strives to grab you without sacrificing quality, personal style and vision – 222 does just that! You can buy 222 on iTunes as of today.

Spring Shufflin’ featuring Slow Knights, Depeche Mode, Matt Blue, Javi Silva, The Mend, and a Penguin Prison remix of Churchill

Bright and sunny days make you want to tap your feet, snap your fingers, and maybe even tackle some basement or living room shufflin’ 🙂

SLOW KNIGHTS, “Shame” and “Under Attack”

Slow Knights is a multi-artist side project put together by Del Marquis of Scissor Sisters, and these two songs which I’ve heard to initiate the album Cosmos show enormous potential. “Shame” (briefly available as a free download) is a contemporary soulful house number in an 80’s Style Council kind of way, with an excellent vocal (Mykal Kilgore, perhaps?) that could dazzle even more in remixes. “Under Attack” showcases Bright Light Bright Light’s Rod Thomas on lead with another 80’s-styled number that oozes with Stock-Aitken-Waterman influences. I’m looking forward to checking out Cosmos in full.

DEPECHE MODE, “Soothe My Soul”

Like a handful of other albums, I’m hoping to spend some time soon with Depeche Mode’s Delta Machine. A second video has surfaced only about a month after “Heaven”, this time for “Soothe My Soul”, another deliberately paced but engaging song more so because of Dave Gahan’s voice than anything. I was thinking “Heaven” might have had a better chance at being a hit (whatever that is these days). I don’t think “Soothe My Soul” has the same immediacy, but it does make me want to hear how huge the band must sound in concert. So perhaps Delta Machine is more of a tie-in with the band’s concert tour, you’ll have to make your own call on that. Check out the video for “Soothe” below.

MATT BLUE, “Outta My Mind”

One of my most promising finds of 2011 was 20 year old Dutch vocalist Matt Blue, who made European fans of Jason Derulo and Usher go wild with his viral covers of their songs. Later that year, Matt surfaced with his own video of “Can’t Help Myself (Keep Dancing)”, a chipper and infectious piece of business whose first minute of its video made me believe a star was in the making. Matt is back with another insanely feel good slice of Europop, “Outta My Mind”, whose video finds the busy singer in the studio but staying in touch with his cute lady friend through various technological means. She even goes to bed with makeup on for our Matt 😉 Anyway, I’m hoping that those powers that be who enjoy Europop will help this one cross the Atlantic. It’s a huge hit in my books 🙂 That it’s a part of Kontor’s 58th volume of their Top Of The Clubs compilations is impressive.

JAVI SILVA, “Across The Floor”

New York singer Javi Silva returns with “Across The Floor”, which will indeed pack dance floors with its graceful melody and its Euro-meets-UK dance pop flavours. The man is a powerhouse vocalist who can sing with the best of them, as we heard in 2010’s “Situation” and his work with his Native Underground project with “Night Vision” in 2011. Enormous pop and dance club potential here.

THE MEND, “Where Were You”

The Mend are four great singers from Manchester who are out to provide you with a grand time, if the video to “Where Were You” is any indication. This despite the fact that the song could be a lovely sad ballad if they had wanted. The vocals seem to capture styles of many eras, including a bit of rap which is not at all out of place. My fellow blogger My Fizzy Pop does indeed know how to pick out lads who can sing and dazzle you from a large indie crowd. Looking forward to hearing more from The Mend!

CHURCHILL, “Change” (Penguin Prison remix)

While Denver band Churchill’s “Change” has done a dandy job with making its presence known at pop and alternative radio, a stylish remix can sometimes reintroduce a song to an audience and there is almost no one out there better to do that than Penguin Prison (aka Chris Glover). While we await new Penguin music, Mr. Glover is traversing North America performing DJ gigs and evidently in-between those gigs more cutting remixes like “Change” are surfacing. Listen and download for free below.

Kickstarter Project on Deck Soon for Simon Curtis

It’s been about a year since we last heard new music from L.A. based singer Simon Curtis. And while we’ve known he’s been busy with his projects, the 27 year old dropped the official news via Twitter yesterday:

Going to be launching a kickstarter in the coming weeks to fund the massive new project I’m undertaking…

I think it goes without saying that if you guys can help me make it happen, you will have a free album to look forward to…

*that is, a free album IN ADDITION to all the music I’m releasing this year with the new project

So keep your eyes, and ears, on alert 😉

And so tweets from Simon’s Army and his dedicated Robots went wild yesterday.

All you have to do is remember the 2010 campaign for the brilliant 8bit Heart (still available for free download via http://www.simon-curtis.com) and then, not to be outdone, 2011’s mesmerizing R∆, which charted at #19 on Billboard’s Electronic Albums chart and is available on iTunes. These are two of my favourite albums of this decade. I still play them to death!!

You can bet Simon’s fans will make the new projects happen and Summer 2013 should be all about Simon Curtis once again. They’re calling it #YearOfTheCurtis already. (I don’t mind that they’re using my middle name 😉 ).

Spread the news and prepare yourself! Below is the beauty of a video for “8bit Heart”.

BILLCS Top 30 #401 – March 25, 2013

With travelling and illness being the order of March for me, I plan to write briefer and more frequent posts. When great new music stacks up, it just shouldn’t wait!!

That having been said, there’s a new chart on deck brimming with all kinds of upward movement.

Independently released music continues to score big time on my chart. Toronto’s Danny Voicu meets Montreal’s Victor Bongiovanni as Kwik Fiks & Bongiovanni for “Lifted” (ab0ve), a beautiful chilled out deep house take on Baby Bash’s 2003 hit “Suga Suga” that is also a free download. It reaches the summit this week, sending pals River Tiber to #2 with “The City”. Big dance music tunes “Clarity” by Zedd and Foxes, and “A World Apart” by Davis Redfield, remain at #3 and #4.

Gentlemen Hall’s “Sail Into The Sun” (above) exploded into American Target commercials these past few weeks and moves up 8-5. When I was in Austin, just before I left to go to the airport on March 13, I was walking to the back of a local Target store and I could hear this familiar song singing out to me… you just kind of had to be there “Keep Me Crazy” is apparently the next single from Push Rewind for Chris Wallace, and it rises to #8. The only newbie to the Top 10 is the sensational “Map” by FrankMusik at #9, which looks like it’s Top 5 bound.

Every song between #11 and #22 is on the way up, making the chart an interesting blend of multiple competitions! So we have Justin Timberlake scratching at the Top 10 with “Suit & Tie”, just ahead of more frenetic FrankMusik and The Presets with “Captain” and “A.O” respectively. “Lay Your Love On Me” by UK singer James William (above) is a slick slice of pure pop available on iTunes if you like what you’ve been hearing by Chris Wallace or Matthew Koma. James also recently posted a well done original, “No Regrets”, which you can also hear above.

The fastest riser on the chart is pop with a difference, and lots of style to boot. “My Girl by Willy Moon (above) moves 25-16, looking to join “Yeah Yeah” as his second Top 10 hit on my chart. Judging by one of his Austin shows two weeks ago, Willy delivers the goods in concert and leaves you wanting much more after a half hour set. “It’s Alright” by Matt & Kim glides into the Top 20, while I thought “Heaven” by Depeche Mode (also above) would be a lot further along by now, slow and steady is the pace with the release of Delta Machine this week.

As I threatened two weeks ago, there has been a mini-house cleaning, resulting in five debuts. I’m loving the flow of “Aviation High” by Semi-Precious Weapons (above) in powerful anthemic love ballad style. It’s so different from their other songs and arrives at #21 as we await their new album and more tour dates. You can also find a beautiful recent cover by R&B singer Jarell Perry (who I will be writing more about 🙂 ), also above, available for free download. Detroit rocker Jerry Reid returns after 2011’s “Out Without Your Boyfriend”, which got to #3 as a part of the Ballroom Remixed compliation. An equally striking new song, “Tell The Night”, bows at #22. The only place you can hear an excerpt of it is on Amazon at this time. The song is also noteworthy for featuring background screaming by P.J. Soles of “Rock & Roll High School” movie fame.

Down further at #26 is everything that a bluesy/jazzy R&B-infused rock song should be. It’s an album track by Lifehouse from Almeria called “Right Back Home” which features none other than 70s hit maker Peter Frampton (who I saw in concert – and got drenched during a storm – back in 1981) alongside blues singer Charles Jones. Combined with Jason Wade’s vocal and a melody that brims along, and Lifehouse delivers a southern piece of good time honky tonk. And who expected this?

At #28 is UK sensations Bastille with “Pompeii” from their new album Bad Blood, which hasn’t yet seen release around other parts of the world like North America. I felt bad when I had to miss their 1:00 a.m. Austin set due to illness. But “Pompeii” is more greatness in a small package, and you can get it on iTunes on the Remixes EP, featuring reduxes by the likes of Monsieur Adi and Kat Krazy (this remix is below). Premiering at #30 is “Kiss My Lipstick Off”, the bubbly and naughty song by Liquid Diet’s Georgia Haege (you will remember last year’s memorable “Hand Dance” by Liquid Diet) from the equally bubbly and naughty compilation of the same name.

New Pop Alert: Jake Bugg, Bim, Baiyu, Krewella, Parralox featuring Ryan Adamés, Kim Smith, Pip, and Nick

Jake Bugg “Two Fingers”

Though he’s already had a #1 album in the UK, I’m hoping for big things in North America for 19 year old folk/rock singer Jake Bugg. He recently performed several showcases at SXSW and his self-titled album will be released here in April. Ahead of this is a clever lyrics video for “Two Fingers”. There’s an interesting contrast between the lyrics and the two children in the video, though there is a worthy theme of putting things behind you and moving on to something better that drives the song along. Jake’s voice stands out in a crowd, his songs are catchy and one-of-a-kind, and I think he should be headlining some club dates in North America during the year.

Bim “Stop You”

UK duo Bim, one of my 13 Performers To Watch For ’13, continue to be on a roll with the songs that they are releasing in anticipation of a full sophomore album. The ride hasn’t stopped since last Fall’s Lifelines EP release. Following their recent astute and different interpretation of Chris de Burgh’s “Lady In Red” comes more gripping and emotional pop that they perform so well with “Stop You”. Rebecca and Denmark have amazing connection that few other duos possess, which always makes their songs such a treat, even if they sometimes send you on a rollercoaster ride, you come back feeling all the better for it! “Stop You” will be available as a free download from Bim’s website http://www.bimmusic.com

Baiyu “Surface”

Another of my 13 Performers to Watch For ’13 is New York chanteuse Baiyu. She never fails do deliver a quality song, and continues to release something new for free download each month. “Surface” is aggressive mid-tempo EDM along the lines of the title song of her last mixtape Hunter. That she continues to mix it up style-wise shows her diversity and desire to appeal beyond a traditional pop audience. If these top notch recordings continue, they will take Baiyu and her amazing voice to the next level.

Krewella “Alive” (Pegboard Nerds Remix)

Chicago dance trio Krewella are out to conquer with their latest release as they make their way across North American slaying audiences in concert. “Alive” is one of the most boisterous rock/EDM songs to come along in 2013 that looks like it will also be a proper pop crossover hit. The video of this vibrant remix is nothing short of joyful unbridled chaos. Watch below.

Parralox featuring Ryan Adamés, “Silent Morning”

I already wrote about “Silent Morning”, the mid 80s freestyle pop hit by Noel, as covered by Aussie duo Parralox, back in January. What will now be the official release of the single features handsome L.A. singer Ryan Adamés in a pairing sure to cause intense dancefloor bliss. In fact you can catch Parralox and Ryan performing in Miami tomorrow night at Twist Sound Beach to launch this sparkling rework.

Kim Smith “Jealous Out Of My Head” (Midi-D’s Bootleg Mashup)

It’s a brilliant idea – blend New York-based Aussie singer Kim Smith’s pop-savvy “Jealous” with “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” by fellow Aussie Kylie Minogue. The Vibe Kings remix is every so deserving of big city club play, but so is this mashup, which will keep heads spinning while feet dance merrily away into the night.

Cue two more inspired cover versions!

First up, we have season two contestant from The Voice, 20 year old Pip, who has his ear to the radio and provides a beautiful soulful edge to his version of none other than Chris Wallace’s “Remember When (Push Rewind)”. He and his band mates take a few liberties with some of the choice of instruments they use to support Pip on the song, but the spirit of the song is more than intact. Good on you, Pip! Pip’s 6 song EP No Formalities is currently available on iTunes.

Second, I get to post this the day before the official release of The 20/20 Experience by Justin Timberlake. There’s no one better suited-and-tied (hence an older pic of him above) to cover “Suit & Tie” than sweet-voiced Nick, in anticipation of his own upcoming project. I’m actually hoping that JT himself gets to hear this version – even though it sounds a bit rough in spots, Nick’s vocal finesse (including the rap) just nails it and the man himself would be proud of that.

Justin Nozuka – New Album On The Way

He’s been awfully quiet of late, but talented Canadian singer 24 year old Justin Nozuka has been recording his third album, following 2007’s Holly and 2010’s You I Wind Land & Sea. I know fans of Justin read this blog, so here’s what he posted on Facebook today:

Hi,

We have been working on the new album and are still in the creation process. We are looking forward to releasing it soon. Thank you.

Sincerely

Justin

400th Edition – BILLCS Top 30 – March 11/13

15 years and 2 months later, and my bi-weekly online chart is at edition 400 🙂 Because I’m not home though, it’s a no frills edition.

I will have to double check when I get home, but I believe the last time two songs by Canadians held the top two spots on my chart was last Spring, when I believe River Tiber’s “Someday” and “Symmetry” were the Top 2 at one point. Before that, I’m not sure when it happened last, or when the performers were different. In this case “The City” by River Tiber is on top for a second appearance, and it’s joined at the summit by Kwik Fiks & Bongiovanni, whose deep house rendition of “Suga Suga” by Baby Bash moves to #2, and looks to succeed River Tiber in two weeks. Listen to both below. Zedd & Foxes hold at #3 with the propulsive “Clarity”, while another song brimming with energy, “A World Apart” by Davis Redfield, advances to #4.

It’s all about the action in the lower half of the Top 10. The Wallflowers, featuring Mick Jones in what is clearly a song inspired by The Clash’s “This Is Radio Clash”, move up to #6 with the funky “Reboot The Mission” (watch the video below). The rest of the songs within the Top 10 are new to the top end of the chart. Lawson’s memorable “Learn To Love Again” climbs to #7, while Gentlemen Hall move up quickly to #8 with “Sail Into The Sun”. Talented UK teen Conor Maynard’s “Turn Around” (featuring Ne-Yo) glides to #9, while “Keep Me Crazy” by Chris Wallace (live performance from the Jimmy Kimmel show) inches up to #10 to make it 3 Top Tenners for 3 for Chris, following #1 “Remember When (Push Rewind)” and #3 “Time Bomb (Walk Away)”. Chris is getting around the USA to promote the long-lasting “Remember When” and his album.

The fastest riser on the chart is “Map” by FrankMusik (19-11, video below), which will be included on his upcoming album Between. Also included will be song #18, the frenetic “Captain”, as well as song #29 “Fast As I Can”. Between will not hold back any punches 🙂

Justin Timberlake, who is everywhere, seems to be leading a classy softer style that is appealing to the younger crowd as they see him perform on shows like Saturday Night Live. “Suit & Tie” climbs to #13; I’m anxious to hear what else is in store on The 20/20 Experience.

Songs 16 through 22 are looking to bounce higher on the chart in two weeks. “Reverie” by River Tiber is looking to take advantage of songs moving down. Then we have the stunning and futuristic “A.O.” by Australian duo The Presets, AVAN LAVA’s finger-snapper “It’s Never Over”, the breezy-sounding “Carried Away” by Passion Pit (video below), classic Top 40 pop in the form of “Lay Your Love On Me” by UK singer James William (listen below), and in advance of their album Delta Machine, “Heaven” by Depeche Mode.

There’s a line up of songs waiting to land on the chart, and sometimes it makes me want to change it to a Top 40, but then I get talked out of that. So for now, two songs I wrote about recently make their debuts. Willy Moon is playing in Austin this week, and I hope to catch his show tomorrow night if I can get in. His stylish video for “My Girl” below helps the song debut at #25. Ever wonder what rock stars do in bed? The fun video for “It’s Alright” by Matt & Kim might answer a few questions below. It debuts at #26.