Music festivals always bring out a variety of performers. Two that I’m looking forward to seeing at Canadian Music Week are multi-member pop collectives.
Alan (Kemy) Kemlo leads Scotland’s Aerials Up, a 7 member band that features the classic pop/rock band instrumentation, which is in turn augmented by violin and cello. Their hit-bound pop/rock arrangements then make my ears perk up as the additional instruments round out the sound and give it alternately playful, folky, and classy tones. The group is in the process of putting final touches on a full album, and have opened for the likes of fellow countryfolk Snow Patrol and Paolo Nutini.
Aerials Up has already released the downright infectious crowd-pleaser “I Am” and a 3 song EP called Superglue, whose title song grabs you with its classical start up but takes you to rockland with some highly complimentary harmonizing. These days you do indeed need superglue to keep pop collectives together, but from what I hear, Aerials Up is one tight unit and I look forward to listening to much more from them. Listen to “I Am” and “Superglue” below and buy them on iTunes.
Aerials Up performs twice during Canadian Music Week, first on Thursday March 22 at 11:00 pm at the Drake Underground (sold out to the general public already), and then on Saturday March 24 in the international music showcase at the Global Village Backpackers, Departure Lounge (doors are at 7:30 pm).
“I Am”
“Superglue”
It’s a bit hard to believe that it’s been almost a year since Boston’s Gentlemen Hall came into the mass public’s eye on the Billboard Music Awards, after which I blogged about their engaging song “How Long Have They Been Watching?”. A six piece band, the emphasis here is on captivating lead vocals carried by vintage 80’s synth sounds and other instrumentation such as flute and piccolo. Since that time there has been much, much touring and a six song EP called When We All Disappear, which you can get for freefrom the band’s Facebook pagewith an email subscription.
The EP has some lush sounding production, but it was the band’s strong showcase on that awards show plus some of their performance videos that sold me, so I’m looking forward to seeing Gavin, Cobi, and bandmates now that they’re in my city. Listen to “Gravity Will Break Our Bones” and “Take Me Under” below.
Gentlemen Hall perform during Canadian Music Week tonight at midnight at Lee’s Palace, and then again on Saturday March 24 at midnight at Sneaky Dee’s.
The sounds of the post-grunge mid-90s appear to be getting a second lease on life, if music from In My Coma’s new album Magnets & Miracles is any indication. The tight and melodic three piece band out of Toronto, consisting of powerful lead vocalist and guitarist Jasper James, bassist/vocalist Laura Doll, and drummer Mike Paterson, brings that sound up to date, fuses it with other 80s and 90s influences ranging from The Smiths to Tool, and marries it all with interesting and original lyrics. Best songs within are the radio-worthy “Believe Me” (check out the imaginative video below), the R.E.M. meets I Mother Earth stylings of “Losing Sleep”, “Hit Them Down Kid”, and “Lined Up Locked Away”.
With other noteworthy supporters like new music guru Alan Cross touting their talents, it’s no wonder that In My Coma has the professionalism to get themselves gigs in Toronto no less than three times this week. It’s refreshing to hear some rocking domestic ear candy like In My Coma. Get Magnets & Miracles on iTunes and listen to it below streaming on Soundcloud. Check out In My Coma on Sunday March 18 at The Rivoli, Wednesday March 21 at The Ballroom as part of Independent Music Night 2012, and Thursday March 22 at The Painted Lady as part of Canadian Music Week.
Keane “Silenced By The Night”
After three terrific albums, I felt that British quartet Keane had a bit of a boring sidestep two years ago with the EP Night Train, which stylistically seemed all over the map. They’ve returned to true pop form on “Silenced By The Night”, which is from the upcoming Strangeland album due in May. It’s classic Keane, right on par with the songs from their first two records, with a beautiful melody and compelling lyrics. The band is as tight and tidy as ever with an especially strong return-to-form for singer Tom Chaplin. Look for this and hopefully other songs from Strangeland to help dominate your playlist for the rest of the year.
Alex York, “Tokyo Heartbreak” and “Change”
New York singer Alex York has done something just a little out of the ordinary – he’s found an audience in the Japanese language pop market. He’s released his debut independent album Tokyo Heartbreak along with the infectious singalong title pop song for the English language crowd. But with donations going to the Japan disaster relief fund, he’s also released a digital single and video for “Change”, which is primarily sung in Japanese. Alex is obviously a diverse talent and crowd pleaser who has already acquired a significant online following. Check out “Tokyo Heartbreak” and “Change” below, and purchase the songs and the album on iTunes.
Baiyu, “Take A Number”
Baiyu is another singer from New York who is also involved in Japan’s disaster relief by donating all of the proceeds from her EP Fan Fair to that fund. I introduced you to this burgeoning talent last Augustwith her feel-good video for “Together”, and then again in November as a featured singer on Tana’s “Live In The Past”. Her latest video for “Take A Number” is full of eye-catching appeal that puts Baiyu on the bubble with her Beyoncé-meets-Keri Hilson influences with a twist.Download Fan Fair right here(it’s a torrent) and watch the video for “Take A Number” below.
Low Level Flight, “Brooklyn Radio”
After debuting with their edgy rock album Urgency in 2008 and a compelling presence in concert, Kingston’s Low Level Flight returns with sophomore effort Through These Walls and the single “Brooklyn Radio”. The song finds season one Canadian Idol winner Ryan Malcolm and band in pensive form with a softer guitar-led song and a video with an interesting storyline. Low Level Flight creates their brand of pop/rock seamlessly which puts them comfortably alongside fellow Canadians Hedley (featuring fellow Canadian Idol alumnus Jacob Hoggard – who finished third in season two) and Marianas Trench.
Andy Grammer, “We Found Love”
With cheery, upbeat singles finding fans such as “Keep Your Head Up” and “Fine By Me”, Andy Grammer has decided to channel his stage presence into audio form with the release of his EP Live From L.A. With all of the viral videos covering songs like Rihanna’s “We Found Love”, it’s admirable for Andy to tackle it and still be able to give his own feel to the song, which translates absolutely beautifully through the clip below. Andy’s been touring actively with the likes of Ryan Star so you might find him on your town’s doorstep sometime soon.
Through various recent posts, I’ve been introducing you to River Tiber, a new band out of Toronto led by 21 year old multi-instrumentalist Tommy Paxton-Beesley. I just adore the rocking “Someday”, which ranks #11 on my personal chart. River Tiber’s debut album From Now On is a layered affair awash in many influences.
I’ve already alluded to Jeff Buckley-esque sounds on “Someday”. Whether it’s intentional or not, they pervade the album for me. I grew into Jeff’s classic Grace album in the same way that From Now On has got under my skin. Irrespective of similar talents, I suppose the comparison for me is the emotion inside the music. Tommy is so in-the-moment in songs like “Symmetry” (the refrain gives me shivers!), “Everything That Happened”, and “These Are Centuries” that it’s hard not to be captivated. There are bursts of rock ‘n roll and outstanding patches of silence which given the album its poignancy. In “February”, you can feel literally feel the snow, and in “On and On” you stick with the coda till the very end just like “A Day In The Life” by The Beatles. Just when you get comfortable with the laid back feel of the record, it nudges you and gets inside your head.
I can pinpoint other comparisons, and I really don’t know if they are valid. But I hear U2, Coldplay, Nick Drake, French/Quebec folk (perhaps along the same lines of someone like Rufus Wainwright), along with classical and jazz influences. From Now On is a self-made effort that deserves attention of the music industry. Tommy has just released a free download of an EP called Massachusetts –download it right here – which is more acoustic, and I hope to have comments on in the near future. For now, my ears are all on From Now On and its dreamy, thoughtful, and well-played landscapes. Get it on iTunes. There is also an EP of remixes from the album that you can get forfree right here.
As the top 5 songs on my chart remain exactly the same (that’s 4 appearances – 8 weeks – at #1 for “Memorize Me” by Rune RK & Databoy, plus 5 appearances at #2 for Eric Saade’s “Backseat” – and both songs are still red hot!), the rest of the chart gets a shake-up with 6 additions. I’ve chatted about all of these songs before except the highest debut.
While the regular big hits from TV’s “Glee” now seem to have stopped, that doesn’t prevent the show from helping the original versions of some of the songs they are performing to become huge hits in North America. How many of you knew “We Are Young” by fun. featuring Janelle Monae before you saw the “Glee” performance”? It’s currently #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. And not too far behind it is “Glad You Came” by The Wanted. There’s nothing complex about this one – a simple unadulterated catchy fun song that deserves to be a hit. It bows at #22 on my chart, yes a little belatedly, but nothing stops a good song.
In a bit of a chart first from these last 14 years, I’m charting the same song by two different performers. “Midnight City” by M83 in its original version slides up comfortably to #12, but the version I premiered a few weeks back by The Knocks featuring Mandy Lee has its own vibe and merits and debuts at #23. Plus – it’s a free download 🙂
The next two debuts don’t have official videos and both hail from the UK. I do say it’s time for a revival of the Barry Manilow/Take That hit “Could It Be Magic”, this time as performed by captivating chanteuse Elouise.Read my last blog post about her album Little Belter – the song debuts at #27. It’s her 6th entry in my chart world – 2010’s “Pretender” even got as high as #2. Then we have a chart premiere for young American singer Kaya with “When I Was Blind”, which has a preview on You Tube but is also available on iTunes in its original ballad form. It features talented UK singer Pierre Lewis in a truly harmonious vocal pairing. Pierre got to #2 in 2009 on my chart with “Broken” and has come close again with some other recent songs. But “When I Was Blind” is a beautiful, classic ballad with loads of potential. You can get the Florian Maier dance mixfor free right here. The song arrives at #28.
A video is forthcoming for Sam Sparro’s “Happiness”, from his upcoming Return To Paradise album, which premieres at #29. Sam has just been back to his native Australia and is now poised to offer up lots of “Happiness” to the rest of the pop world 🙂 The last debut has been kicking around in my head, well at least since last November when I wrote about it. I think I’ve still been a bit attached to “Pumped Up Kicks”, and while “Helena Beat” was promoted as the follow up I think the true successor is still “Call It What You Want” and its imaginative video. It steps onto the chart at #30.
There’s still some impressive movement happening on the rest of the chart. I like the sound of Graffiti 6 at #6, as “Free” continues its ascent. Joe Jonas still has a two-fer in my Top 10 with “Make You Mine” hanging at #3, and “Not Right Now” now moving up 10-7. JMSN’s “Something” climbs 14-8 as the singer prepares some more thought-provoking videos for our entertainment. “Fallout” by Marianas Trench becomes their fifth top tenner at #9, and “Better Than I Know Myself” lands at #10 for Adam Lambert – very interested in hearing the other songs from his upcoming album Trespassing. Last week’s new ones all made some fine gains this week. Ryan Star’s “Stay Awhile” rises 25-18, while “The Fight Of My Life” by Colin Munroe featuring Pusha-T jumps 27-19. Liquid Diet, who performed their first live show last night in New York City, slide up 29-24.
However, it’s “Someday” by River Tiber that you must keep your eyes and ears on. A huge 26-11 jump smells of a #1 contender once the current dance music up top takes a break. I’ll have lots more to say about Tommy Paxton-Beesley and his band in the coming week as River Tiber performs a couple of shows in my city. I’ve been listening steadily to River Tiber’s From Now On album and the new EP Massachusetts, and have plenty to talk about once I collect my thoughts. In the meantime, here’s that video for “Someday” again…
You can view the full chart 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.
It’s not yet available outside of the UK, but I’m bringing you spectacular tidings: The Little Belter album by our darling of delightful drama and dance Elouise is a showstopper that is not to be missed. For one, it includes the entire 2009 EP Stardust (“Another Day”, my still-fave “Pretender”, and the campy “Fireman of My Dreams”); for two: The retooled rendition of “Tainted Love” (released as a digital single); for three: Another favourite, her cover of ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All” from the Stardust Memories EP; and for four: Enchanting, well chosen renditions of some classics and some that have passed both you and me by…
So I’ll focus on the 9 songs new to Little Belter, a generous selection that makes the inclusion of the other songs all the more wonderful. There are three showy show tunes for Elouise, “As Long As He Needs Me”, a standard from “Oliver!”, the always ear-catching “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from Barbra Streisand’s “Funny Girl”, and the more obscure but beautifully rendered Noel Coward song “If Love Were All” (listen to it below). Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile” gets a pleasing makeover, while “I Like to Hate Myself In The Morning” does both Judy Garland and Shirley Bassey proud. The Cilla Black UK hit “Something Tells Me” gets an almost behind-the-scenes storybook-like fun reworking, while Elouise puts her own commanding spin on Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me”.
Elouise and her wonderful team including musical director Steve Anderson and show producer Terry Ronald don’t leave more contemporary music aside either. Paul McCartney’s James Bond theme “Live And Let Die” retains the drama but becomes empowering with a big band turn. And “Could It Be Magic” (I previously blogged about the Le Kid dance remix, also included here) is a faithful and timely cover that ties in all of the Barry Manilow, Donna Summer, and Take That versions together!!
As if her previous releases didn’t scream it out loud enough, Little Belter is Elouise’s international calling card. Her shows are currently selling out all over England and the rest of the world is waiting to be slayed. I’ll let you know as soon as I know that Little Belter is available outside of the UK. Even if you’re not particularly attached to any of these songs as you know them, I will guarantee that in the hands of Elouise and her team there is no disappointment. If you’re in the UK do try and catch her live show athttp://www.littlebeltershow.com.
Listen to “If Love Were All” by Elouise below.
Bim “Scream”
Also coming to you, in early April, is the official single release of “Scream”, by UK indie duo Bim, who captured many hearts and minds with their 2010 effort Scatterheart, which yielded one of my favourite singles that year with the heartwrenching “Head Over Heels”. Rebecca Rosier and Denmark Davis are definitely out to best themselves because “Scream” is one of the most touching and ear-catching new releases of 2012. Vocally, it is a little more aggressive than past releases, and I particularly enjoy how Denmark’s voice jumps front and centre past the minute mark to match Rebecca’s power immediately preceding. Watch the video for “Scream” below and listen to acoustic and remix versions too.
Pob “Shout It Out Loud”
It hasn’t been too long since we bid adieu to UK’s Boy Banned via their gorgeous swan song “The Stars Are Saying Yes”, and I’ve certainly noticed that band members Ethan and Pob (aka Paul O’Brien) have both struck out on their own immediately. Pob seems to be the first one out of the gate with songs hinting at a diverse new direction with the help of some great songwriters. “Shout It Out Loud” is contemporary and memorable and with wishful assistance of some remixers could find its way discretely into clubland. We’ll have to wait a bit longer to hear where Pob plans to head music-wise, but this is a pleasing surprise that’s a bit of a grower. Pob’s started to showcase his music in concert too – a debut London date is scheduled for March 30. Listen to “Shout It Out Loud” – which has nothing to do with a certain hit by KISS 😉 – below.
Much of my personal chart stays the same in this end of February edition, but there are always the requisite new songs on the rise. The big mover on this week’s chart is the increasingly infectious “Free” by Graffiti 6, which jumps 20-8. The British duo of Jamie Scott and Tommy Danvers comes off with a unique pop sound amid so much autotuned dross on the charts. As testament to this, you’ll find an acoustic video of “Free” below as well as the official video. As bloggers have claimed for the last few years, Graffiti 6 continues to impress and acquire new fans (me, among them).
You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can clickright here. You can hear all of the songs on the chart or watch their videos by clicking on the pics on the chart page.
The top of the chart continues to be a friendly battle between “Memorize Me” by Rune RK & Databoy, which continues in the lead, and “Backseat” by Eric Saade. The former’s intriguing story sweatered in electropop and the latter’s rock-flavoured sensual dance pop are both fantastic detours in the current pop world. Not far behind is “Make You Mine” by Joe Jonas at #3, which like “Backseat” throws a little aggression into the mix. The sensitive old-school R&B/pop of “Home” by Stone Walters continues at #4, and then it’s that guy Saade again at #5 with the mysterious and danceable singalong that is “Fingerprints”. Aside from “Free” by Graffiti 6, the only other new entry to the Top 10 is another Jonas-should-be-smash done up as a break-up cha cha called “Not Right Now” at #10.
While the fine “Fallout” by Marianas Trench (video below) and “Born To Die” by Lana Del Rey each inch up a notch, Adam Lambert’s “Better Than I Know Myself” comes up the middle as Top 10 bound at #12. JMSN’s intriguing “Something” is on the move at #14 (yes, more weird and wonderful videos are on the way), with “Summer Is Over” by Jon McLaughlin & Sara Bareilles climbing to #16. M83’s “Midnight City” continues to get stuck in my head for long periods of time and jumps to #17, while Fallulah’s “Out Of It” as remixed by the ingenious Monsieur Adi is equally captivating at #20. The crowd pleasing “Believe It” by Spencer & Ross and Nadia Ali rounds out the songs to watch at #21.
I’ve already written about our four debuts in past posts. But in case you haven’t got the tip from the above paragraphs, a lot more rock flavour seems to be finding its way into my personal chart. Three out of the four debuts can attest to this.
At #25 is New Yorker Ryan Star, whose songs have fared extremely well on the chart since 2008, all reaching the Top 5: “Right Now” (#2), “Start A Fire” (#3), “Last Train Home” (#4), and “Breathe” (#5). “Stay Awhile” is no exception – a fine emotionally-charged and thoughtful rock ballad. The video is below, as is Ryan’s rendition of “I Won’t Back Down”, a late 80’s hit for Tom Petty.
Then we have River Tiber, the band name for Canada’s Tommy Paxton-Beesley, which hits with “Someday” at #26. It’s another song with genuine emotional fervour and highly-charged guitar playing that is made even better by Tommy’s Jeff Buckleyesque vocals which now give me goosebumps. Catch the video below and become a believer, along with another one of River Tiber’s songs called “Symmetry”. Be sure to download a new EP, hot off the presses, called Massachusetts, from River Tiber’s website.
Bowing at #27 is “The Fight Of My Life” by Colin Munroe featuring Pusha-T. The duo concocted a wicked blend of pop, rock, R&B, and rap in this powerful song, which should put Toronto’s Colin back into the international scene handily. A lot of people, myself included, can relate to the lyrics and Colin’s soulful and honest vocal. Colin’s had two chart entries, “Will I Stay” (#8) and “Bulletproof Monster” (#12). Listen to “The Fight Of My Life” below, as well as lending an ear to Colin’s affecting revox of Sky Ferreira’s “One”.
The last debut at #29 focuses on a retro new wave vibe, in a kind of Animotion-meets-Divinyls kind of way (and they would do a great version of the former’s hit “Obsession”, hint hint). I’m talking about fun trio Liquid Diet, who have released a 3 song self-titled EP that puts ears foremost on “Hand Dance”, their ode to self-pleasure. It’s kitschy for sure but not only instantly likeable but hard to get out of your head, and before you know it you’ll want more… And that must be why the duo also recorded a danceable cover-with-a-twist of George Michael’s “Father Figure”. As with “Hand Dance”, vocalists Georgia and Billy trade off well and what sounds like it could have been a train wreck in principle actually works out just fine thank you. The EP rounds out with “Nude”, which manages to name-check bloggers among a cast of thousands. Watch the video for “Hand Dance” below and listen to “Father Figure” as well.
While Rufus has released a number of projects over the last few years, including the House Of Rufus boxed set, it’s really been since 2007’s Release The Stars and his 2008 concert tour to promote Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall (I last saw a Rufus concert on my birthday that year) that I’ve really been in tune with his pop music. I stepped away from the All Days Are Night: Songs For Lulu album, a beautifully enough done record but alas one that I could never listen to or play regularly. And believe me, Rufus’ music from all of his other albums is played regularly on my iTouch 🙂
I first encountered his songs while at a listening station at Tower Records in 1998. It was his first self-titled album and I simply hadn’t heard anything like it before. So I caught an intimate show at Toronto’s Rivoli Club, just Rufus and his piano, and I was completely sold. I have seen him in concert five times. So I am really happy that we find Rufus in a different place in pop for Out Of The Game, which is due for official release in late April. Produced by Mark Ronson, the sampling of two new songs below, “Montauk” and the title track, signal that the amazing lyricism that you find in songs like “April Fools”, “Greek Song”, “Tulsa” and more is well intact. “Montauk” is beautifully and personally written for his baby daughter about a touristy beach resort in New York where she will eventually visit. “Out of The Game” shows Rufus in more classic pop singer-songwriter territory.
If these songs are just previews of what to expect, definitely continue to count me in this game 🙂
Vincent Did It “Notice Me” and Quigley “Inkblot Game”
I’m writing about these songs together because they are each so different, yet two of a perfect pair 🙂 Of course Vincent Did It is Vincent Frank (formerly Frankmusik) and Quigley is his gal Casey Carlson, who have already performed in concert together on Frankmusik’s Fall tour in support of Do It In The A.M. Though the Galaga arcade game sounds are a delightful distraction, it’s Quigley’s soul-tinged vocals that showcase “Notice Me” and make romance-at-a-distance in an arcade the backdrop. Quigley’s debut “Inkblot Game” also gets Vince’s magic production touch – the melody does remind me a bit of “Hurt You Again” at times – but it’s a multi-layered song that makes you think, especially when faced with the seemingly simple but deliberately paced video. Her vocals convincingly portray someone torn apart internally who has withdrawn into a safe place. Just beautiful.
Listen to “Notice Me”
Watch “Inkblot Game”
Sam Sparro “Happiness”
It’s been four years since Australian-via-L.A. Sam Sparro dazzled us with “Black and Gold”, which became a stunning huge hit worldwide and is a staple for dance competitions everywhere. His debut self-titled album was an R&B-laced fun fest which kind of went quiet a bit too fast. Several remixes and other projects later and Sam returns with his sophomore effort Return To Paradise and debut single “Happiness”, currently available only in Australia – lucky Aussies. This one takes me back 30 years to infectious R&B pop courtesy of George Benson, Chaka Khan, Patrice Rushen, and Quincy Jones, but yet done with a slick and distinctive Sam Sparro vocal spin that will also fit in just fine next to today’s club sounds. After all, we all need a little bit of “Happiness” and “Paradise” don’t we? Can’t wait to hear the rest of the album! 🙂
Elouise “Could It Be Magic” (Le Kid remix)
To most of us around the world, “Could It Be Magic” is an excellent choice for UK’s Little Belter herself Elouise, who can bestow upon it all of the drama and power that is required. In North America, we know it as a Top Tenner from Barry Manilow in 1975; it became a hit in the UK three years later after Barry became king of “Copacabana”. But Donna Summer gave the song its disco savvy in 1976, which was later captured by Take That in its 1992 Top 10 UK hit version. Those great folks behind Le Kid have given the song a splashy remix that doesn’t overpower the original. Watch Elouise sing the song in concert below. We need Elouise in North America SOON!
The Wilde Project featuring Matt Blue and Matic “She’s A Maniac” (Traxx remix)
Michael Sembello’s 1983 hit from “Flashdance” comes alive again through this Eurohouse remix featuring one of my favourite new vocalists, Holland’s Matt Blue. Matt’s stellar voice is the perfect vehicle to drive the chorus from “Maniac” back on to the dance floor for late night fun.
Eleven:Eleven “Electric Sex” and Empire of The Sun “Walking On A Dream” (Eleven:Eleven remix)
Eleven:Eleven is a duo from Austin, Texas comprising vocalist Sicca and producer Jake Childs that shows that the nu-underground disco that I’ve associated with New York City is spreading elsewhere. “Electric Sex” is sinewy late night dance floor affair all rolled into one that leaves you wanting more after 3 minutes. To satisfy that, take the duo’s delightfully intensified remix of Australian duo Empire of The Sun’s 2009 hit “Walking On A Dream”, which could find its way back into clubs again because of the fresh take on the song. Eleven:Eleven are ones to watch. Download these songs for free from the links below.
A few of my favourite performers return with new songs, plus of course the requisite bunch of talented newcomers 🙂
Ryan Star “Stay Awhile”
With crowd-pleasing honesty and passion in his songs and performing, Ryan Star has been keeping mighty busy since the August 2010 release of his last album 11:59 (for which you may recall I attended the CD launch show in New York City). He’s in the process of recording a new album and released a free download called The America EP which dropped last month (including a cover of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down”). “Stay Awhile” however is the first single from his upcoming album and has all the makings of a classic rock ballad, full of warm, understanding lyrics and Ryan’s big, versatile voice. I don’t say it very often, but I’m predicting great things for “Stay Awhile”. Ryan Star is currently on tour in the USA with Andy Grammer.
Tyler Hilton “Prince Of Nothing Charming”
After kicking off the year with a big rockin’ bang with the free download of “Loaded Gun”, Tyler precedes his upcoming album Forget The Storm with “Prince of Nothing Charming”, a song that has the witty lyrical wordplay and simple kind of melody that attracted many people to his music in the first place back in 2004/05 with songs like “The Letter Song” or “When It Comes” from The Tracks Of Tyler Hilton album. This is a great song to tie into the final season of One Tree Hill, where Tyler plays Chris Keller. Now that Tyler’s signed to Matt Serletic’s Emblem Records (home to Rob Thomas and Matchbox Twenty), it looks like the increasingly common music business hassles that have prevented release of the new album will benefit Forget The Storm in hindsight if the songs are this good. Get “Prince of Nothing Charming” on iTunes.
Cassie “King Of Hearts”
Another singer who has had many delays with the release of her next album, Cassie Ventura tantalized us back in Fall ’06 with the Ryan Leslie produced pop/R&B ballad “Me & U”, which was positively everywhere for the next six months, getting to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. And then the bottom kind of fell out with rumours abounding that she had been dropped by P. Diddy from his Bad Boy label. Apparently not so (distribution switched from Atlantic to Interscope for her), as a few singles did surface in ’09 but failed to click. So almost six years later and Cassie returns with “King Of Hearts” – which is decidedly unlike her first records. In fact this is pretty pure dance pop that fits snugly next to Kylie Minogue or Britney Spears songs. And as with “Me & U”, the production and music is much bigger than her voice, which is not a bad thing at all. This one’s a tidy surprise and may take a while to catch on, so let’s see if club DJ’s jump on it first.
Charly Mae “For Ya Queen”
Picture yourself as a judge on “The Voice” doing blind auditions. You hear this big soulful voice, with decided shades of Rihanna and Beyonce with more than a dash of Christina Aguilera. You turn around and find yourself faced with a 20 year old blonde Brit dressed in trademark pink (as you will see in the acoustic video version below) – that would be Charly Mae Tuffen, whose debut single “For Ya Queen” is nothing short of instantly memorable. The song goes for the vocal punch, which will grab younger fans that like the style who might be into Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez, while attracting older fans looking for something fun and not so sophisticated. But there’s more than meets the ear on this one song for Charly Mae – she’s one to listen for in 2012.
Will Young “Losing Myself”
I feel like I somehow missed out on last year’s campaign around Echoes, which resulted in huge UK success for Will Young and appearances on many bloggers’ best lists for 2011. I like the album but I suppose its songs didn’t stick with me enough, unlike limited freebie single “The Way I See” which somehow did. At any rate, Echoes does not appear to be out of steam yet, witness the stylish and watchable video for “Losing Myself” which is a good way to bring people like me back around to appreciate the fine song that it is.
Colin Munroe featuring Pusha-T “The Fight Of My Life”
Like with records by Tyler Hilton and Cassie, Torontonian Colin Munroe got swept into a major record label shenanigans which prevented him from releasing his own new music since 2008’s seminal and diverse mixtape Colin Munroe Is The Unsung Hero – you’ll recall “Will I Stay”, featuring Dallas Austin and Wale. That didn’t stop him from writing for the likes of Sky Ferreira and working with Drake, Travie McCoy, and Donnis in the interim or by releasing another free download EP called The Revox Suite, which is most known for grabbing Nicki Minaj’s rap out of Kanye West’s “Monster” (shortly after it went viral before the official release of Kanye’s last album) and pairing it up with La Roux’s “Bulletproof”. He’s back with an emotionally powerful song called “The Fight Of My Life”, which is edgy pop/soul complimented by Pusha-T’s nicely contained rap. “The Fight Of My Life” is a sign of great things to come – can’t wait to hear what’s next from Colin. You can get it from his official website for free with an email subscription.
Marcus Collins “Seven Nation Army”
The rest of the world has to catch up with Marcus Collins, but UK audiences know him as the runner up to their X Factor competition winners Little Mix last year. With tutelage from Take That’s Gary Barlow, Marcus grabbed a deal with RCA Records which will see his self-titled debut album released in March. It’s preceded with an interesting choice for a first single, a soulful take on The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army”. Marcus makes it his own though, replacing the military thump of the original with a slinky groove, which is played out further by the handful 😉 in its colourful video. Think of him as the UK male version of Janelle Monae – wonder what they’d sound like in a duet?
Tooji “Stay”
Although for me there doesn’t seem to be a song to root for in the lead up to Eurovision this year as with Eric Saade’s “Popular” last year, the backstory behind Norway’s official entry is so fitting. Tooji Keshtkar was a refugee from Iran who ended up in Norway at age one, eventually becoming a model and MTV presenter, but with always a desire to be involved with the UN to assist children refugees. But this young man has undeniable talent and stage presence, witness this starmaking performance of “Stay”. I’m not sure if the song itself has the oomph to capture the Eurovision judges but it’s going to open international doors for Tooji.
Yeah I know it’s late for the first time but there are neither as many words nor much energy behind it this week. Expect several videos 🙂
You can view the full chart 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.
“Memorize Me” by Rune RK & Databoy continue with a tight grip at the top (video is at the bottom of the blog), with “Backseat” by Eric Saade (which I’m hoping will be the follow up to “Hotter Than Fire”, but I think it will be something a little lighter and less risque) as runner-up. Joe Jonas climbs to #3 with “Make You Mine”, while gorgeous soul ballad “Home” by new UK singer Stone Walters is now at #4. Listen to “Home” below.
Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up” climbs to #9, while the cheery “Champagne” by Nelson Clemente becomes his fourth top tenner on my chart. But it’s “Like A Drug” by Adam Tyler that makes a nice surge up to #7. The snazzy video is below.
The mostly upwardly mobile songs in the teens are by Eric Saade, The Midway State, Lana Del Rey, Marianas Trench, and Jon McLaughlin & Sara Bareilles, but they’re punctuated by some faster risers. Joe Jonas once again has the fastest climber on the chart with “Not Right Now” from the Fastlife album at #15. Right below is Adam Lambert’s “Better Than I Know Myself”, which has a really strong video that shows a softer, vulnerable side of Adam (below) – and I love the high notes in this song. And “Something” by JMSN is both well worth hearing and watching ( below – you have already been warned in previous posts). The talented Detroit singer climbs to #18 on the chart.
The newbies this week are almost all dance-oriented except for the one that leads the pack. Graffiti 6 are on the rise, long after many bloggers have praised their glory over the last few years. But “Free” is definitely the song to cut it for them, featuring a beautiful vocal from singer Jamie Scott.
Then we have at #22, M83 with “Midnight City”, a song that I’ve been listening to for quite a while now but now the melodic hook is completely entrenched in my brain. I don’t usually mention covers in conjunction with a newly charted song or one on the rise, but I must say that the rendition by the much-praised The Knocks featuring Mandy Lee is a swift alternate version well worth checking out, with a free download on Soundcloud right here.
It’s nice to have the divine Nadia Ali back in the chart at #26, this time in the hands of producers Spencer & Hill. “Believe It” has already had significant club play but it’s also great for blasting out the car window on a bad day. Nadia has previously charted with #2 “Love Story” in 2009, plus of course as part of duo iio with “Rapture”, “At The End”, and “Smooth”.
Lastly, the Monsieur Adi remix of “Out Of It” by Fallulah is such a humdinger that it enters the chart at #27, and you can buy it on iTunes too!
Bill’s #1 song: “Memorize Me” by Rune RK & Databoy
I’m not going to dwell on the recent and mainly unhappy past of Whitney Houston, but rather I’ll focus on the brilliant start to her career.
If you knew 70’s dance music, you probably didn’t know that a 14 year old Whitney sung on a now obscure Michael Zager Band song called “Life’s a Party”. You may know that she did contribute backing vocals a year later on Chaka Khan’s seminal “I’m Every Woman”, which Whitney herself later turned into an even bigger hit. The first lead vocal by Whitney appears on avant funk band Material’s One Down album from 1982, but it’s on a tender ballad called “Memories”, which was very unlike Material’s other songs. Listen below to the pure vocal.
She then did lead vocals on the late Paul Jabara’s 1983 “Eternal Love” from the Paul Jabara & Friends album (also recorded by Stephanie Mills), and performed that song in concert a number of times in the 80’s. The first charted hit with Whitney billed was Teddy Pendergrass’ 1983 song “Hold Me”. It reached #46 on the Billboard Hot 100, a rather plain introduction to the world if you ask me. Our introduction to Whitney solo, from her debut self-titled album, was “You Give Good Love”. And it got to #3. But what followed, starting with “Savin’ All My Love For You”, were 7 consecutive number one songs, and the rest is simple history.
Shortly before her debut album was released, RCA Records Canada hosted an intimate industry-only party at Club Blue Note in Toronto. I had been publishing my own magazine called Vinyl Performance with my partner-in-crime James Rogers, and got invited to attend by the RCA rep. None of my music aficionado friends was available to attend at short notice, so Peter Russell was my lucky ‘plus one’. Whitney performed about five or six songs from the album, singing live to backing tracks. I remember “Thinking About You”, featuring Jermaine Jackson, sounding really good and like a possible hit (I think it ended up as a ‘B side’), along with my still-favourite “How Will I Know”. After her set, I got to meet Whitney briefly. We greeted and she put her arm around my upper back and asked “Would you have a picture with me?” I have that photo somewhere, I must have hid it good when I last moved house. She was cute, warm, and bubbly, and brimming with talent.
There is in every decade one young performer whose inevitable rise to stardom is predicted by everyone with whom that artist comes in contact. In the 1980’s, that performer is Whitney Houston.
Stephen Holden in the New York TIMES said “She is a talent with tremendous potential”. The VILLAGE VOICE first enthused “She has the looks, the voice and style of Lena Horne when she was that age. Star Material. Sensational word-of-mouth has been going around about Whitney Houston.” Later, they described her as “a chic-looking young Billie Holiday with a gorgeous vibrato. She has a big voice, the kind that makes you laugh and weep at the same time.”
Nelson George in BILLBOARD Magazine labeled her “a thrilling young singer who performs beautifully. Whitney has the pedigree and style to be a major vocalist.”
And that’s some pedigree! Her mother, Cissy Houston, has been one of the most well-regarded singers in R&B for more than twenty years and Dionne Warwick is her first cousin. Whitney has been in the studio as a background singer since she was twelve years old and recently has been featured as a backup vocalist on LP’s by Chaka Khan, Lou Rawls, The Neville Brothers and soloed on “Eternal Love” from Paul Jabara’s LP. On Material’s “One Down” album, she did a solo called “Memories”, which Bob Christgau in the VILLAGE VOICE called, “one of the most gorgeous ballads you’ve ever heard.” When she was 15 years old she toured Japan with her mother, Cissy Houston. Whitney’s style, in part, echoes her mother’s gospel-rooted soulful delivery but contains a cool, pop quality all her own.
Even with the family exposure and the instant success that she has had both as a Wilhelmina fashion model and a singer, her controlled self-assurance is amazing in a nineteen year-old.
And yet, “amazing” is a comfortable fit for Whitney. She has appeared on the cover of SEVENTEEN Magazine and appeared in GLAMOUR, COSMOPOLITAN and YOUNG MISS. She has done national television commercials. At a time when almost no new artists are being signed to record companies, Whitney has just been given a contract with Arista Records by its president, Clive Davis, one of the most highly regarded judges of talent in the music business. In Arista’s own words, it was “an agreement that represents a major commitment to the young artist. Her signing was one of the most eagerly sought at Arista in recent years.”
What is she like as a person? She will tell you, emphatically, that her first love is singing and that above all else that is what she wants to be doing the rest of her life. Whitney, whose “greatest influences, besides my own family, were Aretha, Natalie Cole, Donny Hathaway, and Quincy Jones,” wants to travel and perform all over the world. Somehow, in the midst of all this, she’d also like to work toward a college education. What’s more, she probably will.
Warm, observant, careful, ambitious, a charming balance of reserve and fun – Whitney sees singing, modeling and acting as her job. She likes it, but she can take the glamour in stride and is only too aware of the pitfalls along the way – after all, you might say it’s the family business.
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