Up-N-Comers featuring Kaya & Pierre Lewis, Kenneth Giles, Darin, Glo, Slakadeliqs & Justin Nozuka, River Tiber, and more

Life seems to go crazy all at once – work gets super busy, personal situations change, and of course in these blink-and-they’re-gone times, new music arrives en masse.  So before I know it, I’m saying “How am I gonna write about all of this great music?”.  So not to give short shrift to any of these fine songs and performers, but today’s Up-N-Comers blog post provides a succinct look/listen about songs and performers that require your attention 🙂

Kaya featuring Pierre Lewis “When I Was Blind”

I tipped you off to this beauty of a ballad a few weeks back, and “When I Was Blind” has officially arrived on iTunes today (February 11).  U.S. beauty Kaya and handsome UK R&B/pop singer Pierre could not sound better together.  The song is written in classic ballad style that you just don’t hear on the radio anymore.  And as a bonus, producer/remixer Florian Maier crunched the song into a dance rendition that even gets a little dub-steppy.  Hear the remix below and download it with an email subscription right here.

Kenneth Giles “Take It Easy”

Kenneth is an Irish singer, dancer and choreographer who has done well in his home country at a young age, already as a judge on Dublin’s Got Talent, performing in the domestic touring show of Glee, and running his own performing arts studio.  “Take It Easy” seems a little plain at the start, but its slinky mid-tempo vibe and chorus will find you humming the song when you least expect it.  This is a promising start and the video offers some eye-catching choreography too.  Get it on iTunes.

Darin “Nobody Knows”

It seemed back in 2008 that Swedish singer Darin Zanyar was Scandinavia’s equivalent of a Justin Timberlake-meets-Jesse McCartney talent, having had lots of Scandinavian success back to 2005.  Domestic and European hits like “Breathing Your Love” (featuring Kat DeLuna, from the Flashback album) and “Lovekiller” (from the 2010 album of the same name) brought his talent to the worldwide stage, showing that he can bridge both dance and pop worlds.  “Nobody Knows” puts him back square in dance club territory, with a song that not only slams but puts his high register to wonderful full use while still focusing on a beautiful melody.  It’s a well-rounded song that puts Darin more head-to-head with someone like Adam Lambert, and that’s not at all a bad thing!  Official release is coming soon… listen to the song below.

Glo, “Don’t Believe”

Montreal produces some of the best domestic rock music amid its reputation for top notch electronica.  Glo is a three piece whose album No One Hears Me drops this year.  Taking cues from bands like Keane and All American Rejects, but with a harder edge carrying the melody, “Don’t Believe” is a tidy and punchy single carried by singer Rick Cordi’s versatile voice.  It also has great pedigree with award-winning singer/producer John Nathaniel (Marie-Mai, Long Story Short) at the helm.  You can buy “Don’t Believe” on CD Baby or listen to right here.

Slakadeliqs featuring Justin Nozuka “Keep Breathing”

I previewed Slakadeliqs’ debut album The Other Side Of Tomorrow a while back with another song featuring the ultra-talented Justin called “Love Controls The Sun”, which is a lovely lazy Sunday morning slice of pop.  The other song from the album featuring Justin is “Keep Breathing”, a breezy mid-tempo jazzy-sounding song that reminds me a lot of the Style Council’s mid-80’s output.  Slakah the Beatchild and Justin get their groove on in the video below and it’s positively contagious.  You can download The Other Side Of Tomorrow or any of its songs for free from the Slakadeliqs’ website or you can buy it on iTunes.  Unique and diverse – don’t miss it.

River Tiber “Someday”

River Tiber is the band name for Toronto’s Tommy Paxton-Beesley, who is one of these burgeoning talents-all-in-one just bursting at the seams.  “Someday” shows all too apparent influence from the likes of U2 and Coldplay, with some fantastic guitar work, but there’s a really sweet Jeff Buckley-esque edge to this song that I find incredibly affecting with each listen.  This young man is going places.  Listen to “Someday” below and you can purchase River Tiber’s album From Now On on iTunes.

Feral aka Kinky “Tweet Retweet”

A case is being made for a recent dance music sub-genre called Moombahton, which appears to combine reggae, pop, and electronica.  If you’re interested in sampling this quirky style, check out Moombahton Nation on iTunes.  From that album, “Tweet Retweet” by Feral aka Kinky slices a bright, clubby melody with reggae-stylin’ vocals that draw you in – remember mid 2000’s hits like “Move Ya Body” by Nina Sky, “Never Leave You” by Lumidee, or “Pull Up” by Mr. Vegas”?  Take two steps forward from those records and tilt your head, remaining firmly on the dancefloor.  Listen to “Tweet Retweet” below.

Sintropez “Berlin Girl”

It’s not often these days that the dark post-new wave influences of groups like Depeche Mode or Sisters of Mercy rear their heads in new music.  But if you like that style, you’ll appreciate the lush and languid feel of “Berlin Girl” by Sintropez, a new three piece unit from France led by singer Will Katrine.  Listen below.

And just for fun, “Call Me Maybe” by Canada’s Carly Rae Jepsen (produced by Marianas Trench’s Josh Ramsay) has already reached #1 on Billboard’s Canadian Top 100 and is poised to break out internationally, given tweets of support by the likes of Selena Gomez.  It doesn’t need my thumbs up to help it succeed, but it’s got a great video, so watch below.

Electronic Bliss: Simon Curtis and Vincent Did It team up for “Starlight”, “Flesh” remix

Those of you who follow the promising careers of both Simon Curtis and Vincent Did It (formerly Frankmusik) have known that they collaborated on some songs in advance of the release of Simon’s album R∆ last June.  Since that time, they’ve both been hinting at the release of Vince’s remix of “Flesh” and other songs.  So with today came the release of that “Flesh” remix, as well as a gorgeous ballad called “Starlight”.

Vince’s remix of “Flesh” takes the staccato ends of the song and keeps you there, focusing on trebly arpeggios and Simon’s upper register.  Its playful pace makes the mix seem much shorter than its 5:37 length.  The result is akin to keeping you perpetually at a particular moment… the few seconds before you find out the solution to a mystery… the few seconds before you get your college diploma… the few seconds before a first kiss… the few seconds before … all right, I think you get where this is going 😉  

Download the Vincent Did It remix for “Flesh” for free from the redesigned http://www.simon-curtis.com – check out all those great Tyler Shields photos!

It’s obvious from first listen that “Starlight” did not fit the mold that became R∆.  It’s a wistful, pensive downtempo ballad as a reminder of a relationship that ended, that has the sound of Darren Hayes, most evidently, as an inspiration.  Like the other songs in R∆ though it evokes a personal place in time for Simon, and I’m glad he chose to share this gentler side of the R∆ sessions with us.  Vince is no slouch at producing softer songs either – his free download from last year, the dramatic and heartfelt “Hurt You Again”, was one of my favourites of the year, and it didn’t make the cut for Do It In The AM either.

Courtesy of the ever-wonderful Arjan Writes, read Arjan’s thoughts and download “Starlight” for free on this page.

BILLCS Top 30 #371 – Jan 30/12 – Rune RK & Databoy’s “Memorize Me” Returns – At The Top

Oh the joys and sometimes pain of making a chart and being consistent!  Be prepared for a bit of a ramble…

Back in November, I got so excited about a song that I put it on my chart right away, anticipating a release.  The release, unfortunately got delayed… and delayed… and delayed.  So in ways that only chart geekdom will explain 😉 I have two rules about my chart:  1) If a song is on the way down the chart or holding, it will be removed from it after 10 appearances (20 weeks); and 2) A song must be officially released and commercially available somewhere, either as a free download or for purchase, it can’t exist strictly on a video that people can’t buy or download legally.

So I was thrilled last week when the official release of “Memorize Me” by Rune RK & Databoy happened!!  But it created both a dilemma and strange chart situation.  The dilemma:  Eric Saade’s “Hotter Than Fire” and “Backseat” ruled the top.  Could they make room for “Memorize Me”?  The strange chart situation:  I removed “Memorize Me” from the chart after three appearances (all in the Top 5) because it wasn’t released.  Returning it to the chart would allow a consecutive 10 appearance chart run, like anything else, and it may join Nelson Clemente’s “You Want Me Don’t You” (16 appearances, two chart runs, in 2008 and 2009) and Ryan Star’s “Last Train Home” (the record holder at 17 appearances, two chart runs, also in 2008 and 2009) as one of the three longest running songs on my chart.  The longest consecutive run is Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep”, which moved upward in its 11th appearance to peak at #2 last year.  In any case, “Memorize Me” manages to re-enter the chart at #1, the only song ever to do so in the chart’s 14 year online history.  Another song did re-enter the chart and got to #1, but it didn’t re-enter at the top.  That was “Millennium” by Robbie Williams, my #1 song of 1999.  “Memorize Me” is in great company and will certainly rank highly at year’s end!

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.

With all of that chart madness out of the way – it doesn’t happen too often thank goodness – Eric Saade’s “Backseat” holds hard at #2, while “Hotter Than Fire” gives way and lands at #3.  “Make You Mine”, the snappy album track by Joe Jonas, holds tightly at #4.  Further into the Top 10, the beautiful soul ballad “Home” by UK singer Stone Walters rises 8-6, with fellow Brits Labrinth and Tinie Tempah up to #7 with the Benny Benassi remix of “Earthquake” (watch the snazzy video below).  Jon McLaughlin’s piano-laden “Promising Promises” jumps to #8, with The Midway State’s rocking “Fire!” at #9.  Rounding out the Top 10 is “Like A Drug” by Adam Tyler.  I posted about the slick video earlier in the week and you can watch once again below.

All of the songs ranked 6 through 17 are movin’ on up.  They include songs by Jason Mraz (which alas is slowing down, I thought it would have more staying power), Lady GaGa, Nelson Clemente, Marianas Trench, The Midway State’s “St. Paul and the Wolf”, and Lana Del Rey’s “Born To Die”.  In the middle of the chart is the fastest riser, another Eric Saade would-be-smash called “Fingerprints” which climbs 21-15.  Also Top 10 bound is Adam Lambert’s latest, “Better Than I Know Myself”, which climbs to #21.  “Summer Is Over” by Jon McLaughlin & Sara Bareilles should move up more in the coming weeks but for now rises 28-24.

There are four debuts this week, and I did warn you previously about another Joe Jonas song from Fastlife making an appearance.  “Not Right Now” bows at #23, and it’s a real hum-dinger… a beautiful and romantic contemporary cha-cha number.  I would love to hear a remix of this one for clubs.  Hear the song below.

A couple weeks back, I posted about JMSN’s fascinating and mysterious debut album †Priscilla†, which contains several songs of note, including the new single “Something”, which arrives at #25.  Its video is definitely worth a look, but is not for those of you who might squirm.

Florence & The Machine’s “No Light, No Light” bows at #27, and the clip below is from the excellent Saturday Night Live performance in December.  I’m finding Ceremonials a bit heavier hitting than Lungs at times, it seems fairly relentless, but still marvel at Flo’s Annie Lennox-meets-Sinead O’Connor voice – best of both worlds there.

And after arriving with a big splash in the UK, singer Yasmin has the last debut on the chart with the percolating “Light Up The World”, featuring Shy FX and Ms Dynamite at #28.  It gets stuck in your head and keeps your foot tapping away.

Adam Tyler’s video for “Like A Drug”, “Somebody” by Vincent Did It, and New Faces: MNEK, Fallulah, Liquid Diet, and Chromatone

Well my Monday certainly kicked off with a blast, with the arrival of the video for Adam Tyler’s “Like A Drug”, and more new music from Vincent Did It (formerly Frankmusik) with “Somebody”.  I’ll throw in songs and/or videos from four new faces as well.

Adam Tyler, “Like A Drug”

Adam Tyler has been whetting our appetites for the last while with picture previews of stills from the video for “Like A Drug”.  It dropped yesterday and serves as an eyebrow-raising calling card for the talented L.A. based Missouri native.  We’ve already seen videos for 2010’s “Friction” and last year’s first single from the Shattered Ice album “I Won’t Let You Go”.  This time though it’s an all out assault on our senses, as this well-directed video takes us into a cavernous warehouse where naughty and/or naasty things may happen depending on your temptation.

The video is both persuasive and compelling, not knowing what to expect… But throughout it we see snippets of some dancing, and Adam gets up close and personal with most of the cast as the tension builds.  It ultimately leads to the best part of the video – a group dance to some truly magnificent 30 seconds of choreography, which may even stick in your head more than the rest of the video.  Then, boom – it’s over.  I hope “Like A Drug” opens more doors for Adam.  The song had to grow on me more than some of the others in Shattered Ice as I’ve listened to the album for the past five months.  The quality in its video has been worth the wait – well done everyone! 🙂

Vincent Did It, “Somebody”

Vincent Frank is back in his element.  He may be about to make the best music of his career if recent songs “Dynamo”, “So You’re Alive” (video is below), and “Somebody” are any indication.  The singer is in his best voice with some of his best lyrics, not without some humour, as well on “Somebody” as he encourages everyone “don’t let the bastards bring you down”.  The singer himself has had to rise above so much himself over the last year and I’m glad that he can release it through his songs.  Keep it coming – can’t get enough!  And it’s only January!!

MNEK, “If He’s The One” 

MNEK is 17 year old British singer Uzoechi Osisioma Emenike, who has already risen to cutting edge prominence with a Top 5 UK hit under his songwriting belt, “All Fired Up” by The Saturdays.  He’s remixed for Graffiti 6, Frankmusik, Colette Carr, Tinie Tempah, Olly Murs, and Simon Curtis.  And he’s recording his debut album, to be released next year.  In the meantime, he’s offered up the cheery and soulful “If He’s The One” with a big voice way beyond his years.  Watch out for this talented lad and download “If He’s The One” below for free.

Fallulah “Out Of It”

26 year old Maria Apetri is Fallulah, and hails from Denmark, where “Out Of It” has already topped the charts recently.  The singer compares at times to Florence Welch but has a softer quality about her.  I’ve been listening to a remix of “Out Of It” for a while now, which brings out the eerie undercurrent of the song better than its original video (above).  That’s definitely owing to the talented remixing of Monsieur Adi, who you’ll know this past year from remixing Darren Hayes’ “Bloodstained Heart” as well as producing his own songs as well, such as “Chariot”.  Listen to the Adi remix of “Out Of It” below and mix it up with songs like “Ghosts ‘N Stuff” by Deadmau5.

Liquid Diet “Hand Dance”

New York trio Liquid Diet comprises Georgia, Billy, and Jonathan, and with the entertaining video for “Hand Dance” they join in some very good company – Divinyls, Cyndi Lauper, The Vapors, and others – who have all sang hits about the thrills of self-pleasure.  Not so guilty pleasure?  You bet!  Great fun that goes well with a song like Databoy’s “Stupid”.  Download it for free below for a limited time.

Chromatone, “One Half”

Chromatone has meshed up rock, jazz, funk and soul, for a slick and danceable affair with “One Half”.  Like some other recent singers from the UK, Chromatone will remind you of some of the best US and UK soul/pop singers of the last 20 years, like Terence Trent D’Arby, Andrew Roachford, Remy Shand, and Jay Kay of Jamiroquai, with obvious influences from masters like Stevie Wonder.  It’s that classic jazzy guitar playing though that makes you notice.  Songs like “One Half” signal more energetic delights to come.  Download it for free below.

IT’S HERE: “Memorize Me” by Rune RK & Databoy – plus a promising new duet

Back on October 23, 2011, I wrote:

I’m going to talk about the highest debut on the chart now because this song has all the makings of being MASSIVE.  I previewed “Memorize Me” by Rune RK & Databoy this past summer, after the song found favour in the Ibiza club circuit, being touted by no less than the legendary Tiësto himself.  There are several reasons why this song launches at an impressive #5 on my chart.  The pairing of the two DJ teams is impressive.  You combine European DJ/producer Rune RK’s flair for creating Ibiza beach party anthems with Austin duo Databoy’s creativity and vocals, along with a seductive lyrical subtext, and voilà – “Memorize Me” is a true original.  Revel in each listen or dance your ass off, your choice:)  Way to go – I can’t get enough of this song right now.  It will be available imminently as a free download but for now you can listen to it right here.

After a bit of a delay, “Memorize Me” has arrived with the video at the top of the blog.  I have never grown tired of the song since I first heard it and am thrilled that it will be released officially on January 23.  Like the song, the video is a true original.  The juxtaposition of the two young boys heading out for the day and filtering through a gay pride event and then a Rune RK concert is interesting.  One wishes that we could all be so carefree, untainted by opinion and bias, or go anywhere, and just have fun, as if we were kids.  It’s also interesting that Databoy lads Cameron and Adam appear as kind of onlookers inside of a television.  I had this idea of a video for this song that would have been an updated version of a-ha’s “Take On Me” video, using either a computer or TV as a backdrop… but I digress.  Be sure to get “Memorize Me” on Monday!!  I’ve now got to convince the two Eric Saade songs at the top of my personal chart to make some room in two weeks…

Below is a preview of a most promising duet!  It will be your first – but definitely not to be your last – listen to “When I Was Blind” by 18 year old American singer Kaya (featured recently in the Ballroom Remixed project), partnered with none other than UK sensation Pierre Lewis, who recorded one of my favourite ballads of recent years called “Broken” a few years back.  Be forewarned – it’s melt-worthy.

BILLCS Top 30 #370 – When will the rest of the world get the Eric Saade albums?

OK, Nordic countries, it’s time to share.  While it’s a mean feat to cop a release in the UK, the rest of the world awaits.  Of course I’m referring to Saade Volumes One and Two, my favourite albums of 2011 by 21 year old Eric Saade.  His duet with Dev, “Hotter Than Fire” continues to lead my personal chart at the top.  The fastest riser is right behind at #2, none other than (surprise, surprise) “Backseat”, also from Volume Two.  No singer has started to dominate my chart this way since Simon Curtis (oh, and they should do a duet – but that’s a whole other story 🙂 ).

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.

In addition to “Hotter” and “Backseat” (which is a really sexy song, if you haven’t already got that), I’ve debuted another song at #21 this week, and that’s the anthemic “Fingerprints”.  Despite a little too many effects on Eric’s voice, the song is just too damn catchy for you to miss.  Listen below.

This will be a shorter chart blog than usual because I’ve already blogged about the other new songs on the chart.  We have Jason Mraz’s tender and hopeful “I Won’t Give Up” bounding onto the chart at #13 and Top 5 bound.  Adam Lambert (and it’s hard to believe he’ll be 30 in a few weeks!) makes his premiere appearance here – “Whataya Want From Me” and “If I Had You” came close – with “Better Than I Know Myself” at #26, which sounds like it’s a whole new chapter in the making with such a stunning vocal.  Adam’s upcoming sophomore album is called Transmission.  And the teaming of Jon McLaughlin and Sara Bareilles couldn’t be better on “Summer Is Over” at #28, from Jon’s upcoming album due in May called Promising Promises – the song of the same name strolls into my Top 10 on this chart 🙂

Closer to the top, most noteworthy is “Make You Mine” by Joe Jonas, which climbs handily to #4 (listen below).  I can’t say enough how much his album Fastlife is such a joy.  While R&B ballad “Just In Love” slides down the chart, you can expect another song from the album to debut in a few weeks.  Sounds absolutely great up loud!  Other upward moves in the Top 10 come from the late lamented Boy Banned, Darren Hayes’ “Black Out The Sun”, and the stunning soul/pop ballad full of things important and personal, “Home” by UK singer Stone Walters at #8.

The middle of the chart is looking mighty fine with nice moves from songs by Labrinth & Tinie Tempah, The Midway State (both “Fire!” #12 and the increasingly infectious “St. Paul & The Wolf” at #20 – listen to remixes on the band’s Soundcloud page), Lady GaGa, Adam Tyler (just a forthnight away from the video for #15 “Like A Drug”), Nelson Clemente’s cheery “Champagne”, the fine “Fallout” from Marianas Trench, and of course the gothic sound of “Born To Die”, the title track from the upcoming debut album by Lana Del Rey.  Lana’s “Blue Jeans”, in its spunky Penguin Prison remix, still resides at #5.  Frankmusik is no more in favour of independence for Vincent Did It, but “Wrecking Ball” nonetheless climbs to #22.

I’ve been listening to lots and lots of new music – you should see my Internet bookmarks – so more news on songs you should hear will be coming your way over the next two weeks.  Don’t forget to bookmark this blog too please 🙂

JMSN’s album †Priscilla†

†Priscilla† is the latest project by JMSN, aka Christian Berishaj (formerly known as Christian TV).  It’s compelling alternative R&B/pop, full of ruminations about loss, heartbreak, loneliness, self-doubt, self-realization, and what if’s that are awash in layered landscapes of synths, drums/percussion, and of course JMSN’s wide-ranging vocals.  I would wager there’s a classical music basis to some of the songs, which also prominently feature strings.  While †Priscilla† commands your attention, it’s far from an easy listen, but I always enjoy a challenge.  And a lot of the lyrics hit home for me, personally.

†Priscilla† basically takes you through the stages of a relationship gone sour – JMSN’s liner notes acknowledges that there is indeed a Priscilla.  Some of the songs as well as tracks under 2 minutes contain dialogue that tries to give an outside-looking-in perspective on what went wrong.  So there’s a cathartic approach to all of this, which seems sincere.

I included “Something” in my most recent Winter Popervescence post and I think it’s the best song within.  JMSN’s high register sings “There’s something there inside me and it won’t go away”.  There’s a lot of truth in that – because ‘it’ never goes away.  The song has a deliberate flow but endures its 6 minute length.  Other songs like “Fallin”, “Let U Go”, “Fire” (with some powerful additional vocals from Terrence “Stonewall” Jackson), plus previous singles “Hotel”, “Alone”, and “Girl I Used To Know” (featuring Boldy James) all shape †Priscilla† to give it plenty of atmosphere that adjusts to each mood – the latter song was a particularly good choice with its mid-tempo soulful rhythm to break up the pace a bit.  JMSN is allowed to showcase his terrific voice much more than in the major label dance pop of Christian TV.  It definitely helps make †Priscilla† a personal affair that many people will understand.

On the flip side of the album of course are the videos and visuals and you can subscribe to the videos on JMSN’s You Tube channel.  JMSN’s team here is going for something that will take you on a different trip than the aural one of †Priscilla†.  Striking videos have already been released for “Hotel”, “Alone”, and “Something”.  They are not for everyone.  Some people may only want to watch them once.  But if you love a good mystery like me that contains lots of variables and possibilities, then you’ll go along for the ride and stay in touch with JMSN’s Tumblr site where the singer basically lays out what it all means.  Go there to find out why the video for “Something” is graphic and makes you squirm.  Take a look at the other photos for what would look like more videos to continue the story.

JMSN’s †Priscilla† is a highly ambitious project, both aurally and visually, and I admire all of the effort that has gone into making it.  It’s a very creative start to 2012 for JMSN and I look forward to the forthcoming experiences.  Be sure to get it on iTunes.

Sidebar note:  I tweeted the other night about a performer in my last blog who used 90s pop/dance singer/songwriter Cathy Dennis on a song.  JMSN himself confirmed back to me that it is indeed Cathy who sings additional vocals in “Love & Pain”.  Always read album liner notes!!!


Winter Popervescence #1 – The Return of Tyler Hilton, plus Jon McLaughlin & Sara Bareilles, Le Kid, Danny Fernandes & friends, Armin Van Buuren, and JMSN

Well you had to have seen it coming.  We’re technically not even a month into Winter, so our seasonal Popervescence returns with a number of single platter delights.

Tyler Hilton “Loaded Gun”

I put “The Return of Tyler Hilton” in the heading for the blog with tongue a bit in cheek.  For Tyler has never really left the music scene at all, it just seems like a long while since the L.A. based singer/songwriter released a more electric kind of pop/rock record.  

We’ve been treated to acoustic EP’s, fine and dandy, a spot-on rendition of John Waite’s “Missing You” from one of the One Tree Hill soundtracks (Tyler, of course, is also Chris Keller on OTH), and a few singles, including a Christmas song.  Nothing has quite captured my attention in the same way as his 2004 album The Tracks Of Tyler Hilton, which generated must-play tunes for me in the forms of “When It Comes”, “Rollin’ Home”, and my favourite, the whimsical “The Letter Song”.  

So it’s great that Tyler’s first single from his upcoming album Forget The Storm is “Loaded Gun”, because it smokes from the first lick of that crackling guitar.  So those of us trapped in a warm-ish kind of winter can transfer our thoughts to driving down the California coast and headed to a bar for a good ol’ rockin’ time.  The song was co-written with Deana Carter whom Country music buffs will know for massive hits like “Strawberry Wine”.  Absolutely no surprise – if you’ve heard Tyler’s other songs there is always a heavy Country influence running through them.  

But “Loaded Gun” has that stadium rock potential that makes you think more of John Mellencamp than Johnny Cash.  Be sure to download “Loaded Gun” for free right here.

Jon McLaughlin featuring Sara Bareilles

“Summer Is Over”

If you’re heard Jon’s (now unavailable) recent album Forever If Ever, then you already know “Summer Is Over”.  But now that Jon has signed a new record deal with Razor & Tie and has another album coming in May called Promising Promises (named after my favourite song from Forever too, currently on my personal chart 🙂 ), he’s had the chance to rerecord the song as a duet with noneother than Sara Bareilles, most noted of course for “Love Song” and “King Of Anything”.  Their voices are a natural fit together, and having two voices on the record reinforces the feeling of longing and fond memories so very well conveyed by the song.   Listen for it on the radio and buy it on iTunes.

Le Kid “Human Behaviour”

Oh Swedish pop of the 2010’s how I adore thee.  Taking its cue from the best years of Swedish pop (aka the early 90s) and one Madonna Ciccone,  female vocal duo Le Kid tantalizes us with the sprite pop sounds of “Human Behaviour”.  As much as I’ve raved about the harder hitting recent electronic songs by Eric Saade and Agnes (producers/songwriters Felix Persson and Märta Grauers wrote Agnes’ smash “Release Me”, while third partner Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad has written for Mr. Saade), this is music that audiences would associate more with Robyn.  And like other music from Sweden lately, it has enormous international potential – with a few remixes it can find its way into worldwide clubland too.  Listen to “Human Behaviour” below and don’t say you aren’t doing some kind of little happy dance afterwards.  Listen to it by clicking on the link below.

http://soundcloud.com/hansifriberg/human-behaviour-le-kid/s-RUf12

Danny Fernandes featuring Josh Ramsay and Belly

“Hit Me Up”

26 year old Canadian singer Danny Fernandes first came to my attention back in 2007 with his first singles such as “Curious” (featuring Juelz Santana) which got to #13 on my personal chart.  Since then he’s had some significant domestic success with his gritty blend of pop and rap in songs like “Fantasy”, “Private Dancer” (also featuring rapper Belly), and “Automatic”.  With his recent album Automatic Luv we find what is sure to be his biggest hit to date, “Hit Me Up”, which has grabbed my attention whenever I’ve heard it on the radio, probably because it’s more electronic and slams harder than his past records.  While the song more than holds its own, it’s abetted to the max with the guest appearance of Marianas Trench singer Josh Ramsay in the chorus.  Watch the video above – you’ll have to get past the so-so storyline and the strange editing near the end which makes it seem like there was much, much more to the video than made the final cut.  Focus on the song – it’s a foot-stomper 🙂

Armin van Buuren featuring Adam Young, “Youtopia”

Dutch DJ/producer Armin van Buuren always has a few gems up his sleeve.  I came upon this one quite by accident but I’m glad I did.  Featuring none other than Mr. Owl City (“Fireflies”) himself, Adam Young, on vocals, the video above beautifully captures the wistful and emotional quality of this song, which is clearly about permanently lost love.  “Youtopia” rings true, tugging at your heart while making you sway.

JMSN, “Something”

Lastly I leave you with a preview of my next blog, which will be about the new album by JMSN called  †Priscilla†,  released on iTunes earlier in the week.  Its release was accompanied by a third single, “Something”, which follows previous singles and videos for “Hotel” and “Alone”.  

The singer formerly known as Christian TV is stretching boundaries big time with his new identity as JMSN.  “Something” is highly personal, full of atmosphere (particularly with exquisite percussion and drums) which reels you in, only to find that you’re not exactly sure of where you are and how you’ll feel when you’re done.  So yes it’s a head-scratcher but JMSN’s excellent high register vocals stay in your head, giving this song a much longer lasting quality than other songs. 

To seal the deal, watch the video above.  You may only want to watch it once, given some imagery that will make you squirm right from the first frame.  But I commented in an earlier blog about how much the previous videos seemed very similar to visuals from the mind of someone like David Lynch, the creator of “Twin Peaks” among other weird and wonderful forms of entertainment.  So you may get the creeps, but it makes you think.  Now if I’ve scared you away from the video, then take a listen to the song below.  More to come…

Enjoy the Sexy Sizzle of “X Games” by Nick Hagelin

2012 is off to a brilliant start with the upcoming release of “X Games” by Nick Hagelin.  As you’ve read in these pages over the last year, Nick has covered a diverse number of songs through entertaining You Tube videos – including Bruno Mars’ “Marry You”, Taylor Swift’s “The Story of Us”, and especially Eric Benet’s “Sometimes I Cry”.  He also released a coolsexycute EP called Take Off, which featured one of my favourites from last year, the silky ballad “Metaphor”.

Well reading between the lines it seems that there’s a major label offering in the works with “X Games”.  An Atlanta radio station has already jumped on it, which is a great thing for hometown boy Nick.  The song itself has enough soulful steaminess to woo the ladies and enough swagger to capture the guys’ attention.  It gets away from some of Nick’s  lighter pop/dance fare in favour of deep down home R&B… makes sense, our boy is rooted in soul.  Line it up against songs from R. Kelly, Robin Thicke, Terence Trent D’Arby, Usher… you get the picture.

Big things are poised to happen… listen to it yourself below and don’t say you aren’t impressed 🙂  More news is imminent in the coming days…

New for 2012: Vincent Did It, Jason Mraz, Marianas Trench… and a couple of neat remixes

Vincent Did It “Dynamo”

Vincent Frank laid his Frankmusik moniker to rest in December and took a break from Twitter.  As of today, he’s back as Vincent Did It with his first free download of the year, “Dynamo”.  On one hand musically it’s unlike anything that he’s ever done, and on the other contains the thoughtful lyrics he’s been known for over the past few years.  2012 needs someone to push the envelope and Vincent Did It is just the guy.  I’ll look forward to whatever Vince releases this year because of all of the work he puts into everything.  This is the second time in a year he’s had to put a positive spin on a turn of events, and this is the way to do it – in style.  Hopefully he’ll continue with the uStream studio visits he started in December too!

Download “Dynamo” for free below, courtesy of Flop of the Pops blog.

Also be sure to check out Vince’s pre-Christmas take on dubstep called “Fathom”, available for free download below.

Jason Mraz, “I Won’t Give Up”

It took me till after the first minute with the chorus, but Jason Mraz’s new single “I Won’t Give Up” will help keep you warm and fuzzy during the first part of winter.  The song just gets better as it goes along, bridging nicely the quiet, relaxing style that won him Grammys with “I’m Yours” a few years back, as well as the lyricism that made his first two albums such winners.  The song simply exudes happiness, and we all need songs like this to turn to when we need to tune out of life for 3 minutes.  Can’t wait for the rest of his upcoming fourth album.  “I Won’t Give Up” is a return to what made me enjoy Jason Mraz on record and in concert.  Get it on iTunes.

Marianas Trench’s album “Ever After”

It was released back in November, so my comments about the Trench’s third album Ever After are a little overdue.  However the Vancouver quartet may have just released its best single yet in the form of “Fallout”, which sits at the centre of the album and pretty much anchors it.

The album has a winning story about a quest for happiness, and definitely contains some of their best lyrics yet, though I still greatly cherish those in sophomore album Masterpiece Theatre.  Singer Josh Ramsay produced and wrote the entire record, which is a major accomplishment.

Ever After leaves behind some of the subtleties of Masterpiece Theatre in favour of a more radio-friendly pop sound, but to the contrary of what I’ve heard from some fans, it does not abandon its rock origins – the instrumentation from guitarist Matt Webb, bassist Mike Ayley, and drummer Ian Casselman (Josh and Matt also play piano) comes off as quite versatile – if anything it flaunts them.

Overall, Ever After sounds like a variation of Roy Thomas Baker-produced albums of the 70’s and 80’s, particularly Queen’s A Night At The Opera and Jazz or The Cars’ debut.  Most of those albums were sequenced with little or no gap between songs, and so Ever After sounds seamless like them.  Other key songs include “By Now” (a bit similar to “Right Beside You” from Masterpiece Theatre), “Desperate Measures” (listen below), “Porcelain”, “B Team”, and the finale (of course) “No Place Like Home”.

Ever After could be the record to break the very deserving Trench internationally – they already have many American followers.

REEEEEEMIXES!

I love remixes when they’re done right, and a couple have put their spins on some recent songs.

Rihanna “Where Have You Been” (Jadion Missing Persons remix)

I’m one of the few people who seems to be on the fence about Rihanna’s Talk That Talk album.  I have failed to get into the first two singles, “We Found Love” and especially the awful “You Da One”, and I think I like Rihanna best when she’s sassy (like in “S&M”) or captured by a club vibe (‘Don’t Stop The Music”, “S.O.S.”).  Jadion, known for his innovative production of records by Simon Curtis and Ro Danishei, has managed to de-Dr. Luke-ify  “Where Have You Been” in favour of a tribal, dubsteppy bounce – this remix does not give an inch and sustains all four and a half minutes.  Download it for free right here and mix it in with your post-New Year’s party music for 2012!

Sky Felix featuring Adam Tyler, “Taking Back My Love” (remix)

Producer/writer Sky Felix is one of the contributing creative forces amid Adam Tyler’s Shattered Ice album, which has already drawn two hits on my personal chart, “I Won’t Let You Go” and “Pull The Trigger”.  Adam’s about to release a video for the currently charting “Like A Drug” (tantalizing snap from the video shoot above), and in the meantime Sky has put a crisp, bright, and snazzy retro house spin on “Taking Back My Love” that’s too good to pass by (note: download link will return!).  Be sure to get Adam’s Shattered Ice on iTunes and watch for the video in the coming weeks!