BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

Reinventing the Dance Compilation With Style: This Beat Is Poptronik, Volume One

When I first heard about the launch of This Beat Is Poptronik and its accompanying concert to be held in among the beautiful beaches of Sitges, Spain, on September 1 and 2, I was very impressed at the idea of such an ambitious project. But upon learning the lineup on the Poptronik record, I couldn’t help but think how well it has set the stage for the concert to happen (the Poptronik concert headliner is none other than “Toy Soldiers” singer and comeback queen Martika!).

And after being afforded the opportunity to listen to the record in advance, the great folks behind Poptronik have done something so overdue: They have reinvented the dance compilation with style. This Beat Is Poptronik Volume One not only contains six songs with which I was already well acquainted, it contains several others that should have no trouble finding favour in dance clubs worldwide.

This Beat Is Poptronik Volume One is a must-have compilation of 32 songs that will get your groove on, and more, for the next several months! And it’s great to be excited about contemporary dance music.

First – those familiar songs… readers of this blog are no doubt already familiar with them 🙂

“Flesh” by Simon Curtis – an intense and sexually charged June 2011 release from the L.A.-based singer’s independent sophomore unique R∆ album, the song spent 2 months at the top of my chart, following other #1’s like 2010’s “Beat Drop”, “Delusional”, and “8bit Heart”. Simon’s most recent release is the free download of the ballad “Starlight”, produced by Frankmusik. A live performance of “8bit Heart” and “Flesh” from Simon’s London show put on by the EQ Music Blog is below.

“Disco Moment” by Bright Light Bright Light – a glorious August 2011 release from the upcoming debut album via The Blue Team/Aztec, Make Me Believe In Hope. BLx2 aka Wales native Rod Thomas got to #3 on my chart with “Disco Moment”, following 2010 #1’s “A New Word To Say” and “Love Part II”. Its impressive video is below.

“Like A Drug” by Adam Tyler – a smouldering late 2011 release from L.A.-based Adam’s wonderful debut independent album Shattered Ice. A Top Tenner on my chart, following previous Top 5 songs like “Friction” and “I Won’t Let You Go”, the song is complimented by an intriguing video (below) and a recent EP of remixes.

“Stupid” by Databoy – a fun, smart early 2011 digital single from the Texas duo which went Top 5 on my chart, and was followed by two #1’s, “Just Once” and “Memorize Me”.
“Head Over Heels” by Bim – a heartbreaking electro ballad from mid-2010 and the UK duo’s debut digital album Scatterheart, which got to the Top 5 on my chart. Their latest release is the infectious “Scream”.
“We Don’t Miss A Beat” by Van Go Lion – a bouncy dancefloor filler from the Portland, Oregon duo which became a Top 15 hit on my chart.

These six songs may be reason enough to purchase the album, but in fact there are many top notch songs within that I didn’t know. The variety of song styles capture the essence of electronic dance music of the last three decades.

I can’t mention all 32 songs here, so I’ll highlight my favourites (in no order), but you could play the album all the way through and not skip a beat! Global-wide talent here 🙂

“Hotter” by Parallox handily modernizes the crunchy and innovative funky electro sound spawned by producers Mark Liggett and Chris Barbosa on Shannon’s seminal 1983 hit “Let The Music Play”
“London Is Banging” by Disco Damage (pictured below) vs Dr. Jekyll teases us at the start with a Pet Shop Boys vibe but becomes a ridiculous and somewhat campy late night track

“Homosapien” is a delectable low-key cover of Pete Shelley’s grand 1982 hit by singer Matthew Duffy
“In The Beginning” by Maighread sounds like it uses Grace Jones’ Warm Leatherette album as a jumping off point for a tough, pulsating song
Great voices and totally infectious singalong hooks come from Tao Hypah’s “Celeb”, “Pitiful” by Carlos Nobrega (pictured below), “Bad Boyfriend” by Johnny Lazer, and the not-so-campy “How It Feels To Be A Man” by Markus Riva

“Psycho” by Killian Wells takes the other point of view (singer-as-psycho 😉 ) – sort of the reverse of Simon Curtis’ ‘Super Psycho Love” but equally catchy
“Turn Up The Radio” by Monti Montanez (pictured below) is hit-worthy and could find the former Menudo member in radioland around the world

“Stay In Touch” by Garcon Garcon and “Where Are You Now” by Queen of Hearts accompany Van Go Lion’s “We Don’t Miss A Beat” into more emotionally-rooted pop-house territory
SIRPAUL’s breezy “Going Down In La-La Land” stands out with a familiar theme accompanied by a killer hook
Disco Damage accompanies Lady Joker on her self-named song – an entertaining and creative blend of Nicki Minaj meets Kesha via 90’s house styles

My raving could continue on, but suffice it to say that Aztec Records and the Poptronik organizers have created a template for the ’10’s dance compilations, and I wish them great success with their vision. I simply can’t wait till Volume Two!

This Beat Is Poptronik Volume One is one of the best albums of the year. Get all of the details about it and the Poptronik festival at http://www.poptronik.com. You can buy This Beat Is Poptronik Volume One through iTunes, Amazon, Beatport, and other digital stores starting Monday.

Listen to the songs through Soundcloud at

BILLCS Top 30 #376 – April 9/12 plus Stunning New Videos from Darren Hayes and Mark Foster/Kimbra/A-Trak

The new chart has another changeover at the top and four debuts, plus I have comments on two new videos in what will likely be my only blog post till the weekend.

Being a former college radio programmer, I have always been a huge supporter of independent music. And while independently released music has appeared in my chart over the years, it wasn’t until around 2009 when the calibre and quantity of quality independent music appeared to dominate the commercial releases through major record labels. So more than half of my current chart currently consists of independently released songs or ones that are not yet available in North America.

Advancing to the top therefore is the independent release of “Someday” by Toronto band River Tiber. “Someday” is a song that slowly draws you in, basking in some great guitar work, and then takes you on a little journey that keeps you hanging in till singer Tommy Paxton-Beesley’s last breath at the end. River Tiber also has a quieter more moody song in the Top 10 at #7 with “Symmetry”. This one relies on a vocal climax followed by relaxing jazzy instrumentation and has an incredibly dreamy feel-good vibe. Be sure to buy River Tiber’s From Now On album on iTunes. You can view the videos for both songs by reading my comments about From Now On right here.

All eyes are on One Direction and The Wanted right now, but the latter’s “Glad You Came” has won me over and soars to #4 on my chart. Ya gotta admit – everyone has their favourite boy-band songs. For me, the last one that was special was the BT-produced “Pop” by N Sync, which got to the top of my chart for a month in 2001. In addition to “Symmetry”, song on the rise in the lower Top 10 include “Something” by JMSN at #6 (the drums/percussion arrangement alone is outstanding), “Summer Is Over” by Jon McLaughlin & Sara Bareilles at #8, and Colin Munroe’s magnificent “The Fight Of My Life”, featuring Pusha-T at #9. I can’t wait for more from the talented Colin, including perhaps a video for this song? Listen below.

The rest of the chart is jam-packed with great songs, some of which by all rights should be in my Top 10 if there wasn’t so much fantastic music out right now. As M83’s “Midnight City” slides down the chart, the unique cover by The Knocks featuring Mandy Lee is the fastest riser, climbing 19-11 and about to pass the #10 peak of the original. Nadia Ali is one of the busiest female singers in dance music today, and she lends her many talents to Spencer & Hill’s “Believe It” which ranks #12. Ryan Star is about to embark on another tour in support of his upcoming album, led by the single “Stay Awhile”, which climbs to #13.

“Could It Be Magic” by Elouise revives Barry Manilow and/or Take That via Donna Summer’s rendition at #15, followed by “Happiness” by Sam Sparro (making us anxiously wait for the Return To Paradise album) at #16, Foster The People’s “Call It What You Want” at #17 (which makes a great mix with Scissor Sisters’ “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin'”), Kaya & Pierre Lewis’ beauty of a ballad “When I Was Blind” at #18, “Hand Dance” by that tantalizing teasing trio Liquid Diet at #19, and “Prince Of Nothing Charming”, the understated lead single from Tyler Hilton’s top notch Forget The Storm. I’ll have my own review of Forget The Storm soon – I didn’t realize it until reading further about it, but Tyler released Forget The Storm through his own Hooptie Music label (whose name comes from Tyler’s song “When it Comes”).

Debuting in this edition though are four songs, the first of which you can view at the top of this blog post.

Rod Thomas under his Bright Light Bright Light moniker is a performer whose releases I always listen for since I first heard “A New Word To Say” more than two years ago. “Waiting For The Feeling” is classic Bright Light x2 as Rod always finds those moments in time in-between everything and captures them beautifully in words and music. His Make Me Believe In Hope is now due in June and I just can’t wait to hear it in full. “Waiting For The Feeling” debuts at #23 and will undoubtedly join his best songs near the top of my chart very soon.

Next up is “Music Freak” by Adam Tyler from his Shattered Ice album. As “Like A Drug” departs my chart (but is still in the midst of full-on promotion thanks to its compelling video), I’m adding “Music Freak” because over the several months since the release of Shattered Ice, the lyrics of this song have become increasingly important to me as a music fan. Being a music freak myself, I can’t let it hide in the midst of several strong songs on the album, so “Music Freak” debuts at #24. You can listen to it right here.

I’ve already posted blogs about the next two songs, but they bear repeating! Keane has come out of the gate blazing with “Silenced By The Night” at #25, the first gorgeous single from the upcoming Strangeland album. Watch the video below. And lastly, Scotland’s Aerials Up is a talent to watch for with their independent release of “I Am” at #26 – video is posted again below.

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.

Darren Hayes “Stupid Mistake”

I got up this morning to find that Darren had posted his new video for “Stupid Mistake”, which I had heard was to be the fourth single from the singer’s fourth brilliant solo album Secret Codes And Battleships. The video is captivating in its simplicity, which shows Darren alternately in stage make up or in the process of removing it. In relationships whether we know it or not we all put on masks, which eventually get stripped away like make up. And if you keep the mask on too long, then you lose yourself in your daily life which becomes a performance and ultimately will hurt the ones you love. Watch it all the way through, it’s amazing! Those of you who have had long-term relationships end will completely relate.

Mark Foster + Kimbra + A-Trak = “Warrior”

It’s a sly bit of promotion for Chuck Taylor Converse shoes and Journeys, but what a cool way to do it! Who’d have ever thought Foster The People’s Mark Foster, New Zealand singer Kimbra, and Canadian DJ extraordinaire A-Trak would all get together for a project, let alone film a highly entertaining video? “Warrior” is a must-view and listen, and could be a sneaky hit in the making for the trio. I seriously wonder how many bruises were achieved during the making of the video. I’m not into watching wrestling but the entire concept is spot on. Best of all, you can download “Warrior”for free from the Journeys website right here. Kudos to whoever planned this project – more please!

Feel Good Pop & Electronica: Vincent Did It aka Frankmusik, Herve, Scissor Sisters, Cascada,Theophilus London, and more…

With my recent Canadian Music Week and other rock ‘n roll distractions lately, you may have thought that electronica/dance was taking a backseat with me – with that having been said I think Eric Saade would think otherwise since his rocking electronic song of the same name is up top of my chart. So the next few weeks will turn primarily back to one of my favourite genres, especially with the upcoming release of what will be the electronica soundtrack of the summer, This Beat Is Poptronik Volume 1 – more on that next week! So on to catching up with some songs I’ve been listening to for the last while…

Vincent Did It, The SOPA Opera EP

Frankmusik, aka Vincent Frank, or recently Vincent Did It, constantly delivers great music to us. Throughout the past few months, he’s shared the songs “Dynamo”, “Somebody”, “So You’re Alive”, and “Notice Me” with us in various renditions and formats to start off his new era in music. But it looks like the plan was always to share the songs as a complete package, hence we now have The SOPA Opera EP, which Vince has made available for free download for us on his revamped FreeFrankmusik site. These are the sort of songs that major record labels should be killing themselves over: Engaging, creative, playful, and positive dance/electronica with all kinds of variations, including a rap by Jay White in “Somebody” and Vince’s gal Quigley carrying most of the gorgeous vocals in “Notice Me”. Plus there are remixes of “Dynamo” and “So You’re Alive” by the likes of Digiraatii, Leisure Council, and Hervé (which is just as enjoyable as Vince’s own mixes). Get it while you can!!

Hervé “Better Than A BMX”

Speaking of Hervé, aka British producer Joshua Harvey, his own release of Pick Me Up Sort Me Out Calm Me Down is due in May, and to precede that album have a listen to “Better Than A BMX” below. You’ll find a similarly effects-laden and uplifting feel to the songs of Frankmusik here – and isn’t it so appropriate that the guest vocalist on the song is none other than one Vincent Frank. Sounds like an engine getting ready to revvvvv….

Scissor Sisters “Only The Horses”

Finally! After the misfire that was “Shady Love” earlier this year, Scissor Sisters have returned to supurb form with their upcoming single “Only The Horses”, from their album Magic Hour due later this year. It was a darned shame that engaging songs from 2010’s Night Work kind of came and went, but if the rest of the songs from Magic Hour are anything like “Only The Horses”, it will be an album that resonates throughout the rest of the year. “Only The Horses” is specifically designed to fill the dance floor but will probably translate to pop radio play as well. Jake Shears has never sounded so good. This may be the group’s best single to date, it’s so very refreshing. Listen below.

Cascada “Summer Of Love”

Lest I be the one who thought he’d be writing about the German trio whose massive pop/dance hits of “Everytime We Touch” (2007) and “Evacuate The Dancefloor” (2009) quickly bored me. But “Summer Of Love” is just one of those irresistible confections that draws you in whether or not you know who the performer is. “Summer Of Love” is a joyous and anthemic pleasure. Listen below and purchase it on iTunes if it’s available to you (the song is not available in Canada yet).

Theophilus London “Lightning” (Jeffrey Jerusalem remix)

Brooklyn rapper Theophilus London proves once again why his diverse music finds an audience everywhere with a sly Jeffrey Jerusalem remix of “Lightning”, originally from last year’s album Timez Are Weird These Days. Rarely does R&B/rap sound so comfortable in an electronic setting, and the mid-90s vibe that Jerusalem pulls (I hear sound effects from Chemical Brothers’ “Setting Sun” in there) will fill the bill for a late night club crunch. Listen and download it for free at the link below.

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs “Tapes & Money”

I wrote about T.E.E.D. last Fall, when I introduced you to their free download of the sublime “Dream On”. The duo continues to build its reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the electronica world with “Tapes & Money”, which dances to its own trippy club tune to make a difference to your ears and feet when enjoying your nightlife. Think of T.E.E.D. as the disembodied offspring of 80s electro outfits like Yazoo and Blancmange. I wanna say there’s a sample within – a cover of The Trammps’ “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now”? Listen below.

And if you think you’ve heard all that the boy band world of pop will offer us in 2012 in the forms of One Direction and The Wanted, well be sure to hold that thought, for there will be much, much more.

Lawson “When She Was Mine”

The four British lads of Lawson are going to make you think twice with their equally tight hit-bound melodic pop/rock of “When She Was Mine”, from their forthcoming album. These guys have the goods as I previously wrote about last year when they did a most pleasant and striking acoustic version of Lady GaGa’s “Marry The Night”. And unlike other boy bands, Lawson up the ante by not being a strictly vocal band. While the official single release isn’t due till end of May, you can listen to the song below.

It Boys! featuring Jeffree Star and Lacey Schwimmer, “Burnin’ Up”

Just looking at the featured performers made me want to listen to this song. But before I get to that, I’ll introduce you to It Boys!, a five piece band from L.A. consisting of Matt, Tommy, Jeff, Judah, and Duck (he’s the drummer). The band jumps a few steps to the left of the boy band scene that is more reminiscent of the Fall Out Boy/Panic At The Disco rivalry of a few years back. Nonetheless they’ve toured recently with the likes of Breathe Carolina and released “Guys Don’t Like Me” for free (which you can get from their website). But the highly entertaining video for “Burnin’ Up” has captivated me 🙂 if not so much the song itself. It’s well-directed, contains great “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World” kind of effects, features some sultry verses from Dancing With The Stars/So You Think You Can Dance fave Lacey Schwimmer, and a most well-placed interlude from on-the-bubble celeb Jeffree Star. Watch below – and be sure to stay for the ending! It Boys! look to have enough of the goods to make heads turn. You can get this on iTunes.

Quick Bits: New Songs/Videos from Jon McLaughlin, JMSN, Aerials Up, Gravitonas, Bim, Elspeth

Jon McLaughlin featuring Sara Bareilles “Summer Is Over”

It’s taken a awhile, but to bridge the time until the release of Jon’s upcoming Promising Promises CD comes the video for “Summer Is Over”. The duet featuring Sara made a very good song even that much better. The video is easy to relate to, with Jon and Sara on duelling pianos under a weird old tree in the middle of somewhere. More tour dates for Jon at his website – be sure to check out his show!

JMSN “Jameson”

Another chapter in the talented mind of Christian Berishaj, aka JMSN, in this latest video for “Jameson” from an album that still intrigues two months after release, †Priscilla†. With this sad tale about temptation and the loss of innocence, JMSN and his team continue to startle and captivate. Be sure to purchase †Priscilla† on iTunes if you haven’t done so. And if you’re baffled about the video, you can go to JMSN’s Tumblr for an explanation.

Aerials Up “I Am” (vide0) and “The Old And The Innocent” (new single)

The Scottish collective that I want you to hear has just released a new single to iTunes, “The Old and The Innocent”. Like its predecessor “I Am” (a new favourite of mine), the music of Aerials Up is a lively blend of pop/rock with beautifully arranged additions of violin and cello into the mix. I’m predicting big things for this band – watch for their album soon!

Gravitonas, “Call Your Name”

Over at the My Fizzy Pop blog, Paul is often right about a lot of great new acts, it sometimes just takes me a few more songs to catch on. The buzz on Gravitonas didn’t hit me until their Ballroom Remixed contribution called “Fun and Games”. But the duo’s latest “Call Your Name” is shimmery Swedish electropop heaven perfect for a hot summer’s day. Gravitonas comprises singer Andreas Öhrn and ex-BWO/Army of Lovers legendary Swedish producer Alexander Bard. A new album is due later in the year. Watch the somewhat peculiar video below… to me the song’s the key here.

And just a friendly reminder to remember to check out videos for British duo Bim’s “Scream”, which I told you about a few weeks back, as well as Ireland’s Elspeth, whose debut album Coax is imminent. I wrote about the band back in the Fall, so have another look at “Think Back”. My recent ramblings on post-grunge music making a contemporary comeback seem to be on the mark.

BILLCS Chart #375 and Canadian Music Week Update

My new personal chart is taking a backseat to my Canadian Music Week update. Despite lots and lots and lots of walking as well as shifting my regular body clock a few times to accommodate some shows, I was really glad I decided to purchase a Canadian Music Week wristband this year. I had been to shows during CMW in the past but I really had the urge to get out and see some shows, since my winter months were pretty concert-deprived.

As much as I love the dance music that takes regular residence on my chart, getting away from autotune and seeing mainly raw live performances was well worth it. I got to meet a lot of great people which shows me that the people making music out there are still the ones I enjoy most. There are many talented people behind the scenes, but too much of a requisite amount of a-holes. I used to find that with performers, too, but not in recent years.

So here are my highlights – if you follow me on Twitter, you pretty much realized that I needed to be cloned 😉

THE TEMPER TRAP: The Aussie quintet is back with its self-titled follow up to Conditions due this Spring. The group provided an entertaining mix of savvy pop, rock and dance music, capped with its big hit “Sweet Disposition”. The new songs sound very gripping and I can’t wait to hear them. Dougy Mandagi is an engaging front man. Check out the video for new single “Need Your Love” below.

MARTHA WAINWRIGHT: It was way too long since I last saw Martha open up for her brother Rufus in one of his shows about 7 or 8 years ago. I saw an in-store 20 minute acoustic set, and she was very inspiring and in fantastic voice. Another upcoming album that will be well worth the wait.

AERIALS UP: The first of my pop collectives, as I blogged about last week, the 7 piece Scottish unit led by Alan Kemlo offered up one of the very best shows I saw with a perfect balance of instrumentation. The band was totally wrapped up and in the moment on stage, and the songs from their upcoming album due in April sounded fabulous. Despite an effort to see them a second time that was screwed up from wrong information I received from the venue, I will look forward when Aerials Up return to Toronto. I think they made a whole lot of fans here.

GENTLEMEN HALL: Despite mediocre and sometimes distorted sound, the 6 piece Boston rock band led by Gavin Merlot and Cobi Mike who were my second pop collective stirred up a tempest on stage. With synthesizers prominently in the mix, the band did not hesitate to add heavy guitars or some lovely melodies for a diverse set. I got new appreciation for their song “Gravity Will Break Our Bones”.

IN MY COMA: Though I didn’t get to see their CMW show, I did catch a set by the three piece Toronto band led by Jasper James that I wrote about recently a few days before CMW. The band is tight with a rich contemporary take on post-grunge rock that is presented in their finely crafted CD package Magnets And Miracles.

BIG SCARY: Big Scary is a duo from Australia comprising Tom Iansek and Jo Syme. Lest you think that a the market for a two piece band with a female drummer comprised The (now defunct) White Stripes and Matt & Kim, we’ll you’re wrong. Big Scary indeed does have a big rock sound (guitar/keyboards/drums) that takes inspiration from post 80’s new wave. There seems to be lots of room for anything in their mix so I’ll look forward to hearing songs from their recent album Vacation.

THE SLAKADELIQS: I’ve written about this Toronto outfit led by Slakah the Beatchild twice now, and was fortunate to catch their premiere public show. Despite being sabotaged by poor sound, the band invited guest vocalists up on stage, to give their show a real community vibe. This in turn was enhanced with their guitar players alternating with some fantastic dual cello work! Best of all at the end came Justin Nozuka, who lifted the set into an entirely different game with his vocals for “Keep Breathing” and “Love Controls The Sun”.

RIVER TIBER: It was very cool for me to actually meet Tommy Paxton-Beesley at The Slakadeliqs show, before I saw his band play their own set in a well-attended graveyard shift (3:00 a.m.) the next night. River Tiber delivered the goods in performance especially on “Someday”, “These Are Centuries”, and a well-chosen rendition of The Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun”. As I wrote a few weeks back, River Tiber’s From Now On is one of the few Must Hear records of 2012 thus far.

With that having been said, let’s move into chart mode 🙂

I could not leave Eric Saade stranded at #2 with “Backseat” after 10 weeks. The last song I remember in a similar situation was “Crush (1980 Me)” by Darren Hayes, which got one appearance at #1 in 2002, but became one of my 10 favourite songs of the last decade! I love the rock flavour and sexual undertones in “Backseat”. If you haven’t heard it yet, listen below. His other song on the rise on the chart, “Fingerprints”, slides up to #3 too.

Then back we go to Tommy Paxton-Beesley and River Tiber. “Someday” is currently taking over my iTouch and it climbs 11-2 to challenge for #1 in two weeks. Not only that, but another River Tiber song “Symmetry” will grab you when you’re not looking. It debuts at #12.

The rest of the Top 10 shapes up with single point gains with songs by Graffiti6, JMSN, and Joe Jonas. M83 enters at #10 with “Midnight City”, but it’s The Wanted that unexpectedly storm the Top 10 with “Glad You Came” at #9. Oh, and boy bands are NOT back. They never went away.

As the release of his Promising Promises album arrives in May, the stirring duo of Jon McLaughlin with Sara Bareilles on “Summer Is Over” inches towards the Top 10 at #11. On a different bent, Colin Munroe’s inspiring “The Fight Of My Life” draws me in listen after listen and moves up to #13. Last week’s other debuts all fare well. The Knocks’ take on “Midnight City” rises to #19; “Could It Be Magic” is transformed by Elouise and climbs to #20; “Happiness” by the ever-talented Sam Sparro jumps to #22 (video is below); Kaya and Pierre Lewis take “When I Was Blind” to #23; and “Call It What You Want” is at #24 for Foster The People.

It’s been almost 5 years since Tyler Hilton appeared in my chart with “You’ll Ask For Me”, but in the interim he’s been busy performing both on stage and on camera in film and on TV (“One Tree Hill”). It’s hard to believe that Forget The Storm will only be his sophomore full album release, his first being 2004’s The Tracks Of Tyler Hilton. But if the pensive and laid back “Prince Of Nothing Charming” (debuting at #26 – his 7th entry on my chart though!) proves anything it’s that Tyler Hilton is on his way to continuing to please his many fans and expand worldwide. Watch for the release of Forget The Storm on April 3.

The Return of Pop Collectives: Aerials Up and Gentlemen Hall

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 free from the band’s Facebook page with 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.

“Gravity Will Break Our Bones”

“Take Me Under”

Buh-Bye Winter Blahs with new music from In My Coma, Keane, Alex York, Baiyu, Low Level Flight, and Andy Grammer

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 August with 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.

Must Hear: River Tiber’s From Now On

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 for free right here.

River Tiber plays the Supermarket in Toronto for a free show tonight, doors at 9:30 p.m. The band also has a 3:00 a.m. show (yes, you read that right) at Rancho Relaxo on Saturday, March 24 during Canadian Music Week.

To whet your appetite, once again here are the videos for “Someday” and “Symmetry” 🙂

“Someday”

“Symmetry”

BILLCS Top 30 #374 – March 12/12

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 mix for 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…

Showstopper: Elouise’s Little Belter album, Plus New Songs from UK’s Bim and Pob (ex-Boy Banned)

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 at http://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.