BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

Tuned-On! Top 30 #367 – December 5/11… Plus More New Music and Christmas Tunes

It doesn’t happen too often but my top two songs this week are by singers whose first language isn’t English. And currently, both songs are only available in Europe or Scandinavia, something that I hope will be rectified in the future. And they are both success stories in their own right in 2011.

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.

We have to go back to almost the start of the year when I first came across cover versions of songs like “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love” and “What If” by The Netherlands’ Matt Blue. He teased us throughout the summer with a clip of “Can’t Help Myself (Keep Dancing)”, which continues to have the marks of a smash hit all over it for me. It finally got released in Europe this Fall, and now this talented cancer survivor has claimed the #1 spot on my personal chart. No brain cramping here – just pure joy about getting out and having a good time, and sometimes we simply just need that. Check out the video – again – below 🙂

On a different scale, of course, we have Eric Saade, who has basically took the Nordic countries for his own, courtesy of massive hits “Popular” and “Hearts In The Air” from the Saade Volume One album. Last week, Saade Volume Two arrived with a similar blend of cosmic pop and magnetic electrodance – the harder and spicier the album gets, the better it is. More on that later in the week. In the meantime, the first single “Hotter Than Fire”, featuring Dev, almost beat Mr. Blue to the top, tearing up the chart with a 23-2 move. So it looks like I’ll be listening to a lot more Mr. Saade throughout the month and into the holidays. Given my initial impressions of Volume Two, Eric Saade is poised for international success in 2012. I’m hoping remixes and a crack at the North American market will be in store. If there is any music that I’ve turned to in 2011 for a break away from absolutely everything, it’s the songs from Saade Volume One, and Volume Two is exactly the logical continuation that might have been anticipated! Here’s a live clip of “Hotter Than Fire” from a month ago.

Darren Hayes’ “Bloodstained Heart” still moves up to #3, while “Black Out The Sun” continues its rise up to #16. With already three singles culled from Secret Codes And Battleships, I’m hoping that some other songs from the album might be given a chance, such as the hopeful “Don’t Give Up” or beautiful “Roses”.

The lower half of the Top 10 is party-central! Matt & Kim’s “Block After Block” jumps to #6, with the forceful electropop of Agnes Carlsson’s “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” right behind at #7. Kyle Brylin’s aggressive technopop of “Never Love A DJ”, along with Penguin Prison’s “Don’t Fuck With My Money”, and chanteuse-of-the-moment Lana Del Rey’s “Blue Jeans” (in a Penguin Prison remix no less) round out the Top 10. Looking to break into the Top 10 in two weeks are “Then I Go Twisting” by Erasure and Jessica 6’s “White Horse”, both worthy of filled dance floors.

While great songs by Joe Jonas, Jon McLaughlin, Mika, The Midway State, and Jeronimo continue to reach new heights on the chart, four songs debut. I can’t rave enough right now about “The Stars Are Saying Yes” by UK quartet Boy Banned. It’s pop at its purest – a fantastic, simple melody, magical lyrics, and vocals to die for. The song bows at #20 and is available on iTunes. Here’s the absolutely charming video, again.

At #24, I go two songs deep into Joe Jonas’ Fastlife album – and if you asked me if that would happen six months ago I would have stared at you with a strange expression. While I was interested in the Jonas project, I had no idea how good it was, especially after the drab first two singles. For me, the killer on the album is “Make You Mine”, which has a vocal performance by Joe unlike anything you could have imagined. The song has a warm lyric and seems to be a distant cousin of a song like “Rock with You” by Michael Jackson. Look for this one to take off on the chart in the coming weeks. Listen below for yourself! 🙂

Despite all the hoopla about the video, as well as its many excesses, which you can watch below, “Marry The Night” is one of the very best songs from Born This Way, and its timely release as a single is good enough reason for it to arrive on my chart at #27. The Lady is everywhere these days, and I try not to get too overexposed to her for fear I will not enjoy her music as much. Anyone else feel that way?

The last new entry on the chart is the upcoming second single from Shattered Ice, the debut album by Adam Tyler. “Pull The Trigger”, my second favourite song on the album next to previous Top Fiver “I Won’t Let You Go”, just dipped out of the Top 10, leaving room for me to now add “Like A Drug” to the mix at #28. I can’t wait to see the video, which looks like it has some massive choreography in store for us. However I do need you to backtrack to the Shattered Ice album. It’s been a mainstay on my playlist since its release in August. And despite some of my initial quibbles about too much production, the album is many songs deep past these three. “Music Freak” has become a little bit of a personal anthem, and I savour Adam’s less produced voice on the acoustic version of “I Won’t Let You Go” and the ‘orchestral’ version of “Emergency”. Get it on iTunes and listen to “Like A Drug” below.

Bubbling below the chart we have some festive songs for the holidays, whether they be for Christmas or otherwise.

There are no better bubbles to drink than those of “Champagne”, and we have this new effervescent single courtesy of Australian singer Nelson Clemente, about whom you have read about many times in these pages. This is a splendid change of pace for Nelson, whose songs are often wrapped up in intense emotion and mystery. That he recorded someone else’s song this time just ups the ante for Nelson who has this modest kind of talent that people would kill for. Listen to a taste (?) of “Champagne” below and purchase it on iTunes. Nelson also this week officially releases his previously free EP Love.Feel.Dangerous (which contains “90 Days”, which you can hear below, and “No Protection”, which have both appeared in my chart) – be sure to get it on Amazon among other places.

“90 Days” by Nelson Clemente

New Yorker Joshua Desjardins gets around. First he’s writing a song for (and about) dream choreographer Melanie LaPatin on her Ballroom Remixed comp, then he’s man about the comic store during the summer in “I’m A Nerd”. He’s been performing a show in theatre district called “Joshing Around NYC”, and still has had time for a song highly appropriate for the season. Sure to put a smile on your face, give a listen to “Macauley Culkin (Home Alone at Christmas)” below. Then go watch the “Home Alone” series while the movies pop up on TV. Then listen again. Happy? Video to come! Buy it on iTunes.

The final Christmas song on Elouise’s latest EP Santa’s Little Belter is yet again another bang-on version of a recent classic. Darlene Love originally sang “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” for Phil Spector’s seminal Christmas album A Christmas Gift for You. Listen to a clip below and purchase Santa’s Little Belter on iTunes. Watch for more fantastic music from Elouise in 2012!

Lastly, we have a beauty of a holiday original from American singer/pianist/songwriter Gavin Mikhail, who has given us some lovely renditions of other songs this year. This gentle holiday treat is called “Evergreen” and it’s matched with a delightful animated video that perfectly captures the song’s essence. Buy it on iTunes and be dazzled by the video below.

Autumn Popervescence

We’re a month away from Winter, but Autumn Popervescence is still upon us! And leading the highlights in advance of the new album due on November 30 is Eric Saade. The 21 year old Swede has Saade Volume Two on deck and the wonderful folks at Scandipop are previewing songs from the album as they did with Volume One. My initial favourites from the first album shifted once I heard the whole record, which is one of the very best of 2011. So Volume Two has a high benchmark in front of it, but the songs are written mainly by the same team (Jason Gill/J-Son/Robin Fredriksson and Eric himself) which makes them seem like natural progressions from Volume One, particularly something like “Explosive Love”. I’m hoping the domestic success of the killer “Hotter Than Fire” (featuring Dev) will morph into an international release for Eric. Pop this good should not be divided by borders and record contracts!! Listen to the previews on Scandipop right here.

Next up, British singer Gary Go dazzled us in 2009 with “Wonderful”, a song that anyone should listen to if they’re feeling down about themselves. Then we heard from him again this past Spring as vocalist on Benny Benassi’s “Cinema”, a bit of a change of pace for Gary with the song being an out-and-out dance hit. Now he’s about to release his new ‘soundtrack’ NWOTF, and to preview that record we have a re-invented version of “Cinema” featuring Carina Round that’s worth hearing because it’s so different from the Benassi version. Download it for free with an email subscription right here.

I love me some house music that’s progressive and makes you think about what its creators might do next. So if you like folks like Azari & III and Hot Chip, you should get to know Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, who have already remixed for the likes of Lady GaGa (“Marry The Night”). The British duo are finding quite a lot of favour in their home country and have released the infectious “Dream On”, which you can get for a free download with subscription right here.

DJ Tatana (or Tatana Sterba) has been making vibrant dance music for a number of years now, and I know her best from her collaboration with Jael on “Always On My Mind” from 2004. The Switzerland-based Tatana is back with an absolutely slamming and trance-y new song featuring Cherrytree Records’ own Natalia Kills called “You Can’t Get In My Head (If You Can’t Get In My Bed)”. Watch out for the dubstep-oriented breakdown – best one I’ve heard since “Wicked Baby” by Ro Danishei & Simon Curtis! Listen below.

New York hip hop trio The Corp Cartel has been making its presence known in its home town with the group’s Latin hip hop stylistics and performances. One of the trio, Tana, has released a promising solo effort called “Live In The Past”. The song benefits from a beautifully sweet featured vocal by fellow New York singer Baiyu, about whom I blogged about this past summer. Listen to the song below and download it for free.

And now we arrive at the holiday season, with three new Christmas songs to whet your palate.

The Little Belter herself, Elouise, has upped the ante with one of the songs from her new EP on iTunes called Santa’s Little Belter. I previewed her rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” last week. Getting away from traditional songs, Elouise and her team looked back to the disco era for a song written by the late Paul Jabara (he won an Oscar for “Last Dance” by Donna Summer) called “Dear Santa (Bring Me A Man For Christmas)”. So get on your dancing shoes and mix it in with “I Will Survive” and “It’s Raining Men” and your party guests will have a blast guaranteed. Listen to the radio edit below – an extended version is available on the EP too.

UK R&B/Pop singer Pierre Lewis is working hard to bring you some more new music for full album release in 2012. In the interim, he’s released a heart-warming holiday balled called “Main Street” that makes you feel good in all the right places. Get it on iTunes and listen below.

Toronto’s Roz Bell has released some of the most interesting and ear-catching songs in recent years. It all started with “Yesterday Man” and “Papercut” from his 2008 album The First Sunbeams, which was followed in 2009 by “Heart Attack” from his album October. His collaboration with 100 Akres on the intensely soulful “Pink Cadillac” to me is his best work to date and was the first free download song to reach #1 on my personal chart in 2009. Roz is writing, writing, writing, and I’m sure we’ll see the fruits from his efforts in 2012. This past week, he dropped a cheerful Christmas song that is spot on with its simplicity. Download “Happy Holidays To You” for free right here and listen below.

Tuned-On! Top 30 #366 – November 21/11, plus new Elouise and Boy Banned

Only two more personal charts to go in 2011, and my year end list is in the works. Years ago this list was of 100 songs, then it got whittled to 75, then to 40, and then back up to 50. There has been so much great music this year – and so many songs that didn’t end up on my chart – that I may increase the list again. We’ll see, gotta save some surprises for you!

So the top of the chart remains static, but that’s not a bad thing by any stretch. Frankmusik and Colette Carr get another chart at the top with one of the glorious songs of 2011, “No I.D.”. I’m still waiting for that release of “Memorize Me” by Rune RK & Databoy to happen… all good things in time… meanwhile the song holds at #3. Trust me it will be MASSIVE, and you can listen to it right here. “Bloodstained Heart” by Darren Hayes anchors Secret Codes And Battleships at #4, while “Pull The Trigger” by Adam Tyler becomes the singer’s third Top 5 entry on my chart.

While this song is in full electronica mode, Adam occasionally dips into more minimalist settings from time to time, and – hot off the presses – posted an extremely well done acoustic version of “Turning Tables” by Adele today that truly shows off his voice. You remember his cover of Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn” from a while back? “Turning Tables” matches it. Listen right here and watch for a video of it soon.

The rest of the Top 10 continues to be busy as “Can’t Help Myself (Keep Dancing)” by The Netherlands’ Matt Blue should find its way into the Top 5 in two weeks. It’s followed directly by Audio Playground’s Canada-wide hit “Famous” at #7, the party-itis of “Block After Block” by Matt & Kim at #8 (note that these Brooklyn faves are playing New York City for New Year’s Eve), and the powerful Eurodance of “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by Agnes at #9.

There’s plenty of competition for Top 10 entries next time with indie guys Kyle Brylin and Nick Hagelin sitting at #11 and 12, while rising starlet (and somewhat of a Stevie Nicks soundalike in spots, doncha think?) Lana Del Rey climbs to #13 with “Blue Jeans”. Kyle’s new and humorous video for “That Bad” is video #1 at the bottom of this paragraph. Adam Cohen’s “What Other Guy” moves to #14 as he winds down a tour of Europe, Israel, and the UK, and his new video for “Like A Man” (a simple but powerful idea full of great faces too) is video #2 below this paragraph. Penguin Prison is the Fastest Riser with “Don’t Fuck With My Money” soaring 22-15. Make of it what you will, but the official video for “Money” is set smack in the middle of the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations – watch it as video #3 below this paragraph. Also continuing their rise are the highly danceable “White Horse” by Jessica 6 at #16, and “Then I Go Twisting” by Erasure at #17.

Ahead of the debuts, we find the remainder of last week’s newbies off to a good start. Fastlife by Joe Jonas is a great album to crank up in your car on a sunny day with its brushes with electropop. But “Just In Love”, a soulful ballad, is a dazzling alternative that rises to #20. Jon McLaughlin’s “Promising Promises” is the song to hear on his Forever If Ever release, and it’s up to #21. Then Darren Hayes’ sad but compelling “Black Out The Sun” moves up to #22, and Jeronimo’s winning “Somebody Who Loves Me”, a Top 40 hit in the Netherlands, jumps to #25.

The three debuts are no surprise, as I’ve written about all of them. The album I’m currently waiting for, at least for another 9 days or so, is Saade Volume Two by Eric Saade. His duet with Dev on “Hotter Than Fire” simply sizzles as it lands at #23 for a starting point. Mika is currently wrapping up recording for his upcoming album The Origin Of Love, and he threw a free concert in L.A. to conclude his time there. I blogged about his French song “Elle me dit” back in June, but better late than never, this French singalong with a fantastic video (below – only the French could make this one, with a great set of character actors) is at #24. Then at #26 is Toronto quartet The Midway State, who are touring the heck out of their second album Paris Or India and the second single from it “Fire!”. I’m hoping to catch them in Toronto in December for a show (I saw them last in 2009) as I have not been able to catch the band while they’ve been in town. The video for “Fire!” (also below) is a terrific showcase for a concert performance by the band.

I’ll finish up with two more new songs. UK chanteuse Elouise has transformed her “Little Belter” shows in London into something festive for the season called “Santa’s Little Belter”. She’s released a new EP of the same name, available on iTunes, and I hope to show off the other songs to you over the next while. For now, here’s a taste of her warmly gorgeous redux of Judy Garland’s “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” to get you in the Christmas spirit.

And don’t say you weren’t warned, if you are suddenly charmed, boy-band style, or rather Boy Banned-style. The quartet has been acquiring quite a following in the UK, and if there’s a song to seal the deal on drawing in more fans it’s “The Stars Are Saying Yes”. This is when you kind of wish that North American radio wasn’t so limited and would just get back to playing good ol’ songs like this. Even better: The iTunes single features an acapella version! Enjoy 🙂

Autumn Video Popervescence (plus)

Every now and then, some creative, innovative thinking gives me hope that the art of the music video will continue on for a little while longer before it becomes less relevant as a marketing tool. After all, it’s just a commercial for the song. But it’s when the video introduces you to a song in some completely out-of-the-box way that it suddenly becomes about the video rather than the song.

There was no better example of this in the 80’s than with pop superstars Duran Duran. The quintet made some of the finest and most indulgent pop videos ever, and even if you didn’t like the songs the videos made you watch.

So 25 years after their peak period, and after the well received launch of their album All You Need Is Now earlier this year (and the catchy title song) comes “Girl Panic”. The video is a short ‘mockumentary’ that just embraces and gives tribute to the band’s heyday. For in reality, the video and its story are really about absolutely nothing… no more than the many visuals of female models which basically leave off where we left Duran Duran after say Big Thing in 1988.

So I’m not going to give away the story, if you haven’t already heard about it. Let’s just say that the video focuses on this band that consists of Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen, and Eva Herzigova, with a dash of Yasmin Le Bon… directed by the celebrated Jonas Akerlund to boot. It’s one of the most humorous and very best videos of recent years. Oh, and it made me listen to the song again too after not hearing it for a few months.

And continuing in an 80’s state of mind, we arrive at the video for California-born singer/guitarist Kina Grannis who is getting all kinds of deserved attention with “In Your Arms”. The song may seem kind of slight but its carefree feel and emotion is brought out beautifully by this glorious video in which someone came up with fantastic things to do with 288,000 jelly beans! It’s almost way too cool for 2011, channeling the claymation triumphs of videos like Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” with a lot of incredible effort – I’m thinking just the patience alone – that will allow the video to continue to reap awards. Kina is currently touring in the UK and Europe. Methinks she will come back to North America with a lot of great things waiting for her 🙂

Another video with a great sense of humour is Foster The People’s “Call It What You Want”. A lot of people love this California trio so I’m not sure why others are thinking that they’re done as a one hit wonder after incredible success internationally with “Pumped Up Kicks”. Not so, if this video (and their sold out shows) is any indication. So this is what happens in the private mansion of a young band. There’s some cute stop animation and some quirky imagery that seems like it is parodying numerous videos in the mid-80’s heyday. “Call It What You Want” has an anthemic, clubby sound that will keep you grooving too.

Another talented trio is New York dance group Jessica 6, led by the stunning Nomi Ruiz. While the video for “Prisoner Of Love” (a huge recent favourite of mine) is a fine showcase for the band and in particular Nomi, duet partner Antony Hegarty almost steals it away with his powerful voice and laid back style, with an outtake at the end that will make you smile even if it has nothing to do with the song. The late, late night disco sound of NYC will get its day and Jessica 6 will be leading the way.

Mr. Soulful himself, Nick Hagelin, is back, with another mainly acoustic video to put you in a better mood. This time he’s taking on “Stereo Hearts”, a current hit by Gym Class Heroes featuring Adam Levine. Nick handles both Adam’s mellow tones and Gym Class Heroes’ rapping just fine, all the while trying hard not to let the extras steal the spotlight away… oh wait, maybe that was the idea. Keep ’em coming, Nick.

One of my very favourite songs ever is Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game”, and considering I recently wrote about Chris’ new album Beyond The Sun, I decided to take a look at Il Divo’s interpretation of “Game”. While it’s not in a style I always appreciate, you can’t help but be moved by the voices in the quartet’s new version subtitled “Melanconia”.

Here’s a song that doesn’t have a video yet, but I suspect it will be his ticket to international success. Of course I’m talking about Eric Saade, whose Saade Volume Two will drop on November 30. His latest domestic success in Sweden is “Hotter Than Fire”, featuring Dev, and their voices play off of each other quite nicely. The song is irresistible and I picture it blasting at many New Year’s Eve parties. Listen below – can’t wait for the album, and maybe the video too!

Lastly, take a look at this snap from Adam Tyler’s upcoming video for “Like A Drug”. Looks like huge choreography happenin’ so watch for it!

Tuned-On! Top 30 #365 – November 7/11… and a few new songs too

My new personal chart in this edition is fairly peripatetic, with songs moving here, moving there… nothing is static this time around. Plus, there are five debuts on the chart, and I’ll have some even newer songs to discuss afterwords.

Don’t let the lone chart topping appearance by Simon Curtis’ “Laser Guns Up” deceive you – it is one of my very favourite songs of 2011. But on this chart it concedes to the hot and charming duet by Frankmusik and Colette Carr on “No I.D.” It’s Mr. Frank’s second number one song of the year – the first was the underrated “The Fear Inside”. And Frankmusik’s own “Do It In The A.M.” pairing with Far East Movement only got to #2 because it was bested by Simon’s immovable “Flesh” at the time. Ah, such a great year for music 🙂

Simmering right below, and awaiting a delayed release later this month, is Rune RK & Databoy’s “Memorize Me”, which is definitely weaving an aural spell over me as it notches up to #3. And the more I listen to Secret Codes And Battleships by Darren Hayes, the more I appreciate the sentiment and grandiose arrangement that accompanies “Bloodstained Heart”, which is the fastest riser on the chart, soaring 11-4.

Waiting at bay not far behind are a few songs that may find their way to the Top 5, “Pull The Trigger” by Adam Tyler, Penguin Prison’s “Fair Warning”, and Top 10 newbies (and really positive upbeat dance tunes) “Famous” by Audio Playground & Kardinal Offishall (or Randy Raymond en français – watch for other versions coming soon in more languages!) and young Dutch singer Matt Blue’s “Can’t Help Myself (Keep Dancing)”.

The exhilarating “Block After Block” by Matt And Kim, the dance-fantastic “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by Agnes, and the silky-smoky “Metaphor” by Atlanta-based Nick Hagelin all reside just outside of the Top 10. Further down, the activity continues from rising stars by Kyle Brylin, Adam Cohen, and Lana Del Rey, whose UK A-side to “Blue Jeans”, “Video Games”, is just shy of the Top 10 in that country. Other debuts from last time, “White Horse” by Jessica 6 and Erasure’s “Then I Go Twisting”, look to gain pace in the coming weeks.

The five chart debuts should be no surprise because I’ve already spoken about them in previous weeks. As I’ve also mentioned previously, I’m enjoying the wealth of a sudden spurt of great songs from very good if not excellent full album releases.

The opening song to the self-titled album by Penguin Prison is the blunt, fun, highly danceable and almost anthemic “Don’t Fuck With My Money”, which bows at #22 in advance of a forthcoming video (a live clip is at the top of this blog). Fastlife by Joe Jonas keeps sounding better each time I play it – even if you never cared for Jonas Brothers songs, Joe’s recordings within should change your opinion. A good start is the original version of “Just In Love”, which arrives at #24. A clip from the “Ellen” show is right below.

I caught Jon McLaughlin’s show when he was in my city last week, and boy can he ever hammer that piano in true rock style. And my favourite song from his new album Forever If Ever (which you can buy at his shows) sounded just terrific – that’s “Promising Promises”, with a stunning piano solo midway, which debuts at #25. Check out a clip from that show of Jon playing “Industry” below this paragraph. I knew it would happen eventually, but Darren Hayes’ other single (just not in Australia) from Secret Codes, “Black Out The Sun”, breaks through and lands at #27. Lastly, Brazil-born Dutch singer Jeronimo has the makings of an international hit with the thoughtful ballad “Somebody Who Loves Me”. The song (currently only available in Europe, alas) has crashed into the Dutch Top 40 and premieres on my chart at #28.

“Hotel” and “Alone” by JMSN

You’ve gotta give pop singer Christian Berishaj credit for tenacity. The Detroit-bred songwriter and producer released three shockingly infectious dance pop songs in the last year – you know “When She Turns 18”, “I’m In Love”, and (my favourite) “Love 2 Baby” from these pages – but has now broke away from his Christian TV identity to focus on his music independently as JMSN. In enigmatic style, he’s posted two languid and beautifully sung singles, “Hotel” and “Alone”, both for free. But each song has been accompanied by mysterious, sometimes disturbing videos, so Christian is obviously is trying to tap into our other sensibilities. Fortunately each video is compelling enough to make you want to know what’s going to happen next, so… keep watching for more videos (and clues). Think David Lynch movies meet “Memento” and you might get a bit of the drift, but I could be wrong. Watch the videos for “Hotel” and “Alone” below and download the songs for free right here.

“Hotel” by JMSN

“Alone” by JMSN

“Someone Like You” by Gavin Mikhail and “Someone Like You” by Austin Leadley

Adele’s “Someone Like You” has long been one of the reasons why I love her 21 album, and despite its current overplay status, it’s fantastic that I’ve come across two really strong takes on the song. I’ve been touting Gavin Mikhail, another piano guy, for some time now, and he’s slowed down the pace for “Someone”, stretching it out over 6 minutes to offer his beautiful interpretation. And my fellow Canadian, Austen Leadley, whose rendition of Katy Perry’s “Firework” I brought to your attention this past summer, has his admirable but more pop-oriented version of the song to hear as well. I think you’ll be equally pleased with either version – enjoy!

“Someone Like You” by Gavin Mikhail

“Someone Like You” by Austen Leadley

“Fire!” by The Midway State

Following the more laid back, peaceful style of first single “Atlantic”, The Midway State have launched their second single from Paris Or India called “Fire!” amid regular touring. This rocking video and song perfectly captures the in-concert essence of the talented quartet. Watch below.

“When I Think About Sex” by Osvaldo Supino

Rising 26 year old Italian singer Osvaldo Supino, has graced us with a few saucy and amusing songs over the past few years. But he’s reached for something entirely obvious this time – after all, just when do you think about sex? And thus we have the makings of a song that could find favour in dance clubs internationally, but without the sometimes dreaded curse of being too campy for its own good. So listen along and shake those hips, there’s a really good song here with a lot of truth within its words, so do have fun with it. Click on the pic to hear it below.

Chris Isaak goes “Beyond The Sun”

It’s absolutely no secret. Chris Isaak could record an album of Swedish electropop (in Swedish, even) or death metal (in discernible English), and I’d be sure to listen. And while the talented singer, songwriter and guitarist from Stockton, California doesn’t often dip into cover tunes – recorded versions of Neil Diamond’s “Solitary Man”, Roy Orbison’s “Only The Lonely”, and Cheap Trick’s “I Want You To Want Me” only come to mind – he has stepped back into rock and roll archives for his latest album Beyond The Sun.

There’s a little bit of irony here too. For someone on whom the 50’s and 60’s days of rock and roll embeds its style and attitude, all of Chris Isaak’s own records were released in the compact disc era of music, just as vinyl sales were fading. But now that vinyl is finding favour again, Beyond The Sun would sound just fine on a 12″ platter.

Beyond The Sun is Chris’ tribute to the Sun Records label, which gave so many early rock and rollers their start, including of course Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis. The record was also recorded at the Sun studios in Memphis. Songs from those singers are offered here in Chris’ own style, which sometimes resembles those recordings, and more often does not. While the record is exceptionally made, it will mainly appeal to Chris Isaak completists as well as fans of the era it represents, which is probably why prominent folk/pop label Vanguard Records signed Chris after he left Reprise/Warner.

While standards like Elvis’ “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” and “It’s Now Or Never”, as well as one of his lesser known and earliest songs, “My Happiness” (once again featuring vocals by Michelle Branch, like on Chris’ last studio album, 2009’s Mr. Lucky), are evocative of Elvis’ style with Chris Isaak flair, and while we get to hear Chris flex his tenor-maybe-baritone range on Cash’s “I Walk The Line”, it’s the more obscure songs that really represent Beyond The Sun well.

I’m talking particularly about “Miss Pearl” (a live clip is at the bottom of this blog), a rave up from the early 50’s by Jimmy Wages, and the fun “Dixie Fried”, which was recorded by Carl Perkins. These songs fit snugly into Chris’ repertoire and would sound great in concert. Aside from these, I blogged about “Live It Up” back in August, when it was issued as a free download. It’s Chris’ lone original composition in the package and it sizzles next to all of these songs.

There are no negatives here, but let’s just say that his convincing renditions of Cash’s “Ring Of Fire” or Lewis’ “Great Balls of Fire” won’t be the songs you remember most about Beyond The Sun.

For the ultra faithful, the deluxe version of Beyond The Sun contains 11 more songs, including Chris’ versions of Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman” (which I’m sure I’ve heard at one of his concerts), Lewis’ “That Lucky Old Sun”, Elvis’ “My Baby Left Me”, and Howlin’ Wolf’s “Everybody’s In The Mood”, along with another Chris Isaak original ‘Lovely Loretta” (again I think I’ve heard this one at one of his shows).

While I can never get enough of Chris Isaak’s own rocking tunes and pretty, sad, love songs, Beyond The Sun certainly achieves what he wanted and more. Sam Phillips would be proud.

Get To Know Penguin Prison’s Self-Titled Debut Album

There are very few performers who are doing so much that’s so right and deserve to break out big time as Penguin Prison, the band fronted by the musical chameleon that is New Yorker Chris Glover.

Penguin Prison arrived on the scene with a single in 2009, which was followed by… more singles. But for the most part, they formed a portion of my essential soundtrack of 2010 and 2011. The quirky, dark, Caribbean flavour of “Something I’m Not” was my intriguing introduction, and then came something entirely different, a sunny, chipper, California-by-way-of-70s-Doobie Brothers tune called “The Worse It Gets”. I didn’t care where Chris and his team were heading with this mélange... it’s all good… and it continued. The new wave rock/dance raveup “Golden Train” arrived, in-between free online mixes which Chris posted. And then he showed where his roots are – he mashed up “Golden Train” with Michael Jackson’s “Workin’ Day and Night”, a stroke of brilliance.

By the time of “Golden Train” I had already seen Penguin Prison in concert, which prepared me for the remixes that were unleashed for the Prince-anchored and excellent “Multi-Millionaire”. Then Chris went back to an early recording for a variety of remixes of “Fair Warning”, including a punchy one by France’s Dirty Vegas (2002’s seminal “Days Go By”).

With the exception of the Jackson mashup, all of the singles above are included in Penguin Prison’s self-titled debut album in their original album versions, hence we get some additions, such as more lyrics that we hadn’t heard in remixes of “Fair Warning”. These singles alone make the album worth buying; the rest of the top notch songs are bonuses.

The album doesn’t stay entirely on the dance club tip. There’s a lot of early 80’s new wave influence in songs like the Gary Numan-sounding at times “Desert Cold” and the languid “Someone Got Everything”.

But when Penguin Prison is at its best, the 70’s and 80’s R&B colours shine through. “Don’t Fuck With My Money”, the striking album opener, is essentially an anthemic rocker married with 70’s disco and R&B (watch for the video soon). And Chris Glover is a supurb vocalist – listen to the power in “Money” and “Fair Warning” in particular.

This record will be most noted however for its vibrant dance club vibe. There seems to be an entire undercurrent developing again, forging NYC disco with London dance, and we’re hearing it not only with Penguin Prison, but Jessica 6 and Lana Del Rey as well among others.

Don’t hesitate to scoot over to iTunes to grab Penguin Prison’s debut album. I can’t wait to hear what Chris Glover comes up with next because there’s way more inside of his music than meets the ear.

Secret Codes And Battleships by Darren Hayes

After the diverse, experimental, and stunning magnum opus of This Delicate Thing We’ve Made four years ago, the question burning in my mind was: What could Darren Hayes do next?

So in a smart move, Darren took a few steps back along with a few steps forward, yielding Secret Codes And Battleships, his fourth solo album, which has married familiarity with new takes on the themes of sadness, ends of relationships, loves lost, and sometimes glimpses of hope. Out of all of his albums, this is the one that gathers back Savage Garden fans with mainly wistful, classically tinged melodies and knowing lyrics.

The album was preceded by three singles, the infectious “Talk Talk Talk”, the complex and fatalistic “Black Out The Sun”, and the brilliant and remorseful “Bloodstained Heart”. But it’s just as easy to get caught up in the rest of the songs. “Roses” and “Stupid Mistake” are two new favourites, the former because of its inspiration that can be interpreted in many ways, and the latter because of its very human message but more so because of its stellar arrangement, capped with beautiful classical flourishes and winding down with a jazzy bass solo.

“Hurt” is a tough listen lyrically but its melody is as catchy as anything that’s been a hit for Savage Garden or Darren. More likely to be a follow up single is “Don’t Give Up”, which name checks the album’s title and perhaps sheds the most amount of hope in one of the album’s songs. The album’s title, to me, is all about the mystery of relationships, and those that simply go wrong as they battle on until there’s some kind of truce.

Opt for the deluxe version of the album if you can, and you’ll get five more equally excellent songs, and live versions of “Talk Talk Talk” and “Black Out The Sun”. In fact three of my most favourite songs are among these five, being “Glorious” – sort of this album’s variation of “Casey”, not lyrically but musically, it’s the longest and most compelling song with another stunning classical ending – “Explode”, and “Nothing”.

I’ve saved the best for last though. Aside from the sparkling melodies, lyrics and instrumentation, Secret Codes And Battleships is most noteworthy among Darren’s solo albums because it is a vocal tour-de-force for him. He has never sounded better, even better than in Delicate Thing, whether he’s singing stunning high notes or in his down-to-earth lower range.

Secret Codes And Battleships is a return to the style of songs of the more public Darren Hayes that the world got to know back when. But it’s also a strong stylistic statement that captures some of the best unique qualities in pop music today.

Roundup: A Few Albums and Singles

There hasn’t been an imposing round of Autumn Popervescence singles just yet – but I’m sure there will be – so a roundup of some fine albums and singles over the next few blogs will be on deck.

Erasure – Tomorrow’s World

25 years after their first album Wonderland, and Andy Bell and Vince Clarke aren’t so much reinventing themselves as revitalizing their place inside the current electropop realm. With more than able assistance of producer Frankmusik, they’ve recorded some of their best songs written in the last 15 years and have made contemporary what they’ve always done best after also recording many cover versions over the years.

Though the album overall has a feeling of restraint, the duo is best with their most uptempo numbers, particularly “Then I Go Twisting”, “Fill Us With Fire”, and “Whole Lotta Love Run Riot”. But their touching side shows beautifully with songs like “When I Start (To Break It All Down)” (watch the live version below) and “Just When I Thought It Was Ending”.

Like their best albums, Tomorrow’s World is well rounded and an overall pleasure to listen to, and of course, you better get on your dancing shoes. Andy Bell is in fine voice and their concert in September (which was full of young fans of Frankmusik’s own mid-20’s age) showed me that they will be around recording wondrous stuff for as long as their fans will have them.

Joe Jonas – Fastlife

After what I consider to be a couple of misfired singles (“See No More” and the recent dance club hit “Love Slayer”), Fastlife is an incredibly big surprise of a debut for Joe Jonas. Though it doesn’t quite make its mind up about whether or not to go in an electronic, R&B, or pure pop direction, it has enough of each to be immensely appealing. And what is done well here is indeed very well done.

The second official single from the album, “Just In Love”, for one thing, is a sizzling and sultry mid-tempo 90’s oriented R&B ballad that works just fine in its original mix. You’ll also find it available featuring Lil’ Wayne and in a couple of other remixes that don’t really add anything to change your view of the song.

But dive in deeper past the singles and there are rewards. “Kleptomaniac” should be a real club banger with its swirling synths and urgent vocals. “Not Right Now” and particularly “Make You Mine” are pop confections which succeed at broadening Joe’s pop horizons beyond the music of him and his brothers, who to me still may not have entirely come into their own despite all of their teen heart throb successes.

Fastlife should not be dismissed as a simple step away from the Jonas Brothers. No doubt about it, Joe Jonas can easily have his own solo pop career and Fastlife is a great start that should not be underestimated.

Van Go Lion “Colors”

Portland electro-duo Amy Paige and Josh Hoertzel are back with “Colors”, following their summer mainstay for me this year called “We Don’t Miss A Beat”. “Colors” glistens right into the wonders of Autumn, with delightful words that lilt along to a sunshiny melody. While I would prefer to hear more of Amy’s soaring voice through the production, I look forward to more from these talented folks. Listen to “Colors” below and download it for free.

Elspeth “Think Back” and “Starry”

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year and a half since I wrote about this young Irish quintet. Suddenly, their album, Coax, is on deck for 2012, and the band has previewed it with two songs. “Think Back” (video above) has some grungy undertones amid other atmospherics that recall a midpoint between Radiohead and The Script. “Starry” (video below) is an acoustic effort that shines on sounds that recall groups from the past decade or so such as Travis and The Verve. Elspeth wouldn’t sound out of place on the radio next to other bands like Parachute, Lifehouse, or The Fray. Watch for these guys in 2012.

Lawson “Marry The Night”

Lawson is the latest four-guy band from England who could have a chance to cut it internationally. This extremely flattering Lady GaGa acoustic cover suddenly makes the lyric universal and renders gentle the song’s normally propulsive rhythm. Let’s hope Lawson can rise from the guise of a boyband into the vocal quartet that they really are. You can get a much more produced pop/rock ballad in the form of “Red Sky” as a free download from their website.

More reviews to come in the week 🙂

Tuned-On! Top 30 #364 – October 24/11

It took a month and a half of waiting – thanks to the instantly overpowering effect of his duet on “Wicked Baby” with Ro Danishei, which held court for 6 weeks – but “Laser Guns Up” by Simon Curtis takes the top spot this week on my personal chart. It’s one of the key reasons for you to buy his sophomore album R∆ on iTunes, and is one of a number of rousing and anthemic songs that will make you want more! But right behind “Guns” are buddies Frankmusik and Colette Carr, whose duet on “No ID” is one of those reasons why music can make you smile, take you away for three minutes, and be happy in 2011.

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.

The stunning debut of “Memorize Me” has created a bit of a backup on the chart for songs 6 through 11. The infectious “Bad Dog” by Neon Hitch scoots up a notch to #6, while “Pull The Trigger” from Adam Tyler’s debut album Shattered Ice rises 9-7. Adam is touring actively to promote the album, and “Trigger” looks to join past chart hits “Friction” and “I Won’t Let You Go” in my Top 5.

Penguin Prison’s self-titled album was finally released in North America this past week and I’ll have my comments on it in the week. In the meantime the Dirty Vegas remix of “Fair Warning” moves 11-8.

Kyle Brylin’s “My Fizzy Pop” and Eric Saade’s “Stupid with You” round out the Top 10. The prolific Kyle has more new music coming for you in his upcoming “Revenge” project, while Eric’s upcoming album Saade Volume Two drops on November 30, with a new single featuring Dev arriving next week.

Most of the rest of the Top 20 looks Top 10 bound. Arriving this week in the rest of the world – Australia got the album last week – is Secret Codes And Battleships, the fourth solo album by Darren Hayes. His compelling and heart-felt Australian single “Bloodstained Heart” rises to #11. The song is available in a free download as a remix through Darren’s website by the talented Monsieur Adi right here.

“Famous” by Audio Playground is a certified hit in Canada and jumps to #12, while the smooth and sexy mid-tempo R&B ballad by Nick Hagelin called “Metaphor” moves up to #15. Agnes’ powerful “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” jumps to #18, while “The Way I See” by Will Young rises to #19, and Kyle Brylin’s second chart entry, the late night club rave-up “Never Love A DJ”, climbs to #20.

The fastest riser on the chart is the contagious fun that is “Block After Block” by Matt & Kim, which soars 25-16. The Brooklyn duo is playing a New Year’s show in NYC which is guaranteed to be a blast. I’ve been getting into their album Sidewalks more and more these past few weeks. Their music has an exhilarating and distracting effect – most needed right now!

Four more debuts round out the chart. The Netherlands’ Matt Blue is a talent to watch for internationally in 2012. His debut single “Can’t Help Myself (Keep Dancing)” has been released by Universal in most of the European countries and has started to breakout. Despite its familiar formula, the song has such a terrific sincere performance showcasing Matt’s supurb vocals. It debuts at #13. Watch the video below.

Down further is one half of the debut single by American singer Lana Del Rey, who is based out of London and is finding some success initially in the Benelux countries. “Blue Jeans” comes to us in the form of a sexy Penguin Prison remix. I like it a lot better than its other half, “Video Games”. Listen to “Blue Jeans” below.

At #25 is “White Horse” by New York trio Jessica 6, who I’m hoping to see in a club show in the coming weeks. It’s part of the group’s disco-music-with-a-conscience, you can move along to this song effortlessly while singing the chorus that gets stuck in your head. Take a look at the video below. Not to be confused with the 80’s hit by Laid Back.

Rounding out the chart at #26 is “Then I Go Twisting”, one of the stellar songs from the Frankmusik-produced album Tomorrow’s World by UK dance pop veterans Erasure. I’ll have my comments about Tomorrow’s World in the week. In the meantime, you can listen to the entire album for yourself right here.

Lastly, I’m going to leave you with an incredibly guilty pleasure. “I Like” is a new European dance single by DJ/producer Klaas and DJ/production duo Bodybangers. It gets right into your face and into your head, courtesy of lead vocals by the stunning singer/model Victoria Kern. Think Kesha meets Pussycat Dolls with a dash of “Jump Around” by House of Pain, and you’re right there. Watch the fun video below and don’t say I didn’t warn you. Like last year’s “We No Speak Americano”, it may be coming to a wedding or party near you sometime soon.