After what must surely seem like an eternity (especially to him), Frankmusik’s Do It In The A.M. saw official release today and certainly Twitter was all the buzz about it. The album rocketed to the top regions of the U.S. and Canadian Electronic charts on iTunes, stopped by nothing less than Justice and LMFAO. And the year of Frankmusik continues. Do It In The A.M. was more than worthy of the long wait.
Sonically, the album is fantastic. I have been expounding on the wonders of Mr. Frank’s voice throughout the year and there is no disappointment here, he sounds especially good on “We Collide” (the album’s opener and my new favourite) and “Ludicrous”. Other notable songs, besides the summer jam title track and current fun-filled single “No I.D.” (featuring Colette Carr), include “Wrecking Ball”, which sounded massive in concert, “Brake Lights”, one of my top singles of the year “The Fear Inside”, and an uptempo redux of a previously free download “Cut Me Down”. It must have been difficult to whittle the selection down to 13, given how prolific Frankmusik has been this year. But the emphasis is on danceable, mainly electronic songs, which gives the record a consistent party-filled sound. Would I have chosen some of the songs? Probably not “No Champagne” or “Footsteps”. I might have substituted the stunning ballad “Hurt You Again” or even his cover of Erasure’s “When I Start (To Break It All Down)”. But that’s just me. This album’s gonna grow on you, too.
Frankmusik has generously offered many free downloads this year, even in the face of an early leak of the album. And what’s to come if you buy Do It In The A.M. on iTunes? A free download per week until the end of the year –you can view more info by clicking right here. Frankmusik is very eager to please and you owe it to yourself to Do It In The A.M. a little more often… keep going full steam ahead into 2012!!
Listen to “We Collide” below.
I teased you the other day with the clip excerpting two new Kyle Brylin songs, and they have hit various online sites today (such as Amazon and Beatport).
Kyle opts this time for an almost 90’s retro techno sound, which goes all frenetic on the big diss of “Never Love A DJ” (which hopefully doesn’t apply to former DJ’s like me 😉 ). There’s a lot of release in this song, both in the emotional sense and in a crowded club party sense – it will give you a true workout! “Poison Venus” takes us to a futuristic kind of world where a price is paid… and in the process we’re taken through a languid electronic whirlwind and a Tron-like high speed chase.
Kyle and his songwriters are never short of imagination and both songs, particularly “Never Love A DJ”, which seems like an anti-club raveup that would actually work well in late night clubs, put his continued progression on full display. Listen to “Never Love A DJ” below.
Ever since I found his spot-on cover of Jason Derulo’s “What If” earlier this year, I’ve been touting 19 year old Dutch singer Matt Blue for great things. He’s apparently signed to a major record label in Europe, and until recently had been teasing us for the past three months of so with a snippet of his single “Can’t Help Myself (Keep Dancing)”. You may have also heard him on the club track by Bass Robbers called “Another Dimension”, which focused on a particularly soaring high note of his.
Well the video dropped today: A star is definitely born, and you know it exclusively from the 18 second mark through to 1:18 – club setting, Blue lighting, Blue clothing… all eyes on talented Mr. Blue! The rest of the video takes us to good times on a beach and showin’ off some moves in front of a great looking car (my bad, I don’t know the make 😉 ). The song itself is contagious in its simplicity with the same positive vibe as Taio Cruz’s “Break Your Heart” and Usher’s “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love”.
Don’t think about this one too much. Matt Blue has arrived. Keep dancing. 🙂
As Autumn is upon us, like the leaves that begin to fall, some recent favourites of mine drop off my personal chart to make room for some noteable new blood. You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can clickright here. You can hear all of the songs on the chart or watch their videos by clicking on the pics on the chart page.
There is no moving the Top 4 songs, no sirree they just aren’t a budging.“Wicked Baby”, the insanely catchy song that updates the Ace of Base vibe courtesy of Ro Danishei & Simon Curtishangs on to #1 vying with Simon’s own victory cry “Laser Guns Up” in second place. “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People keeps its summery lustre long enough for another chart at #3, while “Disco Moment” by Bright Light Bright Light is solid and still on the rise at #4. The only change-up in the Top 5 sees Jessica 6’s duet with Antony Hegarty on “Prisoner Of Love” belatedly making a big gain in the face of so many great songs on the chart. A video for the song is forthcoming!
The rest of the Top 10 sees a major shakeup. The intense emotions of Matthew Kurz’s “Fix Me” often give me pause for many thoughts, and the song soars 11-6. Do check out this talented singer/songwriter’s FREE mixtape using the link on my chart page. October 18 is the North American street date for Penguin Prison’s self-titled album. As Chris Glover and band continue to play dates throughout North America, they are present on the chart with both “Multi-Millionaire” at #7 and “Fair Warning” rising to #14. To entice you more, Penguin Prison has a FREE download of “Don’t Fuck With My Money” available with an email subscriptionright here. You can hear that song above this paragraph. Then, our favourite “Bad Dog” is on the loose! Neon Hitch played a well received gig last week in New York City, and her song is propelled to #8. Adele’s enduring and powerful “Set Fire To The Rain” takes 9th place, while the heartfelt “Never Will Be Mine” by Rye Rye featuring Robyn lands at #10.
The middle of the chart is nothing less than busy. “Pull The Trigger” is the hottest song on Adam Tyler’s very good Shattered Ice release, with it’s sad-but-gotta-do-it lyrics married with an anthemic house rhythm. It’s also the hottest song on the chart as the Fastest Riser, moving 22-12 and you can listen to the song above. Then, we have the ultra-prolific Kyle Brylin with a real pick-me-up if there ever was one, “My Fizzy Pop” at #13. Not only did Kyle cover Rihanna’s “S&M” earlier this year, but perhaps he’s drinking the same water, since she’s coming out with new stuff as frequently. He teases you below with a preview of the hard hitting trance track “Never Love A DJ” and “Poison Venus” below this paragraph. Full comments about these songs later! And by no means should you think that “Stupid With You” by Eric Saade is done, after moving one place to #15. It’s a fantastic pop song, one of many on Saade Volume One as we await Saade Volume Two sometime in November!
At the top of this blog, you watched the new video for Darren Hayes’ Australian single “Bloodstained Heart”, which climbs to #17. I’m hoping it will be released to the rest of the world after “Black Out The Sun”. In particular, I enjoy Darren’s soothing high register and the dramatic crescendo halfway that serves as anticipation for the final scene of the video. Darren’s album Secret Codes And Battleships is released October 17 in the UK and October 21 in the rest of the world. Right below “Bloodstained Heart” we see the debut song from Florence & The Machine’s sophomore album Ceremonials. “What The Water Gave Me” moves up 26-18 in this chart edition.
The rest of the chart sees six debuts! It’s a huge week ahead for Frankmusik as his second album Do It In The A.M. sees release on September 27. The latest single, “No I.D.” featuring the delightful Colette Carr, arrives on the chart at #20 and is gradually becoming one of the must-hear songs of the year along with its “Grease”-y video above. 2011 has been one heck of a ride for Frankmusik and it hasn’t stopped yet! Next up is the beautiful song from Nick Hagelin that I cannot get enough of right now. “Metaphor”(which I blogged about last week)premieres at #23. Further down at #26 is a song that has hung on throughout the summer despite no North American release for the singer’s album. “The Way I See” doesn’t appear on Will Young’s latest album Echoes, but you can get it in a FREE download from a link in my chart (the song was previously available for free through Amazon UK). It’s Will’s first appearance in these pages, and I look forward to paying closer attention to the songs in Echoes.
An impressive video for “Famous” by Audio Playground featuring Kardinal Offishall quickly arrived on our doorstep (above) and debuts at #27 on the chart. The song’s a certified hit, conquering Canadian radio by being added to practically every pop station in the country, while the French language version featuring Randy Raymond is everywhere in Quebec. Then at #28 we have Ms Grace Jones, sounding like she never left the music scene with her first release in 22 years called Hurricane. From that album we have the sinewy and compelling “Williams Blood”, which is available in the FREE Aeroplane remix radio edit (link in on my chart page).
This edition closes at #29 with a song hot off the presses this week by a singer whose voice I adore. Agnes Carlsson had a massive year in 2008/09 with her European album release Dance! Love! Pop! which contained the UK Top 5 and Billboard Dance Club Play #1 hit “Release Me”, one of my Top 10 favourites of that year. With voice to rival no less than a Leona Lewis, Agnes is back with a tougher and equally powerful pop/dance song that will turn more heads around the world this time. Watch “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” (not the Elton John song) above and keep your ears peeled for much, much more from Agnes throughout the year and into 2012.
Thanks for reading! Watch for changes to this blog coming soon too. One thing I hope to change after this week is to give you shorter and more timely blogs, as well as the longer bi-weekly recap of my chart.
My comment about Nick Hagelin’s cover of Eric Benet’s “Sometimes I Cry” from back in April holds very true: YOU.WILL.MELT. That’s one of the shortest reviews I’ve ever written. But the New York bred, Georgia resident has laid a solid foundation of cover songs on You Tube ranging from Benet’s song to Taylor Swift. So with this amazing talent comes a debut EP, Take Off,currently available for free on Nick’s website. From positive, summery-sounding, danceable pop of “I.C.U.” and “Ocean”, through to the ever so Jason Mraz take on “Your Love”, to the grooving, embedded R&B/Hip Hop of the Naughty By Nature revisited vibe of “People Go Wild”, Take Off is a showcase designed to tickle whatever fancy you might be feeling. Lastly, and best of all, there’s the equally embedded R&B/Soul of the title song and especially my favourite, the careful and precise, romantic ear-tugger “Metaphor” (which you can hear below). Melt all over again – score!
Pierre Lewis “Transition” (EP)
I’ve already tipped you off to two of the four songs on Pierre’s new EP Transition. Now here’s someone from England who can easily tap into Robin Thicke’s North American market given all the right steps. Transition has a mid-90’s R&B/Hip Hop vibe happening. The best song is the current video, “Out Of My Mind”, which captures Pierre’s diverse appeal and charm oh so well. “One Girl Show” is more R&B/Pop ear candy, while “Stay” focuses on Pierre’s ability to tap into his best Michael Jackson. “Testify” features rapper Strike, striving for a street feel that to me is becoming a little dated. Pierre Lewis has so much more to offer with that stunning soulful voice. Catch the video for “Out Of My Mind” again below. Transition is available worldwide on iTunes.
John Nathaniel “Intoxicated”
Montreal rocker and award-winning producer (Marie-Mai, Pat Groulx, Long Story Short) John Nathaniel returns with a song more on a softer Colbie Caillat-styled pop tip than some of his past releases. “Intoxicated” is a breezy ride that takes you on a rock-tinged picnic through the countryside on a sunny day. Hear the song below and pick it up on iTunes.
Bright Light Bright Light “Disco Moment” (EP)
And this last review is just a friendly reminder to indulge in the many charms of Rod Thomas as Bright Light Bright Light with his EP of “Disco Moment”. Not only do you get the radio edit, 12″ extended version (in which I keep hearing “The Neverending Story” rhythm more and more!), and a quirky but spot-on Fear of Tigers remix of the gloriously moving title song, but there’s another Rod original “Being Sentimental”. Rod finds these easy ways to get in your head by capturing emotional slices of life, giving you lots of food for thought along the way as you head to leave it all on the dance floor. Can’t wait for the proper album release! In the meantime, get it on iTunes – you do need to view the stunning video for “Disco Moment” again below.
Last week was exceptionally busy and while I had already decided on my new chart rankings by Friday, I did decide to attend the Erasure and Frankmusik show at Sound Academy in Toronto, hence today’s belated blog. More on the show later, on to chart news.
I’m still riding the Rainbow – End of the Rainbow that is – thanks to one of the best records of 2011! That would be the sinfully delicious “Wicked Baby” by Ro Danishei featuring Simon Curtis (click to listen) that ascends to #1 on the Top 30, and looks like it might hold grip in wicked ways for the next several weeks. That “Wicked Baby” should blitz the chart all the way to the top is even surprising to me. And hand in hand with Simon’s anthem “Laser Guns Up”, which rises to #2, it knocked down what I thought was a sure thing for #1, which is “Made Of Pop” by Eric Saade, which now resides at #5. Two further items of note: Ro Danishei’s arrival at #1 is the first for a female singer on my chart since Lady GaGa’s “Teeth” back near the beginning of 2010 (I know I’m…. wicked). And Simon Curtis packs a 1-2 punch holding court in the Top 2 for at least likely the next month. If you have not sought out these talented singers, be sure to check out their respective albums (End Of The Rainbow for Ro, R∆ for Simon) on iTunes!
Definitely in the mix are the song that everyone’s trying to figure out, “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People, at #3, and Bright Light Bright Light’s “Disco Moment” at #4. In any other year they would both be chart toppers. Right below you can check out the “So Hard” mix of “Disco Moment” by Blx2 himself, Rod Thomas, also available on Blx2’s official site 🙂 Do I detect early 90’s Pet Shop Boys? Hmmm.
Next up are late night New York dance delights in the forms of Jessica 6’s “Prisoner Of Love”, which climbs to #8, and yet another Top Tenner for Chris Glover’s Penguin Prison and “Multi-Millionaire” at #10. Penguin Prison’s much-awaited self-titled debut album is out everywhere but in North America now (due date October 18). I’m also charting the Dirty Vegas remix of “Fair Warning”, which hops to #18 and will certainly join “Multi-Millionaire” as a Top Tenner sometime soon.
Outside of the Top 10 there are several songs looking in with confidence! Matthew Kurz’s amazing independent ballad “Fix Me” is now at #11, followed immediately by the glorious Adele with “Set Fire To The Rain” at #12, and then the Rye Rye and Robyn duet of the inspiring “Never Will Be Mine” at #13. Neon Hitch’s “Bad Dog” is turning into a new favourite as it’s the Fastest Riser on the chart, up 25-15. It’s followed immediately by a third song from Saade Volume One, “Stupid With You” by Eric Saade (watch for Volume Two later this year and hear this song in a concert clip below) and Kyle Brylin’s effervescent “My Fizzy Pop” at #16 and #17 respectively.
Our three debutswere previewed for you two weeks ago at around this time. “Pull The Trigger” is vying with “I Won’t Let You Go” as my favourite song from Adam Tyler’s independent debut album Shattered Ice, and soars into the chart at #22, as the singer completes a North American club tour and is off to Japan. I can’t wait to see the video for Darren Hayes’ Australian single “Bloodstained Heart” which arrives at #24. Don’t rule out a debut for “Black Out The Sun” sometime soon… there’s just that much competition right now! And lastly, powerhouse Florence Welch previews her forthcoming untitled album with “What The Water Gave Me” at #26.
You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can click right here.
Erasure and Frankmusik, Sound Academy, Toronto, Sunday September 11/11
Erasure and Frankmusik performed excellent sets last night which for me were just what the doctor ordered 🙂 I was anxious to see what Mr. Frank (Vince Turner) had to offer up for his debut performance in Toronto, since he is also the producer of Erasure’s upcoming Tomorrow’s World album (due October 4 in North America). The last time I saw Erasure in concert was in 2003 for their Other People’s Songs tour. In this show, there were no covers (yes, no ABBA, no Blondie), but they weren’t missed at all.
This was the fifth time I’ve seen an Erasure show, and I think this was one of their best and most engaging shows yet. Singer Andy Bell was definitely glad to be back in Toronto (“Toronto always makes me horny”). Andy looked extremely fit and basked in the audience’s gaze, while keyboardist/guitarist/producer Vince Clarke looked dapper in red and black behind his gargoyle-like keyboard.
They had an attentive audience that soaked in their new songs like “When I Start (To Break It All Down)” (which is bound for my chart), “A Whole Lotta Love Run Riot” and “Fill Us With Fire”, which may be some of their best songs in the last 10 years, and fell contently into place next to their hits. And what choices of hits they were! “Blue Savannah”, “Drama!”, “Ship Of Fools”, “Chorus” (view a clip of the song from the show at the top of the blog), “Love To Hate You” (I was singing every word to those last two), “Chains of Love”, and “A Little Respect”, and even something a little more obscure going back to 1986, “Push Me, Shove Me”, which most of the audience didn’t know (but I did since I have the Wonderland album). Their 90 minute set closed with the glorious “Oh l’amour” and, naturally, “Stop!”.
While a replay of greatest hits isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, when it’s this well done (despite some poor sound) and highly entertaining, then I’ll gladly have Erasure coming back again and again. The set certainly exceeded my expectations.
Frankmusik’s new album Do It In The A.M. is due at last on September 27, and to get word out in person, he’s opening for Erasure on their entire North American tour. Vince and band performed a 45 minute non-stop set that not only set the stage for Erasure, but showcased the clever singer/songwriter/producer’s repertoire and some of his inspirations. So he mixed in older songs like “Better Off As 2”, not only with excellent new songs like “Do It In The A.M.”, “Struck By Lightning”, “Ludicrous”, and my favourites of the evening “Wrecking Ball” and “No ID” (featuring his gal Casey Carlson subbing for Colette Carr), but with either sung verses from noteworthy hits “You Can Call Me Al”, “Disco Inferno”, and “Music Sounds Better With You”, or well-placed samples of Eric Prydz’s “Call On Me” and Daft Punk’s “Around The World”. Frankmusik wrapped the audience up tightly in his set and the unpredictability of it won them over. The cheerful club party vibe and Frankmusik’s eagerness to please made for an exceptional set.
Last week, we saw the premiere of the video for “No ID” by Frankmusik and Colette Carr. I’m so glad some of today’s videomakers are looking back to not too long ago (well, maybe before they were born but not me) for simple stories, inspiration (in this case a certain movie from the 70’s) and positive attitude with some fun choreography. If it doesn’t put a big smile on your face then back to bed with you! Watch in particular the scenes with Vince and Colette in the video below. And there’s a familiar male dancer in the blue sweater with Boy Robot glasses…
Be sure to leave any comments you might have, and thanks for reading
Audio Playground featuring Kardinal Offishall “Famous”
One of the most exciting new records to drop out of Canada in 2011 is “Famous” by Audio Playground. At first listen, you might think it plays closely… perhaps too closely… to a formula started by Taio Cruz’s “Break Your Heart” or “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love” by Usher. What puts this song over the edge is that it’s engaging and tight – before you know it, the song’s over and you want more!
So who are these guys anyway? Well you may have heard AP’s well-done version of Erasure’s “A Little Respect” over the past few years on radio or in dance clubs. Based out of multiple cities such as Edmonton, Toronto, New York, and L.A., Audio Playground is a trio comprising producers Rubix & DRC along with vocalist Anthony Gitto. “Famous” is their third release as they head towards releasing an album.
But first, there is a plan for global domination for “Famous”. Ambitious? Yes – and not only do we have a crisp English version featuring none other than Canada’s best rap export Kardinal Offishall (ab0ve), but a French language version is already tearing up charts in Quebec featuring vocalist Randy Raymond (below). And “Famous” will soon be famous in other language versions to tap into the global marketplace that is now our Internet, since AP’s songs have found their way into dance clubs world-wide. It’s not a new idea, but can you think of anyone who’s tried it lately, particularly in the last decade or so? Audio Playground is creating an intriguing blueprint, and I can’t wait to hear more from them.
Kyle Brylin “Bay”
It seems like every few weeks I’m writing about Wisconsin singer Kyle Brylin. There’s good reason for that. Young Kyle continues to make amazing progressions with each song he releases. This considering I wasn’t overly fond of the songs he released a few years back. The turning points for me this year were the sexy and danceable delights that are “Everything I’m Missing” and his cover of Rihanna’s “S&M”. These were reinforced with incredible strong songs in the “Telephoto Lens” EP, including a current fave of mine, the blissful “My Fizzy Pop”.
So now we have yet another side of Kyle that was explored on some early songs, one that’s more emotional and lyrical. “Bay” is well-rounded lyrically and seems to capture the ups and downs of being in a relationship from all vantage points. The melody and vocals are, for lack of a better word, sweet, in total contrast to the more aggressive lyrics and forceful beats in something like “Everything I’m Missing”. Kyle’s very prolific, but when the quality, with help from various songwriting partners or on his own, is this good, then each release has its own merits. Get “Bay” on iTunes.
Less Ballroom…More Remixed
Readers of this blog know how much I took to heart the music from the Spring release of Ballroom Remixed. It’s a record where you can’t go wrong: Ballroom music styles contemporized by a host of rising pop stars.
Two of my favourites get retweaked for clubdom and two others are improved somewhat in redux form. The full version of Ricardo Autobahn’s remix of Elouise’s “The Lover’s Rumba” has been available for free via talented Elouise’s newsletter. Autobahn’s edit makes the affair more compact for club DJ’s to zero in on its many charms. My most favourite song on the original record is the jive of “Out Without Your Boyfriend” by Jerry Reid. It’s too hard to improve on such a fun song, so Autobahn pretty much takes away the jive in favour of a successful transformation favouring European-flavoured club sounds and rhythm.
Then we get to two major improvements. I’ve enjoyed the campy fun of “I’m A Man (Not A Piece of Meat)” by (yes him again) Kyle Brylin. But here Autobahn carves out a European house groove that enhances Kyle’s playful vocals in an entirely different way. You can hear it below. Tammy Jay & Kally’s “I’m The One” is immensely improved in a more languid and dramatic version that better showcases the voices and the song’s lyrical qualities. Also included are Autobahn’s “Theme From Ballroom Remixed” and a remix of Jenny McLaren’s “You Were Never Really Mine”. Great value for those who want the beats and style more 2011 without taking anything away from the original songs themselves. Get it on iTunes!
Pierre Lewis “One Girl Show”
We’re getting closer to the September 19 release of Pierre’s EP Transitions, fromwhich I previously brought to your attention the Michael Jackson meets Robin Thicke R&B/pop stylings of “Out Of My Mind”. In a similar vein comes “One Girl Show”, which does the job of creating more anticipation for this UK singer who has loads of potential to breakout big after amassing a huge online following. Hear it above and watch for Transitions later in the month. The clip below finds the singer talking about Transitions a few months back.
The return of The Waterboys with An Appointment With Mr. Yeats
An all-time favourite of mine is back with a return to form of their 80’s releases. I can remember vividly squeezing into Toronto’s El Mocambo on December 6, 1984, to hear then band-of-the-moment The Waterboys. The Irish band, led by singer Mike Scott, completely mesmerized the small crowd of mainly music industry insiders with a very different version of emotional rock rooted in Irish traditions, in support of their first two releases, The Waterboys EP and A Pagan Place, with another, This Is The Sea, soon to follow.
Aside from a few come-and-go members, the band eventually became just another name for Mike Scott, who took it in a late 80’s, early 90’s detour of albums deeper in Irish traditional music. After a misfired relationship with Geffen in the early 90’s for the Dream Harder album, Scott started recording under his own name, starting off with two fine ‘solo’ albums, particularly Bring ‘Em All In. The Waterboys came back in 2001 with A Rock In The Weary Land, a mixed bag with some strong songs, strong enough to take them back out on tour for some excellent shows. A few more releases later, we find Scott creating songs based on poems by Irish poet W.B. Yeats in An Appointment With Mr. Yeats, due out in the U.K. on September 19 (I’m interested to see if a Canadian release date will be concurrent or if we’ll have to wait till 2012). The two songs from it that Scott has posted on Soundcloud, “Sweet Dancer” and “White Birds”, are two of the best songs I’ve heard from him since Bring ‘Em All In. So now, I can just taste what might also be included in the Yeats album as well as a possible concert. Mike Scott and The Waterboys, you don’t know how nice it is to have you back! Listen to “Sweet Dancer” and “White Birds” below.
The bi-weekly Tuned-On! Top 30 looked to be going in a topsy-turvy direction this week, so the only way to contain all of the insanity was to take some good listens to my favourite songs.As much as I’ve been obsessed with Ro Danishei & Simon Curtis’ sensational “Wicked Baby”, it debuts in the stratosphere at #3. That leaves “Just Once” by Databoy (#1) and “Made Of Pop” by Eric Saade (#2) to hold court for a second time as the last full month of summer comes to an end. Judging from the activity below, topsy-turvy may be the expression that stays intact in two weeks. Not surprisingly, “Laser Guns Up” by Simon Curtis is the fastest riser, blasting up the chart 16-4, while the breezy “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People arrives at #5.Be sure to check out the free euro-trance Skeet Skeet Show remix too.
Four out of the next five songs in the Top 10 are movin’ on up. In any other year, these songs would be destined for #1, but because of competition some may even fall short of the Top 5! Bright Light Bright Light’s “Disco Moment” climbs to #6, while Ro Danishei hangs in the Top 10 with a second hit, “Prey To The Beat” at #7. I can’t get “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera out of my head, so it continues up to #8, and NYC late night contemporary disco is in the form of “Prisoner Of Love” by Jessica 6 featuring the unique vocals of Antony Hegarty at #10.
Trying to break through the Top 20 are more songs on the rise. The Shook remix of “Multi-Millionaire” by Penguin Prison climbs to #12, and while we’re in anticipation of the self-titled PP album, I’m debuting the smoking Dirty Vegas remix of PP’s “Fair Warning” at #24. Amazing new L.A. singer Matthew Kurz jumps 21-15 with the stunningly beautiful “Fix Me”, while Wynter Gordon’s party anthem “‘Til Death” continues to move up to #16. A cornerstone of the 21 album is Adele’s “Set Fire To The Rain”, which rises to #17, while the infectious “Never Will Be Mine” by the duet of Rye Rye and Robyn jumps to #18. The man-who-would-portray Jeff Buckley, Reeve Carney, inches up to #20 with “Rise Above 1”.
Don’t be fooled by small moves by “Stupid With You” by Eric Saade and the exuberant “My Fizzy Pop” by Kyle Brylin, they both have to wait for other songs to move out before moving up more. Our last debut this week is one of the most energetic and catchy songs around, UK singer Neon Hitch with “Bad Dog” at #25.
You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can click right here. Be sure to leave any comments you might have, and thanks for reading
Darren Hayes Times Two: “Black Out The Sun” (video) and “Bloodstained Heart”
Well it’s fortunate for the Internet that we all get to see and hear two more songs from Darren Hayes’ upcoming album Secret Codes And Battleships. Australia gets “Bloodstained Heart” as the second single, and it’s an intensely emotional ballad that reminds me a lot of the sentiment from “How To Build A Time Machine” and “Casey” from This Delicate Thing We’ve Made. And if that’s not enough, the song has one of Darren’s most beautiful and affecting vocals, as well as lush instrumentation that sticks in your head. The UK and the rest of the world gets “Black Out The Sun”, which is more familiar to Darren fans who liked “Who Would Have Thought” from Delicate Thing, as well as his Savage Garden ballads. But the song would not be out of place next to darker tunes from Darren’s 2004 album The Tension And The Spark, such as “Unlovable” and “I Like The Way”. It’s a sad song to be sure, but with an emotional purpose. It looks like the rest of the songs from Secret Codes And Battleships may exceed all of our expectations!
Florence & The Machine “What The Water Gave Me”
Florence & The Machine’s Lungs was one of the most compelling releases of 2009, spawning memorable hits like “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” and “Dog Days Are Over”. Those two hits and other songs from the album transcended the last two years thanks to the band’s touring and Florence Welch’s magnetic presence on shows like this year’s Grammy Awards. So riding the wave of all of this is “What The Water Gave Me”, and if it’s of any indication, the sophomore album should outdo Lungs. Like with “Rabbit Heart” and “Dog Days”, “What The Water Gave Me” is a frenzy of musical power along with Florence’s vocals which evoke shades of no less than Siouxsie Sioux, Sinead O’Connor, and Annie Lennox. It’s scary to think that Florence & The Machine could also grab the ride that Adele got on at the inset of 2011.
Adam Tyler’s debut album Shattered Ice
It’s taken a long time to arrive, but an independent release has to be done just right in order to succeed. I think that Adam Tyler’s Shattered Ice has a stamp of success awaiting it. Earlier this year, we received a major taste of the LA-based singer/songwriter’s best work with “I Won’t Let You Go”, whose unique blend of affecting europop resonated through the Interweb. The full release of Shattered Ice also builds nicely on Adam’s 2010 single release, the frenetic “Friction”.
The album contains a varied mix of pop, dance, and three acoustically arranged versions of songs on the album, with credit to Sky Felix and his collaborators for the imaginative production. Best of all is “Pull The Trigger”, an intriguing mix of europop and 90’s styled house carried by the phrase “bang bang baby cry”. Hear the song at the end of the blog. While the song does the trick in its current version, it cries out for a remix that has a screaming bass undercurrent! Next up we have “Emergency”, an urgent song about shattered emotions that does very well in its original pop/dance mix, showcasing particularly strong vocals by Adam surrounded by some fun production tricks and instrumentation. But it’s also available in a softer and beautiful orchestral version. “I Won’t Let You Go” also appears in a stripped down piano version.
Also check out the intense “Music Freak”, more hearts on the sleeve in the title track, and a mid-tempo companion piece to “I Won’t Let You Go”, “Taking Back My Love”. To me sometimes the album gets caught up in arrangements that overwhelm Adam’s voice or overshadow some of the weaker songs. But pop music lovers will find much more to delight them on Shattered Ice. Get it on iTunes! “Pull The Trigger” by Adam Tyler
Can’t.Get.It.Out.Of.My.Head. I love it when a song does that to me. But I didn’t expect that it would be this one. There’s a perception sometimes that only throwaway songs that didn’t make the cut the first time are added on to records which have already been released. But when an album is being put on iTunes after being available for free for most of the year, those songs had better be good, DAMN good, to change that perception. And I even tipped you off to this one earlier (in June).
So one of the completely unanticipated and precious gems of 2011 belongs to singer Ro Danishei with “Wicked Baby” from the ‘deluxe’ edition of End Of The Rainbow, the original versionabout which I blogged earlier in the year, complete with five new tracks (two new songs and three remixes, including two killer remixes of “Blackout”, by Paul Hetherington and producer Jeff “Jadion” Wells). And while I’ve been wrapped up with songs like “Prey To The Beat”, “Drunk Txt”, and “Michelle” throughout the year, it’s her new duet with Simon Curtis (who also collaborated on “Michelle”) that now really brings the power of this record home.
While “Michelle” was filled with high energy and anger, “Wicked Baby” is pure sizzle and joy. It revels in reggae-tinged late 80’s and early 90’s pop which screams Sweden!!! and in particular Ace of Base’s worldwide hits. But the real ear-opener in this song is the 18 second vocal break in which producer Jadion contemporizes the style and finishes it off in party central.
For a smashing review that took many of my words out of my head before I could write them 😉 check outMy Fizzy Pop. I’ve run out of superlatives for “Wicked Baby”, so you’ll just have to listen to the song below and watch for my new chart on the weekend to see where it places!
Frankmusik “When I Start (To Break It All Down)” Erasure cover
Last week became a week when a performer’s worst fears come to life. Fortunately one of the most versatile performers around, Frankmusik, had already recorded “The Fear Inside” late last year, and the theme of that song served to counter whoever so cruelly decided to leak music from his forthcoming album Do It In The A.M. (due September 27).
Frank fought back – with incredibly cool, quickly recorded songs that he made available for free download – and fans (and particularly a bunch of NEW fans I’m sure) reaped the benefits. He also previewed songs from the album at various blog sites, including the full version of his choice pairing with newcomer and labelmate Colette Carr, “No I.D.”, which you can hear atArjan Writes’ blog right here.
So because Frankmusik produced the upcoming Erasure album Tomorrow’s World, and is opening for them on their North American tour, I’ve chosen to post his spot-on cover below of their new single “When I Start (To Break It All Down)”. You may not know it, but 2011 is the year of Frankmusik…
Jerry Reid previews his new album
You first met Detroit’s Jerry Reid through the sensational Ballroom Remixed project this past Spring, when he gave the Jive some bad boy R&R style on “Out Without Your Boyfriend”, powered by Ben Waters’ zinging keys. And you’ll get a chance to hear a Ricardo Autobahn remix with the release of the forthcoming Less Ballroom, More Remixed. Jerry gets to show his stuff on his upcoming album, which is previewing on his website through six songs atJerry Reid Online. These are pretty tasty tunes, throwing you back into the late 80’s where you might swear that Jerry could cover songs by both INXS and Tommy Page in the same breath. The rollicking “Radar” is mighty ear-catching, while “Young Wolves” I would say is simply Michael Hutchence-exy. Songs like “The Drive” help spell out the unique charm of Jerry Reid.
Long Story Short “Girl Without A Name”
I’ve been talking up the merits of duo Long Story Short for a good part of the year since I met Daniel Luka and Nicky James back in February, and told you about their debut album What A Scene. The deluxe version of What A Scene will be on iTunes very soon, and will include their latest single “Girl Without A Name”, which is also available on iTunes. The song follows in the uptempo rock vein of their free download “Venom” (currently #7 on my personal chart, and it will also be included in What A Scene), but with a much more lilting and lyrical style as well as a genial melody, that climaxes with shiny strings as it rocks to a close. So like with Ro Danishei’s “Wicked Baby”, saving some great songs to complement an already very good album is fine strategy indeed.
The Midway State “Run To You” Bryan Adams cover
If you live in Canada, you can’t watch the CBC without seeing a commercial for the show “Camelot”, and hearing a clip of The Midway State’s rendition of “Run To You”, a classic international hit from 1985 by Canada’s Bryan Adams. The quartet previewed this song when the CBC was promoting their “Cover Me Canada” show – and quickly demonstrated how to revamp a song and make it your own. The band had already proven this in the past when they performed with no less thanLady GaGa on a duet of Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush’s “Don’t Give Up”, as well as withtheir version of Michael Jackson’s “Man In The Mirror”right after he passed away. That “Run To You” is taking on a life of its own while The Midway State promote their sophomore record Paris Or India is a testament to their exemplary choices of songs. I’m still trying to latch on to some key songs from the well produced and thoughtful songs on Paris Or India, so until I’m ready to write about that, this cover of one of my favourite all-time Canadian songs will fare just nicely.
Databoy’s summer pop anthem “Just Once” lands at #1 four and a half months after I saw them perform in New York at Arjan Writes’ Superfraiche show. I couldn’t wait for the song to be released and it’s one of eight free downloads to reach the summit since late 2009 (facts and figures at the bottom of the blog). It dislodges “Flesh” by Simon Curtis after two months at #1, which is very strange happenstance because had I not seen Simon at the same Superfraiche show I would not have heard “Just Once” until much later 🙂 And while Simon’s “Superhero” leaves the chart, it is immediately replaced at #16 by the first song that I heard from R∆ from a clip of Simon’s L.A. show in January, and that’s the fan-favourite “Laser Guns Up”. I’m not sure what other plans Simon has for songs from R∆, so I’m instigating the proceedings a bit with this chart debut. And I’m still waiting for glow-in-the-dark lego guns 😉
Just so there’s an air of challenge, “Made Of Pop” by Eric Saade vaults 5-2 and will see eye-to-eye with “Just Once” in two weeks for #1. And just to keep competition fierce, I’ve also debuted another track from Saade Volume One at #25. “Stupid With You” is one of those happy-go-lovesick songs that puts a smile on your face, and it arrives as Eric’s #1 “Popular” leaves the chart after the maximum 10 appearances (20 weeks). “Talk Talk Talk” by Darren Hayes is by no means done as it holds at #4, while Marianas Trench guitarist Matt Webb puts “Cinnamon” at #5.
Actually 9 consecutive songs are ‘bulleted’ between #4 and #12, which means right now that I can’t get enough of them! In particular “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People is at #6 and is showing signs of a potential future chart leader. Long Story Short’s powerhouse rocker “Venom” slides to #7, while the next three songs arrive in the Top 10 for the first time. The Fastest Riser on the chart this week to no surprise is the valiant “Disco Moment” by Bright Light Bright Light, which climbs 16-8 and also eyes #1 from a distance. The third consecutive Top 10 smasheroo from the Ballroom Remixed project is “The Lover’s Rumba” by Elouise which moves up to #9, while the big 10 is rounded out by that hidden-dance-floor-filler “Prey To The Beat” by Ro Danishei, whose deluxe edition of her End Of The Rainbow album should be available on iTunes within the month! Wanting to join the Top 10 in two weeks are the irresistible “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera (video below) and Van Go Lion’s graceful dance pop of “We Don’t Miss A Beat”.
Surrounding the other high risers burning up the chart that are Jessica 6 & Antony Hegarty’s compelling “Prisoner Of Love” and the fierce “Set Fire to The Rain” by Adele (27-20) are delights from Penguin Prison, Blue Hamilton, Wynter Gordon, and NYC Spider-Man Reeve Carney.
Joining “Laser Guns Up” and “Stupid With You” in their chart premieres is thefree download of “Fix Me” by Matthew Kurz (#21), about whom I blogged earlier in the week. “Fix Me” takes you on a magnetic emotional journey and you will be totally absorbed by the time Matthew stops the song dead in its tracks near the end before the chorus kicks in for one more eye-filling time. It’s a MUST LISTEN. Then further down at #26, in a totally carefree electropop kind of way that could only have been created by those involved, is “My Fizzy Pop” by Kyle Brylin, which I also told you about a few weeks back. It’s Kyle’s second chart entry, following a still-favourite “Everything I’m Missing”, which got to #5. Good things are in store for “My Fizzy Pop”! It’s from the Telephoto Lens EP which you can buy on iTunes. Last up is the debut entry from rapper Rye Rye, who has a dream match with a chorus sung by dance powerhouse Robyn on “Never Will Be Mine”, which I also mentioned this past week. Simply put, this one is stuck in my head, which is a good thing. On a chart data note, it’s only Robyn’s second appearance on this chart, her first being on Röyksopp’s #1 “The Girl & The Robot” from 2009. I think another song will change that in time so that Robyn actually has an appearance under her own name!
Here are the 8 songs that have reached #1 on the Tuned-On! Top 30 that have been/are available for free download:
100 Akres featuring Roz Bell “Pink Cadillac”
Simon Curtis “Delusional”
Simon Curtis “Beat Drop”
Penguin Prison “The Worse It Gets (Starsmith remix)”
Simon Curtis “8bit Heart”
Bright Light Bright Light “A New Word To Say”
The Temper Trap “Resurrection (Penguin Prison remix)”
Databoy “Just Once”
You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can click right here. Be sure to leave any comments you might have, and thanks for reading
Sometimes things seem to take forever. Yet when you look back on the first time you heard a performer, it all seems to have happened in a snapshot.
It’s hard to believe I first heard the music of Chris Isaak in a record store in Paris in 1985. I was quickly intrigued and bought a French music magazine with him on the cover so that I could find out more about his music. That same night I saw the video for his first single “Dancin'” on TV. I didn’t end up buying his debut album Silvertone until I got home – but it’s one of my most favourite albums and “Dancin'” is one of my most favourite songs. I got the opportunity to interview this singer from Stockton, California, in 1987, more than two years before “Wicked Game” brought him worldwide fame. Since then, his songs have been featured in countless movies (most noteworthy “Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing” in “Eyes Wide Shut” in 1999, four years after its original release) and he’s had two TV shows of his own. He last released a studio record, Mr. Lucky, in 2009 (just before this blog began) and a live album Live At The Fillmore was issued last year. That completed his days with Reprise/Warner.
While he continues to tour actively, currently in mid-west US and Canada, he has now signed to Vanguard Records (currently home to Matt Nathanson and Shawn Mullins, among others) for his album of classic 50’s and 60’s Sun Records artists cover versions, called Beyond The Sun. Just the thought of him singing classics like “Ring of Fire”, “Great Balls of Fire”, “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, and “I Walk The Line” makes my spine tingle, because of his unique way in interpreting a song. All you need to do is hear his renditions of Neil Diamond’s “Solitary Man” (from 1995) and Cheap Trick’s “I Want You To Want Me” (from 2006) for proof positive.
I could go on and on and on… But there is a free download to precede the October release of Beyond The Sun. In a press release, Chris says the following about “Live It Up”:
“When we were doing the record, I kept learning things,” says Chris. “For instance, nothing on those early records has a rock beat—it’s all shuffle and stripper beat. I wrote “Live It Up” to put a rock beat on the record, so that that beat too is represented.”
Flipping back through the contemporary pop pages, we have a free download by one Will Young, who has been a sensation overseas since his UK Pop Idol win in 2002. In North America, his 2003 hit “Leave Right Now” was used as an American Idol ‘exit’ song in 2010, prompting overdue interest in the singer. As a precursor to his album Echoes, a Robbie Williams-ish single called “Jealousy” was issued. As much as I’ve listened to it several times, that song is not clicking with me. But then along comes this free download of “The Way I See”, and what do we have here? A song destined to get Will Young songs into dance clubs worldwide, so I’m waiting anxiously for the remixes.Download “The Way I See” right hereand be prepared to strut your stuff…
Pierre Lewis “Out Of My Mind”
I tipped you off to Pierre’s new single back in June, and this week an impressive video (below) surfaced for the song, due out on release on September 19. “Out Of My Mind” shows the talented British singer’s range as well as someone who can exert his presence in the always underestimated blue-eyed soul sub-genre. Actually to me “Out Of My Mind” is more R&B than pop, it would fit contently next to Ne-Yo or Jason Derulo rather than GaGa or Britney. Pierre has a strong and loyal following of fans but this one could get attention worldwide if handled properly, and it’s from an upcoming EP called Transitions. As I mentioned, the video is pretty eye-catching, the story moves along nicely in all kinds of attractive colour lighting accentuating various eye candy and the considerable charm of the singer. And be sure to check outPierre on Twitter, especially when he can’t sleep 😉
Marianas Trench “Haven’t Had Enough”
It’s already been to #1 on the Canadian iTunes singles chart, which is testament to the domestic popularity of Vancouver-based quartet Marianas Trench. Though it doesn’t offer up a heck of a lot of new tricks (I really like Matt Webb’s guitar work on this one), “Haven’t Had Enough” gives a trademark to the band’s loud but lyrical party rock sound that just happens to be supported by guys who know their craft and vocal techniques. I was a big supporter of 2009’s Masterpiece Theatre album so I’m looking forward to #3, called Ever After, this fall. There’s no video yet, but listen to the song below.
Evanescence “What You Want”
Leaving the sometimes gothic feel of past hits like “My Immortal” behind as well as the soft-turns-to-loud moments that showcased singer Amy Lee’s voice so well on songs like “Call Me When You’re Sober”, “What You Want” is the Arkansas quintet’s first single from their upcoming self-titled album. It’s big and loud and will hit you square without bowling you over. Amy Lee will continue to be a force among female vocalists and her voice as a featured artist will benefit any song. I don’t usually think a lot about radio these days so it’s hard for me to determine if radio will get behind this record based on the band’s past performance. But in time this could in fact be one of the best records of the year.
Hot New Dance Songs: The sexy and aggressive “Bad Dog” by British singer Neon Hitch, and Maryland rapper Rye Rye‘s (nee Ryeisha Barrain) memorable high profile duet with Robyn on the retro 90’s “Never Will Be Mine” that was featured on the Jay Leno show a week ago. Hear both songs below (the version of “Never Will Be Mine” is the Burns remix).
Proud Swedish Moment: LA’s Adam Tyler recently performed at Stockholm’s pride celebrations in front of over 30,000 people. We’re now 12 days away from the premiere of his album Shattered Ice, and below is a video of Adam performing a new song “Like A Drug”. The album looks to be a spicy mix of dance zingers like this as well as some slower tracks (I’m waiting for “Emergency”!).
Grunge-inspired Brits:Karvel is a new trio from Twickenham, England consisting of singer/guitarist Joe Mallory-Skinner, bassist Ben Soan, and drummer Tom Wood. Together they seem to be fusing together some unexpected rock styles – take UK groups like Placebo and Kasabian, pass them through Ireland’s The Script, and then into the 90’s rock of Beck and Foo Fighters. I think some growth still needs to happen here, but their recent acoustic video cover of The Joy Formidable’s “A Heavy Abacus” certainly grabbed my attention (below), as did their work with Grammy-winner Adrian Bushby on “End of the Night”. Hear them at their heaviest, and grungiest, on “Only The Young” on their Facebook page (from which you can get free downloads with an email subscription).
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