We now postpone our usual electropop indulgences (and tonight’s dinner) to bring you word of some new performers and releases which might be slightly under the radar, but not for long…
Matthew Kurz – The Mixtape
I’m fully aware that the Internet is absolutely clogged with free downloads and mixtapes, but there is one that comes along once in a while that JUST STOPS YOU and compels you to listen (and then, for me, to write about it!). Such is the case with LA pop/R&B singer Matthew Kurz, who has been working with rising producer MdL (Justin Bieber, Keri Hilson, Chris Brown – and he’s only 20!).
The great thing about Matthew’s Mixtape is that it not only floors you with his smooth and slick vocals (no autotune really needed), the crisp and snappy production, but also the lyrical content and how it is delivered. The songs within truly move you. There may not be many dry eyes left after hearing “Fix Me”, “Ghost”, or “Take My Hand”. You can visualize these songs being placed at key moments on some reality TV shows or in movies.
The songs within Matthew’s Mixtape have everything that a pop or R&B fan can ask for, so hopefully this is the first huge step in the right direction for him, and we’ll find out more about him as more people hear his Mixtape.
Also from the LA area but in a completely different and rocking bent is Mojo Stone, a quintet which recently released its debut EP Hatchet. I was gonna talk about how much the music in the EP sounds like it was made by a bunch of old souls, but the band outdid me by referencing 1853 on their Facebook page 😉
In any case, combine the grit of The White Stripes and Pearl Jam with bluesy and folk influences that might come from the likes of Fairport Convention, Jimi Hendrix, and early Fleetwood Mac, along with incredible vocals by Natalie Meadors that somehow find their way through most open pores in your body, and you know you’re on a worthwhile trip through the six songs on the EP. My favourites thus far are the epic “Gritty Love Blues”, the soaring “The Amazon”, and the punchy “Wait It Out”.
The rest of the band is comprised of the electric/rhythm guitar battery of Henry McGill and Dave Donaldson, bassist Neil Wogensen, and new drummer Pedro. If I was to book a club tour, I would put them on the same bill as April Smith & The Great Picture Show (who I blogged about last Spring).You can listen to Hatchet on the band’s website, and then purchase it on iTunes. Mojo Stone’s music begs live performances, so try to catch them at a show if you’re in L.A.
Resident Scout “Garden”
Resident Scout is a nom-de-disque for Nashville’s Hobey Kuhn, but has recently morphed into quartet for live performances. The free download of “Garden” from the album My Greatest Symphonies came to my attention recently, and I particularly enjoy it for the sharp ska-oriented guitar melody which simply doesn’t leave your head for the song’s 2:12 duration.You can download the full album(and I will too) from Resident Scout’s website.
Young The Giant “My Body (Two Door Cinema Club remix)”
“My Body” by Young The Giant is just one of those songs whose chorus stays in your memory long after you’ve heard it the first few times, and the Two Door Cinema Club endorsement behind this remix is helping to take the L.A. quintet (who are signed to Roadrunner Records) to another level. They’re going to be playing on this year’s MTV Video Awards, which is no mean feat.You can download this remix for free right here.
Austen Leadley “Firework” (Katy Perry cover)
In the wake of so many You Tube phenoms as well as some excellent voices (such as Nick Hagelin) choosing some tasty recent hits and non-hits to cover, is there room for another terrific voice? I don’t know too much about Austen Leadley, other than that he leads a Windsor, Ontario band called The Brilliancy and looks a little like a young Jackson Browne. But this young man’s affecting acoustic cover of Katy Perry’s “Firework” is well worth your attention. Watch the video below.
Ronnie Spector “Back To Black” (Amy Winehouse cover)
Ronnie Spector’s cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Back To Black” is an incredibly fitting tribute to the late singer. Who better than to sing it than the former lead singer of classic 60’s girl group The Ronettes, who found her career revived in the mid-80’s after being featured on Eddie Money’s hit “Take Me Home Tonight”. She actually sang “Back To Black” live in December (see video below) but released it as a charity single on iTunes last week in the wake of Winehouse’s sad fate. I was fortunate enough to see Ronnie sing live at a promo gig for her solo release Siren (not meaning to age both her and myself, this was in 1980, and I also got to chat with her briefly). Despite the circumstances “Back To Black” is the perfect song to raise her pop profile yet again.
Yes it’s two blogs in a day, folks, and with good reason. My friend Jaimie Vernon (whose old-new band Swindled I blogged about a few weeks back) is also the author of the Canadian Pop Music Encyclopedia, which has been online in development since 1998, but has actually been a work-in-progress for 25 years.
I’m pleased to tell you that the book is being shopped to major book publishers by a literary agent.
This is a huge gain for the Canadian music industry and for our music history, as so little about contemporary Canadian pop and rock music has been documented over the years, other than in isolation. I know – I’ve tried myself on a smaller scale. Fortunately I’ve also been able to contribute to Jaimie’s book in some small ways.
Every release that Kyle puts out shows how much he is growing as a talented independent performer. We had a snazzy video and lots of remixes earlier for “Committed”, as well as a frenetic cover of Rihanna’s “S&M”, but to me it was the all-Kyle video for the memorable and sexy “Everything I’m Missing” that really made him a contender. This continues with the new 5 song EP Telephoto Lens.
There are two versions of the title track and I must say that this is one of Kyle’s most mature-sounding songs to date in which he makes no bones about telling some things like they are over a funky, sensuous beat. “If They Only Knew” is another interesting tell-tale song with a much faster pace. But of course with Kyle there’s always fun and humour in the mix. There’s a new mix of “Big Fat Bass” included, but my favourite track name-checks my wonderful fellow blogger “My Fizzy Pop”. It’s another song that’s going to continue to define the Summer of ’11 for me – light, fun, pure pop with witty lyrics that are so befitting of both Kyle and Fizzy Pop himself (aka Paul Reynolds) –you can read Paul’s thoughts on the song right here.
You can hear ‘Telephoto Lens” at the top of the blog and “My Fizzy Pop” right below. More importantly, show your support with your purchase on iTunes. Telephoto Lens is another great step ahead for Kyle Brylin.
Grace Jones “Williams Blood (Aeroplane remix)”
I really wasn’t sure what happened to Ms Grace after her last record 22 years ago and since she dropped off the acting map pretty much after 1992’s “Boomerang”. But it appears as if she hasn’t really left and making a comeback at age 63 ain’t nuthin’ but a number these days. The dance community in particular will be all set to embrace Grace’s new album Hurricane as much as it did when Grace first appeared on the scene in 1977 with disco/dance hits like “La Vie En Rose” and “I Need A Man”, through to all of her 80’s shenanigans with smashes like “Pull Up To The Bumper” and “Slave To The Rhythm”.
Hurricane isn’t a new release, being first issued overseas in 2008, but it’s being tweaked for the North American market. “Williams Blood” is a perfectly spicy and sizzling affair that doesn’t go over the top and will make you only want to hear more. You can download the Aeroplane remix for free by going right here.
Christian TV featuring Boldy James “Girl I Used To Know”
No sooner than “I’m In Love” attains a #3 peak on my chart comes another release from Detroit-via-LA’s Christian TV, who is turning out to be one of my favourite performers on the cusp of something great. “Girl I Used To Know” is a late night nugget with a classic R&B groove that could bring back a little something called the Motown sound. Really. Watch the video below. But the boy is busy – another new single on the way!
BT featuring Kirsty Hawkshaw “A Million Stars”
Following up last year’s dynamic “Suddenly”, electronic music wizard extraordinaire BT has released “A Million Stars” from his Grammy-nominated These Hopeful Machines release. It features the sensational vocals of Kirsty Hawkshaw, whom you may know very well from her early 90’s work with dance troupe Opus III, which recorded one of my personal dance favourites “It’s A Fine Day”. So having the two artists on one track together is a match that was meant to be. Let “A Million Stars” take you away to danceable bliss – watch the video below.
Baiyu “Together”
I’ve known about this song for a while, but it’s all set to debut on MTV’s Logo Network tomorrow (August 4), so the time is right to finally spring it on you! Baiyu is a beautiful and talented singer from New York City (armed with a degree from Princeton no less) whom you may have already seen on MTVu if you’re in the US. “Together” is a warm and gentle slice of R&B which may initially announce Mariah or Beyoncé influences, but I would say a comparison to someone like Keri Hilson may be more on-point. The song has one of those pure vocals that makes you smile and some lovely inspirational messages to help turn your day around. Watch the video below.
After being in a highly blissful statis for the last month or so, the Top 5 on my personal chart receives an inevitable shake-up. It’s not enough however to dislodge one of the year’s best records bar none, the intense and sexy”Flesh” by Simon Curtis, which joins his “Delusional” and “Beat Drop” as one of the few songs to last four appearances (eight weeks) at the top.
Out to prove that a rare fifth appearance at #1 is unlikely are two fast risers on the chart. Set to release a full length record – as well as some other projects like the previously noted “Memorize Me” with Rune RK – are Texan electropop wonders Databoy, whose pure summer fun release “Just Once” soars into second place. The other is a debut from last week, Eric Saade’s memorable album track “Made Of Pop”, which quickly jumps to #5 in a tie as the Fastest Riser on the chart. Eric’s “Popular” – which “Flesh” replaced at the top – is set to exit the chart after a requisite 10 appearances (20 weeks). In-between are the Ballroom Remixed track “Out Without Your Boyfriend” by Jerry Reid (a new release from him coming soon) at #3 and “Talk Talk Talk” by Darren Hayes at #4.
Besides “Made of Pop”, we find new Top 10 entries from Canada/US group Long Story Short with “Venom” at an impressive #8, and the other Fastest Riser, “Pumped Up Kicks” by US band Foster The People, which climbs 16-9. I think by the Fall, the singalong chorus of “Pumped Up Kicks” will be on the tongues of pop fans everywhere. In-between, Matt Webb’s “Cinnamon” continues its rise to #6, while “The Puppet Who Gave Himself Strings” by Simon Curtis (also from Ballroom Remixed) inches up to #7.
As I mentioned a few weeks back, despite what may seem like road-jams in the chart, there is an extremely powerful glut of fantastic music out right now, and it tends to reside mid-chart for a while until the blockage gets unjammed. Thus, “The Lover’s Rumba” by Elouise (the third Ballroom Remixed song within) is yet again delayed a Top 10 placing, with “We Don’t Miss A Beat” by Van Go Lion and Ro Danishei’s “Prey To The Beat” right behind. “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera (official video coming) is only at mid-chart, and “Porcelain Heart” by Nicola Roberts seemingly squeaks up to #17.
Two of our recent debuts join the fray, the amazing Penguin Prison’s “Multi-Millionaire” rising to #18 and the emotional, pensive “Runway” by Blue Hamilton moving up to #20. The remaining debuts from last week, “‘Til Death” by Wynter Gordon and “Rise Above 1” by Broadway’s Spider-Man, Reeve Carney, along with Bono & The Edge (official video at the bottom of this blog), get stuck in the mid-20’s thanks to two high flying debuts.
The first of the aforementioned high flying debuts belongs to “Disco Moment” by Bright Light Bright Light, bowing at #16, which was premiered with its outstanding, refreshing video a few weeks back. I’ve reposted that video at the top of this blog because it’s destined to be one of the best and most memorable songs of the year. The single gets official release on August 7. I’m hoping that we’ll see release of the BrightLightx2 album, which I knew last to be called Make Me Believe in Hope, sometime before the end of the year. The second debut is from New York alt.disco trio Jessica 6 with “Prisoner of Love”, an excellent duet with Antony Hegarty which was reviewed earlier this week. The appeal of “Prisoner” is instant, and it pops onto the chart at #21. Lastly, we have the fourth appearance on the chart from a song from the album called 21. In This Year of Adele, “Set Fire To The Rain” has taken awhile to get under my skin, and arrives at #27.
Other News About Tuned-On! Top 30 Performers:
Darren Hayes will tour only the UK and Australia in 2011, while other international dates will happen in 2012. Remixes of “Talk Talk Talk” are now officially available, including the Hall & Oates remix “Out of Talk”
Long Story Short continue to record new material, one song of which is called “Girl Without A Name”
Foster The People are selling out North American tour dates – get your tickets!
Ro Danishei has been back in the West Virginia studio of producer Jeff “Jadion” Wells recording her next album
Frankmusik will open for Erasure on more than 25 North American dates, in advance of the September 27 release of his Do It In The A.M. album
Kyle Brylin, of the recent #5″Everything I’m Missing”, has a smashing five-song EP this week or next – my blog about it will appear later in the week!
Adam Tyler, whose “I Won’t Let You Go” also got to #5 in the Spring, has his full album Shattered Ice on release on August 23
You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can clickright here. Be sure to leave any comments you might have, and thanks for reading
Note that when you click on the pictures in the first column of the chart pages that they will now allow you to either listen to the song or view the official video to the song. Enjoy this new feature!
Jessica 6 featuring Antony Hegarty “Prisoner of Love” (and more)
As much as I search for my own musical finds, the collective world of the BlogVerse is not only daunting for all of the knowledge that my fellow bloggers possess, but also for the numerous treasures that they find.
Courtesy of xolondoncomes New York trio Jessica 6 (the name comes from the sci-fi book/film “Logan’s Run”) with their debut album See The Light, featuring singer Nomi Ruiz, keyboardist Morgan Wiley and bassist Andrew Raposo. The group finds a happy middle ground between alternative rock and dance that doesn’t take a pure pop road, something that Nomi knows all too well from working with the acclaimed Hercules & Love Affair.
And it reminds me specifically of the territory once covered in the late 70’s and early 80’s by the unique performers who were signed to ZE Records. From eccentric “mutant disco” (Bill Laswell’s Material, early Was (Not Was)) to full throttle disco (Don Armando’s Second Avenue Rhumba Band) and eventually to their most accessible and successful act (Kid Creole & The Coconuts), ZE Records had the underbelly between rock and dance covered.
And I’m in total agreement withxolondon, and in somewhat amazement, at Jessica 6’s best song, “Prisoner Of Love”. Lyrically, there’s nothing new that hasn’t been said equally as well elsewhere. But the vocals and arrangement are what make this song so special. What starts off as slick mid-evening rhythmic pop sung by Nomi segues into an-almost duet with the influential Antony Hegarty (he of Antony & The Johnsons). I say ‘almost’ because Antony scores the lead in the second part of the song. The remainder is derived so much from impromptu vocal jazz collaborations, when all that’s sung is the title, and then the voices are caught up in a whirlwind of what I can only describe as disco rapture. It’s one of the very best performances of the year.
The group shows its further 70’s and 80’s R&B and funk influences with the polished “East West Funk” (reminds me of early 80’s George Benson songs if his songs had a dash of Parliament/Funkadelic) and the enchanting sleazy pleasure of “Fun Girl” and “White Horse” (not the Laid Back hit from the 80’s – video below).
One thing’s for sure: If they want to call it Alt.Disco, Jessica 6 has the category all to itself. That is, until word spreads like wildfire while the band plays shows on the East coast.
Armin van Buuren featuring Nadia Ali “Feels So Good”
Dutch performer/DJ/producer van Buuren and dance doyenne Ali are a match made in heaven in “Feels So Good”. It makes you wonder why the collaboration hadn’t happened sooner since both performers have kind of led parallel careers. Van Buuren has made much fine dance music with an intense emotional quality about it over the last decade including such diverse hits as “Yet Another Day” (featuring Ray Wilson, 2003) and “Going Wrong” (featuring Chris Jones, 2008), both of which got to #1 on my personal chart. Ali of course was the lead voice of the duo IIO, whose “Rapture (Tastes So Sweet)”, “At The End”, and “Smooth” all found their way into my chart’s Top 5, along with her stunning 2009 solo effort “Love Story”. So while the angle of “Feels So Good” isn’t so fervent this time round, the sensuality and delight delivered courtesy of Ms Nadia leave their mark.
Penguin Prison “Fair Warning” (official video)
The video speaks loudly – want wait for more live shows from PP and the upcoming self-titled album!
Gavin Mikhail “The A Team”
I’ve been thoroughly impressed at the quality of singer/pianist Gavin Mikhail’s music over the past few years, and he’s still releasing amazing music independently while raising a young family. Following his bang-on version of Pink’s “Raise Your Glass”from late last year comes a cover version that’s a little bit more unexpected. Ed Sheeran currently has a #3 hit in the UK with “The A Team”, which has struck me as an edgier side of someone like Jason Mraz. Gavin once again makes this song his own with his precision playing and this time a softer interpretation. He knows how to play to the song’s strong points and send it home.
Collin McLoughlin “Save The World (Tonight)”
Similarly to “The A Team”, New York singer Collin McLoughlin,whose rocking “Back To The Wall” impressed me this past Spring, has bested Swedish House Mafia themselves with his acoustic cover of their pop/dance hit “Save The World (Tonight)”. Collin’s version simplifies the emotional content of the song by stripping away the overwrought side of the original.
Once upon a time in Pickering, Ontario, there were four teens who formed a punk band at the hey day of some of Toronto’s best such as Teenage Head, The Diodes, and Battered Wives. Swindled lasted from 1979 to 1982, replacing their original drummer along the way, and put out a 7″ vinyl single before imploding. Sounds like it could be any local garage band, right?
Except who’d have thought that they’d be back almost 30 years later. At a January tribute to my friend and fellow music history buff and author, veteran guitarist and solo artist in his own right Jaimie Vernon, Swindled performed for the first time in years, with singer Ivan Judd and bassist Tim James, but minus either of the original drummers, so consummate local session musician Cleave Anderson (Blue Rodeo among others) stepped behind the drums. The group easily performed a dozen songs in a half hour (since a three minute song to them is long!) and was so well received by the audience that this was not to be a one-time-only gig. So the band performed a live session on University of Toronto radio station CIUT-FM, which turned out so promising that it led to the release of their debut album It’s only peace that you want…It’s only war that you get!
Now having been predisposed to some of these songs over the years through numerous other bands featuring Jaimie and/or Ivan, I’m pleased that all of this has been preserved on disc, and that the band is performing additional shows this summer. On July 22 they performed at Toronto club Bovine Sex Club… with two other similar bands, which made for an energetic and fast-paced evening. The Swindled members lived through the original punk scene, and over the years have since become terrific performers and musicians, but it’s not exactly as if The Ramones or Teenage Head have received the spit and polished treatment – there are fortunately still many spit stains! Their songs are all original, many (if not all) written in the late 70’s or early 80’s, and they still sound fresh even though time has placed some of the lyrical content way back when, particularly in songs like “Nazi Dog” (a reference to a Toronto punk singer of the late 70’s) and “Aunti-Thatcher”.
The band re-recorded their first single “Who Wants Guns”, along with its better and more timeless B-side “Hymn #84”, for inclusion along with their originals, which still sound surprisingly gritty and survived the transfer to disc. I also enjoy the swagger and sneer of “Meantime”, “Possession”, and “Apathy Rules”. Three original demos are also included in the package for historical and curiosity value.
Bigger, better, older, wiser? Perhaps but the only way to judge is to check out the album which is available on iTunes, Amazon, or throughBullseye Canada – or, check out an upcoming show (if you’re in the Toronto area, a show is happening sometime in August in Oshawa, about a half hour east).Find out more about Swindled through their Facebook pages. You can watch a video of their performance of “Who Wants Guns” below at their reunion show earlier this year.
It’s been two weeks since we’ve written, so this time you get a longer two-fer blog: A new personal chart with commentary, and hot new music courtesy of Summer Popervescence #1. A lot of the latter music is creating some strife on the chart, causing an absolute glut of wonderful music. I’m loving it!
Tuned-On! Top 30 #357 – July 18/11
The Top 4 songs remain unchanged and seemingly unmovable. “Flesh” by Simon Curtis and “Do It In The A.M.” by Frankmusik featuring Far East Movement rank #1 and #2 for third appearances each (6 weeks). “I’m in Love” by Christian TV ranks 3rd as his latest single, the R&B-oriented “Girl I Used To Know” is released. “Out Without Your Boyfriend” by Jerry Reid stays at #4 as interest in the Ballroom Remixed project from which it comes continues to grow. “Talk Talk Talk” by Darren Hayes climbs 7-5 as the singer continues to promote the record in Australia. I’m waiting for my purple vinyl copy of the single in the mail 😀 View his performance on Australia’s “Dancing with the Stars” below (gosh, I adore Australian accents).
New to the Top 10 are “Just Once” by Databoy, a true summer song if there was one, which really makes its presence felt, zooming 14-6 to challenge those equally excellent songs in the Top 5! It’s so obvious that Lady GaGa has set a standard over the last three years for female vocalists with powerful voices. They are prevalent on the chart this week, so it’s fitting the Lady herself has another Top Tenner with “The Edge Of Glory” at #9. And Chris Brown lands in the Top 10 for the first time since 2008 with his feelgood Benny Benassi collabo “Beautiful People” at #10.
Recent additions to the chart from the past few weeks continue to move up nicely. “Venom” by Long Story Short is Top 10 bound in two weeks as it climbs to #11. “The Lover’s Rumba”, Elouise’s contribution to the Ballroom Remixed album, jumps 19-15. The fastest riser on the chart is the other, more laid back, summer confection, “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People, which is getting its slow burn groove on with more people each week. It soars 27-16 on the chart. Three other powerful female vocalists are right below… “We Don’t Miss A Beat” by Van Go Lion, featuring Amy Paige, is at #17; “Prey To The Beat”, the secret loaded weapon in Ro Danishei’s End Of The Rainbow album, charges up 28-18; Nicola Roberts’ “Porcelain Heart” is up to #19 and will continue to rise in two weeks; similarly “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera climbs to #20 and continues to build.
Five more debuts on the chart means five more songs to adore.
How does one follow such a magnetic song as Eric Saade’s “Popular”? Well, with an incredibly solid Saade Volume One album, which is full of truly happy-go-lucky pop from the Swedish singer who has some great people behind-the-scenes in his court. The album is a dazzler, an aural equivalent to Baked Alaska (ice cream baked in meringue) with peach and raspberry sauce!! At its best, Volume One is all cute and endearing… but with loads of power and know-how to support it all. Hence we have Eric the geek in “Stupid With You”, Eric the lonely retro romantic in “Me and My Radio”, and best of all, Eric Pop Personified with “Made Of Pop” (you can hear the song at the top of the page). “Made Of Pop” is a much more logical follow up to “Popular” than the weak-ish “Hearts In The Air”, so I hope it will be the third single. It has one of my favourite verses of the year: “My kings and queens are speaking through me / Got my degree in the big POP”. Single-handedly with these words has Eric given a huge shout-out to his fans – not unlike Simon Curtis with “Get In Line”, and Eric and Simon NEED to record and sing in concert together!! – and declared himself triumphant. Brilliant. And speaking of brilliant, you can read a much more in-depth review of Saade Volume One by MyFizzyPop. I’m not about to repeat so much of what he says so well 🙂
Next up at #24 is the Shook remix of Penguin Prison’s “Multi-Millionaire” about which I wrote previously. Penguin Prison has happily joined the Scissor Sisters and a number of other artists on Downtown Records for the release of the PP self-titled record and new single “Fair Warning”. But in the meantime, the Prince-ly influenced “Multi-Millionaire” will kick off the anticipation in advance. Then at #25 we have “Runway”, the highly emotional single from singer/music exec Blue Hamilton. I’m posting the video clip once again below so that you can all have a good cry. We first heard New Yorker Wynter Gordon on Flo Rida’s Top 5 hit “Sugar” back in 2009. In the meantime she co-wrote several songs for the Love? album by Jennifer Lopez and has seen her first album With The Music I Die become a massive hit in Australia – which makes two U.S. artists on this chart to have success Down Under (the other is Foster The People). So while North America only gets an EP version of With The Music I Die, the song “‘Til Death” (which contains the title’s lyrics) arrives on my chart at #26 (video below). Fellow New Yorker and star of the Broadway play “Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark” Reeve Carney climbs onto the chart at #27 with “Rise Above 1”, his inspiring collaboration with “Spider-Man” songwriters Bono and The Edge. Reeve is previously known for his work with his band Carney, which has released both a live album and a studio album to date and continues to perform throughout Reeve’s success with “Spider-Man”.
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
Note that when you click on the pictures in the first column of the chart pages that they will now allow you to either listen to the song or view the official video to the song. Enjoy this new feature!
“Runway” by Blue Hamilton
“‘Til Death” by Wynter Gordon
Summer Popervescence #1
“I Won’t Let You Go” by Adam Tyler
It would not be Summer ’11 without the long-awaited arrival of the video for L.A. singer Adam Tyler’s “I Won’t Let You Go”. It’s a visually stunning positive pastiche of images of handsome Adam in various appearances and hairstyles (and paint) which make it incredibly memorable. That the song is also a stunner makes it a winning combination, it’s one of my favourites of the year, having already peaked at #5 this past Spring. Watch the video below and purchase the song on iTunes.
“Bad Girl” by Matt Webb
I love how Matt Webb is carving out his own mark from Marianas Trench with his enjoyable EP Coda and Jacket. His track “Cinnamon” is already #7 on my chart. I don’t like the current single “Bad Girl” as much, but the video is enjoyable in the same way as… well, “Misery” by Maroon 5. Check it out below.
“My Name Is Kay” by Kay
It may be a little samey to The Ting Tings’ “That’s Not My Name” but Canadian singer Kay’s “My Name Is Kay” has a whole other smashing funky bassline side that speaks for it alongside her Britney-ish delivery when she’s not rap/singing. Watch the video below.
“Atlantis” by The Midway State
I previously wrote about this first single from the Toronto quartet’s upcoming album Paris Or India. The video for this jubilant and ethereal song below has also surfaced in advance of the album. The band will be performing at the Toronto Festival of Beer on August 5. “Atlantis” has done well enough as a lead up but I think the best new songs from The Midway State will be heard on the album.
“The Story of Us” by Nick Hagelin
I continue to be so impressed by Atlanta-based singer Nick Hagelin and the careful choice of cover songs for which he has been posting videos. The latest is a simply delightful rendition of Taylor Swift’s latest hit “The Story Of Us” (video below). This just goes to say that Nick Hagelin needs a record released soon along with a DVD that might include some of these enjoyable videos. Nick is a star just waiting to happen.
Rune RK & Databoy “Memorize Me” (teaser)
What would the summer be without an Ibiza-styled dance anthem? And what a great pairing – Rune RK (you’ll remember his “Calabria”, famously redone twice in 2007/08, once by Alex Gaudino featuring Crystal Waters as “Destination Calabria”, and then as “Calabria 2008” by Enur featuring Natasja) – and US duo Databoy, who’ve been gracing my chart with “Stupid” and “Just Once”. Get teased below.
And finally, we have four more videos by artists who appear on the Ballroom Remixed album, along with charting songs by Jerry Reid, Simon Curtis, and Elouise.
Dutch talent Jeromino sings about “How They Dance In Outer Space” on Ballroom Remixed. To completely get away from the novelty of that song, he’s released “Renaissance Man” which not only shows his diversity but how much the camera just loves him as well.
New York self-professed theatre nerd Joshua Desjardins gave us executive producer Melanie La Patin’s namesake theme song on Ballroom Remixed. So how does he follow it up? With “I’m A Nerd” of course! This is what could happen if a Weird Al Yankovic song got dunked in Europop (think Eiffel 65’s “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” or Dan Balan’s “Crazy Loop”). Joshua’s spot-on delivery makes geekdom seem way more than okay! Hear the song below and get your inner nerd on.
German singer Linda Teodosiu offered up the steamy “Body Heat” on Ballroom Remixed. Her latest single, which has a good chance to follow the worldwide success of her 2009 hit “Reprogram My Heart”, is “Alive”. It’s a slinky mid-evening dance number partnered nicely with Linda’s soaring voice.
Lastly, for a very recent glimpse at Simon Curtis singing at his acoustic best, watch the clip below of Simon singing “I Don’t Wanna Be Alone” (from 8bit Heart) and support his sick kids charity 100 Million Miracles ( a reminder that Simon is a cancer survivor).
Without a doubt, this week’s personal chart is full of some of the most amazing songs in recent years. Major label entries diminish (representing only 30% of this chart); independent and artist-oriented entries flourish. Who’d have thought that when listening to its lyrics, *NSYNC’s “Pop” from 10 years ago would have been such a tell-tale record. Somewhat ironically, it also comes from the album that still holds the record for greatest one week sales, No Strings Attached.
With such strong songs on the chart, I would feel so bad if all of the songs currently in the Top 20 do not reach the Top 10. So some songs are in it for the long haul up the chart; if they stop short of the Top 10 then it’s simply because much stronger songs are ahead of them, but in other recent years might have gone higher. Any song that reaches my chart is a winner.
As with a few weeks back, there are six debuts, and don’t let the lower chart positions of some of them set the wrong impression as every song is frequently played by yours truly. I’ve already blogged about the first three.
Not surprisingly, “Talk Talk Talk” by Darren Hayes is a brilliant introduction to his upcoming album Secret Codes And Battleships. It arrives in the Top 10 at #7 and is a future contender for the top of the chart. Darren’s already been to the top of this chart four times, first with “Crush (1980 Me)” in 2002, then with “Step Into The Light”, “How To Build A Time Machine”, and “Me Myself + I” in 2007. I’m hoping he plays some North American dates on his tour so that I can see his show again, and his album is one of my most anxiously awaited in 2011.
“Just Once” by Databoy bows at #14 as the follow-up to “Stupid” (which peaked two weeks ago at #5) and is one of THE breezy songs of the summer of ’11. You can listen to the song below but Cameron and Adam made the song available for free this past week and you can download it right here. “We Don’t Miss A Beat” is the latest from Oregon duo Van Go Lion, and it has followed its dancing feet onto the chart at #21. Great work from two talented duos on the rise!
The remaining three debuts are led by television sensation “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera, courtesy of a recent broadcast of “The Voice”, and it premieres at #23. This may have been one of the best things to happen to the recent careers of Maroon 5 and Ms Aguilera, which have suffered a bit on the pop charts. But on my personal chart, both artists have flourished, charting regularly. Aguilera’s “Not Myself Tonight” was her most recent hit, and it climbed higher than any other song by her, peaking at #5. While Maroon 5’s “Misery” got to #14, the band has reached the top twice out of its 10 entries, with “This Love” in 2004 and “Makes Me Wonder” in 2007.
Next at #27 is L.A. trio Foster The People, who found themselves breaking out of Australia last year. Their laid back pop/dance hit-by-way-of-the-beach is “Pumped Up Kicks” from their big selling Torches album. Watch for the band (which fills out to a quintet) on tour. The ever-influential Arjan Writes offered up the infectious Skeet Skeet Show Edit for free recently, andyou can download that right here.
Last by no means least at #28 is “Prey To The Beat” by recent chart favourite Ro Danishei. The singer has found her way onto my chart as a consistently talented alternative to the Keshas and Britneys of the world, first with the Simon Curtis duet on “Michelle” (#4) and then with “Drunk Txt” (#16). “Prey” however is the secret weapon inside Ro’s album End Of The Rainbow. It’s the last track on the album and the one that’s the biggest grower on the record. Listen below – you will be hooked.
I’ve blogged previously at length about many of the songs at the top of the chart. #1 again is “Flesh” by Simon Curtis, which was recently remixed by the “Do It In The A.M.” guy at #2, Frankmusik, andyou can preview that remix right here. “I’m In Love” by Christian TV charged into the Top 5, moving 7-3, while “Out Without Your Boyfriend” by Ballroom Remixed featured artist Jerry Reid climbs 6-4. Fellow Ballroom Remixed artists are not far behind! Elouise’s sensational cover of “Tainted Love” moves 10-8 (and her Ballroom Remixed track “The Lover’s Rumba” rises 23-19), while Simon Curtis’ “The Puppet Who Gave Himself Strings” continues the artist’s 7-song Top 10 streak at #9. From his debut EP Coda And Jacket, Matt Webb’s pensive “Cinnamon” moves up 16-10, tying this week with the rocking “Venom” by Long Story Short (which climbs 21-15) as the Fastest Risers on the chart. The rest of the songs on the rise outside of the Top 20 are pretty much roadblocked by stronger songs but they will all have their day!
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
Note that when you click on the pictures in the first column of the chart pages that they will now allow you to either listen to the song or view the official video to the song. Enjoy this new feature!
Top 25 of the First Half of 2011
In reverse order… only songs that have peaked on my chart appear in this listing. This listing could change considerably by year’s end!
25 ANDY GRAMMER Keep Your Head Up 24 FAR EAST MOVEMENT featuring RYAN TEDDER Rocketeer 23 JAMIE WOON Lady Luck 22 BAG RAIDERS featuring DAN BLACK Sunlight 21 ELOUISE The Winner Takes It All 20 KANYE WEST featuring JAY-Z, RICK ROSS, BON IVER & NICKI MINAJ Monster 19 KYLE BRYLIN Everything I’m Missing 18 RO DANISHEI featuring SIMON CURTIS Michelle 17 DATABOY Stupid (Brad Walsh Remix) 16 ADAM TYLER I Won’t Let You Go 15 SIMON CURTIS Superhero 14 LADY GAGA Born This Way 13 BRANDON FLOWERS Jacksonville 12 ANDREA LEWIS featuring SIMON CURTIS Talk To Me 11 ADELE Someone Like You 10 FRANKMUSIK Hurt You Again 09 RIHANNA S&M 08 FRANKMUSIK featuring FAR EAST MOVEMENT Do It In The A.M. 07 JAMIE WOON Night Air 06 CHRISTIAN TV Love 2 Baby 05 ADELE Rolling In The Deep 04 FRANKMUSIK The Fear Inside 03 PENGUIN PRISON Golden Train 02 SIMON CURTIS Flesh
01 ERIC SAADE Popular
Watch what I feel is the year’s star-making performance of “Popular” below!
I simply cannot get enough of the danceable, romantic and sometimes sad pop of Bright Light Bright Light (aka Welsh singer/producer/remixer Rod Thomas). It can’t already be a year since “A New Word To Say” started it all, with the gloriously giddy “Love Part II” following late last summer as released through EMI’s PopJustice Hi-Fi label. Rod’s been keeping so busy writing, recording, performing (both as BrightLightx2 and as a DJ) on both sides of the Atlantic. His latest release is “Disco Moment”, coming to you worldwide on August 7 (in North America, a new label called The Blue Team will release it). I had already been revelling in a live You Tube clip of the song for a while, when the official video sprang loose this week. It’s such a beautifully visual piece of storytelling about personal connection and will tantalize your emotions (watch the clip above). It’s all about those singular times when someone you’re close with has a brief time to shine – and you’re left on the sidelines, wondering… towards an almost pre-determined conclusion which may or may not be heartbreaking. Rod’s songs are often very open-ended which leaves so much to the thoughts of listeners. And his best songs not only have bang-on melodic hooks but simple and instantly memorable lyrics too (“you make it so hard to be around”). Can’t wait to hear the full Bright Light Bright Light album – it will be a stunner.
Mika “Elle me dit”
Fresh off the press courtesy of a tweet today from the always in-tune My Fizzy Pop comes the latest release from the talented Mika – and it’s not just the title that’s French (meaning “She Tells Me”), it’s the entire song! I’m not on Facebook much but it seems that you have to watch Mika’s FB page for news like this. It’s a light and bouncy tune that alternates between sparkling pop and summery house, and it certainly will please Mika’s fans from Life In Cartoon Motion and The Boy Who Knew Too Much. According to an interview with Charts In France, it’s from Mika’s third album due for release next year called The Origins Of Love, which will have a variety of contributions from Empire Of The Sun, Martin Solveig, and William Orbit. I’m not sure if this song will (or is even intended to) cross into the English language market but be sure to listen above.
Penguin Prison “Fair Warning” (clip) and “Multi-Millionaire (Shook remix)”
I’m so glad that we’re going to see Penguin Prison’s self-titled album surface later this year. In North America it will be through the inventive Downtown Records, in the UK the Stranger label will have it, while in France and Benelux it will be released through Atmospherique. Out already in the UK is new single “Fair Warning”, hopefully with the rest of the world to follow (listen to the clip above – the full song is a gem). To keep things moving, Chris Glover and his band continue to tour and New Yorkers have it lucky in early July with a few concerts. Meanwhile multiple remixes of one of PP’s best songs, “Multi-Millionaire”, keep surfacing. I already introduced you to the Aeons remix, and now the wonderful folks at RCRDLBL bring us a grooving “Shook” remix for free download right here. And if you’re adventurous and in for some subtlety, you can check out a seamless mashup of the song with Whitney Houston’s “Million Dollar Bill” called “Multi-Million Dollar Bill” – another generous free download right here.
Kyle Brylin “Everything I’m Missing” redux
The talented Kyle Brylin has tweaked the sound and mix of my favourite song by him thus far, “Everything I’m Missing”, which topped out at #5 on my chart a few weeks ago. Not only that but the provocative video that I blogged about months ago has been revisited and moves along much more fluidly (watch the video above). “Everything” in its finest version is now available for purchase on iTunes along with a brand new song “Make It So”, which takes its time playing with you till the three minute mark, when it turns into this fantastic militant breakdown of R&B-influenced pop that comes to an end all too soon – extended remix please?? Listen to “Make It So” below.
Here’s a Reeecap of several songs and/or videos I’ve heard over the past few weeks that are oh so worthy of your attention:
Darren Hayes “Talk Talk Talk”
I swear Darren Hayes carries some pop dynamite up his sleeve. His 2007 album This Delicate Thing We’ve Made was a striking conceptual monument to many things personal, sad, powerful, and wondrous, and was my favourite album of the last decade. Darren’s much anticipated new release is called Secret Codes And Battleships, and its first single is “Talk Talk Talk”. This song ties together the successful Savage Garden superpop with some of the more honed brilliance from This Delicate Thing that you have found in songs like “On The Verge Of Something Wonderful” or “Who Would Have Thought”. Given the complex teasers that led up to the album title’s announcement and the release of “Talk Talk Talk” there is much more to meet the ear that is to come. Pop songs rarely get better than this. Get “Talk Talk Talk” on iTunes and watch the colourful video that is just full of Darren below.
While that electropop sensation “Stupid” is still coasting in My Top 5 on my chart, New York based Texans Databoy are back with a song that I’ve been waiting for since I heard it at Arjan Writes’ Superfraiche show in New York City in April. “Just Once” is an indelible slice of dance pop that screams summer beach fun in the sun, and you can hear it by clicking the link above. It’s one of those songs whose good-naturedness is contagious like “Walking On Sunshine”, “Steal My Sunshine”, “Fun Fun Fun” – you get the idea. Can’t wait to buy this one or to hear more from these lads.
Blue Hamilton “Runway”
I don’t know too much about Blue Hamilton other than that he’s been involved in A&R for a major publishing company and one of his better known contacts tweeted about this song during the week. But we’ll be hearing about him more very soon. And what a song it is, accompanied by a video that’s just heart-wrenching. Blue has a one-of-a-kind voice that evokes many mid-80’s alt.pop memories (“A Good Heart” by Feargal Sharkey? “Wonderful Life” by Black? “Never Never” by The Assembly? Anyone?) and his delivery makes “Runway” particularly affecting. Watch the video below – what’s that in your eye, a tear??
Van Go Lion “We Don’t Miss A Beat”
Portland, Oregon duo Amy Paige and Josh Loerzel are back to dazzle us with their own brand of danceable pop with the melodic and lyrical “We Don’t Miss A Beat”. Once again, Amy puts on her best Annie Lennox (and this time coincidentally the melody has the same drive as Eurythmics’ “SexCrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)”), and the song criss-crosses with Swedish-sounding europop faster than you can say Cascada or September. Amy’s singing here also recalls 80’s UK chanteuse Maggie Reilly, who we heard as vocalist on songs by the likes of Mike Oldfield as well as eventually on her own solo records. The song’s story quality sweeps you onto the dancefloor into a whirl of bright lights, glittering jewels, and big, fancy, twirling dresses. Give a close listen below.
Spoons “You Light Up”
Once upon a time in Toronto there was a very young quartet called The Spoons, who quickly acquired a following at Canadian college radio stations in 1981 with an innovative debut album called Stick Figure Neighbourhood. No sooner had that happened then a follow up single “Nova Heart” was released by mid-1982. “Nova Heart” was propelled into the Top 20 across Canada followed by a stellar and influential new wave dance album called Arias And Symphonies. More hits followed throughout the 80’s but by the early 90’s grunge rock made synthpop a bad name and the band went underground. Still led by singer/guitarist Gord Deppe and bassist/singer Sandy Horne, The Spoons resurfaced with a new song in 2010, followed this Spring by their first official new album since 1988 called Static In Transmission. The first single “You Light Up” makes it seem like time stood still for 23 years, and with the aid of today’s technology, the band’s melodic guitar-driven music is once again very current. Watch the video below to see what happens when the good guys and gals can get back into the game – I’m pleased to say I was one of their earliest college radio supporters.
Shun Ward “Lift Off”
Shun Ward was just newly born when The Spoons’ last album was released in 1988, and the Houston R&B singer has had to overcome many hurdles in his life that have led to the release of his EP The Prelude To Shun Ward City. This is slick soul that is more Chris Brown and R. Kelly than the sweeter sounds of the likes of Ne-Yo. “Lift Off” has a warm and sexy heart that pulls you tighter and makes you want more. Listen below and watch for Shun Ward to pop one of these days.
Joe Jonas “See No More”
I was more than pleased to hear that middle JoBro Joe was heading in a danceable pop direction for his upcoming debut solo album Fast Life. While “See No More” may not be the single that neither fans nor radio stations were necessarily waiting for, I’m thinking that this direction is going to elicit a few surprises come the time of the album’s release. Give an open-minded listen to “See No More” below.
Reeve Carney featuring Bono & The Edge “Rise Above 1”
Could it be that theatre mavens and superhero fans are flocking to see Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark on Broadway in New York City because the musical actually has very good music, despite awful reviews of the show? Hitherto little known 28 year old Reeve Carney’s softer empathetic voice makes Peter Parker a singer, directly complimenting Bono and The Edge’s grandiose strokes that provide “Rise Above 1” with a wonderfully empowering message. Can’t wait to hear more (and maybe see the show too).
REEECAP PREVIEWS
Matt Blue “Can’t Help Myself (Keep Dancing)”
I love to write about fantastic singers, and I personally can’t help myself when I hear 19 year old Dutch singer Matt Blue’s voice. He’s been teasing us with this clip of his upcoming debut single for a little while now. Somehow in a world of similar sounding, punchy dance floor fillers to Taio Cruz’s “Break Your Heart”, the energy and voice behind “Can’t Help Myself” are standouts. Listen below.
Blog Scandipop has been taunting us with generous previews of songs from talented Eric’s Saade Volume One. As you will hear when you go to the above link, this record will be a must-purchase!! Can’t yet determine what might be my favourites but one may be “Me And My Radio”.
Ro Danishei “Wicked Baby”
I’m still getting into songs from Ro’s previously free downloadable album End Of The Rainbow, and along come… bonus tracks! For the iTunes release of the deluxe version of the album, here’s a real teaser of a clip for “Wicked Baby”… which may or may not be a duet with…
New and as yet untitled from Jerry Reid
I’ve been raving about Detroit singer Jerry Reid’s song “Out Without Your Boyfriend” )(#6 on my current chart) from the excellent Ballroom Remixed compilation. He’s been working with songwriter Charlie Mason and others on some upcoming songs, two of which you can hear below. Sounds like some edgy dance pop with bite – listen below.
Pierre Lewis “Out Of My Mind”
I had a chance to talk with UK singer Pierre Lewis on a uStream chat a few weeks ago, where he also did some vocalizing, including an amazing cover of Michael Jackson’s “You Are Not Alone”, which he should record. Pierre’s now teasing us with the Jackson-influenced romantic R&B pop of “Out Of My Mind”, from the upcoming EP Transitions… watch the video below.
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