Superior Power Pop: Evan Taubenfeld’s “Welcome To The Blacklist Club”

After numerous delays, it was great to see the digital release of LA-based singer/guitarist/songwriter Evan Taubenfeld’s Welcome To The Blacklist Club, which has been in the works for the last several years.  May is the perfect month in which to release a record like this because it has Sunny Days and Warm Beaches stamped all over it.

This release has many pluses to it but for the less casual listener, it may not offer much that is innovative-sounding or groundbreaking in its slightly more than 30 minutes of tunes.  Simply put, it’s superior power pop for the new decade, full of zippy melodies, infectious vocalizing, solid musicianship, and most of all, Evan’s songwriting, which is alternately down-to-earth, witty, or cynical.  The hopeless romantic in you will find favour with tracks like “Story of Me and You”, the new single “Pumpkin Pie”, or “Waiting”.  The cynical rocker in you will like the bite of last year’s initial iTunes single “Cheater of the Year” or “Better Than You”.  And the party hardy will enjoy the fun release of “It’s Like That” and the numerous pop culture references in last year’s first official single “Boy Meets Girl”.  Quirkier yet are “Razorblade Limeade” and “Evan Way”, which features good friend Avril Lavigne (who also co-wrote it).

Many of the songs make you feel you’re not alone in this world with falling in and out of love, and not necessarily being successful at it.  But it also puts aside sentimentality in favour of rocking out and having a great time.  This is where Welcome To The Blacklist Club is at its best – in Evan’s rock’n roll world, everyone is welcome (“It’s Like That” is testament to that – “from California to Iraq”), and you’ll be glad you joined.

Check out songs from Welcome To The Blacklist Club on Evan’s MySpace page. They sound great in concert so be sure to check out Evan’s show when he’s on tour.

Tuned-On! Top 30 #327 – May 24/10

As we get closer to the summer months (and at least with some summer weather where I’m from), all kinds of bright and shiny new music continues to surface.  But first things first:  A new #1!

Penguin Prison’s “The Worse It Gets”, a great song for a spring/summer drive (the last such escapist song about cars recently that comes to mind is Darren Hayes’ “Casey”) in a car called Jenny, steals #1 away from the very busy Simon Curtis who spent 4 charts (8 weeks) atop with “Beat Drop”.  Javi’s gorgeous “Situation” slides up 4-3, while “Acapella” by Kelis (who looks like she will be touring with Robyn) looks like a future #1 as it moves up 12-5.

Our favourite new and Florida-based piano man, Clayton Senne, soars 10-6 with the rollicking “Wonderland”, while long-lasting songs by BT (“Suddenly”) and Vampire Weekend (“Cousins”) continue to rise within the Top 10.  And there he is again – the emotional centrepiece to our Boy Robot’s same titled mixtape, “8-bit Heart”, is the fastest riser on the chart, moving 21-10 for Simon Curtis.

In a competitive mid-chart, songs by Mika, Christina Aguilera, Mike Posner, Fabio Lendrum, and Matt Morris either get stuck or hold for two more weeks until other songs above begin to tumble.  This leaves last week’s remaining debuts by Justin Nozuka, The Gossip, and Ryan Star to all rise 6 positions on the chart and stake their claims!

Back to those debuts.  They comprise a bright and shiny mix of electronica, dance, pop/rap, and power pop.  Bright Light Bright Light is really Welsh singer/songwriter/producer/remixer Rod Thomas, who is getting a lot of attention in the BlogVerse (brought to my attention by Paul at MyFizzyPop) with the 80’s post-new wave vibe of “A New Word To Say”, which debuts at #24 (you can hear the song at the top of the page and can download it from the BrightLightx2 official site when you subscribe to Rod’s newsletter).  Next up, Holland’s Armin Van Buuren never fails to disappoint every few years with an intense brand of emotional electronica that is rarely found elsewhere.  Teaming with vocalist VanVelzen, who has a beautifully imperfect voice with great range, his latest is “Broken Tonight” at #25 (see the video at the bottom of the page).  Just on sheer personality alone, my fellow Canadian Drake’s “Over” has immense appeal and it debuts at #26.  And this past week saw the digital release of Evan Taubenfeld’s Welcome To The Blacklist Club, which opens with his latest single “Pumpkin Pie”, which I blogged about previously and now debuts at #27.

Coming August 3: Ryan Star “11:59”

It was announced on Ryan Star’s website today that his album 11:59 will see a release date of August 3, 2010.  For those of us who have enjoyed “Last Train Home”, “Right Now”, and “Breathe” over the past two years, the long wait is over!  No album track listing yet – I hope all three are on the CD, but I know “Breathe” will be.

Cool ‘n Quirky iTouch Shuffle

On my drive out of town today, one of those cool ‘n quirky mixes of music that you like happens and you don’t end up pushing the skip button.  Great tunes to keep you company always make for a pleasant and fast drive!

Gary Wright “Dream Weaver” (1976)

Remy Shand “The Colour of Day” (2002)

Human League “(Keep Feeling) Fascination” (1983)

The Midway State “Fire Keeps on Burning”

Matt & Kim “Daylight”

Roz Bell “Break of Night”

Adele “My Same”

Electronic “Dark Angel” (1996)

Spoons “Talk Back” (1984)

The The “Perfect” (1983)

Dennis Coffey “Scorpio” (1972)

Mitchell Hunter “They Might Say” (2004)

Darren Hayes “The Future Hold’s A Lion’s Heart”

Jaimie Vernon “(Letter to a) Dear Chum”

Faith Brothers “That’s Just The Way That It Is With Me” (1987)

Any comments or other quirky playlists, please reply with comments/lists! 🙂

8-bit Hit! – Tuned-On! Top 30 #326 – May 10/10

EDIT:  Just in – A lovely acapella rendition of “8-bit Heart” with video shot by Tyler Shields, who did Simon’s wonderful photos.  This will literally send shivers down your back.

“Beat Drop” live at the Roxy!

This edition of my personal chart of course coincides with the aftermath of Simon Curtis’ debut solo performance at The Roxy in Los Angeles on Thursday May 6.  Our Boy Robot continues to reign the chart with “Beat Drop” (with video from the show up top) along with “Joystick” at #3.  But Simon adds to his chart victory with the title track from his mixtape 8-bit Heart debuting this week at #21.  Despite the high energy performance at the Roxy – and you can see the rest of the show in segments at http://www.simondaily.com – I thought Simon’s performance of  “8-bit Heart” to be particularly effective (it’s at  the bottom of this blog).  Remember folks, this is ONLY the beginning, it’s a showcase performance to show what he can do, and that, by jove, is entertain!!  So let’s see Simon on TV soon – maybe late night shows – so that he can show off his voice and talent, and reach out to a wider audience.

Penguin Prison (aka Chris Glover), like Simon, now has two songs in my Top 5.  “The Worse It Gets” replaces “Something I’m Not” at #2 – and it’s such a great song for a spring or summer drive!  Javi’s engaging Monsieur Adi remix of “Situation” climbs to #4, while Vampire Weekend’s “Cousins” and Florida-based Clayton Senne each climb into the Top 10.  Our 2010 piano man has been playing some smaller towns in Florida and appears on The Daily Buzz on May 28!  Check out his MySpace page.

All of last week’s debut fare well in their sophomore chart.  Kelis’ “Acapella” may just be my new theme song for 2010 as it climbs 21-12.  Mike Posner, like Simon Curtis, started out in mixtape land, and has now signed with J/RCA, who have him touring this summer.  The Gigamesh mix of “Cooler Than Me” jumps 24-16 as the song is about to enter the national Top 40!  “Not Myself Tonight”, one of Christina Aguilera’s more intense dance songs, is right behind at #17.  And the quiet late night dance floor power of Fabio Lendrum’s “Trouble” lands at #20.

Our other debuts this week include a second round from Justin Nozuka’s You I Wind Land And Sea, a lilting and beautiful song called “Unwoken Dream (King With Everything)”, arrives at #24.  There’s also riveting pop/dance from Australia’s The Gossip in the form of “Pop Goes The World”, and lastly a belated debut of Ryan Star’s “Breathe”.  One of my 10 Performers to Watch in 2010, Ryan Star’s ticket looks like it’s arrived with “Breathe” as he continues to tour around the U.S.  Check out his always active website.

Hanson’s back! “Thinkin’ ‘Bout Somethin'”

You never realize how much the world has changed in the 13 years since “MMMBop” was on top of the charts, until you realize that Taylor, Zac and Isaac Hanson are all now in their mid-to-late 20’s and have families.

A few years back, they went the indie route after splitting from Island Def Jam Mercury when it was restructuring and failed to get behind their 2000 release This Time Around – a record that I still enjoy and thought got a real raw deal.

So along came 2004’s Underneath, which did extremely well for an indie, opening in the Top 30 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums and getting a minor hit with “Penny & Me”.  Nothing to rival the smashola of  “MMMBop”, but a fresh start in retrospect.

Six years and two albums later, the boys are releasing Shout It Out, with the good-timey, summery “Thinkin’ ‘Bout Somethin'” as the first single.  While it makes no new inroads, its playful blues/rock jam may catch some new ears this time around.  Hanson still has a dedicated fan base so expect to see them playing somewhere near you before the end of 2010.

Looking for a good time?  Give this one a try, and enjoy the “Blues Brothers” inspired video with a special guest tambourine player.

First Taste of Evan Taubenfeld’s “Pumpkin Pie”

One of my favourite singers for whom I hope big things in 2010, Baltimore native Evan Taubenfeld releases his debut long-awaited CD Welcome To The Black List Club on May 18th on iTunes.  No track listing has been revealed yet, but you can bet that it includes “Cheater Of The Year” and “Boy Meets Girl”, Evan’s playful and addictive singles that were released last year.

“Pumpkin Pie” is a great way to kick off the CD’s release.  It’s a classic straight forward pop rock love song with a positive message.  You can listen to it, courtesy of the blog Just So You Know, right here.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Be sure to check out Evan’s website and catch one of his Soda Sunday Ustream chats, which are always entertaining – Evan really goes to bat for his fans too 🙂

Tuned-On! Top 30 #325 – April 26/10

The top of my personal chart essentially remains the same in this edition, with Simon Curtis occupying #1 for the third straight chart with the magnificent “Beat Drop”, as well as holding at #3 with the playful “Joystick”, with Penguin Prison’s ambitious-sounding “Something I’m Not” in the runner up slot for a third appearance.  Blake Lewis once again hangs at #4 with the beautiful Billboard Club Play Chart #1 “Heartbreak On Vinyl”, while New York singer Javi rises up to #5 with “Situation” (which is an original tune, not a cover of the 1982 Yazoo hit).

Usually when the top of the chart is under control, things begin to quake down below.  So current faves by Evan Taubenfeld (whose long awaited Welcome To The Black List Club drops May 18!) and Justin Nozuka rise within the Top 10, while others by Example, Penguin Prison, and BT join them.  Check out the live clip of Penguin Prison (aka Chris Glover) performing “The Worse It Gets” in NYC below, as well as the cover art for BT’s emotional electro explosion “Suddenly”, which has taken its time getting to the Top 10 (6 charts).

The middle of the chart is bursting with action with rock  songs by Vampire Weekend, Lifehouse, and Clayton Senne looking like they are Top 10 bound.  The fastest riser on the chart is “Kick Ass” by Mika vs Red One, which climbs 28-18.

Spring Popervescence is the expression I’m using to categories the four newcomers to the chart about whom I’ve already blogged about recently.  Be sure to check out these songs by Kelis, Mike Posner, Christina Aguilera (which despite a lot of naysayers is just fine, thank you), and UK singer/producer Fabio Lendrum.  Free download links to the Posner and Lendrum tracks are available in my chart…

Speaking of which… you can link to the chart right here or use the link in the right side bar under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART***.

Boy Robot News: Simon Curtis on Twitter and More Plans!

I haven’t written about our beloved Boy Robot for a few weeks because Big Plans Have Been in the Making.

To celebrate his upcoming May 6 gig at The Roxy in Los Angeles opening up for A.J. McLean of Backstreet Boys, Simon Curtis reported the following ambitious plan on Twitter tonight:

Here’s how it will work; starting Monday, GagaNews will announce via Twitter the time, & then we are gonna shoot for a Trending Topic (#SimonCurtis10Days, #SimonCurtis9Days, etc) counting down until the show. Each day we successfully hit the TT’s, GagaNews and JJJ [Just Jared Jr.] will be unveiling exclusive videos letting you see the dances to all the songs as we prep them! On the final 2 days, I will be releasing the top-secret SHOW REMIXES of the songs for you guys to download, free, but only if we’ve hit the TT’s every day. I’m confident we can make this happen, and I cannot wait for you all to see the amazing show we are putting together for you guys!!! 😀 All my love —s

So if you’re part of Simon’s Robot Army, get busy starting tomorrow!

If you’re still new to the whole Simon experience, be sure to download his mixtape 8-bit Heart at http://www.simon-curtis.net – backtrack a bit on my blog and read my track-by-track viewpoint 🙂

Good luck Simon!

Mystical Peace & Love: Justin Nozuka’s You I Wind Land and Sea

Following his successful Record Store day appearance in Toronto, I’ve finally composed some thoughts about Justin Nozuka’s sophomore CD You I Wind Land And Sea.

Despite its many familiar sounds, the record surprises by refusing to be pigeon-holed into a particular style or genre.  Pop, Rock, R&B, and Blues elements are all equally at home.  Overall it’s a pretty easy-going record with lots of deliberate quiet more than edgy rock.  But don’t let you think it’s a pushover.  There’s a great deal of thought put into these songs about relationships with women, introspection, and reflection.  Justin executes them with a sincere and graceful passion that’s not reflected on many CD’s these days.  Best of all, that old-soul-worldliness that grounded many songs on his debut CD Holly is omni-present.

As lovely as is the lead Canadian single “My Heart Is Yours”, it is outshone by the simplicity and preciousness of “Unwoken Dream (King with Everything)”.  Peace and serenity are traded in for forthright emotions on “Carried You” and “Soulless Man”.  Other fine tracks include “Heartless”, “Swan in the Water”, and the title track.

You I Wind Land And Sea has a humble sensibility that touches and draws in the listener.  It should cement Justin Nozuka’s reputation as a talented singer/guitarist/songwriter with loads of fans to support him as he continues to draw accolades wherever he goes.

Here’s a clip of Justin’s appearance on The David Letterman Show on April 20.