It’s Lifehouse’s Best: Smoke and Mirrors

Lifehouse’s “Hanging By A Moment” is now a pop classic and was my #1 song of 2001 (as well as, of course, Billboard’s #1 Single of that Year, despite not reaching #1 on the Hot 100).  In some ways I can’t believe it’s almost 10 years old.  But when you listen to Smoke and Mirrors, the band’s 5th album and first in about 3 years, you can hear how tight this quartet has become in just about every aspect.  The future of Lifehouse is in part of the modern rock institution – the band will always have great fans to support them, and will always release consistent, competent records.  I think Smoke and Mirrors will be regarded as an exception among all of their records.

To me, the record loses its stride, but you have to immerse yourself in seven songs about heartbreak and ending relationships to get there.  Those songs are brilliant.  Anyone who has ever been through any of this can completely relate.  Particularly strong are the final straw of “Had Enough”, featuring and co-written by Chris Daughtry (along with singer Jason Wade, manager/co-producer Jude Cole, and Richard Marx too); the single “Halfway Gone” (video below), one of my favourites thus far of 2010; and the truthful, telling title track.  I enjoy the energy level in “Nerve Damage” and “Wrecking Ball”, and the thoughtfulness of “It Is What It Is”.

Smoke and Mirrors veers a little off course with “Falling In”, a nice enough song co-written by Kevin Rudolf (who also co-wrote “Halfway Gone”), but it doesn’t really belong here.  I know having a constant theme of heartache and breaking up may seem relentless, but the album title says it all – and it’s a bitch when love does turn into an unfortunate game.

Lifehouse as a band is finding its own niche in sound too, though on “Here Tomorrow, Gone Today”, it sounds uncomfortably like Collective Soul.  The quartet (featuring my fellow Canuck bassist Bryce Soderberg) is tight and Jason’s voice has blossomed.  I think having Jude Cole on board is such a bonus too.  Smoke and Mirrors has some of the band’s best melodies, and they remind me at times of Jude’s seminal 1990 album A View From 3rd Street (you can hear and watch Jude’s “Baby It’s Tonight below).

Make sure that you add Smoke And Mirrors to your collection.  Lifehouse now has a repertoire of many other favourites – “Sick Cycle Carousel”, “Everything”, “You And Me”, “Spin” – which you can hear on their current tour.


Penguin Prison “The Worse It Gets”

There is indeed much high praise about singer/producer/remixer Penguin Prison in the Blogverse.  What’s surfacing online about this talented gent from NYC (real name: Chris Glover) shows how original and diverse he is.  First we have the gritty and edgy “Something I’m Not”, with its blend of Caribbean and pop influences, currently one of my very favourites of 2010.  Now we have “The Worse It Gets”, which goes all charming pure pop on us.  Despite its title, the melody lilts along into definitive Spring-to-Summer mode, with heavy 70’s So-Cal influences in tow.  The Starsmith remix chirps along in even more retro mode.

And what’s best about it all.  IT’S FREE.  So many artists are using free downloads to anchor a fanbase, which means that not only will those who enjoy them buy their music when it’s no longer free, but they’ll buy their merch and pay to go to their shows as well – hardly rocket science!!

Download the original version of “The Worse It Gets” right here and the Starsmith remix right here.

And you lucky folks in London and New York City get Penguin Prison shows in April and May 🙂

The Beat Drops – at #1: Tuned-On! Top 30 #323 – Mar 29/10

It’s time again for a Spring Shakeup on the latest edition of my personal chart (the link is also on the right sidebar).  And there’s no better way for this to happen than to see a song debut at #1 for the first time since the chart of December 10, 2007, when “How To Build A Time Machine” by Darren Hayes began the first of 5 charts (10 weeks) at the top.  With the free download release this week of Simon Curtis’ 8-bit Heart, the rollicking electro-dance of “Beat Drop” commands the chart this week – you can hear it in the link at the top of the page.  It’s my next favourite song on 8-bit to former #1 “Delusional”, which leaves the chart after the maximum 10 chart run.

But there’s more Simon on this chart!  Since the Top 30 is by no means conventional, there are no limits to the songs that can appear, and so the naughty parallel to our friend, the video game, “Joystick” makes a huge splash, debuting at #4.  You can hear the song using the link at the bottom of this page.

All of this 8-bit madness unfortunately leaves Penguin Prison’s “Something I’m Not”, another free download, moving from 6-2, and I’m not sure if it will wrestle away #1 from “Beat Drop”.  After all, “Beat Drop” did knock off Lady GaGa’s “Teeth” after a 2 week stay at the summit.

Nelson Clemente’s clever and quiet electro of “90 Days” manages to reach a new peak at #5, while Blake Lewis’ ode to old-style record stores, “Heartbreak On Vinyl”, climbs to #6.  Songs by Jason Derulo, Justin Timberlake & Matt Morris (the definitive version of “Hallelujah” next to Jeff Buckley’s IMO), and Evan Taubenfeld charge into the Top 10.  The five debuts in the Top 10 cause massive drops by songs by Lady GaGa, Dragonette, Crystal Method, and Lifehouse, but them’s the breaks!

The fastest riser on the chart belongs to Justin Nozuka, whose “My Heart Is Yours” comes from his sophomore CD You I Wind Land and Sea, which is due for release this coming week.  Other big movers in the middle of the chart include Javi’s “Situation” (23-16), a pop/dance track also available for free download that commands your attention, and Vampire Weekend’s brief but insanely catchy “Cousins” (26-20).

As “Halfway Gone” by Lifehouse is about to leave the chart, “Had Enough”, featuring Chris Daughtry, premieres at #27 from the top notch Smoke And Mirrors CD, which you will read about later in the week in more detail in this blog.  Thanks to the excellent and frenetic remix by Breakage, “Dog Days Are Over”, a track from Lungs by Florence & The Machine, arrives at #30.  But if there’s one low key track you must check out this week, it should be “Don’t You Dare” by Matt Morris, which is a bonus song on his debut When Everything Breaks Loose, probably because it doesn’t really fit into the rest of the mood of the album.  This is a much more lushly produced, theatrical song that you might play next to earlier work by Rufus Wainwright.  You can download it for free right here!  (Note:  I don’t link to free downloads unless they are sanctioned by the artist 🙂 )

I will be away in New Orleans during the first full week of April, so a post of my next chart may be delayed (but I’m sure I’ll be armed with all kinds of great music!).

Track-By-Track (At Last!): 8-bit Heart by Simon Curtis

Boy is the Pop world ever in for a treat.

In these times of spectacular (no pun intended 😉 ) successes for young women, the role of the young male pop singer has been relegated to (pick your pleasure) anonymous dance artist, balladeer, sensitive guitar player, rock ‘n roller.  Nothing wrong with that.  But every once in a while, a recording comes along with perspective that demands attention.  For me, such has been the case for the last few months with Simon Curtis’ new release 8-bit Heart.  It’s available for free download right here from his new website (which also has all the lyrics and a bunch of new photos), since the 24 year old L.A. based singer/songwriter has reached the magic number of 8,000 followers on Twitter.

People who know me for my veteran insight into Pop music over 30 odd years can vouch that I do not lend my support behind just any old undertaking.  It all started with a tune called “Delusional” about 20 or so weeks ago (alas I have never heard Simon’s previous record, the still ‘unreleased’ Alter Boy).

So here’s my detailed Track-By-Track commentary on this conceptual mixtape.  8-bit Heart contains some brief tracks that are essentially dialogue at the beginning, end, and in the middle, plus some introductions to some songs.  Some of it is related to the record’s concepts, others seem purely random and fun.

Don’t Wanna Be Alone – This rather plain-ish intro to the record doesn’t give you any idea of what’s in store for you, but it does start out the basic concept.  It’s tough being our boy robot hero, finding his way through a cold, unforgiving, and seemingly unloving world.

Fell in Love with an Android – “This is Simon Curtis – Human-Cyborg Relations” – OK where’s this one going?  Cold love meet thy bitch slap, ouch!  This one still has me thinking… but I probably need to move on.

Super Psycho Love – I hemmed and hawed about this song, but it’s finally grown on me, the rhythm is irresistible and the lyrics ultimately are powerful.

8Bit Heart – The title track is the emotional core of the record with a fabulous vocal that’s actually enhanced by autotune – yes this record uses it as a special effect not as the full effect.  The song initially gets you in the gut and sets a new tone for the rest of the record.

Diablo – After a few months, I find “Diablo” less brusque than I did at first.  But it’s the song that ultimately turns the record on its side – a “Womanizer” for the young male voice that spits out more daggers than even “Fell in Love with an Android” or “Super Psycho Love”.  Still not near my favourite, but very credible.

Delusional – “Delusional” to me is still the best song on the record.  It packs a certain Pop punch unlike the rest, and contains not only an interesting story but also Simon’s best vocals.  If there’s a surefire potential radio hit here, this is it!!

Joystick – Hands down, “Joystick” is the most humorous and the naughtiest track – even without swearing!  It’s sinewy electro pop that will leave you wanting more.

Beat Drop – “Beat Drop” is my next most favourite song within after “Delusional”.  It’s a dance club rave-up for the late nite crowd that’s just begging for an extended remix, though I love it just as it is, all 2:25 of it!  Nice and tidy, with one of the best lines I’ve heard in a long time that name-checks a recent hit.  Oh, and did I mention the opera singer?  And what are the seven kinds of naughty, anyway?

Brainwash – The busiest track on 8-bit Heart is frenetic overkill with too much autotune, the only song that I would pass on, though it’s really the climax of the various concepts.

The Dark – The emotional dénouement to 8-bit Heart somehow ends up being warm and fuzzy inside, even with a lengthy sample (which if I’m not mistaken comes from Jay-Z’s “Encore”) that helps give our boy robot hero his tough exterior.

8-bit Heart is indeed a slick affair, not necessarily for the youngins, despite Simon’s recent exposure in Nickelodeon’s teen hit “Spectacular!”, with futuristic backdrop by pop/dance producer Jadion.  It’s all about heartbreak, being alone and unloved, psycho relationships with the opposite sex, and just plain having fun.  The lyrics and vocals spare no prisoners – pointed and bold lines are sung with sarcasm, anger, swearing, and humour.  It’s exhilarating, thought-provoking, and a good time is had by all!  Don’t miss it.

COMING VERRRRY SOON!

It’s almost time.

8Bit Heart is on its way 🙂 The talented Simon Curtis is less than 100 followers away from the target of 8,000!  What a great way to kick off the recent b-day boy’s 24th year!

UPDATE on March 21:  Simon got to 8,000 followers today 🙂

Simon’s mixtape has 10 songs, so here are some clues 😉

d–‘- w—- — –o–

-e– — —e -i– — –d—d

—-r —c– —e

8Bit Heart

Diablo

Delusional

–y—–

–a- –o-

-r—-a–

the —-

OK I’m done teasing 😉 So all you have to do now is wait!

Below is a cast pic of the leads of last year’s Nickelodeon movie Spectacular! which co-starred Simon.

St. Patrick’s Day Special: New Irish band Elspeth

I find so many wonderful, interesting artists and songs online, and it’s so very hard to keep up with them all.

Elspeth is a  five piece band from Newry and Belfast, Ireland, featuring band members Leo, his brother Gerard, and friends Jonny, Davy and Phil.  They describe their influences as ranging from Radiohead to Simon & Garfunkel, but there are so many.  The great thing about being unable to pinpoint very specific influences is that the sound of a band or artist is generally pretty broad.  So while we can hear Radiohead, Bob Dylan, perhaps even The Smiths, as the band mentions on its MySpace page , we can make our own comparisons as well.

I found myself thinking of fellow Irishmen The Script, in terms of melody anyway, and then lean towards Tom Chaplin of Keane for vocal similarities.  Their song structure is quite beautiful and unique, and it’s no wonder that Elspeth is being cautious about putting out a record.  The band hopes to find an EP officially released later this year, but for now their music is available to you for free as download via Soundcloud.

Among several splendid tracks, check out “Old Age” below and download it!  So hopefully here’s a bit of the luck of the Irish for Elspeth on St. Paddy’s Day! 🙂


A Half Hour Dance Mix For You!

It goes all the way back to the disco days of the 1970’s when I did dance mixes using vinyl.  I’ve done them all through the subsequent years, but they always end up being a mix of pop, dance, rock, and R&B – not like the beat-matching disco of the 70’s or the beat-matching electro of today.

So while you might not consider this one to be a dance mix in its true sense, it’s a good sampling of some of my current favourites – 18 of them – all in 32 minutes!  For some songs you get a minute or so, for others close to 3 minutes.  I’m proud of some of the mixes – couldn’t likely do some of them with turntables – others, well, will at least catch your attention 😉

Here’s the rundown of the 18 songs.  Your comments would be welcome, particularly if you would like to see more of this kind of blogpost in future 🙂

Download it right here and go to the file “Half Hour Dance Mix 2010.mp3”

PLAYLIST

Intro…

Crystal Method f/ Emily Haines “Come Back Clean”

Tiga “What You Need”

Dan Black “Pass That Head Noize”

Gorillaz f/ Mos Def & Bobby Womack “Stylo” (see video below)

Massive Attack f/ Horace Andy “Girl I Love You”

Florence & The Machine “Dog Days Are Over”

Metric “Gold Guns Girls”

Mika “Rain”

Blake Lewis “Heartbreak on Vinyl”

Matt Morris “Don’t You Dare”

Fabio Lendrum “Trouble”

Javi “Situation”

Ellie Goulding “Starry Eyed”

SSSHHH IT’S A SECRET (bloggers please do not reveal!!)

Lady GaGa “Teeth”

Penguin Prison “Something I’m Not”

Annie “Don’t Stop”

Mike Posner “Cooler Than Me”

Tuned-On! Top 30 #322 – Mar 15/10

The Ides of March are upon us tomorrow, and Daylight Savings Time has hit.  Spring is, well, springing in advance in Toronto, and my work schedule is lightening up a bit to take a few days off this week.  That usually means I get to play a lot of music and get caught up with new releases.


So while this edition of my personal chart (link also to the right under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART***) is chock full of stuff, the chart activity is pretty minimal.  But we do have a new #1!  Lady GaGa gets her first chart topper here with “Teeth”, which I think is just an incredibly wonderful and fun song.  It will be competing with Penguin Prison’s quirky and amazing free download “Something I’m Not”, which moves from its debut position of 11 to 6 this week.  (NOTE:  Simon Curtis fans fear not – though “Delusional” will leave the chart after this one, since it’s lasted the maximum 10 chart appearances, new music from Simon is coming soon 🙂 )

A lot of the activity in the chart takes place outside of the Top 10, where there’s a passel of songs battling it out among each other.  The more I  listen to “Hallelujah” by Justin Timberlake, Matt Morris, and Charlie Sexton, the more I appreciate the careful harmonies and how close it comes to Jeff Buckley’s definitive version – especially given recent renditions of the song which I’ve heard in the past few weeks.  Jason Derulo’s “In My Head” is an almost-singalong carried by a great melody.  Dan Black’s pastiche that is “Pass That Head Noize” keeps winning creativity points from me, while “Don’t Stop” by Annie is pop/dance at its most adorable.

Evan Taubenfeld’s “Starbucks Girl” is gonna keep moving up my chart until I tire of it, even though it’s only available now on YouTube (I can still hope for a bonus live version on his upcoming CD, can’t I?).  Example’s “Won’t Go Quietly” puts me in a good mood (which I’ve needed these past few weeks) and climbs 25-17, the Fastest Riser on the chart.  Justin Nozuka’s “My Heart Is Yours” is right behind moving 27-20, an emotional ballad whose closest companion on the chart is “Hallelujah”.   BT & Christian Burns’ “Suddenly” gets stuck in the middle but should find its way out of it in two weeks.  Other debuts from last week by Pink, Javi, Ellie Goulding, and Vampire Weekend should also strut their stuff in the coming weeks.

Right now I can’t get enough of the energy from songs from Clayton Senne’s Wonderland CD, so the title track debuts at #24.  I had this fascination with Massive Attack back in 1994 when they released the splendid Protection CD.  After that they remained interesting to me but dropped off my radar.  Now reduced to a duo, they seem to be back in the same form as 15 years ago with their new CD Heligoland, from which comes the murky, foreboding sound of “Girl I Love You”, featuring vocalist Horace Andy, at #25.

My final debut is timely.  This song has been popping up on my iTouch shuffle in my car a lot lately.  I saw the band open for The Midway State in Toronto last summer and was impressed at how tight they are and how lead singer Shaun Frank wins over the audience.  Toronto’s The Envy signed this week to Gene Simmons’ record label, so expect to hear more from them soon.  “Don’t Let Go” debuts at #29 and is available to you for free by subscribing to their newsletter at their MySpace site.  Below’s a video of a recent live performance of the song.  Enjoy 🙂

Sweden’s Melodiefestivalen brings us more Måns Zelmerlöw, Meet UK’s Uni5 (featuring one Sam Taylor!)

When I’m not digging round the ‘Net trying to find the scoop on some great new music, I often refer to many fellow bloggers for information.  One of those terrific blog finds is Paul Reynolds’ My Fizzy Pop (also see Blogroll link to the right)!

This week, Paul tips us off to some updates on two of my 10 Performers to Watch in 2010.  Sweden’s Måns Zelmerlöw stirred up pop delights in 2009 with his stunning performance of “Hope & Glory” on the Melodiefestivalen TV show contest, as well as with a varied bunch of songs on his MZW release, my favourite track from which was “Rewind”.  Måns guested on Melodiefestivalen this year instead of as a contestant, and MyFizzyPop tells us all about his respectable take on Duran Duran’s James Bond theme “A View To A Kill” right here!


Paul’s second scoop was about that wonderful lad Sam Taylor, he of my favourite song of 2009 “Run Away”, who has entered the Eurovision contest this year as part of UK group Uni5.  The vid below gives us an introduction to the quintet.  And if the voices are all of Sam’s calibre, well the UK will certainly have a winner!