Tag Archives: alternative

Seamless power pop from @iamJoshStevens featuring @SpencerLudwig with “Hill Top”

joshstevens

JOSH STEVENS featuring SPENCER LUDWIG, “Hill Top”

Talk about a seamless-sounding record!  Taking its cues from a variety of power pop styles of the last 40 years or so – I think of songs like New Radicals’ “You Get What You Give”, “Hero/Heroine” by Boys Like Girls, Angels & Airwaves’ “The Adventure”, or back to the halcyon days of Rick Springfield, The Knack, or Three Dog Night – and you might come up with something like Josh Stevens did with “Hill Top”.  The L.A. based singer/songwriter/musician has honed his craft since age 16, and has co-written or engineered songs for Jennifer Lopez, Pitbull, John Mayer, Steve Aoki, but most notably LMFAO’s Sorry For Party Rocking album and its megahits “Party Rock Anthem” and “Sexy And I Know It”.   Though he’s had other releases, he’s pulled a what I call “a Kevin Rudolf” and really steps out of the background for “Hill Top”.  For the first 45 seconds or so, it will trick you into thinking it might become a folk/pop ballad, but then soars into edgy alt.pop full gear and Josh’s high register rarely lets up.  So instead we have a diverse power pop anthem that is concluded with a well-timed, eyebrow-raising trumpet solo by Spencer Ludwig.  “Hill Top” is clever and engaging pop with the bar deliberately set very high, which can only mean great things ahead for Josh Stevens.  Listen below and pick it up on iTunes.

More than money can buy: “Made Of Dreams” by @BrandynBurnette, plus “1,000 Degrees of Separation” demo

https://soundcloud.com/brandynburnette/made-of-dreams

BRANDYN BURNETTE, “Made of Dreams”, “1,000 Degrees of Separation” (demo)

As the release of Brandyn Burnette’s EP Made of Dreams approaches, the appearance of the title song brings it all full circle for me, back to last year around this time when I was just getting to know “Thanks For Nothing”.  “Made of Dreams” is another buoyant pop anthem like that.  I always enjoy how Brandyn and his songwriting team look at real-life situations and the positive sides of everything, which often includes finding someone who shares your ideals and isn’t so interested in all of the tangible things in life.  Never doubt or second-guess your dreams.  Even if you can’f fulfill them, they’re still all yours!  I would say “Made of Dreams” is just as radio-ready as “Thanks For Nothing” too.  With Brandyn and Molly Moore on a songwriting junket in NYC this week, who knows what gems will come out of that trip? 🙂

“Made of Dreams” also gives me a nice segue into writing about Brandyn’s recent demo, “1,000 Degrees of Separation”.  As I rule I don’t write about demos but “1,000 Degrees” is low-fi having been recorded on Brandyn’s phone with minimal production.  It has a sparse quality like if you happened to walk into a New Orleans R&B/jazz club while the singer is rehearsing with next to no people in the room.  Its soulful vibe greatly enhances the longing you will feel in the lyrics.  A lot of folks have written some kind words about “1,000 Degrees” so maybe it will end up on a future Brandyn record.  For now hear it (below, and “Made of Dreams” above) on Soundcloud.

https://soundcloud.com/brandynburnette/1000-degrees-of-separation-demo

Clap along to “S.O.B.” by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats @NRateliff

NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS, “S.O.B.”

There’s no denying the power of a song that uses hand claps and a classic R&B melody from the get-go.  Like Matthew Koma’s “I’m F**kin’ Romantic”, I don’t think you’ll hear “S.O.B.” on the radio, but it will be one you’ll be hearing everywhere else because the instant live impact of a song like this is irrefutable.  Nathaniel, who hails from Denver, doesn’t look like a rock star but has a compelling and gritty voice.  And with his band The Night Sweats, they are off to a good start with sales from their debut self-titled album.  Bonus:  They are signed to the revived classic Stax record label!  Watch the video up top for “S.O.B.” then head over to iTunes to pick it up.

Edgy and melodic alt.rock from trio @MyStarvingLion – “The Underground” and “Painted Polaroids”

mystarvinglion

MY STARVING LION, “The Underground” and “Painted Polaroids”

Originally based out of Kansas and led by vocalist Adam Spanier, My Starving Lion carves out edgy and melodic alt.rock on their sophomore album The Underground LP.  Highlights of this absorbing, sometimes intense album for your attention include its title song and “Painted Polaroids”.  The trio, also featuring Dylan Power and Elise Kerchal, seems to draw influences from post-punk early 80’s up to and including New Order in particular, and then marries those styles with the likes of bands like Neon Trees, which becomes especially noticeable when adding vocals by Elise.  “The Underground” is probably the best rocking kind of introduction to My Starving Lion, while “Painted Polaroids” tones down the grittiness and amplifies melody and emotion.  It all makes for stalwart, passionate performances which would translate well into a club setting.  The best way to get to know My Starving Lion is to pour through the band’s EPK right here.  Then, pick up The Underground LP through either My Starving Lion’s website or iTunes.

#BILLCSTop30 #463 – August 10/15

The amount of posts I write seems to have slowed down, but I do make them count 🙂 And my chart brings some of them full circle and also introduces you to some songs I adore that I haven’t written about (usually major name performers).  So the new chart has five debuts – don’t let the lower chart position belie how well these five will do in the coming weeks 🙂  As usual, current faves have to give up the ghost first!

The Top 10

  • What more can I possibly say about Brandyn Burnette’s “I Wanna Be (Free)”?  How about a fourth appearance (eighth week) at #1!  Just in time for the remix by The Bravos which I wrote about recently.  It’s going to be very hard to beat the Top 2 songs in this chart at year end!

  • And then there’s “Shine” by UK trio Years & Years.  I can’t understand why radio will not play this one in North America.  There’s a really powerful emotional undercurrent to “Shine”, which didn’t sink in until well after I stopped hearing it with one ear on a similar-sounding melody to Erik Hassle’s “No Words”.  It holds at #2 again, but “Shine” is looking to take over from “I Wanna Be (Free)” whenever that song surrenders #1.

  • It does have an ‘earworm’ of a chorus as my friend David kindly put it.  Toronto’s Dan Talevski has released a follow up called “My Religion” which I have not heard yet (but will in the next while undoubtedly), probably because I’m too wrapped up in “Guilty As Sin”, which rises to #3 for the talented singer.

  • I get the feeling of triumph every time I hear “Beauty Never Lies” by Serbia’s Bojana Stamenov.  The Eurovision finalist climbs up to #5 to anchor the Top 10 midway point 🙂

  • There is no doubt that “Kiss Me Quick” by Nathan Sykes (which climbs to #1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Play chart this week) has its druthers aimed for the top spot on this chart, and for now it bounds 12-6 while the UK singer continues to promote the song throughout the US.

  • Toronto quartet Smashing Satellites follow up their #3 chart hit “Waterfall” with the very different and ebullient “What It’s All About”, which has taken its time but lands at #8.

  • Rounding out the trio of Torontonians in the Top 10 is star-on-the-rise singer/songwriter/guitarist Francesco Yates with “Better To Be Loved” at #9.  Francesco sings on one of the debuts too!

https://soundcloud.com/penguin-prison/show-me-the-way

  • The fastest riser on the chart belongs to Penguin Prison with the effortless-sounding and breezy “Show Me The Way”, soaring 22-10, and the Top 10 is no stranger to PP who have cracked #1 twice before.  In the US, you can catch “Show Me The Way” in the latest Hulu ad 🙂  Not yet a single, but soon-to-be… I hope… pretty please…

Movin’ On Up

  • I can’t get enough of UK singer Martin Luke Brown’s vocal on “Take Out Of Me”.  This searing piece of soulful pop rises 19-11.

  • Another unique vocal appears in “East Side Bay” by L.A.-based producer/DJ – and yes vocalist – Mi Disguise.  This is one sneaky club track that deserves exposure, and climbs 15-12.

  • Amid fierce competition, Cobi Mike’s thoughtful and affecting “Walking Through The Fire” continues to move up 14-13 – check out the intriguing video (you’ll get past the point that the singer is naked throughout, really, you will).

  • When in doubt gain brownie points by using your country in your latest song title 😉  Seriously, “Girl From Sweden” by Eric Saade is a catchy singalong, and I’m sure you’ll find the singer dancing in the Swedish countryside one day with pretty girls in hand 😉  The song rises 18-15.

  • Performers who collaborate with their significant others often make fine music together.  Such is the case with Molly Moore, whose “Natural Disaster” climbs 25-19 (Brandyn Burnette is a co-writer).  I wrote about another top notch song by Molly not long ago called “Don’t Believe It”, which saw official release on iTunes last week. Much more new music to come!

  • Canadians J-Mi and Midi-D are off to a great start with their recent single “So Much For That”.  Not only is it loads of fun, with its 90’s Europop backdrop, but these underdogs, remixers and ravers alike, have created a song that absolutely anyone can identify with.  The video is a hoot and the nerd in us all will appreciate it.  “So Much For That” climbs 26-21.

Those 5 Debuts

  • I must admit to have been totally blown away by the collaboration of New York producer/DJ’s The Chainsmokers with fellow New Yorkers Great Good Fine OK on “Let You Go”.  But the song IMO has been immensely improved with a throttling Tiesto remix which is available for free download on Soundcloud!! “Let You Go” is the highest debut, arriving at #22.

  • It was a fine few weeks for dance music and NERVO land their first chart entry with “The Other Boys” at #23 from their new album Collateral.  The powerful mix plus Kylie Minogue and Jake Shears on vocals, carried by propulsive guitar work by Nile Rodgers should send this to the top of the national dance charts in short order.  I wish that pop radio would be open to playing it but alas I expect not.

  • The Weeknd doesn’t need my blog’s help with all of his success, to be seen in December come Grammy Awards nomination time.  His latest single, “I Can’t Feel My Face”, from the upcoming Beauty Behind The Madness (which I predict will be the #1 album of 2015), arrives at #25.  Despite all of his obvious influences, The Weeknd makes every song his own and that’s part of his appeal!  That he comes from my part of Toronto speaks volumes too 😀

  • Meanwhile, back to Francesco Yates… who sings lead on the latest single from Grammy nominee Robin Schulz on “Sugar”, the title song from Robin’s upcoming album.  The inclusion of lyrics from Baby Bash & Frankie J’s “Suga Suga” is a bonus, but kind of interesting in a roundabout way when you think that Francesco himself (who is 19) was a mere lad when the original came out in 2003.  “Sugar” premieres at #27 and the video is quite slaptsticky-funny if you suspend your disbelief.

  • The final debut belongs to Disclosure featuring Sam Smith once again on “Omen”.  This trio must get into a room and just know when they’ve written a hit.  Although “Latch” did take a while to catch on in North America (eventually climbing to #1 on this chart), “Omen” arrives signed and sealed for success.  It debuts at #28 and comes from Disclosure’s forthcoming album Caracal.

The Full Chart

Listen to the songs or watch the videos using the links on the pictures on the pretty and detailed web edition of my chart. Go on, have a look and listen/watch 🙂

You can hear me online on http://www.planetradio.ca every Monday at 10:00 pm EST counting down a Toronto Top 10 chart from yesteryear!

It’s GREAT to have brand new music from @NewOrder: “Restless”

NEW ORDER, “Restless”

After the resounding success of their 2013-14 touring which coincided with the release of the Lost Sirens record (additional songs recorded at the same time as 2005’s Waiting For the Sirens Call), it was inevitable but still GREAT to have New Order back now with new music.  “Restless” is the lead single from their upcoming album Music Complete, due in September.  For fans like me, “Restless” is everything you knew to expect from New Order that you really enjoy about their music.  It doesn’t carve out new territory, but shows how visionary the band was to create their own sound in the alternative dance music sub-genre which has turned out to fit like a glove, anywhere, anytime.  This release also continues to show that while we may miss Peter Hook’s influential and resilient bass work, after over 30 years together it is time to move on.  I can’t wait to hear Music Complete and some of the rumoured collaborations on the record (Brandon Flowers, La Roux, among them).  You can buy “Restless” on iTunes now, but if you pre-order Music Complete, you will get it for free.

Conquering “The Grind” with Canadian singer/guitarist @DavidCeliamusic

DAVID CELIA, “The Grind”

The timing could be just right for veteran Toronto singer/guitarist David Celia with the release of his recent album Double Mind.  Not only does David’s earnest and edgy rock sound recall fellow Canadian Sam Roberts and perhaps even older Neil Young songs, but it’s suddenly very current with the recent arrival of similar performers such as Hozier and James Bay.  “The Grind” possesses a theme to which anyone can relate – trying to withstand and beat whatever ‘grind’ is pushing you down.  It’s a folk-flavoured 3 minute record chock full of ace musicianship that goes down just easy, making it very radio friendly (which Canada’s CBC has already recognized).  After more than a decade of releases (including one for Universal) and supporting other notable musicians, David Celia could get his due with “The Grind”.  Watch the video above.

davidcelia

Progressive EDM meets Hip Hop on “First To Know” by @DAPdabeatx featuring @RiverTiber

DA-P featuring RIVER TIBER, “First To Know”

I enjoy songs which infuse different styles which arrives at a well-crafted pop song.  So Montreal producer DA-P has done just that with trippy, hippy and melodic songs on his EP Sapphire.  One of those songs happens to feature River Tiber, who I gush about fairly often – sometimes a live performing Toronto band, but usually on record the talented multi-instrumentalist also known as Tommy Paxton-Beesley, who is not only Justin Nozuka’s right hand guitar player, but also contributor to the recent BADBADNOTGOOD album and creator of the basis for Drake’s “No Tellin'” (actually River Tiber’s recent single “No Talk”).  So DA-P and River Tiber’s idiosyncratic styles mesh beautifully, with Tommy’s voice up front, to form a song that takes its time getting going with its hypnotic EDM hip hop mix but then could easily have gone on for another minute or so, it sounds that effortless.  Well done to all, and more, please 🙂

Gentlemen Hall becomes @TribeSociety with “Pain Told Love” (featuring @Kiesza)

TRIBE SOCIETY featuring KIESZA, “Pain Told Love”

With nary a blip on the radar, I learned a while back that the promising Boston band Gentlemen Hall had become Tribe Society minus singer/guitarist Cobi Mike, who had left to pursue solo work.  And right after Cobi Mike’s “Walking Through The Fire” arrived on my chart off to a great start, then the new EP by Tribe Society (still signed to Island Records as a quintet) called Lucid Dreams dropped.  The EP is a definite about face from the sunny often danceable pop/rock of Gentlemen Hall, but with new direction comes great promise.  Think of Tribe Society along the lines of Imagine Dragons meets Smashing Pumpkins.  The lyrics here have a lot of depth and the craft of the previous band is unmistakable, with an almost progressive rock kind of backdrop.  “Pain Told Love” is my favourite from the EP thus far and shows my fellow Canadian Kiesza’s talents are not restricted to EDM pop either.  Watch for Tribe Society in concert currently supporting gigs by X-Ambassadors, and pick up Lucid Dreams on iTunes.

Crucial cover: “Say Something” by @AGreatBigWorld as interpreted by @CarlosDNobrega

CARLOS NOBREGA, “Say Something”

Readers of this blog will know that I’m not big on cover versions.  There has to be something special that stands out about them or I move on.  And there’s a proliferation of viral covers online.  Since its release, the Grammy-winning performance of “Say Something” by A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera has been often performed.  And it’s been a while since we’ve heard from Portugal’s always busy singer and actor Carlos Nóbrega – in fact it was with his winning rendition of Sia’s “Breathe Me” (below).  So “Say Something” gets treated quite properly here.  Carlos’ genuinely sincere and affecting interpretation shows in the subtler moments of the song, while giving it power at the appropriate times.  While he’s been busy with other projects in the interim, it’s great to hear a really strong resonance in his voice, which only makes me want to hear new music from him more.  And he promises that new songs are on the way.  “Say Something” is also a great opportunity to introduce new listeners to Carlos’ many talents.  The 2015 ride is only beginning!  “Say Something” is a free download right here.