Tag Archives: alternative

#BILLCSTop30 #460 – June 29, 2015

It’s been a busy few weeks in my household both at work and at home, so now it’s time to get caught up with new music on edition 460 of my personal chart 🙂

Listen to the entire chart on Spotify!!

https://soundcloud.com/brandynburnette/i-wanna-be-free

The New #1

  • I’m a few days early in advance of the official video, but Brandyn Burnette garners his second #1 of 2015, moving from 6-1, with the thought-provoking, dreamy, and laid back “I Wanna Be (Free)”.  It is definitely one of my key songs for the Summer of ’15, and I hope it might turn into one of yours (listen up top).  It’s from Brandyn’s much-awaited forthcoming EP  Made Of Dreams.  Show your support and pick up this one on iTunes!  One of my favourite parts of the song is the piano especially during the first minute 🙂

The Top 10

  • With “I Wanna Be (Free)” taking over at #1 so quickly, that left “No Words” by Erik Hassle nowhere else to go but to #2.  I’m still hoping this song will catch on at radio for the summer months.

  • It’s taken longer than usual for a Brandon Flowers song to make its presence known on my chart but “Can’t Deny My Love” is on its way to the Top 5 following a pair in 2010 – #1 “Crossfire”and #3 “Jacksonville”.

  • Producer/DJ Antonio Giacca’s riveting and funky instrumental “Sensation” bounds into the Top 10 at #8.  Do check out the head-scratcher of a video which totally suits the song 🙂

  • It’s kind of no surprise but “Shine” by Years & Years is indeed the fastest riser on this chart, vaulting 19-9 to become the trio’s third Top Tenner.  And I’m so glad I’ve got a ticket to their September 14 show here in Toronto 🙂 I’m not so sure why North American audiences aren’t warming up to Years & Years as the rest of the world.  Olly Alexander’s vocal on “Shine” is one of the best of the year, and the video keeps you glued as to what’s happening next!

  • Rounding out the new entries to the Top 10 is Adam Lambert’s “Ghost Town” at #10.  Not all of the songs on his album The Original High are successful, but man, what a production, which zeroes in on making Adam’s voice more versatile than ever.  Gone are the days of the limiting “American Idol” image.  Watch the “Ghost Town” video below but also check out my other current favourite which is the bass-laden “The Light”.

Movin’ On Up

  • Another album I’m enjoying is Giorgio Moroder’s first album in 30 years, Déjà Vu.  The title song featuring an alternately wistful and powerful vocal by Sia rises to #12.  The album succeeds in some places that I didn’t expect – the songs featuring Kelis and Marlene, as well as his update of “Tom’s Diner” with Britney Spears – whereas the songs featuring faves-of-mine Mikky Ekko and Matthew Koma are either dull or maybe just need a few more plays.  Plus there are Giorgio’s instrumentals “74 Is The New 24” and “La Disco” which showcase his definitive sound.  But my next favourite after “Déjà Vu” and “Right Here, Right Now” (his previous #4 hit with Kylie Minogue) is “Wildstar” featuring none other than Foxes!  Listen below.

  • The chart would be many plays less fun if it wasn’t for Matt & Kim’s “Hey Now”.  The song has taken its time but moves up to #13.

  • Just as bold as her vocal, Bojana Stamenov’s Eurovision entry for Serbia, “Beauty Never Lies”, advances a whopping 20-14, with eyes firmly on the Top 10!

  • Another song not moving up as fast as it could due to competition is Lawson’s “Roads” at #15.  It recently became the band’s latest Top 15 hit in the UK, peaking at #11.

  • The triple-threat of some guys with great voices who debuted two weeks ago makes its impact as all songs advance into the Top 20.  Torontonians Dan Talevski and Francesco Yates are back to back again at #18 and #19 with “Guilty As Sin” (with its spicy video!) and “Better To Be Loved” respectively, while ex-Gentlemen Hall singer Cobi Mike climbs 26-20 with his indie release “Walking Through The Fire”.

Premieres

  • It’s taken a little while to arrive on the chart after I wrote about it in the Spring, but L.A.-based producer/DJ -and in “East Side Bay”, vocalist! – Mi Disguise gets his second chart entry at #24.  It follows his #15 collaboration with Adam Tyler from earlier in the year, “Alive”.  “East Side Bay” really gets going after a minute.  Still with it as Mi Disguise’s vocal has a unique charm about it that totally suits the song.  I’d love to see club DJ’s get behind this one like they did ZHU’s “Faded” (though that got major label support too) 🙂

  • Making their first appearance on my chart is Fall Out Boy!  The quartet borrows the surfer-guitar riff from the theme from the 60’s show “The Munsters” for “Uma Thurman”, and between the lyrics and musical antics, the fun just doesn’t stop while the song’s playing.  It’s a great summer tune, from the quartet’s latest album American Beauty/American Psycho, and arrives at #26.

  • As Eric Saade’s punchy “Sting” sails off the chart after peaking at #4, the Maroon 5-ish “Girl From Sweden” makes its debut at #29.  So now all you folks can go off to the Swedish countryside in search of Eric dancing with pretty girls in the fields…

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 🙂

Sweeping, cinematic “Reality” by Jim Bergsted @Jimcalories of Cars & Calories

https://soundcloud.com/jimbergsted/reality-1

JIM BERGSTED, “Reality”

In a solo step away from his duo Cars and Calories (who I wrote about last year), Norwegian singer Jim Bergsted has one sweeping, cinematic tune with “Reality”.  It’s an uplifting, grand melodic sensation with a great storyline that to me could put the singer on the international map.  Jim has a unique, appealing voice that seems to portray the underdog that we like to root for.  Listen very closely above and let Jim Bergsted take you off to a different “Reality” for 3 minutes!  I don’t believe this one’s available in North America yet but watch for it on your iTunes.

Collaborations like this do work: @FFS_music with “Johnny Delusional”

FFS, “Johnny Delusional”

It’s the perfect slice of alt.rock to tickle your fancy as we head into the summer months.  From their self-titled album, due this week, is FFS with “Johnny Delusional”.  FFS = Scotland’s Franz Ferdinand + legendary U.S. brother duo Sparks.  And while that pairing may cause heads to scratch initially, when you hear “Johnny Delusional” you will know exactly why it works.  For Sparks arrived on the music scene well over 40 years ago with their irreverent, unique, and yes sometimes confusing approach to pop/rock, which worked well for them particularly in the UK with many Top 10 hits that spanned from the glam rock through the disco eras.  In the 80’s they found themselves part of the new wave cadre, with their biggest pop successes in North America in 1982-83.  Then came another revival, with more inventive dance music (recalling their 1979 collaboration with Giorgio Moroder) in the mid-90’s.  But Sparks have never been idle, and bring a fresh approach to today’s alt.rock with Franz Ferdinand, themselves mainstays of the UK charts in the last decade.  The video may have your head spinning a bit with the seamless editing and seemingly endless camera work similar to the videos for The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” or even the feel of the one-take 80’s video of “Girls with Guns” by Tommy Shaw.  But “Johnny Delusional” has built a bridge from the 70’s to today, with humour and sarcasm in the lyrics that recalls both Sparks and Franz Ferdinand.  Try to escape this one on alt.rock radio for the rest of the year… it will only grow on you.

BILLCS Top 30 #458 – June 1, 2015

The slow rise of some songs and sharp drops of others continue thanks to the bevy of great music out there!  But other songs make great gains as they become some of my favourites this year.

The Top 10

  • “Chasing Stars” by Corey Niles & Alex Lacasse has a solid grip on #1 for a second appearance at the top, but with River Tiber’s “No Talk” advancing 3-2 and “No Words” by Erik Hassle rising 6-3 – it’s getting pretty hot up top!

  • As his new single “Girl From Sweden” is released, Eric Saade’s “Sting” continues to climb my chart, rising 5-4.

  • Australia’s Parralox has its second Top 5 placing on my chart with the 80’s fan fest “Aeronaut”, moving up 9-5.  Dig all of that Paris scenery in the video too!

  • There’s no stopping CHIC reviving its classic feel-good 70’s disco sound on “I’ll Be There”, which is also now a Top 5 Billboard Dance Club hit.  It rises 12-6.

  • Years & Years is making some of 2015’s most recognizable music.  As former #1 “King” is about to leave the chart in its 10th appearance, now at #10, previous single “Desire” climbs 10-7.  And there’s more Years & Years to come…

  • With Jully Black just about appearing everywhere in Canada as fierce and proud as ever in 2015, plus being a Pan-Am Games ambassador in Toronto, it’s no wonder that she has her first Top Tenner on my chart since “Seven Day Fool” in 2007.  That’s “Fever”, from her upcoming album, climbing 11-8.

  • New Jersey’s Charlie Puth is better known as the vocalist on “See You Again” (at #16), but he and Meghan Trainor have concocted a delightful bit of R&B-oriented sock hop pop with “Marvin Gaye” leaping into the Top 10 17-9.

Movin’ On Up

  •  Five years after his debut solo album, Brandon Flowers has done it again with the first single from The Desired Effect called “Can’t Deny My Love”.  It’s the fastest riser on the chart, vaulting 20-11, and about to join the three songs that made the Top 10 from Flamingo, including #1 “Crossfire”.

  • After their rollicking and extremely fun concert almost two weeks ago, Matt & Kim’s “Hey Now” from their latest album New Glow jumps 22-17.

  • Their latest EP Roads has been released in the UK, but here in North America we have a single for UK quartet Lawson’s title song.  “Roads” moves up 21-18.

  • All three of the last chart’s debuts make short work of the chart and follow each other in succession.  So we have “Ghost Town” by Adam Lambert (26-19), “Déjà Vu” by Giorgio Moroder featuring Sia (27-20), and “What It’s All About” by Smashing Satellites (28-21, below) all about to take off.

Debuting

  • More Years & Years??  Yes, please!!  And it’s kind of an unintended companion song to Erik Hassle’s “No Words” above, they have a very similar song structure and melody at times (play them one after another!).  “Shine” (at the top) appears on the trio’s upcoming Communion album and bows at #25.
  • I was really rooting for the incredible vocal performance by Bojana Stamenov to make her country Serbia’s entry to Eurovision 2015, “Beauty Never Lies”, the winner.  Alas the winner ended up being the also worthy “Heroes” by Måns Zelmerlöw, but nonetheless the song has opened the doors worldwide for the talented Bojana.  “Beauty Never Lies” arrives at #27.

  • It’s hard to believe that Maroon 5 has not appeared on my chart since 2011’s “Moves Like Jagger” but their latest single “This Summer’s Gonna Hurt Like A Motherfucker” is so irresistible in so many ways… and as atypical a song for the band as were some of those within their debut Songs About Jane 12 years ago!  “This Summer’s Gonna Hurt” is their 11th chart appearance and premieres at #30.

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 🙂

 

 

The funky side of @SmashSatellites arrives with “Us”

SMASHING SATELLITES, “Us”

While I’m still digging the anthemic, feel good “What It’s All About”, Canadian rock band Smashing Satellites have given us another taste of what’s to come in their full album Sonic Aluzion with “Us”.  And unless you happened to see them perform it in concert like I did, “Us” is going to come as a surprise after the intensely emotional “Waterfall” and alt.rock of “Hounds”.  “Us” is pretty much  a crunchy and funky pop/disco whirlwind – and who should know better than someone like me who lived through the era 😛 – which shows a band whose stylistic borders are not at all limited.  Sneer if you will, but memorable songs like “Us” grab audiences and make them react.  And lead singer Salvatore Costa’s vocal gets not only the groove on but rocks out at the same time.  You can pick up “Us” in advance of Sonic Aluzion’s release right now on iTunes.

It’ll get inside your head: The video for @CobiMike’s “Walking Through The Fire”

COBI MIKE, “Walking Through The Fire” (video)

It was about exactly a month ago that I brought to your attention “Walking Through The Fire” from ex-Gentlemen Hall vocalist Cobi Mike (full name – not surprisingly – Jacob Michael).  It’s resurfaced again in these pages because of its recent compelling video whose intent is to get inside your head and make you find yourself when you need yourself the most.  I’ll get this out of the way right from the beginning:  the singer is naked in a desert throughout the video.  For those of you who haven’t stopped breathing, or perhaps need to recompose yourselves before proceeding, you’ll find that the video is a very well-directed, smart story.  Here, the protagonist almost gets drowned by an ex-love, almost gets beaten-to-death by a former rival, and then has to think his way through difficult times as if he’s winning an important game.  Then what’s in the box… is to be continued (and I’m not giving away the ending by saying that).  “Walking Through The Fire” has grown on me greatly over the last month, so do yourself a favour and pick it up on iTunes.  

A Deserving #Eurovision2015 winner: “Heroes” by @MansZelmerlow

MANS ZELMERLOW, “Heroes”

The votes came in loud and clear last night as “Heroes” by Sweden’s 28 year old Måns Zelmerlöw overwhelmingly won the Eurovision 2015 prize.  Also Sweden’s Melodifestivalen winner, “Heroes” features a thoughtful, compelling vocal from the singer that in performance is supported by a unique animated sequence that lends beautifully to the lyrics.  I’m not sure if North American audiences will find the song too off-the-beaten-path, but I’m sure it will also be all over European charts after peaking at #2 in Sweden.  Watch both the original video and the Eurovision final performance above.  “Heroes” will be included on Måns’ upcoming album Perfectly Damaged (artwork below), due June 5.  Also, read what I had to say about Måns back at the end of 2009 when I identified him as a performer to watch 🙂 https://billcsistunedon.wordpress.com/2010/01/02/10in2010/

manszelmerlow2

 

@MissMollyMoore delivers the slick and dark “Don’t Believe It”

https://soundcloud.com/molly_moore/dont-believe-it

MOLLY MOORE, “Don’t Believe It”

Like her talented guy (and co-songwriter here) Brandyn Burnette, L.A. based singer Molly Moore is a hot commodity itching to break out, and the slick, dark “Don’t Believe It” could help pave the way.  Like Lorde and Banks, Molly’s main feat in recording edgier songs than other women singers is to be utterly convincing.  And that she is, supported by an arrangement that flows and taut production by co-songwriter Steve Dresser.  I’ve written up some other comparisons of older singers to Molly, but this time she recalls none other than Carly Simon at times.

And just in time for “Don’t Believe It” to strike online comes a remix of Molly’s earlier “Natural Disaster” by Win and Woo, which is available as a free download right here.  It might seem a bit odd to put a Caribbean kind of flavour to such a stark song, but the light EDM wash definitely gives the song a new vibe and it’s well worth checking out.

@dbClifford is back with new project @Phonixamadhi and “Away” and “Stole My Line”

PHONIXAMADHI, “Away” and “Stole My Line”

One of those chance online conversation with fellow music buffs evolved into this post about relatively new UK-based trio Phonixamadhi, who released a self-titled EP last year.  This in fact is a project headed up by Canadian singer/songwriter dbClifford (along with fellow vocalist/multi-instrumentalist William Cartwright and drummer Arjun Magee), who is remembered fondly for a couple of domestic Top 40 2007/08 hits, “Simple Things” and “Don’t Wanna”, both of which did well in other international territories, especially Japan.  Phonixamadhi has crafted a blend of dirty funk, jazz and pop, the combination of which often does not get served well by radio, since it doesn’t seem to ‘fit’, yet people go absolutely wild for it in a club setting.  “Away” and “Stole My Line” are both polished slices of this mix, led by dbClifford’s sparkling voice.  Check out the videos above and listen to the entire EP, available on iTunes, below on Phonixamadhi’s Soundcloud page.

BILLCS Top 30 #457 – May 18, 2015

The songs of Spring are so strong that on my chart there seems to be a never-ending queue of new songs that keep climbing and climbing – and then one week they crash to make room at the top.  We’ll see if this trend continues in the coming weeks!  But for now, on to the new chart:

The Top 10

  • Canadians Corey Niles and Alex Lacasse replace Years & Years’ “King” up top with their anthem “Chasing Stars”.  If this song were on a major label, you’d hear it everywhere.  So it’s important that if you like it that you pick it up on iTunes.  One of my favourite songs of 2015 thus far, the melody, vocal arrangement, and lyrics are all on point!!

  • More contemporary Canadiana is on the rise with River Tiber back in the Top 3 for the first time in two years with “No Talk”, which as you recall was sampled in Drake’s “No Tellin'” from his latest album.  I’m hoping Tommy Paxton-Beesley and his team will keep up the momentum with more new music to come this summer.

  • It’s been a hot while since Sweden’s Eric Saade was in the Top 5 on my chart (in fact it was in early 2012 with “Fingerprints”), so it’s pleasing to see the very different and brusque “Sting” advance to #5.  It’s only the start of more adventure for the talented Eric!

  • It’s two charts in a row that “No Words” – by another Swedish Erik, this time Hassle – is the fastest riser on the chart!  That bodes well for the coming weeks where there’s nothing truly obvious to succeed “Chasing Stars” at the top, so we’ll wait and see.  The jaunty but sad “No Words” climbs 17-6 – and don’t forget to check out an unintended companion-piece in Years & Years’ “Shine” – they make a great mashup!

https://soundcloud.com/databoy/when-it-rains-it-pours

  • Austin duo DATABOY’s collaboration with producer Niko The Kid has waited patiently but breaks loose and climbs to #7 with “When It Rains, It Pours”.  All of DATABOY’s entries on my chart – 10 of them since 2011 – have reached the Top 10 🙂

  • Australia’s Parralox is also 3 for 3 for Top 10 entries with the sublimely 80’s “Aeronaut” from the album of the same name, moving 13-9.

  • Not surprisingly, Years & Years rounds out the Top 10 with “Desire”.  It’s hard not to sit still when this one’s playing.

Movin’ On Up

  • Just outside of the Top 10, after a triumphant Canadian Music Week performance, is Canadian R&B queen Jully Black with her single “Fever” at #11.  I received a concert-only copy of “The LP”, which contains most of the songs she sang that night.  And it’s a gem, so I hope most of the songs like “Here 2 Love U”, “Fool For You”, “On Your Side”, and especially “Don’t Keep Me Guessing” appear on her commercially-released album when it’s released this summer.

  • I wish pop radio would loosen the hell up and play CHIC’s “I’ll Be There”, but I guess Top 40 has no room for disco throwbacks.  Nevertheless dance clubs have embraced it fully as has the alternative pop/dance crowd.  Such a fun song, it climbs to #12.

  • Do yourself a favour and pick up one of the most enthusiastic album releases of the year on iTunes in Steve Grand’s All-American Boy.  “We Are The Night” is one of the best songs, a rollicking rock anthem, and climbs to #15.  This album clearly shows why Steve Grand is a pop artist at heart, whose style crosses over to both rock and country.  It’s very 80’s in a lot of ways – and that of course was before Steve was born (1990)!

  • More attention also needs to be given to “Cosmonaut” by Wrathschild, aka Simon Curtis and Bad W0lfy.  It’s a glorious, dreamy, slow nighttime EDM song that will stick in your head.  It moves up to #16.

  • Charlie Puth continues back-to-back status from two weeks ago with his duet with Meghan Trainor, “Marvin Gaye”, advancing to #17, while his #1 duet with Wiz Khalifa, “See You Again”, climbs to #18.  It will be interesting to see what dethrones “See You Again” at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

  • I’m probably gonna listen to Brandon Flowers’ new album The Desired Effect this week, particularly after all of the glowing comments I’ve read.  The stunning lead off single “Can’t Deny My Love” rises to #20.

  • Lawson once again are touring the hell out of their home country, England, in advance of the release of their EP Roads.  The title song, available in Canada as a single on iTunes, moves up to #21.

  • The middle of Spring here in Toronto needs a good shot of a Matt and Kim performance, which I will check out tomorrow (May 18) at the Danforth Music Hall.  Their infectious and good-natured song “Hey Now” climbs to #22.

Debuts

  •  Adam Lambert’s “Ghost Town” is one of the most unique songs out there right now, combining Adam’s vocal power with a heavily early-90’s influenced house rhythm that listeners say reminds them of Madonna’s “Vogue” – but check out Malcolm McLaren’s earlier “Deep In Vogue” too!  It’s a great lead-in to the June release of his third album The Original High.  It’s only Adam’s third appearance on my chart, but both “Better Than I Know Myself” and his “Glee” cover of Lady Gaga’s “Marry The Night” both got into the Top 10.

  • Giorgio Moroder is back with his album Deja Vu on deck in June, and the title song featuring vocalist Sia (her first appearance on this chart) lands on my chart at #27.  It follows the first success from the album, his partnership with Kylie Minogue on “Right Here, Right Now”, which recently reached #4.  Every time I hear “Deja Vu”, I hear Donna Summer’s “Dim All The Lights” poignantly ringing in Sia’s vocal midway – anyone else?

  • Their song “Waterfall” just peaked at #3, so Canadian quartet Smashing Satellites, led by the incomparable Salvatore Costa, wastes no time by debuting with “What It’s All About”.  I’ve been saying since I wrote about it a while back – it’s the first graduation anthem of 2015.  Listen to the moving lyrics and let the song inspire you!  It’s a departure from “Waterfall” and other songs on the upcoming Sonic Aluzion album – but wait till you hear the jam “Us” (which I heard at one of their Canadian Music Week gigs)!!

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 🙂