Tag Archives: alternative

@PenguinPrison previews new album with “Never Gets Old” and “Try To Lose”

PENGUIN PRISON, “Never Gets Old” and “Try To Lose”

It’s seemed like forever since DJ/producer/multi-instrmentalist Penguin Prison’s self-titled debut dropped in 2011, though Chris Glover has kept plenty busy with touring, remixing, and guesting on other performers’ songs (like RAC’s “Hollywood” for example).  Following up the delightful confection “Calling Out” are “Never Gets Old” and “Try To Lose” from PP’s sophomore album Lost In New York, due on May 5.  “Never Gets Old” plays just like a lost 70’s timeless pop gem, while “Try To Lose” has that slick funk groove that PP acquainted us with so well on songs like “Multi-Millionaire” or “Golden Train”.  With Chris’ engaging vocals, they all sound like they’re part of a logical continuation from PP’s first album, though as fans know, Chris is always full of surprises (and can transform them into club smashes too), so I definitely can’t wait to hear the full new album, which you can sample on his You Tube channel.  Right now, at least in Canada, you can purchase both “Never Gets Old” and “Calling Out” on iTunes.

Telling It Like It Is: “Lottery” by @BrandynBurnette

brandynburnette4

BRANDYN BURNETTE, “Lottery”

L.A.-based singer/songwriter Brandyn Burnette and his team (including his gal Molly Moore) keep creating songs that are straight up honest snapshots of everyday life.  And so many of us can relate in Brandyn’s new song “Lottery” – we don’t need to win the big prize to be happy, and while it might be nice, don’t get your hopes up.  “Lottery” gives Brandyn’s high notes a good workout and a winning summery-sounding chorus alongside a jaunty rhythm adds a cutting edge above other songs.  The prolific Brandyn is going to have a hard time determining what songs make the cut for his upcoming album – there may just have to be two 😛  Listen to “Lottery” and the rest of Brandyn’s recent songs, including “Sleeve”, currently #1 on my personal chart, on his Soundcloud page below.

https://soundcloud.com/brandynburnette/lottery

There’s “No Tellin'” with @Drake: Must-Hear New Music from Toronto’s @RiverTiber with “No Talk”

RIVER TIBER, “No Talk”

A huge WOW event occurred in the past few weeks for Toronto’s River Tiber, a band that brings the music of the extremely humble and crazy-talented multi-instrumentalist Tommy Paxton-Beesley to life in concert, while Tommy usually handles all vocal, instrumental and production duties on the River Tiber records.  Drake unleashed his surprise album If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late.  That #1 album contains a song called “No Tellin'”.

Although neither Tommy nor River Tiber receives a credit for it, “No Tellin'” (which has already reached #81 on the Billboard Hot 100) samples the newly-released River Tiber song “No Talk”.  As regular readers know, I’ve been writing about River Tiber for the last two years, since the inauspicious independent debut From Now On, and River Tiber songs have graced the upper reaches of my personal chart.  What’s great about “No Talk” is that it’s one of Tommy’s most intriguing songs that will have you thinking about it as much as enjoying it.  Getting with its off-kilter rhythm is a challenge but fun. You’re then left to create your adventure and find your way through a busy jungle full of  layered instruments (including cello) and vocals.  

“No Talk” however has this sly groove underneath that would be more likely found on a hip hop record, which of course leads us back to Drake’s song and also to the Sour Soul album by BADBADNOTGOOD and Ghostface Killah (which I wrote about recently) – to which Tommy contributed strings and horns!   The door is suddenly opening wide for River Tiber and I couldn’t be happier.  Listen to “No Talk” above and get it on iTunes, and of course listen to Drake’s “No Tellin'” below.

BILLCS Top 30 #452 – March 9, 2015

Spring is almost here and over 70% of the songs on my new personal chart are on the rise or holding, which means that competition to get to the top is pretty fierce!  It also makes it difficult when I want to write about them all, but I’ll have to resist 😉

The Top 10

https://soundcloud.com/brandynburnette/01-sleeve

  • “Sleeve” by Brandyn Burnette is not letting go of #1 yet, as the L.A. based singer/songwriter is about to preview another new song called “Lottery”.  Watch for it on Brandyn’s Soundcloud page!

  • Season 7 contestant on “The Voice”, pop/R&B singer Chris Jamison, moves up a notch to #2 with his slick song “Velvet”.

  • Having Kylie Minogue and Giorgio Moroder on a tour together would be an absolute dream, not to mention a huge dancefest!  I’d love to hear Giorgio remix some of Kylie’s older songs *hint hint* but in the meantime “Right Here Right Now” advances 6-4.  Pop radio should not be ignoring this one!

  • To get you through until Anton Ewald’s upcoming single “Higher” is released on April 7 is sexy R&B-influenced album track “Save The Last Dance” moving up 7-6.

  • Don’t understimate the power of “King” by Years & Years, as it became the new #1 song in the UK today!  It’s the only new entry in my Top 10, and I predict some great things are in store for it on my chart too.  Interscope releases it in the U.S., Polydor elsewhere.  It climbs 12-10.

Movin’ On Up

All of the songs between #9 and 17 are on the rise!

  • If there’s room for Years & Years in the charts of the world, then fellow British performer Shift K3Y could also find himself there at some point!  “I Know”, which climbs 15-11, did become a Top 30 hit in the UK last Fall but deserves international attention!

  • Suddenly, there seem to be Smashing Satellites fans all over North America, as the quartet heads to the U.S. to play some shows.  Check out the Canadian band’s impressive video for “Waterfall”, which soars 18-13.

  • The fastest riser on the chart belongs to the singer who is also at #3 with “Pieces” – Jessie Ware.  She will be headed back to North America very soon, supporting her new single “Champagne Kisses”, which vaults 23-14.

  • “Hurricane” by Lifehouse is a kick-ass rock song that has the now-trio back in fine form.  The song moves up 22-17 – look for it to break open on the chart in two weeks.

  • Adam Tyler is a busy guy – wrapping a self-directed video for “Knew You Better” (from the Shattered Ice deluxe edition release), and featuring on both The Wookie’s “The Dreamers” and the song that lifts off 27-22, “Alive” by his label mate Mi Disguise.

  • One song that will creep up and grab your attention with its simple story and sunny melody is “Memories” by Samantha Gibb (daughter of late Bee Gee Maurice), which rises 28-24.

Three High Flying Debuts

  • It’s the best song on their album The Velvet Flame, and I’ve been waiting to put it on my chart, but “Reason” (which drops off) prevailed first.  “Sacred” is Erasure at their classic best, and should fare even better in dance clubs than “Reason” as the third single release from the album.  It bows at #18 – likely because I’ve had it on repeat since I downloaded the album!

  • At #19, and continuing to win me over with every listen, is “Chasing Stars”, the moving and contagious pop/hip hop song from Canada by Corey Niles featuring Ottawa native Alex Lacasse which I wrote about recently.  This is one radio-ready song worth fawning over!

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

  • Arriving at #20 is the dance floor rave-up (begging for remixes) which I also wrote about recently, “When It Rains, It Pours”, by BILLCS chart veterans, the duo DATABOY.  Featuring producer/remixer Niko The Kid, “When It Rains” has a different sound for the guys, and it suits them to a ‘D’ 🙂

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 🙂

Listen for My New Music Pick Of The Week on D-Moos.com!

Every week I feature a New Music Pick of the Week on D-Moos, which is usually either on my chart or may soon be!  Listen in amid the great variety of older music as I bring cutting edge new music to the rotation of over 20,000+ songs!!

 

Symmetry In Motion: “What You Wanted” by @Bimmusic

BIM, “What You Wanted”

Ah the beautiful songs of UK duo Bim often leave me sighing in wonder how Becky and Tim can create them with such symmetry.  Lo and behold, the video for “What You Wanted” finds the duo almost identically dressed with two chairs in an empty room.  This is a fairly common scene with choreographed dance but not so much with a video, which allows for some creative editing – and Becky achieving a handstand!  Aside from that, “What You Wanted” tells about the inner-workings of a relationship when you want each other so much but find shortcomings with your partner.  Do you continue?  Hide your feelings?  Tell the truth?  It’s a pensive, honest story to which so many of us can relate, and the duo gives a lovely performance.  “What You Wanted” is from their new album Two, coming very soon!

Smokin’ with Emotion: “Chasing Stars” by @CoreyNiles featuring @Alex_Lacasse

COREY NILES featuring ALEX LACASSE, “Chasing Stars”

Canadian hip hop singer/songwriter Corey Niles may have just outdone himself with “Chasing Stars”.  As regular readers know, I definitely took a shine to Corey’s singles “Rollercoaster” (featuring Dru) and particularly the Top 10 “Get To Know You” (featuring Ish), both of which ended up in my Top 75 of 2014.  “Chasing Stars” is something completely different and unexpected, and Corey continues to delight in this way with each release.  My reference point for it both thematically and melodically is “Rocketeer” by Far East Movement featuring Ryan Tedder – these songs are a great pair!  But whereas Ryan’s vocal really carried that song, “Chasing Stars” has a beautiful balance of emotions happening in both Corey’s gritty raps and truly ear-turning choruses by Ottawa native Alex Lacasse (who is currently working with another one of my favourites, “The Voice”‘s Chris Jamison!) which accentuate the glorious intangible destination of the song.  Both performers complement each other and make the song sound effortless.  Plus, like “Get To Know You”, “Chasing Stars” has some of the cleanest, tighest sounding production around.  It should take no time for “Chasing Stars” to find its way around Canada and possibly beyond, so start spreading the word!  

BILLCS Top 30 #451 – February 23/15

The top of the new chart stays steady, while the rest is formed of a diversity of so many pop music genres… I like to think my tastes are well-rounded 🙂

The Top 10

https://soundcloud.com/brandynburnette/01-sleeve

  • The names are Brandyn, Reigen, and Chris, and they have a lock on the Top 3!  Brandyn Burnette’s heartwarming (and yet to be officially released) “Sleeve” will continue to have you tugging at it as it stays at #1, while “Come Back To Me” by Reigen holds steady at #2, and “Velvet” by Chris Jamison rests contentedly at #3.  So what songs below could shake the Top 3 loose perhaps even in two weeks?
  • Jessie Ware is always a good bet, as the gorgeous album track “Pieces” slips into the #4 ranking, while rocker Graham Alexander is right behind with his energetic blast called “She’s A Chameleon” up 8-5.
  • The fastest riser on the chart is accompanied by news that Giorgio Moroder will in fact be touring with Kylie Minogue this year!  Undoubtedly somewhere in the show “Right Here, Right Now” will be performed, as the first single from Giorgio’s upcoming album 24 Is The New 74 is the fastest riser for a second week, advancing 14-6!
  • Also new to the Top 10 is the song produced by John Rzeznik of Goo Goo Dolls for Canadian quintet Eleven Past One.  It’s not a single but it’s the gem from their EP The World Is Ours called “There’s Nothing Wrong”, moving up 13-10!  Here it at the Amazon link right here or on other sources like Spotify.

Movin’ On Up

  • Sam Smith’s last entry “Restart” topped out at #11, so let’s see if “Like I Can” will become the 4-time Grammy winner’s 6th Top Tenner on my chart, as the lovely “Lay Me Down” becomes his latest single.  In The Lonely Hour is the album that keeps on giving 🙂
  • Years & Years are the band to watch in 2015, and with good reason – catchy, well-performed songs like “King” from their self-titled EP!  The song climbs 19-12 on the chart.
  • Daniel Robinson’s breezy take on EDM pop, the mysterious “Moonmolt”, moves up 17-13 as the singer announced the imminent arrival of an EP called I Don’t Know How It Is, in advance of his album called Truant.
  • UK’s Shift K3Y definitely is getting around, remixing songs such as “You & I (Forever)” by Jessie Ware!  The singer rises 21-15 with the single “I Know”
  • Canadian quartet Smashing Satellites, led by striking ex-My Darkest Days singer Salvatore Costa, has one of the hardest hitting videos of 2015 so far created for their song “Waterfall”, which climbs 25-18.  Look for the band playing regularly around North America – with side trips elsewhere, who knows? – throughout the year.
  • Another hard hitting song, and a standout from his debut album, is “Riot” by Mikky Ekko, performed on TV’s David Letterman show last week.  It moves up 26-19.
  • Matt McAndrew’s “Wasted Love” has a wonderful singalong chorus, and the runner-up contestant on Season 7 of “The Voice” climbs 27-21.  Look for Season 8 of “The Voice” starting Monday February 23 (recent Grammy winner Christina Aguilera returns).
  • Lifehouse’s “Hurricane” climbs 28-22 but I think the song will let loose everywhere in the coming weeks.  Watch out!

4 Debuts

  • Why it’s Jessie Ware again!  And while the video is a tad, urhm, unconventional, the song is brilliant.  “Champagne Kisses” is one of my faves from Tough Love and bows at #23, likely to join “Pieces” in the Top 10 at some point.
  • It’s taken a little while longer than usual to hear what a brillo song that 19 year old DJ/producer Mi Disguise (aka Louie Garcia) and BILLCS chart fave Adam Tyler have created with “Alive”.  I did write about it a while back in September, but it’s finally debuted on the chart at #27.
  • Samantha Gibb, she of the famous last name as daughter of The Bee Gees’ Maurice, premieres on the chart with her sunny and reflective “Memories” at #28.
  • It’s kind of strange how my fellow Torontonian The Weeknd (aka 25 year old Abel Tesfaye) had yet to appear on my chart until now, but his song from “50 Shades Of Grey” called “Earned It” is a dramatic stunner with a compelling vocal that I bet will land him a Grammy nomination.  The song is already a Top 5 UK hit (a good sign), and arrives on my chart at #29.  Fellow “50 Shades” performer Ellie Goulding did appear on my chart in 2012 with her free download cover of The Weeknd’s “High For This”, the original of which you can find on his House Of Balloons album.

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 🙂

Listen for My New Music Pick Of The Week on D-Moos.com!

Every week I feature a New Music Pick of the Week on D-Moos, which is usually either on my chart or may soon be!  Listen in amid the great variety of older music as I bring cutting edge new music to the rotation of over 20,000+ songs!!

 

 

More Fun Times Ahead with @MattandKim: “Get It” and “Hey Now”

MATT AND KIM, “Get It” and “Hey Now”

A grand time (pun intended) will be had by one and all in 2015 with the return of Matt and Kim with their fifth album New Glow.  Which means more concerts, and expecting the unexpected (I think with the last tour they used up a city’s worth of balloons!).  Amid the unexpected is what you would expect:  Short, unique and energetic songs, with New Glow initiated by “Get It” and “Hey Now”.  The video for “Hey Now” (above – and Kim has already commented on Facebook on where the ‘play’ icon is 😛 ) on their Brooklyn turf just shows what a blast these two have together even without their keyboard and drums, and the song’s affectionate lyrics will make you smile.  And if you’ve never experienced a Matt and Kim concert then the lyric video for “Get It” (below) should be an easy sell for you.  Catch them on their upcoming tour before it sells out.

Matt and Kim play the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto on Monday, May 18, and I will be there, again!

For Keeps: “Memories” by Samantha Gibb (@samigreenbean)

SAMANTHA GIBB, “Memories”

The legendary Gibb family (Barry, Robin, Maurice, Andy) continues with an entirely different sound courtesy of Maurice’s daughter Samantha with “Memories”.  Late last year I brought to your attention her promising song “Wild At Heart”, and keeping on the same folk-flavoured pop tip is “Memories”, with its simple and joyous message about making sure you create the memories to document and hold dear in the succeeding years.  Lord knows Samantha must have fantastic memories, though she arrived after The Bee Gees’ huge impact on the 1970’s had already occurred.  Nevertheless, that allows her to develop her own music uniquely, and even though I mentioned a similar comparison in my post about “Wild At Heart”, there’s no denying that “Memories” has the same flow and spirit of Sheryl Crow’s 2002 hit “Soak Up The Sun”.  And while the 90’s may be coming into fashion now, there’s no denying that music of the current millennium is already influencing singers age 25+, making it all sound fresh again, not uncommon with revivals of sorts.  Watch the light-hearted video above and pick up Samantha Gibb’s “Memories” on iTunes.

Hiphopology: Toronto Trio @BADBADNOTGOOD Meets @GhostfaceKillah for “Sour Soul”

BADBADNOTGOOD & GHOSTFACE KILLAH, Sour Soul

It is perhaps one of the most unique collaborations you will hear in this or any year.  Sour Soul is the short album brought to you by Toronto rock/hip hop instrumentalists BADBADNOTGOOD (BBNG) and former Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah, who has gone on to be a respected and sought-after soloist in his own right these last two decades.  Sour Soul (due for release February 23) is BBNG’s fourth album in so many years, and their love for hip hop music through their live performances has won them the admiration of the rock and R&B/hip hop communities.  So while an album with someone like Ghostface Killah might seem a no brainer, it’s still quite exciting to see that it all came together so successfully.  It actually takes rap and hip hop back before the mid-1990’s, before all of the ubiquitous ‘featuring [insert rapper]’ billings took place.  Run-DMC re-recorded “Walk This Way” with Aerosmith, The Beastie Boys brought punk sensabilities to their rap/hip hop style, Public Enemy re-recorded “Bring The Noise” with Anthrax, and LL Cool J rocked out with “Mama Said Knock You Out”.  It makes you wonder what would have happened if a well-known rapper, say like LL Cool J, had worked with a band like BBNG, who specialize in larger-than-life cinemascopes in their instrumentals, and how the storytelling might have made a different impact.  In 2015, BBNG and Ghostface Killah are preaching to the converted who are starving for this kind of powerful originality.  It’s hard to pick out a standout song, because they all flow so well, but start with “Ray Gun” (above), “Six Degrees”, “Gunshowers”, and “Street Knowledge”.  Look for Sour Soul to be much imitated and revered in the coming years.