Buffalo NY native Stacy Clark has a classic pop voice that can move seamlessly through whatever style she chooses. And she puts that to the test with her latest album Symmetry, which works well as an overall package despite starting off with 1/3 EDM pop and then moving to 2/3 singer/songwriter sometimes jazz-influenced folk/pop. Think of Sheryl Crow secretly wanting to perform EDM or Robyn tapping into folk/pop roots, with results as a fine companion to the latest by Regina Spektor and you have the idea. “Figured It Out” is easily the best choice as a lead single from Symmetry, with an interesting video (below) with a twist to its story. “Sign”, “Breathe”, and “Decimals and Music Notes” showcase Stacy’s songwriting skills and a more subdued style. A bonus is having help from Plain White T’s Tom Higgenson on “Make A Move” and Jack’s Mannequin’s Andrew McMahon on “Everything’s Changing”. Overall, Symmetry is a diverse 14 song record that deserves attention. You can get it now on iTunes and listen to the songs throughHarbour Recordings’ Soundcloud page.
Canadian singer/producer Cugini marries a unique blend of EDM and Hip Hop along with pop/rock in his songs, though on his Facebook page he calls it S.P.E.C.H (Sexy Punk Electro Contemporary HipHop). This came across impressively and confidently in concert when he opened for Mike Tompkins on August 10 in Toronto. Though other songs skew a more dance club friendly pop-oriented sound, Cugini (aka Adam Bertucci, along with vocalist Paul-luca “Pauly” Canzio) delivers a slamming, deep and dirty style on his second single “Activity”, which draws happily from the likes of Skrillex and Eminem as it does from post-grunge rock, and a comparison to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis is not unworthy. Watch for an EP sometime this Fall from Cugini.
The vacation season is almost as busy as being at work, though with Robin Williams’ passing last night it didn’t seem appropriate to post anything amid the sadness.
But on we go, to a new personal chart with six new contenders premiering, four of which I’ve already written about!
The Top 10
My Top 2 songs stay the same. House Rockerz/Davis Redfield/Carl Man continue to light up the chart with “Electrify The Night” at #1, while former #1 Tristan Thompson hangs at #2 with “Tidal Wave”. Tristan’s coming to Toronto for a benefit performance in a few weeks so I’ll keep you posted on that!
Eyeing the top spot for two weeks from now is the brilliant pairing of Sweden’s Anton Ewald with Denmark’s Medina on “This Could Be Something”, from Anton’s EP On My Way. There’s truly international potential for this one, hopefully it can still break out of the Nordic countries!
New to the Top 5 at #5 is Finland’s Hannis with her europop/dubstep beauty, “Time Has Come”, one of the most different and alluring songs of 2014.
Charli XCX’s “Boom Clap” from “The Fault In Our Stars” appears to be headed for #1 in many places around the world and will become one of 2014’s defining pop songs. It climbs to #7 this week. It might be the best song Roxette never wrote! *Hums “Joyride*
The fastest riser once again on the chart is no stranger to that accolade, Bright Light Bright Light, with “I Believe” from his new album Life Is Easy, climbing 16-8. “An Open Heart”, which got to #1 earlier in the year on my chart through its appearance on the In Your Care EP, will be the next official single release from the album. Woooohoooo!
I’m so torn between two or three other songs from the Deluxe Edition of Shattered Ice that another Adam Tyler song will have to wait for two more weeks to appear on the chart. In the meantime, leading the way is the single “Knew You Better” – love all of the Madonna-ish French dialogue – rising 13-9.
Right behind, after releasing his Deluxe Edition of The Stories That Occurred last week on iTunes, is Sam Dickinson, receiving his second Top 10 placing on this chart with “When You Left Me”, moving up 14-10.
Movin’ On Up
A bit of a log jam happening for some fine songs, with a couple of last chart’s debuts making headway and looking to climb more in the next few weeks!
“Ten Feet Tall”, the affecting collaboration by Afrojack and Wrabel, climbs 20-13 – does anyone else think the melody sounds a bit like Marc Cohn’s “Walking In Memphis” at times?
Despite its title, “No Fun” by The Presets is indeed a fun, funky, grooving ride, full of great effects and a fine vocal. It rises 21-14.
Zorro Blakk’s second chart entry, the bouncy “Big City Girls (Don’t Fall In Love With Small Town Boys)”, continues to move up after “Good News (For People Who Love Bad News)” peaked at #7 on the last chart. “Big City Girls” jumps 18-15.
Look for “Stranger” by Chris Malinchak featuring Mikky Ekko (22-18), “Music Gods” by Davis Redfield featuring Carl Man (23-19), and “Love In The 21st Century” by Neon Trees (25-20) to break out more in two weeks.
A Half Dozen New Arrivals
Sam Smith’s “I’m Not The Only One” debuts at #22. It wasn’t what I expected as a follow up single to “Stay With Me” but it could do as well on the charts. It’s also accompanied by a terrific and sometimes hard-to-watch video featuring “Glee”‘s Dianna Agron. Give it a watch at the top of the post.
Corey Niles has his second chart entry with a rollicking slice of hip hop/pop, “Get To Know You”, featuring fellow Toronto rapper Ish. It bows at #25.
It’s all about the hook and Brandyn Burnette knows how to write ’em. It takes a couple of listens but “Thanks For Nothing” is a no-brainer winner. It arrives at #26.
Remember those times spent with friends and rocking out to your favourite performers? Eli Lieb makes it an emotional memory fest with “Zeppelin” at #27.
Talented Knoxville TN-based newcomer Lyonn arrives with “Just Say Hello” at #28 from his EP Promenade. Huge thumbs up for the adorable and sincere accompanying video.
All of a sudden 5SOS are one of the biggest bands in the world. The Aussie quartet lands on the chart for a second time as “She Looks So Perfect” exits with the pretty pop/rock ballad “Amnesia” at #29.
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.
01 01 ELECTRIFY THE NIGHT House Rockerz featuring Davis Redfield & Carl Man 02 02 TIDAL WAVE Tristan Thompson 05 03 THIS COULD BE SOMETHING Anton Ewald featuring Medina 04 04 LITTLE ME (Steve Smart & Wildfunk radio edit) Little Mix 06 05 TIME HAS COME Hannis 03 06 TELL IT TO MY HEART Jason Walker featuring Bimbo Jones 08 07 BOOM CLAP Charli XCX 16 08 I BELIEVE Bright Light Bright Light 13 09 KNEW YOU BETTER Adam Tyler 14 10 WHEN YOU LEFT ME Sam Dickinson 07 11 GOOD NEWS (FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE BAD NEWS) Zorro Blakk featuring Deniz Olivieri 12 12 MIRACLE E-Mute 20 13 TEN FEET TALL Afrojack featuring Wrabel 21 14 NO FUN The Presets 18 15 BIG CITY GIRLS (DON’T FALL IN LOVE WITH SMALL TOWN BOYS) Zorro Blakk 17 16 YOUR LOVE FADES AWAY Simone Denny 19 17 TRUST IT Nick Hagelin 22 18 STRANGER Chris Malinchak featuring Mikky Ekko 23 19 MUSIC GODS Davis Redfield featuring Carl Man 25 20 LOVE IN THE 21ST CENTURY Neon Trees 09 21 HEY I DON’T KNOW Kongos New 22 I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE Sam Smith 10 23 STAY WITH ME Sam Smith 11 24 THE DAY YOU LEFT Convulsic New 25 GET TO KNOW YOU Corey Niles featuring Ish New 26 THANKS FOR NOTHING Brandyn Burnett New 27 ZEPPELIN Eli Lieb New 28 JUST SAY HELLO Lyonn New 29 AMNESIA 5 Seconds Of Summer 24 30 BACK HOME Andy Grammer
Listen for My New Music Pick Of The Week onD-Moos.com!
As many of you are already aware, after many years away from the microphone, I am now pleased to be back as a voice onD-Moos.com Canada’s National Internet Radio Station, which mainly plays a selection of oldies, mostly from the 50’s to the 90’s, with soon to be more intrusions from the 2000’s and other new music.
Do listen in for my New Music Pick of the Week feature onD-Moos.com8 times per day starting at 2:05 AM EST on Mondays, and while the station is only live in the evenings from 9:00 pm to midnight (with my long-time musical partner in crime “The Musicman” James Rogers), you can hear my voice at other odd times, particularly if you’re an oldies loving night owl on the weekend overnights 🙂
DAVE AUDE featuring ANDY BELL, “Aftermath (Here We Go)”
I was thrilled to find out this summer that Erasure is back not only on record with The Violet Flame in September, but shortly after its release, they will be touring and making a stop in my city *tickets bought*… I first saw them in 1986 and last (of five times, I think) in 2011!! So first on deck we have “Elevation” (ab0ve), a sparkling mid-tempo song which takes us back to their mid-90’s songs such as “Always” courtesy of glistening Richard X production. It’s going to sound great in concert! Next up is a US club #1 for “Aftermath (Here We Go)” (below), and if this was a radio era like 20 years ago, you’d be hearing it to death everywhere. Truly, this song has HIT written all over it and shouldn’t be overlooked. Dave Audé clearly put his Erasure inspiration hat on and gives us one of Andy’s best recent vocals (and Andy’s looking wonderfully fit in the video as ever). At times it sounds so much like Erasure that even hardcore Erasure fans wouldn’t know! The last quarter of 2014 looks to bring us great music and shows from Erasure and maybe even more songs from Andy given the success of “Aftermath”.
I must say that it was with “Killer Whales” that Smallpools caught my attention when they opened for Neon Trees last month in Toronto, so I’m glad to see it appear so soon after. Very clever these guys, incorporating an unlikely phrase as not only lyrics in their song but as the title! Smallpools is led by singer/songwriter Sean Scanlon, and “Killer Whales” is really a bright and shiny alt.pop song about trying to figure out a relationship where the girl keeps disappearing only to of course reappear. It’s the lead song from the tight and personable L.A.-based quartet’s upcoming second release, and you can get it for free by subscribing to their email list using the link below the song above. Smallpools is keeping busy on another mid-west/west USA/Canada tour with Magic Man and Panama Wedding, so make sure you get out to see them.
“Riot” is a complete change of pace from SVE’s previous single, the powerful and languid dark ballad “Talking To The Walls” (which reached #18 on my personal chart earlier in the year). This talented NYC-based singer shows here that she can compete with women on the commercial pop spectrum such as Sia, Kesha and Katy Perry! Beautifully produced, it zeroes in on how strong SVE’s natural and high-ranging can sound in an EDM-flavoured uptempo setting while incorporating many melodic changes to shake up the mix and keep you listening. It’s not going to take long for the music world to recognize that SVE should be heading places. Oh, and I hope a dance mix might be forthcoming! 🙂
I’m a tad late due to vacationing in New York City but there’s plenty brewing on the new chart that’s of interest!!
Fancy That, Another New #1
It’s probably one of the more obscure songs to top my chart, but you owe it to yourself to check out “Electrify The Night” by House Rockerz, Davis Redfield and vocalist Carl Man below. It’s one energetic romp with great lyrics that will connect to the music lover and club goer inside you 🙂 Right now, I’m only aware of it being available on a European dance compilation “House Rockerz – Feiern ist wichtig! Vol. 2” released by Kontor Records.
The Rest of the Top 10
That clever, swirling Steve Smart & Wildfunk remix of “Little Me” by Little Mix finds its way to the dance-filled Top 5 at #4!
I’m hoping that the fun “This Could Be Something” by Sweden’s Anton Ewald and Denmark’s Medina finds its way to international clubs and radio, it’s too irresistible to pass up. It climbs 9 to 5 🙂 Watch the video right here! I don’t know why it can’t be made available on You Tube or Vevo…
The last chart’s fastest riser, “Time Has Come” by Finland’s Hannis, makes another big bold move 13-6, and should find itself easily in the Top 5 in two weeks.
“Good News (For People Who Love Bad News)” (below) takes Zorro Blakk & fellow vocalist Deniz Olivieri to a new peak of #7! El Zorro is also moving up the chart further down with “Big City Girls (Don’t Fall In Love With Small Town Boys)” at #18 as well!
Also new to the Top 10 are Charli XCX’s soon-to-be-seminal-summer-song “Boom Clap” at #8, and Kongos’ rollicking “Hey I Don’t Know” at #9 🙂
Movin’ On Up
UK alt.rock performer E-Mute’s intense, rocking “Miracle” climbs up a few more notches to #12!
Don’t be surprised if more songs from Adam Tyler’s deluxe edition of Shattered Ice start appearing on the chart soon! In the meantime, “Knew You Better” continues to rise up 18-13.
Sam Dickinson’s deluxe edition of The Stories That Occurred is coming soon, and just ahead of that is the classic-sounding “When You Left Me”, moving up the chart 19-14.
The fastest riser on the chart is no surprise at all, “I Believe” (27-16), the new single by Bright Light Bright Light from his album Life Is Easy. North American audiences will now be able to see Bright Light Bright Light open for Elton John on select dates 😀
We should see Simone Denny’s new album The Stereo Dynamite Sessions Volume One later in the year, but for now enjoy the change of pace for her with the torch ballad “Your Love Fades Away”, climbing 20-17. It’s available on iTunes.
Two of the three performers at #1 this week have their own collaboration jumping up 28-23 – “Music Gods” by Davis Redfield and UK singer Carl Man. This one’s available on iTunes.
New to the Chart
I’ve written about all three recently, so that’s always a good sign for songs to start appearing on the chart 🙂
Dutch producer/DJ Afrojack and American singer/songwriter (Stephen) Wrabel collaborate on “Ten Feet Tall”, bowing at #20, it’s gorgeous and affecting lyrical dance-pop which I still think you will hear soon on your local Top 40 radio station.
“No Fun” by Australian duo The Presets is more fun than a lot of songs you will hear right now. It’s got a great playful funky groove to it that’s different from the lads’ last efforts, while retaining the big stadium-like anthemic feel of many of their songs. It arrives at #21 as a single available on iTunes.
Another slice of funky business, early 80’s style, is “Stranger” by New York producer/DJ Chris Malinchak, pairing up with versatile Mikky Ekko, who has never sounded so soulful. It debuts at #22.
The full chart can be found further down the page…
Listen for My New Music Pick Of The Week onD-Moos.com!
As many of you are already aware, after many years away from the microphone, I am now pleased to be back as a voice on D-Moos.comCanada’s National Internet Radio Station, which mainly plays a selection of oldies, mostly from the 50’s to the 90’s, with soon to be more intrusions from the 2000’s and other new music.
Do listen in for my New Music Pick of the Week feature onD-Moos.com8 times per day starting at 2:05 AM EST on Mondays, and while the station is only live in the evenings from 9:00 pm to midnight (with my long-time musical partner in crime “The Musicman” James Rogers), you can hear my voice at other odd times, particularly if you’re an oldies loving night owl on the weekend overnights 🙂
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.
02 01 ELECTRIFY THE NIGHT House Rockerz featuring Davis Redfield & Carl Man 01 02 TIDAL WAVE Tristan Thompson 03 03 TELL IT TO MY HEART Jason Walker featuring Bimbo Jones 06 04 LITTLE ME (Steve Smart & Wildfunk radio edit) Little Mix 09 05 THIS COULD BE SOMETHING Anton Ewald featuring Medina 13 06 TIME HAS COME Hannis 08 07 GOOD NEWS (FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE BAD NEWS) Zorro Blakk featuring Deniz Olivieri 11 08 BOOM CLAP Charli XCX 12 09 HEY I DON’T KNOW Kongos 04 10 STAY WITH ME Sam Smith 07 11 THE DAY YOU LEFT Convulsic 14 12 MIRACLE E-Mute 18 13 KNEW YOU BETTER Adam Tyler 19 14 WHEN YOU LEFT ME Sam Dickinson 05 15 PROXY Martin Garrix 27 16 I BELIEVE Bright Light Bright Light 20 17 YOUR LOVE FADES AWAY Simone Denny 23 18 BIG CITY GIRLS (DON’T FALL IN LOVE WITH SMALL TOWN BOYS) Zorro Blakk 21 19 TRUST IT Nick Hagelin New 20 TEN FEET TALL Afrojack featuring Wrabel New 21 NO FUN The Presets New 22 STRANGER Chris Malinchak featuring Mikky Ekko 28 23 MUSIC GODS Davis Redfield featuring Carl Man 10 24 BACK HOME Andy Grammer 29 25 LOVE IN THE 21ST CENTURY Neon Trees 15 26 NOT IN THAT WAY Sam Smith 17 27 TEENAGER IN LOVE Neon Trees 22 28 ME AND MY BROKEN HEART Rixton 16 29 THIS IS DIRTY DVBBS & MOTi 26 30 SHE LOOKS SO PERFECT 5 Seconds Of Summer
WRABEL, “Into The Wild” and “Ten Feet Tall” (with Afrojack)
25 year old New York native Stephen Wrabel is following a similar path of fellow New Yorker Matthew Koma. Wrabel is connecting with audiences as the voice behind Afrojack’s “Ten Feet Tall”, already a Top 20 hit in the UK and the Netherlands, and prominently featured in a Budwiser ad during Super Bowl. To me, “Ten Feet Tall” is 2014’s “Don’t You Worry Child” or “Clarity”, an uptempo emotional ballad that will endure long after it leaves the charts, and largely because of Wrabel’s affecting vocal. And you can tell that Wrabel goes way beyond this song by checking out songs from his debut EP for Island called Sideways, including the softer version of “Ten Feet Tall”. “Into The Wild” (co-written with Drew Pearson and the amazing Dan Black) in particular showcases his high range and there is no question that his identifiable voice and songwriting style will serve him well on his forthcoming album, due later this year. Listen to “Into The Wild” below and check out the lyric video for “Ten Feet Tall”.
Following 2012’s album Pacifica and the single “Goodbye Future” from earlier this year, “No Fun” could be one of the best and most anthemic songs yet from Australian electronic music duo The Presets. The single was launched by a “cube” video – six videos all in one directed by Barnaby Roper, which you can purchase on Google Play. I have not yet seen the cube project, but it was quickly followed by a video surrounding two protagonists, stories of which are apparently part of the cube. So we have a dancer venting in the streets of L.A. while a young woman has a trippy bath, and somehow the images of the two merge. The song itself is a funk-laced club banger, an anthem that Presets fans all over the world will have vocalize at the band’s intense live shows. Let’s hope there’s more to come like this from Jules and Kim – because “No Fun” quite frankly is a whole lot of fun in my books!
I was pleased to see another video surface by the talented River Tiber (aka masterful multi-instrumentalist and videographer Tommy Paxton-Beesley). “Prophets” was initially heard on the now-unavailable free download album Synapses, one of my favourites from last year, and I’ve heard it a few times in concert too. As EP’s and singles slowly resurface of songs from that album, I think we will see it reissued or reshaped for release later in the year. In any case, the video for “Prophets” is definitely a weird dreamscape of images which could all be connected to each other, or mean something important, as the title characters of the song might imply. The repeated images glide along with the variety of electronic movements within the song, and though the video gets to be a bit much towards the end of “Prophets”, it’s certainly memorable. Get it on iTunes (I’ve also read that a 7″ vinyl might be forthcoming).
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