I always pay attention to Disney and Nickelodeon TV network talent that often seems trapped within the confines established by their TV show. The Jonas Brothers sure are one, Zac Efron was one, Ross Lynch of “Austin & Ally” (about whom I’ve written) is another. Now that her TV show “Shake It Up” is seeing an end after three seasons, 17 year old Californian Zendaya Coleman is branching off into a slick and confident style that I really like – 1 part Janet Jackson, another part Jordin Sparks, another part Ciara – and all heavily influenced by Michael Jackson. You can’t fault any of those. “Replay” packs a lot of punch and power, yet has an affecting emotional side that doesn’t always match with an uptempo melody and chorus in other songs. And you wouldn’t think Rocky Blu would have quite the voice that Zendaya has. I was pleased to see her show in Toronto last week, where she basically stole it from R5 with her hour set. Her Twitter fans liked my tweets from the concert which made my timeline quite busy that day. Zendaya and her self-titled upcoming album are well worth the price of admission for both your ears as well as your mind and feet too.
THIS BEAT IS… POPTRONIK! VOLUME TWO (Various Artists)
In April 2012, upon release of Volume One of This Beat Is… Poptronik!, I got so excited about the amazing songs within that I said it reinvented and created a template for dance compilations to come. True to that, Raj Rudolph of EQ Music Blog has once again put together (and this time released independently) an extremely entertaining selection of electronica, Europop, and danceable pop/rock that beckons immediate response.
I was only familiar with six of the songs within which all saw previous release.
It’s quite a coup for a song by the abundantly talented FrankMusik to be included – even more special when it’s my favourite from his Between album, “Map”, which got to #1 on my chart.
Also we have recent charters Parralox featuring Ryan Adamés (both of whom Raj manages) with their grower of a cover of “Silent Morning”, and Adam Tyler’s sinewy “Fade Into The Light”.
Like Parralox and Adam, Killian Wells returns to Volume Two with his fun and sunny “It’s Like That”(hilarious video too), as does SIRPAUL with the gorgeous “Glow”.
Even Mr. Cherry Cherry Boom Boom himself joins in with his Billboard Dance Club Play hit “One and Only” in the bouncy Dave Aude remix.
Of the songs I didn’t know, I have some new faves and others to earmark for multiple listens:
You know the name Jennifer Paige, the American singer responsible for the Top 5 1998 hit “Crush” and a dance club hit the next year, “Always You”. A few years back she formed a band with singer/songwriter/producer Coury Palermo called The Fury. They have since renamed themselves Paige & Palermo and their song “Belong”, a midtempo pop/dance number, is one of the key attractions on Poptronik!
LA singer Kaden James just toppled Pet Shop Boys from #1 on my chart with “Black Light”. Another song from the same songwriting team is included here, the propulsive and thought-provoking “Fuel For The Machine”.
Italy’s Osvaldo Supino just arrived on my chart with “Ma Radio”, and from the same folks we have some lovely and quietly bold danceable pop in the form of “I Have A Name”.
“Super DJ” by Smith & Thell, “Cut The Cord” by Aron Scott featuring Glorious Inc., and the titular “This Beat Is Poptronik” by Marc Lime & K. Bastian featuring Little Neve White (up top) could all score in dance clubs because of outstanding vocals and irresistible choruses.
A comp that includes songs by Carmen Electra and ex-Pussycat Doll Jessica Sutta?? Save any prospective shudders, these are terrific, sexy choices to inject into the mix with “I Like It Loud” and “Again” (below) respectively. Very pleasantly surprised at these!
Dutch singer Tao Hypah brought the unforgettable “Celeb” to the Volume One party last year, and this year “Night To Remember” helps crank it up.
Fans of Dangerous Muse may wish to check out their submission called “I Can’t Help It” among a lot of other really strong songs.
Finally, one song that is a ‘sleeper’ that I find particularly noteworthy in a sunny California highway cruising kind of way (even before you watch the video) is “I Remember” by Nick Pes. Breezy, wistful dance pop as we head into Autumn.
All in all, 24 songs to keep your summer parties going well into … beyond! You can’t go wrong with This Beat Is…Poptronik Volume Two. To throw back to those good ol’ disco days, it just makes you want more, more, more, so just dance, dance, dance 🙂 Ain’t nuthin’ wrong with that!! 🙂
This edition of my chart blog post is slightly more abridged than usual, focusing on the songs in the Top 10 and making the fastest gains 🙂
I warned all of you folks for months on end, and then it happened in July: “Black Light” by Kaden was released, and it has now popped the top off the lid of my chart, sending the beloved “Vocal” by Pet Shop Boys to #2. Congrats to Kaden and also to Charlie Mason, Stormby, Ninthwave Records, and the host of wonderful songwriters on their first #1 🙂 It’s gonna be hard to dislodge for a while…
No slouch he, that winning singer/songwriter Ryan Adamés, whose interpretation of Justin Bieber & Big Sean’s “As Long As You Love Me” has handily secured third place on the chart (video below). You can still get it for free by liking Ryan’s Facebook page.
Like my last favourite by her, “Timebomb”, Kylie Minogue’s “Skirt” has been big in Australia (natch) and on Billboard’s Dance Club Play chart, and it zips into the Top 5 in these parts.
Readying to play more gigs, NYC’s Andy Suzuki & The Method show that their pop/rock has endurance, as “Dirty Floors” moves up to #8.
FrankMusik scores his 4th Top 10 placing on my chart from the Between album with “Life (Is My Revenge)” at #10, as the singer prepares to release the double-header Between Us in a few weeks.
Lawson & B.o.B.’s “Brokenhearted” grabs #9 this week (video below), perfect timing when I am about to see them perform on Friday again as they premiered their next single ‘Juliet” – due for official UK release in October – last week (listen below). And that show is opened again by Toronto’s Neverest, who have the fastest riser on the chart with the totally engaging “Rewind” at #15 (action-filled video below).
You can view the full Top 30 using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can click right here. You can hear all of the songs on the chart or watch their videos by clicking on the pics on the chart page. Any free downloads that are identified are sanctioned by the performer. There’s always a tiny place at the bottom of the blog post with tags and the statement “Leave A Comment” – please feel free to do so
“Winning Ground” by Eric Saade (video below) has been taking its time building on my chart, but it’s now up to #19 as his new album Forgive Me is launched this week. Can’t wait to hear his new songs! The album consists of the Coming Home EP, plus “Winning Ground”, “Miss Unknown”, “Marching (In The Name Of Love)”, and new tunes.
Once it sees official release, “What’s Going On” by Monsieur Adi featuring A*M*E will tear up the club charts and perhaps leave an impression at UK radio. It climbs to #22.
Natalia Kills’ new album Trouble is already getting rave reviews, and the Kat Krazy remix of “Problem” continues to score on my chart, landing at #23.
It’s no surprise thatLady GaGa’s totally gangbusters “Applause”arrives at #20 on the chart. It’s her first appearance on the chart since late 2011’s “Marry The Night”, and coincidentally hits the chart almost 5 years to the day that “Just Dance” debuted (we had dibs on the latter song first here in Canada, folks, even she will tell you that!).
And the last entry on the chart begins like the first one.I gave you a warning a few weeks back that Italy’s Osvaldo Supino had a boombox that was a major fun force to be reckoned with. So it’s fitting that his crunchy “Ma Radio” arrives on the chart at #30 to keep us a-moving as we head into Fall.
I’ve said it before, but I rarely find a cover version of a song that I like better than the original. One of the songs I’ve chosen about I DO like better than the original. With others, I admire creativity and interpretation, and two choices today are smart mashups.
ADAKU, “Is This Love Song”
I’ve introduced you to Nigerian-born American alternative R&B singer Adaku before, with her two classy originals“Or You Can” (and its lovely video)and the provocative“Silent Treatment”. This time the singer shifts to her sparkling high register for “Is This Love Song” – which is two parts The Cure’s biggest hit “Lovesong” (though youngin’s will know it better as recorded by Adele on 21) and one part Bob Marley’s “Is This Love”. Set to the melody of the former, the mashup is simply killer, and we get to see Adaku singing as herself this time in the accompanying video. Expect the unexpected for this well thought out winner. Watch below andyou can download it for free right here. Adaku’s debut album, titled PLASMA, is anticipated later this year.
CASEY STRATTON, “Crossfire”
Casey Stratton is a wonderful singer/songwriter with a huge, prolific repertoire. So it was a pleasant surprise for him to dig back into his own archive, from just a few years back, to offer us his rendition of Brandon Flowers’ solo hit “Crossfire” as a free download right here. Casey pretty much leaves well enough alone and lets the song bask in its own glory (the original got to #1 on my personal chart too in 2010), but he delves into the emotional side, making the chorus and other parts of the song much more affecting than the original. Be sure to check out what else Casey has to offer in his body of work in hisonline store right here. “Crossfire” is a terrific choice – listen below c/o Popservations blog.
CLEO SOL, “Teardrop”
Cleo Sol is a relatively new British singer of Serbian, Spanish, and Jamaican heritage, which makes for a huge jumping off point stylistically for her songs. She’s had some success in her native country with her fusion of R&B, rap, jazz and funk, so “Teardrop” takes a few steps away from all of that to showcase her singing in a slightly different way. It’s a slick adaptation of Massive Attack’s classic chilled-out 90’s song that gets interpolated with verses and melody of The Verve’s 1997 worldwide hit “Bittersweet Symphony”. Hardly what you might expect, but it gels beautifully. It’s also a free download which you can hear and save below.
STEVE (STARCHILD), “You And I”
The world has recently got to know Steve (Starchild) much better as Country singer Steve Grand with his viral hit “All American Boy”, which essentially was his coming out song/video. I don’t gravitate very well to country music, so “All American Boy” has not resonated with me, though I’m thrilled that the singer has got some well-deserved new fans, and he seems like a genuinely thankful and earnest guy. A fellow music buff (and major Steve Grand fan) posted Steve’s video for his cover of Lady GaGa’s “You And I” on a message board where I am an administrator that is just pre-Steve Grand. All you need to do is watch this explosive performance to hear the oodles of talent that Steve obviously has. I don’t just like it better than GaGa’s original (not one of her better songs, to me), I LOVE IT and am so glad I get to hear another side of Steve Grand even if it is in the recent past. Judge for yourself, but “All American Boy” is only Steve Grand’s ticket into the game; now that he’s there I’m gonna watch and see how this talent gets unleashed. And if he can stay as earthy and true to his fans, there is no limit 🙂
There’s very little that I like better in the world of music than a record that is full of ambition and is obviously a labour of love. Much-praised Australian duo Parralox (aka electronics whiz John von Ahlen and singer Amii Jackson) recorded Recovery over two years ago, but as the 1980’s move further away, it’s probably better to be released now (available on iTunes), especially with new and notable releases this year by Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode, who have toured and/or are touring (as well as New Order). Parralox tackles songs by all of them – three by Depeche Mode, one by New Order and its predecessor Joy Division – as well as a most curious and intriguing gamut of 18 pop/new wave/dance tunes from the early 80’s through to the early 90’s, some hits or dance club hits, and others more on the fringe.
For those of you who know Parralox’s recent work, such as “Hotter” (from This Beat Is… Poptronik Volume One) and “Silent Morning”, the supurb cover of the Noel 80’s freestyle and pop hit (also to be included on This Beat Is… Poptronik Volume Two), you are likely more familiar with Amii’s Gwen Stefani-meets-Madonna voice. She has additional shining moments on Recovery, bringing a new human dimension minus the robotix on Kraftwerk’s “The Model”; a bang on ready-for-clubs rendition of Madonna’s “Physical Attraction”; a synth-washed pop version of Depeche Mode’s “Somebody”; and a straight forward take on ABBA’s “The Day Before You Came”, as well as harmonies on some songs.
Most of the rest of the album is John’s baby. He’s brazen enough to offer up radio-ready “Eye In The Sky”, originally by The Alan Parsons Project and the biggest “hit” within, with eerie Eric Woolfson-like vocalizing, and it will be the next single from the album. He pulls some great 80s electropop out of storage, creating beautiful new synth sounds for Blancmange’s “Blind Vision” (who also recorded a much droller and different version of “The Day Before You Came” on the same album, Mange Tout); a dance floor feeding frenzy in the 7 minute + cover of Sparks’ “Number One Song In Heaven” (which original producer Giorgio Moroder has recently praised, take that!!); a more accessible reinterpretation of Front 242’s industrial dance hit “Headhunter”, to me the best song on the album (listen below – wait for that whip to crack!), with vocals as if Dave Gahan joined forces with Blancmange’s Neil Arthur; a strong version of Depeche Mode’s recent hit “Heaven” that was made available on You Tube this Spring; and a bold, proud version of DM’s “Black Celebration” which opens the album as the perfect lead in.
Other successes on their own terms are covers of lesser known songs, such as The Cure’s early “A Forest”, The Human League’s “I Love You Too Much” (from the Hysteria album), Pet Shop Boys’ “In The Night Two” (which was the B-side to PSB’s 80’s hit “Opportunities”), and Australian act Q Lazzarus’ “Goodbye Horses”, which some of you may know better from a mid-90s cover by Canadian group Psyche.
A record of 18 songs does not go without its missteps, and I give full credit to Parralox for their creativity and insight into these songs, but they would be the reworks of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, New Order’s “Touched By The Hand Of God”, and DAF’s “Kebabträume” – the latter is not my cuppa, and I’m way too attached to the originals of the former two. All in all, though, you can lock me up in a room anytime with a host of Parralox covers and while I might not know what to expect next, I will be totally, and enthusiastically, engaged 🙂
I first heard it almost 8 months ago, and it remains as one of my favourite songs from one of the most consistently interesting and progressive electronic rock albums of 2013, reaching #1 on my personal chart for a month back in the winter. “The City” by Toronto’s River Tiber from the initially free downloadable album Synapses, now has a video to accompany its sparse, intricate vocals, instrumentation, and melodies.
The video has surfaced because Synapses is about to see official USA release. It captures the romantic nighttime beauty of my city, Toronto, as well as the longing and forlorn feelings that the song conjures up from within. While I’m not sure what levitating on a soccer field and all of the various triangles represent in the video, I’m pleased to see all this happening for singer/multi-instrumentalist/video director Tommy Paxton-Beesley who at 22, and with a smart quietness about him, has a very bright future ahead. “The City” is one song ticket that will help him get there. Online press fromSPIN magazine today no less is a sign!
While GaGa certainly doesn’t need my help with some kind words about the video for “Applause”, I’m writing it up nonetheless because it is The Real Deal in so many ways.
Having experienced the GaGa concert experience earlier this year – 3 shows before her tour ended – “Applause” continues the grand splash of visuals, costumes, dancing, and singing that made her concert so impressive. Only at one memorable point in the video do I think it goes overboard, even beyond GaGa, but the rest of it is spot on, extremely well directed and paced by fashion photographers Inez & Vinoodh – GaGa is on display clothed, little clothed, wigged, unwigged, costumed crazy, covering all the bases without it all even seeming too busy.
So what Lady GaGa has done with “Applause” is made a video that is consummate entertainment, especially impressive for those of us who have seen the music video era from the start. The song itself is a truly storming dance record that breezes by. If ARTPOP will be filled with songs as well done as “Applause”, we will all be the richer.
From a forthcoming EP that will also include “Fade Into The Light” (which recently got to #9 on my chart), LA-based pop/EDM singer/songwriter Adam Tyler has launched one of his best songs in “Concrete”. Lyrically and melodically, this song has it all. Take the best elements of many of Adam’s songs from his Shattered Ice album, mix them with a contemporary and edgy production that started with “Fade Into The Light”, and add a sly, sexy vocal break reminiscent of “Like A Drug”. The video for “Concrete” also captures many of Adam’s best moments on tour around the world over the past two years ago, as well as snippets from his other videos. Adam Tyler does not let up with giving you the goods each time he releases new music,. He engages with fans regularly on Twitter and in online chats, and is once again a featured artist on the dance compilation This Beat Is…Poptronik Volume Two. Can’t wait to see what other new music Adam has in store for us on the EP. Watch “Concrete” above.
I was delighted to find out that British singer Lisa Stansfield will be releasing her new album Seven this Fall, her first in almost ten years, and that it is being preceded by the slick and retro R&B-inflected song that captures her signature style, “Can’t Dance”.
Lisa started off as a member of dance outfit Coldcut with their hit “People Hold On”, in the late 80’s, and went on to have million-selling hits that are still played today such as the sinewy “All Around The World”, the emotional dance pop of “This Is The Right Time”, and “Real Love”, which became her 3rd R&B chart #1. One of her best vocal performances is in the cover of Cole Porter’s “Down In The Depths” from the Red, Hot & Blue project, and she also tackled Barry White’s “Never, Never Gonna Give You Up” in the late 90’s.
“Can’t Dance” is one of those songs that will light up Nu Disco dance floors with that familiar voice of hers – I’m hoping there will be some remixes to ensure its success in clubs. Listen above.
My new Top 10 song listing has had such a major overhaul in the last two weeks that leaves some rising songs temporarily stranded below the Top 10.
The Top 3 songs remain the same by a considerable margin. Would I have ever imagined a Pet Shop Boys holding at #1 in 2013 (with “Vocal”) for a fourth appearance (eighth week)? Get the entire Electric album, it’s excellent.
No longer a teen as of this past week, Swedish sensation Anton Ewald hangs at #2 again with “Begging”, while Dan Black & Kelis cannot break through the roadblock with “Hearts” to advance beyond #3.
It happened back in June, and it’s happened again. The highest debut on the chart bows at #4. The song that did just that 10 weeks ago – “Vocal” by Pet Shop Boys! This bodes very well for L.A. singer Kaden, as my long wait to have “Black Light” officially on release ended, as I wrote about last week, leaving the song that I heard and loved many months ago to arrive at #4 (particularly the Stormby remix below). PSB and Anton Ewald, your competition has arrived. Kaden will also appear with new music on Volume 2 of the dance compilation This Beat Is…Poptronik!
After premiering at a smashing #8 two weeks ago, “As Long As You Love Me” by Ryan Adamés can only climb to #5, but should continue to move forward. This is one cover version that has received more positive reaction from people for whom I’ve played it than any other in recent memory.
Even though Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” slips to #7 because of this fierce competition, don’t overlook the fact that it might climb back up… just saying.
Kylie Minogue’s “Skirt” continues to make its presence known even if the rest of the world isn’t falling head over heels for it outside of dance clubs. It’s the fastest riser, again, vaulting 19-8.
On the eve of some brand new music in the form of new song “Concrete”, as well as a recent cover of Zedd’s “Clarity”, L.A. singer Adam Tyler climbs up to #9 with his dance delight “Fade Into The Light”. Like Kaden, Adam appears on Volume 2 of This Beat Is…Poptronik!
After performing a free show this weekend in New York City, Andy Suzuki & The Method will soon announce a tour. Their gritty song “Dirty Floors” moves to #10 on the chart (listen below).
You can view the full Top 30 using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can click right here. You can hear all of the songs on the chart or watch their videos by clicking on the pics on the chart page. Any free downloads that are identified are sanctioned by the performer. There’s always a tiny place at the bottom of the blog post with tags and the statement “Leave A Comment” – please feel free to do so
Though songs like “Black Light”, “As Long As You Love Me”, and “Skirt” are charging into the Top 10, there are some mighty fine songs waiting to get there…
We have the story of the two point rise happening on this chart. Participating in this event are songs by Lawson, Killian Wells (& Kristinia DeBarge, FrankMusik, Kim Smith, Travis Garland (songs 12-16 respectively), Amelia’s Fault with Color Theory at #18, Sam Dickinson at #20, and Eric Saade (whose new album Forgive Me is coming soon) at #22. Slow and steady keeps the pace! Both FrankMusik and Killian Wells also have songs on Volume 2 of This Beat Is…Poptronik! making it four performers on what will be a crazy collection of contemporary dance pop and europop! The stylishly futuristic Liam Curry album cover is above.
In-between this activity, we have our second debut, “Take Back The Night” by Justin Timberlake (above) at #17 (while “Let The Groove Get In” slips to #19), from the upcoming Part II of The 20/20 Experience. To me this song is better than any song within Part I. Its roots appear to be based in Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall album, and the results are more than just slick, they are exquisite.
Lorde’s “Royals” advances only four places to #21, but should gain more in the coming weeks. The song will be on everyone’s tongue by the end of the summer and she will advance to play bigger gigs – her show at the small venue The Hoxton in Toronto sold out quickly, among others.
Third of five debuts belongs to Canadian quartet Neverest, with their tough new single “Rewind” at #23, which I wrote about a while back. Watch for what looks like an intense video coming soon! Listen above.
I haven’t written about her before, and I’m a bit behind on this one, considering there has already been a subsequent single, but there’s no time like the present to help turn you on to British singer Natalia Kills with “Problem”, from her upcoming album Trouble, at #29. It’s the Kat Krazy remix that gives this one the boost for me 🙂
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