Justin Nozuka – Page 3 – BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

Tuned-On! Top 30 #330 – July 5/10

As we now sit two weeks into summer and into the second half of 2010, Simon Curtis returns to #1 after a month’s absence, this time with the title track to his mixtape 8-bit Heart – view the charming acapella video here. While the song initially struck me during my first few listens earlier this year, I set it aside in favour of the excellent “Beat Drop”, “Delusional” and “Joystick”. It wasn’t until I realized that the song was the emotional core of the mixtape that my initial perspective returned, hence it arrives at the top of my personal chart. That makes it 3 #1’s for Simon since last December 🙂

Mike Posner’s “Cooler Than Me” and Christina Aguilera’s “Not Myself Tonight” look to be peaking in the Top 5, while Bright Light Bright Light’s “A New Word To Say” looks to charge up the middle and end up in the Top 5 in two weeks. Justin Nozuka’s beauty that is “Unwoken Dream (King with Everything)” – though I’m becoming awfully partial to “Heartless” from his You I Wind Land And Sea CD – and Ryan Star’s “Breathe” arrive in the Top 10. I’m looking forward to the release of Ryan’s full length major label debut 11:59 on August 3, the same date as his concert at Irving Plaza in NYC which I will be attending.

The Top 10 looks to be an interesting place in two weeks as two Evan Taubenfeld tracks, “Pumpkin Pie” and “It’s Like That” are held at bay, followed below by summer party jam “Gettin’ Over You” by David Guetta, Chris Willis, Fergie and LMFAO. Two Door Cinema Club’s “Something Good Can Work” sends positive thoughts through to summer listeners in the Top 20, while solid second chart moves come from Goldfrapp’s “Dreaming” (the fastest riser), Reni Lane’s “Place for Us”, and The Good Natured’s “Your Body Is A Machine”, which is now available on iTunes.

I’ve already discussed at length recently this week’s debuts by Roz Bell “Endless Summer Night”, Billy Franks “The Beautiful Game”, and Hanson “Thinkin’ ‘Bout Somethin'”, so I’ll move to the other debuts. Lifehouse’s Smoke & Mirrors CD has been keeping me plenty company since its arrival last Spring, and the second official single arrives on the chart, “All In”. It’s a tougher single than “Halfway Gone” but pop radio needs a good rocking charge right now anyway. And last but by no means least is the debut single from Killers lead singer Brandon Flowers. “Crossfire” simply said strikes the listener so immediately with piano hook, straight forward melody, and highly identifiable vocal that it becomes an instant classic. If by chance you haven’t heard it yet, please listen below and watch for the video on July 8 (starring Oscar winner Charlize Theron).

Tuned-On! Top 30 #329 – June 21/10

Summer is upon us, and the music in this edition of my personal chart is generally very sunny and Popervescent! And that’s always something I can turn to, especially during the past few weeks where life has been full throttle and I’ve just been unable to find the words to write… hence this is my first blog since June 7! Well that’s an exception… Tomorrow, I hope to write about a few more tunes and artists that have interested me over the past while.

Penguin Prison’s “The Worse It Gets” puts me in a good mood whenever I play it, so it hangs onto the #1 spot for a 3rd chart (6 weeks). Just below it, Simon Curtis’ “Beat Drop” stays put at #2 and I’ve now resigned myself to the fact that it is indeed my favourite track from Simon’s 8-bit Heart mixtape – I had previously wrote that “Delusional” (which like “Beat Drop” held court at the top for 4 charts) was my fave… but they’re awfully close! Simon’s got some new music up his sleeve for sometime during the summer too. The title track from his mixtape also lands at #4 and is surely a contender for #1. Right behind him at #5 is Mike Posner, whose “Cooler Than Me” is now a North American hit.

The more negativity I read about Christina Aguilera’s “Not Myself Tonight”, the more it seems I appreciate it. The song jumps 10-7… flashy and edgy video aside, you folks are missing a good song with a terrific vocal if you shunt it aside. The Gossip lands in the Top 10 with “Pop Goes The World”, and Welsh singer Rod Thomas, aka Bright Light Bright Light, has the fastest riser on the chart with the taste he’s providing of his upcoming album, “A New Word To Say”.

Below the Top 10, there’s a great deal of activity with songs pushing their way to the Top 10, including those by Justin Nozuka, Ryan Star (whose album release show in NYC I will be attending on August 3!), Evan Taubenfeld x 2, Armin Van Buuren, David Guetta, Drake, Travis Garland, and Two Door Cinema Club. You will certainly get an infectious case of good cheer by listening to many of these songs successively!

The debuts this week all belong to women with unique vocal stylings. First up is actually a UK trio called The Good Natured, fronted by lead singer Sarah, who could be the happy result of Adele-meets-Tracey Thorn with her own brand of intrigue. Their track “Your Body Is A Machine” as remixed by Baby Monster debuts at #26 – a delightful acoustic video clip of the song is at the top of this page. Next up, Goldfrapp arrives on this chart for the first time with “Dreaming”, a track from the duo’s latest album Head First. I’ve never truly got to appreciate Goldfrapp’s past efforts beyond passing listens, and the songs from Head First have yet to really gel with me – almost an about-face for the duo to create a record that might be over-the-top commercial. But within it is “Dreaming”, which captured me with it’s heavy late-70’s disco influence while also giving a tip of the hat to Kate Bush along the way. Last up, Reni Lane is an American singer whose album Ready dropped last Fall. “Place for Us” has been gracing my iTouch for a while now, and the haunting quality of her voice in the Will Eastman remix has sunk in. You can check out the video of the original mix at the bottom of this page.

You can view the chart in its entirety by clicking on the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or by clicking right here.

Thanks for reading and any comments that you have are greatly appreciated!

My next chart will be posted early in two weeks as I will be on a family vacation during the first week of July.

Pop Goes The Summer?: Tuned-On! Top 30 #328 – June 7/10

There’s way too much going on in my life right now… including a ‘magic’ birthday of mine later this week… but Music is among a select few things that I can count on 🙂

Penguin Prison’s “The Worse It Gets” hangs on to the #1 spot for a second chart, and despite its melancholy sounding title, it’s a rather chipper song for a long drive… I like to think of driving along the ocean in L.A. And there’s a great late-70’s-sounding remix by Starsmith that’s perfect for the sunniest of days. Kelis’ knowing “Acapella” moves up to #3, so we’ll see if she can challenge Mr. Chris Glover for the top. Clayton Senne’s energetic “Wonderland” has been patient but gets up to #4 – worth the wait!

Simon Curtis had his second live set in Kansas City this time, and while the glorious “8-bit Heart” continues its rise to #6, he also got to perform “Joystick” for the first time (definitely nice to hear more of Simon in the live mix this time too)… video is at the bottom of this blog. A guy he’s praised, who is also his competition in some ways, is Mike Posner, whose playful “Cooler Than Me” glides up to #7. Even though the movie fell short at the box office – and I still want to see it – Mika’s “Kick Ass” climbs to #8. And a needlessly maligned “Not Myself Tonight” by Christina Aguilera lands in the Top 10 – it’s only her fifth chart appearance in Tuned-On! land, but they’ve all gone Top 10, too.

This week’s fastest riser is a song that’s grown on me immensely during the last few weeks. Australian trio The Gossip spice up the upcoming summer with “Pop Goes The World”. I know a lot of people prefer other tracks from Music For Men, but I really like Beth Ditto’s vocals on this one. The glory of “Unwoken Dream (King With Everything)” by Justin Nozuka looks Top Ten bound, as does journeyman rocker Ryan Star’s “Breathe”, which is becoming a force to be reckoned with almost a year after first appearing in iTunes. Rod Thomas aka Bright Light Bright Light is performing showcase shows in England in anticipation of his first official release. In the meantime, enjoy “A New Word To Say”, which is the highest rising of the last chart’s debuts at #18.

This chart’s newbies are a varied lot. We start with the party-hardy of “It’s Like That”, another track from Evan Taubenfeld’s winning Welcome To The Blacklist Club digital release. Then we have what could be this summer’s jam. Yes it’s VERRRRY familiar – almost a knock off of 2006’s “Love Is Gone” mixed with a few other catchy and borrowed hooks – but David Guetta has it together with fave vocalist Chris Willis, as well as Fergie and LMFAO (who also graced one of last year’s big jams, “Shooting Star” by David Rush), and it’s just impossible to resist – witness the video at the bottom of this blog. Next up, newcomer Travis Garland’s first single is “Believe”. I heard it before his American Idol appearance and didn’t even see it – just heard about it. This one has mass appeal and shouldn’t be ignored. Lastly, Irish band Two Door Cinema Club grow on you with tracks from their CD Tourist History, most notably with “Something Good Can Work”.

Enjoy the full chart using the link to the right under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** or simply click right here.

David Guetta & Chris Willis featuring Fergie & LMFAO “Gettin’ Over You”

Simon Curtis “Joystick” live in Kansas City (June 5)

Tuned-On! Top 30 #327 – May 24/10

As we get closer to the summer months (and at least with some summer weather where I’m from), all kinds of bright and shiny new music continues to surface. But first things first: A new #1!

Penguin Prison’s “The Worse It Gets”, a great song for a spring/summer drive (the last such escapist song about cars recently that comes to mind is Darren Hayes’ “Casey”) in a car called Jenny, steals #1 away from the very busy Simon Curtis who spent 4 charts (8 weeks) atop with “Beat Drop”. Javi’s gorgeous “Situation” slides up 4-3, while “Acapella” by Kelis (who looks like she will be touring with Robyn) looks like a future #1 as it moves up 12-5.

Our favourite new and Florida-based piano man, Clayton Senne, soars 10-6 with the rollicking “Wonderland”, while long-lasting songs by BT (“Suddenly”) and Vampire Weekend (“Cousins”) continue to rise within the Top 10. And there he is again – the emotional centrepiece to our Boy Robot’s same titled mixtape, “8-bit Heart”, is the fastest riser on the chart, moving 21-10 for Simon Curtis.

In a competitive mid-chart, songs by Mika, Christina Aguilera, Mike Posner, Fabio Lendrum, and Matt Morris either get stuck or hold for two more weeks until other songs above begin to tumble. This leaves last week’s remaining debuts by Justin Nozuka, The Gossip, and Ryan Star to all rise 6 positions on the chart and stake their claims!

Back to those debuts. They comprise a bright and shiny mix of electronica, dance, pop/rap, and power pop. Bright Light Bright Light is really Welsh singer/songwriter/producer/remixer Rod Thomas, who is getting a lot of attention in the BlogVerse (brought to my attention by Paul at MyFizzyPop) with the 80’s post-new wave vibe of “A New Word To Say”, which debuts at #24 (you can hear the song at the top of the page and can download it from the BrightLightx2 official site when you subscribe to Rod’s newsletter). Next up, Holland’s Armin Van Buuren never fails to disappoint every few years with an intense brand of emotional electronica that is rarely found elsewhere. Teaming with vocalist VanVelzen, who has a beautifully imperfect voice with great range, his latest is “Broken Tonight” at #25 (see the video at the bottom of the page). Just on sheer personality alone, my fellow Canadian Drake’s “Over” has immense appeal and it debuts at #26. And this past week saw the digital release of Evan Taubenfeld’s Welcome To The Blacklist Club, which opens with his latest single “Pumpkin Pie”, which I blogged about previously and now debuts at #27.

8-bit Hit! – Tuned-On! Top 30 #326 – May 10/10

EDIT: Just in – A lovely acapella rendition of “8-bit Heart” with video shot by Tyler Shields, who did Simon’s wonderful photos. This will literally send shivers down your back.

“Beat Drop” live at the Roxy!

This edition of my personal chart of course coincides with the aftermath of Simon Curtis’ debut solo performance at The Roxy in Los Angeles on Thursday May 6. Our Boy Robot continues to reign the chart with “Beat Drop” (with video from the show up top) along with “Joystick” at #3. But Simon adds to his chart victory with the title track from his mixtape 8-bit Heart debuting this week at #21. Despite the high energy performance at the Roxy – and you can see the rest of the show in segments at http://www.simondaily.com – I thought Simon’s performance of “8-bit Heart” to be particularly effective (it’s at the bottom of this blog). Remember folks, this is ONLY the beginning, it’s a showcase performance to show what he can do, and that, by jove, is entertain!! So let’s see Simon on TV soon – maybe late night shows – so that he can show off his voice and talent, and reach out to a wider audience.

Penguin Prison (aka Chris Glover), like Simon, now has two songs in my Top 5. “The Worse It Gets” replaces “Something I’m Not” at #2 – and it’s such a great song for a spring or summer drive! Javi’s engaging Monsieur Adi remix of “Situation” climbs to #4, while Vampire Weekend’s “Cousins” and Florida-based Clayton Senne each climb into the Top 10. Our 2010 piano man has been playing some smaller towns in Florida and appears on The Daily Buzz on May 28! Check out his MySpace page.

All of last week’s debut fare well in their sophomore chart. Kelis’ “Acapella” may just be my new theme song for 2010 as it climbs 21-12. Mike Posner, like Simon Curtis, started out in mixtape land, and has now signed with J/RCA, who have him touring this summer. The Gigamesh mix of “Cooler Than Me” jumps 24-16 as the song is about to enter the national Top 40! “Not Myself Tonight”, one of Christina Aguilera’s more intense dance songs, is right behind at #17. And the quiet late night dance floor power of Fabio Lendrum’s “Trouble” lands at #20.

Our other debuts this week include a second round from Justin Nozuka’s You I Wind Land And Sea, a lilting and beautiful song called “Unwoken Dream (King With Everything)”, arrives at #24. There’s also riveting pop/dance from Australia’s The Gossip in the form of “Pop Goes The World”, and lastly a belated debut of Ryan Star’s “Breathe”. One of my 10 Performers to Watch in 2010, Ryan Star’s ticket looks like it’s arrived with “Breathe” as he continues to tour around the U.S. Check out his always active website.

Tuned-On! Top 30 #325 – April 26/10

The top of my personal chart essentially remains the same in this edition, with Simon Curtis occupying #1 for the third straight chart with the magnificent “Beat Drop”, as well as holding at #3 with the playful “Joystick”, with Penguin Prison’s ambitious-sounding “Something I’m Not” in the runner up slot for a third appearance. Blake Lewis once again hangs at #4 with the beautiful Billboard Club Play Chart #1 “Heartbreak On Vinyl”, while New York singer Javi rises up to #5 with “Situation” (which is an original tune, not a cover of the 1982 Yazoo hit).

Usually when the top of the chart is under control, things begin to quake down below. So current faves by Evan Taubenfeld (whose long awaited Welcome To The Black List Club drops May 18!) and Justin Nozuka rise within the Top 10, while others by Example, Penguin Prison, and BT join them. Check out the live clip of Penguin Prison (aka Chris Glover) performing “The Worse It Gets” in NYC below, as well as the cover art for BT’s emotional electro explosion “Suddenly”, which has taken its time getting to the Top 10 (6 charts).

The middle of the chart is bursting with action with rock songs by Vampire Weekend, Lifehouse, and Clayton Senne looking like they are Top 10 bound. The fastest riser on the chart is “Kick Ass” by Mika vs Red One, which climbs 28-18.

Spring Popervescence is the expression I’m using to categories the four newcomers to the chart about whom I’ve already blogged about recently. Be sure to check out these songs by Kelis, Mike Posner, Christina Aguilera (which despite a lot of naysayers is just fine, thank you), and UK singer/producer Fabio Lendrum. Free download links to the Posner and Lendrum tracks are available in my chart…

Speaking of which… you can link to the chart right here or use the link in the right side bar under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART***.

Mystical Peace & Love: Justin Nozuka’s You I Wind Land and Sea

Following his successful Record Store day appearance in Toronto, I’ve finally composed some thoughts about Justin Nozuka’s sophomore CD You I Wind Land And Sea.

Despite its many familiar sounds, the record surprises by refusing to be pigeon-holed into a particular style or genre. Pop, Rock, R&B, and Blues elements are all equally at home. Overall it’s a pretty easy-going record with lots of deliberate quiet more than edgy rock. But don’t let you think it’s a pushover. There’s a great deal of thought put into these songs about relationships with women, introspection, and reflection. Justin executes them with a sincere and graceful passion that’s not reflected on many CD’s these days. Best of all, that old-soul-worldliness that grounded many songs on his debut CD Holly is omni-present.

As lovely as is the lead Canadian single “My Heart Is Yours”, it is outshone by the simplicity and preciousness of “Unwoken Dream (King with Everything)”. Peace and serenity are traded in for forthright emotions on “Carried You” and “Soulless Man”. Other fine tracks include “Heartless”, “Swan in the Water”, and the title track.

You I Wind Land And Sea has a humble sensibility that touches and draws in the listener. It should cement Justin Nozuka’s reputation as a talented singer/guitarist/songwriter with loads of fans to support him as he continues to draw accolades wherever he goes.

Here’s a clip of Justin’s appearance on The David Letterman Show on April 20.

Record Store Day featuring a Justin Nozuka show!

This was the scene mid-day today at Sunrise Records on Yonge Street in Toronto when Justin Nozuka paid a visit for a six song acoustic set along with guitarist Mark Pellizzer for 300 or so local fans.

The focus of course was on his brand new and highly anticipated sophomore release You I Wind Land And Sea. The set included songs from the album such as “My Heart Is Yours”, “Carried You” “Swan In The Water”, and my current personal favourite “Unwoken Dream (King with Everything)”. Needless to say, Justin was his cheerful, laid back and humble self… and he’s going to be a busy guy as the CD begins to breakout in the U.S. and the rest of the world!

It’s small things like In-Store record shows that make enjoying music special.

I’ll have more thoughts on You I Wind Land And Sea in the coming days…

Tuned-On! Top 30 #324 – Apr 12/10

This new chart came upon me so quickly while I was in New Orleans over the past week, so there’s not too much change.

Simon Curtis continues to rule the roost with “Beat Drop” on top for a second chart, with “Joystick” climbing to #3, sandwiching Penguin Prison’s mighty “Something I’m Not” at #2. Simon’s 8-bit Heart is now at over 120K worldwide downloads. He’s opening for Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean in L.A. on May 6 at the Roxy, and is developing a video with Tyler Shields (who did the wonderful album cover art). Things seem to be falling nicely into place… I predict Simon will have a record deal very soon!

Blake Lewis’ beautiful “Heartbreak On Vinyl” will attain the #1 spot on Billboard’s Club Play chart this coming week, and it’s well deserved! The song moves up 6-4 on my chart this week. Evan Taubenfeld’s Welcome To The Blacklist Club will finally be available digitally in late May, and the effervescent “Starbucks Girl” moves up 10-8. Justin Nozuka’s You I Wind Land And Sea arrives this week, and the pensive “My Heart Is Yours” jumps 12-10. But the big mover on the chart this week is by New York singer Javi. The Monsieur Adi remix of “Situation” soars 16-6… the guy’s got a great voice and you can hear it in his live cover of Muse’s “Supermassive Black Hole” below!

So much great music is stuck slowly moving up the chart, so be sure to check out tracks by Example, BT, Vampire Weekend, Ellie Goulding, Massive Attack, Clayton Senne, and The Envy. Lifehouse’s “Had Enough”, featuring Chris Daughtry, looks like it’s well on its way, rising 27-21 this week.

I previously blogged about the second Penguin Prison song to enter this chart, The Worse It Gets”. The song debuts at #17 out of the gate, is well worth your attention.

I’m really looking forward to seeing the comic book-styled film “Kick Ass”. Mika and producer Red One have the title track which enters the chart at #28, and you can watch the engaging video below.

The Beat Drops – at #1: Tuned-On! Top 30 #323 – Mar 29/10

It’s time again for a Spring Shakeup on the latest edition of my personal chart (the link is also on the right sidebar). And there’s no better way for this to happen than to see a song debut at #1 for the first time since the chart of December 10, 2007, when “How To Build A Time Machine” by Darren Hayes began the first of 5 charts (10 weeks) at the top. With the free download release this week of Simon Curtis’ 8-bit Heart, the rollicking electro-dance of “Beat Drop” commands the chart this week – you can hear it in the link at the top of the page. It’s my next favourite song on 8-bit to former #1 “Delusional”, which leaves the chart after the maximum 10 chart run.

But there’s more Simon on this chart! Since the Top 30 is by no means conventional, there are no limits to the songs that can appear, and so the naughty parallel to our friend, the video game, “Joystick” makes a huge splash, debuting at #4. You can hear the song using the link at the bottom of this page.

All of this 8-bit madness unfortunately leaves Penguin Prison’s “Something I’m Not”, another free download, moving from 6-2, and I’m not sure if it will wrestle away #1 from “Beat Drop”. After all, “Beat Drop” did knock off Lady GaGa’s “Teeth” after a 2 week stay at the summit.

Nelson Clemente’s clever and quiet electro of “90 Days” manages to reach a new peak at #5, while Blake Lewis’ ode to old-style record stores, “Heartbreak On Vinyl”, climbs to #6. Songs by Jason Derulo, Justin Timberlake & Matt Morris (the definitive version of “Hallelujah” next to Jeff Buckley’s IMO), and Evan Taubenfeld charge into the Top 10. The five debuts in the Top 10 cause massive drops by songs by Lady GaGa, Dragonette, Crystal Method, and Lifehouse, but them’s the breaks!

The fastest riser on the chart belongs to Justin Nozuka, whose “My Heart Is Yours” comes from his sophomore CD You I Wind Land and Sea, which is due for release this coming week. Other big movers in the middle of the chart include Javi’s “Situation” (23-16), a pop/dance track also available for free download that commands your attention, and Vampire Weekend’s brief but insanely catchy “Cousins” (26-20).

As “Halfway Gone” by Lifehouse is about to leave the chart, “Had Enough”, featuring Chris Daughtry, premieres at #27 from the top notch Smoke And Mirrors CD, which you will read about later in the week in more detail in this blog. Thanks to the excellent and frenetic remix by Breakage, “Dog Days Are Over”, a track from Lungs by Florence & The Machine, arrives at #30. But if there’s one low key track you must check out this week, it should be “Don’t You Dare” by Matt Morris, which is a bonus song on his debut When Everything Breaks Loose, probably because it doesn’t really fit into the rest of the mood of the album. This is a much more lushly produced, theatrical song that you might play next to earlier work by Rufus Wainwright. You can download it for free right here! (Note: I don’t link to free downloads unless they are sanctioned by the artist 🙂 )

I will be away in New Orleans during the first full week of April, so a post of my next chart may be delayed (but I’m sure I’ll be armed with all kinds of great music!).