You can view the full Top 30 using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can clickright 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
The top of this edition’s chart is Matthew Koma territory. The punk-flavoured rocker “1998” (listen to the song up above) replaces his own “Parachute” at #1. For some neat chart geekery ;), this is the first time a performer has replaced himself at the top since Darren Hayes’ “How To Build A Time Machine” replaced his “Me Myself And (I)” at #1 at the end of 2007, though Simon Curtis’ “Laser Guns Up” got to #1 right after he was featured prominently in Ro Danishei’s “Wicked Baby” in Fall 2011.
River Tiber’s “The City” is Matthew Koma’s rival for #1 in two weeks. It’s a beautiful and unique song from the album Synapses, available asfree download. If that’s not enough, River Tiber’s “What Are You Afraid Of” advances to #7, and the rockier opening song from the album, “Reverie”, premieres at #25 (listen below). River Tiber is once again playing Canadian Music Week in March in Toronto.
Chris Wallace’s “Time Bomb (Walk Away)” rises to #4, while my #2 song of 2012 “Remember When (Push Rewind)” is still gaining in airplay after four months on the Mediabase chart. This past week, Chris performed on the Jimmy Kimmel late night show on ABC, where he performed “Remember When” and my #15 song “Keep Me Crazy” (video clip below). He also now has over 305,000 followers on Twitter 😮
FrankMusik’s “Fast As You Can” (#8, video below) becomes the latest of the singer’s long line of Top 10 songs on this chart over the past two years. At this point, it looks like you will find the song only as a single on iTunes. Frank has retitled his EP Far From Over, and has revamped the song lineup (also excluding the gorgeous “Hurt You Again” 😦 ) and has set February 14 as the release date.
Passion Pit has sold out its Toronto show with Matt & Kim (missed my opportunity for tickets). The lead single from Gossamer, “Take A Walk”, has long lasting legs and rises to #9 this week. Meanwhile, Matt & Kim continue to climb with “Now” at #14.
The fastest riser on the chart at #10 belongs to Zedd’s emotional dance treatise “Clarity”, featuring perfectly matched vocals by Foxes (video below).
“If I Lose Myself” is One Republic’s best single in a few years, and it climbs to #12, while the uplifting “Let Me Love You” by Ne-Yo also moves up to #13. Ne-Yo’s also featured on Conor Maynard’s most enjoyable “Turn Around” at #21.
Some recent debuts have kicked into high gear: “Reboot The Mission” by The Wallflowers featuring The Clash’s Mick Jones as at #16, while Davis Redfield’s dancefloor stunner “A World Apart” bolts to #17. “Miss Unknown” to me is the better of two recent Eric Saade singles and it rises to #18. Videos for all are below.
Besides River Tiber’s “Reverie”, there are two other debuts. One is “Learn To Love Again” by UK quartet Lawson (video below), which I wrote about recently. The band is in my city and I’ll be checking out their show on February 2. But the highest of these is, not surprisingly, Justin Timberlake & Jay-Z’s “Suit & Tie” at #23. Given that the song is everywhere, I’m looking to see if it lasts or burns out. I’m still quite enjoying its breezy, retro-Motown flare (official lyric video below) – which promotes dressing up in style too. Nothing wrong with that! It’s JT’s first lead billing to chart since “What Comes Around…Goes Around” in mid-2007. He has shared billing since on “Until The End Of Time” with Beyonce, “4 Minutes” with Madonna & Timbaland, and “Hallelujah” with Matt Morris and Charlie Sexton. Of course JT has also been featured on charted songs by Timbaland, T.I., and Ciara. He’s had four #1’s on my chart – “Rock Your Body”, “SexyBack”, “FutureSex/LoveSound” and “LoveStoned/I Think She Knows”).
There continues to be a significant one! two! three! punch leading my personal chart. Two of those come in the form of soon-to-be-powerhouse Matthew Koma, whose “Parachute” leads the way with “1998” at #3 and a contender for #1 in the coming weeks. Slotted in-between is “Yeah Yeah” by Willy Moon, which seems to be picking up more fans as the weeks go on. “Play The Girl” by Tao Hypah – who has another new song coming for you soon, glides to #4 (video below, if you haven’t yet seen it), while “Time Bomb (Walk Away)”, my choice for single #2 from Chris Wallace’s Push Rewind album, moves up to #5. Chris seems to be popping up everywhere in the USA; an L.A. show is on deck.
You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can clickright 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
Making news in these pages again but this time on the chart is Toronto band River Tiber (pic at the top of this page), whose second album Synapses is available for free download from their website. In it you will find the song now at #10, “What Are You Afraid Of”, but becoming a huge deal with a debut at #6 is far and away one of the most unique songs of 2013, “The City”. I can’t provide you with a link to hear it online, so you’ll just have to take my word for it 😉 but perhaps Tommy Paxton-Beesley will offer something up in the near future 😀 Nevertheless, it’s a quiet but heartfelt song about moving on, set to a nifty electronic backdrop. River Tiber played an excellent set at The Drake Hotel on January 7 to an unexpected packed room. It’s amazing how far River Tiber has come since I saw them during Canadian Music Week in a 3 a.m. show.
Bim’s gorgeous and emotional “Burn” rises to #9 this week, while “O.V.E.R. U.” by Daniel Bedingfield becomes the second top tenner from Secret Fear-Stop The Traffik at #8. A video is in the works but below is a new official lyrics video that was introduced recently for the song.
I’m currently wading through the complexities that comprise Passion Pit’s sophomore album Gossamer. It has the unusual mix of highly personalized lyrics by leader Michael Angelakos along with an eclectic, fanciful blend of rock and electronica – nothing out there quite sounds like Passion Pit. And when you hear “Take A Walk” (below) it commands attention and heads start to bob. The song advances to #12, and after catching a repeat of Passion Pit’s songs on Saturday Night Live, I’m even more looking forward to seeing them in concert in February. Also playing on that bill in Toronto will be Matt & Kim, whose “Now” rises to #16.
The lower part of the chart is brimming with entries from the last few charts. Ne-Yo’s “Let Me Love You” is up to #17, with more Chris Wallace in the form of album track “Keep Me Crazy” at #18. The fastest riser is the unanticipated electronica-heavy “If I Lose Myself” by One Republic at #19. It looks like more than a smattering of influence of Swedish House Mafia has rubbed off on Ryan Tedder and band – you can kind of hear the melody of “Save (The World Tonight)” inside of “If I Lose Myself”. “Youth In Trouble” from The Presets’ latest album Pacifica lands at #20 (listen to the epic Green Velvet remix below – you can download it with your email addy for freeright here), while “Reboot The Mission” by The Wallflowers jumps to #22.
Besides River Tiber’s “The City”, three other songs debut on the chart. Zedd & Foxes team up for “Clarity” at #21, soon to be one of my most played songs of the year,which I wrote about just recently.I also wrote about the dance explosion that is “A World Apart” by European producer/DJ Davis Redfield, featuring a fantastic yet hitherto unknown female voice, and it arrives at #27. At #29, somewhat belatedly but definitely a grower, is “Turn Around” by Conor Maynard featuring Ne-Yo. Conor already has chart experience in these pages with last Spring’s “Can’t Say No”, and this third single from his Contrast album definitely makes ears perk up when you find out how good the voices of Conor and Ne-Yo sound together (despite the weak-ish video below). This young English buck has the vocal chops, and his next album should really tell the tale.
Portugal’s Carlos Nóbrega is one of my 13 Performers To Watch For ’13 thanks to a steady stream of dance singles which tantalized my ears more with each song, stemming from his appearance on This Beat Is… Poptronik Volume One with “Pitiful”. This culminated in the late summer release of “Music Makes You Lose Control” (MMYLC), a dance party rave-up that is so worthy of a big, big production number with lots of costumes! Carlos wants to party but knows how to tease (“Electrify me with that body / You make me sweat like nobody”), and brings diverse influences from the likes of Britney Spears through to Daft Punk to the table. Simply put, it’s a song that creates a whole lot of fun within its 3 minute timeframe without going over the top. Look for Carlos’ album to surface in the New Year – I’ll certainly have the scoop when it happens. MMYLC was #1 for one appearance in early November – post Hallowe’en blast 🙂
#9 Jeronimo “One Kiss”
“One Kiss” is one of those songs that triggers immediate reaction – and sends people to iTunes for purchase. I’m no exception to that, and the song paved the way for the enjoyable album of the same name from Jeronimo, the young Brazil-born Dutch singer/actor with a super unique voice. From the songwriting to the vocal to the music, “One Kiss” is a tiny perfect record in so many ways. It’s a feel good song that makes you smile. The music has traditional European folk elements, Jeronimo’s vocal is playful without being pleading, and you can learn the lyrics after one listen. “One Kiss” is a case in point for European songs that don’t get promoted well outside of their countries of origin. With the right songs, Jeronimo has huge potential to breakout worldwide, and he is someone to root for. He himself is a charmer, his connection with his fan base is top notch (watch out for his tweet bombs on Twitter 😉 ), and his song “It’s A Fun Thing” is even the Cartoon Network’s signature song in Southeast Asia and Australia/New Zealand. Watch the video for “One Kiss” below and don’t tell me that by the end you aren’t smiling.
#8 Eric Saade “Backseat”
“Backseat” is the third song and second album track from Saade Volume 2 to grace this list. Eric Saade is no stranger to the list, as both “Popular” and “Made Of Pop” ranked in my Top 10 of 2011 (“Popular” was #1). I’m anxious to hear more songs from his upcoming fourth album, but I’m still wrapped up in the last two 😉 “Backseat” is danceable pop with grinding and rocking guitar sounds similar to what we were given a taste of on Volume 1 with the odd but infectious “Killed By A Cop”. Eric certainly has the ladies wrapped around his finger with the (somewhat unintended?) suggestive lyrics which probably prevented this from being a single. “Backseat” shows Eric Saade at his most intense and driven, and he continues to display more sides of his talents with each release.
#7 Bright Light Bright Light “Waiting For The Feeling”
Bright Light Bright Light’s album Make Me Believe In Hope is popping up on more year end Best Of album lists than any that I’ve heard this year. It’s essentially Rod Thomas’ greatest hits of songs that he’s been releasing since 2009. Also no stranger to this list (“A New Word To Say” and “Love Part II” were in my Top 10 of 2010), Rod has a way of finding moments in time to write and sing about that are sometimes within relationships or even after them. He seizes romance, where it can be found. If it can’t be found, he asks why, and sometimes offers his take on it. It makes for a compelling listen and an experience like no other. “Waiting For The Feeling” is one of my absolute favourites by BLx2, and it held court for a good part of the Spring at the top of my chart (4 appearances = 8 weeks). When not performing, Rod keeps busy DJing in London, remixing (“Stupid Mistake” by Darren Hayes was one of his projects), and often offering up mixtapes and thoughtful mashups for free. Make Me Believe In Hope truly opened up the doors to the world for Bright Light Bright Light in 2012. I just know the world will embrace his next set of songs in a bigger way when they arrive.
#6 Zedd featuring Matthew Koma “Spectrum”
“Spectrum” kind of came out of nowhere this past summer as a result of teaming German DJ/producer Zedd (Anton Zaslavski) with New York singer-on-the-rise Matthew Koma (one of my 13 Performers To Watch For ’13). It turned out to be a dream collaboration, with Matthew’s romantic and boyish vocal, heartfelt lyrics (“We’ll run where lights won’t chase us / Hide where love can save us / I will never let you go”), and production awash in layers of sound that all achieve a fine balance like no other song this year. Add a video with an alien love story with Taryn Manning as the love interest, rave reviews for Zedd’s album Clarity, and a #1 placing for “Spectrum” as Billboard’s Dance Club Play hit of 2012, and lift off was achieved for both talents. Zedd apparently is working on Lady GaGa’s upcoming ARTPOP release while Matthew’s album Propaganda is due in early 2013.
#5 Eric Saade featuring Dev “Hotter Than Fire”
The only single release from Saade Volume 2 (which was #1 on my chart for three appearances – 6 weeks) finds Eric paired up with American singer/rapper/songwriter Dev, which helped give the Swedish singer some international starpower behind his music. While there voices are good counterparts to each other, “Hotter Than Fire” itself is a strong enough song that could have been a worldwide hit if there had been more focus on achieving that status. Eric’s playful and sexy vocal certainly sent enough hearts aflutter, and the singer marketed himself well to the Nordic countries with continuous touring through most of 2012. So the next step has to be a worldwide profile. “Hotter Than Fire” also benefitted from having two videos – I’m still kind of partial to the original, which I believe was shot in one take with some decent effects.
#4 River Tiber “Someday”
While “Symmetry” (#11) was the first song that introduced me to River Tiber, it was “Someday” (which was #1 on my chart for three appearances – 6 weeks) that drew me in to their album From Now On. While River Tiber has many influences in its music which stem from jazz to classical to experimental electronica, the incredible vocal and guitar playing on “Someday” by Tommy Paxton-Beesley just reminded me so much of Jeff Buckley’s work, which continued to prevail throughout the album unlike other performers whose Buckley-esque sound can usually only be heard on one song. But Tommy and his band prove that they have so much to offer, with new album Synapses out tomorrow. River Tiber is one of my 13 Performers To Watch For ’13, and probably the one for which I have the highest expectations for whatever Tommy and band can achieve. “Someday” is one of those songs that has you in its corner from its first note to its last (in this case, it’s a well placed last breath).
#3 Rune RK & DATABOY “Memorize Me”
I was so excited when I first found out “Memorize Me” was seeing an official release (after hearing it in the summer of 2011) that I put it on my chart later that year… but had to remove it when release was delayed (only songs that are officially released in some way can appear on my chart – one of my few rules J ). But that release date did come, and the song re-entered the chart at #1 for 4 appearances (8 weeks) for the Danish producer/DJ who brought us the original “Calabria” back in 2002, pairing up with outstanding Austin electronica whizzes and vocalists, DATABOY. “Memorize Me” is a dazzling club track whose music makes you visualize sandy beaches of Ibiza and whose lyrics weave a mesmerizing spell (the song even has kind of a commanding, eerie undertone) thanks to DATABOY’s interpretation. Shortly after official release came a provocative video for the song where two children were let loose (seemingly on their own) in a city to behave and act only as kids do, even if it meant finding their way through a Pride parade and a concert – we are all kids at heart.
#2 Chris Wallace “Remember When (Push Rewind)”
“Remember When (Push Rewind)” is the purest of pop songs that I heard in 2012. It sends me back to my Top 40 days in the ‘70’s when classic hits were all about songs to which you could relate in some ways. It literally came out of nowhere, on an independent record label, by singer/songwriter Chris Wallace, who had some success as the leader of the group The White Tie Affair (which got to open for Lady GaGa on tour among its successes). You’ve read it enough already in this Top 10 listening, but Chris Wallace has one of those voices that is simply like no other, it is highly recognizable. He can sing anything and I’m sure must have offers to be a featured vocalist on some songs. He’s also a talented songwriter as the breadth of his songs on his debut album Push Rewind easily showcases. That album has a few more hits up its sleeve. But getting back to “Remember When” – it is THE ‘song that could’ for 2012. It has already become a Top 30 radio hit in the US and I’m waiting for the day in 2013 when it will arrive on Billboard’s Hot 100. The song also came packaged with an excellent video that shows off Chris’ on camera personality as well as the song’s story. “Remember When” was #1 on my chart for 4 appearances (8 weeks) during the summer.
#1 DATABOY “Dreams Are Gold”
“Dreams Are Gold” is my favourite song of 2012. It’s the title song from the debut album by the Austin duo which comprises Adam Bailey and Cameron Maxwell. I had the opportunity to see the duo in a thus far rare concert appearance in New York in April 2011 (but somehow did not get to meet them!). Since then, their songs have appeared frequently in my chart, with the essential summer song “Just Once” my #4 song of 2011. Dreams Are Gold is a collection of all of their songs released since 2010, plus several gems that they held back for inclusion such as “Genius”, “Unfriend”, and “Shoplift Your Love” – these guys pick great themes and write sometimes very direct lyrics that might seem abrupt at first, but this is part of what they’re all about. What I love, love, love most about DATABOY is their ability to articulate situations to which anyone can relate, and set it to music to which you can dance. And that’s why I adore “Dreams Are Gold”. The song is about moving on after the end of what seemed to be a good relationship. The target of the song is accused of being a “dream, dream, stealer, stealer”, but we’re not to dwell on that (“But I’m not gonna lose sleep about it”… “Won’t cry on my pillow”…) because hopes and dreams cannot be crushed or dismissed – they are GOLD, so go out and have a great time. I totally subscribe to that thinking so “Dreams Are Gold” is WOW in just so many ways for me. While the song had two appearances (4 weeks) at #1, its entire chart run was spent in my Top 10.
We interrupt our year end countdown with this less flashy post to bring you my last personal chart of 2012 and the first that will count towards year end for 2013. Three performers return to the chart after long absences.
After a mediocre start with “Feel Again”, the second single from One Republic’s upcoming third album Native is a stunner. “If I Lose Myself” (#26) is a sleeping slice of soft electronica that returns to the familiar sound of recent hits such as “Good Life”. Since singer/songwriter Ryan Tedder has been involved in a lot of dance/EDM projects recently, it’s no surprise for the influence to spill over to One Republic. But overall “If I Lose Myself” is a better song, which returns the band to my chart since 2008 after three Top 10 hits, including the #1 “Apologize”.
With even a longer gap on the chart, The Wallflowers are back for the first time since 2005 with the funky “Reboot The Mission” (#28), which was originally made available as a free download. With guitarist Mick Jones from The Clash and Big Audio Dynamite successes on board, you can hear the distinct presence of songs like “This Is Radio Clash” or “Rush” in the music. The video (above) is also filled with great, seemingly impossible choreography too. The Wallflowers had my favourite song of 1997, the equally rhythmic “One Headlight”.
Shiny Toy Guns were Grammy nominees back in 2007 and with their new album III they are now among the better known indie scene. Making their first appearance since their Top 10’s (“You Are The One” and “Le Disko”), the band returns with the highly engaging “Somewhere To Hide” at #30.
The fourth debut on the chart could actually be a re-entry if it wasn’t re-recorded. Aiming at a younger market by including top notch vocalist Ariana Grande (from TV’s “Victorious”), Mika’s “Popular Song” is back on the chart at #29. The original version got to #18; I expect this new one will do better.
Highlighting key moves on the chart, “Yeah Yeah” by Willy Moon moves to #2 to attempt to dethrone “Parachute” by Matthew Koma, which is #1 again for a second appearance. Matthew is also right behind at #3 with album track “1998”, while Tao Hypah’s supremely catchy “Play The Girl” becomes his second Top 5 hit at #5. “Time Bomb (Walk Away)” by Chris Wallace soars into the Top 10 at #6, with other new entries to the Top 10 by Kid Massive & DATABOY “Good Girlfriend” at #9 and “Burn” by Bim at #10.
River Tiber’s “What Are You Afraid Of” is the fastest riser, gliding 22-14, with other big moves from songs by Daniel Bedingfield, FrankMusik, Passion Pit, Chris Wallace (with “Keep Me Crazy”), Ne-Yo, and The Presets.
You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can clickright 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
One of the most popular blog post’s I’ve written – even these past three years, it still receives many views – is10 Performers to Watch in 2010. I revived the format of that post for 2013, as there are too many promising performers who should not go without notice. My criteria for this list is that the performer is releasing songs either for purchase or free download, and did not just issue one song in 2012. The performer could be releasing a debut or sophomore album, and may already be signed to a major label.
BAIYU exquisite vocalist to soar beyond “The Next”
I was absolutely delighted when New York singer Baiyu was set to appear as a contestant on the CW’s talent contest “The Next”. She also released a high quality mixtape called Hunter, which contained beautiful ballads, such as the duet with American Idol contestant Paul Kim on “Make Believe” (video below), and sinewy uptempo songs such as the title song. She didn’t win the New York auditions on “The Next” (to me the show compromised the singer’s style with what they wanted to show on TV) but received exposure to-die-for, and recorded a few other viral cover versions including Melanie Fiona’s “4 AM” and even the Jonas Brothers’ “Paranoid” to tantalize Jonas Brothers fans who got to know her through “The Next” (since Joe Jonas was a judge). I’m not sure what Baiyu has planned for ’13, but I expect it will be well-planned and chosen, and I can’t wait. Her gorgeous Beyoncé-like voice at times could put her easily in the big leagues.
CODY BELEW our likeable multi-talented underdog from “The Voice”
Nobody, but nobody, captured my attention on this past season of “The Voice” like Cody Belew. From his initial performance of “Hard To Handle” (which caused coach Cee-Lo Green to turnaround at the last moment) through compelling renditions of “Jolene”, “Somebody To Love”, the deliberately and massively campy “Crazy In Love” (video below, because it’s just so much fun), and especially George Michael’s “One More Try”, it was easy to root for Cody, who just seized every opportunity to win over both coaches and fans alike. The transition to nation-wide concerts will be easy, but more critical will be what he records. All eyes and ears on Cody in ’13!
BIM UK duo flaunts their emotions
As I predicted last September, Bim’s EP Lifelines has become one of my favourite and most consistent records of 2012, and their second album is on deck for early ’13. I stand by my earlier statement that every song within Lifelines – particularly “Lights Out”, current single “Burn” (video below), and “Scream” – is full of intense emotion, powerful vocal interaction, and key lyrical moments that resonate long after the song is over. Rebecca Rosier and Denmark Davis are a dream team, and I for one can’t get enough.
GENTLEMEN HALL Boston collective’s fans are its anchor
After catching the sextet’s appearance at Canadian Music Week in March, I found their EP When We All Disappear growing on me throughout the year, and it is one of my most played records. The multi-layered instrumentation (including glorious flute) and compelling lead vocals from Cobi Mike and Gavin Merlot made each song from the record a rich experience, especially “All Our Love”, “Blush” (below), and “Take Me Under”. Gentlemen Hall has a dedicated following, and quite frankly they could be contently touring every club in North America to appease their fans instead of signing their lives away to a record deal. But I think the right deal will come along in ’13 for Gentlemen Hall that will take them to the next level for which they clearly are more than ready.
IN MY COMA Toronto trio brings out the rocker in you
It’s been on release for more than a year now, but Magnets & Miracles, the debut album by Toronto rockers In My Coma, definitely has durability with its contemporary take on 90’s alt.rock styles through songs like “Believe Me” (video below), “Dreamers”, “Hit Them Down Kid”, and “Losing Sleep”. Part of the reason for the appeal, which seems to be increasing month-by-month, is the band’s ability to connect with fans and pull out the rockers in them which keeps them coming back to their shows, to the point where they won a contest to open for Sum 41 in Toronto in the Fall. Keeping this strategy in place, the next logical step is a new record of songs, always tough to do when gigs are what bring fans to the table. Timing will be everything for In My Coma in ’13 to maintain their momentum – but with their determination they can do it!
MATTHEW KOMA major pop voice sounds like no other
Regular readers will know that part of the last quarter of 2012 was spent with me raving about Matthew Koma, his collaboration with Zedd on Billboard’s #1 Dance Club Play chart single of the year “Spectrum”, and his diverse EP Parachute. Matthew is Major Pop 2012, signed to Cherrytree/Interscope, and his distinct voice sounds like no other – in fact you might think on “Spectrum” and other songs that he is a teen instead of a mid-20-something. Matthew’s finishing off his upcoming album which is a high priority for me to hear in 2013. That he is also guy-friend to my fellow Canadian Carly Rae Jepsen is pretty sweet, too.
MATTHEW KURZ supurb singer/songwriter has it almost in spades
Matthew Kurz has tantalized me throughout the last two years, first with his free mixtape from last year featuring the gripping and emotional “Fix Me”, and then with a series of originals and cover versions that were posted through You Tube. Though he hasn’t released much for commercial sale or for free this year, 2012 is pointing in all of the right directions for Matthew with “Moving On” (available on iTunes), but most particularly “One Night (Damn!)” (below), and an absolutely stunning rendition of David Guetta & Sia’s “Titanium”. While the latter wisely does not attempt to replicate Sia’s higher register, Matthew makes the song his own with its raw urgency. While I believe he has a songwriting publishing deal, Matthew Kurz’s many talents and music should find a wider audience in ’13.
LAWSON UK quartet on the bubble for North America
While the year started off with talented UK foursome Lawson opening in North America for The Wanted, the band was also in the process of recording its debut album for Polydor/Universal UK, Chapman Square. So once that was done they made a retreat to their native UK to promote singles “When She Was Mine” (video below), “Standing In The Dark”, and “Taking Over Me”, all significant hits in the UK. Chapman Square was released… but not in North America. But upcoming club dates over here should draw out the fans who have become familiar enough with this band that writes its own songs and plays its own instruments to divert their attention from One Direction and The Wanted. Lawson has the goods and 2013 should be a breakout year for them.
ANDREAS MOE can sing anything. writes his own songs too.
2012 has been a whirlwind for Swedish singer/songwriter Andreas Moe. Dance music fans discovered him as a featured vocalist on songs by Avicii (with whom he performed in Japan!) and John De Sohn (“Long Time” is one of the biggest hits of the year in Sweden). But Andreas wisely used these successes as a springboard for his own solo work, captured beautifully in his EP Collecting Sunlight, and especially on the title song (animated video below), “My Side Of The Bed”, and his acoustic rendition of “Long Time”. He even posted a sparkling acoustic performance of Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend” right after its release. But Andreas has one of those grounded and diverse voices that can sing anything. I think greater things are in store for him as both a songwriter and a performer in ’13!
CARLOS NOBREGA balancing the pop and EDM worlds and more
Like a few other performers this year, I first discovered Portugal’s Carlos Nóbrega through the essential dance compilation This Beat Is… Poptronik Volume One, where his plaintive pop song “Pitiful” was featured. With the EDM community embracing the singer as a result of this affiliation, Carlos next released “Turn It Up” in June, and the infectious chorus of this song will lift you up and keep you on a high. Then he collaborated with producer/DJ Sky Santos for the sultry “I Miss You”, which led in nicely to one of the best (and still somewhat undiscovered) dance party songs of the year, “Music Makes You Lose Control”, a record that reached #1 on my personal chart. Carlos is another performer who can do it all – sing, write, act, dance, and release all of his songs independently. The sheer quality of his releases and his determination should make heads turn when his album is released in 2013.
RIVER TIBER engaging and unique talent not to be missed
The music of Toronto’s River Tiber has been discussed at length in these posts since the Spring, after I became acquainted with their album From Now On, from which three songs landed on my personal chart, with “Someday” at #1 for six weeks and “Symmetry” reaching #2. Three concert performances later, and the third one, which I wrote aboutright herea few weeks ago, speaks for itself. River Tiber releases its next effort Synapses on January 1, and there will be much more influence in this record by experimental electronica than in From Now On. It is not to be missed. Let the additional raves begin. Watch out 2013!
STONE WALTERS honest-to-goodness earthy UK soul
One of the first free downloads I heard to make its way up my personal chart in 2012 was “Home” by Stone Walters. The song has lyrics rooted in values that anyone can relate to – you know the same ones that you feel at the end of “The Wizard Of Oz”. Stone has one of those silky smooth voices that could be as easily influenced by classic Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding and Stevie Wonder, as it could by more contemporary singers like Terence Trent D’Arby or Jay Kay of Jamiroquai. Stone also showed that his boundaries stretch beyond soul with the pop tune “World Keeps Turning” and his softened-down version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing In The Dark”. While he had a taste of some success a few years back, his more recent songs sound more honest-to-goodness. Stone Walters deserves another shot as he will easily find an audience that will gravitate to his style and music.
ZAC POOR no vocal talent contest required
L.A. based singer/songwriter Zac Poor came to my attention a few years back with an initial release of his own songs such as “She’ll Be Breaking Hearts” and “Silver Screens”, which all attracted some significant buzz… and then it went quiet for a bit. I think Zac has either a songwriting or record deal that has not yet come to fruition. But two cover songs he released this past year will surely change that. The first one is his take on Demi Lovato’s “Skyscraper”. It’s been oft-covered, but never this well, and it totally blows the doors off of the original with a vocal performance that is sheer perfection, and understated production by MdL. Had it seen proper release, it could have been a hit all on its own! Next up was an appealing version of Ed Sheeran’s “Lego House”. All of this bodes very well for something significant to happen for Zac Poor in ’13.
“Parachute” by Matthew Koma becomes the New York singer’s second #1 of 2012 (heading into 2013 – this is my 2012-ending chart – the next one for December 31 counts towards 2013), following his partnership with Zedd on Billboard’s #1 Dance Club Play song of the year, “Spectrum”. I would actually put money on the fact that Matthew will be one of the Ones to Watch for 2013, given the quality of his EP Parachute. In fact, his spirited and edgy rocker “1998” is the chart’s fastest riser, moving 19-6. I can’t wait for the full album to hear what else Matthew has been up to.
“Don’t You Worry Child” by Swedish House Mafia & John Martin is still going strong at #2, while “Yeah Yeah” by the currently-touring Willy Moon soars to #3 and will challenge “Parachute” in the coming weeks to find which song sticks in my head the most! With the recent release of Almeria, Lifehouse & Natasha Bedingfield (video above) hold steady at #4 with “Between The Raindrops” and the band (whose 7th Top 10 entry this is on my chart) will undoubtedly promote the album with another single release. The long-lasting “Music Makes You Lose Control” by Portugal’s Carlos Nóbrega sticks tight at #5 and – spoiler! – will rank highly on my Best of 2012 year end list, which will come to you gradually starting on December 26.
One of the joys about creating a personal chart is to see independent releases alongside of major label names, and quite often this chart consists more than 50% of indies. It started off as a free download, and now an album is in progress for Vague-à-bonde as the Minnesota-based singer holds at #7 with “Evolved” (ab0ve). Right behind at #8 are Matt & Kim, whose main aim is fun, as songs from their album Lightning articulate, with “Let’s Go” (and further down with “Now” at #20). Tao Hypah’s dance pop of another colour is at #9 with “Play The Girl” – Mr. Hypah’s 2nd Top Tenner following the #3 “Celeb”, which will also appear in good company on my year end list. Call it a jam-packed Top 10 finishing off with Adele’s “Skyfall”. It’s her 5th Top Tenner on the chart.
You can view the full chart 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
More indies on the rise just outside of the Top 10 – Kid Massive & DATABOY, Chris Wallace, Arty/Nadia Ali/BT, and Bim – with a special mention going to Chris for achieving airplay in New York with one of this year’s special songs “Remember When (Push Rewind)”, which has also been in Mediabase’s Top 40 for weeks and is still climbing. Chris also debuts on the chart with “Keep Me Crazy” (ab0ve) at #29, recently free on Amazon in the USA. “Time Bomb (Walk Away)” (#12), “Remember When”, and “Keep Me Crazy” can all be found on Chris’ excellent album Push Rewind. Rounding out the other indies, “O.V.E.R. U.” by Daniel Bedingfield climbs to #16, while “Fast As I Can” by Frankmusik jumps to #19 as the singer now records his album You Are Here (and promises an acoustic piano version of it too!).
There are no surprises as the release of Synapses approaches that River Tiber debuts at #22 with their 4th chart entry “What Are You Afraid Of”, which is still available as a free download on the Toronto band’s Soundcloud page. If you’re in Toronto, catch them on January 3 for an album release party at the Drake Hotel. I’ve already written about Passion Pit’s weirdly anthemic “Take A Walk”(#24), and now I’ve heard it locally on radio too! There was an overdose of Ne-Yo on TV two weeks ago and “Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself)” (above) has become embedded in my ears, so it somewhat belatedly arrives on the chart at #26. It’s the singer’s 7th chart entry and first since he appeared on Keri Hilson’s “Knock You Down” in 2009. Last but by no means least at #30 is “Miss Unknown” by the talented Eric Saade,which I wrote about on the weekendand might be a game-changer for the singer if people embrace the softer side of his music along with a mostly delightful video. It’s already his 7th song to appear on my chart since “Popular” (my #1 song of 2011) started the ball rolling.
I think we should be seeing some new blood invading the chart soon. In the meantime…
“Don’t You Worry Child” by Swedish House Mafia & John Martin holds at #1, while “Parachute” from Matthew Koma’s EP of the same name is now at #2 and looks to follow his pairing with Zedd on “Spectrum” (#10) to the top spot. “Music Makes Me Lose Control” by Carlos Nóbrega hangs tough at #3, while the understated (and unfortunately underperforming) “Between The Raindrops” by Lifehouse & Natasha Bedingfield zips up to #4. Lifehouse’s Almeria will be on release before the next chart on December 17. And Bright Light Bright Light gets yet another Top 5er with “Feel It”. Do go to this link for BLx2’s musical Christmas Advent calendar of mashups – today he meshed his own “Moves” with “Your Loving Arms”, the classic 90’s club hit by Billie Ray Martin (listen and download below).
In the ‘movin’ on up’ category, we find a contender for the top bounding up to #6 – “Yeah Yeah” by Willy Moon (stylish video up top), who performs two gigs in New York City this week. “Evolved” by Vague-à-bonde continues to impress by rising to #7, and “Yesterday’s Tomorrows” by Jane Badler (who is in Sweden, for fans of “V” – video below) moves to #8. “Let’s Go” by Matt & Kim becomes their third Top Tenner on this chart at #9.
You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can clickright 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
Not to be outdone, “Skyfall” by Adele is no slouch at #12, while the fastest riser on the chart is the infectious controversy-generating “Play The Girl” by The Netherlands’ Tao Hypah, vaulting 21-13. It’s just one of those songs that has a message which is totally secondary to its engaging melody and chorus. “Good Girlfriend” by Kid Massive & DATABOY and “Must Be the Love” by Arty, Nadia Ali & BT continue to follow each other’s dance steps up the chart at #14 and #15 respectively. Bim’s “Burn” continues to sear its way up at #17, with last week’s pop parade of “Time Bomb (Walk Away)” by Chris Wallace and “1998” by Matthew Koma” in tow at #18 and #19, as well as Daniel Bedingfield’s “O.V.E.R. U.” at #21.
The three debuts have already been written about in these pages so absolutely no surprise that they land on the chart. “Fast As I Can” bows at #25 and is the first independently released single by FrankMusik from his upcoming album You Are here, due at end of January. As good as the song is, this one revels in a powerful, soulful Vincent Frank vocal. Vince also posted a most beautiful demo of a ballad recently called “Shores” – do give a listen below. Matt & Kim score entry #2 from their Lightning album with “Now” at #27 (live clip below). After the duo take a well-deserved break from touring, they will be back at it with Passion Pit in the new year.
Finally, The Presets arrive at #29 with “Youth In Trouble” from their Pacifica album (live clip below). The song was the first video we saw and has resonated much longer than the official single “Ghosts”. The duo will be back in home country Australia in the new year for more dates.
Bear with me with this bare-bones write up of the songs on my latest personal chart. Aside from a few new videos, of course you can view the full chart 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
Swedish House Mafia & John Martin get their turn at the top with the memorable “Don’t You Worry Child”, which displaces another fave of mine, “Music Makes You Lose Control” by Carlos Nóbrega, which should hang around in the Top 10.
But aside from the turnover at #1, the chart seems to be about one name. The name is Koma. Matthew Koma. Not only does his collaboration with Zedd on “Spectrum” stay in the Top 5 at #3, but the title track of his EP Parachute vaults 17-4, which could result in a shorter stay at #1 for the Mafia. The New Yorker also debuts at #26 with “1998”, which definitely shows his edgier rock style, definitely recalling post-punk folks like Elvis Costello and XTC. His album Propaganda will be out in early ’13 – woo!
It puts a smile on my face every time I play Bright Light Bright Light’s mashup of his hit “Feel It” with Scissor Sisters’ “Let’s Have A Kiki”. “Feel It” moves up to #6 this week, and the Lifehouse/Natasha Bedingfield collaboration on “Between The Raindrops” is slowly finding favour, rising 10-7. Watch the video below – too bad there aren’t any scenes with Jason and Natasha together.
Two newcomers join the Top 10, songs that you won’t really find elsewhere! “Evolved” by Vague-à-bonde climbs 11-8 as the singer (Nicole Alicia) prepares a video and more new songs. “Evolved” has one of those immensely likeable qualities – it just sneaks up on you and hits you between the eyes with its chorus. Mesmerizing in a different way is “Yesterday’s Tomorrows” by Jane Badler which rises 12-10 and can be found on Jane’s EP Mistaken Identity which you can buy on iTunes.
Despite many songs tumbling on the chart, there’s still quite a bit of activity. “Yeah Yeah” by New Zealand’s Willy Moon soars 22-11 as the singer tours in the UK. Matt & Kim wrap up their Lightning tour (though they are touring with Passion Pit in 2013) and “Let’s Go” jumps 15-12. Kid Massive & DATABOY make a great pairing as “Good Girlfriend” moves 20-17 (video below). Right behind is the Arty/Nadia Ali/BT collaboration “Must Be The Love” at #18, Adele’s “Skyfall” at #19, “Burn” by Bim at #20, and “Play The Girl” by Tao Hypah at #21.
Joining the chart are two more new entries. I’m hoping it may not be too premature, but since “Remember When” by Chris Wallace exits after a mandatory 10 chart (20 week) run, I’ve installed “Time Bomb (Walk Away)” at #25. To me this is the natural follow up to “Remember When”. Over the past two weeks, Daniel Bedingfield released the provocative video to “Secret Fear”, which got to #5 on my chart this summer. The video is quite a feat, developed and directed by Daniel, and filled with numerous meanings. I’ve also been playing “O.V.E.R. U.” from his free Secret Fear-Stop The Traffik EP for months, and it arrives on the chart at #27. Listen to “Time Bomb” and “O.V.E.R. U.” and watch the video for “Secret Fear” below.
Shorter and more frequent blog posts coming your way soon!!
Even though we had a song with a video about an alien love story at the top of the chart two weeks ago, my Hallowe’en party song for 2012 is “Music Makes You Lose Control” by Portugal’s Carlos Nóbrega, which climbs to #1 for this edition of my chart, succeeding “Spectrum” by Zedd & Matthew Koma. Carlos is working on an album and I’ll be one of the first to have news on it as it happens. In the meantime buy “MMYLC” on iTunes and support independent music by doing so!
Zooming to #3 to become a real challenge for the top is “Don’t You Worry Child” by Swedish House Mafia featuring John Martin, which looks to replicate its UK #1 status in other countries too. The Mafia are playing to huge crowds on what looks to be a final tour for the trio. Below is a live clip of the song. Also joining the Top 5 is “Anything Could Happen” by Ellie Goulding, which still seems to be getting lost in the success of “Lights”. Nonetheless it is one of the more joyous sounding songs of the year.
After coming off of a successful UK tour supporting Scissor Sisters, Bright Light Bright Light continues to rise up the chart to #7 with new single “Feel It”, which features several remixes and a new/old song “Good Times”. Rod Thomas (BLx2) has once again given us a free download of a remix, coupling “Good Times” with Black Box’s “Everybody Everybody” as “Good Body”, below.
Two songs join the Top 10. “Unheard” (#9) by Netherlands singer Jeronimo isn’t a single, but is one of the most enjoyable and irresistible songs from his debut album One Kiss. And “Between The Raindrops” by Lifehouse featuring Natasha Bedingfield is indeed a grower, leaping 18-10, as I look forward to the band’s next album Almeria and perhaps a tour in 2013. Take a look at a live clip of Lifehouse performing the song, below.
You can view the full chart 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
Below the Top 10 is a steady busy stream of great music. “Evolved” by Vague-a-bonde moves to #11 as the singer records a new album. This independent release has a crackling good hook and a soft, winning vocal (listen below). Jane Badler’s “Yesterday’s Tomorrows” is at #12 and is also featured in the Stormby remix on the compilation Kiss My Lipstick Off. Imagine Dragons’ anthem “It’s Time” is now at #14, while Matt & Kim’s rollicking “Let’s Go” climbs to #15. As the release of Lotus approaches, “Your Body” by Christina Aguilera moves up to #16, and Mika’s “Popular Song” (taking its cue from “Popular” from “Wicked”) is up to #18. Kid Massive & DATABOY have a UK club hit with “Good Girlfriend” at #20, while “Must Be The Love” by Arty, Nadia Ali & BT jumps to #21.
As I expected two weeks ago, the chart got a bit of housecleaning and there are five new entries. It’s no surprise that the highest, at #17, is “Parachute” by Matthew Koma, ifyou read my rave about it recently. The one newcomer that I haven’t written about yet is “Yeah Yeah” by Willy Moon at #22. You know it as an iPod commercial song. But on its own, it’s a powerful crowd-pleaser from this 23 year old New Zealand native who is currently touring in the UK and Europe opening for Jack White. Watch the stylish, simple and fun choreography in the video below.
Despite the overhype, Adele’s theme for the new James Bond film “Skyfall” rises above it all, being such a gorgeous piece of drama unto itself, landing at #23 on the chart. At #25 is “Burn” by Bim from their Lifelines EP, which is due for worldwide release this week. This is the opener to the EP but is the core of it, full of intense emotions that could write their own book. The video is intriguing with its comic book theme, and really doesn’t have much to do with the song – watch below. Lastly, “Play The Girl” by another Netherlands singer, Tao Hypah,which I also wrote about recently, debuts at #28 following the #3 success of “Celeb”.
“Parachute” is pure pop as cutting edge as it can be for 2012. Of course it’s no wonder, it’s brought to you by singer/songwriter Matthew Koma, whose unique and wide-ranging voice makes the song soar. The melody is vibrant and inviting – really what more can you ask for? Oh yeah – a truly fun dance mix courtesy of Kat Krazy. Watch the video below and listen to the remix.
Eric Saade, “Marching (In The Name Of Love)” and “Miss Unknown”
After truly dazzling us with two splendid albums in 2011 (and taking me totally aback, especially with “Popular” and two subsequent #1 songs on my chart), Swedish singer Eric Saade uses the same strategy to bring us two new singles before his next album’s release. In these songs he seems to have put aside the frenetic arpeggio-laden electronic dance pop, which may yet emerge on the album. “Marching (In The Name Of Love)” plays more on the R&B/hip hop appeal in Europe for Black Eyed Peas, Chris Brown, Labrinth, and Tinie Tempah. It’s likely to be more of a crowd pleaser than “Miss Unknown”, which reminds me more of a mid-tempo Ne-Yo ballad. Do I think these are his best songs? No but they may be growers, and I think his vocal particularly shines on “Miss Unknown”. Looking forward to the album to see what he will bring us. Watch the lyric videos for both songs below.
Matthew Kurz, “One Night (Damn!)”
After tantalizing us with a series of recent cover versions (most notably a brilliant version of “Titanium”), Matthew Kurz is back with a new original song that draws you in and holds on to you all the way through. What is essentially a ballad takes a hip hop sidestep quickly that gives the song a flavour that compares nicely to some of Bruno Mars’ songs. I like the mix of swag and sweet, and it’s songs like these that will take Matthew far. Give a listen below.
Matt & Kim, “Let’s Go”
I’ve already praised the duo to the hilt recently for their concert and new album Lightning. They have a lot of fun with an entry for the model business in the official video for “Let’s Go” (currently on my personal chart). A great cast of character faces keeps this one moving along with Matt & Kim’s endless appeal. Watch below.
Ryan Silverman, “The Crossing Tree”
While you may already know New York-based Canadian Ryan Silverman from his starring roles on Broadway, he entered the pop world recently with a striking video and cover version of “Come On Down To My House”which I brought to you in July. Now he’s back with an original that he co-wrote, “The Crossing Tree”. The song has a similar jazzy swing to it but changes it up mid-way to become more of a pure pop, storytelling entry about making choices. Ryan is definitely in the same class as Michael Buble, Matt Dusk, and Harry Connick Jr., but this fine entry also will appeal to fans of the likes of Chris Isaak, Neil Diamond or Chris Mann. Watch the video (with some fine NYC shots) below.
Kim Smith, “Zombiez”
Here is your musical Hallowe’en treat. Australian cabaret performer Kim Smith (who has a following in the U.S.) takes a detour into electropop creepiness (from a forthcoming album) with his enthralling “Zombiez”, which is accompanied by an appropriately edited video comprised of scenes from the original “Night Of The Living Dead”. The song would only work with another voice as equally magnetic as Kim’s. Watch below and enjoy the Ricardo Autobahn remix.
Cee-Lo Green & The Muppets, “All I Need Is Love”
And here is your joyful Hallowe’en-meets-Christmas treat. There is no singer better suited to work with The Muppets on a regular basis than “The Voice” judge Cee-Lo Green and his sweet soulful voice. In anticipation of what will likely be a huge video for the song, we have the lyric video below, which will also prove that the original Muppet Show TV theme is way too hard to get out of your head.
BILLCSMUSIC BLOG 
You must be logged in to post a comment.