This early morning blog post is brought to you by the new single from Justin Timberlake, “Suit & Tie”, which was finally released today after a lot of online teasing last week. Well, let’s face it, JT is using the newer medium that was just on the rise at the time of his 2006 album FutureSexLoveSounds, when the music fan world was wrapped up with MySpace (which coincidentally he is instrumental in reviving).
“Suit & Tie” is definitely recorded by a guy in love. It’s a breezy, slight dash of blue-eyed soul, highly reminiscent of early 70s songs by Marvin Gaye or Smokey Robinson. I don’t think Jay-Z’s rap adds anything to the record personally. This is really all about JT’s voice, and less this time about the innovation that scored with “SexyBack” in ’06 (both that song and the album were my favourites of its year). So let’s see how it competes with the rest that’s out there!
Kudos to my fellow online music buffKurt Trowbridge, who guessed both the name of the single and album (The 20/20 Experience) days before release. Well done!
At the worst of times, music is our release, it’s where you can turn when you need to clear your head and fill it with something else. John Vasely of Secondhand Serenade and Colin Munroe have had their bad times, and are fortunately such talented performers that they can share it with us through their music.
Secondhand Serenade “A Naked Twist In My Story”
We have actually heard John’s story, back in 2008 when its sparkling, doe-eyed showcase song “Fall For You” could be heard everywhere (it got to #7 on my personal chart). But it’s one of the few happy songs on the record, coinciding of course with the start of a promising relationship that ultimately falls apart. A Naked Twist In My Story is A Twist In My Story stripped away to near-bare bones, but without the studio enhancements the story becomes a much more emotional and personal affair.
I can’t really say that “Fall For You” is improved; this version is its gritty companion. Being in a different place myself in 2012 than in 2008, the pain and sorrow of songs like “Why”, “Pretend”, and “Goodbye” is better understood and the raw performances shine through. There’s a lovely new bonus song too, “Belong To”, which doesn’t set out to be another “Fall For You” and I think is the point of hope that we all reach at a certain part of our stories. I saw Secondhand Serenade in concert three years ago. About 80% of the attendees knew the words to most of the songs that were played, and John and his band made a medium sized venue quite intimate for their fans, many of whom will be on board for this new part of the story.
A Naked Twist In My Story is an independent release that will whet your appetite for Secondhand Serenade’s fifth full album, due later this year. Buy it on iTunes and listen to a snippet of “Belong To” below.
Colin Munroe, “Unsung Hero” (mixtape)
If I’m reading the lyrics correctly (and I may not be), I’d say that Colin Munroe struck rock bottom in both professional and personal hell in the last few years. However, as strange as life turns around, we are benefitting from the results through his new record deal with Capitol/EMI and his compelling recent releases, which have landed inside his latest mixtape “Unsung Hero”. And it’s definitely a different kind of ‘unsung hero’ that we heard back in 2008 with his mixtape “Colin Munroe Is The Unsung Hero” or when he first appeared as a featured artist on songs by the likes of Donnis and Drake.
“Unsung Hero” doesn’t rest on one kind of style of pop music, navigating easily through accessible but cutting pop like “Over It”, the cathartic R&B hip hop of “The Fight Of My Life” and “Scars ‘N Stars”, the almost giddy “Fucking Amazing”, and the thought-provoking, deliberately paced “Your Eyes”. Colin Munroe has such talent with his craft that one shouldn’t forget that his vocals are spot on, too. And he has a bevy of friends to help him build his castle of a resolve, including Cassie, K.Flay, Pusha-T, Kendrick Lamar, Memoryhouse, and RZA. In some ways, “Unsung Hero” is also a good companion to JMSN’s †Priscilla† of earlier this year.
“Unsung Hero” may still be available for free download at some sites, but I’m not sure if that was the intent. Regardless, you can stream the entire record on Colin’s Soundcloud page below. I’d say Act II of Colin Munroe’s musical career is well-underway with a lot more ahead for us to hear.
Colin’s new Unsung Hero mixtape finally dropped today, but preceding it last week was “Over It”, which isn’t as heavy as “Fight Of My Life” and “Invincible”. Even in more of an accessible pop vein like this, the Toronto performer’s sympathetic vocals and resolute lyrics are extremely powerful. Expect more of the same grittiness in the mixtape, but I’ll save my comments about Unsung Hero for later in the week. In the meantime start yourself with “Over It” bydownloading it right here.
Sky Ferreira featuring Blood Orange “Everything Is Embarrassing”
At last, it’s a Sky Ferreira song that captures the sexiness and vulnerability I saw on stage in New York City in April 2011. It’s a pretty sparse and fragile sound from her upcoming EP Ghost that could easily put the much-praised Sky in the same leagues as Ellie Goulding in no time. More like this please… and remixes could send clubs positively spinning.
Vague-à-bonde “Evolved”
Hailing from Minneapolis, Nicole Brenny has recorded her second album under the name Vague-à-bonde, and in advance of it comes “Evolved”. Not far removed from Sky Ferreira or Ellie Goulding but with the tough edges we find with Pink and Rihanna, “Evolved” starts out gently unassuming and then seemingly out of nowhere comes this amazingly hooky chorus that will simply slay you. After all what would a vague-à-bonde be if not restless? I can’t wait to hear a live performance of “Evolved”. Get thefree download right hereand look for more soon from Vague-à-bonde.
Sam Sparro “We Could Fly”
Backtracking to the soul/funk and emotional pop combo of Sam Sparro’s sophomore album Return To Paradise, I would like to humbly suggest “We Could Fly” as the next single. After the video of the the downbeat but cathartic “I Wish I Never Miss You”, “Fly” could serve as a reprise of the vibe of the first single “Happiness” and with some innovative remixes will help this intriguing album gain momentum again.
River Tiber “What Are You Afraid Of”
As regular readers know, I consider Toronto band River Tiber to be one of The Finds of 2012. I adore the many moods of the debut album From Now On, particularly “Someday” and “Symmetry”, which reached #1 and #2 on my personal chart. Led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Tommy Paxton-Beesley, River Tiber segues into more experimental electronic pop/rock on “Afraid”, full of gorgeous smatterings of electric guitar, which all resonate through the images in the video. Watch below, and look for many more fine things to come from Tommy and River Tiber this Fall.
Vista Cruiser featuring Vanessa Barfod “I Dig, You Dig”
A humorous party rock song will always get my attention if the whole package rises among the generally inane setting. Such is the case with Montreal’s Vista Cruiser, comprising Mich and Andy Manaras, who were more known for rocking out a decade ago than the fun electropop behind “I Dig, You Dig” would let on. But with platinum award-winning producer John Nathaniel somewhat uncharacteristically at the helm, and a clever, eye-popping video, you will have a tough time getting the song out of your head. So party on…
Elle Vee featuring Tek-neek “I Like Girls”
Hailing from L.A., Elle Vee is Lindsay Vinarsky, a diverse songwriter whose “I Like Girls” puts her definitively in Britney Spears sounding territory but with lyrical bite that takes no prisoners along along with a well-placed rap. Give a listen below and check out numerous other songs, which show some other sides of Elle Vee on her Soundcloud page.
A reminder, in anticipation of its video launch on Saturday, September 8, do check out Jane Badler‘s wonderful “Yesterday’s Tomorrows” below in all of its original glorious drama and then in the so chi chi Stormby’s Drama Mix. I’ll have the video coverage on the weekend. There are all kinds of details onJane’s Facebook page .
My new personal chart is taking a backseat to my Canadian Music Week update. Despite lots and lots and lots of walking as well as shifting my regular body clock a few times to accommodate some shows, I was really glad I decided to purchase a Canadian Music Week wristband this year. I had been to shows during CMW in the past but I really had the urge to get out and see some shows, since my winter months were pretty concert-deprived.
As much as I love the dance music that takes regular residence on my chart, getting away from autotune and seeing mainly raw live performances was well worth it. I got to meet a lot of great people which shows me that the people making music out there are still the ones I enjoy most. There are many talented people behind the scenes, but too much of a requisite amount of a-holes. I used to find that with performers, too, but not in recent years.
So here are my highlights – if you follow me on Twitter, you pretty much realized that I needed to be cloned 😉
THE TEMPER TRAP: The Aussie quintet is back with its self-titled follow up to Conditions due this Spring. The group provided an entertaining mix of savvy pop, rock and dance music, capped with its big hit “Sweet Disposition”. The new songs sound very gripping and I can’t wait to hear them. Dougy Mandagi is an engaging front man. Check out the video for new single “Need Your Love” below.
MARTHA WAINWRIGHT: It was way too long since I last saw Martha open up for her brother Rufus in one of his shows about 7 or 8 years ago. I saw an in-store 20 minute acoustic set, and she was very inspiring and in fantastic voice. Another upcoming album that will be well worth the wait.
AERIALS UP: The first of my pop collectives,as I blogged about last week, the 7 piece Scottish unit led by Alan Kemlo offered up one of the very best shows I saw with a perfect balance of instrumentation. The band was totally wrapped up and in the moment on stage, and the songs from their upcoming album due in April sounded fabulous. Despite an effort to see them a second time that was screwed up from wrong information I received from the venue, I will look forward when Aerials Up return to Toronto. I think they made a whole lot of fans here.
GENTLEMEN HALL: Despite mediocre and sometimes distorted sound, the 6 piece Boston rock band led by Gavin Merlot and Cobi Mikewho were my second pop collectivestirred up a tempest on stage. With synthesizers prominently in the mix, the band did not hesitate to add heavy guitars or some lovely melodies for a diverse set. I got new appreciation for their song “Gravity Will Break Our Bones”.
IN MY COMA: Though I didn’t get to see their CMW show, I did catch a set by the three piece Toronto band led by Jasper James that I wrote about recentlya few days before CMW. The band is tight with a rich contemporary take on post-grunge rock that is presented in their finely crafted CD package Magnets And Miracles.
BIG SCARY: Big Scary is a duo from Australia comprising Tom Iansek and Jo Syme. Lest you think that a the market for a two piece band with a female drummer comprised The (now defunct) White Stripes and Matt & Kim, we’ll you’re wrong. Big Scary indeed does have a big rock sound (guitar/keyboards/drums) that takes inspiration from post 80’s new wave. There seems to be lots of room for anything in their mix so I’ll look forward to hearing songs from their recent album Vacation.
THE SLAKADELIQS: I’ve written about this Toronto outfitled by Slakah the Beatchild twice now, and was fortunate to catch their premiere public show. Despite being sabotaged by poor sound, the band invited guest vocalists up on stage, to give their show a real community vibe. This in turn was enhanced with their guitar players alternating with some fantastic dual cello work! Best of all at the end came Justin Nozuka, who lifted the set into an entirely different game with his vocals for “Keep Breathing” and “Love Controls The Sun”.
RIVER TIBER: It was very cool for me to actually meet Tommy Paxton-Beesley at The Slakadeliqs show, before I saw his band play their own set in a well-attended graveyard shift (3:00 a.m.) the next night. River Tiber delivered the goods in performance especially on “Someday”, “These Are Centuries”, and a well-chosen rendition of The Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun”. As I wrote a few weeks back, River Tiber’s From Now On is one of the few Must Hear records of 2012thus far.
With that having been said, let’s move into chart mode 🙂
I could not leave Eric Saade stranded at #2 with “Backseat” after 10 weeks. The last song I remember in a similar situation was “Crush (1980 Me)” by Darren Hayes, which got one appearance at #1 in 2002, but became one of my 10 favourite songs of the last decade! I love the rock flavour and sexual undertones in “Backseat”. If you haven’t heard it yet, listen below. His other song on the rise on the chart, “Fingerprints”, slides up to #3 too.
Then back we go to Tommy Paxton-Beesley and River Tiber. “Someday” is currently taking over my iTouch and it climbs 11-2 to challenge for #1 in two weeks. Not only that, but another River Tiber song “Symmetry” will grab you when you’re not looking. It debuts at #12.
The rest of the Top 10 shapes up with single point gains with songs by Graffiti6, JMSN, and Joe Jonas. M83 enters at #10 with “Midnight City”, but it’s The Wanted that unexpectedly storm the Top 10 with “Glad You Came” at #9. Oh, and boy bands are NOT back. They never went away.
As the release of his Promising Promises album arrives in May, the stirring duo of Jon McLaughlin with Sara Bareilles on “Summer Is Over” inches towards the Top 10 at #11. On a different bent, Colin Munroe’s inspiring “The Fight Of My Life” draws me in listen after listen and moves up to #13. Last week’s other debuts all fare well. The Knocks’ take on “Midnight City” rises to #19; “Could It Be Magic” is transformed by Elouise and climbs to #20; “Happiness” by the ever-talented Sam Sparro jumps to #22 (video is below); Kaya and Pierre Lewis take “When I Was Blind” to #23; and “Call It What You Want” is at #24 for Foster The People.
It’s been almost 5 years since Tyler Hilton appeared in my chart with “You’ll Ask For Me”, but in the interim he’s been busy performing both on stage and on camera in film and on TV (“One Tree Hill”). It’s hard to believe that Forget The Storm will only be his sophomore full album release, his first being 2004’s The Tracks Of Tyler Hilton. But if the pensive and laid back “Prince Of Nothing Charming” (debuting at #26 – his 7th entry on my chart though!) proves anything it’s that Tyler Hilton is on his way to continuing to please his many fans and expand worldwide. Watch for the release of Forget The Storm on April 3.
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.
Much of my personal chart stays the same in this end of February edition, but there are always the requisite new songs on the rise. The big mover on this week’s chart is the increasingly infectious “Free” by Graffiti 6, which jumps 20-8. The British duo of Jamie Scott and Tommy Danvers comes off with a unique pop sound amid so much autotuned dross on the charts. As testament to this, you’ll find an acoustic video of “Free” below as well as the official video. As bloggers have claimed for the last few years, Graffiti 6 continues to impress and acquire new fans (me, among them).
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.
The top of the chart continues to be a friendly battle between “Memorize Me” by Rune RK & Databoy, which continues in the lead, and “Backseat” by Eric Saade. The former’s intriguing story sweatered in electropop and the latter’s rock-flavoured sensual dance pop are both fantastic detours in the current pop world. Not far behind is “Make You Mine” by Joe Jonas at #3, which like “Backseat” throws a little aggression into the mix. The sensitive old-school R&B/pop of “Home” by Stone Walters continues at #4, and then it’s that guy Saade again at #5 with the mysterious and danceable singalong that is “Fingerprints”. Aside from “Free” by Graffiti 6, the only other new entry to the Top 10 is another Jonas-should-be-smash done up as a break-up cha cha called “Not Right Now” at #10.
While the fine “Fallout” by Marianas Trench (video below) and “Born To Die” by Lana Del Rey each inch up a notch, Adam Lambert’s “Better Than I Know Myself” comes up the middle as Top 10 bound at #12. JMSN’s intriguing “Something” is on the move at #14 (yes, more weird and wonderful videos are on the way), with “Summer Is Over” by Jon McLaughlin & Sara Bareilles climbing to #16. M83’s “Midnight City” continues to get stuck in my head for long periods of time and jumps to #17, while Fallulah’s “Out Of It” as remixed by the ingenious Monsieur Adi is equally captivating at #20. The crowd pleasing “Believe It” by Spencer & Ross and Nadia Ali rounds out the songs to watch at #21.
I’ve already written about our four debuts in past posts. But in case you haven’t got the tip from the above paragraphs, a lot more rock flavour seems to be finding its way into my personal chart. Three out of the four debuts can attest to this.
At #25 is New Yorker Ryan Star, whose songs have fared extremely well on the chart since 2008, all reaching the Top 5: “Right Now” (#2), “Start A Fire” (#3), “Last Train Home” (#4), and “Breathe” (#5). “Stay Awhile” is no exception – a fine emotionally-charged and thoughtful rock ballad. The video is below, as is Ryan’s rendition of “I Won’t Back Down”, a late 80’s hit for Tom Petty.
Then we have River Tiber, the band name for Canada’s Tommy Paxton-Beesley, which hits with “Someday” at #26. It’s another song with genuine emotional fervour and highly-charged guitar playing that is made even better by Tommy’s Jeff Buckleyesque vocals which now give me goosebumps. Catch the video below and become a believer, along with another one of River Tiber’s songs called “Symmetry”. Be sure to download a new EP, hot off the presses, called Massachusetts, from River Tiber’s website.
Bowing at #27 is “The Fight Of My Life” by Colin Munroe featuring Pusha-T. The duo concocted a wicked blend of pop, rock, R&B, and rap in this powerful song, which should put Toronto’s Colin back into the international scene handily. A lot of people, myself included, can relate to the lyrics and Colin’s soulful and honest vocal. Colin’s had two chart entries, “Will I Stay” (#8) and “Bulletproof Monster” (#12). Listen to “The Fight Of My Life” below, as well as lending an ear to Colin’s affecting revox of Sky Ferreira’s “One”.
The last debut at #29 focuses on a retro new wave vibe, in a kind of Animotion-meets-Divinyls kind of way (and they would do a great version of the former’s hit “Obsession”, hint hint). I’m talking about fun trio Liquid Diet, who have released a 3 song self-titled EP that puts ears foremost on “Hand Dance”, their ode to self-pleasure. It’s kitschy for sure but not only instantly likeable but hard to get out of your head, and before you know it you’ll want more… And that must be why the duo also recorded a danceable cover-with-a-twist of George Michael’s “Father Figure”. As with “Hand Dance”, vocalists Georgia and Billy trade off well and what sounds like it could have been a train wreck in principle actually works out just fine thank you. The EP rounds out with “Nude”, which manages to name-check bloggers among a cast of thousands. Watch the video for “Hand Dance” below and listen to “Father Figure” as well.
A few of my favourite performers return with new songs, plus of course the requisite bunch of talented newcomers 🙂
Ryan Star “Stay Awhile”
With crowd-pleasing honesty and passion in his songs and performing, Ryan Star has been keeping mighty busy since the August 2010 release of his last album 11:59 (for which you may recall I attended the CD launch show in New York City). He’s in the process of recording a new album and released a free download called The America EP which dropped last month (including a cover of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down”). “Stay Awhile” however is the first single from his upcoming album and has all the makings of a classic rock ballad, full of warm, understanding lyrics and Ryan’s big, versatile voice. I don’t say it very often, but I’m predicting great things for “Stay Awhile”. Ryan Star is currently on tour in the USA with Andy Grammer.
Tyler Hilton “Prince Of Nothing Charming”
After kicking off the year with a big rockin’ bang with the free download of “Loaded Gun”, Tyler precedes his upcoming album Forget The Storm with “Prince of Nothing Charming”, a song that has the witty lyrical wordplay and simple kind of melody that attracted many people to his music in the first place back in 2004/05 with songs like “The Letter Song” or “When It Comes” from The Tracks Of Tyler Hilton album. This is a great song to tie into the final season of One Tree Hill, where Tyler plays Chris Keller. Now that Tyler’s signed to Matt Serletic’s Emblem Records (home to Rob Thomas and Matchbox Twenty), it looks like the increasingly common music business hassles that have prevented release of the new album will benefit Forget The Storm in hindsight if the songs are this good. Get “Prince of Nothing Charming” on iTunes.
Cassie “King Of Hearts”
Another singer who has had many delays with the release of her next album, Cassie Ventura tantalized us back in Fall ’06 with the Ryan Leslie produced pop/R&B ballad “Me & U”, which was positively everywhere for the next six months, getting to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. And then the bottom kind of fell out with rumours abounding that she had been dropped by P. Diddy from his Bad Boy label. Apparently not so (distribution switched from Atlantic to Interscope for her), as a few singles did surface in ’09 but failed to click. So almost six years later and Cassie returns with “King Of Hearts” – which is decidedly unlike her first records. In fact this is pretty pure dance pop that fits snugly next to Kylie Minogue or Britney Spears songs. And as with “Me & U”, the production and music is much bigger than her voice, which is not a bad thing at all. This one’s a tidy surprise and may take a while to catch on, so let’s see if club DJ’s jump on it first.
Charly Mae “For Ya Queen”
Picture yourself as a judge on “The Voice” doing blind auditions. You hear this big soulful voice, with decided shades of Rihanna and Beyonce with more than a dash of Christina Aguilera. You turn around and find yourself faced with a 20 year old blonde Brit dressed in trademark pink (as you will see in the acoustic video version below) – that would be Charly Mae Tuffen, whose debut single “For Ya Queen” is nothing short of instantly memorable. The song goes for the vocal punch, which will grab younger fans that like the style who might be into Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez, while attracting older fans looking for something fun and not so sophisticated. But there’s more than meets the ear on this one song for Charly Mae – she’s one to listen for in 2012.
Will Young “Losing Myself”
I feel like I somehow missed out on last year’s campaign around Echoes, which resulted in huge UK success for Will Young and appearances on many bloggers’ best lists for 2011. I like the album but I suppose its songs didn’t stick with me enough, unlike limited freebie single “The Way I See” which somehow did. At any rate, Echoes does not appear to be out of steam yet, witness the stylish and watchable video for “Losing Myself” which is a good way to bring people like me back around to appreciate the fine song that it is.
Colin Munroe featuring Pusha-T “The Fight Of My Life”
Like with records by Tyler Hilton and Cassie, Torontonian Colin Munroe got swept into a major record label shenanigans which prevented him from releasing his own new music since 2008’s seminal and diverse mixtape Colin Munroe Is The Unsung Hero – you’ll recall “Will I Stay”, featuring Dallas Austin and Wale. That didn’t stop him from writing for the likes of Sky Ferreira and working with Drake, Travie McCoy, and Donnis in the interim or by releasing another free download EP called The Revox Suite, which is most known for grabbing Nicki Minaj’s rap out of Kanye West’s “Monster” (shortly after it went viral before the official release of Kanye’s last album) and pairing it up with La Roux’s “Bulletproof”. He’s back with an emotionally powerful song called “The Fight Of My Life”, which is edgy pop/soul complimented by Pusha-T’s nicely contained rap. “The Fight Of My Life” is a sign of great things to come – can’t wait to hear what’s next from Colin. You can get it from his official website for free with an email subscription.
Marcus Collins “Seven Nation Army”
The rest of the world has to catch up with Marcus Collins, but UK audiences know him as the runner up to their X Factor competition winners Little Mix last year. With tutelage from Take That’s Gary Barlow, Marcus grabbed a deal with RCA Records which will see his self-titled debut album released in March. It’s preceded with an interesting choice for a first single, a soulful take on The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army”. Marcus makes it his own though, replacing the military thump of the original with a slinky groove, which is played out further by the handful 😉 in its colourful video. Think of him as the UK male version of Janelle Monae – wonder what they’d sound like in a duet?
Tooji “Stay”
Although for me there doesn’t seem to be a song to root for in the lead up to Eurovision this year as with Eric Saade’s “Popular” last year, the backstory behind Norway’s official entry is so fitting. Tooji Keshtkar was a refugee from Iran who ended up in Norway at age one, eventually becoming a model and MTV presenter, but with always a desire to be involved with the UN to assist children refugees. But this young man has undeniable talent and stage presence, witness this starmaking performance of “Stay”. I’m not sure if the song itself has the oomph to capture the Eurovision judges but it’s going to open international doors for Tooji.
Well you had to have seen it coming. We’re technically not even a month into Winter, so our seasonal Popervescence returns with a number of single platter delights.
Tyler Hilton “Loaded Gun”
I put “The Return of Tyler Hilton” in the heading for the blog with tongue a bit in cheek. For Tyler has never really left the music scene at all, it just seems like a long while since the L.A. based singer/songwriter released a more electric kind of pop/rock record.
We’ve been treated to acoustic EP’s, fine and dandy, a spot-on rendition of John Waite’s “Missing You” from one of the One Tree Hill soundtracks (Tyler, of course, is also Chris Keller on OTH), and a few singles, including a Christmas song. Nothing has quite captured my attention in the same way as his 2004 album The Tracks Of Tyler Hilton, which generated must-play tunes for me in the forms of “When It Comes”, “Rollin’ Home”, and my favourite, the whimsical “The Letter Song”.
So it’s great that Tyler’s first single from his upcoming album Forget The Storm is “Loaded Gun”, because it smokes from the first lick of that crackling guitar. So those of us trapped in a warm-ish kind of winter can transfer our thoughts to driving down the California coast and headed to a bar for a good ol’ rockin’ time. The song was co-written with Deana Carter whom Country music buffs will know for massive hits like “Strawberry Wine”. Absolutely no surprise – if you’ve heard Tyler’s other songs there is always a heavy Country influence running through them.
But “Loaded Gun” has that stadium rock potential that makes you think more of John Mellencamp than Johnny Cash. Be sure to download “Loaded Gun”for free right here.
Jon McLaughlin featuring Sara Bareilles
“Summer Is Over”
If you’re heard Jon’s (now unavailable) recent album Forever If Ever, then you already know “Summer Is Over”. But now that Jon has signed a new record deal with Razor & Tie and has another album coming in May called Promising Promises (named after my favourite song from Forever too, currently on my personal chart 🙂 ), he’s had the chance to rerecord the song as a duet with noneother than Sara Bareilles, most noted of course for “Love Song” and “King Of Anything”. Their voices are a natural fit together, and having two voices on the record reinforces the feeling of longing and fond memories so very well conveyed by the song. Listen for it on the radio and buy it on iTunes.
Le Kid “Human Behaviour”
Oh Swedish pop of the 2010’s how I adore thee. Taking its cue from the best years of Swedish pop (aka the early 90s) and one Madonna Ciccone, female vocal duo Le Kid tantalizes us with the sprite pop sounds of “Human Behaviour”. As much as I’ve raved about the harder hitting recent electronic songs by Eric Saade and Agnes (producers/songwriters Felix Persson and Märta Grauers wrote Agnes’ smash “Release Me”, while third partner Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad has written for Mr. Saade), this is music that audiences would associate more with Robyn. And like other music from Sweden lately, it has enormous international potential – with a few remixes it can find its way into worldwide clubland too. Listen to “Human Behaviour” below and don’t say you aren’t doing some kind of little happy dance afterwards. Listen to it by clicking on the link below.
26 year old Canadian singer Danny Fernandes first came to my attention back in 2007 with his first singles such as “Curious” (featuring Juelz Santana) which got to #13 on my personal chart. Since then he’s had some significant domestic success with his gritty blend of pop and rap in songs like “Fantasy”, “Private Dancer” (also featuring rapper Belly), and “Automatic”. With his recent album Automatic Luv we find what is sure to be his biggest hit to date, “Hit Me Up”, which has grabbed my attention whenever I’ve heard it on the radio, probably because it’s more electronic and slams harder than his past records. While the song more than holds its own, it’s abetted to the max with the guest appearance of Marianas Trench singer Josh Ramsay in the chorus. Watch the video above – you’ll have to get past the so-so storyline and the strange editing near the end which makes it seem like there was much, much more to the video than made the final cut. Focus on the song – it’s a foot-stomper 🙂
Armin van Buuren featuring Adam Young, “Youtopia”
Dutch DJ/producer Armin van Buuren always has a few gems up his sleeve. I came upon this one quite by accident but I’m glad I did. Featuring none other than Mr. Owl City (“Fireflies”) himself, Adam Young, on vocals, the video above beautifully captures the wistful and emotional quality of this song, which is clearly about permanently lost love. “Youtopia” rings true, tugging at your heart while making you sway.
JMSN, “Something”
Lastly I leave you with a preview of my next blog, which will be about the new album by JMSN called †Priscilla†, released on iTunes earlier in the week. Its release was accompanied by a third single, “Something”, which follows previous singles and videos for “Hotel” and “Alone”.
The singer formerly known as Christian TV is stretching boundaries big time with his new identity as JMSN. “Something” is highly personal, full of atmosphere (particularly with exquisite percussion and drums) which reels you in, only to find that you’re not exactly sure of where you are and how you’ll feel when you’re done. So yes it’s a head-scratcher but JMSN’s excellent high register vocals stay in your head, giving this song a much longer lasting quality than other songs.
To seal the deal, watch the video above. You may only want to watch it once, given some imagery that will make you squirm right from the first frame. But I commented in an earlier blog about how much the previous videos seemed very similar to visuals from the mind of someone like David Lynch, the creator of “Twin Peaks” among other weird and wonderful forms of entertainment. So you may get the creeps, but it makes you think. Now if I’ve scared you away from the video, then take a listen to the song below. More to come…
That annual ritual is upon us again. I kicked it off with my previous post “And Visions of 2011 Danced In His Head”, which talked about my favourite 20 performers (and one compilation album) that made 2011 glitter for me. I won’t go into much depth about those performers again, other than those whose songs are in my Top 10. I’ve provided links to some notable videos and/or songs in my list below (click on the relevant song titles), particularly some you may not know, as well as some comments. You can see the web-pretty list using the Best of 2011 list in the sidebar to the right or click right here.
Before we begin, only one performer has more than 4 songs on the list, and that is Simon Curtis, who had my #1 song of 2010 “Beat Drop”. Among 7 entries, he has three duets on the list! Then with four songs is Frankmusik, and with three songs apiece we have Penguin Prison, Elouise, Eric Saade, Ro Danishei, and Kyle Brylin. These are no surprises if you’ve read this blog throughout the year.
Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin 🙂
BILL’S TOP 75 SONGS OF 2011
75 TILL THE WORLD ENDS Britney Spears
Unlike much of the pop world, I have never much been a fan of Ms Britney. But this year she recorded the best song of her career thus far which kicks off my year end list. In fact one of the very best reasons for expanding my list to 75 songs this year was to include this song. Well done – more like this please! 74 METAPHOR Nick Hagelin
Portland, Oregon duo Amy Paige and Josh Hoertzel make magical melodies together, and “We Don’t Miss A Beat” is their best yet. Watch for more in 2012. 71 ICE MELTS Matt & Kim 70 ANOTHER DIMENSION Bass Robbers featuring Matt Blue 69 NEVER WILL BE MINE Rye Rye featuring Robyn 68 THE CITY (Richard X emix) Patrick Wolf
It was so grand to hear British singer Patrick Wolf full of positive and happy energy with songs like “The City” from his recent album Lupercalia. 67TILL IT HURTS (Radio mix) Native Underground
Native Underground and singer Javi Silva (who gave us last year’s tantalizing “Situation”) are part of a New York City new dance/disco undercurrent. Watch for more from them in 2012, including Javi’s other project Chasing The Ghost. 66 CINEMA Benny Benassi featuring Gary Go 65 FALLING Bright Light Bright Light
BrightLightx2 aka Rod Thomas recorded this free download and unique interpretation of the theme from TV’s “Twin Peaks”, originally sung by Julee Cruise.
64 WHITE HORSE Jessica 6 63 MORE (Red One Jimmy Joker remix) Usher 62 STUPID WITH YOU Eric Saade 61MY FIZZY POP Kyle Brylin 60 THEN I GO TWISTING Erasure 59 ALL YOU NEED IS NOW Duran Duran 58THE LOVER’S RUMBA Elouise
The first of three contemporized ballroom songs to appear in this list from the fantastic Ballroom Remixed compilation from our favourite UK torch song chanteuse.
I must say I was totally enthralled with Chris Brown’s performance of this song on the Grammy Awards – though it was really a lot of special effects that catch your attention more so than the song, you can imagine how much work went into it. But I was totally puzzled that his record company did not promote this song to pop radio, and instead it became a #1 Dance Club Play hit.
Another magnificent Steve Anderson production which turns the song best known as the 80’s hit by Soft Cell into a seductive, smoky, and empowering torchy rendition. 54 ALORS ON DANSE Stromae
52 THE EDGE OF GLORY Lady GaGa 51DON’T GO BREAKING MY HEART Agnes 50 SUNLIGHT Bag Raiders featuring Dan Black 49 FAMOUS Audio Playground featuring Kardinal Offishall orRandy Raymond
Canadian dance trio Audio Playground enlisted Kardinal Offishall for this infectious dance song that perked up Canadian radio playlists this Fall.
48 LADY LUCK Jamie Woon 47 ROCKETEER Far East Movement featuring Ryan Tedder 46 BAD DOG Neon Hitch 45 THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL Elouise
From the little belter herself, a live clip of this version of the ABBA hit which shows that Elouise has the goods and you’ll hear much more from her in 2012.
44 SET FIRE TO THE RAIN Adele 43 MOVES LIKE JAGGER Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera 42 MONSTER Kanye West featuring Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Bon Iver & Nicki Minaj
I will always listen to Kanye West’s music knowing that he can come up with greatness with the help of such friends… and to me Nicki’s outstanding rap in this song is what helped get her on the map. 41 FAIR WARNING (Dirty Vegas remix) Penguin Prison 40VENOM Long Story Short
Guitarist Matt Webb initially released Cinnamon as a limited free download before appearing on his debut EP Coda and Jacket. It’s one of those perfect summer heartbreak songs that shows another side of this Marianas Trench member. 31 EVERYTHING I’M MISSING Kyle Brylin
As Kyle enters an acoustic phase of his career, his electropop of 2011 leaves its mark especially with this hypnotic song with a video that makes you watch, even reluctantly. And what is it about the eye makeup that helps give this song a bit of a sinister side? 😉
30 SUPERHERO Simon Curtis
Your Superhero arrived in May to stage the arrival of R∆.
The first of two pop/dance confections on this list from the Detroit performer who now goes by the moniker JMSN. Watch for more tricks up Christian Berishaj’s sleeve in 2012. 24 PRISONER OF LOVE Jessica 6 featuring Antony Hegarty
Prisoner of Love is just one of those to-die-for duets that happen once in a while. Hopefully this will be the first of many Nomi Ruiz/Antony Hegarty pairings!
23 BLOODSTAINED HEART Darren Hayes
There are few performers who can convey heartbreak so conscientiously as Darren Hayes. The best song on his Secret Codes & Battleships album is also one of his finest vocal performances. Watch the video all the way through.
22 PUMPED UP KICKS (Skeet Skeet Show remix) Foster The People
It’s very clear from their sold out concerts and their praised performances (even on TV’s Saturday Night Live) that Foster The People is not a one-hit pony. Despite the strange subject matter, the song became one of the defining hits of the summer, but my preference is for the frenetic Skeet Skeet Show remix. 21JACKSONVILLE Brandon Flowers
Held over from 2010, Jacksonville is one of the songs on the deluxe version of Flamingo, an album that could have fared very differently if the excellent deluxe tracks had been the the core of the record. Nonetheless, this is Brandon at his most unique – Jacksonville could have also been kicked up a notch with some dance remixes. 20 DISCO MOMENT Bright Light Bright Light
One of Rod Thomas’ very best songs contains several lyrics that can leave you teary-eyed while you dance: “And I am open, I am open, but I might just close if… /You make it so hard to be around”. The outstanding video will twist your emotions on the spot.
The best song from the Ballroom Remixed compilation is this contemporary jive number, aided immeasurably by the magic fingers of Ben Waters. Jerry Reid, too, is a new bad boy talent to watch in 2012. 18 TALK TO ME Andrea Lewis featuring Simon Curtis
Toronto’s Andrea Lewis has another hold over from 2010 release 54321, with her 60’s retro sounding duet with Simon Curtis. Watch the exclusive performance by these best friends from London below.
Pre-dating the Do It In The AM album by several months, it’s one of the rare tender ballads you will hear from Frankmusik, originally available as a free download. 16 SOMEONE LIKE YOU Adele 15S&M Rihanna
Rihanna was a non-stop music-making machine in 2011, but S&M to me exceeded all expectations and made the music that followed pale in comparison. She was at the top of her game but is now probably due a break for fear of that other industry-eating event, over-exposure. The song also accompanied an interesting cadre of songs with suggestive topic matter, which all ended up in Billboard’s Top 4 on the Hot 100 earlier in year – the others were “Born This Way” by Lady GaGa, “Fuckin’ Perfect” by Pink, and “Tonight (I’m Fuckin’ You)” by Enrique Iglesias 🙂
14 DO IT IN THE A.M. Frankmusik F/ Far East Movement
13 CAN’T HELP MYSELF (KEEP DANCING) Matt Blue
One of 2011’s must-talents to watch is 19 year old Matt Blue, who hails from the Netherlands. Songs like “Can’t Help Myself” transcend the record industry barriers for official release through their videos.
12 LOVE 2 BABY Christian TV
If there was any song that should’ve been a hit in 2011 it was “Love 2 Baby”, dance pop at its best and somewhat hedonistic video to boot. Watch for the artist now known as JMSN in 2012.
11 NO I.D. Frankmusik featuring Colette Carr
One of the most joyous treats of 2011 was watching this completely unexpected video throwback to “Grease”. Frank and Colette have great chemistry together – hopefully they’ll record again.
It was never released as a single *hrumpf* but this love letter to Eric’s fans has some of the best lyrics that pop music could offer in 2011: “My kings and queens /Are speaking through me / Got my degree / In the big P-O-P”.
9 ROLLING IN THE DEEP Adele
Rolling In The Deep is the song that defines 2011 in pop culture. It endured the entire year, became a massive hit beyond expectations, was covered – sometimes magnificently – a gazillion times. More than any other song in the 21 album, it showcases the many broad talents of Adele. Now let’s hope her voice recovers and we hear more magnificence in the next few years.
8 NIGHT AIR Jamie Woon
One of the most mysterious and oddly appealing songs by this new English singer with deep down embedded talents. While the video surely must have had “Twilight” as a source, its quiet is incredibly elegant.
7 THE FEAR INSIDE Frankmusik
The best song from Do It In The AM was Frank’s first single from the album, released about a year ago. Just release yourself to this one.
Penguin Prison held court on my chart at the top of the year for two months with this song, which was made even better when Chris Glover paired it in a stunning mashup with Michael Jackson’s “Workin’ Day And Night”, which you can hear and download in the link in song title.
It lasted from the first time I heard it in a live clip from a January show throughout the year. Laser Guns Up is still my anthem for 2011. And I still want some LEGO laser guns. “This one’s for the people who’ve been told they’re never good enough / The little girls and boys who dream of what they wanna be / The little girls and boys who grow up into you and me”.
4 JUST ONCE Databoy
I had just heard “Stupid” and had not yet charted it before I was introduced to Databoy at the Superfraiche showcase in New York City in April. And that’s where I heard this song. Instantly, it became my song for the upcoming summer, and when it arrived as a free downloadthere was no other competition. I can’t wait for more Databoy music in 2012.
3 WICKED BABY Ro Danishei featuring Simon Curtis
We had to wait till late Summer for this bonus track from the deluxe edition of Ro Danishei’s End of the Rainbow, but the best was saved for last. This is the child of Ace of Base’s The Sign that you’ve all been waiting for, with a stunning dubsteppy breakdown amid another smoking Ro/Simon duet. And I wasn’t the only one who loved it, check outMy Fizzy Pop’s thoughtson the song too!
There was no song more unique in 2011 than this second single from Simon’s R∆ album. Totally different from even the songs within R∆, it’s a tour-de-force of sensual imagery carried by fierce production that will simply throttle you. I still want to see it featured in a segment on TV’s “The Vampire Diaries”: “You put your hand upon my neck and feel the pulse beat-beat-beat-beat /It’s like a trigger getting ready to shoot” and “Hold me up against the wall / Give it till I beg, give me some more /Make me bleed, I like it raw / Like it R∆ R∆ R∆”. 1 POPULAR Eric Saade
“Popular” is the best and most captivating song of 2011 to me, which threw Swedish singer Eric Saade even more into the spotlight when the song won the Melodifestivalen contest and came third in Eurovision. It signalled things to come, with Saade’s Volume One and Volume Two albums dropping before year’s end and giving us the year’s most lighthearted, feel good, crunchy electropop, which hopefully will find its way around the world in 2012. Eric Saade and his team have created the template, the rest of the world needs to catch on. And if you’re a male pop singer, all eyes should be on Eric! Watch the star-making performance from Melodiefestivalen again below.
Well if you’ve been reading this space these past several weeks, then it’s no surprise that Eric Saade & Dev have dethroned Matt Blue’s “Can’t Help Myself” at the top of my personal chart in this edition. “Hotter Than Fire” is a highly appropriate 2011 finale for this chart, since my next one won’t be posted till January 2 or thereabouts. It looks to have a nice long stay at the top, unless either a long-awaited release of another song I love happens, or unless another Eric Saade song catches hold of me like “Hotter” and sails to the top. Watch the spiffy video above; the camera takes great advantage of Eric…
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.
This won’t be a long blog because the rest of the top stays the same, and while both New Yawkers Penguin Prison’s “Don’t Fuck With My Money” and Lana Del Rey’s “Blue Jeans” (in a Penguin Prison remix no less) are on their way to the Top 5, both “Then I Go Twisting” by Erasure and “White Horse” by Jessica 6 sneak into the Top 10 for what look like peak appearances. In the meanwhile, take a gander at the provocative video by Lana Del Rey, “Born To Die”, which is one of the best you will see these days, tragic story and all. Her voice almost has a Rufus Wainwright-like quality to it at times in this song.
Just outside of the Top 10 is another story entirely, for four songs look to storm the Top 10 in two weeks. Keep your eyes on Boy Banned, for “The Stars Are Saying Yes” will getcha when you’re not looking! It climbs 20-11 this week. Right behind is the second entry for Darren Hayes currently on the chart, “Black Out The Sun”. The Fastest Riser on the chart follows, and that’s “Make You Mine”, the big surprise that is within Joe Jonas’ Fastlife album. It soars 24-13. Jon McLaughlin’s “Promising Promises” continues to climb at #14. Rounding out the movers are The Midway State’s “Fire!” at #18, Lady GaGa’s “Marry The Night” which is up to #21, and “Like A Drug” by Adam Tyler jumps 28-24.
I talked about two of the three debuts recently. “Home” by Stone Walters is a stunning but low-key release from the UK soul singer which hits your heart in all of the right places. It’s one to watch and debuts at #20. It’s available for free download right here with an email subscription. “Champagne” by Nelson Clemente is either a great way to end the current year or a great starter for the next year. Its lightheartedness is contagious and premieres at #27. Nelson has already attained a number of Top Tenners on this chart, with “You Want Me Don’t You” (in both its original 2008 release and 2009 Spekr Freks remix) and “90 Days” both cracking the Top 5. Ninthwave Records has made it available as a free download on Soundcloud right here. Lastly, producer/remixer Benny Benassi has made some intoxicating music for the dance floor this year, so he gets a hat-trick of sorts with his remix of Labrinth & Tinie Tempah’s “Earthquake” arriving on my chart at #23. The other two songs to reach the chart? Chris Brown’s “Beautiful People” and Benassi’s “Cinema” (featuring Gary Go) were on the chart concurrently this summer, peaking at #10 and #11 respectively. Listen to his remix of “Earthquake” below. Your body may start moving without you.
A few more tidbits before I wrap up…
Ever the busy guy, Frankmusik recently unveiled a delightful animated video for his Do It In The A.M. track “Wrecking Ball”. Mr. Frank’s full of ideas… watch for more next year. In the meantime, watch “Wrecking Ball” below.
And welcome back, Adam Lambert, though you didn’t seem away for more than a hot second. The most important thing about his upcoming single “Better Than I Know Myself” is that it does away with the dramatic, almost over-the-top high notes of songs like “Whataya Want From Me” in favour of cleaner, richer, and more classic production. But everything you ever liked about Adam is much intact! The new album’s gonna be even better, I think.Listen to “Better Than I Know Myself” streaming from his official website right here.
And I leave you with two more songs for the season. He was Warbler #6 on “Glee” for a time, and recorded a terrific EP about a year ago along with a bang-on cover of George Michael’s “I Want Your Sex”. It’s a pleasure to hear Chris Mann so beautifully sing “Silent Night” below.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you, I said it was coming. Here’s Joshua Desjardins’ heartwarming and humourous video for “Macauley Culkin (Home Alone at Christmas)”. You will have a smile on your face when it’s finished 🙂
The top songs on this edition of my personal chart stay the same once again. Penguin Prison’s amazing “Golden Train” hangs tight for a 4th appearance at #1, while Frankmusik’s addictive “The Fear Inside” follows at #2 for a third appearance. So what will happen in two weeks? I’m not so sure, but Rihanna’s “S&M” has made an interesting surge to #3 – the peak of 2007’s “Don’t Stop The Music”, her highest ranking song on my chart to date. Will she get to #1? There are a few challengers below.
Each song below makes a good case why it might reach the top in two weeks. “Monster” by Kanye West is one of his most ferocious and entertaining songs to date and moves up to #5. But he’s been to the top with Estelle in “American Boy” and to the runner up spot with “Gold Digger” – can he get to either again? Then there’s the beautiful rendition of ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All” by UK chanteuse Elouise, which moves up to #6. Last year, her “Pretender” soared to #2. “Falling”, the theme song to the 1990-91 TV show ‘Twin Peaks’ has been redone and reshaped by UK electro sensation Bright Light Bright Light, and becomes Rod Thomas’ 4th consecutive Top 10 entry here. Both “A New Word To Say” and “Love Part II” were #1’s last year – will “Falling” follow suit?
Then there are the extremely strong new entries to the Top 10. First is the scathing “Michelle” by LA fireball Ro Danishei which becomes a duet when Simon Curtis (who is apparently playing a show in upstate New York sometime in February!) enters mid-way. One of the most fun but aggressive songs in recent years, “Michelle” climbs 13-8. Then we have the dreamy, mysterious, fastest riser in the chart – “Night Air” by Jamie Woon, which zips up 18-9. Can’t wait for Jamie’s album Mirrorwriting, due out in Spring, but “Night Air” will do just fine right now. Then we have that early 80’s dance flashback courtesy of Javi Silva and his project Native Underground at #10 with “Till It Hurts”. JUST SO MUCH GOOD STUFF!!
A great trio of very different songs that debuted at the end of last year find themselves mid-way on this edition of the chart. Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep” was prevented from #1 in the UK by “Grenade” by Bruno Mars, and rises 17-13 this week. Immediately below is Brooklyn’s fun rock indie couple Matt & Kim with “Ice Melts” from their sophomore CD Sidewalks at #14. Then Duran Duran are in full comeback mode as the title track from All You Need Is Now is #15.
More of the last chart’s debuts continue to do well. “Robot” by wild Toronto gal Andrea Lewis glides to #18, while Far East Movement join with OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder for the uplifting “Rocketeer” at #19. Usher’s surefire hit “More” makes you want just that as it moves up to #20.
Two of our six debuts were featured earlier in the week in the blog and I can’t get enough of them right now, Christian TV’s “Love 2 Baby” and “I Won’t Let You Go” by Adam Tyler. An uncharacteristic but extremely likeable song that’s been on a slow burn is “Keep Your Head Up” by Andy Grammer. Create your own variation of his video for the song at his website right here.
I lived through 80’s electropop and one of my favourite acts was Alphaville, which started as a trio and essentially is now the performing name for singer Marian Gold. You know Alphaville from “Forever Young” (prominently sampled by Jay-Z recently on “Young Forever”) and “Big In Japan”, and now we have “I Die For You Today” at #28, from a forthcoming album called Catching Rays On Giant. Alphaville almost toured in North America a few years back; a live clip of “I Die” is at the top of the blog.
It seems like they may be more than just your everyday boy band, but Canadian quartet Neverest have arrived with their debut single, a ballad called “About Us” which lands at #29. They are managed by Howie Dorough of Backstreet Boys and CJ Huyer of 3Deep (remember “Never Gonna Give Up” from 1999?), but we’ll need to hear more to see what else they have to offer. Great start though! And last is another emotional adventure from These Hopeful Machines, the latest album by electromeister BT. “The Emergency” is the final debut at #30. Its video is at the bottom of this blog.
The full chart can be found using the link to the right under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** or just click right here. Please leave any comments – thanks for reading!
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