Roz Bell – Page 2 – BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

Tuned-On! Top 30 #333 – August 16/10

Elouise

It’s now a few weeks away for the release dates of what could be a few of the year’s great records. One of those belongs to Killers singer Brandon Flowers – his solo debut Flamingo is due September 6, and “Crossfire” has wasted no time in attaining the pole position on my chart. It steals it away after one appearance from Bright Light Bright Light’s “A New Word To Say”, which slips to #2, but Rod Thomas and friends of course have the utterly brilliant “Love Part II” coming for official release on September 13. Expect that song to chart here in two weeks.

Two Door Cinema Club’s Tourist History is quietly becoming one of the albums that should be heard right now. The Irish band is coming to my city (Toronto) in October, complete with Penguin Prison as opener!! “Something Good Can Work” finds a weak part of the Top 10 and takes advantage of it, moving 9-4. Evan Taubenfeld’s “Pumpkin Pie” and David Guetta’s “Gettin’ Over You” both move up a notch. Three new songs join the Top 10 – the sublime 70’s disco influence of Goldfrapp’s “Dreaming”, the modern electro-punk energy of “Your Body Is A Machine” by The Good Natured, and the tears behind the pop smile of Bim’s “Head Over Heels”.

The middle of this chart continues to be log-jammed with great songs. The ones more likely to cut through are this edition’s fastest riser, the gorgeous Steve Anderson-produced torch song “Pretender” by UK’s Elouise, climbing 27-18. Londoners be sure to check out her show for me on September 11 at the Tabernacle! Then we have boy power pop courtesy of Adam Tyler’s “Friction” and its free propulsive Ricardo Autobahn edit. Still awaiting the Lullabies for Rattlesnakes album! The Top 10 will also have to make way for Roz Bell’s should-be-summer-anthem “Endless Summer Night”, while other songs by Reni Lane, Lifehouse, Chris Mann, Hanson, and Kylie Minogue are all just plain solid. Maroon 5’s “Misery” pulls up the rear and advances 28-24.

I’m going to continue to plug “The Beautiful Game” by UK singer Billy Franks, which moves up to #19. It has a lot of hidden quiet power in its melody and emotion, and proceeds go to a charity set up by Prince Harry to help African children, and you can purchase it on iTunes. Billy – the former leader of one of the 80’s treasures called The Faith Brothers – has also made available for free download a full album of music called Euphoria, which I expect to blog about in the coming weeks. Download it right here.

On to the debuts. Surely it’s no surprise after his August 3 concert that another track from Ryan Star’s 11:59 appears (while “Breathe” tumbles to #8)! And yes it’s “Start A Fire”, which is about to blaze a path of glory in these parts, arriving at #22. Then we have the fun and slightly eccentric dance sounds of Saint Motel. The LA quartet lands at #27 with the Sam Sparro remix of “Dear Dictator”. Finally, The Script haven’t been away from this chart for long, as the long legs of the band’s self-titled debut album have proven a lasting commercial success. From their upcoming sophomore record Science and Faith comes “For The First Time” at #28. It’s very samey-sounding to songs off the debut record but it certainly grows on you, and their audience sure enjoys the earnest and emotional style of this Irish trio.

It’s been a quiet, dull live concert scene in Toronto for me this summer. Most of the artists I’ve wanted to see did not come to my town. A whole bunch – Two Door Cinema Club, Penguin Prison, Florence & The Machine, Matt and Kim, Miike Snow – are coming within weeks of each other in October – and Brandon Flowers is performing a show for Virgin Mobile members only (you must be a member – which I am 🙂 – to enter the contest, so I’m crossing my fingers!!). And I’m hopeful that others like Lifehouse, The Script, and Ryan Star, will find there way here to make the winter months more pleasant.

Tuned-On! Top 30 #332 – August 2/10

This will be a quick and early blog as I am off to New York City tomorrow for 5 days with my daughter, during which time we will see Phantom Of The Opera, Ryan Star’s CD release show (Ryan hangs at #5 with “Breathe”), and perhaps visit the Jewish history museum as well as other sites.

That new pop meister extraordinary, Rod Thomas, aka Bright Light Bright Light, grabs #1 on the new chart with “A New Word To Say”, a free download that will hopefully be on BrightLightx2’s upcoming album. That having been said, I can’t wait for the official release of “Love Part II“!

It looks like Brandon Flowers’ “Crossfire” is destined for the top, as it zips into the Top 5 at #2. “Pumpkin Pie” by Evan Taubenfeld and “Gettin’ Over You” by David Guetta move up in the Top 10, and Two Door Cinema Club’s “Something Good Can Work” does get there amid stiff competition. As you will see, every song from 11-19 moves up, and really good stuff like “Broken Tonight” by Armin Van Buuren featuring VanVelzen gets stuck at #13 in a year rife full of grand pop songs. So how does one compete with songs that rev in my mind like those on the chart from Goldfrapp, The Good Natured, Reni Lane, Lifehouse, and Roz Bell? Last week’s debuts by Adam Tyler and Chris Mann shove along into the lower teens, with Bim’s gorgeously contagious “Head Over Heels” as the fastest riser (and congratulations on the release of the Scatterheart album, now available in iTunes!), moving up 27-17. Still further down, songs by Hanson and Billy Franks continue to make inroads.

The debuts will continue to bend my ear for months. How can one resist the happy feet dances generated by Kylie Minogue’s “Get Outta My Way” (her first appearance on my chart since 2004’s “Slow”), the powerful show-stopping drama of Elouise’s “Pretender”, and the sarcastic wit of Maroon 5’s “Misery”?

To see the full chart, click on the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or click right here. Any comments are more than appreciated 🙂

I don’t know if I’ll get a chance to blog while I’m away but you can check in on me on Twitter.

Tuned-On! Top 30 #330 – July 5/10

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

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

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

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

Gorgeous African Charity Single, plus new songs from ZACPOOR and Roz Bell

We now return you to our semi-regular blogging habit which is next only to listening to music new and old.

Above you will see the link to the video to “The Beautiful Game”, a lovely treasure of a tune by UK singer Billy Franks. The proceeds to this song, which you can buy on iTunes, go to Prince Harry’s charity to benefit African children. The timely theme, of course, is soccer, so the song serves a dual purpose for the love of the game played by so many African children. It’s definitely an atypical song in these electronic times but its simplicity is contagious in the same way that took Paul Simon’s Graceland to build 24 years ago. Billy Franks is a veteran singer who I was glad to learn was still making music a number of years back. One of my favourite unheralded 80’s groups was UK’s Faith Brothers, of which Franks was lead vocalist. They released two supremely excellent albums, Eventide and A Human Sound, which I’m happy to say are available most places now on iTunes. View the video for the Faith Brothers’ 1985 track “A Stranger on Home Ground” below and get acquainted with a song that will make you want to hear more (I love YouTube for stuff like this 🙂 ). And don’t forget to buy “The Beautiful Game”!

ZACPOOR, as he is billed, is a new Los Angeles talent that I discovered through our friends at Electroqueer. I swear some of the best new voices around are discovered through the BlogVerse! The song that strikes me most, which you can hear on his MySpace (as well a taste of the live rendition below in which you can hear the unique timbre in his voice) is “Silver Screens”. Zac is obviously a songwriter who lives through his songs and would appeal to fans of someone like Jon McLaughlin as well as harder edged storytellers like Lifehouse. If you’re in SoCal you can catch Zac live through July.

Roz Bell is a Toronto singer whose tunes I always look forward to hearing, since his laid-back and good-natured style captured me on his 2008 debut The First Sunbeams, which featured the singalongs “Yesterday Man” and “Papercut”. A live set in Toronto in Spring 2008 broadcast on CBC radio gave him a nice showcase, and Roz followed up that album with the digital release October last Fall, which yielded another Canadian hit with “Heart Attack”. And his soulful collaboration with 100 Akres for the free download of the funky “Pink Cadillac” was one of my favourites of last year. The upcoming CD is called Songs For Leaving, and from it comes the new single “Endless Summer Night”, which as the title expounds is for those clear, warm – but with a hint of breeze – city summer nights and havin’ a good time. No brain surgery here folks – the friendliest of 2010 summer songs to make it all worthwhile. Smells like a hit to me. Enjoy!

Random but Interesting: iTouch Shuffle

This random selection helped make a long drive into work bearable on Tuesday morning…

Anna Domino “Summer” (1986) from album ‘Anna Domino’
Blondie “Call Me” (1980)
Roz Bell “Night To End” from album ‘October’
Searchers “Love Potion Number Nine” (1965)
New Order “Mr. Disco” (1989) from album ‘Technique’
Dan Black “Wonder”
Raspberries “Go All The Way” (1972)
Howard Jones “And Do You Feel Scared (Eric Prydz mix)” (2006) a redux of “Things Can Only Get Better” 20 years later
Mika “Blame It On The Girls”
Jay-Z/Linkin Park “Numb/Encore” (2005)
Kane Gang “Gun Law” (1984) see video below from album ‘The Bad & Lowdown World of The Kane Gang’
Thunderheist “Jerk It”
Alicia Keys featuring Tony Toni Toné “Diary” (2004)
Alicia Keys “Harlem’s Nocturne” (2004)

Tuned-On! Best of 2009, Part 2 (25-1)

To complete my thoughts on the best songs that I heard in 2009, here are a few words about each of my 25 favourites:

25. NELSON CLEMENTE “You Want Me Don’t You (Spekr Freks mix)”

My #22 favourite from 2008 received a blistering remix from Spekr Freks in 2009 that’s perfect for the crack of midnight at a club. It bodes well for new music in 2010 from this South Africa based, Australian talent.

24. MARIANAS TRENCH “Masterpiece Theatre Part 1”

To me this is the showcase track from the Masterpiece Theatre, the first part of an intriguing rock opera that surrounds their other hits “Cross My Heart” (#37 on this list), “All By Myself”, and “Beside You”. These west coast Canadians far exceeded my expectations with this well-produced and extremely well done record.

23. MANS ZELMERLOW “Rewind”

A new Swedish star who should be on the international tip sometime in 2010. This breezy reflection on summer is only one reason for that.

22. GARY GO “Wonderful”

I missed this new UK singer opening up on Mika’s Fall tour but hopefully he’ll make the rounds again. “Wonderful” is an urgent, heartfelt tune to turn to when you feel down in the dumps – it will certainly pick you up.

21. RYAN STAR “Last Train Home”

The second song in this list from 2008 to receive a re-release, and the first of two in the Top 25 from this singer. Ryan Star’s from NYC and this striking rock ballad commands your attention. Few male rock singers these days have voices this good.

20. BEYONCE “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”

Yes it was a little tired by year’s end with even Alvin & The Chipmunks getting in on the act, but there’s no denying the hook or the impact that it had on women at the start of 2009. Songs like this show why Beyoncé is a superstar.

19. EVAN TAUBENFELD “Boy Meets Girl”

The first of two songs in the Top 20 from this talented LA-based singer/guitarist. The mix of 80’s and 90’s pop culture references and playful vocals make “Boy Meets Girl” a unique gem looking to be uncovered a little more in 2010.

18. PRESETS “If I Know You”

I missed their Toronto concert so I caught it when I was in California in April. This Australian duo creates such an intense show, more reminiscent of dark and dangerous 80’s acts like Shriekback and The The than anything else. “If I Know You” is a little less dark and dangerous, focusing in on a great melody and story while maintaining that relentless beat that pervades their live show.

17. JON McLAUGHLIN “You Can Never Go Back”

I’m not sure if it was entirely intended, but this track from this Indiana-based singer channels the Electric Light Orchestra so much for me. With ELO-like musical flourishes and melody, and even a reference to “Xanadu”, I was sold! It’s one of the highlights of Jon’s OK Now CD even if I think so for all the wrong reasons.

16. NADIA ALI “Love Story”

This former iio singer released her debut solo CD Embers, which includes this #1 club hit. Nadia has a great voice that’s been missed these past few years after the demise of iio (who appear a few times on my Top 300 of the decade), and this gentle dancefloor filler has hopefully kickstarted a long solo career.

15. PIERRE “Broken”

Pierre Lewis is one of several new singers I enjoyed from England, and his emotional ballad “Broken” has endured throughout the year for me. It also works just fine as a dance tune in a snappy remix by Joe 90. Look for more songs from Pierre in 2010.

14. MIKA “We Are Golden”

“We Are Golden” is the anthem of 2009 and a great start to a sophomore effort following Mika’s success in 2007. The Boy Who Knew Too Much is top notch ear candy that occasionally goes over the top – and enjoyably sol.

13. THE SCRIPT “Before The Worst”

It’s hard to believe some of these Irish lads were once in the boy band MyTown… they have come a long way to make a debut CD that appeals across the pop, rock and alt.rock genres. “Before The Worst” is their second song on this list, and was released as a free iTunes single early in 2009. It’s the best track on their CD, wearing its emotion on its sleeve while allowing the listener to empathize. The journey for these guys has just begun!

12. FLORENCE & THE MACHINE “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)”

Florence Welch is a unique new voice for the next decade as heard in the powerful songs on her band’s debut CD Lungs. “Rabbit Heart” for me has the most memorable imagery in a chorus of any song on this list and that combined with its gothic pop trappings makes it one of the finest records of the year.

11. MIKA “Blame It On The Girls”

If the triumph of “We Are Golden” was not enough, next up from Mika in 2009 was this simple and snappy pop/dance tune with a story. It’s theatrical qualities make it pretty much irresistible. I’m looking for Mika to take his show on the road again in 2010 so that I can see it all brought to life!

10. AGNES CARLSSON “Release Me”

The biggest breakout of the year from Sweden is Agnes Carlsson, who acquired an international #1 club hit and Top 5 UK pop hit with “Release Me”. Great vocals, commanding performance, this song had it all.

9. DAN BLACK “Alone”

The first of two Top 10 entries from the talented Mr. Black from England is “Alone”, which is not a ballad but an uptempo dance track. It’s one of several reasons to watch to see what Dan Black has to offer in the next few years. The world needs more of his kind of musical alchemy.

8. RYAN STAR “Right Now”

The second of two entries for Mr. Star, could there be a more positive and upbeat song released in 2009? This song makes you feel your mortality through your bones.

7. THE FRAY “You Found Me (Lenny B mix)”

Back in the Spring, I was listening to my car radio and a syndicated radio show was on. As I was listening, all of sudden ‘YOU FOUND ME” resonates through the speakers – and instead of a softer AC melody what follows is a throbbing dance beat before the vocals cut in. You see, I didn’t , and still really don’t, like the original version of this song. But Lenny B transformed it and brought out the meaning of the song for me. When remixes are great, they really work. This one made my heart pound.

6. EVAN TAUBENFELD “Cheater Of TheYear”

“Cheater of the Year” was my introduction to Evan Taubenfeld in 2009, and is his second appearance in the Top 20. Lyrically, this song pulls no punches about its subject, but Evan makes it fun and entertaining for the listener, and simply makes you want more.

5. 100 AKRES FEATURING ROZ BELL “Pink Cadillac”

“Pink Cadillac” is the best completely free download of the year. UK based 100 Akres had a hand in producing Canadian Roz Bell’s 2008 hit “Yesterday Man”, but this time he brought Roz into his territory, this being a funky track that is highly reminiscent of some of the best blue eyed soul of the 80’s, such as songs by The Kane Gang and Paul Young. That such a great track was given away to us music fans made me hungry for similarly great online freebies. And you know what, they’re out there!

4. NOAH “Mannequin”

Other bloggers discovered Ottawa-based Noah before I did, but I’m so glad that I found this song through them. Noah certainly has his own unique scat-type vocal style that when mixed with electronic dance music, creates an even more extraordinary blend. I’ve read that he’s put on energetic shows in Ottawa and NYC. While I couldn’t hear anything else quite as riveting from his CD Human Geometry, I’m looking forward to hearing more from Noah in 2010.

3. ROYKSOPP FEATURING ROBYN “The Girl & The Robot”

Norwegian producers Royksopp meet Swedish star Robyn for a brilliant moment in electronic dance music that had online musicphiles raving, and then there was the live performance video too. It takes you to one of those magical places in music history that you know can’t be repeated.

2. DAN BLACK “Symphonies”

The second of two Top 10 entries for Dan Black found him taking two or three steps ahead of his 2008 download “HYPNTZ” by forgetting about the Notorious B.I.G. sample he tried to acquire and instead transforming it into this sweeping contemporary piece of electronica. It’s one of the most beautiful songs of 2009 and the decade.

1. SAM TAYLOR “Run Away”

“Run Away” takes my breath away every time I play it, and I first heard it back in February, so it has held court over the entire year. UK singer Sam Taylor is such an understated talent, he has a voice and delivery that can make anyone melt, yet he’s only had a handful of songs appear online, and the only ones commercially available are through the “Beautiful People” TV soundtrack from which this song comes. Watch out 2010, it could be Sam Taylor’s year!!

You can view the full list right here.

Tuned-On! Top 300 of the 2000’s, Part 5 (100-51)

Online discoveries and remixes dominate the top 100 of this decade list. It is like no other list I’ve created before, but it parallels my list of the 1970’s in some ways since I was discovering the UK charts and dance remixes in the latter part of that decade. But there would have been no way for me to discover, without our current technology and without meeting online friends:

* Dance music available otherwise to club DJ’s such as songs by Casey Stratton, iio, Motorcycle, Axwell, Crystal Waters, Cassius, Armin Van Buuren, Roger Sanchez, and Matt Darey, including remixes of songs by Coldplay and The Fray

* Canadian talent from across the country such as Mitchell Hunter and Jake

* Talent from across the world like Agnes Carlsson, Freemasons, Adele, Duffy, and Newton Faulkner

* Lesser known artists awaiting their breakout, like Tyler Hilton, Evan Taubenfeld, and Dan Black

* Updates on favourites such as David Usher, Darren Hayes, and Chris Isaak

* Monitoring success of new decade favourites like Jason Mraz and Lifehouse

The ‘hits’ are still here too, though much less so than ever. Discovered the traditional way were songs by 3 Doors Down, Leona Lewis, George Michael (“Amazing”), The Fray (“Over My Head”), and Jordin Sparks/Chris Brown.

So the Top 100 begins with the updated list right here – don’t forget to leave your comments and observations!!

Tuned-On! Best of 2009, Part 1 (50-26)

To me, 2009 was the year that pop music exploded online. Sure music has been available for many years online, and iTunes legitimized online sale of music downloads near the beginning of the decade. But never in all these years has music been so close to listeners that they can practically taste it (and maybe that’s next!).

It has recently become a reasonable business strategy to make music available for free as a promotional tool, to attract listeners and fans to various websites and of course to iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, or their local music store to download or buy CD’s. And is it just me, or is the world even that much closer now? Never have I been in contact with more people around the world than just through this 40 year old hobby of mine, which I transformed from website and message board to a blog this past Fall. I’m absolutely loving it.

Music for me in 2009 stayed on the pop-rock-dance tip, with only a handful of modern-alt.rock tunes sustaining my interest. Literally fantastic singers are now everywhere, waiting to be heard, and I’m so glad I found some of them. For every enjoyable favourite who returned with new music, such as Chris Isaak, Duncan Sheik, or Pet Shop Boys, there were new stars glimmering like the UK’s LaRoux, Sam Taylor, Florence & The Machine, Gary Go, and Dan Black; Ireland’s The Script; Australia’s Presets and Nelson Clemente; Sweden’s Darin, Mans Zelmerlow, and Agnes Carlsson; Canada’s Colin Munroe and Noah; and the USA’s Evan Taubenfeld, Val Emmich, Matt & Kim, and Keri Hilson. Dig deep enough online and you’ll find free downloads for Dan Black’s “Symphonies”, Matt & Kim’s “Daylight”, Munroe’s “Will I Stay”, Clemente’s “You Want Me Don’t You (Spekr Freks mix)”, 100 Akres & Roz Bell’s “Pink Cadillac”, and Newton White’s “Breathless” that are all artist-approved. And online remixes even made it to national radio, witness the frenetic redux of The Fray’s “You Found Me” by Lenny B – a song I didn’t like in its original version instantly became one of my favourites of the year!!

So in this blog filled with lists I will add another list of favourites that will hopefully stand the test of time in some ways. I’ll start with the first half, from 50-26, the rest will appear tomorrow with additional thoughts about some of the songs.

You can view the full list right here.

Tuned-On! Top 300 of the 2000’s, Part 4 (150-101)

As the numbers get smaller, so the songs begin to be increasingly difficult to talk about without going into many superlatives, so I will probably save those for the Top 50 or so. When I look at this group of 50 songs, I see mainly songs that energize me or affect me emotionally. So for every rave up that is Madonna’s “Sorry” or George Acosta’s remix of “Just Another Day” or Nadia Ali’s “Love Story” or Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” or Alex Gaudino & Crystal Waters’ “Destination Calabria”, there is JC Chasez’s totally underrated and hurtin’ “Until Yesterday”, Stabilo’s almost-sinister “Flawed Design”, Darren Hayes’ very dark “I Like The Way”, Mary J. Blige & The Game’s heartfelt mashup “MJB Da MVP”, the emotions-run-wild in Mika’s “We Are Golden”, Florence & The Machine’s gothic “Rabbit Heart”, and the teen love’s growing pains in David Archuleta’s “Crush”. Don’t discount the fabulous one-off’s that are “Jerk It Out” by The Caesars or “Summer Jam” by The Underdog Project either!

This will be my last update of this list until after December 29. I’ll be away after Christmas for a few days but may blog about this and that if I have time. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it!

You can find the updated list right here – don’t forget to leave your comments!

Mix Pod Playlist

I discovered My Space has a new playlist compiler called Mix Pod, so I thought I’d give it a shot today. The playlist has 20 songs that are current (mainly on my chart, and the usual suspects) or recent within the last few years. Click on “Get Tracks” below, which will take you to the playlist page where you can hear the songs! The tags below this post will tell you who’s on the playlist 🙂

Music Playlist at MixPod.com