Travis Garland – Page 3 – BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

BILLCS Top 30 #406 – June 3/13

A new number one song and four debuts highlight this edition of my personal chart 🙂

Chart Highlights

Top 10:

By the end of 2013, I think a whole lot more people will know the name Travis Garland. Big things are in store for this young talent! From his still-free download EP Fashionably Late Part II is the stunning and original ballad “Blue Electric Roses” (new video above), which now leads the chart 🙂
FrankMusik’s “Map” leaves number one but will endure throughout the year as his third album Between approaches release next week! More good news for Vince further down the chart…
It’s hard to resist the cheery and summery sound of Matt Blue’s “Outta My Mind”, which advances to #3.
Not surprisingly, even though the album Random Access Memories is somewhat disjointed and puzzling, Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” is one of the year’s most infectious singles and moves up 7-4.
“Your Touch” by Blake Lewis (below) is finally about to be released to radio in the U.S. and jumps to #5. Listen for it on your radio soon, it is radio-ready!!
With a new North American EP out just last week called Haunt, UK’s Bastille is still on the rise with “Pompeii” at #6.
It’s both a dance floor filler and a radio playlist delight, particularly in the UK and Canada – “This Is What It Feels Like” by Armin Van Buuren & Trevor Guthrie is new in the Top 10 at #7.
The fastest riser on the chart, moving 15-8, is an amazing slice of NuDisco called “Somebody To Love Me” (below) by DJ/producer Eli Escobar and featuring the mesmerizing vocals of Jessica 6 singer Nomi Ruiz.

You can view the full Top 30 using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can click right here. You can hear all of the songs on the chart or watch their videos by clicking on the pics on the chart page. Any free downloads that are identified are sanctioned by the performer. There’s always a tiny place at the bottom of the blog post with tags and the statement “Leave A Comment” – please feel free to do so

11-30:

One of the year’s most gorgeous new voices belongs to L.A. R&B singer Jarell Perry whose poignant “9 2 5” comes in just shy of the Top 10 at #12. It’s from his free download album Simple Things.
New York duo Ghost Beach climbs to #14 with the rollicking original “Too Young”, abetted by a Penguin Prison transformation to keep your feet very happy.
One of the year’s most interesting prospects is the cover of the 80’s Freestyle dance hit by Noel, “Silent Morning”, with splendidly unique vocals by Australian duo Parralox and Puerto Rican-American breakout Ryan Adamés, soaring to #15 – check out the many remixes on iTunes including the rock-inflected Cherry Cherry Boom Boom remix below.

Charlie Brown’s “On My Way” and “Kiss My Lipstick Off” by Georgia Haege both continue to make headway, rising to #16 and #18 respectively, and I’m still surprised Charlie’s song hasn’t been promoted in North America, it’s such a feel good anthem!
Last week’s debuts all push up the chart: “Let The Groove Get In” by Justin Timberlake is now at #19, “Fade Into The Light” by Adam Tyler moves to #21, and “Shame” by Slow Knights (a Del Marquis multi-artist project) rises to #24.

Debuts:

I’ve written about all of our debuts previously, as recently as last week for one!

“Chasing Shadows” by FrankMusik is an aftermath to many of the songs on his Far From Over EP that will also be featured on the Between album. It contains one of the singer’s best vocals and truly stands out in a crowd. It arrives at #23 and I can’t wait to hear the full album and the songs that Vince has had to hold back from us amid all of the free songs he offers online. He’s currently roughing it from show to show in the U.S. – be sure to follow him on Twitter for the full account of his diary!

After spending all of but one of its 9 chart appearances (18 weeks) in the Top 10, 3 at #1, “Lifted” by Kwik Fiks & Bongiovanni tumbles to #13. I wrote about another chilled out bass-heavy rework of Dwele’s “I Think I Love You” awhile back that the duo have created. So billed strictly as by Bongiovanni, “I Think I Love You” premieres at #25. Crank your car stereo for this one for full effect! It’s also a free download!

If there’s one song so far this year that should have HIT stamped all over it – despite noticeable lack of North American release of their music – it’s Lawson’s new single “Brokenhearted”, featuring B.o.B. Check out the new video for the song above. It bows at #26 on the chart, as “Learn To Love Again” (#5) leaves the chart at #30.

Lastly, it’s already reached #2 in Sweden, but Melodifestivalen hit “Begging” by 19 year old singer/dancer/choreographer Anton Ewald shouldn’t go unnoticed worldwide. That show often creates star-making performances and Anton’s (above) is one of them. “Begging” debuts at #27. Go ahead, borrow that Swedish male pop crown from Eric Saade 🙂

BILLCS Top 30 #405 – May 20/13

With so much new music arriving on the chart over the past month, there is considerable activity!

Amid it all, though, FrankMusik holds at #1 with “Map” (ab0ve), as the release date for Between as well as Frank’s US tour approach. But it’s being immediately challenged by “Blue Electric Roses” (6-2, below), my favourite song from Travis Garland’s magnetic free download Fashionably Late II EP. Travis’ song “Homewrecker” got a huge unexpected endorsement on Twitter this weekend by pop singer Richard Marx!! “Lifted” by Kwik Fiks & Bongiovanni slips to #3 but seems very attached to the top portion of the chart 🙂 “Outta My Mind” the Europop dance hit by Dutch singer Matt Blue jumps 10-4, while Willy Moon’s “My Girl” hangs in at #5 as his album Here’s Willy Moon looks to be released in North America soon.

Songs 6 through 12 are all on the upswing, which of course means that no song within the Top 5 is truly safe. “Your Touch” by Blake Lewis is deservedly right at the heels of the Top 5, and it’s followed by the fastest riser on the chart, “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk, which climbs 16-7. Could “Get Lucky” be one of the songs of Summer ’13? Watch below, and check out the splendid alternate unreleased version with Sam Sparro on vocals.

Ariana Grande & Mac Miller’s “The Way” inches up to #8, while both Bastille’s “Pompeii” and “Aviation High” by Semi-Precious Weapons arrive at last in the Top 10. Almost there are the radio-cranker “This Is What It Feels Like” by Armin Van Buuren & former soulDecision singer Trevor Guthrie (18-11, below), and “One Night” by Matthew Koma (14-12), which arrives in new remixes tomorrow on iTunes. It’s from his upcoming album Arcadia. Cherrytree Records has posted them on their Soundcloud site.

Meanwhile, “Somebody To Love Me”, the dance club rave-up by Eli Escobar featuring Jessica 6’s Nomi Ruiz soars 23-15, and Jarell Perry’s pensive but uptempo “9 2 5” jumps 20-16. Ghost Town’s edgy “Too Young” in a definitive Penguin Prison remix rises 25-18, while both “On My Way” by Charlie Brown and “Kiss My Lipstick Off” by Georgia Haege (both below) land in the Top 20 finally. And our third debut of last week, “Silent Morning” by Parralox featuring Ryan Adames, a cover of Noel’s classic mid-80s dance hit, moves up 26-21, with new remixes in tow on iTunes (including that crunchy rock-oriented one by Cherry Cherry Boom Boom).

At least one of my three debuts might be of surprise to you. I’ve been fighting with myself about what song from Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience would succeed the #11 charting “Suit & Tie”. Initially I was wrapped up in the beautiful “Strawberry Bubblegum”, but with all of the dance music energy on the chart right now the rump shaker and 70’s R&B-inspired “Let The Groove Get In” has won out and bows at #24.

Absolutely no stranger to the chart over the past three years is Adam Tyler, whose new and creative “Fade Into The Light”, especially with the huge dub-steppy break in the extended version, lands on the chart at #27.

I also can’t get enough of the song “Shame” by Slow Knights, a project spearheaded by Scissor Sisters’ Del Marquis – again the powerful R&B vocal and groove get stuck in your head and make you move. It’s from the project’s Cosmos album and bows at #28.

BILLCS Top 30 #404 – May 6/13 – Mapping His Way to the Top Again!

This edition of my personal chart is full of ups and downs with only a handful of songs staying static.

That of course means a new #1 song. It’s very fitting that FrankMusik’s “Map” should grab the top spot (his third time, following “The Fear Inside” and “No ID”) with the imminent arrival of his album Between, and another of acoustic songs, Between Us. In a case of great timing, Vince posted his acoustic version of “Map” (below) on Soundcloud last night, and it’s a lot more raw and cutting (and I mean, ouch!) than the original version. The frenetic “Captain” also climbs to #4, and new single and video “Chasing Shadows” is on deck. There’s so much happening with FrankMusik that it seems absolutely crazy, but I’m happy to be along for the ride 🙂

This means that “Lifted by Kwik Fiks & Bongiovanni surrenders to second place after 3 charts (6 weeks) at #1. Gentlemen Hall’s “Sail Into The Sun” holds steady at #3 – I hear some radio stations are now playing it, probably wise since it’s been all over TV for the last two months! I can’t wait to hear more new music from the Boston sextet. Willy Moon’s highly contagious “My Girl” (video below) soars to #5, and thank goodness it’s available as a single here since Universal Canada has not got around to releasing the Here’s Willy Moon album…

The Top 10 got turned inside out, with James William’s “Lay Your Love On Me” and “The Way” by Ariana Grande & Mac Miller each advancing one position. They had to contend with the soon-to-be unstoppable force that is Travis Garland, whose stunning and direct blue-eyed soul ballad “Blue Electric Roses” is the fastest riser again, this time vaulting 18 to 6. And right behind is “Your Touch”, whose song and groove are embedded in my head now, courtesy of Blake Lewis, climbing 16-7. Then there’s also the irresistible dance fest that is “Outta My Mind” by young Dutch singer Matt Blue (video below), already advancing to #10 in its second appearance.

Also on the rise and likely headed for the Top 10 are “Pompeii” by UK sensations Bastille, Semi-Precious Weapons’ “Aviation High”, “One Night” by current travelling man Matthew Koma, “Heart Attack” by Demi Lovato (loving the remixes, video and remix below), plus huge movers “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk (27-16), “This Is What It Feels Like” by Armin van Buuren & Trevor Guthrie (25-18) which has become a massive radio hit in Canada, and the thoughtful ode about being stuck in a “9 2 5” (28-20) world by the new R&B singer with the amazing voice, Jarell Perry.

While “On My Way” by Charlie Brown and “Kiss My Lipstick Off” by Georgia Haege may seem stuck below #20, they will still likely move up in two weeks and attempt to hang around amid fierce competition, which includes three new entries, about which I’ve already written.

I love how DJ/producers like Eli Escobar are re-inventing Disco in the NuDisco format, deep house music mixed with old school disco, techno and trance at times. His collaboration with Jessica 6’s Nomi Ruiz is a stunner, and “Somebody To Love Me” arrives at #23. It appears on Eli’s EP Feel It.

Like Eli Escobar and Nomi Ruiz, the guys (Josh Ocean and Eric “Doc” Mendelsohn) who comprise NYC duo Ghost Beach seem to mesh the past with the present with ease. To think they were in town a couple of weeks ago, when I had just found out about the Penguin Prison remix of “Too Young”, which bows at #25. What makes this record are the vocals which remind me of late 70’s Joe Jackson meeting Justin Tranter of Semi-Precious Weapons about halfway. Listen below and pick up the remix as part of the duo’s EP Modern Tongues Remixed.

Lastly, it’s been a big week for Aussie duo Parralox and rising US singer Ryan Adamés and their wonderful team. Parralox’s John Von Ahlen has unleashed an eye-popping animated lyric video (below) for their rendition of Noel’s seminal 1987 freestyle classic “Silent Morning”. And as I wrote about earlier in the week, Cherrytree Records prez and Interscope Records VP Martin Kierszenbaum, aka Cherry Cherry Boom Boom, remixed the song to give it a punchier alternate identity (also below). In either version, the song is a huge grower and I hope that dance clubs fawn all over it in the coming months. It debuts on my chart at #26.

BILLCS Top 30 #403 – April 22/13

And the new music keeps on coming, with four new entries (all but one of which I’ve written about), causing premature exits on my personal chart for some songs, but it looks like we are in for a grand summer given the quality of music on its way. And can the flavour of 1970’s disco make its comeback with the help of one of the new songs? Read on…

“Lifted” by Kwik Fiks & Bongiovanni holds tight at the top for a third chart appearance (6th week), and the guys are busy with other projects, including Bongiovanni’s “I Think I Love You” rework which I wrote about earlier. Zedd & Foxes (video below) and Gentlemen Hall continue in the runner-up spots, with Lawson ranking 5th, while FrankMusik’s “Map” climbs to #4 and “Captain” rises to #6. FrankMusik is no stranger to my Top 5, with two previous #1’s (“The Fear Inside” and “No ID”) and three other Top 10’s, including “Fast As I Can”, which will also appear on his upcoming album Between in May. New single “Chasing Shadows” is on deck soon! If “Lifted” doesn’t hold at #1 in two weeks, I think a new #1 will be a surprise 🙂

Most of the chart is in a tight lock, as often happens when a lot of new songs arrive, so there is minimal upward movement. Nonetheless The Presets’ “A.O.” grabs #7, and “My Girl” by Willy Moon (whose album Here’s Willy Moon is still not out in Canada) rises to #8. James William’s supremely catchy “Lay Your Love On Me” (sing it – wo-oh-oh-wo-oh-oh – below) becomes a Top 10 hit in its own right and it’s still available as a free download. “The Way” by Ariana Grande & Mac Miller is becoming a deservedly huge pop hit and climbs to #10.

Songs by Matt & Kim, Semi-Precious Weapons, and Jerry Reid are still locked in below the Top 10, so there are bigger moves just below. You can find me jamming in my car to “Your Touch” by Blake Lewis pretty much every day, and the song jumps to #16. Matthew Koma’s glorious slice-of-life of “One Night” is right behind at #17. But it’s Travis Garland’s “Blue Electric Roses” (below) which is the fastest riser, moving 25-18. It’s a phenomenal song that gets better with each listen; the lyrics are pointed but thoughtful, and the vocals… well don’t get me started being overly partial to male R&B-sounding voices. Travis has it in spades with his recent EP Fashionably Late Part II which you must download from his website.

Locked into the chart #20 and below are the bluesy jamming in “Right Back Home” by Lifehouse featuring Peter Frampton and Charles Jones (live clip below), Demi Lovato’s “Heart Attack”, “On My Way” by Charlie Brown, and “Kiss My Lipstick Off” by Georgia Haege.

The newcomers to the chart are all pretty brilliant.

Dutch singer Matt Blue has already had two chart appearances in 2011, first with a collaboration with Bass Robbers called “Another Dimension” (#8), and then with his own feelgood jam “Can’t Help Myself (Keep Dancing)”, which got to the top of the chart in November 2011. The singer has returned as featured in Kontor’s massive Top of the Clubs series, with his single “Outta My Mind”, which is now available on iTunes everywhere and makes a huge splash at #19. There is no end to how great summery feelgood songs can be if they are done right, and I am looking forward to a full album from Mr. Blue one day that will show off his big, big vocal range.

Another Dutchman, Armin van Buuren, is back with a new album appropriately called Intense. I’m predicting incredible things to happen with the first single “This Is What It Feels Like”, which I wrote about last week, and it bows at #25. A major plus is the return of soulDecision singer Trevor Guthrie to the music scene, I just never expected it to be on a dance record. Wise choice – it’s a great song, and van Buuren has a 10 year pedigree for successful emotional dance pop.

The big news of the last week was the official release of “Get Lucky” (at the top of the post), French duo Daft Punk’s return with vocalist Pharrell Williams (who sounds tremendous) in tow along with music legend Nile Rodgers providing his distinct, recognizable sound. “Get Lucky” starts out at #27 but will undoubtedly take off in the coming weeks. I think it could be not only one of the best pop and dance records of the year, but its celebratory vibe could bring back the happy disco sound of the late 70’s. Young people have never experienced the glorious days of disco, and I think considering so many recent tragedies that the impetus is there for a joyous update. The older disco haters have long gone… now is the time!!

Lastly, it’s hard to cherry-pick songs from Jarell Perry’s debut free download album Simple Things. It’s ALL more than good and I will be a broken record about it over the next few months. I’m leaning heavily towards the day-in-a-snapshot as told in “9 2 5”, a big and emotional song which arrives at #28. Jarell Perry’s got way too much talent not to get a record deal, and if not, someone is missing out and he will succeed on his own terms. Listen for this fantastic singer.

BILLCS Top 30 #402 – April 8/13 – Six Songs Debut!

The newbies are taking over, sending some songs that should have peaked higher down or off the chart. And you’ll be more than a little bit surprised at some of the chart entries as I haven’t yet written about them 🙂

It’s a no brainer that “Lifted” by Kwik Fiks & Bongiovanni reigns supreme for another chart… with nothing below it really challenging to take its place in two weeks. Good thing for our boys Danny and Victor, who are recording some follow up songs to this one 🙂 Right below, #1 Dance Club Hit (and now charting on the Billboard Hot 100 too) “Clarity” by Zedd & Foxes ascends to runner-up status, while the summertime smash-in-waiting “Sail Into The Sun” by Gentlemen Hall (above) climbs to #3. Lawson’s “Learn To Love Again” moves up to #5 as a fifth single “Gone” will be released from their UK gold record Chapman Square.

FrankMusik has a double headed for the Top 5, as “Map” and “Captain” (both above) are now back-to-back at #6 and #7 respectively, while Mr. Vince Turner finalizes his new album Between. The Presets are coming! The Presets are coming! Back to my city on their tour on May 10, with Dragonette opening! The otherworldly “A.O.” becomes their second Top Tenner on my chart at #9 following “If I Know You”, which got to #4. Willy Moon is on deck with Here’s Willy Moon arriving in most places around the world tomorrow, and “My Girl” follows “Yeah Yeah” into Top 10 status at #10.

And here’s where I have to choose what not to write about… a busy chart with six debuts. 3 of our last chart’s debuts make significant inroads. Semi-Precious Weapons soar with “Avaition High” at #15, while Jerry Reid’s mysterious rocker with great lyrics “Tell The Night” follows suit at #16. Bastille’s irresistible pop rocker “Pompeii” (above) is the chart’s fastest riser, moving 28-20.

But it’s those debuts that have my attention right now. 19 year old Ariana Grande’s “The Way” is one of the most instantly likeable songs out there right now, and the song (featuring rapper Mac Miller) bows at a spectacular #13. It’s from the Victorious star’s upcoming debut album Daydreamin’. That’s an interesting title. Ariana’s ultra sweet vocal on “The Way” immediately captured Mariah territory comparable to her 90’s work. Of course one of Mariah’s albums is called Daydream (not to mention one of my fave Aretha songs is “Day Dreaming”). I think the reason I enjoy this song the most is that it’s the teen version of Estelle & Kanye’s 2008 hit “American Boy”. But the gal has the built in goods in her voice, I have heard her sing live and she is the real deal.

Down further at #21 is one of the better known American Idol contestants, 31 year old Blake Lewis, with his latest single “Your Touch”. This song has grown on me immeasurably over the last month, and it’s chorus is loud flat out belt-worthy with such a feel good vibe. It’s from Blake’s upcoming third album Portrait Of A Chameleon, and it’s his first chart entry here since 2009’s classic “Heartbreak On Vinyl” got to #4.

I just wrote about it yesterday, but Matthew Koma’s “One Night” has wasted no time in debuting at #22. Let’s see how good a job it does in two weeks trying to take over the chart as his most recent #1, “1998”, leaves after the mandatory 10 appearances (20 weeks).

First Ariana Grande, and now… X Factor judge Demi Lovato makes her first chart appearance here with “Heart Attack” at #24. Her voice keeps getting better and better, so her new album, Demi, will be well worth hearing. She attacks the cutting and biting lyrics like there is no tomorrow, and that’s exactly what was required for the song. Bravo.

I’ve already been raving about Travis Garland’s Fashionably Late Part II EP being one of the best of 2013 so far. My favourite song from it is “Blue Electric Roses” at #25 – the kind of innovative song that I was expecting on Justin Timberlake’s latest album. But sometimes the innovation has to be left to others and I think Travis is on the right track for making the right kind of big splash soon. The EP is available for free download at Travis’ website.

The last debut at #27 belongs to Mr. Charlie Brown, whose “On My Way” got to #7 in the UK last week. He will be touring with Craig David in the UK soon, and I’m hoping his management has big things planned for a North American debut. This is soulful pop at its best from someone who should have broke out four years ago. Charlie is very big on interacting with fans on Twitter too @CharlieBrownLDN 🙂

The Sweet Sound Of R&B: Jarell Perry, Travis Garland, and Chromatone

I love hearing R&B music, I have ever since I was a kid growing up listening to Motown, Atlantic, and Stax, and seeing it evolve in the subsequent decades. The free downloads of Jarell Perry’s Simple Things and Travis Garland’s Fashionably Late Part II are two of 2013’s best records so far….

JARELL PERRY Simple Things

Jarell Perry is a new L.A. based singer and I expect by the end of the year you will hear much more about him, thanks to this highest calibre free download Simple Things. Jarell has a classic soul voice that recalls only the best male singers of the last 50 years. His voice alleviates even the weakest songs on the record to send them to another level. And I’m talking Usher, Chris Brown, Miguel, Frank Ocean potential.

But when Simple Things is at its best, it is simply grand. The themes are pretty basic, revolving around falling in and out of love, as is the case with the best R&B songs. “Awkward”, “9 2 5”, “Happy 4 U”, and “Whiskey A Go Go” are memorable and you will want to hear them again immediately. The production is beautiful, even when venturing into dubstep territory it really shines, largely because the focus is on the way Jarell interprets the songs. “Perfect” also surprises by including the main chorus from Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Want To Wait”, a seminal pop song now for those who grew up in the late 90s. There are also two ‘bonus’ songs available for download. “First Time” (like “Happy 4 U”) shows how Jarell’s voice fits amid some solid rapping, and then there’s a rendition of Semi-Precious Weapons’ “Aviation High” that completely captures the inspiration of that song in a way that the band probably didn’t anticipate.

Simple Things is an essential record that you must download along with its bonus songs. You do not need to be only an R&B fan, many of the songs are definitely on the Pop tip. You will be soooo glad you did! Listen to a stream of the album below, as well as the free downloads of “First Time” and “Aviation High” individually.

TRAVIS GARLAND Fashionably Late Part II (EP)

Back in early February, I thought it was great that Part I of Fashionably Late was a fresh R&B-oriented start for L.A.’s Travis Garland, after making some impact with his pop song “Believe” in 2010 through a major label deal. He’s back as an independent and the Part II EP clearly showcases an inbred love for R&B that some of the songs from Part I didn’t capture. In fact, Part II bests Part I in so many ways, and its timing is perfect in light of Justin Timberlake’s success with The 20/20 Experience.

The best song on Part I is “Didn’t Stand A Chance”, a really sweet acoustic ballad that I’m playing a lot right now. The best song on Part II is so hard to pick because I thoroughly enjoy them all. Travis sticks to Justin / Robin Thicke / Miguel territory as his target, but he moves back and forth from that target with some highly personal-sounding lyrics as well as some experimentation. I love the story behind “Blue Electric Roses”, “Where To Land” features a glorious falsetto, “From Adam (interlude)” wears its heart on its sleeve, and “Neighbor” gets into a deeper, dirtier flavour and some flirty lyrics. The experimentation comes in the form of the 5 minute + “Homewrecker”, which sounds like Travis has his ear on contemporaries like JMSN by singing a complex song and holding your interest all the way through with its sparser sound.

Fashionably Late Part II gets even higher marks for being a total surprise. Be sure to download it for free while it lasts. Travis Garland has upped his own ante with this one! You can also stream the EP at the link below.

CHROMATONE, “My Kind Of Love”

I get to include the latest from the UK’s Chromatone because like the above releases, Chromatone’s style is rooted in R&B, as you heard last year with songs like “She Tries” and “One Half”. This time he has tackled an acoustic cover of Emeli Sandé’s “My Kind Of Love” – a song not yet too well-known outside of the UK and Europe, since North America is only starting to dig “Next To Me”. For being such a sad song in its original version, Chromatone puts a Jay Kay/Jamiroquai-esque vocal to the song and then parcels it with a humourous video to make the song its own. Watch below and I hope to bring you more from Chromatone soon. You can also download it for free from the Soundcloud link below (the download is in .aif format – you may need to convert it to mp3).

Winter Popervescence #2 featuring Kwik Fiks & Bongiovanni, Nick, Travis Garland, Collin McLoughlin, Cheesa & Charice, and Ashton Zanecki

Kwik Fiks & Bongiovanni, “Lifted”

It’s a gem just waiting to happen. “Lifted” is a totally cool rework of the 2003 Top 10 hit by Baby Bash & Frankie J, “Suga Suga”. Kwik Fiks is producer/remixer Danny Voicu (you may have downloaded his highly futuristic-sounding remix EP of songs from River Tiber’s From Now On EP) along with Montreal based Victor Bongiovanni. “Lifted” is chilled out deep house that is meticulously produced and will keep even the most casual dance music listener on board. The future is now, folks. When I tweeted about the song last night, I included Baby Bash in a mention. And the highest endorsement can only come from the man himself who said “That was pretty dope!” “Listen below and download it for free!

Nick, “Love and War”

While we await what is anticipated to be a spectacular debut album, Nick Hagelin has dazzled us again with a sparkling cover of Tamar Braxton’s “Love and War”. ‘Blue-eyed soul’ and falsettos are two of my weaknesses so I’m akin to coming back for more and more. And the world is waiting for more Nick. Listen below.

Travis Garland, “Didn’t Stand A Chance”

After encountering and writing about his dynamic mashup of “Adorn” and “Diamonds” recently, I took to downloading Travis Garland’s free EP Fashionably Late from his website. Resembling Enrique Iglesias at times, Travis has made quite the progression from a few years back when I saw him performing “Believe” on TV. Like Nick Hagelin, it turns out that Travis has a lovely falsetto and the EP is full of R&B and hip hop inspired tunes, the best of which is this shiny ballad, made even better by his acoustic performance below.

Collin McLoughlin, “If I Lose Myself”

It’s always a daunting task to record a cover of a current favourite of mine, but former “The Voice” contestant Collin McLoughlin has a knack for making songs his own. I think TV show song choices prevented him from advancing further in “The Voice” competition, but Collin definitely has a bright future ahead if his self-produced cover of One Republic’s “If I Lose Myself” is any indication. Without the fancy high gloss of the original but with added soulful grittiness in Collin’s vocal, this is a mighty noteable alternate version. Not stuck on the video for it but regardless give a good solid listen.

Cheesa featuring Charice, “I’m Not Perfect”

In a most ear-catching pairing we find another “The Voice” contestant, Cheesa (pronounced “Chessa”), matched up with singer/actress Charice (from TV’s “Glee” as Sunshine a few years back). The vocals are highly complimentary but it’s definitely Cheesa’s showcase as “I’m Not Perfect” shows off both her power and restraint. And there’s a sublime, punchy, dubsteppy Max Stark remix that’s just been released to add to the fun. Listen below to both the full song and a teaser of the remix.

Ashton Zanecki, “Want U Back”

Sometimes you have to look past the song choice and go right for the gusto. I’ve never cared for Cher Lloyd’s “Want U Back”, but Pennsylvania singer Ashton Zanecki from Wilkes-Barre obviously does, and he has managed to make the song his own. My friends at EQ Music Blog first took notice, and I’m quickly and happily following along. Ashton proves that his imperfectly perfect voice – and I love voices that have that raw appeal *UHHH* – can deliver the goods. It’s a fantastically good natured, fun video too, and you will be smiling afterwords. Watch for yourself and be convinced (he begins singing after a minute of introductions). You Tube viral cover talent scouts, Ashton Zanecki is someone you shouldn’t miss out on.

The Softer Side: Dido, Travis Garland, Almost Charlie, and The Autumn Portrait

Where I reside of course it is now winter and the temperatures are dropping below freezing this week. So time to curl up with a cup of tea and some songs on the softer side.

DIDO featuring KENDRICK LAMAR “Let Us Move On”

Dido’s No Angel was one of my most played albums at the turn of the millennium, with the stunning “Here With Me” (which also served as the theme to the TV show “Roswell”) my #1 song of 2000. She’s back with her fourth album due in the Spring, mixing things up a bit on “Let Us Move On”. While the song doesn’t break any new ground for the UK singer, it is a great piece of positive songwriting, punctuated nicely by Kendrick Lamar’s verses, with his inclusion obviously inspired by brother and co-producer Rollo’s work including with the seminal dance band Faithless. “Let Us Move On” could find its way to audiences who gravitated to Ellie Goulding’s “Lights” in time.

TRAVIS GARLAND “Diamonds/Adorn”

Did we need yet another rendition of “Diamonds”? Probably not, but the singer performing it after a gazillion cover versions is important. I was pleased to hear Travis Garland again, after thinking the Texas singer who brought us “Believe” a few years back was M.I.A. in this strange music biz. Nope, just my oversight, in fact he’s got a new EP Fashionably Late for free download at his website, and I’ll be checking that out. But getting back to what you might have thought could be a questionable mashup, it is in fact extremely clever, and Rihanna’s Sia song and Miguel’s ballad blend beautifully. Plus, Travis’ pipes just soar at the right times, and if his vocal wasn’t so strong the whole thing might have fallen apart.

ALMOST CHARLIE Tomorrow’s Yesterday

Tomorrow’s Yesterday is the third album from Almost Charlie, aka German singer and multi-instrumentalist Dirk Homuth. It’s a pretty straight-forward concoction of high quality soft pop/rock/folk, which immediately recalls The Beatles (and John, Paul, and George’s solo work too), Simon & Garfunkel, Klaatu, and more. The project is called Almost Charlie because of ‘fifth Beatle’ Charlie Mason, who writes all of the lyrics but does not perform. Dirk’s vocals and arrangements execute compelling songs of varying moods and paces such as “Still Crazy ‘Bout You After All These Years” (my personal favourite), “When Venus Surrenders”, “Nice Place To Die”, “Open Book”, and the title song. For those who like their coffee crisp and their tea brisk, Tomorrow’s Yesterday offers many pleasures to wind away your day. Listen to “Open Book” and “Tomorrow’s Yesterday” below, and purchase the album through the Almost Charlie website.

THE AUTUMN PORTRAIT Tired Love

The Autumn Portrait is the band name for Canadian singer Freddie Mojallal, and Tired Love is his second album release. It’s a quick run-through of songs mainly about heartbreak, and we know how good tunes can sound when they get up close and personal. Freddie achieves his promising presentation through sometimes sparse and ragged (almost live off the floor) recordings. Think perhaps of the ‘whisper rock’ of Joshua Radin and a less poetic Adam Cohen, and The Autumn Portrait’s music is somewhere in the middle. The best and most affecting song is the album closer “Ghost”, with other standouts being “Spain”, “Take Me Home”, and “Can I Come Back Home”. Freddie has been gigging around Toronto so you might want to check out his show as well. You can buy Tired Love on iTunes. Watch the video for “Spain” below.

Tuned-On! Top 30 #329 – June 21/10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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