Can there be a better way to wake up in the morning than to find the new Bright Light Bright Light video has debuted? The buzz around Rod Thomas has become deafening in the past few months in certain circles, and now that he has been signed as one of two debut artists to Popjustice’s HiFi label, Rod is ready for his closeup. In fact, we will take any close up we can get, and the video for “Love Part II” delivers. It’s a low-budget affair, but the video is still a classy effort. Truthfully, we could sit and watch a four-minute clip of Rod singing right to the camera, and just seeing the joy in his face as he sings “I’m in love again” would be enough, but the masses want a hook. You can picture this video playing immediately after Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” with the caption “In another part of the city…”
“Love Part II” is released in the UK on September 12th. If there is any justice in the world, it should be a Top 10 smash.
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So a few days of downtime to get life and everything that goes with it in order turned into almost 2 weeks away. My 94-year-old grandfather passed away, and while I wasn’t able to get back to see the family right away (that’s coming in July), I have had to take some time and process everything. Life is chaotic but still okay. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads that stuck around and did the right thing. You know who you are…
- Billboard posted an excellent retrospective last week of the 50 biggest hits of Michael Jackson on the Hot 100. These types of reviews are always interesting to me, but when you have all of the chart data at your fingertips, it’s the chart version of catnip to a music dork like me. I was very surprised by the song atop the listing, but once you break it down it makes perfect sense. Here’s a little fact I never knew: Michael recorded “State of Shock” with Freddie Mercury before he teamed up with Mick Jagger.
- PMN favorite Tino Coury is on course to score his first Top 40 pop hit, as “Diary” is poised to move from #45 to #40 on this week’s Pop Radio airplay chart. Final numbers aren’t in quite yet, but this has been a long time coming. The guy has been travelling all over the country, playing shows wherever they will have him, and it seems like that hard work has finally paid off. With several songs ahead of his dropping rapidly, Tino should be able to cover some decent ground in a short amount of time. Here’s a short clip of Tino singing a song I assume will be on his debut album this fall called “Miss America”.
- Speaking of slow-building hits, VV Brown is at #49 as of this evening on iTunes with “Shark in the Water”. I won’t lie…I thought this track was dead in the water, but it has been hanging around and popping up in unusual places. I walked into a fast-food restaurant a few weeks ago, and the video for “Shark” was playing on the in-store TV network. I’m sure that opening for Maroon 5 this summer won’t hurt her profile one bit. Here’s hoping that the trend of talented British artists finding success here in the US continues.
In addition to her music, VV also has a series of comics out called The City of Abacus. Being a big fan of comics from an early age, my ears perked up a bit when I heard about it. Check out the video below where she talks about her favorites, as well as the inspiration for the series. For more info, you can check out thecityofabacus.com.
- Upcoming posts will feature reviews of concerts by La Roux, Janelle Monae and Erykah Badu. The summer hasn’t even formally started, and it is already a hot one.
After a few months where it seemed like pop music was hibernating, things have definitely picked up. I’ve got more than enough great music to create a Spring mix. Here are a few of the tracks to make the cut:
- Bright Light Bright Light “A New Word To Say” - I don’t remember whether Fizzy Pop or XOLondon gets first credit for bringing this to my attention, but they both deserve an award for having great taste, because this song is brilliant. The way this struck me on first listen reminds me of the first time I heard songs by the Thompson Twins, Howard Jones and Eurogliders back in the 80s. It’s an electronic song with an organic soul, and the melody, vocals and production come together to create an upbeat, light (in a good way) and fun track. Too bad the general public cannot be trusted to make a song of this quality a hit. In the meantime, head over to BLx2′s website and pick up the track for free (registration required).
- Jenna Andrews “Tumblin’ Down” - Think Corrine Bailey Rae with a bit more bass, and you’ll have a good picture of Jenna’s debut single. “Tumblin” also has a lot of Erykah Badu influence as well, but without all of the heavy baggage. She’s signed to Def Jam Island, and based off of this initial sample, I can see why. And guess what? You can pick up this track for free as well. Enjoy!
- Sia “Clap Your Hands (Fred Falke Edit)” - If there is one remixer out there who is not getting enough respect from the mainstream, it’s Fred Falke. Following killer remixes for folks like the Gossip (“Heavy Cross”), LaRoux (“Bulletproof”), Will Young (“Tell Me the Worst”) and Mini Viva (“I Left My Heart in Tokyo”), he has now put his touch on Sia’s “Clap Your Hands”. The song in its original form is fun and perky, but Falke’s remix gives it a depth missing from the original mix. Please let Sia break through with this new album…
- Toni Braxton “Make My Heart (Chris Malinchak Indigo Mix)” - I am all about Toni’s Pulse, which came out on Tuesday. Highlights for me include the back-to-form ballad “Woman”, and the mid-tempo “Wardrobe”, which shows her having fun with a song you could hear Jordin Sparks singing once she’s grown. My favorite track remains floor-filler “Make My Heart”, and that love is perpetuated through this mix. Please let Toni come back with this new album…
- Ton of traffic coming through the blog for the review of Tino Coury’s “Diary”, so it’s probably safe to say that this track actually has some buzz going on. Tino premiered the video for “Diary” over on Yahoo! Music yesterday, so make sure you check it out. For those of you who liked the promo pic in the first post, you probably won’t be disappointed by the video. Tino’s website isn’t fully functional at this point, but you can get signed up for the mailing list or link to fan pages there.
- Folks are talking about the Christina Aguilera single “Not Myself Tonight”, and it’s not all good. While the single is not a dog by any means, it sure doesn’t add anything to the conversation about Christina’s sound maturing. In fact, the beat sounds a lot like Chris Brown’s “Forever”, and the vocals have a Britney-style quality to them in spots. No surprise on the beats, as they share the same producer in Polow da Don, but we just expect more from Christina than to follow the trends. Here’s the track if you haven’t heard it yet…and let’s hope that future releases show the evolution that everyone seems primed for.
- Train is back at #1 on iTunes with “Hey Soul Sister”, which got me thinking about what makes a hit record. Is it a ukelele? Train uses it, and Train’s producer also utilized it on Jason Mraz’s ubiquitous “I’m Yours” in 2008. Even Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” became a minor hit after it was used in several commercials in the mid-2000s. Maybe Mariah should consider a ukelele-based CD, now that her remix CD Angels Advocate has been scrapped. Anyway, here’s a good reason to post Iz’s version of “Somewhere”. If this doesn’t put you in a good mood, I don’t know what will.
I am fortunate that people sometimes think that this blog would be a good place to introduce new music, as most of the music I write about is already established in some form. I am glad to pass on my feedback, but in most cases I take a pass on writing about it because music really needs to resonate with me on some level to warrant a post. That’s why the email I received about up-and-coming artist Tino Coury’s new song “Diary” was such a surprise.
“I read your diary
And it said that you weren’t in love with me
And yeah, baby, I wish that I didn’t see
That you fell in love with him”
So right off the top, this song is radio-ready. It fits what’s hot at the moment, and the similarity to last week’s #1 from Taio Cruz hit me straight away. However, the lyrics go deeper than your typical pop song, and Tino gets points for one of the best lines I’ve heard in a while: “My heart is bleeding/Paper cut from reading/Page one”. The pain of discovering the woman you love is in love with someone else is clear, which puts it above a lot of other songs where the hook comes first and the lyrics are just there for filler.
I do have one complaint about the bridge, where the lyrics get a little harsh (although they’re edited for the radio mix). Having said that, there’s plenty of that on the radio right now, so it shouldn’t be an issue. Tino’s got a sound and an image that definitely can translate into the mainstream, with an assist from Alex Cantrall, the man behind JoJo’s “Leave (Get Out)”. While we keep having conversations about whether a boy band can be viable in this environment, maybe a solo artist with a similar sound is the way to go. But don’t mistake Tino for the face of a producer behind the scenes, as he composes his own music as well as performs. If you want to see the guy in action, check him out in this short clip:
“Diary” going for radio play now, with the single available for purchase in May, and a full-length release later this year. You can check out the video here.
Let the leaks begin! With a hat tip to Paul over at FizzyPop, yesterday marked the first song to leak out onto the Internet from Shayne Ward’s third album in the form of “Crash“. It is a slow-burning ballad that sounds great, but definitely doesn’t scream “first single”. That honor is supposed to go to “Tonight”, and according to @shaynetward on Twitter yesterday, the record label is gearing up for the promotional push on his upcoming releases. Speculation is that “Crash”, reportedly produced by Stargate, and Darkchild-produced “The Way You Are” are just hype leaks designed to get the masses talking about Shayne again, and it appears that it worked. Not that some of us ever stopped talking about him, but you get the picture.
While we are talking about upcoming projects, another album that is supposed to drop later this year is the fourth release from Jesse McCartney. Rap-Up.com posted an interview with “How Do You Sleep” producer Sean Garrett, where he described hooking Jesse up with some “swag”:
“I wanted to give him real songs, but also give him some shit that has some real swag to it. Girls will be like, ‘Damn, I need to call up Jesse. He’s somebody I need in my life.’ And not just from a corny pop perspective, the Mr. Cool song, but more so like, ‘Damn, I need to see dude.’”
Jesse himself has been a bit tight-lipped about subject matter, but he’s lived a lot since Departure first hit, including weathering a nude photo scandal back in January. Who knows what direction it will go, but while he’s writing material for himself, is he also writing for an American Idol? Here’s his thoughts on season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert:
“I think he’s so talented. I would like to work with him one-on-one and find a focus for him, ’cause he’s dope,” McCartney offered. “I feel like he tried to make a statement with what he did. I would really like to write something for Adam.”
Lady Antebellum’s march across the musical formats continues, as a Jason Nevins-credited remix of “Need You Now” has leaked. If this turned out to be a fraud, I wouldn’t be surprised, but let’s go with that for the moment. I’m not sure what I think of the idea of remixing the song, as it is now a bona-fide pop smash (#2 on the Hot 100 this week, with a solid chance of topping the chart next week), but Nevins brings nothing new to the track. In fact, it’s one of the most flat remixes I have heard in a long time. You could potentially hear Lady A’s management say “let’s not make it TOO clubby”. I can easily see an anthem-style remix, with a big crescendo at the bridge, but this one relies more on subtlety than anything else. Check it out and decide for yourself…worthwhile or a waste of time?
- How is this for making a statement? Taio Cruz’s “Break Your Heart” will jump from #53 to #1 on tomorrow’s Hot 100 chart, marking the highest jump into the top spot ever for a brand new artist. This bodes very well for Taio’s success here, and while it sounds a bit like the Akon School of Hit Singles, it still is a bit of freshness at the top of the pop charts compared to what has been there recently. According to Universal’s website, a release date will be determined in the next couple of weeks, but you have to imagine a slightly-retooled version of Rokstarr will come sooner than later. Now let’s see if Taio’s duet with Ke$ha “Dirty Picture” starts picking up airplay. There is no way that track will not end up on the US release of his album. However, whether the full-length can be a hit is a different matter…
- When is a #11 album debut considered a failure? When it is the debut CD from Jason Derulo, who has already scored two top 10 hits with “Whatcha Say” and “In My Head”. Shouldn’t that translate to at least a top 10 CD debut? I would not have bet against it, but Jason just misses this week’s top 10, coming at #11 with 42,000 units sold. Some might call this a flop, but it could actually be worse. Jay Sean’s All or Nothing debuted at a lowly #39 upon its release, despite having a similar track record on the singles side of things. Adding insult to injury, Derulo’s total was bested by the likes of Danny Gokey, whose debut CD moved 65K units. Sad, but true.
I saw this pop up earlier today, but Bill over at about.com gets props for sharing the new Janet track “Heartbeat Love”. A similar version of this song called “Not My Love” surfaced about a month ago, but that version was credited to Pitbull with Janet listed as “featured”. It’s pretty cool to hear the evolution of a song through these leaks, although I am sure that wasn’t producer Darkchild’s plan. Anyway, here’s the version that leaked last month. Notice the prominent Pitbull rap:
And then here’s the verison that came out today. Not a ton of difference, but you can hear some shifting around in how things are pieced together, with some elements showing up in different spots.
The past few days have brought some seriously hot jams across my radar, so I’ve gotta share them with all of you, ’cause that’s what I do.
- Toni Braxton “Make My Heart” – I already shined a light on “Yesterday“, single #1 from Toni’s upcoming CD Pulse, but single #2 just takes it to another level. While “Yesterday” was the sound of the moment that you could have just as easily heard Leona Lewis or Jordin Sparks singing, “Heart” is a serious club-banger that I don’t think sounds quite like anything out in the marketplace right now, and that is a good thing. Pulse comes out May 4th, and if this is the direction it is going, I’m right on board. Check out this clip of her performing on the Wendy Williams Show with some slammin’ choreography going on. You can also check out her interview here. Seriously, she tears it up!
- Tania Foster “SupaWoman” – There has been a LOT of Sugababes-slagging going on over the past few months, and based on how the singles from the still-upcoming release Sweet 7 are going, this may be their last gasp. So it’s encouraging to see someone actually pick up the torch that the ‘Babes should have been carrying and run with it like they know what they are doing. Tania has done back-up work for several folks in the UK including Tinchy Stryder, who she has sang and written with. Within a day of each other, I received an email from her management, along with reading Mike’s praise-filled post, and I was hooked. While some might take the Sugababes comparison as a slight, I mean it as a compliment. The trio working with RedOne looked like a good plan on paper, but the execution has been less than stellar. Tania’s sound is more authentic, and if this is only the first taste of things to come, count me in. “SupaWoman” deserves to be a hit, and hopefully she can do it with an assist from some of the connections she has already forged.
- Livvi Franc “Automatik” – Mike’s going to get a double-shot of props from me today, because he also tipped me off to the new Livvi Franc track “Automatik”. What is it with this girl that she changes up her k’s and her c’s? Doesn’t matter, though, because this track picks right up where Cascada’s “Evacuate the Dancefloor” left off. The song on a lyrical level isn’t brain surgery, but it is fun. After a couple of listens, that chorus will be wedged into your head.
Stumble It!
