TOM BAILEY RETURNS TO POP MUSIC WORLD WITH CHARITY SINGLE

The Syrian refugee crisis has been in the news for quite some time and has influenced one musician with a massive musical pedigree to write a song about it. Tom Bailey was the frontman and main songwriting force behind the iconic 80's band the Thompson Twins and he is releasing a new charity pop single titled "Come So Far". The subject matter is about the refugee crisis and the accompanying music video shot by film director Sean J. Vincent contains images of refugees and a refugee family on their pilgrimage to a better life.

Tom says this of how he came to write the new single "Like many artists, I respond to events in the world around me and, one day a year or so ago, I heard the harrowing story of a young man who had fled conflict in his homeland. On the advice of his mother, he attempted to make a long, dangerous (and illegal) journey across Europe to find a future free of the troubles which had beset his people. After three years, he managed to arrive in London. It was an almost mythically ideal destination for him, yet he struggled to come to terms with the shortfall between dreams of a safe and secure future and the harsh realities of his new life as an illegal immigrant."

Tom has kept busy over the years since the Thompson Twins heyday with his projects Babble, International Observer, Bailey-Salgado Project and the Holiwater Project as well as producing other bands. In 2014 Tom returned to performing the Thompson Twins hits live after a 27 year absence with successful dates in the U.K. and a tour of North America. British music magazine Classic Pop recently awarded Tom 'The Best Live Show' award for his live concert performances in 2015 at various U.K. festivals. Tom is currently writing and recording more material for a planned album release in 2017.



"Come So Far" will be available digitally on April 11th and will be released as a 7" single pressed on red vinyl on June 17th via Cooking Vinyl Records, with a B-side called "Dub So Far". Tom has set up a PledgeMusic campaign for the charity 7" single, each copy will be autographed personally by him, and all money raised by online digital sales as well as the profits from the vinyl release will be passed directly to Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders.

Watch the video for "Come So Far" below:

SOME FAVOURITE SONGS FROM 2012

As I've said before. I'm not a fan of compiling my favourite songs and albums at the end of every year. Below are a list of some of my favourite songs from this past year (in no particular order).

Carousel - Stay Awake
New Arcades - Remember The Nights
Shindu - Just Go ( Reflex Remix )
The Other Tribe - Sing With Your Feet (Original Mix)
Televisor - Run Away (ft. Patrick Baker)
Andreas Moe - Collecting Sunlight
Kid Kasio - Small Talk
Danny Saucedo - Delirious
Dragonette - Untouchable
Kuba Oms - Electrolove
Awkoder - Your Love (ft. Phlore)
Arcade High - City Lights
Arcade High - Coin-Slot Hero
Hot Hot Hawk - Electric Touch (ft. Patrick Baker)
Youngblood Hawke - We Come Running (RAC Remix)
Viceroy - Chase Us Around (Jay Lamar & Jesse Oliver Remix)
Vin Goodwin - Swim the Wild Water (Bitrocka Remix Radio Edit)
Future Screens - Don't Stop
Atlas Genius - Back Seat (Goldroom Remix)
Atlas Genius - Trojans (Lenno reMix)
Strange Talk - Cast Away (Reflex remix)
1Love - Truth Will Set U Free (ft. Corey Hart)
Cassette Club - Bodylights
Cassette Club - Living In A Video
Cassette Club - Talk To Me
Zedd - Lost At Sea (ft. Ryan Tedder)
Zedd - Spectrum (ft. Matthew Koma)
Robots With Rayguns - Runaway (ft. Patrick Baker)
Parade Of Lights - Only Human
Mansions On The Moon - Radio
She's The Queen - Talk To Me (Lightwaves reMix)
Patrick Baker - Get 2 Know U
Sam Sparro - Hearts Like Us
Sam Sparro - I Wish I Never Met You (radio edit)
Usher - Numb
Madeon - The City
Hot Hot Hawk - Rise And Down (ft. Ksenia Popova)
Venice - Heart That Could Heal
Nik Kershaw - Bad Day You're Having
Databoy - Unfriend
Take The Night - Heartbreaker
Miaoux Miaoux - Better For Now
Van She - Jamaica
Hot Chip - Don't Deny Your Heart
MARTEL - Ricochet
Smith & Thell - Kill It With Love (Radio Edit)
Martin Solveig - The Night Out (Madeon Remix)
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KID KASIO'S EXCELLENT ALBUM 'KASIOTONE' AVAILABLE NOW

Kid Kasio released his first album 'Kasiotone' in January of this year and I'm happy to report it is a solid effort full of 80's influenced synthpop. Kid Kasio is Nathan Cooper who was in the groups The Modern/Matinee Club. This album is the first time Nathan has been able to do exactly what he wants musically and has many sounds influenced by some of his heroes like Howard Jones, Nik Kershaw, and O.M.D..

The album's first track is 'Not For Turning' (which is also featured on the recently released Electronic Rumors Vol. 1 compilation cd) is a great start with it's subtle O.M.D. keyboard sounds. Paranoia is a nice funky track with some cool Prince like guitar. Dark Glasses is a faithful cover of the Nik Kershaw song that was the B-side to the hit single “I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me”. Small Talk which most likely takes it's name from the Scritti Politti track of the same name and has nods to Deniece Williams and Howard Jones' track 'Look Mama'.

I highly recommend this album to any fans of synthpop music past and present and fans of any of the artists mentioned in this write up. Kid Kasio isn't hiding his influences but the album is certainly fresh and contains some great song writing and production. It would be super to see Kid Kasio get an opening spot for Nik Kershaw's upcoming U.K. tour in September or with a band like Penguin Prison or the recently signed to Wall Of Sound band Echoes.

Kasiotone is available to download at various sources, click here for sites.
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DANNY SHAH - NEW ARTIST ALERT:















Hailing from Glasgow Scotland, 19 year-old singer/songwriter Danny Shah has just released his debut 3 track EP 'Digging For Gold' on iTunes today. He has put together a cool video for his song 'We Are Connected' featuring many of today's biggest music stars (it took 6 weeks to put together).



Danny has been working in the studio with British producer Blinky who he completed the EP with. You can follow Danny on Twitter and let's see if the music video goes viral on the net.
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2011 FAVOURITES:

I always find it difficult to come up with a Top 10 (or 20, 30 or 40) Best Of The Year list. Below is a list of some of my favourite songs of the year 2011 in no particular order. Even harder these days is coming up with a list of Favourite Albums of the year, I've listed a few standouts for me below also. (The list could look messy, didn't have time for proper formatting and adding links).

SONGS:

City Boy - Donkeyboy

Keep The Beat In Your Heart - Smith & Thell

Wonder - The Sound Of Arrows

Hero - Verona

Lisztomania (feat. Jane Hanley) - Edwin van Cleef

In Your Blood - Computers Want Me Dead

Love U More - Sunday Girl

Radioactive (Starsmith Rework) - Marina & The Diamonds

Mirrors (Hey Champ Remix) - Natalia Kills

Hello (Echoes Remix) - Dragonette & Martin Solveig

Between the Pavement & the Stars (Edwin Van Cleef Remix) - Mighty Mouse

Odyssey - Worship

Ice Cold - Echoes

Stereo World - Frankmusik

We Can Pretend - Strange Talk

Singin' (radio edit) - Cosmonaut Grechko

Don't Stop - Tim & Jean

Control - Blackroom

Pyramid - Nightbox

Block After Block (Echoes Radio Edit) - Matt & Kim

Talk To Me - She's the Queen

Keep it to Yourself (feat. Gustaf Spetz) - 047

Society - DVAS

Montage - TMDP

Not In Love (ft. Robert Smith) - Crystal Castles

Satellite - The Tapeaters

Where Are You Now (StardonE remix) - Queen Of Hearts

Live Those Days Tonight - Friendly Fires

Old Skool Daze - FM Attack

Night Is Young - Southern Shores

Galaxies - Owl City


ALBUMS:

Tim & Jean - Like What (Full of amazing feel good pop songs the duo of Tim Ayre & Jean-Christophe Capotorto did well in their native Australia with their debut, should have been a worldwide smash, record company should have got this released everywhere!)

Penguin Prison - S/T (I hope Chris Glover breaks out in 2012 with this record.)

The Sound Of Arrows - Voyage

Spoons - Static In Transmission

Darren Hayes - Secret Codes and Battleships
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JOHNNY HATES JAZZ REUNITED & NEW ALBUM IN THE WORKS:
















The band Johnny Hates Jazz are currently working on finishing up the recording of a brand new album. Best known for their hit 'Shattered Dreams' from their 1988 album 'Turn Back The Clock'. Frontman Clark Datchler has reunited with band member Mike Nocito to record their first new album since 1991's 'Tall Stories' (that album didn't include Clark as he left the band after the first record, then Phil Thornalley joined the band as lead vocalist). In 2010 the band toured Europe and South East Asia and have been working on a new album since that tour.

Some promising news about the album, Clark and Mike recently reunited with arranger and composer Anne Dudley (Art Of Noise) to record a 16-piece string section on 3 tracks for the new cd. Anne, who arranged and conducted strings on 'Turn Back The Clock', will also be adding keyboards to the same tracks. Also working on the recordings are guitarist Dave Munday and keyboard player Pete Watson from HURTS touring band. For the latest information on the new Johnny Hates Jazz album you can follow Clark on Twitter.
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I'M A HUNTER SEEKING GAME:















Sorry for the absence from the blog world, I guess nothing really inspired me enough to talk about. What is it you ask that has changed that situation ... well it is a band originally from Dayton, Tennessee, now based in Nashville called 'Taxicab Racers'. I heard their amazing song 'Angel Eyes' (listen below) on a television show and was instantly hooked. The song comes from their debut album 'Hunter/Beggar' (produced by Chad Howat of Paper Route) that is available on iTunes and Bandcamp. It is hard to believe that this four piece band consisting of Michael Roddy (vocals/synths), Nate Zensen (guitar), Josh Dillard (drums/percussion) and Adam Newport (bass) are still unsigned.