Fresh Music - Top 40 for March 1, 2008

Friss Zene Top 40 for the week ending on Saturday, 03.01.08
Jon and Sum 41 fail to unseat The Midway State from #1 for the third week

TW= this week's position
LW= last week
Δ= change
PP= peak position
WC= weeks on the chart

TW LW Δ PP WC Artist - Title (weeks at top spot)
01 01 N C 01 04 The Midway State - Change For You (3 weeks at #1)
02 02 N C 02 09 Jon McLaughlin - So Close
03 03 N C 03 05 Sum 41 - With Me
04 05 +01 03 06 Jordin Sparks feat. Chris Brown - No Air
05 04 -01 01 07 The Cab - I'll Run (1 week at #1)
06 16 +10 06 03 Mika - Relax, Take It Easy
07 09 +02 07 03 Colbie Caillat - The Little Things
08 07 -01 01 14 Chris Brown - With You (2 weeks at #1)
09 22 +13 04 09 Janet Jackson - Feedback
10 08 -02 04 32 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music
11 18 +07 11 04 Motion City Soundtrack - It Had To Be You
12 DEBUT 12 01 The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead
13 12 -01 10 05 The Starting Line - Island
14 15 +01 14 04 Rogue Wave - Lake Michigan
15 DEBUT 15 01 Ashlee Simpson feat. Tom Higgenson - Little Miss Obsessive
16 06 -10 06 03 Ferras - Hollywood's Not America
17 10 -07 01 07 Cobra Starship - The City Is At War (1 week at #1)
18 11 -07 11 03 Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
19 DEBUT 19 01 Lupe Fiasco feat. Matthew Santos - Superstar
20 32 +12 20 02 Lights - February Air
21 13 -08 01 13 Lifehouse - Whatever It Takes (3 weeks at #1)
22 17 -05 10 04 Augustana - Sweet And Low
23 19 -04 19 07 We The Kings - Check Yes Juliet
24 14 -10 01 13 Boys Like Girls - Hero/Heroine (2 weeks at #1)
25 21 -04 01 30 Maroon 5 - Won't Go Home Without You (1 week at #1)
26 20 -06 12 21 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
27 23 -04 23 04 Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon
28 27 -01 27 02 Phantom Planet - Leader
29 25 -04 12 06 Josh Kelley - Unfair
30 29 -01 14 12 NLT - She Said, I Said
31 24 -07 03 14 OneRepublic - Stop and Stare
32 40 +08 32 02 Nada Surf - See These Bones
33 33 N C 01 32 Matt Nathanson - Car Crash (1 week at #1)
34 26 -08 01 19 I Nine - Seven Days Of Lonely (1 week at #1)
35 43 +08 03 24 Motion City Soundtrack - Broken Heart
36 30 -06 08 08 Paramore - Let The Flames Begin
37 31 -06 03 14 John Mayer - Say
38 DEBUT 38 01 The Last Goodnight - Stay Beautiful
39 28 -11 20 09 Jack Johnson - If I Had Eyes
40 34 -06 26 04 Simple Plan - When I'm Gone

Bubbling Under: 41 to 45
41 35 -06 14 15 Alicia Keys - Like You'll Never See Me Again
42 - - R E 42 01 Carrie Underwood - All-American Girl
43 36 -07 16 11 David Guetta feat. Chris Willis - Love Is Gone
44 38 -06 01 37 Jon McLaughlin - Beautiful Disaster (3 weeks at #1)
45 44 -01 01 25 Rihanna feat. Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You (1 week at #1)

Falling Off
Linkin Park - Shadow Of The Day (11 weeks, peak at #16)
Buckcherry - Sorry
Sean Kingston - Take You THere
Yael Naim - New Soul
Fergie - Clumsy (26 weeks, peak at #13)

Biggest Debut
The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead (debut at #12)

Biggest Jump
Janet Jackson - Feedback (#9, up 13 spots from #22 last week)

Biggest Decline
Jack Johnson - If I Had Eyes (#39, down 11 spots from #28 last week)

Re-Entry
Carrie Underwood - All-American Girl (from #43 three weeks ago)

Friss Zene
Matchbox Twenty - These Hard Times
Mariah Carey - Touch My Body

Fresh Music: Top 40 for February 23, 2008

Friss Zene Top 40 for the week ending on Saturday, 02.23.08
Nathan Ferraro's band is tops for two weeks

TW= this week's position
LW= last week
Δ= change
PP= peak position
WC= weeks on the chart

TW LW Δ PP WC Artist - Title (weeks at top spot)
01 01 N C 01 03 The Midway State - Change For You (2 weeks at #1)
02 09 +07 02 08 Jon McLaughlin - So Close
03 06 +03 03 04 Sum 41 - With Me
04 02 -02 01 06 The Cab - I'll Run (1 week at #1)
05 08 +03 03 05 Jordin Sparks feat. Chris Brown - No Air
06 24 +18 06 02 Ferras - Hollywood's Not America
07 03 -04 01 13 Chris Brown - With You (2 weeks at #1)
08 05 -03 04 31 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music
09 20 +11 09 02 Colbie Caillat - The Little Things
10 04 -06 01 06 Cobra Starship - The City Is At War (1 week at #1)
11 36 +25 11 02 Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
12 10 -02 10 04 The Starting Line - Island
13 07 -06 01 12 Lifehouse - Whatever It Takes (3 weeks at #1)
14 11 -03 01 12 Boys Like Girls - Hero/Heroine (2 weeks at #1)
15 19 +04 15 03 Rogue Wave - Lake Michigan
16 29 +13 16 02 Mika - Relax, Take It Easy
17 13 -04 10 03 Augustana - Sweet And Low
18 14 -04 14 03 Motion City Soundtrack - It Had To Be You
19 31 +12 19 06 We The Kings - Check Yes Juliet
20 12 -08 12 20 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
21 18 -03 01 29 Maroon 5 - Won't Go Home Without You (1 week at #1)
22 16 -06 04 08 Janet Jackson - Feedback
23 27 +04 23 03 Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon
24 17 -07 03 13 OneRepublic - Stop and Stare
25 15 -10 12 05 Josh Kelley - Unfair
26 21 -05 01 18 I Nine - Seven Days Of Lonely (1 week at #1)
27 DEBUT 27 01 Phantom Planet - Leader
28 32 +04 20 08 Jack Johnson - If I Had Eyes
29 23 -06 14 11 NLT - She Said, I Said
30 25 -05 08 07 Paramore - Let The Flames Begin
31 22 -09 03 13 John Mayer - Say
32 DEBUT 32 01 Lights - February Air
33 40 -07 01 31 Matt Nathanson - Car Crash (1 week at #1)
34 26 -08 26 03 Simple Plan - When I'm Gone
35 28 -07 14 14 Alicia Keys - Like You'll Never See Me Again
36 34 -02 16 10 David Guetta feat. Chris Willis - Love Is Gone
37 33 -04 16 11 Linkin Park - Shadow Of The Day
38 35 -03 01 36 Jon McLaughlin - Beautiful Disaster (3 weeks at #1)
39 30 -09 16 06 Buckchery - Sorry
40 DEBUT 40 01 Nada Surf - See These Bones

Bubbling Under: 41 to 45
41 37 -04 15 07 Sean Kingston - Take You There
42 39 -03 39 03 Yael Naim - New Soul
43 42 -01 03 23 Motion City Soundtrack - Broken Heart
44 44 N C 01 24 Rihanna feat. Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You (1 week at #1)
45 45 N C 13 26 Fergie - Clumsy

Falling Off
Paramore - Crushcrushcrush
Nelly Furtado - In God's Hands
Finger Eleven - Paralyzer

Biggest Debut
Phantom Planet - Leader (debut at #27)

Biggest Jump
Jason Mraz - I'm Yours (#11, up 25 spots from #326 last week)

Biggest Decline
Josh Kelley - Unfair (#25, down 10 spots from #15 last week)

Friss Zene
The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead
Chris Richardson - All Alone

Fresh Music - Top 40 for February 16, 2008

Friss Zene Top 40 for the week ending on Saturday, 02.16.08
The Midway State slides into Numero Uno

TW= this week's position
LW= last week
Δ= change
PP= peak position
WC= weeks on the chart

TW LW Δ PP WC Artist - Title (weeks at top spot)
01 05 +04 01 02 The Midway State - Change For You (1 week at #1)
02 01 -01 01 05 The Cab - I'll Run (1 week at #1)
03 02 -01 01 12 Chris Brown - With You (2 weeks at #1)
04 03 -01 01 05 Cobra Starship - The City Is At War (1 week at #1)
05 04 -01 04 30 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music
06 09 +03 06 03 Sum 41 - With Me
07 07 N C 01 11 Lifehouse - Whatever It Takes (3 weeks at #1)
08 08 N C 03 04 Jordin Sparks feat. Chris Brown - No Air
09 12 +03 02 07 Jon McLaughlin - So Close
10 11 +01 10 03 The Starting Line - Island
11 06 -05 01 11 Boys Like Girls - Hero/Heroine (2 weeks at #1)
12 13 +01 12 19 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
13 10 -03 10 02 Augustana - Sweet And Low
14 21 +07 14 02 Motion City Soundtrack - It Had To Be You
15 14 -01 12 04 Josh Kelley - Unfair
16 15 -01 04 07 Janet Jackson - Feedback
17 18 +01 03 12 OneRepublic - Stop and Stare
18 16 -02 01 28 Maroon 5 - Won't Go Home Without You (1 week at #1)
19 32 +13 19 02 Rogue Wave - Lake Michigan
20 DEBUT 20 01 Colbie Caillat - The Little Things
21 17 -04 01 17 I Nine - Seven Days Of Lonely (1 week at #1)
22 19 -03 03 12 John Mayer - Say
23 23 N C 14 10 NLT - She Said, I Said
24 DEBUT 24 01 Ferras - Hollywood's Not America
25 20 -05 08 06 Paramore - Let The Flames Begin
26 26 N C 26 02 Simple Plan - When I'm Gone
27 38 +11 27 02 Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon
28 22 -06 14 13 Alicia Keys - Like You'll Never See Me Again
29 DEBUT 29 01 Mika - Relax, Take It Easy
30 24 -06 16 05 Buckchery - Sorry
31 40 +09 19 05 We The Kings - Check Yes Juliet
32 29 -03 20 07 Jack Johnson - If I Had Eyes
33 27 -06 16 10 Linkin Park - Shadow Of The Day
34 30 -04 16 09 David Guetta feat. Chris Willis - Love Is Gone
35 42 +07 01 35 Jon McLaughlin - Beautiful Disaster (3 weeks at #1)
36 DEBUT 36 01 Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
37 31 -06 15 06 Sean Kingston - Take You There
38 25 -13 21 08 Nelly Furtado - In God's Hands
39 45 +06 39 02 Yael Naim - New Soul
40 39 -01 01 30 Matt Nathanson - Car Crash (1 week at #1)

Bubbling Under: 41 to 45
41 33 -08 11 09 Paramore - Crushcrushcrush
42 44 +02 03 22 Motion City Soundtrack - Broken Heart
43 28 -15 05 08 Finger Eleven - Paralyzer
44 41 -03 01 23 Rihanna feat. Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You (1 week at #1)
45 37 -08 13 25 Fergie - Clumsy

Falling Off
Avril Lavigne - Runaway
Kate Nash - Merry Happy
Kelly Rowland feat. Travis McCoy - Daylight
Carrie Underwood - All-American Girl

Biggest Debut
Colbie Caillat - The Little Things (debut at #20)

Biggest Jump
Rogue Wave - Lake Michigan (#19, up 13 spots from #32 last week)

Biggest Decline
Finger Eleven - Paralyzer (#43, down 15 spots from #28 last week)

Friss Zene
Secondhand Serenade - Fall For Me
Simple Plan - Your Love Is A Lie

Meeting Nathan Ferraro of The Midway State!

At the end of the Mika concert, I got the chance to meet Nathan Ferraro, the lead singer of The Midway State. Here's how it went down:

Me: "Hey Nick, nice to meet you"
Nick: "It's Nathan, actually. Nice to meet you. What is your name?"
Me: "Nathan! Nathan Ferraro, Nathan Ferraro! God, I'm an idiot!"
Nick Nathan: "Heh, it's okay".
Me: "I really enjoy your band's music. Are you guys planning to release a full album soon?"
Nathan: "Yeah we're about to release the album in April or May".
Me: "Awesome. So how's the record label treating you guys" (Interscope)
Nathan: "The label -- they're very, very supportive."
Me: "Good! Well I enjoyed the EP...Tonight, I wished you guys played 'Unaware'. It's one of my favorite songs."
Nathan: "Glad to hear it. Yeah, you know, maybe we'll play it the next time...what is your name?"
Me: "Oh! It's Ray."
Nathan: "It was good talking with you, Ray!"

Mika: "The Dodgy Holiday" Tour 2008 at The Warfield, 2.12.08

The MIKA concert was fantastic! It was held at the Warfield in San Francisco on February 12 and the opener was the band The Midway State. Some reactions: it was full of color, and at times, was a bit of a sensory overload. I am amazed at how high Mika's voice gets. In short, he's soo gay! Haha, I do mean it in an endearing sort of way. His dancing, his schizophrenic movements, the backdrops, the band, everything about it was over the top craziness. His performances were flamboyant, unabashed, and completely liberating.

My concert bud Vida (it was her first concert ever!) and I got spots in on floor and were literally two rows away from the stage -- very close to everything. As the night progressed, we became more squished, especially during the more upbeat numbers in which an orgy of fans jumped up and down with their glow sticks, cell phones, and cameras in hand. The show began at 8:00 with The Midway State playing a few songs from their previous and current EP, including "A Million Fireflies" and "Change For You". Unfortunately they did not play one of my favorites, "Unaware". On the downside also, I didn't get any clear shots of lead singer Nathan Ferraro. I am hoping to get photos from Vida's camera soon, but I did capture two videos for "A Million Fireflies" and "Change For You":

At a little after 9:00, Mika took the stage and his set lasted for about an hour and a half, playing thirteen songs from his CD Life in Cartoon Motion and debuting new songs. He first sang "Relax, Take It Easy", followed up "Big Girls You Are Beautiful", "Billy Brown", "Any Other World", a couple of new songs, "My Interpretation", "Ring Ring", and "Happy Ending".

After a brief prelude including a cascading shower of white confetti descended upon Mika using an umbrella onstage, Mika broke out with "Love Today", followed by an amusing drum-off between a shirtless Mika and his female drummer. He changed outfits yet again and played his hit song "Grace Kelly".

For the encore, a Vaudeville theater-type of backdrop took centerstage, where four furry animals did a scene called "Bad Bunny" where the bunny ended up banging the chipmunk doggy-style! LOL! Mildly inappropriate for the kiddies in the audience ;) After removing the backdrop, it was clear that the four furry animals were Mika and his band in animal costumes.

Mika starts to sing "Lollipop" in his bunny outfit (sans head) while big colorful balls fall onto the audience. These bouncy balls went every which way in The Warfield while the rest of Mika's circus of characters danced while confetti was strewn all over the place! It was crazy ridiculous.

It was a fun show -- there were some performances that called for more somber moods ("Happy Ending", "My Interpretation", and "Any Other World") -- but overall, it didn't take it's self too seriously. I also enjoyed the fact that his supporting band was incorporated into the show, with their colorful costumes, their personalities and musical skills were well-showcased throughout the night. As for Mika, his falsetto is a very unique instrument. He acknowledged his love and appreciation to the US fans for supporting him despite the lack of airplay on radio here. The 2008 North American leg of his "Dodgy Holiday" tour was really fun and enjoyed the experience! So based on his showmanship, it looks like Mika has a long career ahead!

The Midway State & MIKA show tonight!

Tonight I am attending the MIKA concert tonight at The Warfield in San Francisco. The Canadian band The Midway State is performing as the opening act and I am excited to hear them in concert. I initially wanted to go just for Mika, but the more I listened to the Midway State's EP, the more I am digging their music!

To preview the ocassion, here's another great song off their EP Met A Man on Top of the Hill titled "A Million Fireflies". Take a look at their compilation live video for the song:

DL: HERE

(Uploaded by me! Thanks and comments appreciated!)
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I've heard great things about Mika's show, so hopefully it won't disappoint. He is known for his upbeat, outrageous, ostentatious style of performing, but here's a more low-key, emotive Mika on the song "Erase", only available on his US version of his album Life in Cartoon Motion.

DL: HERE
(Uploaded by me! Thx and comments pls!!)
BUY Life In Cartoon Motion on Amazon.com

Fresh Song: The Midway State - Change For You

The Midway State - Change For You
Hailing from our neighbor to the north, The Midway State is a band from Ontario, Canada who released an EP titled Met A Man On Top Of The Hill in 2007. Led by curly-haired singer Nathan Ferraro, his chilling vocals are perfect for their piano-driven rock songs. Americans had a taste of their music when a version of their song "Unaware" (another good song) was played during the finale of "The OC". The band finished 2007 by opening for Daughtry and now they are the opener for Mika for his winter tour. They are definitely a band in pursuit of a breakthrough in 2008...

DL HERE
BUY Met A Man on Top Of The Hill on Amazon.com

(Web-ripped by me! Comments and thanks are appreciated!)

The video: