Cocktail Nation 397 Frank Sinatra, Jr.

Tune in Saturday nights at 18:00 EST Toronto time (6:00 pm) for a Sneak Preview of the week's show. Shake that martini, and relax in your bachelor pad as Koop Kooper takes us on a musical journey through that Exotica and Tiki world of the 50's and 60's.

Just last week we lost another connection to our past…Frank Sinatra Jr passed away at the age of 72. So this week, we take a look at his life. I’ve got a cool classic car to consider, a new book from one of our own, plus all the best parties from across the globe. 

Martini Kings - Cuchy Frito Man 
Tiki Lounge Crew - Mambo Twango 
Frank Sinatra and Frank Sinatra Jr - My Kinda Town 
Peggy Lee - The Lady Is A Tramp 
James Spencer - Angel Eyes 
Earle Hagan - I Spy 
Dave Grusin - Days Of Wine And Roses 
Tikiyaki Orchestra - Tiare Tahiti 
Voodoo Organist - Desert Dream Scene 
Carol Fredette -You Better Love Me 
Jason Paul Curtis - You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To 
Janet Seidel - I Love You 
David Carbonara - The New Girl 
Jackie Gleason - Midnight Sun 
Lena Horne - Nightwind 
Gene Rains - Bangkok Cockfight

The Top Ten - week ending 26 March 2016

Firstly, it is with great sympathy that our hearts go out to the city of Brussels, as they mourn a tragedy mirrored in Paris. Sadly, it appears that Europe has become a target. One can only hope that this despair will stop. In the meantime, we wish them well.

As the world mourns, we loungers take solace in the freedom of our music. Try to find an inner peace, flushing out hatred and violence from our minds. We live as one, no matter the nationality or color of our skin. Music is our one similarity. Enjoy.

The solace of Mr. Peter Pearson's As Twilight Falls, has made it's way to number one this week - a wonderfully peaceful track. Phigroa & ArnoB continue to rise, settling in at the number three position. We say goodbye to Rob Tardik from the Top Ten this week, as he slips below the last position, making room for Jjos to make the jump from Bubbling Under. 

New Releases in the Jazz world this week includes the new one from Chris Standring. Entitled Ten, coincidentally his tenth album release, it's another oustanding work from the Smooth Jazz guitarist. We here at This is Lounge have chosen his free-spirited Magic Carpet Ride to join the playlist. I hope you'll agree that we made a good choice.

Mode & Light, a Soundcloud find based in Mexico, are getting some raised eyebrows around the station with they're cover of the French band, Air's, Highschool Lover. Battling for airplay time, Lapsley wraps us in glorious dream pop with Cliff, and Toronto's Spookyfish appear to be finally getting some recognition and approval from listeners. I would think a move for them should be forthcoming. 

Lastly, a heartfelt thanks for supporting the artists and the station. Be sure to use the links to help guide you to your purchase. Also, I continure to urge you to visit the station website at www.thisislounge.com and vote for your favourite Top Ten track.

1. Peter Pearson - As Twilight Falls

2. Angelika Vee - Hello (MelGUD Remix)

3. Phigroa & ArnoB - Cologne

4. Corrado Saija - Un Doux Sommeil

5. ÖRDÖG - Nothing Compares... (feat. LALOOLY)

6. Sanjay Chitale & Sandeep Chowta - Anu (feat. Jimmy Haslip)

7. Jill Barber - Sukiyaki 

8. Michael e - With Each Passing Moment (Guitar Mix) [feat. Greg Walker]

9. Jjos - You’re Not Alone (ft. Maria La Caria) (Ambient Mix)

10. Diana Krall & Sarah McLachlan - If You Could Read My Mind 

Bubbling Under

Spookyfish - Feel You

Låpsley - Cliff

Mode & Light - Highschool Lover

Chris Standring - Magic Carpet Ride

Cocktail Nation 396 Out of Abingdon

Tune in Saturday nights at 18:00 EST Toronto time (6:00 pm) for a Sneak Preview of the week's show. Shake that martini, and relax in your bachelor pad as Koop Kooper takes us on a musical journey through that Exotica and Tiki world of the 50's and 60's.

On the show this week, we catch up with a new Australian Lounge band called Out Of Abingdon. I have a new tiki watering hole for you, and I am busy changing my last will and testament because I have found a very cool way to have my ashes stored….and no don’t worry I have not received bad news from the doctor!

Si Zentner - James Bond Theme
Dom Halpin - Mambo
Out Of Abingdon - Three Piece Suit
Beegie Adair - Bewitched
Dave Grusin - Mr Lucky
Tikiyaki Orchestra - Pele’s Kiss
Robert Drasnin - Voyage To Vanuatu
Roland Remington - Babalu
Lisa Ono - Agua De Beber
Bobby Darin - Charade
Louis Prima - The Pump Song
Jonah Jones Quartet - Mandy Make Up Your Mind
Jack Costanzo - Sax Con Ritmo
Jason Paul Curtis - American Gypsy
October - Jeru
Diana Krall - Almost Blue

The Top Ten - week ending 19 March 2016

Happy Saturday, my fellow loungers! I hope the sun is shining in your part of the world this weekend. We could all use a shot of Vitamin D, along with our daily dose of relaxation, in the form of chill sounds. 

To all my American followers, try not to be stressed out by the Rise of the Trump. Turn off the television and turn on the (internet) radio. As my friend Guido likes to say, let us take you on a journey...a journey that will free your mind from the real world of stress.

Deep breaths, everyone.....OK? Let's proceed to the list at hand.

Adele exudes her control over the world of music, and here at This is Lounge, it's no different. Angelika Vee's cover of her hit Hello, has reached number one here on the Top Ten! Congrats Angelika! As Jill Barber relinquishes her time atop the list, we see chill master Peter Pearson slide into the number two spot.

The biggest surprise this week came from you, the listeners. We received a large number of votes for Phigroa & ArnoB. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that there was a little ballot box stuffing going on! (Ha! Is that why Trump is gaining in the polls?!) I never did put any limits on the voting, so please visit the station website as often as you like. 

This week also saw ÖRDÖG jump into the fray from his Bubbling Under position. Apologies to the artist - due to technical matters, the playlist does not recognize accents. So when your name appears on the screen, it will be gobblety gook. I'm trying to change all the ID tags to be without accents.

This past week, as usual, saw some new music added to the station playlist. One interesting addition came from alt-dream pop star, Låpsley (again with the accents). Our choice from the album Long Way Home of her song Cliff, rather than the current single, Hurt Me, was not a tough decision here. The dreamy, ambient sound of the track was a perfect fit. I hope you agree. I'm sure that I will soon find out, if your votes have anything to do with it! 

And with that, let me just say, that beginning this week, you will have the opportunity to vote for the Bubbling Under tracks, as well. Perhaps your vote will help a song make the jump.

Finally, thank you for tuning in. Be it for a few minutes or a few hours. I'd like to think that I took at least one person's mind to a sandy beach with a cold drink or a dimly lit jazz club, just for awhile, momentarily relieving their stress.

Thanks again for supporting these and all the artists we play on the station. Be sure to visit the Artists listing on the website for convenient links to their sites for info and downloads.

1. Angelika Vee - Hello (MelGUD Remix)

2. Peter Pearson - As Twilight Falls

3. Jill Barber - Sukiyaki 

4. Corrado Saija - Un Doux Sommeil

5. Phigroa & ArnoB - Cologne

6. Michael e - With Each Passing Moment (Guitar Mix) [feat. Greg Walker]

7. Sanjay Chitale & Sandeep Chowta - Anu (feat. Jimmy Haslip)

8. ÖRDÖG - Nothing Compares... (feat. LALOOLY)

9. Diana Krall & Sarah McLachlan - If You Could Read My Mind

10. Rob Tardik - Eros

Bubbling Under

Spookyfish - Feel You

Jjos - You’re Not Alone (ft. Maria La Caria) (Ambient Mix)

Låpsley - Cliff

Cocktail Nation 395 Modernism Week

Tune in Saturday nights at 18:00 ET Toronto time (6:00 pm) for a Sneak Preview of the week's show. Shake that martini, and relax in your bachelor pad as Koop Kooper takes us on a musical journey through that Exotica and Tiki world of the 50's and 60's.

This week we're broadcasting from north of Sydney, in the city of Brisbane, visiting friends and checking out the Redlands Rockabilly and Hot Rod festival. Good friend of the Cocktail Nation, James Kraus, stops by with a review of the recent Modernism Week event. We also talk some Batman and some interesting news from the world of Vinyl again this week, plus the passing of a first lady.

(ed. apologies for the late posting. enjoy nonetheless)

Tikiyaki Orchestra - Return To Orchid Isle
Roland Remington - Baia
Les Baxter - Desilusao
Warren Barker - Flute Route
Dean Martin - Let Me Love You Tonight
Marlene VerPlanck - How Little We Know
Cal Tjader - Cool
Perry Beekman -The Lady Is A Tramp
Clouseaux - Kiss Of Ku
Barbara Levy Daniels -There Will Never Be Another You
Heather Rigdon - I Like My Coffee Black
Johnny Mandel - Letter Writing Sequence
Bill Evans Trio - Some Other Time
Marc Copeland - I Love Paris
Mr Ho’s Orchestrotica - Dancing In The Dark

Freshly Squeezed: The Jazz Show, Part 1 & 2

It's been a while since I featured Nick Hollywood's radio show. He's heard around the world, and I would love to play him on This is Lounge, but technical restrictions won't allow that. (The same goes for the Cocktail Nation.)

Anyway, you have the ability to listen hear or on mixcloud.com. Of course, I would rather you visit my site that theirs! :-)

Today we have his last two shows - known simply as The Jazz Show. Part One was broadcast a few months ago, while Part Two was broadcast today.

So take a few minutes and enjoy Freshly Squeezed The Jazz Shows!

The Top Ten - week ending 12 March 2016

Well, Spring is fast approaching here in my part of the world. Today's forecast is for sunny 17C!!!! 

Anyone for cappuccinos on a café patio?

Of course, this lovely weather puts everyone in a great mood, and tuning in to This is Lounge for all or part of your day just makes it all worthwhile. Whether at home or the office, or in a shop or café, our romantic mix is the perfect soundtrack to Spring Fever.

First, I'd like to give a warm shoutout to everyone who placed their vote on the website! It's nice to see what everyone likes to hear. So keep coming back. Invite your friends. The more votes, the merrier, and hang around and check out some of the other goodies.

That being said, let me announce the new number one this week is Jill Barber's Sukiyaki! Pushing Michael e out of number two is Angelika Vee's remixed cover of Hello. Peter Pearson's wonderful soundtrack to a sunset, As Twilight Falls, comes in at number four, followed by the big jump to number five by Corrado Saija.

Phigroa & ArnoB sneak up with Cologne, and the Indian jazz collaboration of Sanjay Chitale and Sandeep Chowta make the leap from Bubbling Under, as Anu makes it's debut in the Top Ten this week.

Speaking of Bubbling Under, last week's entry from Jjos is creating a buzz with his cover of Olive's classic, You're Not Alone, and with the release of Lapsley's new album, Long Way Home, last week, her song Cliff was chosen to take a place in the playlist, enough to register on Bubbling Under.

By the way, if your a fan, she's playing Cologne, Germany on March 21 and Berlin on the 22. Toronto fans will enjoy an intimate performance at The Mod Club on May 3.

Lastly, thanks to everyone supporting these artists and the others on the station. Maybe one day everyone can afford to quit their day jobs to be creative.  Peace.

1. Jill Barber - Sukiyaki 

2. Angelika Vee - Hello (MelGUD Remix)

3. Michael e - With Each Passing Moment (Guitar Mix) [feat. Greg Walker]

4. Peter Pearson - As Twilight Falls

5. Corrado Saija - Un Doux Sommeil

6. Diana Krall & Sarah McLachlan - If You Could Read My Mind

7. Rob Tardik - Eros

8. Phigroa & ArnoB - Cologne

9. Sanjay Chitale & Sandeep Chowta - Anu (feat. Jimmy Haslip)

10. Birth of The Fool -  The Garden

Bubbling Under

ÖRDÖG - Nothing Compares... (feat. LALOOLY)

Spookyfish - Feel You

Jjos - You’re Not Alone (ft. Maria La Caria) (Ambient Mix)

Låpsley - Cliff

www.thisislounge.com

Cocktail Nation 394 Euro Spy Agente Logan

Tune in Saturday nights at 18:00 EST Toronto time (6:00 pm) for a Sneak Preview of the week's show. Shake that martini, and relax in your bachelor pad as Koop Kooper takes us on a musical journey through that Exotica and Tiki world of the 50's and 60's.

Some Euro Spy action this week as Kramer swings by the penthouse, and how would you like a brand new vinyl spinning jukebox for your pad?! I’ll let you know how you can get your hands on one, plus we talk about the demise of the Hat!

Voodoo Organist - Dry Martinis and Wet Bikinis
Tikiyaki Orchestra - Eden Awaits
The Sorrows - Ypotron
Spy Fi - Black Tie Spy
Holywood Film Music Orchestra - Alley Cats
Kenny Sasaki - Jill The Spy
Barbara Levy Daniels - There Will Never Be Another You
Bob Thompson - The Best Thing For You
Useless Playboys - Caravan
Machiniso - Hexotica
David Carbonara - The Men Of Sterling Cooper
Frank Sinatra - I’m gonna Live till I die
Tony Bennett - Pick Yourself Up
Jackie Gleason - If I Should Lose you
Les Baxter - Cairo Bazaar

The Top Ten - week ending 5 March 2016

I can't believe there's only 15 days till the first day of Spring. For many of you, it won't come soon enough. From the This is Lounge broadcast centre, we've been lucky enough to have missed many major snowstorms. I can feel the warmth already.....

The promise of Spring brings a renewed sensibility and feeling of hope for those warmer days of Summer. All of you loungers know exactly what I'm talking about. All of the artists in this chill genre  are inspired by that feeling. Please show them how much you appreciate their work and reward them with purchases from your favourite digital retailer.

The new month also brings a renewed vibe to the station and the songs. For the first time ever, I believe, Michael e has reclaimed his majesty, returning to the number one position. Thanks to your votes on the This is Lounge website, you're able to see the results of your actions. 

Please continue to visit the site and place your votes!

Jill Barber jumps in at number two, as Diana Krall and Sarah McLachlan round out the top three. The biggest surprise this week is Peter Pearson's meteoric rise to number five. His track, As Twilight Falls, struck a chord with many listeners, as well as the staff here. A sound that embodies the feel of the "magic hour" of the day, bringing to mind cocktails by the water as the sun sets. And isn't that the feeling that we all strive for as loungers? Beautiful work, Peter!

A big shoutout this week to Jjos, as the release of his Infinity album finally sees the light of day. This highly recommended collection of chill is a great addition to your collection. Choosing a track from the album to add to the station was tough. But in the end, his wonderful cover and remix of Olive's classic 1996 track, You're Not Alone, won us all over. 

Congrats go out to Phigroa and his new collaboration with horn player Arno Behl (aka ArnoB), Serene EP. The beautiful single, Cologne, joins the chart at number ten. Welcome Phil and Arno!

Not any less remarkable, Toronto indie ambient band Spookyfish, released some new music on Soundcloud recently. Feel You (a free download!) swims onto the Bubbling Under section this week to compliment the other artists, ÖRDÖG and Sanjay Chitale, as they fight for dominance, and that lift into the Top Ten. Do not underestimate the power of the small 'fish in the big sea. They can certainly hold their own in such esteemed company here. 

It's such an exciting time. New music continues to arrive. It's great to see and hear. 

Thanks for tuning in, and I hope that you will continue to check out the website, perhaps exploring some of the links to the artists that we play, or casting your vote in the Top Ten, or checking out the Events Calendar for a live concert near you.

As the warmer weather approaches, the sounds of the station will continue to feel warmer, as well. Share that feeling with friends. As listenership grows, so do we. Thanks for supporting the artists and the station.

1. Michael e - With Each Passing Moment (Guitar Mix) [feat. Greg Walker]

2. Jill Barber - Sukiyaki 

3. Diana Krall & Sarah McLachlan - If You Could Read My Mind

4. Rob Tardik - Eros

5. Peter Pearson - As Twilight Falls

6. Angelika Vee - Hello (MelGUD Remix)

7. Birth of The Fool -  The Garden

8. Pieces of A Dream - Dream On

9. Corrado Saija - Un Doux Sommeil

10. Phigroa & ArnoB - Cologne

Bubbling Under

Sanjay Chitale & Sandeep Chowta - Anu (feat. Jimmy Haslip)

ÖRDÖG - Nothing Compares... (feat. LALOOLY)

Spookyfish - Feel You

Jjos - You’re Not Alone (ft. Maria La Caria) (Ambient Mix)