I have no commentary or anything additional to add this week, so I’ll let the new music and our other features speak for themselves!!
In the Report, you can also check out my pick of the week, along with a record of the week from the host of online radio’s “Top 40 Timeline”, “Big Daddy” Russ Horton, plus “Modern Hype” online radio host DJ Hunter’s “Bop of the Week”. “The Musicman” James Rogers from online radio’s “3D Variety Show” has his Classic Five picks which will keep you grooving to songs from 1977-79. You’ll also find out what songs were in the Top 5 of the BILLCS Top 30 5-10-15-20-25 years ago!
The BILLCS New Music Report is always a work-in-progress and I welcome your suggestions so feel free to contact me at through my social media links right here.
Reminder: Click on the photo to watch the video or listen to the song.
ALEX SAMPSON, “Pretty Baby”
Xinger/songwriter Alex Sampson shows what a diverse performer he is becoming with his latest single “Pretty Baby”. The Canadian with the handsome California beach boy looks brought us the fun Marianas Trench-esque “WANT YOU!” last year, so we’re hearing Alex take a deep dive into territory already well-scoped out by contemporaries JVKE, Stephen Sanchez and a few others. “Pretty Baby” is an engaging but gentle 1960’s inspired ballad, produced beautifully by co-writer John Nathaniel. While Alex may be conquering the Instagram/Tik Tok worlds, radio hasn’t fully embraced his music yet, and “Pretty Baby” could be the song that gets there for him. It’s highly recommended for Top 40 and AC Top 40 stations to let their audiences get to know the music of Alex Sampson.
BOOGIE HILL FADERS, “Yeah Oh Yeah”
Canadian dance producers Boogie Hill Faders, who regularly work with blog faves The Disco Fries, have a winner with the highly recognizable “Yeah Oh Yeah”. While stylistically different, think of those European masters of nonsense, Yello, who unleashed “Oh Yeah” into the world in 1985, only to have it synced famously in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” a year later. “Yeah Oh Yeah” has that same basic anthemic grab along with its big synths and beats, and you could easily envision it in TV commercials, at sports events, or in DJ ID’s in clubs or at festivals. “Yeah Oh Yeah” is brief but engaging and you’ll have it stuck in your head for days.
JOYCE MUNIZ, SARA BLUMA, “Beats and Lines”
These days, the world of music seems awfully small when you can hear music from just about anywhere at any place that plays good music. I’m big on Shazaming songs that I hear in different places, and I heard “Beats and Lines” recently at John Summit’s show in my city (courtesy of opening act, DJ/producer Nala). It pairs veteran Brazil-born, Vienna-based DJ/producer Joyce Muniz with Algerian DJ/producer on-the-rise Sara Bluma. Full disclosure – I’ve never heard of either of these talented women before because their music is better exposed in European countries, so hearing it at a concert helps bring down those global divides. “Beats and Lines” sounds best over huge speakers, but you can shake your own stereo system with its bold bass synths. It’s got a seductive, sultry disco rhythm that pairs well with something like Imany’s “The Good, The Bad and The Crazy”. Sara’s vocal, with its droll and carefree attitude, provides yet another dimension of a song that’s a complete, fun package.
JON MULLANE, “The Sun In Summertime”
If you’re looking for a straight-forward, solid song to kick off the summer months, then Halifax native Jon Mullane’s “The Sun In Summertime” could fit the bill for you. It’s an earnest song with a tight instrumentation and arrangement, no bells and whistles here. And it’s simply not easy to write without complexities, the idea and its root must happen organically, and Jon’s lifelong passion for singing and writing songs shines through. Jon had some success on AC radio some years back with the song “My New American Girl”, and has numerous fans of his music throughout Europe and Asia. While summer has arrived in the western part of the world, “The Sun In Summertime” is for summer when it happens anywhere in the world, and it’s sure to help keep you smiling during all those days of sunshine. “The Sun In Summertime” also now has a remix by producer John Green which you can check out at the following link: Wave Remix.
LOUIS PAX, “slip gun”
Swedish pop/rock trio Louis Pax returns with “slip gun” in advance of their next EP called in case i don’t see ya part ii. While the song overall is an easy sell with its singalong chorus and another top notch vocal by Oscar Reingsdahl, the song does require repeated plays to digest its story of being part of a tumultuous relationship, hence the reference to the title object, which is what you get when you disconnect the trigger from the hammer. It’s nice to hear a brighter sounding song after some of the more introspective ones on their previous EP, and be sure to check the humorous video for “slip gun”, which keeps you guessing with its camera work and editing, by clicking on the photo above.
OLIVE LOUISE, “No Medicine”
New York native Olive Louise has created an interesting mix of sound and style in her short but intriguing new release “No Medicine”. It’s a lushly produced song that takes pride in being unconventional, which is something that takes a few listens to grow on you. “No Medicine” doesn’t fit into one sub-genre, call it a mix of dream pop and chamber pop, criss-crossing Billie Eilish with 60’s pop legend Lesley Gore (of “It’s My Party” fame, and latterly, of her cover of “Misty”, which has been gracing social media as well as TV through an Amazon Prime commercial). The topic and lyrics are a bit downbeat as Olive weaves her story – there are indeed not enough cures for the diseases and conditions that lead to so many people dying every day. So somehow we have to take comfort in the solace of living the life we choose, ultimately leaving our best imprints in life, small as they may be in the big scheme of things.
LAURENTIUS, AUGUST KID, JEFFREY JAMES, “Floating On Forever”
“Floating On Forever” is the kind of pop-dance release that transports you back about 10 years when Avicii was soaring to the top of the EDM world with his escapist dance releases. It’s brought to you by a well matched collaboration of three. Dutch producer Laurentius is no stranger to this blog for his variety of releases including the jubilant BILLCS Top 30 #3 single “Celebrate” in 2022. He has teamed up with Italian producer AUGUSTKID, still relatively new to the scene after releasing music since early 2022, and seasoned Nashville singer/songwriter, who appeared as a contestant on TV’s “Songland”, also in 2022. His streetwise-sounding vocal alternately sounds gruff and polished against the producers’ dreamy mid-tempo EDM backdrop, and then before you know it, “Floating On Forever” quickly comes to an end and leaves you wanting more.
LATCHMERE, “Moonlight”
Australia’s Latchmere is back after his 2023 EP release Fire In The Sky with a five song instrumental dance EP called You First. Latchmere (Shaun Galvin) has released commercial-oriented deep house (which resulted in a BILLCS Top 30 #1, “Need Your Heart”, from his EP Lovedrunk) and more progressive, sometimes experimental (and often quite personal) electronic music such as with the songs in Fire In The Sky. What he’s put together in You First kind of falls half-way between, with the extremely catchy “Moonlight” standing out. It brought me back to another Australian release from 2010, which has become a worldwide wedding song, and that’s Yolanda Be Cool & DCup’s “We No Speak Americano”. And while “Moonlight” certainly does not have or need the novelty appeal of that song, its hook and its wacky-sounding instrumentation and synth work, which are unveiled within the first 40 seconds, are similarly infectious. “Moonlight” is one of those happy deeper cuts that I wrote about last week, and I encourage electronic and dance music lovers to lend an ear to Latchmere’s You First EP to see what song most appeals to you.
BILL’S NEW MUSIC PICK OF THE WEEK
My New Music Pick of the Week is a 5-7 minute radio segment that airs on several online radio stations around the world, and debuts each Tuesday at 6pm EST on The 3D Variety Show on Xstreamrockradio and also now on Lil Rawkers out of California! Note: The 3D Variety Show is on vacation and returns July 16. For the next three weeks, the New Music Pick of the Week will debut Wednesdays at 10pm EST on The Big 20 on Halton Hills Radio Online.
Kygo is back with new music with “For Life” featuring singer/songwriter Zak Abel and legend Nile Rodgers!
“BIG DADDY” RUSS HORTON’S RECORD OF THE WEEK
“Big Daddy” Russ Horton is the host of the “Top 40 Timeline” radio program and owner of online station Halton Hills Radio Online. You can hear my Retro Pick of the Week every week on the “Top 40 Timeline”. Russ’ record of the week can also be heard each week on “The Big 20”.
Previously one of my picks of the week, Big Daddy is also loving”Myself & I” by TheFatRat & RIELL!
DJ HUNTER’S BOP OF THE WEEK
DJ Hunter is the host of the online radio shows “Modern Hype”, which can be heard on several online stations, and “Pyjama Party”, with both shows anchored at Energy 885. Hunter can also be heard weekdays at 2pm EST on Party Dog Radio. Hunter’s bop of the week can now be heard each week on “The Big 20”.
It’s “Ten (Get Back Up)” by Nathan Dawe and MNEK!
“THE MUSICMAN” JAMES ROGERS’ CLASSIC FIVE
“The Musicman” James Rogers is the owner and host of The 3D Variety Show heard Tuesdays at 6pm EST (currently on vacation till July 16). The Classic Five is “pop music 101” usually of the post-Beatles era – classics you need to know! Each title is linked to a Spotify stream of the song.
Boney M – Rasputin (1979)
ABBA – Knowing Me, Knowing You (1977)
Village People – Y.M.C.A (1979)
Donna Summer – Last Dance (1978)
The Raes – A Little Lovin’ (Keeps The Doctor Away) (1979) (You Tube link)
THE BILLCS TOP 30 – 5-10-15-20-25…
The Top 5 songs from the BILLCS Top 30 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years ago…
2019
1 GOOD THINGS FALL APART Illenium, Jon Bellion
2 WHITE LIES M-22
3 GOOD THINGS Cedric Gervais, Just Kiddin’, Kyan
4 LOVE ME LESS MAX, Quinn XCII
5 KISS AND TELL, Mokita
2014
1 STAY WITH ME, Sam Smith
2 TIDAL WAVE, Tristan Thompson
3 PROXY, Martin Garrix
4 TELL IT TO MY HEART, Jason Walker, Bimbo Jones
5 ELECTRIFY THE NIGHT, House Rockerz, Davis Redfield, Carl Man
2009
1 THE GIRL AND THE ROBOT, Royksöpp, Robyn
2 YOU FOUND ME (Lenny B mix), The Fray
3 LOVE STORY (Victor Franco radio mix), Nadia Ali
4 IF I KNOW YOU, Presets
5 MANNEQUIN (Overthrill remix), Noah
2004
1 ROCK U, Laurent Konrad
2 AMAZING, George Michael
3 THIS LOVE, Maroon 5
4 MOVE YA BODY, Nina Sky
5 HEY MAMA, Black Eyed Peas
1999
1 LIVIN’ LA VIDA LOCA, Ricky Martin
2 MILLENNIUM, Robbie Williams
3 U DON’T KNOW ME, Armand Van Helden, Duane Harden
4 GIVE IT TO YOU, Jordan Knight
5 SHE’S SO HIGH, Tal Bachman
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