October 2017 – Page 3 – BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

L.A.’s @DiamondPistols takes on obsession with “Gravity” featuring #LYDIA

DIAMOND PISTOLS featuring LYDIA, “Gravity” (free DL)

Multi-instrumentalist Diamond Pistols (aka Christian Dold) is new to these blog pages and has recently made the jump into music full-time. He continues his 2017 releases with “Gravity”, a fierce and punchy slice of electronica with some crunchy dubsteppy vibes. But it’s not all hard and heavy at the start as alluring vocalist LYDIA draws you into a story about being obsessed with someone who knows it, and is about to take you down, helplessly, too. Diamond Pistols’ production is rich and with a crazy drop, “Gravity” is not going to pass you by unnoticed. With a great story, melody, vocals and effects, you’ll want to hear “Gravity” more, with a convenient free download available at the above link, or you can add it to your Spotify playlist right here.

Honest-to-goodness Pop is delivered by Ben Davidson @bdavidsonmusic with “The Chain”

BEN DAVIDSON, “The Chain”

Every now and then, we just get a taste for pure pop music, nothing more – and someone like Sam Smith or Adele has that down in spades. Ben Davidson is a new UK singer whose debut single out today for Energise, “The Chain”, albeit with an electronic backdrop, holds similar pop promise. It’s written by that dynamic trio of Charlie Mason, Daniel Volpe, and Thomas Lipp, whose songs have graced these blog pages many times. It’s a fine song choice to show off Ben’s range without going over the top. Although it has punch, the arrangement could use a few extra wow moments to take it that much further but nonetheless it’s really all about Ben’s voice and “The Chain” succeeds overall. Listen and add it to your playlist using the Spotify link above. The EP contains another new song (“Letting You Go”) as well as several remixes of “The Chain”.

Single #4 from #TAOML is uplifting “Free” by @CarlosdNobrega featuring @JVELmusic

CARLOS NÓBREGA featuring JVEL, “Free”

BANG! And the hits just keep on coming from TAOML (The Art Of Making Love)… as his fans just can’t get enough, “Free” is the 4th single from the recent album by Carlos Nóbrega. It features a singer from Spain who’s new to me named JVEL, and, alternately sweet-voiced and powerful, he trades off vocals with Carlos like they’ve been singing for years together. “Free” is a percolating and uplifting song where you can imagine a carefree upbeat evening on the town with your special someone. It’s already got to #2 on Spain’s iTunes dance chart and the rest of the world just needs to catch up. Watch the impressive comic book-styled lyric video above 🙂

Where love is the star: “Famous” by @ROZESsounds

ROZES, “Famous”

Following up her recent EP Burn Wild and a host of other singles including the memorable “Watches” and “Under The Grave” is Pennsylvanian singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist ROZES with “Famous”. The song takes a few steps away from the pop/dance style of The Chainsmokers’ Top 10 “Roses” (which she co-wrote) and “Watches” (with Cash Cash) in favour of an uptempo ode to love where you’re the star under the most special of shining lights with your own paparazzi. It’s refreshing to hear love and attraction being glamorized again, and ROZES gives the song her own unique edges with her highly recognizable vocal, somewhat reminiscent of Pink this time around. “Famous” should be a treat to hear in concert, so be sure to listen and add it to your Spotify playlist at the link above.

ROZES opens for MAX at The Velvet Underground in Toronto on November 1. See you there!

Gentle “Surrender” is jazzy electronic alt.pop from @Labrosemusic

LABROSE, “Surrender”

“Surrender” is the latest from the US/UK collaboration of New York-based singer Victor Perry and Birmingham producer Ficci, the follow up to their recent debut together called “Disguise”. “Surrender” is definitely gentle and low key, but it’s not about to fall under the radar thanks to Victor’s gorgeous spot-on vocal tones and a simmering jazzy melodic undercurrent from Ficci. It has a rich, warm quality about it despite a minimalist approach. Less is much more here so be sure to pick up Labrose’s “Surrender” at your favourite digital store after checking it out at the link above. It’s from their upcoming EP Thinking Out Loud.

“Survive” by @SaintWKND and @MAXgschneider gets an explosive remix by @PLSandTYbased

SAINT WKND & MAX, “Survive” (PLS&TY remix)

MAX (Schneider) has been so visible in 2017 with his own songs and countless collaborations that it’s been easy to miss one or two. So I’m glad official remixes of “Survive” have surfaced because it was a song I didn’t pick up on upon release. Mystery guy Saint WKND and MAX make an excellent collaborative force on “Survive”, which has been given an explosive future bass overhaul by remixer PLS&TY (who has already worked with Cosmos & Creature and others). In its original version, “Survive” is milder dub-steppy electronica with a taut, soulful vocal by MAX. In this remix, that old school R&B that is deep in MAX’s soul is unleashed as one of his most commanding performances that I’ve heard (it will be a bonus if I get to hear it in his upcoming concert 😉 ), aside his recent appearance on “No Hands” by It’s Different and Forever MC along with blackbear. This remix of “Survive” doesn’t let up and leaves you breathless by the end, which you’ll discover after a listen at the link above.

Another dance/pop jewel from @TheHim “Everybody Hurts” featuring @IvyAdara

THE HIM featuring IVY ADARA, “Everybody Hurts” (free DL)

Dutch duo The Him bestows us with another delightful pop/dance track which you can grab for free for now up top, “Everybody Hurts” (not, of course, a cover of the R.E.M. song). It is indeed a sad song masquerading as an upbeat tropical dance club tune, and it’s brought to life by the vocals of Australian singer Ivy Adara, who relates the lyrics and makes us know that it’s all right to feel the pain of sadness. So there’s no better way to deal with it sometimes but to revel in the big beats and synths and let it all go 🙂 It really is as uncomplicated as that. “Everybody Hurts” is well worth your time and The Him are on a prolific roll following the recent “Secrets” and “Oasis”.

DIY musician @RustyHookmusic offers sophisticated electronica in “Relief” featuring @Truittmusic

https://soundcloud.com/movingcastle/rusty-hook-relief-feat-truitt

RUSTY HOOK featuring TRUITT, “Relief”

From You Tube tutorials to teaching himself how to use Ableton to becoming a member of the group Slow Hours, and influenced initially by Madeon, France’s Rusty Hook (aka Guillaume Costes) comes to us from a new way of learning and making music, and putting it all together as something diverse and tangible to call to your attention. “Relief” is a moody, sophisticated slice of electronic music, not what I would say is a dance track meant for clubs. It’s fairly unpredictable where it goes though of course its constant is the melody which will stay with you after the song is over. The singing on “Relief” is by one half of rising Nashville sibling electronic duo Truitt, namely the beautiful voice of Brigetta. “Relief” shifts between chilled out moments and others that are bigger but contained, and the vocals carry the song as much as the electronic wizardry. “Relief” is from Rusty Hook’s upcoming EP Romance Is Dead, Good Riddance, and you can listen at the link above.

rustyhook

WORLD PREMIERE: Spain’s @We_Architects meet L.A.’s Eddy Faulkner @Eddyftw2 for lyrical banger “Fire”

WE ARCHITECTS featuring EDDY FAULKNER, “Fire”

We all need someone in our lives who helps to keep us going to the next level at whatever stages in life we are at. That’s the basis of L.A.-based singer/songwriter Eddy Faulkner’s “Fire”, for which I have its world premiere 🙂 He’s paired up with Spanish producers/DJs/remixers We Architects, who have recently dropped a number of remixes such as Robin Schulz and David Guetta’s current collaboration. You’re on the right track if you might believe that this is a lyrical pop song set for a worthy transformation for the dance floor. Though “Fire” is somewhat understated at the start, relying on Eddy’s voice and story to draw you in, the song is jump-started around the minute mark by We Architects’ engaging production ,which allows the song to take off in a direction you wouldn’t have expected from the beginning. The balance of the music is so suited for Eddy’s expressive vocal, and “Fire” becomes a dramatic but touching celebration of the sparks in our lives that are often needed. Add it to your Spotify playlist using the link above.

“More Than I Do” by @Saxity featuring @Oferlemusic straddles genres with deep house rhythms

SAXITY featuring OFERLE, “More Than I Do” (free DL)

German production duo Saxity returns to straddle genres successfully with “More Than I Do”. It may not be as noticeable to European audiences as North American ones, but the bright synths and solid deep house rhythms surround a luscious pop/country concoction that is only made better by the alternating male and female vocals from within Indiana trio Oferle. It’s a singalong, it’s a dance-a-long, and it further continues in dance music what Avicii started in his 2012 album True with “Wake Me Up” and “Hey Brother”. You’ll also recall Saxity’s glowing folk/pop/dance blend from earlier in the year with “Brothers” (which got to #3 on my personal chart). There have been a lot of bad imitators and successors to the Avicii record, but Saxity continues to find happy places in songs where everything works so well thanks to spot on production and great choices of vocalists. “More Than I Do” is a free download for you at the link above.