The variety of music in this week’s Report speaks for itself, from pop/folk through to electronic dance music, with two picks of the week from the country genre.
In the Report, you can also check out my pick of the week, along with one 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 take us back to a handful of pop ballads released between 1981 and 1986. Plus, you’ll find out what songs sat atop the BILLCS Top 30 during the last 26 years! And there are at least six artists with songs currently on the BILLCS Top 30 who were NOT born when my chart began!!
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.
JAY BIRD, TEGI, “Dancing”
“Dancing” is a fresh sounding, fast-paced new house track by San Jose’s Jay Bird, frequently featured in this blog, along with newcomer TEGI, and it’s the first release on Jay’s label The Birdhouse Recordings. The label is intended to showcase music from Jay’s collective of new producers and artists also called The Birdhouse. “Dancing” has a clean sound which is quite European in nature, with a quirky rhythm that takes the basics from Daft Punk’s melodies and revs them up a bit. “Dancing” is a calling card for DJ’s to get their evening started with something clever, and Jay Bird and TEGI deliver the goods and more.
DE FACTO!!, DJ FRUIT SALAD, “Ur So Good (Everything I Need)”
Out of Australia, two producer/DJ’s, De Facto!! and DJ Fruit Salad, will give your day a lift with the relentlessly perky “Ur So Good (Everything I Need)”. It’s a catchy and not overly complicated pop-house mix. I normally wouldn’t care for this kind of track because of its altered vocal, but it’s an almost-cheesy dance floor filler with a contagious, happy vibe. De Facto!! and DJ Fruit Salad seem to be keeping themselves off of the major social media platforms while “Ur So Good” – which sounds like it’s based on a sample that I can’t place – has been given major props on Tik Tok by Australian radio station TripleJ. “Ur So Good” is too good not to be at least a worldwide dance hit, reminiscent in some ways of LF System’s “Afraid To Feel”, so perhaps the talent behind the record will come out of hiding to promote it. The songwriting credit is given to Harvey Miller, who is half of Australian duo Client Liaison, so that may be part of the puzzle too.
TELYKast, x.o.anne, “Free”
L.A. dance producers TELYKast keep the hits flowing with “Free” which features London-based, California-born singer/songwriter x.o.anne (aka Anne Tello), who has written for Dillon Francis among others. TELYKast frequently mixes it up with their releases, sometimes with progressive deep house flavours and at other times more on the pop/dance tip. “Free” is one for the latter category, featuring a brisk rhythm and a vocal by Anne that will appeal to fans of Florence Welch and Annie Lennox and that you can put next to rising star Hayla. “Free” is relatable ear candy that should have no problem pleasing club and festival goers.
NATALIE SHAY, “Love Me Too”
For the last few years, UK singer/songwriter Natalie Shay has covered a lot of ground in her songs, largely based on personal experiences with others, often sitting comfortably on that pop-country line that Taylor Swift decided to cross many years ago. With songs on Natalie’s new EP Champagne now making that transition, its lone previously unreleased track “Love Me Too” is one of her best to date. With lyrics full of conviction and confidence, the song is about understanding that you must love yourself completely before you decide to share your love with someone else. Natalie’s expressive vocal is bubbly and sincere while the arrangement and melody flow naturally. Other songs on the EP like “The Edge” and “Love You Boy” have received some worthy attention, but “Love Me Too” is one song that Natalie Shay’s fans as well as those of Taylor Swift, Kacey Musgraves or Kelsea Ballerini will wholeheartedly enjoy.
BEN ELLIS, “No One Sleeps In Hollywood”
Indie Welsh singer/songwriter Ben Ellis seems to have a lot of gems up his sleeve, and one of them is “No One Sleeps In Hollywood”, which follows up his fine EP from last year, Ed’s House, whose title track and “Guys That Look Like Me” both landed on the BILLCS Top 30, with “Ed’s House” reaching #8. “No One Sleeps In Hollywood” has a steady, ear-catching and unpretentious melody set against lyrics which seem to second-guess the kind of success that might be in store for indie artists like Ben, with the fear that a bigger taste of success might not be all that it’s cut out to be. Ben’s earthy guy-next-door approach goes a long way, and while there might be a modicum of truth to the lyrics in terms of the social media attention that Ben gets these days, let’s hope that Ben might be able to look back upon the thoughts expressed in “No One Sleeps In Hollywood” someday and say that they never actually happened.
TYLER GARRETT, “Lean On Me”
For once, a song called “Lean On Me” has nothing to do with Bill Withers’ 70’s pop classic, and L.A.-based singer/songwriter/producer Tyler Garrett has released a compelling follow-up to the gorgeous “Holding On” from earlier this year. The production is very layered, with a riveting bass synth line throughout, and lots going on to draw you in to unleash a veritable sea of emotions. Like with “Holding On”, Tyler’s vocal performance here is a passionate one, which you can see in his in-studio take of “Lean On Me”, which you can watch by clicking the cover art above. And like a lot of Tyler’s songs, it’s a bit longer than the usual pop/dance confection at just over 5 minutes, but “Lean On Me” is sure to hold your interest.
COLIN MANSON, “Sea Son”
If the music of Scottish singer Colin Manson sounds more like Irish folk than anything else, it’s because Colin was raised on the west coast of Scotland, hence the strong Gaelic influence that you hear in “Sea Son”. It’s a dreamy, easy-going slice of folk pop that I would describe as early Hozier meets Duncan Sheik, but the soft and deliberate tone of the song makes me think other influences could come from as far back as Nick Drake, as well as of course Irish and Scottish traditional folk. Colin’s vocal goes down easily and helps tease you into listening, and you’ll hear sounds of stand up bass and violin to flesh out the melody as well as ethereal female vocal harmonies. The theme of “Sea Son” is that there is the whole world waiting out there for you, but he doesn’t try to persuade you to act on that opportunity, leaving it up to the individual to take everything in before making a decision.
RYAN WRIGHT, “Quarter Life Crisis”
Ryan Wright is an indie artist from Virginia who shifts gears into edgier, punk-influenced pop/rock on her new single “Quarter Life Crisis”. Having heard some of her previous work, but not writing about it, I think this is a solid and positive new direction for her. “Quarter Life Crisis” is about rationalizing those moments in your 20’s where you’re leaving behind youth and faced with 30’s adulthood. Her vocal puts her alongside Olivia Rodrigo, Mitski, and Blondshell, with a dash of Chrissie Hynde, and there’s some deft guitar work that happily pervades the sometimes tongue-in-cheek song. “Quarter Life Crisis” is a great introduction to Ryan and moves along at a nice clip given its five minutes + length too.
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.
Calgary’s Kiesza is back and dance music’s got her again with the fun and wacky “I Go Dance”
“BIG DADDY” RUSS HORTON’S PICK 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’ pick of the week can also be heard each week on “The Big 20”.
“Rockstar” is by award-winning Nashville-based country singer/songwriter HARDY.
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 also has a Bop of The Week which can now be heard each week on “The Big 20”, but for now it may not necessarily be the same one featured below.
It’s Nashville-based country rockers Eddie & The Getaway with “Wake Up Without Me”
“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. 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.
Partland Brothers – Soul City (1986)
Dan Fogelberg – Make Love Stay (1983)
Jim Photoglo – Fool In Love With You (1981)
Bertie Higgins – Key Largo (1982)
Chicago – You’re The Inspiration (1985)
26 YEARS OF BILLCS TOP 30 #1’s
Songs that rocked my personal chart at this time during the last 26 years. All of the following artists currently with songs on the BILLCS Top 30 were NOT yet born when my chart began: Conan Gray (two #1’s so far), Diamond Cafe (1 #1 previously as Tristan Thompson), Benson Boone (2 #1’s so far), JVKE (2 #1’s so far), Will Swinton and Marcus & Martinus!!
2023 LIKE CRAZY (English version), JIMIN
2022 ARETHA, Mercer
2021 NO MORE LOOKING BACK, Idris Elba, Inner City, Steffanie Christi’an
2020 GET YOUR WISH, Porter Robinson
2019 WHITE LIES, M-22
2018 SATISFY, Mercer, Ron Carroll
2017 FILL ME IN (SOMETHING TO SAY), Loud Luxury, Ryan Shepherd
2016 LOST (Young Bombs remix), Connor Phillips
2015 CHASING STARS, Corey Niles, Alex Lacasse
2014 STAY WITH ME, Sam Smith
2013 BLUE ELECTRIC ROSES, Travis Garland
2012 WAITING FOR THE FEELING, Bright Light Bright Light
2011 POPULAR, Eric Saade
2010 THE WORSE IT GETS, Penguin Prison
2009 YOU FOUND ME (Lenny B mix), The Fray
2008 AMERICAN BOY, Estelle, Kanye West
2007 MAKES ME WONDER, Maroon 5
2006 OVER MY HEAD (CABLE CAR), The Fray
2005 JERK IT OUT, The Caesars
2004 AMAZING, George Michael
2003 BRING ME TO LIFE, Evanescence, Paul McCoy
2002 THE MIDDLE, Jimmy Eat World
2001 DREAM ON, Depeche Mode
2000 BENT, Matchbox Twenty
1999 LIVIN’ LA VIDA LOCA, Ricky Martin
1998 TOO CLOSE, Next
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