My second busy concert-filled weekend is coming up. I’m looking forward to seeing Kygo, Sam Feldt and Hayla perform at Woodbine Park in Toronto on Saturday, then there is another outdoor concert with Conan Gray at Budweiser Stage on Monday. Other than that, I have no other preliminary words, so let’s get right to the music.
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’ Classic Five takes us back to the sounds of 50 years ago with song choices from 1974. Plus we’ll turn back the clock to this week in 2016 and find out what the BILLCS Top 30 looked like.
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.
PLS&TY, GEORGI KAY, “Feel Love”
“Feel Love” is a clever mix of pop and dance with both techno and trance elements, the latest creation of L.A. based producer PLS&TY, this time with Australia-based vocalist, songwriter and actor Georgi Kay. Thus, the song is unexpectedly European in flavour, sounding similar to what has been coming out of Sweden. But “Feel Love” has a couple of powerful hooks, one of which is vocal and melodic which shows off Georgi’s ever-versatile voice, and the other is an aggressive change-up which acts as a bit of a drop-kick, reminding me of either Paul McCartney & Wings’ “Live and Let Die” or the “Mission:Impossible” TV show theme, take your pick! It’s a fresh sound for the talented PLS&TY, working with Grammy-nominee Georgi Kay, most noted for “In My Mind” (with Feenixpawl and Ivan Gough) from the last decade, as well as recent releases with Ryan Shepherd, Gil Glaze and Luis Torres, a worthy collaboration that could easily be repeated.
GREAT GOOD FINE OK, “Better Without You”
2024 has seen a fine return to form for NYC duo Great Good Fine OK, whose release “Blame” caught my attention at the end of last year, reaching #7 on the BILLCS Top 30. “Better Without You” is another release with a melodic hook that’s guaranteed to get stuck in your head. While a few edgy production liberties are taken in the song with his voice at times, Jon Sandler’s work here is effortless, and Luke Moelmann’s production and synth work assure you along the way how he can take the song’s surroundings up several notches. “Better Without You” also brings out a lot of familiar elements of 80’s soulful pop brought to you by artists like Toto and Daryl Hall & John Oates, and Great Good Fine OK mix it all together to make it uniquely theirs.
THE THE, “Some Days I Drink My Coffee By The Grave of William Blake”
With a song title like that, you know that it’s going to be special! Matt Johnson, otherwise known as The The, recently unleased his first album in 25 years called Ensoulment, which also features the previously released single “Cognitive Dissident” which I wrote about a while back. The album weaves a variety of intriguing stories with provocative themes we’ve heard in The The’s classic music of the 80’s and 90’s before, but spun in different ways. Songs like “Some Days…” show Matt to be more of a hypnotic raconteur than ever, which is a viable substitute for not rocking out as heavily or with as much aggression as 30-40 years ago. His vocal presence is commanding, and the arrangement is top notch, which makes “Some Days…” a unique and entertaining journey unto itself for today’s alternative music fans.
MONET & CHRISTIAN, “Homestead Heart”
Monet & Christian are a Canadian folk/pop duo set to knock your socks off with their exquisite harmonies and intriguing stories, one of which is “Homestead Heart”, which follows up their indie self-titled album. Monet Comeau hails from New Brunswick and Christian Hodge from a small town near Cobourg, Ontario, and they both come armed with master’s degrees in musical theatre and acting to present their talents. They even created a short musical called “Every Young Adult Novel Ever: The Musical”, which played on stage to rave reviews in Toronto in 2020. “Homestead Heart” straddles both folk and pop with ease, where you can hear their cheery, honed vocals over violin and acoustic guitar in an arrangement that also rocks out with a full band sound. It’s one of those out-of-left-field delights that would sound even better in concert.
ANDREW RAYEL, TAKIS, FRANCIS WAVES, “Get You Down”
“Get You Down” hits a sweet spot in mixing in European techno and synth pop flavours of the late 90’s with some lively bounce that could make it a festival favourite. It’s brought to you by trance music favourite and Moldovan producer/DJ Andrew Rayel, Canadian producer/DJ Takis – notable in Canada especially for his radio hit with Jamie Fine and Brandyn Burnette called “All Time” from a few years back – and British vocalist Francis Waves. The beginning fools you into thinking that “Get You Down” is anything but a dance song, but within 30 seconds the veil comes off and don’t be surprised if you’re bopping around the room or in your car in short order.
NEW EARTH FARMERS, “War Inside Our Hearts”
“War Inside Our Hearts” takes us back to a post-punk early 80’s approach to rock music which isn’t heard too much these days. It’s updated through contemporary Americana and folk sounds that you might hear from bands like The Lumineers. New Earth Farmers is a Northern California quintet that flips the raging, rebellious attitudes of the early 80’s on their sides in favour of positivity and inclusion, asking why rather than going on a rant. This makes the approach behind “War Inside Our Hearts” quite refreshing, while still having a lot of grit and edginess in its backbone, among its inspirations from The Clash in particular. Singer/guitarist/keyboardist Paul Knowles reminds me at times of Tom Petty, and among the band members is an original founder of seminal British rock group The Alarm, drummer Nigel Twist (I saw a memorable concert by The Alarm in the late 80’s), who was in the band’s classic lineup till 1991.
SAM HARDING, “Remember”
L.A.-based singer, musician and actor Sam Harding fuses a straight-forward melodic hook with a singalong chorus in his recent release “Remember”. His wistful vocal recalls a past romance when being in love felt like the best thing in the world. And while Sam himself is only in his early 20’s, it’s highly relatable and shows how our thoughts are changed and shaped as we get older. But everyone loves an earnest story about romance and “Remember” provides us with a nicely sung and produced reflection on that time.
JNR, “Hold On” (Spotify link above)
Newcastle, England dance producer and radio announcer JNR (aka Iain Macleod) is probably better known for his remixes, some of which recently were to rework Hazell Dean’s huge 80’s hit “Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)”, which I wrote about recently. “Hold On” is a frenetic mix of house, trance and techno, with a crisp percussive sound that stands out. The song comes to an appropriate pause to focus on a couple of verses by its uncredited female vocalist, which become its core, before resuming its wild pace. “Hold On” is a well made release with a classic song structure that works because it doesn’t sound like most of what is being released today. Club DJ’s who want to work their patrons into a frenzy on the dance floor should consider adding it to their sets.
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 now debuts each Wednesday at 10pm EST on The Big 20 on Halton Hills Radio Online.
Two Friends and Alexander Stewart have a national dance radio hit with “Wrong Way”
“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 which debuts every week on the “Top 40 Timeline”. Russ’ record of the week can also be heard each week on “The Big 20”.
It’s “Can’t Explain” by California surf band Sun Room
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, where you can also hear both my New Music and Retro Picks of the Week. Hunter can also be heard weekdays at 2pm EST on Party Dog Radio.
It’s Dutch producers Lucas & Steve, British producer LAWRENT and vocalist Jordan Shaw with “End Of Time”
“THE MUSICMAN” JAMES ROGERS’ CLASSIC FIVE
“The Musicman” James Rogers is the owner and host of The 3D Variety Show, which can be heard Tuesdays at 6pm EST, where you can also now hear my Retro Pick of the Week. 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.
Craig Ruhnke – Summer Girl (You Tube link)
(Anne Murray – You Won’t See Me
The Guess Who – Clap For The Wolfman
ABBA – Waterloo
Paper Lace – The Night Chicago Died
BILL’S RETRO PICK OF THE WEEK
My Retro Pick of the Week is a 5-7 minute radio segment that airs on several online radio stations around the world, including those mentioned above. It debuts Saturdays on Russ Horton’s Top 40 Timeline on UK National Radio at 1pm EST.
From the movie “The Bodyguard”, it’s Whitney Houston with the Oscar-nominated “I Have Nothing” (1993)
BILLCS Top 30 FLASHBACK CHART – 2016
Remixes were everywhere in 2016 and this chart also marks first appearances for some artists who have become regulars in my blog posts – MAX, Victor Perry, The Disco Fries, Matoma, Chet Porter among them! The Chainsmokers also get their first #1.
02 01 CLOSER The Chainsmokers F/ Halsey
05 02 NATIVE SON PREQUEL (Jenaux remix) Gramatix F/ Leo Napier
03 03 HER AND HIM Mi Disguise x Rouse
04 04 REST OF MY LIFE Electric Bodega F/ Matt Beilis
01 05 SHY (Club mix) The Magician F/ Brayton Bowman
08 06 BALANCE The Him F/ Oktavian
10 07 WE DON’T TALK ANYMORE (DROELOE remix) Charlie Puth F/ Selena Gomez
13 08 RAINBOWS Victor Perry
19 09 LIGHTS DOWN LOW (Two Friends remix) Max
07 10 WORSHIP Brandyn Burnette
14 11 BORN READY (Halogen radio edit) The Disco Fries F/ Hope Murphy
18 12 BROKEN Tritonal & Jenaux F/ Adam Lambert
20 13 FALSE ALARM Matoma F/ Becky Hill
16 14 ELEVATED (Joe Mason remix) RKCB
06 15 SO HAPPY Tony Moran F/ Jason Walker
24 16 STAY Chet Porter F/ Chelsea Cutler
09 17 SO BAD (EDWYNN x TIKAL & Spirix remix) Brandon Skeie [Brandon Colbein]
25 18 IN THE NAME OF LOVE Martin Garrix & Bebe Rexha
26 19 CLOSER (Sean Turk remix) Brandyn Burnette
28 20 IN MY HEAD Steve James F/ RKCB
New 21 LOVE ON THE BRAIN Rihanna
New 22 HIGH (Young Bombs remix) Jesper Jenset
11 23 DANGEROUS Built By Titan F/ Jesse Mccartney
New 24 LUMINARY Liquid Diet
17 25 TAKE ME APART LZRD X Spirix F/ Remmi
New 26 I ONLY WANT TO PLEASE YOU Bright Light Bright Light F/ Ana Matronic
New 27 JUST A DREAM Molly Moore F/ Brandyn Burnette
12 28 INSIDE OUT The Chainsmokers F/ Charlee
21 29 INTO YOU Ariana Grande
22 30 GET IT ON Jenaux
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