Some people have referred to me in the past as “that dance music guy” when they’re referring to the content of my blog. And while I do love just about every form of dance music, the variety of music that I’ve written about or charted is much more diverse and very representative in 15 years of blog posts. And while three or four of this week’s new selections for review are in the dance or electronic category, the others are rock or alternative tracks that I enjoy. In fact I’m predicting a big comeback for rock music in the coming years, once record labels get tired of signing solo acts from Tik Tok and find a better balance to represent the music tastes of the public on the national charts.
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 selections are now 40 years old with a bunch of catchy tunes from 1984. 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.
BEN CAHILL, “Intergalactic Highway”
“Intergalactic Highway” is hands down the best instrumental dance track that I’ve heard in ages. It’s brought to you by NYC based producer Bud Cahill, who also happens to be an amazing violinist. The track is buoyant and uplifting, but when Bud’s violin work arrives it gives the song a magical third element that you don’t often hear in dance music these days. “Intergalactic Highway” is an obvious track for a variety of sync possibilities, but it’s a rare instrumental that is super catchy and stands profoundly on its own without any visuals, which are left to your imagination. So put on your headphones or turn up your speakers loud and let Bud Cahill take you on a journey to wherever you want to go on his “Intergalactic Highway”.
TELYKast, SAM GRAY, “Surrender Your Love”
It’s hard to believe in some ways that TELYKast’s last huge collaboration with Sam Gray, “Unbreakable”, was three years ago! That song topped national dance radio charts as well as my own chart, the BILLCS Top 30. “Surrender Your Love” follows up the subsequent successes for both artists with the kind of warm, beautifully sung, and engaging house music that’s been missing from the scene for a while in favour of flirtations with drum ‘n bass and tech house. It’s quite similar in overall sound to “Unbreakable” which to be quite honest makes it all the better. For TELYKast it’s all about consistency coming after two terrific deep house tracks, “Without Your Love” and the anthemic “Free”. “Surrender Your Love” should by all rights be another dance radio hit and club DJ’s will dig it too.
JAMES CLARK INSTITUTE, “Black Licorice, Red Lips”
We’re now four singles deep into the James Clark Institute’s recent album Under The Lampshade, produced by The Pursuit of Happiness/Trans-Canada Highwaymen’s Moe Berg. “Black Licorice, Red Lips” has proven to be a crowd favourite, as I witnessed earlier in the year when I saw the rock band perform in Toronto, so I’m glad they seized the moment to focus on this one. James’ wordplay is on point and he creates images and real-life scenarios that completely relatable. The jangly melody recalls 80s/90s bands like The Smithereens and The Del-Lords and you’ll find you’re humming it in no time. Alternative and college radio stations will find instant delight with “Black Licorice, Red Lips”.
CHARLIE HOUSTON, “Slut For Excel”
I first heard of Canadian singer/songwriter Charlie Houston when she appeared on Odesza’s album The Long Goodbye, and subsequently was part of their extravaganza performance which I saw in Toronto where she performed “Wide Awake”. Not being familiar with her solo music until “Slut For Excel” and the previous single and queer love anthem “Pink Cheetah Print Slip”, music fans will find Charlie’s songs to be idiosyncratic and imaginative. “Slut For Excel” is set to a melody that has Talking Heads’ “Once In A Lifetime” written all over it, and its lyrics show her sticking to her guns to do things her own way, even in the shadow of more successful family members. It’s a somewhat self-deprecating but determined ride, one that you’ll find yourself returning to for subsequent listens, and Charlie has a debut album on the way to watch for as well. Charlie is currently in the midst of a US tour supporting fellow Canadian gals The Beaches.
FAKE DAD, “Touch Me”
“Touch Me” transports you back to the 90’s in a lot of ways, particularly the versatile and often ethereal voices of Harriet Wheeler of The Sundays and the late Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries. Fake Dad are Andrea de Verona and Josh Ford, an indie bedroom pop duo based in L.A. They fuse synth pop with indie rock flavours, and “Touch Me” is a good representation of this. The song is culled from their EP Yerba Mala and in it we find that intimacy and sex are used as a distraction for what the duo says “from the nagging feeling that everything is passing you by”. It also serves as a discourse for mental health issues which often get the way of self-fulfillment. The solid melody in “Touch Me” draws you in while the authentic lyrics and fab vocal keep you there.
LATCHMERE, “Leave”
Australian dance producer Latchmere follows up his upconventional and infectious instrumental “Moonlight” and the EP You First with the more straight-forward approach of “Leave”. This tech-house track has a lot of edge provided by a strong uncredited female vocal and once again with some wildly creative synth work whose jarring effects find a happy medium amid the beats and melody. This is a particularly strong showing for Latchmere (aka Shaun Galvin) and reminds me of when I first wrote about his fine work on his 2017 EP Lovedrunk and its BILLCS Top 30 #1 “Need Your Heart”. Dance music fans owe it to themselves to check out “Leave”.
AUTOPILOT, “Here Comes The Pressure”
Many music fans are getting far too caught up in the social media aspects of enjoying music, so if you’re looking for gritty and earnest rock ‘n roll that you won’t find there, then look no further than Saskatoon trio Autopilot with “Here Comes The Pressure”. Autopilot was nominated for Best New Artist at the Saskatchewan Music Awards last year, and have recently completed a tour of central and eastern US cities including NYC and Washington DC which ended with two dates back home in Saskatoon. “Here Comes The Pressure” has a great hook with a memorable vocal and is the lead-in to an upcoming album release by Autopilot.
THE KEYMAKERS, “Separate”
“Separate” is delightful and emotional synth-pop by the L.A. based duo of brothers called The Keymakers (aka Rome and Red Barnes). Not everything in the dance music world has to be a club banger, and “Separate” is a gentle but stimulating ballad in disguise about heartache, distance and longing. The Keymakers are well-versed in the DJ/production side of the biz before they started this project, so “Separate” is a step sideways for them, one that works as it provides an immediate connection for the listener with its lyrics and soulful vocal while grooving to a mid-tempo synth melody. I’d pitch this one more to fans of alternative music and those who like their dance music shaken not stirred.
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.
85 year old Mavis Staples has made a universal, feel-good track with “Worthy”
“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”.
American rockers AWOLnation return with “Panoramic View”
DJ HUNTER’S BOP OF THE WEEK
DJ Hunter is the host of the online radio show “Modern Hype”, which can be heard on several online stations, anchored at Energy 885, where you can also hear my New Music Pick of the Week.
Veteran Austin, Texas-based electronic production duo Tritonal team up with vocalist RKTKT with “Meant To Be”
“THE MUSICMAN” JAMES ROGERS’ CLASSIC FIVE
“The Musicman” James Rogers is the owner and host of The 3D Variety Show, which is now back from hiatus and 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.
Ray Parker Jr. – Ghostbusters
Prince – When Doves Cry
Kim Mitchell – Go For Soda
Dan Hartman – I Can Dream About You
Twisted Sister – We’re Not Gonna Take It
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.
It’s Robert Palmer with his 1986 cover of Cherrelle’s R&B hit “I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On”
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
01 PUSH, Kazaky
02 HIGHER LOVE, Kygo, Whitney Houston
03 MONDAY BLUES, Eric Sharp, ZHAO
04 TOUGH LOVE, Avicii, Agnes, Vargas & Lagola
05 I’M NOT ALRIGHT, Loud Luxury, Bryce Vine
2014
01 I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE, Sam Smith
02 SMILE, Mikky Ekko
03 AFTERGLOW, Harriet
04 THANKS FOR NOTHING, Brandyn Burnette
05 NO FUN, The Presets
2009
01 SYMPHONIES, Dan Black
02 RABBIT HEART (RAISE IT UP), Florence & The Machine
03 BOY MEETS GIRL, Evan Taubenfeld
04 REWIND, Mans Zelmerlow
05 WE ARE GOLDEN, Mika
2004
01 LOLA’S THEME, Shapeshifters
02 FLAWLESS (GO TO THE CITY), George Michael
03 CRABBUCKIT, K-Os
04 CADILLAC DRESS, soulDecision
05 SHE WILL BE LOVED, Maroon 5
1999
01 SMOOTH, Santana, Rob Thomas
02 ROMANTICIDE, Tal Bachman
03 BABY DID A BAD, BAD THING, Chris Isaak
04 HUMAN, Distinct Nature
05 IF YOU TOLERATE THIS, YOUR CHILDREN WILL BE NEXT, Manic Street Preachers
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