AXEL MANSOOR, “Paradise” and “London Grey” (with Yann Lauren)
An ever-listenable favourite of this blog, singer/songwriter Axel Mansoor, returns with two new songs that each have their own observations on particular subjects. “Paradise” is the more produced of the two songs which uses the title as a metaphor for something that we are seeking but might never find, since it may, in one way or another, be right in front of our noses. It’s a witty observation from Axel who always enthralls us with interesting perspectives in his lyrics. Of equal interest is the more acoustic “London Grey”, featuring Yann Lauren, which takes the frustration of having too many stressors in life compounded pretty much by one season all year long in L.A., and puts them up for grabs in favour of the variety of environments of other places in the world, such as the often grey London of the title. Axel himself has resided in many places throughout the world – he was raised in the small Indian Ocean republic of Mauritius – so his take on the beautiful but lonely L.A. will resonate with many others. Check out both songs using the links above.
It’s always a treat to keep up with the latest in high quality independent dance music releases from German producer and guitarist Koni, whether his solo projects or those of his other production group Saxity. Every release from Koni sounds fresh and is almost always undertaken with a variety of collaborations that span around the world.
“Out Of Love” is emotional dance pop that wouldn’t sound out of place on pop radio, even next to, perhaps, the latest by Midnight Kids and Jared Lee called “Those Were The Days”. “Out Of Love” pairs Koni with new Dominican Republic producer AC15 and the singer is Sam Knight, a Minneapolis born talent-on-the-rise. The result is a tightly woven and affecting song deserving of your attention, which you can hear above.
Equally of note is “Love Like This”, more of a deep house effort, this time featuring Nashville vocalist Svrcina (sur-cee-na). Her fine, consistent vocal is offset by a potent tropical-flavoured deep house rhythm that slows down with a change up to a more celebratory, carnival kind of vibe, before the key beats return. Check it out at the above link.
Following up the dreamy “Love” from earlier this year, L.A.-based pop singer/songwriter and author (“Boy Robot”) Simon Curtis continues what looks to be a fruitful partnership with producer/songwriter Danny Garibay for his new AA single, “Graduate” and “Rainbow”.
“Graduate” (above) is about knowing when you’re at one of many plateaus we all have in life and need to take that next, often difficult, step to move on. It’s such a thoughtful song that many young people need to hear – it’s intended to help someone turn on that light or flick that switch that triggers determination and drive, and avoid falling back and being complacent about what’s happening in one’s life. “Rainbow” (below) sounds like a simple, stripped-back pop ballad on the surface. But again it’s got a strong message about being resolute in who you are as a person, and being a colourful and shining light not only for yourself but others too.
“Graduate” and “Rainbow” are definitely two of the more intricate, heart-tugging, and selfless songs that Simon and team have created. In both songs, he stays mostly in his ever-effortless-sounding high register – which he continues to keep so well-polished – that will be a big draw for his many fans of the Robot Army. As with “Love”, “Graduate” and “Rainbow” continue a new and intriguing chapter for Simon that may seem many steps away from the music of previous releases R∆ and 8bit Heart, but with Simon you can always expect the unexpected and definitely never say never! More to come!!
It might take a few listens to draw you in, but the easy-going and positive vibes of “Dreamer” by Australian producer Throttle (aka Robbie Bergin) are completely infectious. After getting to spend a bit of time chatting with Throttle after seeing his show in Toronto in June, I was waiting for this one… so in his first release for Monstercat, he takes a slightly different direction from past songs (including collaborations with Oliver Heldens and Galantis). Throttle concocts an atypical warm and fuzzy ‘dirty disco’ synth sound and then drops a steady beat behind it for you to groove away. With a brief, uncredited vocal to set the tone, you can bet when “Dreamer” is played at festivals that big crowds will simply cheer. Dance songs don’t always need to be bangers and “Dreamer” is a prime example of one that works out strategically when a bit less can mean a lot more.
THE KNOCKS, “New York Luau”, “No Requests”, and “Awa Ni” (featuring Kah-Lo)
They’ve toured with, produced and remixed a steady stream of releases that have included performers such as Justin Bieber and Carly Rae Jepsen, and can call upon friends like Wyclef Jean, Foster The People, Sofi Tukker, Matthew Koma, and Method Man to feature on their own records. The Knocks – DJBRoc and MrJPatt -continue the party towards their next full release with a trio of fun club-oriented songs, “New York Luau”, “No Requests” and “Awa Ni”.
“New York Luau” is either what happens before or after the “House Party” of a previous song, with MrJPatt’s deep voice once again riding the propulsive rhythm. Its AA single companion, “No Requests”, is a hilarious DJ’s nightmare which should come to full life on the dance floor. And previous single “Awa Ni” features a confident, knowing vocal by newcomer Kah-Lo that carries the infectious chorus on top of tropical-flavoured, African-inspired music and vibes.
The 2019 party has only just begun…
“The Knocks and Friends” DJ set and party takes place tonight in Chicago at Spybar.
I became a new fan of Mokita’s gentle, emotional, sometimes electronic pop late last year when I heard his expressive voice in R3HAB’s “All Or Nothing”, though he’s been on the music scene for a number of years as a producer and remixer too. Successive singles have become true favourites of mine this year, such as “London” and “Kiss And Tell” (which both reached #3 on my personal chart), and have led to create a six song EP “4201”, which includes new single “More Than Friends” (above). Like with a number of his other songs, Mokita (aka John-Luke Carter) reflects on current or past relationships, wondering what could have been, or what to think further about them, now that they are over. It’s unique insight where many other songwriters simply don’t go. And while most of Mokita’s songs are neat and tidy and under 3 minutes long, he has a real flair for weaving genuine stories into that short period of time. Be sure to check out the full “4201” EP below for a solid taste of what Mokita offers.
Trying to get through all of the songs I hear every two weeks is always worth it because some of them ultimately become new favourites. And while #1 is a lock again, other songs rise up to challenge perhaps for the next few charts. There are three striking debuts, one by a veteran dance group in comeback mode.
Illenium and Jon Bellion continue to reign supreme at #1 with “Good Things Fall Apart”, making it the emotional soundtrack for an intense summer of music. And now Illenium and The Chainsmokers are tweeting about another collaboration which this time will include my fellow Canadian Lennon Stella, who is touring with the ‘Smokers this Fall. I’ll watch to see what becomes of these promo teases!
Timmy Trumpet’s anthem “World At Our Feet” soars 7-2 to challenge “Good Things Fall Apart” for #1. Like many electronic dance music artists, Timmy was performing at Tomorrowland in Belgium this past weekend.
Halifax’s Famba climbs 6-3 with “Swear To God”, as the song inches towards becoming his second Top 10 radio hit in Canada.
MAX holds for a 4th appearance (8 weeks!) at #4 with “Love Me Less” (above) featuring Quinn XCII. This song, like “Lights Down Low”, has a lot of lasting power, and I’m hoping MAX’s light-hearted new single “Acid Dreams” (featuring hip hop performer Felly) will do similarly. Take a listen below!
A smashing trio indeed land in the Top 10 for the first time. Mark Ronson & YEBBA move up 11-8 with “Don’t Leave Me Lonely” (above), while Kygo & Whitney Houston have the Fastest Riser on the chart 16-9 with the timely cover of Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love” (below). And Switzerland’s Luca Hãnni moves 15-10 with his Eurovision entry that ended up fourth overall, “She Got Me” (also below).
Making short work of climbing up the chart is “Monday Blues” by L.A.’s Eric Sharp with vocalist Zhao, which sails 18-12.
“Time” is easily my favourite song on EMAN8’s debut album, also called Emanate. It moves up 22-18 for the L.A. based singer/songwriter, also currently on release with Molly Moore as Cosmos & Creature with “The Wonder”, about which I recently wrote.
“Even In Confusion” is sophisticated European deep house from Italy’s Eric Zava and DJ Mirko B featuring singer Daniel Gorash, and climbs 23-19.
Sam Dickinson’s thoughtful and bubbly “All We Are” is well on its way to becoming the biggest release for Sam yet. From his new EP From The Glass House Pt. 2, “All We Are” rises 26-20.
The Highest Debut on the chart belongs to comeback kids Kazaky, the Ukrainian dance group led by Artur Gaspar that has now expanded to five members. With their big heels in full effect and amazing choreography in their new video, “Push” arrives at #21.
Bowing at #27 is the gorgeous posthumous release by Avicii featuring fellow Swedish singer Agnes as well as long time friends and producers Vargas & Lagola called “Tough Love” from the album TIM. While it’s bittersweet to hear, TIM is a fine album that was done right and featuring all kinds of talent including Imagine Dragons, A R I Z O N A, Joe Janiak, and Bonn. “Tough Love” is only Avicii’s second appearance on the chart, following 2013’s “Addicted To You”, while Agnes marks her third entry but her first since 2011. Her song “Release Me” got to the top in early 2009.
Veteran producers Kenny Summit and Eric Kupper land at #28 with “Give Me Love”, a 90’s flavoured dance track for the late night club crowd featuring vocalist Amy Douglas. Eric recently helped Parralox to #11 with his remix of “Paradise” featuring Marcella Detroit, while Amy featured on Horse Meat Disco’s “Let’s Go Dancing”, which reached #14.
View the full BILLCS Top 30right here! Click on the hyperlink on the song titles to hear the songs or watch the videos!
Listen to the BILLCS Top 30 Songs on Spotify! Click on this link to take you there, and follow me on Spotify:BILLCS Top 30 Songs
While many of us are still reeling over the loss of his joyful larger-than-life father, Johnny Clegg, a few days ago, I was really pleased to see Jesse Clegg release “Let It Burn” in the past few weeks. Already known for his dynamic stage performances when opening for his father, “Let It Burn” marks a more pop-oriented direction for Jesse after more rock flavoured releases, which included an impressive live album a few years back. The South African singer/songwriter has immense crossover appeal with “Let It Burn”, a surprisingly infectious pop/dance song which shows off his diverse voice. Like his dad, Jesse creates songs for singing and dancing, and you can hear his roots showing with the percussive rhythm which becomes a bed for the rest of the song. I was thrilled to see Johnny Clegg perform three times, once in Savuka and twice in solo performances, and he always gave it to the max, even a few years ago after he had passed age 60. Johnny’s legacy will continue to flourish with Jesse and beyond.
Russian producer Khrebto had Tiësto at ‘hello’ when the superstar slid “Droppin’ Acid” into one of his sets this past Spring and long before release. Now we have the song all to ourselves, and it’s a fun but crunchy trip into the pounding bangers of the wee hours. Taking trance-like influences from when Tiësto himself was emerging, “Droppin’ Acid” has retro appeal while still remaining cutting edge. The song is actually about crushing it in a club after digging through crates for the right tunes. It’s definitely one for the DJ’s who I’m sure will be more than glad to spin it at length.
LIQUID DIET, “Looking For Love” (Night Stalker mix)
I enjoy some songs that veer to the naughty side, and when I think of those, NYC/LA trio Liquid Diet (Billy, Georgia and Jonny) always comes to mind. Recently, some remixes from songs from their album Double Life have surfaced on an EP titled Double Life: Sloppy Seconds. So it’s time to reacquaint yourself with “Looking For Love” in its slinky Night Stalker mix, which comes in both playful radio edit and more seductive extended mix forms. As you might anticipate, it’s about ‘looking for love in all the wrong places’. Musically, the song takes you back to the mid-80’s around the time when Michael Jackson’s Thriller gave everyone in North America the okay to get back dancing again. Think Billy Idol meets ABC while incorporating a verse from The Doors’ “Hello, I Love You”. With the music of Liquid Diet, it’s a must to let your hair down, get loose, and just give in to its sinewy charms 🙂 Check out the enticing video for “Looking For Love” above.
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