Quickly following up their sparse but friendly song “Simple” about a month later, once again for the Strange Fruits label, Dutch duo Fannypack offer another side to their talents with “Just A Bitch”. Using another slight arrangement that gradually exudes a midtempo, funky rhythm, “Just A Bitch” is sweetly sung to portray the subject clearly in love while still being totally at odds with her, and the lyrics don’t mince any words. It all works quite well, and Fannypack definitely have an unusual but likable song to which many of us will still relate. Check it out at the link above.
STEAM PHUNK and CARRIE LANE, “Hometown” (Uniryde remix)
“Hometown” by Germany’s Steam Phunk featuring American singer Carrie Lane was released about a year ago as a mid-tempo dance track that recalls songs like “Closer” by The Chainsmokers. This spirited remix by new producer Uniryde could definitely reignite interest in the song. The remix captures the poignancy and reflective appeal of the original, but aims to make you bounce along to a more carefree, fast paced rhythm track. “Hometown” will definitely grab your ears and your feet, so be sure to check it out at the link above.
I don’t know anything about new producer Smile or singer Philip Strand who’ve created the single “Good About Us” but it’s a solid, fresh pop/dance release with a lot of sparkle that easily passes the blind taste test! Philip has an earthy gravel to his voice which gives a genuine sound to “Good About Us”, while the synths pop and glisten and win you over. Ever seeking top quality releases, Tipsy Records is passionately behind this one, and a fine, positive song like this will win us over every time. There’s loads of pop potential here so don’t miss it.
In this new chart, there’s somewhat more movement and four debuts, but in the coming weeks you’ll be seeing the chart shed many of its favourites from late 2018.
Nonetheless, this time around you’ll still find A-Trak and Todd Terry up top with “DJ’s Gotta Dance More” for a 3rd appearance (6 weeks) at #1, with former #1 “Loyal” by Odesza hanging tight right behind. But that’s where things start to change up.
Mahalo and Le:Blanc’s perky bop “In My Arms” becomes Mahalo’s 4th Top 5 placing song up 8-3 on this chart, Illenium holds on to #4, albeit with a different song this time, with “God Damnit” in a pairing with Call Me Karizma climbs 9-4, as “Crawl Outta Love” slips down to #18.
The only artist from Luxembourg to ever grace this chart is producer White Chocolate, and his contemporary take on disco, “Mister Love”, moves 14-8. Right behind is the effervescent pop/dance of “Play” by Jax Jones and Years & Years, climbing 15-9.
The fastest riser on the chart is the fantastic new song by Steve Void featuring Andy Marsh called “Closure”, which soars 19-10.
Keep your eyes on these relative newcomers in the next month or so. NYC-based singer/songwriter Ryan Gibeau has the enlightening “Flying Away” moving up 22-16, while The Him’s anthemic “Look At Us Now” looks like another winner rising 23-17. “Bite My Tongue” by Australia’s Sam Bluer (27-19) has a unique charm, while Stephen Puth’s “Sexual Vibe” (28-21) knows exactly what it wants. Molly Moore’s great vocal helps define the urgency of “Be Here Now”, moving up 25-22.
As Revelries’ “Naked” departs the chart, it’s immediately replaced by what is likely the Netherlands-based Emirati lads’ best of the most recent trio of releases to date. In collaboration with Sam Smyers and featuring a commanding vocal by Oktavian, “Don’t Think Twice” has the highest debut on the chart at #20.
It’s everywhere and especially in the UK where it’s been #1 for almost a month – soon to be replaced by Ariana Grande methinks – it’s American singer Ava Max at #25 with “Sweet But Psycho”. Right behind it is a gentle love song for the colder months that could be a pop breakthrough for R3HAB with “All Into Nothing” at #26 in partnership with Nashville singer Mokita.
And last but hardly least at #30 is “Paradise” by Parralox featuring singer Marcella Detroit. It’s the flashy house mix by Eric Kupper that reinvents the song to make it fresh. “Paradise”. It’s the fourth entry for Australia’s Parralox (aka John von Ahlen and friends), whose previous three songs all reached the Top 10, particularly 2015’s “Aeronaut” (#4).
View the full BILLCS Top 30 right 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
HORSE MEAT DISCO and AMY DOUGLAS, “Let’s Go Dancing” (Dimitri From Paris remix)
Maybe the songs just gravitate to me and find me somehow because I grew up as a teen in the era, and I’ve written about many recent records in the last few years that I’ve labelled “discotastic” or something similar to indicate a reprise in Disco music is in order. Well I’m getting mighty convinced that’s it’s well in the works when I hear songs like “Let’s Go Dancing” by the British collective/concert promoters that are Horse Meat Disco featuring US vocalist Amy Douglas. This is a major flashback to around early 1977 pre-Saturday Night Fever when a good part of the music scene was still trying to convince people to party, dance and have a great time to disco music. Could it be that movement is starting again? “Let’s Go Dancing” shows clips from Horse Meat Disco’s British and European events called Glitterbox that show people actually dancing together without the celebrity and faux chi-chi of places like Studio 54. Similar but less well-established events are occurring in NYC so I’m hoping other major cities in North America catch on. “Let’s Go Dancing” can easily be the good-natured theme for this resurgence, it’s beautifully sung and lots of fun. Check out the video below and the remix from none other than the fabulous Dimitri From Paris above.
Big Room is no longer a dirty dance music term when people like John Christian decide to make a huge anthem like “Let’s Get This Thing Started”. John’s a Dutch producer whose White Villa Studios has been the destination for Madonna, Usher, Black Eyed Peas, Tiësto, Marshmello, and many more A-List performers. So he’s not so well known to the rest of the world as a recording artist but “Let’s Get This Thing Started” should change that. This is high quality, instantly enjoyable dance music with a frenetic pace that’s going to kick off many a festival set. Be prepared to bounce for three and a half minutes of high energy fun! Oh yeah – and that sneaky, familiar melody that slips in quietly? Remember Hot Butter’s 1972 hit “Popcorn”?
Though I’m not familiar with either performer, the video of an acoustic alliance (recorded in Santiago, Chile!), “It Was You”, is a welcome introduction to both. GoldFish is an electronic duo (Dom and David) with South African origins, now situated in San Diego, who are both well-educated, diverse musicians as well as producers. Zeeba is an American singer, based in Brazil and of Brazilian heritage, who is most noted for some recent successful collaborations, particularly with producer Alok. So it’s no wonder that Armada, of all labels, has taken a chance to release “It Was You”. Strip away all of the electronic trappings and you can always see who truly shines. Zeeba’s convincing vocal supported by the grand piano and saxophone from GoldFish meshes together silkily, and though it’s a short effort at only 2:32 it’s one that you’ll definitely want to hear again and again.
Leave it to some sexy, slick deep house music coming out of Miami to be one of your winter warmers! Both UNOMAS and Teo Mandrelli are based out of Miami, though with Teo being from Italy, there’s definitely a more European flavour to this collaboration. The lads have been well-represented through a feature on Oliver Heldens’ mix series, and have recorded for most major dance labels such as Ultra, Spinnin’ and Heldens’ own label. The carefree melody and appropriately enticing female vocal make “Heart Beat Faster” worthy of major club attention. Both producers know how to mix harder edged sounds and graceful synths to come up with a memorable song that’s easy to digest.
If you’re not entirely familiar with Nashville vocalist Mokita, the name may be ringing a recent bell or two thanks to his stellar tones on R3HAB’s latest and very memorable “All Into Nothing”, which I wrote about last month. Mokita’s latest solo work, “London” is a straight-forward travelogue about missing the one you love. BUT it suddenly leaves you tongue-tied and kinda sorta breathless with a *deep sigh* that should say it all by the 35 second point when Mokita sings acapella “you would die if you knew I was here”. And after that, there’s no turning back, you’re swept up and transported to London and engaged in a delightful love story that maybe ends a bit too soon. “London” is delicious but lighter electronic dance pop than usual (and kudos to Armada for going with it), and strangely enough it uses a lot of the same tricks of more hardcore tracks – like pauses that could be otherwise be drops – that make you want more. “London” could be a dark horse radio-hit-in-waiting to watch.
Despite the headline, “Tea Time”, the latest from Chicago’s Win & Woo, has absolutely nothing to do with anything to do with England unless you want to have tea. But unlike the alternately fanciful or emotional dance pop they’ve released over the last year or so, “Tea Time” is most certainly a Banger (capitalized)!! It’s a brisk, fun song that’s probably going to be sampled by others to incorporate into festival or radio mixes, but it gets on quite well on its own, thank you. For the last number of years, Win and Woo have been go-to remixers for many and have grown in their craft. You can hear the finesse and sophistication in the mix of “Tea Time”, despite the lack of lyrics this time. So it’s definitely a trade off with its memorable “it’s time for tea” drop, but “Tea Time” serves as a kick off to what looks like a super fun 2019 for Win & Woo! Get it for free while it lasts at the link above.
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