Taut, rich alt.soul-pop from new duo @Toucanband with “Gold”

TOUCAN, “Gold”

Sometimes, the deeper tracks in albums and EP’s are the ones to acquire your attention.  Such is the case with the unique charm of “Gold” by new duo Toucan from their self-titled EP.  Departing from the EP’s hefty mix of pop, rock, soul and jazz, “Gold” goes full tilt sultry late night club ballad.  It’s also the best showcase for the deep, mellow voice of Irish singer Conor Clancy, whose voice is soulful and moving when paired with the right song.  His partner in Toucan is keyboardist/arranger Martin Atkinson, and the instrumentation in the song gets amped up with a lot of guitar and drums as it progresses.  “Gold” is alt.soul-pop as you might least expect it, and shows a lot of promise for what Toucan has to offer.  Add “Gold” to your Rich & Deep playlist using the Spotify link above.

How about an amazing @KAYTRANADA bootleg mix of “Kiss Of Life” by @Sadeofficial?

SADE, “Kiss Of Life” (Kaytra edit) (free DL)

The most delicious surprise for this Tuesday was to find Montreal’s award-winning KAYTRANADA dropping his ‘Kaytra edit’ bootleg mix of Sade’s 1992 hit “Kiss Of Life” (originally from the Love Deluxe album).  Press your local dance club to give it a spin later in the evening after they’re done with bangers and want some different action on the dance floor.  The ‘Kaytra edit’ is a luscious, ever-so-slightly pitched up slice of deep house that’s ideal for any time of day.  I thoroughly enjoy reduxes like this that take risks and strike gold in the process.  Get it for free at the link above while you can!!

Canada’s own @Robotaki follows up his Science EP with the electro hip hop/soul of “Brooklyn ’95” with Mike Clay @alldayjam

ROBOTAKI and MIKE CLAY, “Brooklyn ’95”

After the release of his diverse and dynamic EP Science, Montreal-based producer Robotaki is back with new music to support his upcoming tour with “Brooklyn ’95”.  It’s an easy-going slice of electronic hip hop/soul featuring an ultra-friendly vocal by Mike Clay.  “Brooklyn ’95” is totally on point about where it wants to transport you – to the hip hop/soul of the 90’s with similarly relaxed vibes coming from the likes of Arrested Development, Montell Jordan, Aaliyah, Brandy, and others of that era.  When you want to remember and share all of those memories of good times, then “Brooklyn ’95” is the companion song for you.  Robotaki keeps that fluid rhythm going, only pausing briefly in spots to bridge the gentle message of the song.  

Australia’s @LUUDEmusic goes dark, hard and hypnotic with “Omen”

LUUDE, “Omen” (free DL)

Up and comer LUUDE (aka Christian Benson) will continue to get new fans with more songs coming from him like the powerful and hypnotic “Omen”.  Some of LUUDE’s most recent releases were interesting, but a bit too far to the left stylistically for me.  But “Omen” goes dark and hard, with a mesmerizing first minute and a bit that is sealed by an ominous, well-placed drop that recalls some of the heavier, industrial dance tracks that came out of the 80’s by folks like Front 242, Ministry, and others.  “Omen” does not let up from that point and it wraps you in its less-than-3-minute spell, compelling you to download it for free at the link above for further enjoyment.

Take @Mercermusic’s disco club time machine trip with “Fireworks”

https://soundcloud.com/mercer/mercer-fireworks-radio-edit

MERCER, “Fireworks”

After powering the first part of 2018 with one of its most enduring house tracks, “Satisfy” (featuring Ron Carroll), French producer/DJ Mercer dropped “Fireworks” about a month ago on Soundcloud briefly as a free gift to fans for their support.  While the song is no longer available for free, it hardly deserves to be overlooked.  For me, it’s a time warp of a track that takes me back to happy disco days along with some fun 90’s flavour that’s well represented by songs of the era like The Bucketheads’ “The Bomb”.  I would wager that the main hook of the song is an inconspicuous sample from a 70’s disco soul record that might have been brought to us by a label like Solar or Salsoul of the time.  “Fireworks” is timeless fun that allows you to get that disco groove on full tilt.  Club DJ’s should flock to this one stat! 

Canadian alt.rock trio @NikkisWives return with EP Motor Court… and a splashy, tight live Toronto showcase

nikkiswives

NIKKI’S WIVES, Motor Court (EP)

Hailing from London, Ontario, alt.rock trio Nikki’s Wives is keeping well afloat of the cluttered indie market by making good, if uncharacteristic choices to help support their tight, well-written songs, which you can hear in their new EP Motor Court below.  The band consists of singer Nikki Whitehead, guitarist Dylan Lauzon, and drummer Nate Baylor.

Readers of this blog know the band from their feature on last year’s dance hit by fellow Canadians Loud Luxury called “Show Me”, one of my favourites of 2017.  And although it was outside of their regular genre, it was enough to kick start getting the band noticed, having opened for the likes of Cee-Lo Green and others since that time while touring North America. 

Last night’s splashy, free (but ticketed) showcase in Toronto at the intimate Rivoli – hosted by Edge 102.1’s Alan Cross no less, and co-sponsored by that radio station and Exclaim! magazine among others where there was an abundance of free drinks and food – showed off a hard-working band yielding fine results from all of that touring with a punchy 30 minute + set focusing on songs from Motor Court.  Led by the immense stage presence of singer Nikki – think Gwen Stefani meets Joan Jett meets Lights – it was a memorable evening that will help take Nikki’s Wives to the next level. 

And what of the songs from the EP?  They’re gritty, aggressive and melodic.  There are a lot of harder rock influences at play here, and the oh-so-true “Breaking Up” is the highlight.  You’ll be hearing much more from Nikki’s Wives throughout the rest of 2018!

It’s a stylish Latin blast from L.A.’s @CadenJester with @Syonmx and @WillXBoy on “Serpiente”

CADEN JESTER, SYON and WILLX BOY, “Serpiente”

At only 20 years old, L.A.’s Caden Jester already has one of the brightest pop/dance songs of the summer on release with “Vacant Love” (#20 on my personal chart).  He throws us a bit of a curve by embracing Latin sounds on his new song “Serpiente”.  But it’s one stylish and tight affair, particularly for dance club goers, featuring an appropriately exotic, seductive male vocal by Mexican duo Syon and a fluid rap from producer/songwriter WillX Boy.  Fans of Latin music will totally dig “Serpiente” because of its authentic and diverse overall sound.  There are plenty of styles and sub-genres within dance music for Caden Jester to tackle, so be prepared for what might be unexpected next!  Add “Serpiente” to your Full Throttle Latin Dance playlist using the Spotify link above.

“Trippy” is electronic love to the max from Germany’s @itsKoyu and production duo @TheCliqque

KO:YU and THE CLIQQUE, “Trippy”

Now stylizing his name as KO:YU, veteran producer Deniz Koyu returns with a change of pace in collaboration with German buddies The Cliqque with the futuristic sound of  “Trippy”.  Featuring a delightful uncredited female vocal, “Trippy” is all about taking love to the extreme and letting it spiral out of control.  Indeed, KO:YU and The Cliqque send your head spinning with high end, percussion-laden dubsteppy breakdowns that punctuate a solid pop melody without throwing the song off course.  This makes the song sound quite effortless and its 3 minutes flow by with amazing ease.  Add “Trippy” to your Love Gone Wild playlist using the Spotify link above.

Poland’s @Gromeeofficial has a catchy breakout with “One Last Time” featuring Norway’s Jesper Jenset (@JJenset)

GROMEE and JESPER JENSET, “One Last Time”

It’s bound to get completely stuck in your head, so don’t say you weren’t warned about “One Last Time” by Krakow-based producer Gromee and featuring the vocal of Norway’s Jesper Jenset.  We last heard from Jesper a few years back with the very different “High”, which was one of my favourites of its year in its Young Bombs remix.  Here we have a slicker vocal that could easily be mistaken for Shawn Mendes, an interesting comparison since Shawn doesn’t make dance music but his songs are often remixed.  Gromee focuses on nailing that chorus with the underlying bass synth, and builds on the urgency of the song with higher notes and guitar riffs.  “One Last Time” is certain to grab you with one listen, so add it to your Future Pop playlist using the Spotify link up top.

Young NYC-based producer @iamCRVEU spices up “Favorite Color Is Blue” by @DeLongmusic and @KFlay for clubs

ROBERT DELONG and K.FLAY, “Favorite Color Is Blue” (CRVE U remix)

You can hear the influences of Green Day, Linkin Park and others in “Favorite Color Is Blue” by L.A.’s Robert DeLong with a cool feature by hip hop rocker K.Flay, now available in a variety of remixes to maximize its appeal for dance clubs and electronic music lovers.  Teenage producer CRVE U definitely bridges the alt.rock style with a flurry of busy synths that make the song sound even better when cranked up loud.  The mix almost has a tribal feel at time, but it seamlessly winds its way back to Robert and K.Flay’s infectious collaboration and chorus which are what make the song so memorable in the first place.  CRVE U has always opted for unconventional mixes, and “Favorite Color Is Blue” is yet another reason for you to keep an eye on his ongoing progress.