Prefacing his upcoming full release is Washington indie artist Freddy Fate with “Light Now”. It’s a gentle but compelling and hopeful song full of soulful urgency in its vocal, that should grab ears of alt.rock fans looking for something a bit left of centre. It’s given the added bonus of washes of synths and some vocal effects courtesy of producer Jay Bird, which sometimes offer an other-worldy vibe, making it also instantly appealing to electronic and dance music lovers as well. “Light Now” is an odd and likable hybrid that will continue to get under your skin with its emotional qualities, so it’s best to take advantage of downloading it for free at the link above.
I truly enjoy house and other sub-genres of dance music when it incorporates live instruments. And if you know last year’s “Getaway” by Imad and Wave Wave, then you know the distinct sound of White Trumpet, who carries the melody of the instrumental “Nature” by Greece-born newcomer producer Dimi L. Don’t go expecting a snooze-fest here. “Nature” has a splendid uptempo house rhythm and some nice underlying piano work that mixes it up a bit and holds your interest solidly while maintaining a straight forward arrangement. This goes down quite easy in the early evening, and trumpet fans of course will delight in their favourite instrument being front and centre which is not often the case. It’s a good introduction to Dimi L who clearly has a passion for his art and I’m sure will take us elsewhere and deeper with subsequent releases.
Despite so much activity on the chart, including a new #1 song and SIX debuts, this will be a shorter blog post than usual about the new chart.
The Top 10
It’s one of the more unusual #1 songs that I’ve had in years, but to me it’s absolutely irresistible. Norwegian singer/songwriter/producer Dyrisk scores with “Smile” along with producer Nik Ernst. There is so much potential and for anyone who loves dance music that’s a little left of centre, this one is for you. In particular, it is of great interest to fans of Massive Attack and Radiohead’s 90’s output.
“Sick Boy” by The Chainsmokers follows “Smile” right behind, up 4 to 2, but will likely get locked out in favour of the rising “Everybody Hates Me”(up 24-15, below).
The fastest riser on the chart arrives in the Top 10 up 22-9. French producer Mercer’s non-stop fun with “Satisfy” features an excellent vocal by Chicago’s Ron Carroll.
Also new to the Top 10 is “Baby I’m A Queen” from Sofi Tukker’s brand new album Treehouse. “Queen” moves up 17-10 becoming their second Top 10 here after 2016’s “Drinkee” (#5).
Movin’ On Up
Both “Sanctify” by Years & Years (20-16) and “White Lies” by The Him (21-17) (both above) don’t move up as much due to a busy chart, but should see more upward action next week. The Him recently released a remix to Avicii’s “Without You” – check out the busy boys’ latest below 🙂 More new music coming soon!
SIX DEBUTS
#22 is “Butterscotch” an unexpectedly funky slice of electronica by Canadians Robotaki, Jamie Fine and Falcxne – it joins Robotaki’s “I Want You” on the chart (#5).
#25 is “Better With You” by Jesse McCartney, his first entry since 2009’s “How Do You Sleep”, and co-written by Brandyn Burnette and Molly Moore.
#26 is “Lost In Japan” by Shawn Mendes, a Justin Timberlake-inspired romantic throwback to songs of the pre-rock era.
#27 is “Be Like You” by Chicago’s Whethan, who performed at Coachella on the weekend, with vocals by Georgia of Broods.
#28 is “Hurt You”, a collaboration of The Weeknd and French producer Gesaffelstein, from The Weeknd’s new EP My Dear Melancholy.
#29 is “Cautious” in a remix by Halifax’s Famba, from Canadian singer Tyler Shaw, who has a national radio hit with it.
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
BRANDYN BURNETTE, DWILLY and KAYO GENESIS, “Hands Down”
It’s come straight out of left field, from Monstercat no less, but “Hands Down” is a total winner for dance music lovers and clubs from singer/songwriter Brandyn Burnette, L.A. producer DWilly, and guest hip hop star Kayo Genesis. The song oozes good times and diversity. There is so much going on that is rooted in 80’s soul and early hip hop (with some jazz riffing too) and somehow the trio have pulled it all together into a shiny and sometimes romantic pop sound. Everyone can identify with a song about a crush when opposites might attract. Kayo Genesis’ few verses are key and add an even more positive flavour to the song. “Hands Down” should score well with dance radio and clubs and continue to open doors for Brandyn and his collaborators.
He’s been touring the hell out of North America for the last year or so, but L.A.-based producer Elephante still carves out a cool song every now and then until he’s ready to tackle his next project following the I Am The Elephante EP, which set the bar pretty high not long ago. “The In-Between” is a nice slice of future bass, a bit unexpected given the roll that Elephante was on with more pop-oriented songs like “Closer”. But I enjoy hearing artists grow and he definitely worked with the right vocalist for this one. Anjulie appears on many dance music songs but she killed this one, almost sounding Taylor Swift-ish in her precision. Aside from the vocal, “The In-Between” is all about the smashing production with big drops that will keep the most fervid EDM fan satisfied.
If you’re hankering for some Hardwell-ish inspiration from earlier in the decade, you can transport yourself back instantly with “Feels Like Gold” from Swedish production duo Qulinez. The song is going to be highly recognizable in the clubs because of its slick sound, but taking it up a few notches is a majestic vocal by San Francisco-based singer Lost Boy, who we haven’t heard from in a while and reminds me of Matthew Koma in his distinctness. “Feels Like Gold” thus is a party all unto itself and all you have to do is join in. Yes my friends, the arpeggio-laden songs of the early decade can live on and be reinvented, so you’d best be getting together Fresh Feel Good Vibes playlist and add “Feels Like Gold” to it using the Spotify link above.
After the success of “Hideaway” from about a year ago, Dutch producer WRLD returns to collaborate with Australia’s Savoi again for “Hang Up”. Like with some of his other creative songs, WRLD adds a lot of disco-influenced touches to “Hang Up” – think “The Hustle” with that flute melody. The song flows by and goes down easy thanks also to Savoi’s earnest vocal which will help definitely draw couples together on the dance floor. Be sure to add “Hang Up” to your Disco Inspiration playlist using the Spotify link above.
It’s always a pleasure to listen to the softer, romantic side of electronic dance pop with music by Chicago-based producer Aash Mehta. He returns with the familiar voice of Bri Tolani as collaborator with “Going Numb”. Bri was of course featured in Aash’s Stardust EP last year on “In Your Eyes” but her voice is well known in dance pop. With dance or electronic pop music, there aren’t many outright sad songs, usually in favour of uplifting, post-relationship tunes. Well life doesn’t always work that way and “Going Numb” tells a realistic and heartfelt story about those feelings right after a breakup, nicely conveyed by Bri amid Aash’s usual lush but gentle synths. “Going Numb” is solid electronic pop for your mind and heart.
“Anthem” by Toronto singer/songwriter Omar Jaber and 3Stripe – which is the new project for singer/songwriter/producer Adam Bertucci – is edgy, alt.rock which is bound to catch the ears of new music listeners if you hear it on the radio. It does indeed have all of those anthemic qualities, including a gritty, unique vocal by Omar that weaves a story that you’ll want to hear more to get to know all of the words. The tempo is taut, with a lot of potential room for fist pumping, and the overall sound is tight, as reliable as Adam’s past productions, including “In The Mood”, which he co-wrote with fellow Torontonian Veronica and went gold recently in Belgium. “Anthem” is definitely one for college and alternative radio stations to get to know better with a potential for a long playlist life. It also comes to you as part of Omar’s recent self-titled EP.
Trap Nation must know something about new act Kerbside that they haven’t yet revealed to us upon the release of their debut single “Too Far”. Right now, this is a mystery production – nothing available online that tells you more about who this might be – that wastes absolutely no time in going big for some huge, attention-getting drops. The urgent vocal by Eskayi is compelling and well-suited to the production. What “Too Far” needs is a longer version. It fades quickly around the 2:30 mark, just after it winds you up wanting another drop or two, so let’s hope for some remixes. Add “Too Far” to your New and Notable EDM playlist using the Spotify link above.
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