Check out breezy, effervescent “No Chill” by California’s @DreeMonmusic

DREE MON, “No Chill”

Following up her single “Rebel Soul” which I wrote about recently, L.A.-based singer/songwriter Dree Mon brings us the sunshiny melody of “No Chill”.  It’s a breezy and effervescent song with all ears on Dree’s vocal.  The song will instantly remind you of Clean Bandit’s “Rather Be” in spots – not a bad thing at all! – and Dree’s singing would fit right in next to brits like Jess Glynne and Rita Ora.  But there’s more to it, a soulful edge that recalls Alicia Keys but maybe forbears like Roberta Flack or Anita Baker too.  But “No Chill” is a snappy pop song that will get you out of your chair and on your feet to celebrate something or other.  With songs like “No Chill”, we can definitely look forward to more great songs from Dree Mon this year.  Listen at the link up top and pick up “No Chill” at your favourite digital music store.

Pop is always strong with songs like “Promise” by Slovenian brothers @BQLtweet

BQL, “Promise”

Looking to kick back to a solid, straight-forward pop song?  “Promise” by Slovenian brothers Anej and Rok, aka BQL, is just for you.  “Promise” was actually a contender for Slovenia’s Eurovision selection, with a lot riding on BQL’s homegrown success of recent years.  Alas another song made the final cut, but “Promise” is most deserving of pop fans’ attention around the world.  With the additional dazzle of being a Eurovision champ Charlie Mason co-write (with Anej), “Promise” gets the benefit of a solid story about being true to your love and conscious of how it all began.  The video above is a well-shot showcase which exudes the positive energy behind the BQL guys.  “Promise” reinforces why a good pop song will win you over every time 🙂

Love drunk: @YoungRisingSons rock out to “Whiskey”

https://soundcloud.com/youngrisingsons/whiskeyyrs

YOUNG RISING SONS, “Whiskey”

New Jersey alt.rock trio Young Rising Sons have honed their band skills over the past few years touring to support the likes of The 1975 and Halsey, and are now coming to attention with songs like “Whiskey”.  The band comes from the same indie record source (Dirty Canvas) that brought us American Authors.  “Whiskey” features an appealing story that could be easily translated into a video, when someone falls hard for someone to the point that you’re high on the infatuation, ‘love drunk’ so-to-speak.  The guitar and synth-fueled melody keeps the pace moving while the vocal is nothing less than convincing and would probably be much stronger and edgy in concert.  So if you’re an alt.rock fan who like an electronic flair in the music, best watch for Andy, Julian and Steve when Young Rising Sons come to a city near you.  Check out “Whiskey” at the link above.

NYC’s @PrinceFox returns with his unexpected singalong cover of @JimmyEatWorld’s “The Middle”

PRINCE FOX, “The Middle”

Billboard was so impressed with Prince Fox’s take on Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle” that they gave it a premiere.  And no wonder – his spin on the 2001 alt.rock and pop classic takes the song down a notch or two, taking away none of its original charm – it was in my Top 10 Songs of 2001 (and I am notoriously skeptical of covers of my faves!).  Prince Fox offers an earnest vocal while turning it into a singalong, because you all know the words to it after 17 years, right? 🙂  “The Middle” should not be confused with the current Zedd/Maren Morris/Grey hit, and clubs that play current and retro pop and rock will have customers turning their heads to find out who sings it.  Prince Fox provides one of the most genuine surprises of the year, a song that many think would be untouchable now covered with full credibility.  Give it a full listen up top.

Uplifting “Better” is the latest from L.A.’s @PhilGoodsmusic

PHIL GOOD, “Better”

L.A. singer/songwriter Phil Good has a great way with lyrics and music as you will find with the catchy singalong “Better”.  It even has an anthemic bounce to make you dance and sway as well!  But regular readers of this blog know that I’m quite fond of the Sean Turk ‘bedroom bass’ remix of his song from last year called “Sleeping In” – perhaps about a little more than just sleeping in, if you know what I mean 😉 – which was followed up by the knowing “Growing Up”.  “Better” is a sincere song whose intent is to make you stand up and cheer, and perhaps pass on some good advice to someone going through a rough time.  Phil Good makes thoughtful indie pop at its finest and is one to watch.  You’ll find yourself smiling as you listen to “Better” up top.

“Good Good” is enticing hip hop from NYC’s @SeanTurkmusic

SEAN TURK, “Good Good”

NYC’s Sean Turk has been honing his production and remixing crafts over the past few years with his series of intriguing ‘bedroom bass’ reduxes that have enhanced or transformed songs for a wide range of artists from Brandyn Burnette to Stalking Gia through to my favourite which is “Be Like You” by CVBZ.  Last year, Sean decided to use his talents to make his own hip hop originals, all sung by him.  While his initial singles didn’t grab me, the laid back, enticing vibe of “Good Good” is memorable and infectious.  I don’t think Sean needs all of the vocal effects working over what sounds like a pretty good voice, but it’s the melody that wins out here along with Sean’s few snippets of his recognizable bedroom bass sound.  “Good Good” could easily appeal to audiences of Bryson Tiller, Anderson.Paak, or Trey Songz.  Give it a spin at the link above.

L.A. based producer @DennyWhite has a winner of a soulful voice in “Torn Up”

DENNY WHITE, “Torn Up”

He’s already been the voice of songs by the likes of Fedde LeGrand, Michael Brun & Rune DK, and Tiesto, so it seems only natural that Denny White should be the star of his own songs.  The L.A. singer/songwriter/producer definitely has a winner with “Torn Up”, which showcases the wide range in his soulful pop vocal with an emotional edge.  It’s a solid song that would otherwise find its way to the likes of people such as Nick Jonas or Jon Bellion in time, and you can hear influences perhaps from Maroon 5 and Coldplay in the mix.  While it stands on its own perfectly well, I’d be curious what a dance remix would sound like for “Torn Up”, given Denny’s house-worthy connections.  But “Torn Up” is definitely a great showcase for what pop audiences want to hear from a diverse singer like Denny White.  It’s available for your listening pleasure up top.

#BILLCSTop30 #530 – March 5, 2018

Spring is on its way and the new chart is pretty stuck on a number of songs.  So while there are three new entries, you can expect more changes in two weeks before I am Miami Music Week bound.

The Top 10

  • Troye Sivan’s “My My My!” secures a second appearance tightly ensconced at the top.  We did see the first official remix arrive, by the fantastic duo of Cash Cash, and it’s perhaps a little different from what you might expect, more chilled out than the original.  Check it out below.
  • If you want an uplifting song with a unique melodic hook, then listen no further than to “What We’re Made Of” by NYC’s Dave Edwards featuring Britain-based vocalist Mark Asari, climbing 5-4.

  • Mako gets his second Top 5 hit with “Breathe” moving up 7-5.  “Smoke-Filled Room” reached #3 two years ago.
  • Off to see Miguel next Monday, so fittingly “Told You So” moves up 10-6 from his stunning War & Leisure album.  Can’t wait to hear it all in live performance.  It was super that he got to sing the winning song on the Oscars from the animated film CoCo called “Remember Me”.

  • It’s such a different song for The Chainsmokers with on-point lyrics too.  “Sick Boy” bounds 14-9 making it Alex and Drew’s 6th trip into this Top 10 🙂
  • Mika moves up 12-10 for his first Top 10 entry since 2010 with the inspiring and inclusive “It’s My House”.

Movin’ On Up

  • Italian producer Big Fish has a brisk, fun and unassuming dance song with “Moves” featuring American vocalist, landing just shy of the Top 10 up 13-11.

  • Some K-POP continues to flourish on the chart as superstars BTS climb 18-15 with “DNA”.  
  • The fastest rising song on the chart belongs to UK singer/songwriter James Poole, who I am so glad to see back making original music after a bit of a hiatus, much different from when I first heard him in 2014-15.  And it’s even better because he’s found a goldmine with his positive message of “Perfectly Me”, and I’m happy to get behind the song 100%.  It soars 23-16.
  • It’s a quadruple threat:  Producers Robotaki and Manila Killa along with powerhouse vocalist Matthew John Kurz came up with the solid “I Want You”, then remixer Spirix amped up the emotion.  The remix climbs 22-17.  Check out Matthew’s new solo song “Dreams In LA”, below.
  • Bobby Nourmand’s new soulful dance hit “Prisoner”, featuring British singer Laurent John, should be well on its way in two weeks.  For now it rises 26-20.
  • Right behind “Prisoner” is Ekali and ZHU’s memorable “Blame”, climbing 27-21.  Check out NGHTMRE’s recent remix below.
  • Finally, Toronto trio Keys N Krates jumps 29-24 featuring Tory Lanez in the singalong “Music To My Ears”.

Three Debuts

  • One of the most unexpected, clever pleasures of the year is the alt.electronic vibe of “Smile” by Norway’s Dyrisk featuring British producer Nik Ernst.  It recalls to me some of the best music made by the likes of Massive Attack in the 90’s, and this update is out of the ordinary but very cutting edge.  Watch for this one in the coming weeks.  It bows at a high #22.  Nik Ernst himself previously appeared on the chart in the summer of 2016 with “Stronger” (#13) in its Steve Void edit.
  • It just reached #1 on Billboard’s Club Play chart, and “All Falls Down” by another Norwegian, Alan Walker, featuring both Miley’s sis Noah Cyrus and UK vocalist Digital Farm Animals on vocals arrives at #26.  It’s hard to believe Alan’s most famous hit “Faded” got to #3 on the chart just a little less than two years ago.
  • Another returnee to the chart is Toronto’s Francesco Yates, who to me is a superstar talent in the making.  Smashing it domestically with “Better To Be Loved” (#6) and “Sugar” (with Robin Schulz, #11) internationally just under three years ago, his latest song is the Spanish-flavoured “Come Over”, which bows at #27.

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

Check out and ‘like’ the new BILLCS Music Projects Facebook page 🙂

 

 

Meet mystery newcomer @Vincent_Pine with engaging indie alt.rock of “Perfectly Familiar”

https://soundcloud.com/vincent_pine/perfectly-familiar

VINCENT PINE, “Perfectly Familiar”

I’m going to let Australia-based singer/songwriter Vincent Pine be an enigma for now to let the highly engaging “Perfectly Familiar” stand on its own.  It’s rich-sounding, straight-forward, guitar-oriented indie alt.rock with a striking and convincing vocal that might appeal to those who enjoy performers like James Bay, The 1975, or Jake Bugg, but also seems to draw unintentionally on late 80’s sounds familiar to fans of bands like Stone Roses, The Railway Children, or House Of Love.  It’s an interesting side project for the performer, who is also becoming known under another name as a splendid electronic dance producer.  “Perfectly Familiar” goes down really easy, as you will find by listening to it at the link above.

“Tough Love” is jazzy pop diversity at its best from @missMollyMoore

MOLLY MOORE, “Tough Love”

The lush sounds in “Tough Love” shouldn’t be overly surprising considering L.A. based singer/songwriter Molly Moore has dabbled in classics like “Come Fly With Me” on one of her EP’s and contributed to trumpeter Ryan Svendsen’s “Orange Tree Leaves” last year.  “Tough Love”, her first offering of 2018, does go heavy on alt.jazz flavour amid synth flourishes and a crisp vocal that’s more akin to a rock recording.  This is why Molly’s talents are so in-demand, through her other quite different work with beau Brandyn Burnette on his songs and their Cosmos & Creature project, as well as for others, including K-POP sensations EXO.  “Tough Love” is not about throwing everything into a recording but the kitchen sink.  It’s a consciously diverse offering that once again showcases Ryan Svendsen’s recognizable trumpet playing.  Rest assured that it’s a complex and fine introduction to what will come next in 2018 for Molly Moore – as always I am completely engaged 🙂 Add “Tough Love” to your Tasty and Diverse pop playlist using the Spotify link above.