ShiShi is an American singer of Indian heritage who aims to fuse dance music styles for a universal appeal. “Aarti” is an auspicious introduction, perhaps using A.R. Rahman’s music inspiration from “Slumdog Millionaire” as a familiar jumping off point to draw you into its sultry and persuasive melody. The song fuses Bollywood, house and disco in a gentle but memorable way and you’ll be humming it long after it’s over. “Aarti” is something a little different for you but it will fit easily into a mid-tempo house set, and will appeal to fans of Mura Masa and Klingande among others. As a side campaign, after introducing “Aarti” on Diwali, ShiShi is pledging $1 for every share of this Facebook post:bit.ly/diwalishishito the literacy and learning programs of Pratham, a successful educational organization in India. Share away and check out “Aarti” at the link above.
In edition #521 of the chart, you’ll be seeing double in some cases as a couple of performers already on the chart get debuts, plus there’s a new #1 that’s been winding its way patiently up the chart 🙂
The Top 10
L.A.’s Mahalo along with his go-to singer Cat Lewis get their first collective #1 with the gritty deep house of “Perfect”. It’s a real producing feat as Mahalo manipulates Cat’s voice to sound like there are multiple vocalists, and I particularly enjoy the segue at the beginning from high register to distorted low vocal.
Lauv’s “I Like Me Better” has generated a full blown tour with stops in most major cities through the start of the new year, with dates already selling out. Damn. I guess a lot of other folks like this guy. “I Like Me Better” holds at #3.
It looks like Latchmere’s “Need Your Heart” (above) has its eye on the top spot as it zips into the Top 5 at #4. It’s from his diverse mainly house-oriented EP Lovedrunk. The Australia-based producer also has the highest debut on the chart as the Hallowe’en appropriate “Monster” (below) arrives at #22 featuring a fabulous vocal by a female Aussie singer named Dylan.
Continuing with double-duty carried over from the last chart, Carlos Nóbrega’s “You (It’s All About You)” (above) surges 10-7, while another song from The Art Of Making Love, “Free” (below), a duet more-or-less with Spanish vocalist JVEL, climbs 27-21.
The audio equivalent of a great big warm hug, “We Won’t Leave You” by Steve Void partnering with Syence, moves up 11-9.
While I’m glad it’s still available as a free download, “No Hands” by the incredible collaboration of producers it’s different and Forever MC with fantastic vocals by blackbear and MAX really deserves an official release on iTunes and Spotify. It bounds to #10 from #18. MAX is featured on one of the three debuts too!
The fastest riser on the chart is flying high at #11. Moving up from #20 is “Flags” by L.A.’s Shoffy featuring singer Yuna, a beautiful pairing with a solid message perfect for our time. It’s from Shoffy’s excellent self-titled debut album.
A Remixes EP – featuring Tom & Collins, Parx, and Limits – is now out for Bobby Nourmand’s “MIND” featuring DOC & Goodmorning, which moves up a notch 13-12.
It looks like a hit, and sounds like a hit. Maybe there’s some 70’s AM radio influences buried deep inside of “Hit Rewind” but regardless Axel Mansoor and Louis Vivet take it 26-19 on the chart.
Two remaining debuts
Did you say MAX again? The recent release of “Survive” by yet another L.A. based producer, SAINT WKND also features such potent vocals by our MAX that it bows at #24 in its PLS&TY remix. I’m definitely excited to see MAX in concert again this coming Wednesday 😀
The remaining debut has been around for a few months but I can’t get its riveting bassline out of my head when played loud on my stereo. It’s “Murder” by Dutch producer/DJ Lady Bee featuring Tropkillaz and the fabulous vocal of Oktavian, who got to #2 on the chart last year featured in The Him’s “Balance”. “Murder” premieres at #26.
View the full BILLCS Top 30right here, and be sure to click on the photos to hear all of the songs.
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
Wanna have fun in the rain? Well that’s the basis of the new single by 17 and 28 year old Dutch brothers Thies and Stijn von Zon aka Teison. It’s their first release in about a year after a strong kickstart with “Floating Away” and “Your Loving”, which received all kinds of glowing international support out of the gate including from folks like Sam Feldt. The lads have returned with an appealing synth-pop sound that continues to straddle pop and dance music, and “Rain” features an incredibly distinct and jaunty guitar break by Stijn that will be its calling card. “Rain” is sweet like honey but mixed in with all kinds of savory bits to enjoy including its engaging lead vocal by mysterious new singer The Earlybird. “Rain” by Teison is available on all digital platforms and well worth your attention. It’s available for listening at the Spotify link above.
It will definitely take a few listens, but “Bones” by Colorado’s StéLouse (aka Ross Ryan) featuring L.A. singer/songwriter Tilian (of the project Dance Gavin Dance) is a real grower, thanks to a low-key but delightful remix by Colombian producer Flapo. It’s a song about staying in a magic moment for as long as possible, definitely a positive change of pace for rising dance producer StéLouse who is already signed to the renown Casablanca label. Tilian’s vocal is suitably caught up in the moment, while Flapo adds all kinds of delicate instrumentation. Maybe the song could have gone a little bigger with its beats but somehow it might detract from the rest of the production. Anyway, you can get this remix of “Bones” as a free download at the link above.
“Be Your Own” is the kind of big, sweeping, timeless ballad that’s sad but inspiring and full of mass appeal. It’s from the trio Beat The System, who relocated from Malaysia to NYC to follow their dreams. And I can’t blame them for continuing to promote “Be Your Own” long after its release due to its fine potential. It’s got a grand-sounding production that will attract fans of Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson and Leona Lewis, thanks to the pitch-perfect powerful voice of singer May Leigh. Beat The System is rounded out by guitarist Stewart Sellan, drummer Gerald Sellan, and songwriter Adrian Puan. Watch the video and you’ll be convinced that big things could be ahead for Beat The System.
If you like your meat à la crunchy, spicy bass house with strong melody for dessert, then the seasonal instrumental “Spook” by US masked producer Meatport and Austria’s DeniZer is just for you courtesy of Diverge Records! Combine a James Bondian framework with a trippy-trappy coating where all of the tender pieces and juicy drops fall and jump out at you at the right times. Then add a sweet dose of synth melody throughout, and “Spook” could be your meat (ear) candy for October and beyond. Following up this past summer’s goofy but hard-hitting “The Troll” and “Noobs”, Meatport and DeniZer have taken a few more steps ahead by creating something equally as fun for the season but their credibility is not to be underestimated. Become the latest member of the #MeatFam by downloading “Spook” for free at the link below.
It all started with an Ed Sheeran remix for mystery producer/remixer bvd Kult at the top of the year and after millions of views with other remixes, he quickly segued into making his own music. “Written In The Sand” is a perfect deep house-lite compliment to these pop days of Sheeran featuring similar-voiced UK singer Will Heggadon. It’s a salt of the earth mix of slice-of-life lyrics with a sincere vocal that also brings the softer side of Hozier to mind. “Written In The Sand” lilts along to a halcyon tune that whirls by like the sea breeze that allows you to start fresh in the sand again. Tipsy Records in conjunction once again with Epic Oslo have a sublime winner with “Written In The Sand”.
One of my favourite dance music songs that bridged late 2016 to early 2017 is the alluring, bass-laden “The Thirst” by Eric Sharp featuring vocalist Zhao. And no sooner than I write about Zhao’s own solo release of “Lifetime” then a new song arrives by the pair called “Take Your Time”. It’s quite a contrast to clubs-focused “The Thirst” – “Take Your Time” takes a realistic, thoughtful look at what’s going on in the world today, inspiring everyone to be open-minded and to listen to others instead of forming and getting locked into steadfast opinions. It’s uncharacteristic subject matter for the genre but top notch dance music for clubs playing more alternative choices, featuring more of a chilled out style than one might expect. The lovely, sparse arrangement and Zhao’s lilting vocal are perfect matches for each other and for the lyrics. Lend your ears to the link above.
THE COVASETTES, “This Feeling” and “She Is” (acoustic)
Inspired by fellow Manchester bands of the 90’s, although they don’t really sound like any one of them in particular (Happy Mondays? The Charlatans? nope!), quartet The Covasettes have the same kind of appeal going on as groups like Bastille with their new single “This Feeling”. Lead singer and guitarist Chris Buxton has a recognizable, charismatic voice that dominates the song, but he wouldn’t be able to achieve that without the tight band of Matt Hewlett (guitar/vocals), Matt Buckley (drums) and Jamie McIntyre (bass/vocals). Fans of Keane, Kaiser Chiefs, and The Script will also gravitate to radio-friendly appeal of “This Feeling”. Showing off without electric instruments or drums in the video for “She Is” (below) brings it down to the grass roots for The Covasettes which would come across well as a break in a set in concert. Give them both a solid listen and remember where you read about The Covasettes 🙂
It’s not something I would normally write about but the backstory and the focus of it is important. Dublin’s Eclipse Stage School offers a heartwarming rendition of One Republic’s “I Lived”. It’s performed choir-style – all you fans of Choir! Choir! Choir! will have an edge – and what’s particularly special is that it’s sung by teen and pre-teen girls who haven’t yet ‘lived’ in terms of the song lyrics. But that could also be said too of the school’s creative director and choreographer Kenneth Giles, who I also wrote about a few years back when he recorded a pop song. At age 26, Kenneth was diagnosed with skin cancer, and has now recovered – so as a teenager or at age 26, how does one characterize ‘living’? Being so much older I could not fathom the possibility of someone so young and close to me being taken away and am thankful every day for my own kids age 24 and 17, one who just underwent her own (very successful and not cancer-related) surgery this week. So “I Lived” takes on an extended meaning of celebrating life at no matter what age. Head over to iTunes to purchase it and proceeds will benefit the Irish Cancer Society.
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