Shining Star: @NickiFrenchie brings back happy times with “Teardrops (On The Disco Floor)”

NICKI FRENCH, “Teardrops (On The Disco Floor)”

Disco music can make all the mini-comebacks in various shapes and forms, and if it’s done ever so right the new songs will endure too!  Though she had hits in her native UK and other countries outside of North America throughout the 90’s and represented the UK at Eurovision in 2000, Nicki French is still best known for her high energy pop cover of Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” in 1995, which was a Top 5 hit most everywhere.  “Teardrops (On The Disco Floor)” is flat out disco with an arrangement plucked right out of 1978 and made contemporary once again, along with a vocal by Nicki that doesn’t hold anything back.  It’s a spirited anthem of empowerment that goes hand-in-hand with your favourite songs of that era with the highest pedigree of songwriting courtesy of Charlie Mason and friends.  So shine your brightest under the big lights and disco mirror ball and check out the video above.  Remixes are coming 🙂

Dance rave-up! “Let The World Be Ours Tonight” brings @Deborah_Cox back to the dance floor

DEBORAH COX, “Let The World Be Ours Tonight” (Stonebridge & Damien Hall radio edit)

Now seems like an appropriate time for uplifting retro-tastic dance music.  “Let The World Be Ours Tonight” brings back Canada’s Juno Award-winning Deborah Cox to the dance floor with one of her best vocals in years.  With no short of five remixers on board – Stonebridge & Damien Hall, Diamm, Soulshaker, JKGD, and Silver Bluff – “Let The World Be Ours Tonight” seems destined to become La Cox’s 13th #1 on the Billboard Club Play chart, where it is currently zooming up the chart at #23.  It’s a real crowd-pleaser with its warm message of unity, so it’s quite easy to get swept off your feet under the bright lights.  Let loose and check out “Let The World Be Ours Tonight at the link above.  Deborah is currently touring select dates in the US in the play “The Bodyguard”.

2K17 remix: “Male Stripper” by MAN2MAN (@PaulZoneNYC) featuring @LolaDutronic

MAN2MAN featuring Lola Dutronic, “Male Stripper” (Lola Dutronic 2K17 remix)

The 1987 UK Top 5 hit “Male Stripper” by MAN2MAN Meets Man Parrish was everywhere there was dance music that year, it was a positively inescapable guilty pleasure of sorts.  2017 seems like the right time to revive it, and MAN2MAN vocalist Paul Zone has worked with Canadian duo Lola Dutronic to make it shine once again.  With added production and vocals by Lola Dutronic’s Stephanie B, the remix really embraces the fun side of the song.  And given that it’s pretty well skipped an entire generation of music fans, “Male Stripper” is bound to sound as fresh and outrageous to dance music fans as it did 30 years ago.  Don’t be at all surprised if you hear this at a club sometime soon – long-serving DJ’s will embrace it and get the word out.  Check it out above and pick it up at your favourite digital store.  And for fun, also watch the original “Top Of The Pops” clip below which really teased the hell out of its studio audience 🙂

“Say Goodnight” keeps romance alive and well thanks to @AashMehtamusic featuring #Capelle and @GavinGarris

AASH MEHTA featuring CAPELLE and GAVIN GARRIS, “Say Goodnight”

Chicago-based producer/DJ Aash Mehta follows up his gorgeous EP Stardust with another lushly produced original ode to romance called “Say Goodnight”.  Aash continues to select A+ vocalists for his songs, this time one with both male and female vocal parts courtesy of Gavin Garris and Capelle.  “Say Goodnight” could be the beautiful start to a two or three song set of slower songs, but as with other songs by Aash he doesn’t let it get too comfortable without interjecting a few bars of melodic big-sounding synths which will reverberate appropriately from large speakers.  There aren’t too many dance music producers creating high calibre romantic songs like this, and Aash has created some pretty unconventional remixes in the past, but he kind of has this market all to himself if he wants, which is not a bad thing.  Support “Say Goodnight” by checking it out at the link above, and then purchase this independent release at your favourite digital music store.

“I Like Me Better” by @Lauvsongs gets a fitting remix by Halifax’s @Fambamusic

LAUV, “I Like Me Better” (Famba remix)

“I Like Me Better” is an exceedingly pop-friendly dance tune released independently by L.A. singer/songwriter/producer Lauv, and it’s gradually becoming a radio hit.  On Billboard’s Canadian Top 100, it debuted this past week at #81.  It’s got a great, touching message too that fortunately gets showcased in a fine remix by Halifax’s Famba, who readers of this blog already know from his insanely fun “Right Here Right Now”.  He isolates the critical, lyrical parts of the song which lead to more uptempo alternatropical-flavoured segments that will keep your toes tapping.  There are also official remixes by Cheat Codes and Ryan Riback available to enjoy as well.  Lauv has a genuine, organic winner here which takes him to the next level 🙂

“Eden” is brand new from @ThisIsPlake – “The Voice” Season 12 Top 10 contestant @HunterPlake and his brother @DakotaPlake

PLAKE, “Eden”

It looks like Louisiana’s Hunter Plake and his brother Dakota have zeroed in on what was to me Hunter’s shining moment on the most recent season of “The Voice” – his warm, unique, toned-down rendition of Sia’s “Electric Heart” – and have used it for the basis of their new much-awaited indie single, “Eden”.  Given Hunter’s other performances on “The Voice”, “Eden” is not what one might expect – gloriously romantic chilled out pop/dance!  But I’ve found the performances on the show often disguise what the performers really want to do.  And now with that as a launchpad, “Eden” should serve the brothers Plake very well as a kickstart to their own music and sound.  Club DJ’s will want to invest in this one transitioning into or out of a quieter set.  For the rest of us, a taste of “Eden” is not enough and we’ll want more very soon from the Plakes!

Midtempo summer vibes from @iamNickPeters & Frank Pierce @thatkidFemi “No Love in Brooklyn” with @ScottVegamusic

NICK PETERS & FRANK PIERCE featuring SCOTT VEGA, “No Love In Brooklyn”

Not every summery dance single can be a big banger, so here we have a thoughtful, midtempo Franco-American dance/pop offering called “No Love In Brooklyn” by French producer Nick Peters and US producer Frank Pierce featuring American duo Scott Vega.  This one goes down really smooth, with a soft, clean vocal that lifts the song up despite its subject matter.  “No Love” will work great in a mid-evening set, and continues the promising sounds that both young producers (Nick is a teenager) have been making separately, such that Epic Oslo has tapped the release in conjunction with Tipsy Tortoise.  Be sure to give “No Love In Brooklyn” a few spins at the link above.

Chicago’s @Autografmusic returns with @GianniKosta remixing the romantic “You Might Be” featuring @supLils

AUTOGRAF featuring LILS, “You Might Be” (Gianni Kosta remix)

“You Might Be” is the kind of dance record that immediately goes to the front of the line for attention.  It’s new from Chicago production trio Autograf through Warner’s Big Beat label, and featuring soaring singer Lils (formerly Lily Elise) in a lush official remix by France’s Gianni Kosta.  “You Might Be” is a bubbly, romantic, tightly-recorded song whose lovely wash of layered synths and dreamy vocal are a far cry from the non-descript pop EDM that pervades the radio today.  While it’s definitely love-at-first-listen for “You Might Be”, I’ll guarantee the more you play this one, the more it will sink in, and it will definitely create an uplifting presence on the dance floor.  It’s yours to check out at the link above.

Hip Hop House: “Mind” continues to define @BobbyNourmand’s unique style, featuring #DOC and #Goodmorning

BOBBY NOURMAND, “MIND”

With his new original “MIND”, once again for The Magiccian’s Potion label, L.A.’s Bobby Nourmand returns to his unique other-worldly kind of deep, dark house style which started appearing in his earlier releases a few years ago.  After turning his instrumental “D E E P” into the most wickedly playful hip hop house late last year as “D E E P in NY” featuring vocalists D.O.C. and Goodmorning, this somewhat unlikely trio is back with seconds with “MIND”.  And the inspired flow in the verses in this one is equally appealing, with more of an even mix of entertaining wordplay and soulful vocal chorus set to Bobby’s refined late night deep house bounce.  I’m still not quite sure what it’s all about yet, but “MIND” is another grower worthy of repeated plays.  Indulge yourself and get it stuck in your “Mind” at the link above.

“Cheap Motel” is an engaging breakout from young Dutchman @JustinMylomusic

JUSTIN MYLO, “Cheap Motel”

“Cheap Motel” is a great introduction to the songs of 20 year old Dutchman Justin Mylo.  Like me you’ve already heard him with his friend – one Martin Garrix – on “Bouncybob”, and you may have heard about his DJ sets in places like Ibiza.  Well “Cheap Motel” is one explosive slice of bubbly pop/dance that won’t leave you sitting down.  Using a lot of high end and featuring a powerful uncredited vocal that resonates with tons of enthusiasm, “Cheap Motel” is a less traditional, happy story of finding romance in an unlikely place.  I’m sure working with Martin has rubbed off on Justin, but “Cheap Motel” is a dynamic, tightly produced song which should help take him even further.  Catch him this summer if you’re in Las Vegas at Omnia.