It’s been a few months, but I’ve been excited to know for a while that this fine Sean Turk remix of CVBZ’s “Be Like You” was on its way for Ultra Music. And it was well worth the wait. Sean’s choices in picking top notch songs for remixing continues with “Be Like You”, a great introduction for me to Oregon-bred L.A.-based singer/songwriter CVBZ. The NYC producer/remixer ignites the pop stylings of the original to deliver amped-up ‘bedroom bass’ dance floor heaven well before the minute mark. Which is a good thing because this is such a delightful remix – and it goes by much too quickly. Pick this one up at your favourite online digital store.
In one of the stranger coincidences in 2017, “Run With Us”, the late 80’s theme song to a Canadian kids’ TV program – which ran from 1985 to 1992 and itself followed a series of full length animated features starting in 1980 – shows its enduring effects! It gets a new lease on life with two new reverent cover versions of the Lisa Lougheed original (a minor Canadian hit which I know very well and peaked at #69 nationally in 1988, below), one by none other than Bright Light Bright Light, and the other by those cool UK wordsmiths and purveyors of pop, Spray.
Bright Light x2 (aka Rod Thomas) just released his EP Cinematography 2: Back In The Habit, a gloriously curated 6-pack of cover versions, including Madonna’s “Causing A Commotion”, Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”, and Lisa Loeb’s “Stay (I Missed You)” – as well as “Run With Us”. Rod’s rendition could have easily competed with the original in the 80’s, definitely intended as a loving interpretation that was obviously something important to him when he was much younger, and has stuck like glue through adulthood. Needless to say, it’s great!
Spray, the duo of Jenny McLaren and Ricardo Autobahn whose music I have also written about a number of times, actually covered “Run With Us” back in 2007 for their album Children Of A Laser God. With impeccable timing – there is apparently a 2017 “Raccoons Dance” or something like that in the works by original TV show creator Kevin Gillis – they’ve brought their enthusiastic rework into 2017 with a jazzed-up remix by Matt Pop (who recently did similar wonders for Nathalie Archangel’s Billboard charter “Unleashed”) as well as a lyric video. It’s a different take on the song from Bright Light Bright Light’s, but they go kind of hand-in-hand in inspiration.
So all of you lovers of that old “Raccoons” theme can immerse yourself with two solid throwbacks – both available at all digital stores.
L.A. producer/DJ Bobby Nourmand has been honing his versatile dance music sound and it has experienced quite an evolution during this past year, culminating most recently with the raucous but still refined and insanely catchy “D E E P in NY”, one of my favourites of 2017 so far (a BILLCS Top 30 #1 in January too). “D U S T” continues in the deep house realm but it’s an epic song in all kinds of ways. It’s bold like this big ray of sunshine swooped in to signal the coming of summer. It will bring the beach to you where there may not even be a beach. It’s also got a rich soulful vocal sound that resonates throughout and makes you wait for it to arrive when the song has much more chill moments. Plus at 5 and a half minutes, “D U S T” creates a fun journey when you know where you’re headed and feel better when you get there. “D U S T” is a grower, and it makes you come back to it, expecting, wanting and getting more out of it each time. And as Bobby’s gift to you for your kind attention, get it as a free download at the link above.
Right now I can’t get enough of Axel Mansoor’s pensive and knowing breakup ballad “Wasted My Love”, which currently rising in the Top 20 of the BILLCS Top 30. Score winner #2 for Axel with another original “Out Of My Head”. He’s got this cool, easy going voice that’s hard to dislike, especially when in harmony with himself. But Axel also taps into a gritty soulful vibe now and then that makes me want to listen to his songs as much as I do the likes of favourites such as Brandyn Burnette. “Out Of My Head” has an interesting alt.pop song structure, kind of gliding along gracefully on a cloud until a bit of a welcome switch up near the end. So now we have two equally fine introductions to the natural talents of Axel Mansoor, and like “Wasted My Love”, you can get “Out Of My Head” at the link above for free.
It’s loud, busy, large and in charge, but what might you expect when with a title like “ZULU”? Austin duo Far & Few pair up with New Zealand’s Dreamer via Tribal Trap for a song that will put your speakers to a great test. Chunky bass drips with distorted synths and percussion nicknacks, following a ponderous rhythm interspersed with well-placed chants. Yeah “ZULU” is pretty much for adventurous dance/EDM fans but it’s a fun three minutes where you can put your head and feet into a different space. Check it out above and show your support by picking it up at one of the many online digital stores.
It doesn’t happen on every season of “The Voice” but I often select a performer who is an underdog that I root for – and sometimes they stick around. Despite top notch performances which got him through the Battle Rounds (and stolen by Gwen Stefani from Alicia Keys), I was worried when I heard that 20 year old newlywed Hunter was performing Sia’s massively difficult “Elastic Heart” for the live show, which is when teams get cut from six to three members. But in an extremely clever move, the arrangement for “Elastic Heart” was stripped down, which allowed Hunter’s gorgeous voice to flourish to heightened emotions even though his version could have probably used some better articulation in spots. Nonetheless it established a distinct sound that none of the other contestants – or any in recent memory – possess. Now Hunter is in the Top 12 – underdog no more – and has an excellent chance at finishing in the Top 4. And people are buying his songs on iTunes even before the Top 12 shows, which is amazing! Check out the performance of “Elastic Heart” – totally melt-worthy 🙂
In their short career thus far, New Haven duo Opia have a way of tantalizing the listener with rich and vibrant vocals set to songs that seem to tell a story rather than stitched together lyrics for lyrics’ sake. Their track record so far is pretty impeccable with less beat-heavy electronica: “Falling”, “Chasing Shadows” and “YDU”, not to mention a joint duo effort with RKCB for “Always”. Again enriching their vocals they’ve brought in Sam Fischer for the fun on “Secrets”. This one is a winner rhythmically as much as it is vocally. Its production is lush and dazzling, changing it up musically and vocally throughout, which would make it sound even more impressive in concert. Keep your ears tuned for Opia throughout 2017 – even better you can catch them on a limited tour with Marian Hill in select cities through June.
It may be a touch daring to update songs that are revered by a lot of dance music fans, but that’s sometimes what makes a remix stand on its own. Such is the case with 2004’s “Just Be” by Tiësto from the classic album of the same name, also known for including “Love Comes Again” (with BT) and “Adagio For Strings”. Toronto’s Julian Dzeko is definitely in the good books with Tiësto, so he took some license with the remix. I like the update overall with its future bass drops and breaks, so it can slide into a set easily and catch folks off guard, though I miss many of the experimental elements of the original. Kirsty Hawkshaw’s dreamy vocal is intact though of course much is edited out for such a short remix. All-in-all, with Dzeko & Torres and their distinctive sound on hiatus, a representation of good things to come from Dzeko solo.
We would never have known looking back five years ago that Matthew Koma, a rocker and songwriter who became a new and perhaps reluctant go-to-voice of dance/EDM music on songs by the likes of Tiësto, Zedd, Alesso, Giorgio Moroder and others, had or would develop an eating disorder that became hidden under his sudden celebrity. But he was smart, got help before it was too late, and turned it all around, and now, with assistance from the much praised Jai Wolf, has released a song about his battle called “Dear Ana”. And whether it’s about anorexia or some other ‘ana’ condition/dependency, “Dear Ana” is here to try and also help others. It’s an atypical, softer Matthew Koma song for this reason and the poignant lyrics, which any listener will appreciate even without the context, definitely drive it home. Congratulations Matthew, YOU win 🙂
It’s been hovering under the radar for a few months but Aussie producer/DJ Throttle’s electro-swing cover of Ray Charles’ classic “Hit The Road Jack” gets a playful spin from new and mysterious producer Cazztek (very little available online about this remixer!). While Throttle’s original mix focused on the mighty soulful uncredited vocal by American singer Jordan Landers, Cazztek’s remix takes Throttle’s eagerness to entertain sideways with a contemporary bounce and a drop/break that sounds like it could have been borrowed from a Ray Charles concert album, which gives it a reverent old school vibe. Too good for club DJ’s to pass by, Cazztek’s remix could allow the song to get more notice worldwide. Listen at the link above but you may find that subconscious boogieing takes over 🙂
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