#BILLCSTop30 #484 – May 30/16

We have a gorgeous, emotional new #1 which will be challenged in a few weeks by some new tunes not too far below… 484 editions later, here is the new BILLCS Top 30!

The Top 10

  • The top spot this week belongs to Young Bombs’ stunning remix of fellow British Columbian singer/songwriter Connor Phillips’ “Lost”.  What is originally a 2 minute acoustic song is completely overhauled to become a mesmerizing and emotional 3+ minute EDM song that will stop people in their tracks when they hear it.  Plus the after effect is that you will want to give someone a great big hug.  A one-of-a-kind record for sure!!  And it’s still available as a free download 🙂

https://soundcloud.com/maxrmusic/freeze-time-feat-alice-berg-maxr-remix

  • Max R’s progressive remix (and free download) of Manse’s “Freeze Time” (featuring Alice Berg) helps it advance 4-3, while continuing to keep Pet Shop Boys at bay at #4 with the affectionate retrospective of “The Pop Kids”.

  • Brandyn Burnette collects his 7th Top 5 hit on the BILLCS Top 30 with the Win & Woo x Kiso remix of “Made Of Dreams”.  It’s a different approach to the song from Brandyn’s original on his same-titled EP but it’s a total winner with a happy, sunny vibe that hits a home run.  Brandyn’s new EP State I’m In is coming soon!

  • The fastest riser on the chart belongs to Brandon Skeie with “So Bad”, in its pensive original or the fantastic EDWYNN x TIKAL & Spirix remix (a free download – 1.6 million listens!).  About to become one of the best of 2016, “So Bad” soars 15-6.

  • I just wrote about a vibrant alternate take by remixer Aash Mehta (free download!) on Elephante’s “Closer” (featuring Bishøp), but the original lands in the Top 10, moving 14-8 🙂

  • Rounding out the Top 10 is the Two Friends remix of Mako’s “Way Back Home”, climbing 13-10, and helping create an entirely new adventure for that song 🙂

Movin’ On Up

  • It’s your late night date song for a night on a Caribbean beach.  “Dreamin'” by Embody featuring Camden Cox moves up 19-11.

  • Toronto’s Dan Talevski has been appearing on Canadian TV recently performing his latest, an 80’s R&B-influenced hit called “Knock Me Off My Feet”, which rises 18-12.  Look for Dan to be out and about this summer promoting his music!

  • While Eric Saade’s “Colors” continues to climb 16-13, he’s released a follow up already which is decidedly different called “Wide Awake”.  Check it out below.

  • Toronto-based singer/songwriter Joël continues to move up with his great story song that is still available as a free download.  “You Fucked Up”, rising 20-15.

  • “Don’t Let Me Down” looks like it will become one of the songs of summer ’16 for many folks.  The Chainsmokers and Daya have a huge winner which moves 22-17.

 

  • Aside from Brandon Skeie’s “So Bad”, all of the rest of the last chart’s debuts move up in due order, which are all free downloads:
    • Canadians Sterling Grove and Ellyn Woods have their pop/jazz song “Sound Of Home” transformed into a gritty, mysterious EDM number by Chicago’s Snøwmass, and it rises 21-16.
    • Jenaux’s funk and disco-inspired “Get It On” advances 23-18, while the classic house riffs of “Don’t Need You” by Christofi featuring J-VEN allow it to climb 26-19.
    • Koni’s inspiring tropical remix of Bryce Fox’s “Burn Fast” send it moving27-20.

Debuts

  • The lower reaches of the chart have gone Kat Krazy as the London duo’s remix of Tom Odell’s affecting “Magnetised” arrives at #21, while the pair’s own “Run Run”, featuring Texan singer Johnny Stimson, bows at #24.  These are Kat Krazy’s first appearances on the chart since 2013 when their remix of Natalia Kills’ “Problem” reached the Top 15, and prior to that, “Never Will Be Mine” by Rye Rye featuring Robyn got to #10 in 2011.

  • The third debut goes to the slinky and dirty-sounding “Into You” by Ariana Grande at #25 from her Dangerous Woman album.  This is probably the best I’ve heard the singer to date.  She’s appeared twice on the chart before, but it’s been some time – as featured on Mika’s reissued “Popular Song” in early 2013 (#17), followed by her own debut with Mac Miller on “The Way” that Spring (#8).

Listen to the songs or watch the videos using the links on the pictures on the pretty and detailed web edition of my chart. Go on, have a look and listen/watch :)

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

http://www.planetradio.ca is back!  Listen for my Pick of the Week regularly, and this week I’ll have my flashback to a Toronto Top 10 on Wednesday evening at 9pm EST 🙂

Producer/DJ @AashMehtamusic creates an exciting remix of @iamtheElephante’s “Closer” (featuring @helloBishop)

ELEPHANTE featuring BISHØP, “Closer” (Aash Mehta remix)

It’s one of my current favourites, approaching the BILLCS Top 30 Top 10 🙂 , but producer/DJ Aash Mehta has found another way to make “Closer” by Elephante featuring Bishøp absolutely sparkle.  The catchy EDM rhythm of the refrain of the original is replaced by chilled out effects that manage to find a happy balance and attentively accentuate the emotional meaning of the song.  In other words, for a set in wind down mode when you want folks to get closer than close on the dance floor, Aash Mehta’s remix will fit in perfectly.  It follow’s up Aash’s recent original “Breathe Into Reality, which I wrote about recently.  This remix is deservedly endorsed by Elephante’s camp.  Find out why – listen and download from the link above.

@JesseMcCartney pairs up with #EDM performer @BuiltByTitan for “Dangerous”

BUILT BY TITAN featuring JESSE McCARTNEY, “Dangerous”

Now there’s two more things that you didn’t necessarily expect to see together besides Jesse McCartney and “The Walking Dead” – how about Jesse McCartney and EDM!  US-based Philippines EDM artist Built By Titan (aka Fred Williams) managed to snag Jesse to co-write and perform “Dangerous” with him.  The result will definitely sneak up to you, as a particularly understated early start to the song gets changed up fast with a percolating futuristic drop which puts Jesse in a place where you’ve never heard him.  It’s that innovative-sounding chorus which totally makes the song and I’d like to see some remixers wrestle with it and keep the song’s original integrity too.  I’ve been waiting for something like this for Jesse since his 2008 album Departure, which brought us his big hits “Leavin'” and “How Do You Sleep”.  Those ones and other songs from it, particularly “Relapse”, remain my favourites by him and to me are his best works to this day.  Built by Titan and Jesse McCartney make a great pair!  Pick up “Dangerous” on iTunes.

Simply classic pop: “Broken For You” by @Harrietsmusic

HARRIET, “Broken For You”

More than any song since the first one I heard by her a few years back now, the still-stunning “Afterglow”, “Broken For You” by UK singer Harriet is simply classic pop that is tailored for every taste.  Her partnership with Mr. Steve Anderson continues to bring us great music.  “Broken For You” is timeless, it can be played at any time, with music from any era, and is brimming with the singer’s rich, effortless, and extremely likable voice.  And hey, in the new video we get to watch the singer for once too!  Lucky Brits though, they’ve already seen her perform in clubs!  You can pre-order “Broken For You” on iTunes in advance of its July 1 release (at least here in Canada).

Touching new soulful ballad from @JessieWare “Till The End”

jessieware5

JESSIE WARE, “Till The End”

While she’s in-between albums, it’s great to hear a new Jessie Ware song, which comes to you as part of the soundtrack to the film “Me Before You”.  It’s called “Till The End” and it’s a lovely, soulful song for the summer months featuring a really delicate vocal from the singer.  This only makes you want more and 3 minutes of Jessie right now is just not enough but I’ll take it 🙂  The jazzy backdrop combined with the rich voice is definitely swoon-worthy.  You can pick it up now on iTunes.

Gone troppo: “Still Young” by @WilTril & @Aayiomusic (featuring @MatthewJohnKurz :D )

WILTRIL & AAYIO, “Still Young” (featuring Matthew Kurz)

I happened upon “Still Young” by producers WilTril and Aayio, recently released by Ultra music.  It’s a terrific summery retrospective kind of song, perhaps you could call it the “7 Years” of tropical EDM.  The buoyant, winning tone of the song is captured by the uncredited vocal of Miami-based singer/songwriter Matthew Kurz.  I’ve written about Matthew many times, but it’s now been about three years, so I’m glad to see a discreet breakout moment happening for him through this fine dance track for which he deserves much attention.  One of my 13 Performers to Watch in ’13, Matthew has many great songs available on You Tube through his mixtape or covers like “Titanium”.  WilTril and Aayio are gonna go big with this one and having Matthew’s honed vocal is such an amazing bonus.  Listen above and pick it up on iTunes.

@Jenauxmusic puts @3Lau’s “Is It Love” on the funk train

3LAU, “Is It Love” (Jenaux remix)

NYC producer/remixer Jenaux continues on the funk tip after his currently-blowing up original “Get It On” (which just bowed on the BILLCSTop30 at #23) with his alternate take on the always busy Las Vegas-based 3Lau’s “Is It Love”.  He strips away Justin Blau’s lyrical EDM and the original vocal in favour of a hard-hitting 80’s oriented funk ride that blends with futuristic effects quite happily.  It’s one of those short but potent remixes that when dropped in the middle of the set will make you wonder what the hell is going on and you’ll just want more.  Download it for free at the link above.

 

This one’s for the gamerz! @Smiledkmusic returns with “Koko Soko” redux

SMILE.DK, “Koko Soko” (2k16 Radio Mix)

If you know DanceDanceRevolution then you definitely know Smile.dk!  The Swedish group has been producing bouncy, infectious dance music since the 90’s, and really now there’s only one member remaining (singer Veronica Almqvist).  Smile.dk became immensely popular in Japan which culminated with “Koko Soko” back in 2008.  Now the song has received a bigger, sparkling ‘bubblegum house’ redux courtesy of Jamie Thompson and Dave Phaneuf of J-Mi and Midi-D Productions who have literally been living this song since back then, so who better to reignite it?  It’s also available in an extended mix, a “Back to the 90’s” mix, and a frenetic “Panik” mix.  If you loved The Vengaboys and Alice Deejay songs of yesteryear than you will immediately take to this feel good update of “Koko Soko”.  Take a taste above and pick up the entire EP on iTunes.

“All In The Name” is new and uniquely @BrightLightx2 featuring @Eltonofficial

BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT featuring ELTON JOHN, “All In The Name”

After the long-lasting songs from the success that was Bright Light Bright Light’s 2014 album Life Is Easy comes “All In The Name”, from his upcoming third album Choreography.  All you need to do is search these blog pages to find the countless raves about Rod Thomas’ music since I first encountered it in late 2009!  “All In The Name” is no exception to the high quality of songwriting.  It’s a cheery danceable pop song for sunny summer days, featuring another appearance from his friend and mentor Elton John, after 2014’s “I Wish We Were Leaving” (Elton appears on two more songs on Choreography).  So that you remember the title of the album, the video (above) for “All In The Name” is a highly stylized affair, full of eye-catching pastel colours, fine editing, and nifty choreography (my daughter danced for 10 years so I have some insight here!).   “All In The Name” is light and memorable – with a cast featuring Alan Cumming, Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears, Ana Matronic & Del Marquis, and that soulful vocal near the end by Mykal Kilgore (who recently co-sang the Billboard Top 20 Club Chart hit “Wait” with Vinny Vero) – and everything a fine pop song should be (now onto the remixes?).

@BobbyNourmand pays homage to an Idol with “S I S T E R”

BOBBY NOURMAND, “S I S T E R”

Following up his hot original track from earlier this year called “S M O K I N’  J O E”, producer/DJ Bobby Nourmand gives us another taste of his personal catalogue of music with “S I S T E R”.  Starting off with deliberate pacing as he did to draw us into his other-worldly rework of The Beatles’ “B E C A U S E”, everything changes when this powerful, familiar but isolated vocal joins in:  Billy Idol!!  “S I S T E R” refashions Billy Idol’s “White Wedding” in no way that you could have possibly imagined.  The original was meant to be powerful and seductive; with Billy’s vocals so isolated, the tone is aggressive and commanding, perfectly suiting the pulsating, dark deep house rhythm.  It’s a song I would love to see played while a club audience is in complete darkness during the vocals.  DJ’s will have loads of fun with “S I S T E R” – personal best for Bobby Nourmand thus far!  Download it for free above.