JANE BADLER, “Black Silk Stockings” (Tracy Young remix)
Jane Badler, the actress and singer, is so adept at jazz and pop stylings that it’s always a riveting treat to hear her in a crazy dance music setting. “Black Silk Stockings” is perhaps her wildest EDM dance venture yet, just when you think that remixes of her previous theatrical foray “Yesterday’s Tomorrows” were just shy of over the top. Let it be said that “Black Silk Stockings” is way over the top, with an instantly memorable video full of costumes, effects, a weird mad doctor, drag queens, and even her son Harry Hains in DJ form (you may have seen him in “American Horror Story: Hotel” briefly) – but still all eyes on Jane and her commanding presence over the proceedings. It’s great to hear yet another fine remix by Tracy Young – I still revel in her 11 minute remix of Stevie Nicks’ “Planets Of The Universe”. Could “Black Silk Stockings” send Jane Badler into international clubs at last? Crank it up to 11 and see why it should! I look forward to its official release.
Dance music continues to rule the roost on the #BILLCSTop30, with one song in particular making short work of the chart with a huge leap up the chart, while other non-dance tunes continue to rise or debut.
The Top 10
After being kings of their hometown Toronto on the music scene last Friday night, Julian Dzeko and Luis Torres, along with Sweden’s Jon Hellberg, continue their reign at #1 with the emotional, reflective EDM of “Care For Me”. It should easily stay on top for another chart.
The competition from “Care For Me” comes directly from another intense and emotional song, “Lost” by another Canadian, B.C.’s Connor Phillips, as remixed by even more Canadians, Young Bombs. “Lost” soars 21-2. It was originally a short acoustic song that was taken to extreme EDM heights by Young Bombs. I swear that if you hear it in a club you may just need to rush out onto the dance floor to hug someone.
Big things are in store for Alan Walker’s “Faded” in North America, after hearing Dzeko & Torres play it on Friday night. The young Norwegian producer’s international hit climbs 5-4.
SNBRN and Andrew Watt have a great pre-summer dance hit with “Beat The Sunrise” in its tropical Steve Void remix, which rises 8-5. I recently wrote aboutMr. Void’s latest edit for “Stronger” by Nik Ernst.
Pet Shop Boys move up 12-7 with their #1 dance club play chart hit “The Pop Kids”. With all the great dance music out this year, even PSB have a lot of competition, but some songs above may give way to make room for it soon!
Hellberg has his second Top 10 hit with “Synchronize”, featuring NYC vocalist Aaron Richards, which climbs 11-8.
I’m looking forward to hearing the rest of Uninvited, the new album by Call Me Karizma,after writing about his new song“f u till i f u” last week. “u suck”, from his previous release Loser, moves up a notch 10-9.
L.A.’s Brandyn Burnette gets his first Top 10 hit in a remixed version, thanks to the talented team of Win & Woo and Kiso, “Made Of Dreams” is up 14-10. Brandyn’s latest, which I also wrote about last week, is “Underneath” from his forthcoming EP State I’m In.
Movin’ On Up
I love all of the Prince and Lenny Kravitz influence that gives Miguel’s “Waves” a more rock ‘n roll flavour than usual for an R&B song. From his latest album Wildheart, which keeps receiving more critical acclaim, “Waves” jumps 15-12.
I’m still really enjoying the slick disco flavour of “Afraid Of Heights” by German producer/DJ Couzare featuring new vocalist April Cheung, which rises 16-14, and is the debut release for TropiKult Records.
Looks like L.A. duo Mako are headed for the Top 10 again, following the #3 “Smoke Filled Room”, this time with the Two Friends remix of “Way Back Home”, which soars 23-16.
Eric Saade has a slicker, more subdued vibe on his latest, “Colors”, which rises 22-18. Can’t wait to hear what else the singer has to offer on his upcoming release.
Following the #1 “Kiss The Sky” for NYC duo The Knocks, the next song off their debut album 55 to hit the chart is “Tied To You”, their collaboration with Semi-Precious Weapons frontman and hot songwriter Justin Tranter. It moves up 25-19.
Producer/remixer Elephante is on another run up the chart, this time with “Closer” featuring Portland, Oregon native Bishøp with a stunning vocal that draws you in. “Closer” jumps 27-21.
Debuts
One of the sweetest sounding records on Canadian pop radio right now is Dan Talevski’s “Knock Me Off My Feet”, which arrives at #23. It’s roots are definitely in the late 70’s, early 80’s classic pop period, heavily influenced perhaps by soft sounding vocals of the likes of Michael Jackson, Babyface, Jermaine Stewart, and others. It’s Torontonian Dan’s third entry following last year’s #3 “Guilty As Sin” and #5 “My Religion”.
The song at #26 set an all-time blog post view record in this space, breaking the previous record from 2012,with a post from a while ago. Hailing from the North Bay area in Ontario, Joël LeMay has his many fans and supporters, and no wonder with intricate storytelling in his debut “You Fucked Up”, which is available to you at the above link as a free download. Just do it!!
The Chainsmokers return to the chart with their winning collaboration with Daya on “Don’t Let Me Down” at #28. This one stops club goers in their tracks – no surprise it’s a radio hit as well. And who doesn’t love the cool car in the video!
Listen to the songs or watch the videos using the links on the pictures on the pretty and detailedweb 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 SpotifyBILLCS Top 30 Songs
http://www.planetradio.cais currently improving its technology and my two features, “Bill’s Top 10” and “Pick Of The Week”, will return soon!
Often I get introduced to songs that are great with or without remixes and “So Bad” by 22 year old Washington native Brandon Skeie is just that. What a voice! So crisp, clear, and easily recognizable!
His stellar original gets two helping hands into the dance remix world courtesy of a couple of talented teens, EDWYNN △ TIKAL from Sweden, and Spirix from L.A. It’s kind of a wild future bass sound for what is essentially a pretty straight forward song. But these remixers do not overtake the original with effects, they simply enhance it. Brandon’s soaring high octave is the star and the bass drop that immediately follows sticks like glue till you get to hear it again later in the song. You cannot go wrong with either version but this remix will get the ears of club goers and new fans for Brandon as well.
STERLING GROVE featuring ELLYN WOODS, “Sound Of Home” (Snowmass remix)
One thing about remixes from Chicago producer Snowmass: expect the unexpected! He takes a trippy chilled out alt-EDM song by Montreal duo Sterling Grove called “Sound Of Home”, featuring fellow Montrealer, pop/jazz vocalist Ellyn Woods, and attaches a deep funk edge that will pound the hell out of huge club speakers. The now dramatic house rhythm chugs along while you strut your stuff and creates a perfectly alternate setting for Ellyn’s distant but still affecting vocal. All in all, though Sterling Grove’s original has a different kind of appeal, Snowmass has re-envisioned “Sound Of Home” quite well which should make club DJ’s very happy indeed. Download it for free at the link above.
A minimalist house flavour is the key in Australian producer/DJ Latchmere’s latest “Stressed”. It’s a slinky original whose deep keyboard riffs will stay in your ears long after the song is over. Latchmere knows how to keep the music going through a blissed out middle bit by building out of it back to its infectious refrain. “Stressed” is a great workout number when you’ve had one of those days when you just need to let go. Download it for free at the link above.
It’s been nary a blink since Brandyn Burnette’s EP Made Of Dreams dropped last November, and the prolific Brandyn already has a bunch of new songs to spring on you in the form of another upcoming EP titled State I’m In. Brandyn’s faithful fans can guess that “Underneath” is another winner, which contains a similar progressive soul vibe as “Nothing At All” from the Dreams EP, and also recalls at times the low-fi demo that Brandyn put online last year called “1,000 Degrees of Separation”. While the lyrics are personal and touching as always, “Underneath” has a lot of contemporary style seemingly rooted in rock and roll and R&B of the past – think Hall & Oates meet Tom Waits meets John Mayer meets Allen Stone….. to start. Win & Woo (the pair who made that sunny remix of “Made Of Dreams” which is climbing the BILLCS Top 30) get to the heart of what Brandyn’s song is all about with their attentive production.
To initiate his album due for official release tomorrow called Uninvited, Minnesota rapper and birthday boy Call Me Karizma has followed a similar pattern with this third preview, “f u till i f u”, as with the BILLCS Top 30 top tenner “u suck” – centre a grab bag of emotions around a great female vocal. Cass’ perfectly suited, somewhat disaffected sounding vocal, which carries the song with its refrain, is counterpoint to Karizma’s love-you-hate-you outpouring which his fans will just love. Plus like many of his best songs, you will find yourself singing along in no time. It’s not a story that everyone goes through, but Riz gives you his take and we can still all relate, younger and older.
All it takes quite often when you’re listening to a song written and sung by the L.A.-based Molly Moore is a couple of verses before that song has that resonating effect. “Easy” is her newest song, possibly from a forthcoming second EP following Shadow Of The Sun. It’s definitely a companion-piece to the songs from that EP, as well as her other recent song recorded by EDM producer/DJ Boehm called “Swallow My Pride”. The singer is in equally fine form vocally, intriguing in the song’s quieter moments and powerful when it’s louder. The percussive effects and EDM backdrop also create a persuasive atmosphere. If you’ve loved Molly Moore’s songs thus far then “Easy” is especially for you.
An intriguing retro early-2000’s sounding UK house number, “Stronger” by London producer/DJ Nik Ernst is given a slick ‘n tight edit by that hot young Dutch producer/remixer Steve Void, who is gracing the BILLCS Top 30 at #8 with his pre-summery remix of SNBRN’s “Beat The Sunrise”. This edit brings out the mysterious side that a dirty house song should possess, and it’s all done tidily in less than three minutes. “Stronger” shifts along with its slinky groove and could easily be a candidate for some rabid dance music radio play. Don’t let this one slip by.
Toronto’s hot production/remix duo Dzeko & Torres along with Sweden’s Hellberg grab #1 from The Knocks in this edition with their free download of “Care For Me”. It’s not only a beautiful song but it’s filled with emotion that will leave you soaring and bopping on the dance floor till you can’t have no more. It vaults 10-1, so expect multiple chart appearances at the top. Plus D&T’s other recent song “Home”, which I’ve already wrote about, is another chart contender 🙂 “Care For Me” is my New Music Pick of the Week this coming week on http://www.planetradio.ca (go to the bottom of this post for details!).
Fellow Canadians DVBBS and Dante Leon remain at #2 with “Angel” for a third appearance. Still a hypnotic, catchy, futuristic house number – not sure why we haven’t heard more of it on dance radio or in the clubs.
European dance favourites “Fast Car” by Jonas Blue and Dakota, and “Faded” by Alan Walker both enter the Top 5, climbing 7-4 and 8-5 respectively!
Troye Sivan isn’t finished with my Top 10 yet as his third entry “Fools” rushes up 9-7!
The fastest riser on the chart is the glorious “Freeze Time” by Sweden’s Manse featuring Alice Berg (above), which soars 19-9. It book-ends the other new entries to the Top 10, which are SNBRN’s “Beat The Sunrise” (11-8) and Call Me Karizma’s “u suck” (12-10).
Also Movin’ Up
Jon Hellberg can’t just settle for sharing #1 with Dzeko & Torres, his own wondrous dance tune “Synchronize”, featuring a stellar vocal by Aaron Richards, climbs 14-11.
Pet Shop Boys garnered a US #1 on the Electronic Albums chart with Super, and the lead single “The Pop Kids” is at least Top 5 bound, zipping up the chart 21-12.
#13 and #14 bring us double Brandyn Burnette in ways that perhaps you never thought possible. His side project with has gal Molly Moore, Cosmos & Creature, provided Dutch duo Vicetone with a great song called “Bright Side” (17-13, above), while Brandyn had Win & Woo and Kiso Armic work remixing magic to bring out all of the happy side of “Made Of Dreams” (23-14, below).
Three Debuts
It’s one of the most unconventional but pleasing ideas of the year – transforming a 2 minute acoustic song into an emotional, sweeping EDM track. I’m talking about Connor Phillips’ beautiful “Lost”, which arrives at #21 in a way outside-the-box remix by Young Bombs (a free download no less!) which could easily be your conversation piece for the day. It may also give you moist eyes – have tissues handy and let those emotions overtake you.
I’m not going to be tired of The Knocks’ 55 album any time soon. One song that has grown on me immensely is JPatt and BRoc’s pairing with go-to songwriter Justin Tranter (also, of course, vocalist of on-forced-hiatus Semi-Precious Weapons) for “Tied To You”, which arrives at #25. It’s a toe-tapper that will have you singing the chorus in no time.
The final debut at #27 is the second chart entry for L.A. based producer/DJ Elephante, featuring a fine new vocalist from Portland named Bishop on “Closer”. Rich production and a fine, unique vocal make this one go down easy, and it should be a cinch for national dance club play as follow up to the Billboard Top 20 Dance Club Play hit “Age Of Innocence”.
Listen to the songs or watch the videos using the links on the pictures on the pretty and detailedweb 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
Tune into the 3D Variety Show with the Musicman James Rogers onhttp://www.planetradio.caSunday to Thursday from 8pm to 11 pm EST. My Pick of the Week segment has returned and plays at 10:20 pm EST. I will be travelling during the next week and will return to Planet Radio Canada for one of Toronto’s Top 10’s of yesteryear on Tuesday, May 3.
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