@WinandWoo + @KisoArmic and @Sweekuh put new spins on “Made Of Dreams” by @BrandynBurnette and @MollyMooremusic’s”Peace Of My Heart”

BRANDYN BURNETTE, “Made Of Dreams” (Win and Woo x Kiso remix)

MOLLY MOORE, “Peace Of My Heart” (Sweekuh remix)

Not every song can benefit from a remix.  In fact I find songs that are written with broad scope in mind in terms of melody work best in remixes.  I’ve already written about these two songs by Brandyn and Molly, but these new remixes add something special which can attract new fans and land them both airplay in dance clubs!

Win and Woo (aka Nicholas and Austin) already tackled Molly’s “Natural Disaster” last year with an infectious tropical vibe.  Here they’re paired up with fellow Chicago DJ/producer Kiso to zero in on all that’s happy and positive about Brandyn Burnette’s “Made Of Dreams”, the title song from his recent EP.  This remix is everything for bright sunshiny days at the beach or driving down the west coast under blue skies, and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.  The remixers have also zoned in on the anthemic side of the song which is guaranteed to attract attention of club goers with intent on invading the dance floor and swaying to the chorus.

Philadelphia’s own Sweekuh (otherwise known as Zach) remixes Molly Moore’s heart-wrenching “Peace Of My Heart” (from her EP Shadow Of The Sun) by focusing in on that crazy, sometimes muddy and murky thing called love with punchy progressive dub-steppy breaks which will simply scream out of large dance club speakers.  He doesn’t take too much away from the original intent of the song, giving Molly’s alt.pop ballad another kind of edge.

Download ’em both for free at the above links and play them alongside the fine originals. 

More tropical percussive bliss by @SNBRNmusic as remixed by Steve Void @voidmuzik “Beat The Sunrise”

https://soundcloud.com/voidmusik/snbrn-beat-the-sunrise-feat-andrew-watt-steve-void-remix

SNBRN featuring ANDREW WATT, “Beat The Sunrise” (Steve Void remix)

L.A. producer/DJ SNBRN has a club winner with “Beat The Sunrise”.  And in this Steve Void remix, the 19 year old Dutchman takes this dreamy road song, with a gentle vocal by Andrew Watt, and trades the deep house beats of the original song for high end tropical-sounding percussion.  This gives the song an incredibly happy and carefree vibe, not unlike Embody’s recent (and still unreleased) “Dreamin'” (which I wrote about recently), making it more for partying on the beach all night long.  You can’t go wrong with either version, and you can look for SNBRN on tour with the likes of Shaun Frank.  But major props to this remix which truly stands out in a crowd.  Get it for free using the link above (at over 600,000 listens already!).

New hip hop performer @WittLowry gets inside your head with “Around Your Heart”

wittlowry

WITT LOWRY, “Around Your Heart”

Late last year you may have witnessed Connecticut-born 24 year old Witt Lowry’s arrival on the hip hop scene with nice chart numbers for his debut release Dreaming With Our Eyes Open.  Hot on the heels of that album comes something completely new for your attention called “Around Your Heart”.  It’s an intensely genuine song which will immediately call to mind some of Eminem’s best earlier songs.  Witt has a similar delivery that can be just as fast and jammed pack with thoughts and emotions.  “Around Your Heart” will certainly take a few listens before you can immerse yourself in Witt’s style.  But what helps is the vocal arrangement.  So many performers and producers are recognizing contrast as a focal point of their songs.  Here the two different vocals totally bring that to the table and either accentuate the edginess of the song or bring it back down.  It’s very well done indeed.  Give a listen below.  I’m hoping “Around Your Heart” will see some kind of official release.

Get into the synth swing with “All I Do” by @RadCatmusic (free DL)

RAD CAT, “All I Do”

San Diego producer/DJ Rad Cat (aka Christian Ariza) first came to my attention late last year with an unusual but memorable remix of Call Me Karizma’s “Euphoria”.  “All I Do” is something totally different – a bright, swinging, swaying future bass instrumental which easily gets under your groove and lets you bounce, and then before you know it it’s finished and you want more!  This is music for sunny days at the beach and shiny disco balls at night.  I think “All I Do” could easily catch the ears of dance club noteworthies, so head over to Hype Machine and show it some love.  Download it for free at the link above and bounce away!

In 2016 Dance music is “Super” with @petshopboys new music “Inner Sanctum”

PET SHOP BOYS, “Inner Sanctum”

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, aka Pet Shop Boys, have contributed significantly into how dance music is shaped today.  And even while the lads’ music has been eminently listenable since their late 80s, early 90s heyday, they found an entirely new niche to trailblaze in 2013 with their album Electric, their first outside of Parlophone/EMI.  From one of my favourite albums that year, their song “Vocal” was my #1 song of 2013.  So PSB continue where they left off, teasing us with a mainly instrumental introduction to their upcoming album, appropriately titled Super.  “Inner Sanctum” is one of those club powerhouses carried by lush, detailed synths and a somewhat disembodied vocal.  But there’s no mistaking this as anything but Pet Shop Boys music.  Watch out clubland for another dose of classic PSB dance music to come!

Another “Loser” preview: “I’m Alive, but I’m Not Here” by @callmeKarizma

https://soundcloud.com/callmekarizma/sets/loser-almost-the-album

KARIZMA, “I’m Alive, but I’m Not Here”

The great appeal about Minnesota native and hip hop performer Karizma is his ability to get inside common themes in the teen and young adult minds.  “I’m Alive, but I’m Not Here” may seem on the surface like it’s just about being down and out, with a style that focuses less on hip hop this time and more on an acoustic Green Day-meets-Beck-meets-Blink 182 narrative, but it’s not.  It’s also about not being alone with who and what you are, there is always someone else, and hey that person may be even worse off.  Karizma is big on empathy and outreach, qualities that you don’t find in many performers these days, and they resonate with his audience of ‘losers’.  Karizma’s album Loser arrives on Saturday January 30 so be sure to pick it up.  Listen above to “I’m Alive, but I’m Not Here” as well as “u suck” and “Euphoria” (both of which I’ve recently written about).

The false beauty of loneliness is captured in “Frozen” by Clinton Washington @ClintonWmusic

CLINTON WASHINGTON, “Frozen”

When I write an initial blog post about a performer, it’s with every intent on sticking with him or her to see what’s next.  As readers of this blog know, Little Rock native Clinton Washington’s recent single “Hearts Beat Loud” is one of my current favourites (it will forever be a companion song to Adele’s “Hello” for me).  “Frozen” also looks to rank right up there too, featuring an equally remarkable vocal performance that makes it seem like Clinton has been performing songs like this well beyond his young years.  “The Voice” Season 8 contestant not only has superlative range but the control in his voice that’s needed to bring a song back into perspective.  “Frozen” glides by so easily, laden with emotion, that you cannot help but want more from Clinton Washington.  The gracefully directed video brings out the stark feelings of loneliness and isolation without leaving you in a puddle on the floor.  You can pick it up on iTunes as one of the songs on his recent album release called Clinton. 

Diggin’ deep house with the @INSTRUMental remix of @Monogemlovesyou’s “Gone”

MONOGEM, “Gone” (INSTRUM remix)

What impresses most about this INSTRUM deep house remix of “Gone”, the new single by L.A. singer/songwriter Monogem (aka Jen Hirsh), is how it seemlessly bridges genres without becoming a chaotic melting pot of ideas.  The Brooklyn NY producer/DJ keeps the pop flavour on top of the mix, allowing the deep house rhythms to flourish and take over in a sometimes future-style sweep, and adding a hip hop undercurrent that keeps it fresh.  The song itself is a pop earworm that shouldn’t be overlooked.  Pick up the original version on iTunes; download the remix at the Soundcloud link above and follow INSTRUM on Spotify.

@MattDusk is back in a duo bilingue with Montreal’s @Florence_K in “Somethin’ Stupid”

MATT DUSK & FLORENCE K, “Somethin’ Stupid”

After Juno Award-nominated success with his album My Funny Valentine: The Chet Baker Songbook, which featured a number of duets, Canadian pop/jazz singer Matt Dusk is back in a full album of duets with Quebec singer Florence K called Matt & Florence: Quiet Nights, due February 12.  From that album comes their cover of “Somethin’ Stupid”, a song popularized as a father-daughter duet in 1967 by Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra, produced by Nancy’s guy Lee Hazelwood.  But that song was written and originally performed by a couple, and the other well known version is the UK 2001 #1 by Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman.  Matt and Florence put a jazzy bounce into their rendition with an effortless, breezy set of vocals.  It’s complimented by a lovely slice-of-life video that captures a lot of carefree, affectionate moments that we all have sometimes.  And it’s even more appealing to hear the lyrics sung alternately in English and French, giving it a prelude-to-romance vibe that only the French language can do.  The only thing better would be hearing Matt and Florence sing it in concert! 🙂

 

#BILLCSTop30 #475 – January 25, 2016

There is no shortage of great music out there right now, all you have to do is find it!  I’m actually having trouble ranking 30 songs every two weeks, I have so many new favourites that are challenging recent ones.  In addition, songs are literally flying on and off the chart, very few songs are lasting 10 appearances (20 weeks).  And there are some that I’m enjoying that don’t even make the chart.  So here’s the best of the best right now! 🙂

The Top 10

  • Brandyn Burnette’s emotional and steadfast “Nothing At All” from the Made Of Dreams EP (soon to be available on CD!) holds at #1.  The singer has bowed out of the “American Idol” TV experience, choosing to carve out his own path.  He also released a video for “Nothing At All” that seethes with thought and emotion, and is simply all Brandyn 🙂  “Lost” also holds at #2, while “Down” climbs to #18.

  • Mako’s “Smoke-Filled Room” continues to dominate the Dance Music Airplay charts in the US, while the duo released a new video with a story behind the song.

  • Bounding 13-5, and displacing his own “Ms Anonymous” (which tumbles to #19) is MAX (Schneider) featuring UK rapper Lil Uzi Vert on the very Prince-worthy “Wrong” from the EP of the same name.  #1 contender?  There’s lots of competition!

  • A song that has endured on the chart is Clinton Washington’s “Hearts Beat Loud” which inches up to #6.  Clinton has recently released a new single called “Frozen” and I’ll be following up on that.

  • It was a pleasure to meet and chat with the duo Sofi Tukker at The Knocks show on Friday night when vocalist/guitarist Sophie and vocalist/keyboardist Tucker were the opening act.  Highlights of the set which won over their Toronto audience were their singles “Matadora” and “Drinkee”, which climbs 9-7.  

  • I’m so pleased that “All I Ask” by Adele is the singer’s latest single from the 25 album.  It’s the other song on that album that sends shivers up my spine (in a good way of course).  A #1 contender?  We’ll see in the coming weeks.  For now, it rises 17-8 and ties as the Fastest Riser on the chart.  “When We Were Young” is also #23 this week.

  • Keeping dance music fresh but with a 90’s vibe is the one and only Rozalla, with DJ/producers House Of Virus, on “The Shadows Of The Moon”, which climbs 11-9.

  • Tying for the Fastest Riser on the chart, vaulting 19-10, to no surprise, is the redux of Simon Curtis’ “8bit Heart”, the original of which was in my Top 10 about 5 1/2 years ago.  I’m so pleased that the songs from the 8bit Heart mixtape get a second go round, as you’ll see further down. 

Movin’ On Up

  • Amid all of the activity, the very short, energetic and fun song that is “Make A Mess” from Matt And Kim’s latest album New Glow continues to climb the chart, moving 14-12.
  • Toronto singer Kendal Thompson recently released a soulful 90’s retro EP called One and the zinger on the record to me is “Secret”, which climbs 16-13.  The singer plays the Toronto bar No One Writes To The Colonel on Thursday January 28.  Listen to “Secret” by clicking here.

  • Molly Moore’s gorgeously dark and thoughtful “Blood. Sweat. Tears.” is from her recent EP Shadow Of The Sun and climbs 20-16 for the L.A.-based singer/songwriter.  Watch her duet with beau Brandyn Burnette above.

  • It’s really hard for me to determine which Troye Sivan song I like the most from Blue Neighbourhood, so they are back-to-back this time.  “Talk Me Down” is leading at #20, while “Wild” climbs to #21.  But so many good songs – “Fools”, “Heaven”, and “Suburbia” are all solid too.

  • In case you were wondering, I asked producer/DJ Elephante about the vocalist on his Billboard Top 20 Club Play hit “Age Of Innocence”.  He says his name is Jovany and his vocal packs the punch to give it a similar vibe to Zedd’s “Clarity”.  Also featuring Trouze and Damon Sharpe, “Age Of Innocence” moves up to #22 this week.

Premiering

  • The Knocks should by all rights soar into the pop charts with their excellent pairing with Wyclef Jean on “Kiss The Sky”.  Regardless that I just saw them on Friday night, the song bows at a high #15, following the #3 “I Wish (My Taylor Swift)” with Matthew Koma.  The songs from upcoming album 55 all sounded great.  Put this one on your list to buy and you can pre-order it on iTunes, getting “Kiss The Sky” and “I Wish” in advance.  Wyclef’s only previous appearance on my chart was with Shakira on “Hips Don’t Lie” (#9 back in 2006).

  • One of the songs on Super 8bit Heart that gets a powerful new arrangement is “Super Psycho Love”, which debuts at #24.  I’m not labelling it as a redux because it never appeared on the chart before.  I like it as much as the original, which says a lot!  Props to Simon for having the songs reimagined to accompany his upcoming Boy Robot books.  They will find an entirely new audience.

  • Welcome back to chartland, Craig David!  Like DNCE’s “Cake By The Ocean” (#26) or The Knocks’ “Kiss The Sky”, Craig’s pairing with UK hip hop performer Big Narstie on “When The Bassline Drops” is sheer fun, and it bows at #27.  Craig’s vocal chops and cool remain as vibrant as ever.  It’s his 4th appearance on this chart, succeeding past Top Tenners “7 Days” (#4, 2001) and my absolute favourite by him “Can’t Be Messing ‘Round” (#2, 2002).

The Full Chart

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

You can hear me online on http://www.planetradio.ca every Monday at 9:00 pm EST counting down a Toronto Top 10 chart from yesteryear, and then again every Wednesday in a rebroadcast at 7:00 a.m. EST on WROCK http://www.wlor.net!