There’s Walk The Moon and Walk Off The Moon but out of the three, only Maybe The Moon captures an 80’s synthpop vibe and makes it come alive all over again. San Franciscan duo Karmen and Alex both play keyboards, while Karmen sings lead and Alex also plays guitar. The rhythm is Hall & Oates’ “Out Of Touch”, the style is Laura Branigan meets Simple Minds. “Washout” has a beautiful, flowing melody and original vocal that make it standout. I think Maybe The Moon could fare very well in dance club play land along with some remixes. Download “Washout” using the link above.
BLINK-182, “I Miss You” (Two Friends remix) (free download)
Purists of this alt.rock classic might be slightly aghast at the thought, but L.A. producers/remixers Two Friends have managed to reinvent Blink-182’s 2004 hit “I Miss You” for dance clubs while being reverent to the punkish emotional attitude of the original ballad. The switch from ballad to dance raveup may seem a bit jarring but club goers will certainly connect with it. Not only that, but Two Friends (best friends Eli and Matt) turn it into a feel-good reminiscence without throwing too many bells and whistles into the mix, instead revolving their EDM flavours around the simple repeated guitar riff. In this early part of their career, Two Friends have already worked with the likes of Krewella and The Chainsmokers, and with remixes like “I Miss You” they should continue to build on these connections towards many more interesting and club-worthy remixes. Download it for free at the link above.
It’s hard sometimes to write about a cover of a song that has been recorded to death, but fortunately John Legend’s “All Of Me” is timeless and when the right voice invests in it, then the rendition works well. Such is the case with Portugal’s Carlos Nóbrega, who has released his cover as part of a free download collection called Songs I Wish I Wrote (Piano Sessions). This of course is in anticipation of Carlos’ long-awaited album, which I expect will be much more of a rousing dance party 🙂 You can’t really stray too much from the original of a song like “All Of Me” or it won’t work. The key here is Carlos’ emotional vocal. This talented singer and actor is a lover, not a fighter, and he puts a few beautiful vocal spins into the mix to make his own interpretation stand out. Download it for free at the link above, along with the accompanying and equally lovely covers of Sia’s “Breathe Me” and A Great Big World’s “Say Something”.
With the Made Of Dreams EP set to drop next Friday, November 13, Brandyn Burnette has given us another diverse and compelling song called “Nothing At All”. This one draws on influences from ages old soul and folk, and mixes it up with contemporary twists that would not be out of place on records by The Weeknd or Drake. Like “I Wanna Be (Free)”, “Nothing At All” keeps your attention throughout with a similar lazy vibe as backdrop, augmented by different effects, and sincere but direct lyrics that insist on commitment. “Nothing At All” is in short a solid, innovative song, and Brandyn is definitely comfortable in finding an alternative soul style without having to drop current radio-style pop flavours into the mix. Also like “I Wanna Be (Free)”, you can listen to “Nothing At All” over and over again and find something new every time. Can’t wait to hear the rest of Made Of Dreams!
The Top 10 is log-jammed with fine songs and new peak positions, but some will need to give way within the next few weeks to make room for all of the newcomers on the rise. The highest debut has undoubtedly got #1 to contend with, while the other three have enormous potential and debut a little lower than usual because of the songs with which they are currently competing.
The Top 10
River Tiber’s “Let You Go” has a comfortable lock on #1 – for now – despite the incredible activity below. The song’s stellar performance and rich, soulful vibe help define it! Other songs from the EP When The Time Is Right are also sinking in, such as “Waves”.
It’s been a steady pace for songs that are totally different but have been bookends these past few weeks. Continue to dance your a** off to “Let You Go” by The Chainsmokers & Great Good Fine OK, which arrives at #2, while the beautiful and thoughtful “Pain Told Love” by Tribe Society & Kiesza moves up to #3 (ironically where Tribe Society’s predecessor band Gentlemen Hall peaked in 2013 with “Sail Into The Sun”).
And here’s Brooklyn’s Great Good Fine OK again in the Top 5 in a great pairing with St. Lucia on “Something To Believe In”, which climbs to #4.
I was very early on “The Other Boys” by NERVO featuring Kylie Minogue, Jake Shears, and Nile Rodgers. It holds at #5 here but in better news has reached #1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Play chart. I like it when my ears ring early on a song and this happens 🙂 Watch the new video above!
Brandyn Burnette’s enduring “I Wanna Be (Free)” leaves the chart after a mandatory 10 appearances (20 weeks), but until his new Made Of Dreams EP (which I will continue to preview) arrives in two weeks, the heartfelt “Life’s A Beach” will keep your attention at #9. It’s available for free from Brandyn’s website from his mixtape called The Bright Side.
Can you say Food Fight? 😛 The second new entry to the top 10 is the rollicking “Cake By The Ocean” by DNCE, led by one Joe Jonas. It soars 17-10. Pleased to say I got a ticket to their Toronto show on November 18 🙂 “Cake” is culled from the new EP Swaay.
Movin’ on Up
It’s Koma Koma time! Now a Top 10 Billboard Dance Club Play hit – I’m another early adopter on this one too! – “So F**kin’ Romantic” by Matthew Koma continues to climb up to #11.
And three places below, we find talented Matthew again, in a pairing with talented production duo The Knocks, with the rhythmic and dreamy “I Wish (My Taylor Swift)”. It’s the fastest riser on the chart, charging up 24-14.
Toronto singer Diego Gomes has a new EP called The Beginning due this month. Until this new music arrives, we have the chipper and winning single “Bow Tie”, which climbs 21-17.
New Order is definitely on a roll with new single “Plastic”, which I anticipate will arrive on international dance charts very soon. It moves up 25-19. The enduring band has charted four times on this chart since its inception in 1998 – “Crystal” got to #2 in 2001, followed by Get Ready album tracks “Rock The Shack” (#12) and “Turn My Way” (#16), and then “Krafty” reached #5 in 2005.
Marianas Trench’s latest album Astoria is now on release and “One Love” is a delightful change of pace for them, recalling the diversity of 2009’s similarly conceptual Masterpiece Theatre. “One Love” climbs 23-20.
Those 4 Debuts
It should be no surprise that “Hello” by Adele is at the top of the debuts, crashing in at #15 with #1 high on its radar. Adele’s pristine vocal leads a song that anyone can identify with and should garner her a Grammy. This bodes extremely well for the upcoming album called 25. This is one song that will continue to sound grand over and over again.
At #25 is the bitter but danceable “Over” by Chicago-based EDM performer Goldhouse,which I wrote about not long ago. You’reguaranteed to be singing this one after one listen! Pick up the “Over” EP on iTunes.
At #26, is a song that I think is a perfect companion to Adele’s “Hello”. “The Voice” contestant Clinton Washington will make you swoon with his soaring vocal on his independent release “Hearts Beat Loud”.
The last debut at #27 is from an EP that I’m enjoying a whole lot. I was fortunate to see MAX (Schneider) recently in concert, and he’s a ball of energy who is extremely well-connected with his fans, even jumping into the audience to perform in the centre of the crowd. The title track from his EP Ms Anonymous also features a nice break by talented rapper Jared Evan.
The Full Chart
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
Versatile New York vocalist Reigen returns with an anthem that will touch you deep down inside as it does me called “Real New Yorker”. I worked in the equity field for a number of my early years with my company so the spirit of all forms of equality is embedded inside. “Real New Yorker” gets right in your face and between your ears, exactly what it should do to command immediate reaction with its chorus “the future is now”. There’s a bit of charming synth work at the beginning that sounds like it might burst into “The Neverending Story” 😉 and helps to set the stage brightly for what’s to come. Reigen’s vocal is committed and appropriately unrelenting. “Real New Yorker” is quite unlike the soulful EDM ballad “Come Back To Me” that reached #2 on my chart earlier this year. Reigen is a powerful, honest new voice and with songs like “Real New Yorker” I can only foresee great things for him and his music in 2016. Download “Real New Yorker” for free below #thefutureisnow 🙂
“Memories” is a pretty fierce dance club track lead by a powerful and urgent vocal by Sirah, who you recently heard on MAX (Schneider)’s EP Ms Anonymous, and of course is most noted for vocals on the Grammy-winning “Bangarang” by Skrillex. American DJ/producer KSHMR and Dutch comrades Bassjackers have created a haunting and propulsive song that doesn’t let up till it’s done. Then US futuristic dub remixer Snowmass takes the song many steps in a different direction (below) with ultra-creepy vocal effects that are just perfect for Hallowe’en or a late dark night. Play this remix LOUD.
BRANDYN BURNETTE featuring NEVELLE VIRACOCHA, “I Wanna Be (Free)” (video)
This is part one of a series of previews from Brandyn Burnette’s Made of Dreams EP, which will arrive on November 13. Track listing:
DOWN I WANNA BE (FREE) FT. NEVELLE VIRACOCHA NOTHING AT ALL MADE OF DREAMS NO INVITATION
LOST (STRIPPED)
I don’t usually write more than one or possibly two posts about the same song, but after it spent five non-consecutive appearances at the top of my personal chart, and after hearing a couple of remixes and watching the original and fan videos for Brandyn Burnette’s “I Wanna Be (Free)”, the song has become a key part of the core of my music in 2015 and likely this decade so far. In no matter what form, the song takes hold of you and does not let go.
This new interpretation, featuring rapper Nevelle Viracocha, only goes to show that a great song is diverse and adaptable to many styles of music. I originally thought “I Wanna Be (Free)” to be this carefree, southern California-influenced summer beach song of escape (from whatever you want). I still fondly think of it this way for my own enjoyment. But I’ve come to discover that the song was intended to be so much more, both a powerful and a societal statement about the desperate need to be free in various ways and forms.
“I Wanna Be (Free)” is all Brandyn, including production, and he also co-directed the new video, which has a chaotic feel to reinforce the emotion in the song. I’ve played this version for a few people, and some of them prefer it over the original. Nevelle’s powerful rap to me almost overwhelms the gorgeous piano at the start but the hip hop style sets the no-nonsense tone for the scenes that follow. This version is also a perfect companion to Brandyn’s other recent song “Stand Down (2150 A.D.)” . By the time the video is all done, the need to be free still continues, it’s a dream we all chase.
Watch the video above. It’s the kind of video that will make you react and want to say something. Feel free to add a comment on this blog post or tweet me @billcs .
Watch this blog for more previews from the Made of Dreams EP 🙂
One of the reasons why I’m a regular watcher of TV’s The Voice is to see where some of its finest contestants end up going next. Whether they get cut from the show at the Battle Rounds or any of the next steps, there is some immensely fine talent that just doesn’t fit into the rest of the competition. Arkansas native Clinton Washington ended up finishing his time on the show facing off against Top 5 contestant India Carney last season with their beautiful duet of Rihanna’s “Stay”, but he left an indelible mark with his distinct voice and commanding stage presence. His new single “Hearts Beat Loud” is a heart-wringer, and you may need a few tissues to help you get through. Clinton has an engaging and genuine delivery that is so becoming and fits easily alongside some of our finest singers today. Once you hear this knockout of a song you will wonder why it shouldn’t be front and centre on the radio, but alas that is not the nature of our business today. So give the video a good solid watch and look forward to hearing more from this very talented singer. Play it back to back with Adele’s “Hello” 🙂
After two decades of success front and centre in dance clubs with hits by BKS and Love Inc. as well as other collaborations and solo releases, Canadian singer Simone Denny’s debut album The Stereo Dynamite Sessions Volume 1 is now on release, with the reflective “Black Roses” as the lead off featured song. Last year of course I just adored the introduction to this project, “Your Love Fades Away, which got to #16 on my chart, a complete shift for Simone away from dance territory music and straight into her R&B roots as a sultry jazz/soul club songstress. It works beautifully, showing the power and emotion that is in fact the basis for so many dance music hits. And “Black Roses” extends this with its heartbreak and self-realization after the end of a relationship occurs. This is the kind of performance that should give Simone yet another Juno Awards nomination in the end (she already has 5 of those awards!). I’m looking forward to hearing the rest of the album – which also contains her ballad take on ABC’s “The Look Of Love” – so get to know “Black Roses” with the clip below, and pick up The Stereo Dynamite Sessions Volume 1 on iTunes.
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