“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.
A project that seems to be sliding under the radar, though receiving raves particularly from Franz Ferdinand fans, is FFS’ self-titled album, released earlier this year. I wrote about the partnership between Franz Ferdinand and the classic brothers Sparks earlier this year for the first single “Johnny Delusional”. Digging deeper into the album, a new video for “Call Girl” has surfaced. And while “Johnny Delusional” may have seemed more inspired by Sparks, “Call Girl” is classic Franz Ferdinand melody and video-wise. But the collaboration has this uniquely weird and inspired synergy between both lead singers and the results are definitely on-point. Give it a watch above.
Songwriter Charlie Mason definitely saved one of his best Hallowe’en treats for Spanish vocalist Bruno Alexander with “Vampire Bites” (co-written with Mark “Big” Smith). Though Bruno has a soft, romantic-styled vocal, the song delivers a sultry ‘n steamy power with its club flavour and memorable chorus. Plus, the video only reaffirms that if you trust a dark handsome stranger, he may in fact be a vampire 😛 In the world of entertainment lately, the vampires often win, but it adds for a little bit of Hallowe’en every day, doesn’t it? There’s also a Ricardo Autobahn extended mix of “Vampire Bites” to take things further on the dance floor. Give the entertaining video a watch above.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, just make it even better! 90’s dance floor queen Rozalla made a huge and kind of unexpectedly splashy comeback earlier this year with “If You Say It Again”, which made it seem like old times by reaching #3 on the Billboard Dance Club Play chart. So with the same team in mind, and the addition of producer/DJ’s House Of Virus, we now have the sizzling “Shadows Of The Moon”. This is the kind of feel good, designed-for-nightlife song that should soar its way to #1, which Rozalla experienced three times in 1992-93 with her classics “Everybody’s Free (To Feel Good)”, “Are You Ready To Fly”, and her cover of The O’Jays’ “I Love Music”. “Shadows Of The Moon” literally leaps out of the speakers with that familiar voice and classic rhythm. It’s beckoning you now – so watch the video above and let your feet do the talking. Remixes are coming – again by the same folks behind those of “If You Say It Again”, so you know there will be instant variety, and they will also join the currently-charting “A Higher High” by Nathalie Archangel (read my blog post right here).
BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT, “Blood Moon (I Did Give You Love)”
It’s hard to find the many different sides of love that make up a sometimes indecipherable, intangible object. Rod Thomas has a knack for finding them through his own experiences and observations, as readers of this blog know very well since I first started writing about Bright Light Bright Light in early 2010. “Blood Moon (I Did Give You Love)” is an introspective new single, on release October 30, which takes the singer off the dance floor for a bit and into a reflection on romance where he clearly wonders what went wrong and if he meant anything at all in the relationship. It’s a hard place to find oneself and Rod’s gentle way of detailing it all makes “Blood Moon” work so well. Think of it as an introduction to the next full Bright Light Bright Light project. BLx2 is currently on tour in select cities with much-praised singer/songwriter John Grant.
I wrote about the New Jersey-based singer Edifon last year when he introduced me to his single “Let Go” and its infectious hook with low key charm. With his new single “Tell Me” he has amped up the charm with a positive message and a laid back vibe, complemented by Riff Raph’s rap break. “Tell Me” should really be subtitled “What Makes You Beautiful” if not for confusion with the One Direction song. Anyone who knows about self-appreciation and self-worth will enjoy Edifon’s message and can share it with others who don’t feel that way. The singer has also upped the ante with pop-crossover flavour that attracts listeners to singers like Jason Derulo, so you can easily picture hearing it on the radio. Check out a snipped of “Tell Me” above, but I think you’re gonna like it enough to pick up the full song on iTunes.
Despite a bit of a busy spell which meant much less blog posts than usual since the last chart, I hope to make up for that during the next two weeks! The chart continues to be busy with a new #1 and four debuts. So without further adieu…
The Top 10
“Let You Go”, the R&B-infused single from River Tiber’s When The Time Is Right EP, garners the pole position. It’s River Tiber’s third jaunt at #1, following 2012’s “Someday” and 2013’s “The City”. But Tommy Paxton-Beesley is definitely on the right track with his new songs; River Tiber’s recent performance at Adelaide Hall in Toronto to me was a personal best! Folks, be sure to check out When The Time Is Right on iTunes.
Zipping all the way to #6 we go for a new Top 10 entry from Brooklyn’s Great Good Fine OK, who also reside with The Chainsmokers at #3 with the other “Let You Go”. “Something To Believe In” is the compelling duet with St. Lucia full of gorgeous vocals and instrumentation. It’s from GGFO’s EP 2M2H.
Vancouver’s Tyler Shaw is on point with his current single “Dizzy” from his debut album Yesterday. You can hear it all across Canada on the radio (all the more reason for international readers to find this out with online radio links). “Dizzy” climbs to #7.
Venturing into my city for a concert with a serious of guest singers is Disclosure, who with Sam Smith glide up to #8 with “Omen”. It’s their third Top Tenner following last year’s #1 “Latch” (with Sam) and #10 “F For You” (with Mary J. Blige).
Also new in the Top 10, following that infectious seductive piece of business called “Guilty As Sin” (which peaked at #3, and falls off the chart) is a soft and sinewy number called “My Religion” by Toronto’s Dan Talevski, climbing 18-9. Canadians continue to boom in the Top 10, with River Tiber, Tyler Shaw, and Dan all aboard (Dan also co-wrote Tyler’s previous single “House of Cards”).
Sugar can get stuck easily but with a little persuasion it can be moved. After holding at #13, “Sugar” by Robin Schulz and Francesco Yates continues to advance up to #11, with its amusing slapsticky video well worth watching.
While Brandyn Burnette’s #1 “I Wanna Be (Free)” had a deservedly phenomenal ride on this chart for the last 20 weeks, it moves down to #2 and will depart the chart, leaving room for the heartfelt and catchy “Life’s A Beach” to continue to rise. It leaps 22-12. A reminder – it’s available for free from Brandyn’s website as part of The Bright Side Mixtape.
Dance clubs totally get it and the so song is headed for the Top 20 on Billboard’s Dance Club Play chart. Matthew Koma’s “So F**kin’ Romantic” moves up 17-14 – more Matthew to come!
Can you say DNCE?? Well if you like to DNCE then you can say it 😛 Joe Jonas’ new project is well on its way with the carefree “Cake By The Ocean” climbing 25-17. Check out the new video above, which is light years away from The Jonas Brothers.
Like Brandyn Burnette and Great Good Fine OK, Sam Smith has two entries in the chart, the latest being the theme from the upcoming James Bond movie “SPECTRE”, “Writing’s On The Wall”, which moves up 23-19.
“Bow Tie” by Diego Gomes (another Canadian!) gets far too easily stuck between your ears thanks to a snappy vocal and clever lyrics. It rises 27-21.
Premiering
Leading the debuts is “I Wish (My Taylor Swift)”, a special pairing off DJ/producers The Knocks and singer Matthew Koma at #24. Despite its title and subject matter, it’s a really clever song with a laid back, dreamy melody. It’s the second appearance for The Knocks on this chart, following their 2013 cover of M83’s “Midnight City” with Mandy Lee (#8).
Arriving for the first time since 2005’s “Krafty” (#5) on this chart is enduring UK quintet New Order, one of my favourite bands of all time who have recorded many must-have’s in my book – “Blue Monday”, “The Perfect Kiss”, “Fine Time”, the list goes on and on. Their latest album and first for Mute Records is Music Complete – their best IMO since 1989’s Technique. “Plastic” is the second single, which bows at #25. It’s New Order creating dance music at its best, drawing from numerous influences through the 70’s to their own music and perhaps even Bernard Sumner’s 90’s side project Electronic. Turn it up loud and move those feet!
Bowing at #28 is a duet between 17 year old Swedish star Zara Larsson and new UK sensation MNEK with “Never Forget You”. The pairing is just dynamite, and I predict great things for both song and singers. Readers of this blog know that I’ve written about MNEK several times since 2012, when the talented singer/writer/producer – who recently co-wrote and sang on Madonna’s “Living For Love” (!) – was also just 17. He’s since been similarly behind the scenes for UK #1’s by Oliver Heldens, Little Mix, and Duke Dumont, too.
Rounding out the chart at #29 is the latest single from Years & Years’ still-stunning debut album Communion. The gorgeous ballad “Eyes Shut” debuts as long-lasting #1 “Shine” leaves the chart. It’s the group’s fourth chart entry also following “King” (#1) and “Desire” (#7).
You can hear me online onhttp://www.planetradio.ca every Monday after 10:00 pm EST counting down a Toronto Top 10 chart from yesteryear!
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