“Bow Tie” by Canada’s @DiegoGomesmusic will have you spinning

DIEGO GOMES, “Bow Tie”

What, you mean it’s been 5 years already since Toronto’s Diego Gomes won Season 3 of YTV’s “The Next Star” TV competition (which also gave us Victoria Duffield)?  The now 18 year old singer hasn’t missed a step with his Diegonators rallying around him, most recently at the “Acoustic Bash” concert in Toronto in July.  And his new single “Bow Tie” is one of those kind of songs that’s so darned catchy you’re not going to want to admit you like it.  It’s a real cracker jack humdinger of a song that Canadian radio stations should waste no time in adding.  If the bar is being set for Diego with this song, then let’s see what an EP or full album might offer.  Don’t miss this one folks!

UK singer @JamieWoon returns via @PMRrecords with the soulful “Sharpness”

jamiewoon5

JAMIE WOON, “Sharpness”

Although he’s appeared on a few dance records (fellow new labelmates Disclosure on “January” from Settle) and as a remixer (Lana Del Rey’s “Video Games”), I was beginning to wonder when we’d hear more from 32 year old UK singer Jamie Woon after his unique and thoughtful debut album Mirrorwriting in 2011, which sent the evocative “Night Air” to the top of my personal chart.  His new song “Sharpness” is a fine taste of what’s to come.  Set to a chilled out mid-tempo beat, “Sharpness” continues Jamie’s intriguing storytelling but with more focus on a touching and soulful vocal this time over the ear-dropping electronic production which stood out on its own on his first release.  Less is often more so I anxiously await what comes next from Jamie.  Listen to “Sharpness” below and get it on iTunes.

https://soundcloud.com/woon/sharpness

Never stop to “Never Drop” with Italy’s #DRYdjofficial and @DJMirkoB

https://soundcloud.com/vireggs/dry-ft-dj-mirko-b-never-drop

DRY. & DJ Mirko B, “Never Drop”

There’s a lot of Italian club music out there and some of it becomes indistinguishable sometimes.  “Never Drop” is one of those exceptions, brought to us by two established Italian DJ’s, DRY. and DJ Mirko B (who you read about previously here  in the Spring with Sweden’s Anton Ewald on “Higher”).  “Never Drop” is one of those records that keeps you guessing as to what will come next.  It shifts comfortably from contemporary progressive Eurohouse to some funky 90’s throwback jamming.  But underneath is a beautiful, classic Europop melody!  “Never Drop” is a real crowd-pleaser.  Listen to an excerpt above, and you can also buy the full version from the Beatport link right here or get it on iTunes.

Party Up to @MatthewKoma’s new single “So F**kin’ Romantic” (plus a @MOTiofficial remix)

MATTHEW KOMA, “So F**kin’ Romantic”

It’s taken awhile, Matthew Koma’s first solo single since 2013’s “One Night” and with a new record deal with RCA, but the talented guy has kept himself busy writing for others (Kelly Clarkson and Shania Twain 😮 among them), DJing, and featuring on songs by Giorgio Moroder, Hardwell, Tiesto, Zedd, and more, so he’s never been away.  “So F**kin’ Romantic” I guess is not aimed at radio play 😉 but Matthew’s dominant presence as a voice in clubs make this a friendly and easy sell 🙂  Sometimes one doesn’t know what to do when you think you’re romantic, right?  You can go over-the-top but if the person you’re trying to please doesn’t get it, then what’s the point?  Time to party – and MOTi captures the sunny, tropical vibe of the original in his remix (below) which has a progressive edge to it with nods to the 80’s and other eras (not to mention saxophone – not the variety from Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop”).  If anything, “So F**kin’ Romantic” should make radio want to play more Matthew Koma, but we dance music lovers will take this one for ourselves!  A new album is completed – can’t wait to hear it all.

The Time is Right for @RiverTiber with EDM/Hip Hop influenced “Waves”

RIVER TIBER, “Waves”

It’s so great to watch Toronto’s River Tiber grow and evolve with “Waves” (co-produced by Danny Voicu, aka KwikFiks) after first seeing Tommy Paxton-Beesley and his band in a small club more than two years ago, and hearing an independent debut release which contained some of my favourite songs of 2013.  You can find all of what I’ve written about River Tiber by searching these blog pages.  

Tommy’s work and reputation led him to be prominently featured in BADBADNOTGOOD’s recent Sour Soul collaboration with Ghostface Killah, and having his own recent single “No Talk” sampled in “No Tellin'” on Drake’s latest album.  So not only can Tommy do his own unique thing but be a great go-to guy as well (he also toured as Justin Nozuka’s right hand guitar player).  

After all of this comes “Waves” from an upcoming EP appropriately titled When The Time Is Right, due in September.  While River Tiber’s early work was progressive/alternative pop, it has grown into dubstep flavoured EDM with significant Hip Hop and R&B influences on “Waves”.  The song has an eloquent feel as it glides along to make you picture a sea of calm waves, then 2/3 of the way through kicks it up with a House/R&B almost New Jack Swing flavoured climax and finale.  Fine vocals and painstakingly complex/lush instrumentation make “Waves” the perfect next step for River Tiber.

#BILLCSTop30 #463 – August 10/15

The amount of posts I write seems to have slowed down, but I do make them count 🙂 And my chart brings some of them full circle and also introduces you to some songs I adore that I haven’t written about (usually major name performers).  So the new chart has five debuts – don’t let the lower chart position belie how well these five will do in the coming weeks 🙂  As usual, current faves have to give up the ghost first!

The Top 10

  • What more can I possibly say about Brandyn Burnette’s “I Wanna Be (Free)”?  How about a fourth appearance (eighth week) at #1!  Just in time for the remix by The Bravos which I wrote about recently.  It’s going to be very hard to beat the Top 2 songs in this chart at year end!

  • And then there’s “Shine” by UK trio Years & Years.  I can’t understand why radio will not play this one in North America.  There’s a really powerful emotional undercurrent to “Shine”, which didn’t sink in until well after I stopped hearing it with one ear on a similar-sounding melody to Erik Hassle’s “No Words”.  It holds at #2 again, but “Shine” is looking to take over from “I Wanna Be (Free)” whenever that song surrenders #1.

  • It does have an ‘earworm’ of a chorus as my friend David kindly put it.  Toronto’s Dan Talevski has released a follow up called “My Religion” which I have not heard yet (but will in the next while undoubtedly), probably because I’m too wrapped up in “Guilty As Sin”, which rises to #3 for the talented singer.

  • I get the feeling of triumph every time I hear “Beauty Never Lies” by Serbia’s Bojana Stamenov.  The Eurovision finalist climbs up to #5 to anchor the Top 10 midway point 🙂

  • There is no doubt that “Kiss Me Quick” by Nathan Sykes (which climbs to #1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Play chart this week) has its druthers aimed for the top spot on this chart, and for now it bounds 12-6 while the UK singer continues to promote the song throughout the US.

  • Toronto quartet Smashing Satellites follow up their #3 chart hit “Waterfall” with the very different and ebullient “What It’s All About”, which has taken its time but lands at #8.

  • Rounding out the trio of Torontonians in the Top 10 is star-on-the-rise singer/songwriter/guitarist Francesco Yates with “Better To Be Loved” at #9.  Francesco sings on one of the debuts too!

https://soundcloud.com/penguin-prison/show-me-the-way

  • The fastest riser on the chart belongs to Penguin Prison with the effortless-sounding and breezy “Show Me The Way”, soaring 22-10, and the Top 10 is no stranger to PP who have cracked #1 twice before.  In the US, you can catch “Show Me The Way” in the latest Hulu ad 🙂  Not yet a single, but soon-to-be… I hope… pretty please…

Movin’ On Up

  • I can’t get enough of UK singer Martin Luke Brown’s vocal on “Take Out Of Me”.  This searing piece of soulful pop rises 19-11.

  • Another unique vocal appears in “East Side Bay” by L.A.-based producer/DJ – and yes vocalist – Mi Disguise.  This is one sneaky club track that deserves exposure, and climbs 15-12.

  • Amid fierce competition, Cobi Mike’s thoughtful and affecting “Walking Through The Fire” continues to move up 14-13 – check out the intriguing video (you’ll get past the point that the singer is naked throughout, really, you will).

  • When in doubt gain brownie points by using your country in your latest song title 😉  Seriously, “Girl From Sweden” by Eric Saade is a catchy singalong, and I’m sure you’ll find the singer dancing in the Swedish countryside one day with pretty girls in hand 😉  The song rises 18-15.

  • Performers who collaborate with their significant others often make fine music together.  Such is the case with Molly Moore, whose “Natural Disaster” climbs 25-19 (Brandyn Burnette is a co-writer).  I wrote about another top notch song by Molly not long ago called “Don’t Believe It”, which saw official release on iTunes last week. Much more new music to come!

  • Canadians J-Mi and Midi-D are off to a great start with their recent single “So Much For That”.  Not only is it loads of fun, with its 90’s Europop backdrop, but these underdogs, remixers and ravers alike, have created a song that absolutely anyone can identify with.  The video is a hoot and the nerd in us all will appreciate it.  “So Much For That” climbs 26-21.

Those 5 Debuts

  • I must admit to have been totally blown away by the collaboration of New York producer/DJ’s The Chainsmokers with fellow New Yorkers Great Good Fine OK on “Let You Go”.  But the song IMO has been immensely improved with a throttling Tiesto remix which is available for free download on Soundcloud!! “Let You Go” is the highest debut, arriving at #22.

  • It was a fine few weeks for dance music and NERVO land their first chart entry with “The Other Boys” at #23 from their new album Collateral.  The powerful mix plus Kylie Minogue and Jake Shears on vocals, carried by propulsive guitar work by Nile Rodgers should send this to the top of the national dance charts in short order.  I wish that pop radio would be open to playing it but alas I expect not.

  • The Weeknd doesn’t need my blog’s help with all of his success, to be seen in December come Grammy Awards nomination time.  His latest single, “I Can’t Feel My Face”, from the upcoming Beauty Behind The Madness (which I predict will be the #1 album of 2015), arrives at #25.  Despite all of his obvious influences, The Weeknd makes every song his own and that’s part of his appeal!  That he comes from my part of Toronto speaks volumes too 😀

  • Meanwhile, back to Francesco Yates… who sings lead on the latest single from Grammy nominee Robin Schulz on “Sugar”, the title song from Robin’s upcoming album.  The inclusion of lyrics from Baby Bash & Frankie J’s “Suga Suga” is a bonus, but kind of interesting in a roundabout way when you think that Francesco himself (who is 19) was a mere lad when the original came out in 2003.  “Sugar” premieres at #27 and the video is quite slaptsticky-funny if you suspend your disbelief.

  • The final debut belongs to Disclosure featuring Sam Smith once again on “Omen”.  This trio must get into a room and just know when they’ve written a hit.  Although “Latch” did take a while to catch on in North America (eventually climbing to #1 on this chart), “Omen” arrives signed and sealed for success.  It debuts at #28 and comes from Disclosure’s forthcoming album Caracal.

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 🙂

You can hear me online on http://www.planetradio.ca every Monday at 10:00 pm EST counting down a Toronto Top 10 chart from yesteryear!

The reeemix is here for @BrandynBurnette’s “I Wanna Be (Free)” courtesy of @TheBravosNation

https://soundcloud.com/thebravosnation/brandyn-burnette-i-wanna-be-free-the-bravos-remix

BRANDYN BURNETTE, “I Wanna Be (Free)” (The Bravos Remix)

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when Brandyn recently announced that his gorgeous “I Wanna Be (Free)” (the current #1 on my chart and one of my very favourite songs of 2015) was being remixed.  It’s kind of just delicately perfect the way it is.  But as I always say, music is open to interpretation and producers/remixers The Bravos certainly focused on the open-air kind of vibe of the song and ran with it in a trippy, dubsteppy direction.  So while the song’s powerful lyrics get sacrificed here, the result is a fun club remix to which (as the remix will tell you) you can indeed shake your booty.  Give it a listen above and don’t say I didn’t warn you if you find your body grooving to it without much mental effort 🙂  Watch for it next week on iTunes and elsewhere!

NYC’s @Traedonya! returns with the classic soul of “Simply Beautiful UR” (featuring Irish Soulflower)

TRAEDONYA! featuring IRISH SOULFLOWER, “Simply Beautiful UR”

Ironically, it was exactly two years ago that I first wrote about NYC R&B singer Traedonya! with her unique cover of Sly & The Family Stone’s “Family Affair”.  Always busy, Traedonya! is back with the taut and soulful “Simply Beautiful UR” featuring Irish Soulflower.  There is no doubt in my mind that Janet Jackson deliberately took a similar direction with her great new single “No Sleeep”.  It’s not easy to be lush and restrained in these days of powerhouses like Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, and Iggy Azalea ruling the R&B charts.  Put Traedonya! in the same company as Janet or Alicia Keys or Mary J. Blige, and listen to the way that her flavour glistens to the music.  Bar none, having grown up in a household where classic R&B was played much of the time, Traedonya! knows the way that style should be done on “Simply Beautiful UR”.  Download this delight for free right here.

Meet Australian Pop/EDM singer/songwriter/producer Paul Hetherington (@PaulHmusic) with “Me Against The World”

PAUL HETHERINGTON, “Me Against The World”

26 year old Paul Hetherington thus far has been noted as a producer and remixer for talent as diverse as Adam Tyler, SIRPAUL, and Ro Danishei (aka Bad W0lfy and one half of Wrathschild with Simon Curtis), all previously written up in these blog pages.  The affable Aussie goes full tilt pop/EDM with “Me Against The World”, which he wrote, produced, and also sings.  He’s tested the waters with covers of Matthew Wilde’s “Break My Stride” and TyDi’s “Chase You Down” on his Soundcloud page.  “Me Against The World” is a solid, bold, empowering song when you just need to take a stand and do it your own way, and has a memorable chorus.  Paul has managed to produce his own vocals quite well, leaving them still raw in spots, but adding punch where it counts, and the rhythm track itself isn’t too heavy, definitely balanced for pure pop appeal.  I do feel that some remixes might be in order though!  And I’d like to see some other collaborators for production who could definitely help Paul go to the next level.  “Me Against The World” is a fine debut and is available on iTunes on Friday August 7!

It’s GREAT to have brand new music from @NewOrder: “Restless”

NEW ORDER, “Restless”

After the resounding success of their 2013-14 touring which coincided with the release of the Lost Sirens record (additional songs recorded at the same time as 2005’s Waiting For the Sirens Call), it was inevitable but still GREAT to have New Order back now with new music.  “Restless” is the lead single from their upcoming album Music Complete, due in September.  For fans like me, “Restless” is everything you knew to expect from New Order that you really enjoy about their music.  It doesn’t carve out new territory, but shows how visionary the band was to create their own sound in the alternative dance music sub-genre which has turned out to fit like a glove, anywhere, anytime.  This release also continues to show that while we may miss Peter Hook’s influential and resilient bass work, after over 30 years together it is time to move on.  I can’t wait to hear Music Complete and some of the rumoured collaborations on the record (Brandon Flowers, La Roux, among them).  You can buy “Restless” on iTunes now, but if you pre-order Music Complete, you will get it for free.