Regular readers of this blog will know of my enthusiasm for any new music by Australia’s Beamish Brothers over the last four or five years. The guys – Jeremy and Ben – always make interesting, thoughtful, well-produced songs with inspired arrangements which often have unique soulful or funky backdrops.
But the big reveal happened recently on Instagram where the two officially launched their solo side projects, Jude York and benjamin. And it was led by announcing Jude York would be a contestant at last week’s “Australia Decides” EuroVision concert with his new single, while benjamin got publicity for his single in the bright lights of New York City’s Times Square. So let’s check out both singers’ new songs.
JUDE YORK, “I Won’t Need To Dream”
“I Won’t Need To Dream” is a gorgeous ballad, inspired intentionally or not by 1930’s musicals, that is decidedly unlike the songs you’ve heard from The Beamish Brothers. But it represents tremendous growth for Jude (aka Jeremy) as you will see in the live clip from “Australia Decides” above. While he won’t be representing Australia at EuroVision, you just know that many music fans are going to remember this song and performance, which oozed so much charm, sung in a beautiful key with some resplendent high notes at the end. No wonder Darren Hayes (who was one of the evening’s judges) was impressed!
benjamin, “Tunnel Vision”
Just as you will recognize Jude/Jeremy’s precision and high notes from Beamish Brothers songs, you’ll recognize benjamin’s inviting earthier tones in a fitting soulful and jazzy alt.pop setting in his single “Tunnel Vision”. This is a confident and more logical follow up to Beamish Brothers singles like “Dollar At The Heart” and “Anxious”, with an undeniable groove and hook that runs through the song. “Tunnel Vision” would sound great early on in the evening in a club, where it would be a unique mood-setter, and I’d also pitch it to college and alternative radio stations looking for a snappy song to brighten up their playlists.
Ashwyn is a talented singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer who ditched a rising career as electronic dance producer Astra for more creative pursuits while still a teen. He’s released a series of very different singles over the course of the last year, including the warm and compelling “Sell My Soul”. Surprisingly, he’s returned to more of a pop/dance release with “Feelings of Yesterday”, but this is not your cookie-cutter overproduced dance music that clutters up the radio these days. He’s made a fine decision to create a memorable, beautifully sung song that’s actually meant to convey the feelings of isolation and loneliness as many people have felt during the pandemic. The song has such a great rhythm, perfect for a long drive along a beach coast or late at night when the sky is full of stars, that Ashwyn stops singing and lets it take over halfway, which allows your mind to wander and your feet to do their thing on a club dance floor should you be so inclined. “Feelings of Yesterday” is a distinct new emotional dance track that takes risks while being perfectly accessible. It’s from Ashwyn’s forthcoming EP of the same name.
If you want a song that will totally change your mood, then “Middle of June” by Manchester singer/songwriter Jessica Luise is just the tonic for you. It’s a dreamy, vibrant, optimistic song about falling in love. I enjoy particularly how Jessica has chosen a time of year, somewhere in the world, where the song takes place. In much of the world, June is a warm, sunny month and of course a favourite for weddings. Without even looking at the press materials, I found that Jessica sounded immediately similar to Harriet Wheeler of British group The Sundays, best known for the early 90’s hit “Here’s Where The Story Ends”. But “Middle Of June” will definitely help Jessica Luise carve out her own path with a trail of positive vibes right behind.
A rising talent to continue to keep an ear out for is Manchester, England’s Scott Magnus. I’ve introduced you to him through his earnest and compelling songs, the rousing “The Phoenix”, and “Break My Heart”. His latest release is “Don’t Take Away My Purpose”, and what you hear is what you get – this is straight up honest and heartfelt pop/rock guitar-led music which Scott wears proudly on his sleeve. His distinct voice can easily rattle you with emotion as he expressively sings his truth. Scott also juggles singing with modeling and acting, advocating for people with disabilities, and facing daily challenges as a person with ADHD, Autism and Dyspraxia himself, which makes this successful multi-tasking all the more amazing. “Don’t Take Away My Purpose” simply does not disappoint. The video for the song drops next week, and in the meantime you can check out the teaser short below.
In the not-so-long-ago, the enigmatic L.A.-based producer PatrickReza put his unique touches on other people’s work through remixes for most of the major dance labels, and then released some solo songs that got lost in the pop/dance spectrum. A few years ago he found his groove in the progressive electronic/dubstep genre, and has returned with the taut and dark “Tears” from his 3-song EP “Blood, Sweat, Tears”, featuring a song with each of those words. “Tears” to me is by far the most intriguing, with haunting imagery that recalls 90’s Massive Attack that would be interesting to see put into visual form. The deliberate but focused production keeps you hanging on whatever comes next both musically and lyrically, making “Tears” the kind of song that would instill a hush over a noisy crowd when played in a club or in concert. “Tears” isn’t for everyone but open-minded listeners with a bent for unpredictable electronic production will love it.
While “Don’t Play With Fire” shows off a well-done but conventional guitar-based acoustic style, it’s Jot Singh’s pristine vocal tones that are the star of the show in which you can get to know him better. And if you’ve got a solid song that fits like a glove in this style, then it almost assuredly will win over some new fans. Kansas-born but now based in L.A., Jot has embarked on his journey with the help of seasoned professionals like bassist Sean Hurley and engineer Wil Anspach. With his vocal, songwriting and guitar talents in the bag, all Jot Singh needs now is an audience, and where good music travels, the audience follows. Be sure to give some love to “Don’t Play With Fire”.
While there often doesn’t seem to be a lot of demand for soft pop these days, there is an audience for it that doesn’t bow down to social media connections. Toronto producer, musician and songwriter James de Pinho is otherwise known as Beta One, as he steps away from dance music for the gentle ballad “A Galaxy Of Stars”. With a low-key but appropriate vocal by Toronto singer Locul, “A Galaxy Of Stars” is about trying to find your soulmate in this vast world of ours, and often feeling like a “speck of light” when we’re “hiding in plain sight”. But Beta One has turned that feeling of disappointment into a positive as the melody line becomes uplifting though still poignant – we are all a part of “A Galaxy Of Stars” with our many unique talents and traits.
Intro To Music Theory are producers and brass players Matt Waters and Matthew Busch, who are also California-bred music educators currently based in Hainan, China, and have channeled a bevy of influences into the rousing nightclub track “It’s An Attitude”. The result is a bit like creating a great soup – you add in all of the right ingredients and the result is something tasty and original. A provocative mix of jazz and 70’s funk anchors “It’s An Attitude”. There’s always something going on in the song for you to hear that will tickle your fancy, and of course the treat of showcasing live instruments like trumpet and trombone is not often heard in contemporary pop crossover music. So “It’s An Attitude” is most likely to cater to the whims of the sometimes fussy dance music crowd who are often yearning for something like this to dazzle them. Matt and Matthew have also started their own distribution company, Unchained Music, recognizing the potential for musicians to have control over their own work and find a new path towards monetization, a 100% free platform powered by DeFi and NFTs.
The shortest month in the year has come and gone as quickly as ever, but it’s jammed packed with new music, some of which I hope to feature in the coming two weeks. In the meantime, there’s no shortage of activity on the new chart which features four unique new entries!
I’m excited for what Swedish pop/rock band Louis Pax will bring us in 2022, as the 80’s inspired “Bad Things” continues in a second appearance at #1! This quartet with a diverse set of influences and the amazing lead vocals of Oscar Reingsdahl did a Q&A on Instagram last week and offered up an acoustic version of their recent single “Spanish Rain”. You can check out the new lyric video for that song below, with a follow up single expected soon!
Right now “Bad Things” is keeping #1 away from Darren Hayes’ “Let’s Try Being In Love” – a pretty hard thing to do – which moves up 3-2. The singer is currently in his native Australia and was a judge this weekend at their EuroVision entry contest.
The Weeknd’s 80’s soaked “Less Than Zero” from the Dawn FM is one to watch as it climbs 7-3. Somewhat surprisingly, it becomes The Weeknd’s second highest entry on my chart, next to 2016’s #1 “Starboy” with the now re-formed Daft Punk.
“High” is a song that invades my head and stays there for a long time whenever I play it. So, accordingly, The Chainsmokers have the Fastest Riser for the second chart in a row, soaring 16-6. Up next for the guys amid touring is the follow-up single “iPad”.
Martin Garrix gets his first Top 10 on my chart since 2018’s “High On Life” with “Won’t Let You Go” (14-9), in collaboration with Russia’s Matisse & Sadko, and vocalist John Martin, who obtains his second Top 10 a little over 9 years after Swedish House Mafia’s #1 “Don’t You Worry Child”.
Rounding out the Top 10 is UK queen of house Karen Harding, whose “Sweet Vibrations” climbs 12-10, becoming her 6th Top 10 entry since the end of 2020.
“Don’t Wake Me Up” by Jonas Blue and Why Don’t We climbs 19-13 and has designs on the Top 10 next week.
Years and Years has the rare feat of having three songs on the chart right now. While “Sweet Talker” peaked at #2 on the last chart, the title track (above) from the album Night Call climbs 20-15. And Olly Alexander’s voice has never sounded better, full of poise and control, than on the album track “Reflection”, which is only available on the deluxe versions of Night Call. “Reflection” (below) arrives on the chart at #26.
“The Half Moon Came Up In The Sky” (above) may be an inauspicious release for Frankmusik, but it’s turning out to be one of my favourite songs by him, as it climbs 24-16. He is currently re-recording his 2009 album Complete Me, and you can check out the first tastes of this new work “In Step Completed” and “Better Off As 2 Completed” below.
“Careless” by Mahalo and Milkwish featuring the recognizable voice of Lena Leon climbs 25-18, and is certainly one of the best and most infectious deep house tracks on release right now.
We definitely weren’t ready for Odesza’s first release in four years (aside from their Bronson collaboration). I guess “Loyal” (which reached #1 on this chart in 2018) was a jumping off point for dabbling in early R&B and fusing it with the duo’s progressive sounds. So they took Bettye LaVette’s 1965 R&B hit “Let Me Down Easy”, in full collaboration with the now-76 year old singer, and created the new epic “The Last Goodbye”, which arrives on the chart at #23. This one must be listened to multiple times to be appreciated. The depth of production and reverence for its source is extremely impressive, and by my ears, Grammy Award-worthy.
Next up at #27 is “Cold Shoulder”, the debut chart entry from mystery American dance producers Electric Polar Bears with UK singer/songwriter Katie Sky. This one has it all – top notch production, a distinct vocal, and engaging songwriting. The EPB’s are known for their entertaining live sets, and of course they wear polar bear disguises on their heads.
The fourth debut at #28 is chart-returnee Jully Black with “No Relation”. It’s the striking Canadian talent’s first chart entry since 2015’s “Fever” (#8). It’s also Jully’s 8th chart entry, and they go back to 1999’s “Rally’n” (#4)!
View the full BILLCS Top 30 right here! Click on the hyperlink on the song titles to hear the songs or watch the videos!
Listen to the BILLCS Top 30 Songs on Spotify! You can also follow me on Spotify at the following link: BILLCS Top 30 Songs.
Radio GTA– listen to The Big 20 from 10pm to Midnight EST on Wednesdays as “The Musicman” James Rogers and I bring you the latest in new songs. And on Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 6pm I bring you “Your Weekend New Music Mix” six hours of commercial-free music from the 2000’s including many song choices from this blog.
Halton Hills Online– “Your Weekend Music Mix” has a second home on Saturday and Sunday evenings from 8pm to Midnight! It’s a different mix from Radio GTA’s show, and like that one it is also commercial free, proudly brought to you by Symposium Cafe Restaurant & Lounge in Georgetown, Ontario!
The 3D Variety Show by Planet Radio Canada – I’m featured Tuesdays between 7 and 7:30 pm with my New Music Pick of the Week on “The 3D Variety Show” with “The Musicman” James Rogers, and I also join occasionally for looks at music from our past through some live segments. A repeat of “The 3D Variety Show” now airs on Wednesdays at 7pm EST on Radio GTA .
My New Music Pick of the Week also now airs on Radio GTA Wednesdays at 11:15 pm EST, Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm EST, on Halton Hills Onlineon Saturdays and Sundays at 10pm EST, and now on Mix88.ca‘s “Addictive Energy” show with Hunter Wilbur on Saturdays at 9pm EST.
Over the last few years, L.A. based singer/songwriter Molly Moore has been honing a chill alt.pop style heavily influenced by jazz, hip hop and R&B, and even pre-rock era pop, that suits her to an “M”! Her recent four-song EP Escapism truly shows a pop chameleon now at work, someone who is taking risks while sounding creatively immersed too. This is several steps away from her past electronic pop and her songs with former beau Brandyn Burnette as duo Cosmos & Creature which I’ve written about over the last 7 years or so. “Marco Polo” is eclectic and entertaining, highly representative of the Escapism title in terms of discovering someone who is mutually interested in enjoying a fun, light-hearted time with one another. It features a nicely matched, carefree-sounding vocal interjection by co-writer, German-born singer/songwriter NoMBe. The vibe is original and catchy and Molly is definitely at her best here. Do check out the full EP for a well-rounded picture of Molly Moore’s current sound.
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