Meet England’s M. Pike @michaelpasut with edgy but thoughtful rocker “Worthy”

M. PIKE, “Worthy”

“Worthy” is a song that seems to belong in part to a couple of different eras, the post-grunge of the late 90’s when Green Day emerged, and the post-punk of the late 70’s when Elvis Costello and The Clash came into prominence. I’m not sure if that’s what Italy-born, London-based singer/songwriter M. Pike had in mind, but it certainly fuels his music with appeal.  Labeling himself as “the artist of new era”, “Worthy” is bold, edgy and thoughtful – my immediate comparison is to 80’s British rocker Pete Wylie (aka The Mighty Wah), right down to the spoken word reassurance to us all at the two and a half minute mark.  M. Pike’s voice reminds me of Wylie-meets-Billie Joe Armstrong, but with a soulful and more precise undercurrent. “Worthy” tricks you into thinking it will be an all acoustic jam, but the song ignites and you’re in for a pleasant, unique rockin’ ride for these times.

Meet Finland’s Lalalow with a dreamy song written with introverts in mind called “Sensory Deprivation”

LALALOW, “Sensory Deprivation”

With a title like “Sensory Deprivation”, you might expect some heady, minimalist, experimental electronic work that might just go right over your head.  Instead, meet the Finnish duo Lalalow (vocalist/keyboardist Nina Jackson and guitarist/bassist Tommi Laivamaa) who have put a lot of thought into creating a brief dreamscape with introverts in mind with “Sensory Deprivation”.  This is not to say that everyone can’t find something to enjoy about the song. The worthy idea here is that introverts (like yours truly) enjoy their time with themselves and do a lot of creative thinking, so why not channel that into a mellow, surreal escape, with Nina’s voice sounding like a cousin of Jessie Ware over lovely instrumentation full of subtleties.  At only 2:54, the song is over sooner than you are aware, making it well worth repeating.  So in the end, don’t think, just sit back, relax, and imagine…

Toronto’s @theAvaKay creates cinematic, sweeping pop with debut single “Wild Again”

AVA KAY, “Wild Again”

Perhaps even a deeper hidden secret in the music biz than fellow singer/songwriters Sia and Julia Michaels, Toronto’s Ava Kay has been behind the scenes for years writing for others, including Afrojack, Raghav and Tyler Shaw, and has had her songs placed in by Disney, Hallmark, and Canada’s CBC.  Stepping out of the shadows, Ava makes a notable splash with her debut single “Wild Again”. Led with a beautiful, rich vocal, “Wild Again” is cinematic pop of the best kind, a reflective song that, as she says herself, was made “without any compromises”.  I’m so glad to be hearing strings (or, as it is sometimes, synth strings) in recent releases again, and here they are used to their best effect, making the emotional song sweeping and magnetic.  We can’t help it here in Canada if we keep churning out great talent – watch for Ava Kay to make her mark again, this time as a performer.

French producer @GianniKosta returns with Canada’s @Dragonette for earworm “Phantom”

GIANNI KOSTA x DRAGONETTE, “Phantom”

It’s great to see two talents come together who haven’t been often in the public lately, them being French producer and remixer Gianni Kosta and Canadian duo Dragonette.  Gianni Kosta is a well-respected producer known for high-powered remixes of songs by the likes of Demi Lovato and Lost Frequencies, and releases his own music now and again.  “Phantom” takes a few spins but it’s definitely an earworm that has pop radio potential.  Since their last album, 2016’s Royal Blues, Dragonette has largely been a collaborating force, most recently with artists like Shaun Frank (2018’s Canadian pop radio hit “Tokyo Nights”, also with Digital Farm Animals), Autograf, Klingande, and Plastic Plates. “Phantom” brings back to our attention the definitive voice of Martina Sorbara, who also co-wrote the song with Gianni.  “Phantom” is a tease with a dash of sleaze, and fans of both Gianna Kosta and Dragonette will enjoy it immensely while it attracts new fans as well.

French-American rock singer/songwriter @NordiBlu returns with taut, anthemic “Eye Of The Hurricane”

NORDI BLU, “Eye Of The Hurricane”

I wrote about Nordi Blu’s powerful debut single “Skin” back in 2019, and the promise of more music from the talented French-American (but Berlin-raised) singer/songwriter who had previously placed in the quarter-finals of “The Voice Of Germany” TV contest had to wait two years, which can be a long time in the fast moving music industry. Needless to say, she has picked up where she left off with “Eye Of The Hurricane”.  Singers in the rock genre often don’t have polished voices with great tones, and that is where Nordi Blu has a noteworthy advantage. Her vocal allows “Eye” to be a better-than-average anthem, while contributing heavily to its taut, commanding atmosphere.  I would love to see Nordi Blu duet with Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons and hear them both blow the house down!  Now that she’s back, I hope we’ll get to listen to more fine new songs from Nordi Blu this year.

Check out the chill but haunting dance-pop of “Take It Slow” by Washington DC’s @TeddyBeats with vocal by Baltimore’s @JoleeNikoal

TEDDY BEATS and JOLEE NIKOAL, “Take It Slow”

“Take It Slow” is the kind of chill but rhythmic dance pop that helps set the stage for a big party.  It’s haunting, hypnotic and graceful, brought to you by Washington DC producer Teddy Beats and Baltimore vocalist Jolee Nikoal.  Both have worked together a number of times over the past few years, and there is an obvious chemistry here.  Teddy Beats is otherwise known as a future house DJ and remixers whose music has received high level support by SiriusXM Chill and placements on playlists like Starbucks Coffee House Pop.  He’s remixed for the likes of Don Diablo, Loud Luxury and Throttle, among others.  But circling back to his own songs , there is another musical identity to explore now, when people are likely to be at their most attentive, which is the perfect time to get to know it through songs like “Take It Slow”.

Norway’s @Dunisco returns with @RobbieRosenlive’s killer vocal on deep house banger “When I Lost You”

 

DUNISCO and ROBBIE ROSEN, “When I Lost You”

There’s always room in my book for a dance banger of some sort, and 2020 and 2021 are good years for memorable ones in the deep house genre.  Norwegian electronic dance producer Dunisco gives “When I Lost You” all the sheen that’s needed, with punchy synths and memorable drops which work in tandem with a killer vocal from NYC singer/songwriter and “American Idol” Top 20 contestant Robbie Rosen.  And it follows up some great songs by both artists, those being Dunisco’s fervid “Heaven In A Heartbreak”, and Robbie’s “Fantasy” (with Saxity and Victor Perry) and the electro-ballad “Last Breath” (with Kacey Fifield), all of which I’ve written about.  The dynamite chorus of “When I Lost You” will have you singing and the beats will keep you boppin’ along.

“Myself In You” is the fun new collaboration by Italy’s Lordnox and NYC’s Victor Perry @wallflowerperry

LORDNOX and VICTOR PERRY, “Myself In You”

A song like “Myself In You” sets the stage for a brighter Springtime where hope (and maybe love) is in the air.  It’s brought to you by Italian producer/DJ Lordnox and NYC singer/songwriter Victor Perry.  Lordnox provides a slick soundscape to structure the setting for Victor’s voice to pull out all stops in the winning chorus. For any average singer, getting through the chorus in all high notes is a challenge, but Victor’s talents make it seamless, which helps make the song even tighter.  Songs by Lordnox and Victor have collectively accrued over 25 million streams, so wisely bringing them together not only works out beautifully with “Myself In You” but bears repeating.  

“When You’re Home” by Canada’s @TylerShawmusic gets a smashing deep house makeover by @Dzekomusic

TYLER SHAW, “When You’re Home” (Dzeko remix)

In its original version, which was released not too long ago, “When You’re Home” by British Columbia’s Tyler Shaw is a poignant, dark ballad that has a sweeping second half.  Following up the effervescent first single “Remember”, it perhaps was too much of a change of pace.  A few of Tyler’s songs have successfully flirted with dance music makeovers in the past, and I couldn’t be more pleased to see Toronto’s Dzeko at the helm – many times I’ve both written about and seen these talented gents perform over the years.  “When You’re Home” is transformed into a poignant, dark deep house release that could work very well for both radio and club DJ’s.  It’s got a rich, sophisticated backdrop that wraps you up and doesn’t let you go.  Tyler’s committed, vivid vocal is captured so well, and in a way that was probably never anticipated. This version of “When You’re Home” is another in a long line of fine remixes that cast a totally different light on a song and make the most of it.

“Back To That” by L.A.-based singer/songwriter @JaredLeemusic gets a gorgeous acoustic redux

JARED LEE, “Back To That” (acoustic)

A while back, Jared Lee released his pop single “Back To That”, and somehow it didn’t seem to stand out in the current crowded music environment. Enter the brilliant idea to strip everything away and make an acoustic rendition of it, and suddenly “Back To That” has immense appeal.  Jared’s premium voice has been showcased in a number of my blog posts already, but an acoustic track is supposed to be where a great voice stands out even more.  And this version of “Back to That” not only succeeds in that department, but it shows what a lovely and affecting song it can be without all of the accoutrements. So I’ll give major props to releasing this acoustic version of “Back To That” – now someone just needs to promote the hell out of it! To help keep that point going, check out Jared’s acoustic version of his song with Midnight Kids, “Those Were The Days”, in the video below.