Nashville’s @thisisMokita returns acoustically with “sleepwalking” featuring Mike Kinsella of @mybandOwen

MOKITA and MIKE KINSELLA, “sleepwalking”

As you may have read numerous times in this blog over the last few years, Mokita (aka John-Luke Carter) is a singer/songwriter/producer from Nashville who uses songwriting to help figure out things that he has observed or encountered.  His latest single, “sleepwalking”, is an acoustic collaboration with Mike Kinsella of the veteran alt.rock groups American Football and Owen.  While you can hear tinges of country and folk styles in this one, it’s actually well-done acoustic and lyrical pop.  “sleepwalking” is about being on one side of a relationship where you know you are just passing through.  The other party knows it too, but you’re waiting for that person to snap you out of it, which isn’t going to happen, so self-realization invariably must take hold.  Mokita echoes performers like Jackson Browne and The Eagles in his vocal in “sleepwalking”, which helps make what could be a heady subject sound very refreshing.

Meet alt.pop newcomer @Hogerofficial with “Same Mistakes”

HOGER, “Same Mistakes”

Hoger is a new bedroom singer/songwriter/musician who took a lot of learning into his own hands a few years ago, and started self-producing his own music last year.  Concurrently, he has also started his own song publishing company for his own music and that of others.  Although his bio doesn’t say where he’s from, I would gather that it’s England.  His latest single is a grower called “Same Mistakes”.  And it’s a grower because you need to set aside the time to get to know the story of the song.  “Same Mistakes” is about knowing that you keep getting into toxic relationships – and continue letting them happen.  This is applicable to other events in our lives, but those come without the fatal flaw – that you continue to think you’re in love.  Hoger has beautiful quiet tones to his voice, but when the song comes to a head, his tone is sharper and raw.  However it all suits “Same Mistakes” quite well – spend some time with it and you will be rewarded.

“Like Gold” is the alluring new release by @LoudLuxury & @DJFrankWalker with vocal by @StephenPuth

LOUD LUXURY & FRANK WALKER and STEPHEN PUTH, “Like Gold”

I’ve got to admit, I’ve definitely taken a liking to what they called themselves on Instagram as a “new boy band”.  Canadians Loud Luxury collaborate this time with Toronto’s Frank Walker and Puth the younger (Stephen) for a darker deep house release called “Like Gold”.  It’s a welcome change for Andrew and Joe from Loud Luxury after a number of duly successful house tracks like “Body” and “Aftertaste”, and Frank Walker continues with his successes following his concurrently charting release with Steve Aoki called “Imagine”.  After having some of his recent singles remixed for clubs, it’s great to hear Stephen Puth’s voice in the electronic dance setting proper.  It totally suits the alluring, mysterious vibe of “Like Gold”, probably Loud Luxury’s darkest sounding club-oriented song since their cover of “Fill Me In” from a few years back.  “Like Gold” does not disappoint for fans of any of these increasingly accomplished performers.

Canada’s @WeAreFurymusic bring a potent @Synymata remix to “Don’t Know Why” with vocal by @NDanyka

WE ARE FURY and DANYKA NADEAU, “Don’t Know Why” (Synymata remix)

Rising Canadian production duo We Are Fury continue to bring the goods, this time with a remix of “Don’t Know Why”, a track from their recent album Duality which features talented Toronto singer/co-writer Danyka Nadeau.  Milwaukee producer/remixer Synymata takes a very good song on its own and elevates it in a potent future bass remix.  This remix makes the song larger and more emotional at times, separating out the lovely flow of the original into segments punctuated by some formidable synth work.  Future bass and progressive electronica enthusiasts will be completely in their element, and those who have enjoyed We Are Fury’s album will be keen on this one. “Don’t Know Why”, as remixed, will sound great in big venues and could work well in a video game soundtrack too.

Toronto’s @CrashAdamsmusic switches it up with kind and gentle rocker “Delicate”

CRASH ADAMS, “Delicate”

While Toronto duo Crash Adams continue to make buzzworthy moves with fun videos and unpredictable cameos by that red couch in the artwork above throughout the city, they are on their game in terms of great songs too.  “Delicate” is the latest of these, and it trades more good timey fare for a kind and gentle rocker.  For yes, men cry, have feelings, and can be hurt easily – there are those who could also be self-described as “Delicate”.  And chalk this one up for Crash Adams for being able to convey a sensitive message in a positive way in these times when machismo and brawn often call the shots.  Don’t get me wrong – “Delicate” still rocks out as a bouncy, upbeat, tightly played track.  That these guys have been able to mesh everything together into one tidy, enjoyable and meaningful package makes “Delicate” a winner.

More cool new alt.rock from England’s Beware The Bear with @SeanSmithsolo, “We Will Survive”

BEWARE THE BEAR and SEAN SMITH, “We Will Survive”

“We Will Survive” is the title track of the 5 song EP by British alt.rock group Beware The Bear and singer Sean Smith, whom many of you know from this blog from his other wonderful work in a dance/pop setting.  Following the propulsive “Wishing On The Water” (which I wrote about recently, also featured in the EP), “We Will Survive” is much needed encouraging reinforcement in these strange times when it feels like things won’t get any better.  Its catchy “yeah”(x7)  hook and Sean’s vibrant vocal highlight a well-played, refreshing release that will appeal to those who like artists from Harry Styles through to Foster The People.

 

“Give It Back” is a pumping new banger from @TheDiscoFries, @Giiantsmusic and singer @AllisonParklive

DISCO FRIES & GIIANTS and ALLISON PARK, “Give It Back”

Making a banger and getting it right is an art unto itself – I’d be one happy camper if the quality of songs like Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande’s “Rain On Me”, Karen Harding & Digital Farm Animals’ “Undo My Heart” and Jerome Price’s “Chasing Feelings” (the latter two of which are currently on my chart) continue into 2021.  Making me very hopeful is a song you can add to this list. “Give It Back” is the second collaboration by veterans of this blog, NYC’s Disco Fries and L.A. trio Giiants, after their recent late night anthem “Believer”.  This time “Give It Back” showcases the voice of L.A.-based co-writer Allison Park, someone perhaps newer to dance music releases but not to performing and songwriting – she’s travelled across the USA and written numerous songs during the last decade.  Her polished tones make “Give It Back” go down easy amid a propulsive and irresistible arrangement.  

Electronic producer Deacon and singer @iamLorenGray bring social media star power to the dance floor with “Love for the Summer”

DEACON and LOREN GRAY, “Love For The Summer”

Continuing with the examples set by performers such as Shawn Mendes and Troye Sivan, and more recently with Lil Nas X and Dixie D’Amelio, the power of social media crossover to pop music success is evident in the infectious “Love For The Summer” by Deacon and Loren Gray.  Neither are even 20 years old – Deacon is the L.A.-based 17 year old son of actors Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe, and 18 year old Pennsylvanian Loren Gray is a Tik Tok and Instagram star who has also released several singles, including some features in dance music releases, and has appeared in videos by Taylor Swift, HRVY, and Kim Petras. “Love For The Summer” is only the second single for Deacon, and it’s an entertaining, rich production somewhat reminiscent of The Chainsmokers’ “Closer”, which allows Loren’s vocal to glide over some big beats and a warm melody.

Love, Inc.’s dance classic “You’re A Superstar” gets a fine reboot, complete with @SimoneDenny, courtesy of superstar veterans @MickyModelle and @FridayNitePosse

MICKY MODELLE & FRIDAY NIGHT POSSE and SIMONE DENNY, “You’re A Superstar”

Here’s a text book example of how to bring a much-loved dance hit back to life.  Two superstar producers from across the pond, Ireland’s Micky Modelle and England’s Friday Night Posse, have combined their major forces to reboot Canadian trio Love, Inc.’s “You’re A Superstar”, and what better way than with the voice of the original, the amazing Simone Denny?  While “You’re A Superstar” was a radio hit in Canada and a dance club hit in the US, it was a Top 10 pop hit in the UK and throughout Europe in 1998.  Veterans who began their careers around this time, and worked together on the “Clubland” compilations, Micky and Friday Night Posse (Harry Hard – who himself had a #1 record in the UK producing DJ Casper’s “Cha Cha Slide”) inject “You’re A Superstar” Mach 2 with 90’s techno vibes and pulsating synths along with contemporary bells and whistles to make it sizzle once again.  It also is accompanied in its EP by a variety of remixes to check out.  Sounding cheerier than ever, “You’re A Superstar” aims to help you celebrate the good times that you deserve.

“Please Say So (Don’t Leave Me In Silence)” is ear-grabber electronic pop from SoCal singer/songwriter @TylerGelrud and Montreal producer Gerard Peters

TYLER GELRUD & GERARD PETERS, “Please Say So (Don’t Leave Me In Silence)”

He’s recorded under different project names during the last decade, so 2020 marks a return for Orange County-based singer/songwriter Tyler Gelrud with a new single and a fresh sound in “Please Say So (Don’t Leave Me In Silence)”.  And it’s a real ear-grabber whose chorus pulls you into the song to appreciate its finesse and balanced production for an independent release.  It’s Tyler’s second collaboration with Montreal producer Gerard Peters, and there’s obvious synchronicity which has led to this outcome.  The star though is Tyler’s vocal, which is affecting and engrossing rather than pleading, and it makes “Please Say So” really soar.