“2020” starts off with a silky smooth Jon Sandler vocal, recalling much of their early music which won me over back about six years ago. Along with keyboard wizard Luke Moellman, Great Good Fine OK has established a career with numerous fine and diverse, mainly danceable original recordings that have found release on Sony and Ultra along with collaborations with the likes of The Knocks and St. Lucia. “2020” is a slower, warm R&B flavoured song that will be a welcome draw in concert, where Great Good Fine OK becomes a tight four-piece unit, amid their many higher energy songs. Along with their work as go-to remixers, Great Good Fine OK have set a welcome tone for the year ahead, which I expect is going to be very good to them!
Great Good Fine OK plays The Garrison in Toronto on Saturday January 18
It’s always cool when an artist works hard to confidently release music that will appeal to their target audience. Such is the case with Miami-based newcomer Ebaniez, who has carefully been honing his craft for the last few years. He has resurfaced with “Here For Me”, a sturdy house track that will immediately draw you in with an infectious first two minutes and a crystalline, wistful vocal by Naomi V. “Here For Me” pleads with club goers to stay on the dance floor to share in the story. Ultimately the song is a tad too long with little more to say beyond three and a half minutes to warrant its length. But more conciseness will come in time and Ebaniez delivers a solid song for your listening and dancing pleasure.
COLOUR OF THE JUNGLE, “Humblebee” and “Steel Tray”
The inevitable comparisons to the music of Kings Of Leon and Nathaniel Rateliff will usher alt.rock fans in the door to meet UK quartet Colour Of The Jungle. Two recent singles, “Humblebee” (above) and “Steel Tray” (below), prove that they are worthy of your attention in this busy music world. Lead singer Jack Evans commands these songs as he flexes his sometimes raspy voice through the often intense proceedings. “Humblebee” soars with pounding rhythm and excellent guitar work, while “Steel Tray” has a melodic foundation that gradually allows the song to rev up significantly. In time, with more familiarity, the complexities of the lyrics will sink in. Colour Of The Jungle deserve a place at the rock ‘n roll table and I’m sure these songs will resonate even more in concert.
India-born, Toronto-based electronic producer Dr. Ozi will push your limits with “Youth In Asia”. It’s a colourful, herky-jerky track that will keep your attention and impress you with how deftly he moves between rhythms and styles, all in one song! It’s more apt to please folks who like their electronic dance music on the heavy side, with lots of familiar dubstep moments to ride along the way. It’s also incredibly melodic and detailed, so it’s no wonder he’s attracted attention from the likes of Zomboy (for whom he opened on a recent tour). “Youth In Asia” is a feast for your ears if you like your dance music on the progressive side and your electronic music riddled with all kinds of sounds.
SONIA, “A Night That’s Never-Ending” (Matt Pop radio edit)
For the 5 years between 1989 and 1994, the voice of Sonia on UK radio was a fierce and unmistakable one, starting with the classic #1 “You’ll Never Stop Me From Loving You” when she was just a teen. Sonia acquired 10 more Top 40 UK hits, and to appease her many fans has released some new music over the past few years. “A Night That’s Never-Ending” is too good to resist, a classic slice of songwriting by Gordon Pagoda (known for his work with Steps) and Joe Faraci that is given even more buoyance and pizzazz in the hands of producer Matt Pop. Sonia’s voice soars gloriously and suddenly it’s 1989 again with 2020 bells and whistles, and it all does not disappoint. You can also check out the holiday edition of the song, appropriately called “A (Christmas) Night That’s Never-Ending”.
If you’re looking for music mixed with old school trance by the likes of The Chemical Brothers or early BT, but mixed with contemporary progressive house that you’d hear on a Fisher release, then Marten Hørger’s “Another Dimension’ will have no problem winning you over. It’s familiar but incredibly playful, as you’ll find when you reach the halfway mark and this remarkable, attention-grabbing pause occurs and then rebuilds over 40 seconds, reminding me a lot actually of the mid-section of “Setting Sun”. Club DJ’s will enjoy how the song will keep their crowd on the dance floor not knowing what to expect next. “Another Dimension” is the kind of song that will gain traction over the coming months and into winter festival season.
While I’ve been somewhat critical of his latest ‘comeback’ songs, Atlanta house producer Popeska’s “Like This” is easily his best release of the year. It’s carried by an engaging uncredited female vocal, a chorus that could easily become a sing-a-long, and a synth hook that will have heads bobbing on the dance floor. When I’m not writing about songs I love outright, I’m always looking for potential. Popeska has the pedigree from the early part of the decade, which needed to be translated into music that will last beyond 2019. “Like This” is even quite radio friendly, with a big, effortless sound that will pull in listeners, and will appeal to fans of Zedd, Kygo and Kaskade.
Lexxi Raine is a talented new singer/songwriter from Buffalo, New York who arrives with her 7 song EP Fun While It Lasted. While all of the songs aren’t entirely successful, with too sparse production sometimes a culprit, the EP focuses on showcasing her razor sharp songwriting skills, and to me, her songs are easily transferable to be promoted to and recorded by other artists as well. She has a great way with words and telling a story like so many other songwriters cannot do. She calls her style “pop-punk” but it’s really cut from the same cloth that made The Go-Go’s, The Bangles, The Waitresses, and other women artists all the rage in the 80’s, which also influenced male bands like Green Day and Blink-182. The songs are often acoustic, with vocals not always on key (but someone tell that to team Billie Eilish 😉 ), but the best ones rock out with full band effect. So I’ll draw your attention to the gritty “He Says, She Says” and the cutting “Dear Kellie”, both below. But don’t get me wrong, Lexxi Raine is on a very contemporary path with the telling and provocative video for “What The Lonely People Do” (above), where the protagonist wants a relationship to be all about her and not about others. Lexxi Raine has just completed a small tour of the UK where she is obviously establishing a fan base. She’s someone to check out at this ground-level stage and has the potential to go far with the right songs and production.
With his new EP Collusion, veteran Russian dance producer Proxy brings you four songs with fellow conspirators DZA, Armadine, The Paxmen, and the world renown A.C. Slater for a variety of dance music flavours in the progressive and future bass genres. And I’ve gotta say that the joint experiences between Proxy and A.C. Slater are in full bloom on “Have Some Fun”, which is a no-brainer for clubs. It’s one rollicking progressive house track that doesn’t want to let up, reminding me of some songs by Australian duo The Presets. Proxy and The Paxmen also create a fun dance floor trip with “Fitness”, which offers up the humour you’d find in a Showtek track carried by infectious an infectious rhythm and a quirky female vocal that says the title as “feet-ness”. Proxy’s collaboration with Armadine, “No More”, is slick UK-influenced house, but “Poltora” with DZA misses with being a bit too obtuse for me. Proxy has proven himself over the years at many of the biggest worldwide festivals and although he’s never really been away from the scene, there’s no doubt that this EP will re-establish him with club DJ’s and attract many new fans.
My last chart of the year, and decade, is here, which means my year end Top Songs list will be following on December 31. What a year it’s been for music! Though it doesn’t compare as much to other years in this decade, it still had so much to offer. There are four debuts on this new chart, and a contender for the top in two weeks.
A reminder that the music from my chart and blog will be featured regularly on the new online radio station Radio GTA. You can hear their Big 20 on Wednesday evenings with ‘The Musicman’ James Rogers and listen for songs from the chart too 🙂 Scroll down the station’s main page to listen to lots of variety from across the decades! I’m the new music consultant for the station so you can expect even more in 2020 🙂 You can start by joining our new interactive Facebook group too!!
It’s Harry Styles Week in most of the world, at least according to the album charts. Fine Line is the top album in North America and elsewhere in the world, and deservedly so with its find blend of contemporary and many past styles which make an incredibly diverse album that goes down really easy. Oh, and can I mention Harry’s super vocals yet again? 🙂 Not only does “Lights Up” (above) get a third appearance (6th week) at #1 on this chart, but “Watermelon Sugar” advances 25-19 and “Adore You” (below) has the highest debut two positions down at #21!
It seems likely that Tritonal and Henry Dark could take Harry Styles away from #1 in two weeks as the new Sanskrit-chanted festival anthem for 2020, “Shivohum”, soars 9-2. This riveting song keeps your ears glued and your feet very happy.
I never thought I’d see Dolly Parton in my Top 5 in the 2010’s or 2020’s, but here she is with dance superstars Galantis retooling John Hiatt’s “Have A Little Faith In Me” into the jubilant and fun dance track, “Faith”, rising 7-5. Dolly’s classic, recognizable vocal goes so well with Mr. Probz’s soulful one too.
Speaking of soul on a dance music song, Aloe Blacc lends his trademark voice to Hellberg’s “Punching In The Dark”, which glides 11-7.
Also new in the Top 10 are “Mad” by Brandon Colbein (12-9, above, with a tender, acoustic, stripped down version), his second following the #1 “So Bad” in 2016 (billed then as Brandon Skeie), and Sam Smith’s glorious cover of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” (13-10, below). It’s Sam’s tenth top tenner here, including his featured vocals with Disclosure on “Latch” and “Omen”.
Peter Foldy’s “Toxic World” is a wonderful new release by the veteran Canadian singer/songwriter and it rises 15-11.
The Fastest Riser on the chart belongs to R3HAB, Zayn and Jungleboi with the short but deeply involving “Flames”, which goes into fast gear, up 20-12. Zayn with his compelling vocal as a demon or the devil? Yes please!!
L.A. indie alt.rock quartet Awolnation has one of the most infectious songs out there with “The Best”, which climbs 22-16.
I’m hoping that pop radio will jump all over “if we never met” by Florida-based singer/songwriter John.k soon. It moves up 21-17.
Halifax dance producer Famba acquires his first American dance radio Top 10 hit with my second new entry, which is “Storm”, featuring vocalist Kyra Mastro at #27. It’s from Famba’s upcoming release Wishes Vol. 1, due just after the new year, and follows his Canadian radio hits “Wish You Well” and “Swear To God” (which peaked at #3 on this chart). I’m waiting for Canadian stations to jump all over it – what are you waiting for?
I’m also surprised that radio in general is ignoring Adam Lambert’s sensational performance in covering Cher’s “Believe”, brought to life over a year ago at the Kennedy Centre Honours performances (above), and bows at #28. It’s Adam’s first appearance on the chart since 2016, which was on the last charting hit by our #2 song’s lead act Tritonal called “Broken” (#4). Fascinatin’ fact: “Breaking Hearts” (#15) singer Benedict Cork co-wrote Adam’s single from earlier in the year “Feel Something”.
Pulling in at #30 is “Hard To Say Goodbye”, another in a series of excellent emotional electronic songs, this time in collaboration with Vancouver’s Ekali and Denver’s Illenium, and a heart-wrenching vocal by Chloe Angelides. It’s Ekali’s second chart entry following last year’s #12 “Blame” with ZHU, and is Illenium’s 6th chart appearance (including the current #8 “Broken Ones”).
View the full BILLCS Top 30right here! Click on the hyperlink on the song titles to hear the songs or watch the videos!
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