From the first few vocal notes of “Sandpaper”, you know that you’re in for something special courtesy of Belgian producer on-the-bubble Taska Black. It features promising vocalist Ayelle – you heard her recently on “Desensitize” by OPVS, and she has more appearances coming soon. Ayelle’s compelling and often breathy vocal is often the star of the song, but you have to give major props for Taska Black’s layered production which includes some heavy rock guitar elements. The lyrics have a disconnected approach though I assume it’s about taking away the rough edges of a relationship on the wane. All in all, “Sandpaper” is a peculiar but attractive mix of emotional dance music, awaiting your playlist add at the Spotify link above.
5 AND A DIME featuring YASHAR GASANOV, “Flying High”
Philadelphia producer 5 And A Dime returns with a 90’s-influenced song that sounds like no other right now with “Flying High” from none other than Lowly Palace. It features the distinctive vocalizing of Russian singer Yashar Gasanov – distorted, mysterious, not always on key, but ever-so-flowing with the chilled out vibe of the song. What’s beautiful about “Flying High” is that its melody gets between your ears by not really letting up in its under three minutes length. If offsets what could be initially a quite polarizing vocal style, making it an intriguing late night alt.rock-flavoured track. “Flying High” isn’t for everyone, but if you like your dance music on the adventurous side then 5 And A Dime is out to make you soar right along with it.
PAUL VENICE & DAN BOUJEE, “My Time Will Come” (free DL)
New German production duo Paul Venice and Dan Boujee are off to a great start out of the gate with “My Time Will Come”. It’s an inspiring slice of folk story pop that happily marries dance rhythms to a memorable guitar-driven melody rather than the usual dose of synths. What it also offers is an inspiring story of confidence and determination, which no one can get enough of these days. The vocals are a bit on the raw side but after repeated listens you realize they totally suit the production and the approach of the song. Best of all it’s a free download. Add it to your story-telling dance playlist on Spotify or download itright here.
St. Catharines, Ontario rock quintet Kaptur are back with the first of several new songs to come in 2018, “Spirit”. It’s a potent, well-played high-energy rocker to please any fan of current rock music that takes its jumping off point from groups like Linkin Park, Foo Fighters, and Korn. What makes this release even more interesting is the clever lyric video that accompanies the song. It was made with a Critter & Guitari Video Scope, a video synthesizer which allowed them to feed a variety of images to be set against the oscillating waveform of the song. Check it out at the You Tube link above, and watch for more from Kaptur soon!
It made an inauspicious arrival back in the Fall, but after the onslaught of November and December releases, January is a good time to get reacquainted with “Turn It Up”, the first new music in over two years by NYC’s ever-talented Penguin Prison. PP – aka singer/songwriter/producer/guitarist Chris Glover – sounds very fresh again on “Turn It Up”, recalling many of the best songs from his 2011 debut album. 2015’s Lost In New York took on a more pure pop vibe, and “Turn It Up” combines that with infectious guitar riffs and memorable electronic effects. While I expect we’ll have more new songs soon, let’s hope PP follows them up with an EP – more Penguin Prison is always worth an extra wait. Check out “Turn It Up” at the Spotify link above and add it to your playlist of songs with great guitar hooks.
In “music” years, it doesn’t seem like long ago that I started posting my chart online. But when I think back to 1998 and where I was, with a 4 year old son and no daughter yet, in a different job in a newly amalgamated organization, who was still alive, and the fact that we were probably still using Windows 95 and early versions of Word and Excel, with internet chat rooms and message boards and no Google yet till later in 1998… well it’s all put into perspective. 20 years later music is still my passion and my chart is always reflective of that! The new chart is jam-packed with songs on the rise, so much that many should have moved up more but are stuck behind strong songs that haven’t peaked yet.
The Top 10
Miguel continues to dominate the chart with songs from his album War and Leisure. The classic soul of “Pineapple Skies” (above) rules the top for another week, with “Sky Walker” holding at #3, and “Told You So” (below) up 25-20. War and Leisure is one of the most magnetic and enjoyable albums around right now – do check it out 🙂
The revival of Tiësto’s early 2000’s techno sound is more than evident in his big room remix of Dzeko’s cover of Seal’s “Crazy”. This dance floor filler advances 5-2 from Tiësto’s Club Life Volume 5 – China.
The Him score their second Top 5 song on this chart with “Everybody Hurts” featuring Australian singer Ivy Adara, up 6-4. Watch for great things from the duo this year!
Toronto’s Loud Luxury have their third Top 5 song with “Body” (featuring Brando) advancing 9-5. Could it become their third consecutive #1? The lads return home on Friday January 19 for a club date at Uniun.
New L.A.-based trio Giiants have a winner moving 11-7 with the gentle reality of “Small Talk”. Watch for more from these guys in the coming months. Right now, we’ll keep them as a bit of a mystery act.
South African-Swiss producer Nora En Pure becomes the first woman dance producer/DJ to reach this chart’s Top 10 with “Tears In Your Eyes” soaring 13-9.
Western New York producer Frank Pierce scores his second Top 10 with “Do Me”, featuring vocalist Miles B. The rhythms in this song are a mix of traditional Nigerian music and dancehall, making a unique sound. It follows Frank’s collaboration with Nick Peters on “No Love In Brooklyn”, which just left the chart after peaking at #4.
Movin’ On Up
The fastest riser on the chart belongs to an impressive record by southern California duo waitwhat with “Alive”, climbing 17-11 featuring vocalist Rielle.
All of the remaining debuts from two weeks ago manage to move up 5 places on the chart:
Dave Edwards’ rollicking “What We’re Made Of” rises 19-14 with an impressive synth hook and great vocals by UK-based singer Mark Asari.
German producers Saxity return with the gentle electro ballad “You Found Me” featuring another brilliant vocal by NYC-based singer Victor Perry. It climbs 21-16.
Right behind and up 22-17 is another great story song from L.A.-based Axel Mansoor called “Talk To Me”. Axel’s song all take terrific snapshots from points in time, creating songs to which most people can relate 🙂
Mika’s latest is a fun song welcome to all. “It’s My House” is on its way and moves up 27-22.
Four Debuts
“Patience” is Toronto’s River Tiber’s first chart entry in over 2 years and his 10th overall, pretty amazing for an independent artist who is on the verge of breaking through. It arrives at #24 and I can’t wait to hear more new music which has been waiting to pop for a while now.
Mako, now the brainchild for singer/songwriter/producer Alex Seaver, returns with what might seem as the logical follow up to 2016’s “Smoke Filled Room” called “Breathe”, which bows at #25. It’s Mako’s third chart entry following “Smoke” (#3) and “Way Back Home” (#10).
Fresh with a hybrid European and tropical sound is “Moves” by Italy’s Big Fish, which premieres at #26. It features Florida duo Xuitcasecity’s Mike Gomes on vocals – the duo appeared on Spirix’s “Runaway” last year.
The first K-Pop song to appear on my chart is the energetic “DNA” by BTS at #27 from their worldwide smash album Love Yourself – “Her”. I like it better than the hard-hitting remix of “Mic Drop”, which I think will have a short life span on the charts. “DNA” is more of a classic pop song with hip hop flavour and I still really enjoy their performance from the Billboard Music Awards.
View the full BILLCS Top 30right here, and be sure to click on the photos to hear all of the songs.
Listen to the BILLCS Top 30 Songs on Spotify! Click on this link to take you there, and follow me on Spotify: BILLCS Top 30 Songs
If his new songs are anything like “Patience”, 2018 is going to be a stellar year and well worth the wait for singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Tommy Paxton-Beesley, aka River Tiber, about whom I’ve written regularly over the last number of years. We haven’t heard from Tommy since his quickie 2016 EP for Red Bull, “Illusions”, and his critically acclaimed album Indigo. Never sacrificing quality for quantity in much the same vein as his friends and collaborators such as Grammy-nominee Daniel Caesar (at whose Toronto concert he recently performed), Kaytranada, and BADBADNOTGOOD, “Patience” is as layered and complex as ever, but it jumps back on to the R&B groove that pervaded and took to another level past River Tiber songs like “Let You Go” and “No Talk”. The story of “Patience” unfolds in a rather understated way but is then anchored with a full-on intense and hypnotic jam, and a stunning vocal chorus, but not until the 1:35 mark, so wait for it!! Be sure to add “Patience” to your playlists using the Spotify link above.
River Tiber performs at The Mod Club in Toronto on Friday December 29.
K-Pop stars EXO break away from their pop roots with the alt.rock flavoured “Been Through” in their new album Universe. The song has the real potential for a North American breakthrough, though, thanks to being written by none other than BILLCS Music Blog favourites Brandyn Burnette and Molly Moore! Though sung entirely in Korean, it’s a darker, more reflective song than the others on the Universe album, which also feature some lyrics in both English and Chinese. BTS clearly are not the only K-Pop group on the international breakout scene. With more song choices like these, you can expect EXO to appear on more than just K-Pop charts. And word to Brandyn and Molly: I, and many others I suspect, would love to hear the English language version of “Been Through” too!! But way to go on this one to everyone involved 🙂 Listen below!
Germany’s ANIQO arrives with a compelling single about starting over stronger after hard times called “New Signs”. It takes cues from 80’s folk and rock, channeled perhaps through 90’s alt.rock singers like Sinéad O’Connor, Dolores O’Riardon, and Fiona Apple. “New Signs” takes its time to tell its interesting story but ANIQO’s vocals, alongside those of stunning harmonies by Giant Drag’s Annie Hardy, are what sustain its 5:20 length. The sparse instrumentation, featuring crisp piano, guitar, and percussion, provides an appropriate backdrop for its message of determination. “New Signs” is the lead track from ANIQO’s upcoming album called Birth. Give it a good solid listen at the link above.
At only 16, British producer DNMO has already been named by Soundcloud as one to watch for in 2018. And if there’s a record to help crush that honour in only the best ways it’s his latest called “Hollywood” for Deadbeats Records. It’s a dark, intense, grinding feat of electronica featuring the always resplendent vocals of Nevve, whose best recent work has been with the likes of Illenium and Elephante among others. “Hollywood” goes by in such an instant at only 2:18 but it’s crammed with everything hard and loud that a lot of lovers of the genre enjoy. Maybe some remixers should be enlisted for an extended version or two? In any event, DNMO’s “Hollywood” is an enticing signpost of what’s fresh and defiantly futuristic. Check it out at the link above.
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