Ultra-prolific L.A.-based singer/songwriter Brandyn Burnette continues to engage and dazzle his fans, this time with a new burst of songs from his upcoming third EP Feature Films. Having written and performed some of my favourite music of the last three years through his first two EP’s State I’m In and Made Of Dreams (eight songs of which ended up in my Top 86 Songs of 2016), it’s no surprise that “Escape” shines with a lot of understated, thought-provoking appeal. The first 2/3 of the song echoes with pent up emotional narrative in a sparse, soulful arrangement. The remainder of “Escape” advances with a catchy percussion break that starts the trippy journey into an electric guitar-fused finish that is deliberately kept open-ended. Brandyn always makes his music for your mind and your soul, and “Escape” is a great introduction to Feature Films. To me, this song is about finding and owning your own brand of escape. Brandyn is also posting links to the behind-the-scenes creation of his new songs, so watch for them. In the meantime you can listen to “Escape” above and pick it up on iTunes on Monday January 23.
ANDY SUZUKI & THE METHOD, “I Need You More (The More You Leave)”
Keeping it way more than interesting as we approach the release date of their second album The Glass Hour is NYC’s Andy Suzuki & The Method. To coincide with the US election the group offered up “Fight”, an urgent personalized and rocking call-to-arms that’s all about choice and standing up for what you believe in. “I Need You More” on the other hand is vibrant pop with a heavy, uplifting Gospel chorus that fuels the emotions of wanting someone even more after they are gone. Andy Suzuki is in excellent vocal form and he and formidable percussionist pal Kozza show that they are destined never to be packaged in one stylistic box. Feast your ears on the inspiring “I Need You More (The More You Leave)” at the link above.
Dutch duo DROELOE continue to impress with their ability to draw you into their songs, whether it be remixing a Charlie Puth hit or weaving Asian elements into an instrumental like “Shibuya”. This time for Lowly Palace, “In Time” incorporates many flavours into the mix but they’re all pretty subtle whether drawing from Folk or maybe even Classical. “In Time” becomes this tidy but creative EDM track with many well-placed ups and downs, including percussion and bass drops, and Belle Doran’s expressive voice gets treated like an instrument within, chopped up for effect at times but that’s not out of place at all. When “In Time” gets really quite at close to the 1:40 mark you are totally sold because the song will only get bigger as you listen. Check it out at the link above.
It would likely be over 1,000 editions had I published my chart weekly, but from January 1998 to January 2017 and we are at 500 charts 🙂 Thanks to all of you who continue to follow my personal chart, which is exactly that – personal. No mathematics, very few rules (only to keep the chart fresh with new music), these are my favourite 30 songs of the moment. This edition has a bit of post-holiday housecleaning with 5 debuts and The Weeknd & Daft Punk give way to a new #1 by some familiar faces…
The Top 10
While they would have had several chart toppers in their popularity heyday, Pet Shop Boys make it twice to grace the top of my chart with the disco-tastic “Burn”. The song is not a single, but I’m hoping it will be #4 from the album Super, following #3 “The Pop Kids” (#17 of 2016), “Twenty-Something”, and “Say It To Me”. Their other #1 on my chart was in 2013 with “Vocal” from Electric, which was also my #1 song of that year.
New to the Top 5 are “Brothers” by Saxity featuring Strøm (above), vaulting 8 to 4 and still available for free download, as well as Stefan Alexander’s compelling “Skeleton” (below) which climbs 6 to 5.
Two newcomers to the Top 10 are the Fastest Riser on the chart, “Say Yes” by Tony Moran & Jason Walker (ab0ve), which rises 16-9 and their second Top 10 following last year’s “So Happy” (#3 and #20 of 2016), followed by Victor Perry’s lovely take on Everything But The Girl’s “Missing” (below), also his second Top Tenner following last year’s “Rainbows” (#7 and #42 of 2016). It’s still available as a free download too!
Movin’ On Up
“False Alarm” by The Weeknd encroaches on the Top 10, but it’s a powerful song that’s been in the shadow of “Starboy”. We’ll see what the next single from the album will be. “False Alarm” jumps 13-11.
Big things are coming from young Dutchman Steve Void in 2017, and his pairing with No Mondays featuring vocalist Clara Mae on “Chemistry” leaps 19-13.
Right behind is Canada’s Felix Cartal with “Drifting Away” (featuring vocalist Ofelia K) as we all daydream about driving down the east or west coasts of the States in perfect warm weather. It moves up 22-17, and Felix has another song debuting on the chart below…
“Light” by The Netherlands’ San Holo is raising a lot of ears with its infectious but low key EDM, and it rises 23-18.
The last chart’s other two debuts make fine inroads, both climbing 7 notes to #19 and #20. #19 is Molly Moore’s “Imaginary Friends” (above), also in Telykast and Pluto remixes, and #20 is JPB’s “For You” (below) featuring a soulful vocal from British singer Luke Cusato.
As his remix of “Closer” by Brandyn Burnette (#7 and #51 of 2016) departs the chart, another Sean Turk remix arrives with the sexy ‘bedroom bass’ style of EDM in “Sleeping In” by Phil Good at #22. And of course the song is more about what we do when we’re ‘sleeping in’ rather than actually sleeping… it’s also a free download for now.
And keeping sex centre stage at #25 is an excellent album track by DNCE from their self-titled album called “Naked”. I saw them first perform this one in November 2015 and I’m glad it made the cut for the album because it was one of the least things we thought Joe Jonas might be singing about 😛 DNCE’s “Cake By The Ocean” reached #2 on my chart well before it was in the Top 10 nationally, and was my #15 song of 2015.
Definitely something a little different for us in 2017 comes from rising young Australian producer Throttle (aka Robbie Bergin), who has taken Michael Buble’s cover of Frank Sinatra’s “My Kind Of Girl” and juggled the jazz rhythms with some riveting house beats. While it’s not to everyone’s taste, it’s a whole lotta fun and arrives at #26. “My Kind Of Girl” was Throttle’s Christmas present to his listeners, and it’s a free download.
At #27 is the second entry from Felix Cartal, this time featuring prominent session vocalist Steph Jones on “Keep Up”, as an official remix by fellow Canadian Ben Zamora. Felix is on a roll with much more to come in 2017. This remix and others are also available as free downloads for now.
And the last debut at #29 is a real rebel-rouser, perfect for sporting events… It’s “#Bomber!” by Italy’s BeatmartHz and DJ Mirko B, a classic mix of Italohouse and techno.
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
Listen for me on http://www.planetradio.ca live on Tuesday evenings, and with my Pick of the Week segment throughout the week 🙂 See below for details!
I’ve long thought “Day ‘N Nite” by Kid Cudi was a great song that ended up in a boring Crookers remix which became a huge hit in 2009, even more so in the UK and Europe. Toronto producer/remixer/musician Liam DeBoer has reimagined the song with nifty guitar work which provides a dominant rock flavour that you don’t find in many remixes. This doesn’t detract from the original flow of the song, but if you’ve ever thought of incorporating some head banging and fist pumping into a Kid Cudi song, well this is especially for you. It’s great timing both with the new Kid Cudi album “Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin'” on release (featuring the fun single “Surfin'”) and more DeBoer originals and remixes set to breakout in 2017. Watch this blog for more details, in the meantime get DeBoer’s remix of “Day ‘N Nite” above for free (under “More”).
Here’s a song where you can see all of the colours you want, even blindfolded. French producer Kidswaste gives us “More Colors” featuring the distinct vocals of Chelsea Cutler, with whom he’s recorded before but you know more recently from appearing on Chet Porter’s “Stay”. “More Colors” is deliberately easy-paced downtempo EDM that might even draw from some classical influences, designed to make you reflect when listening and sway when dancing. It will appeal particularly to fans of Porter Robinson, Jack Ü, and M83. It’s from Kidswaste’s forthcoming EP, for Ultra Records no less, called Spleen – which may seem like a strange title, but given that he’s from France, I’d say that he may have read Charles Baudelaire’s poetry… Give “More Colors” a listen at the link above.
PHIL GOOD, “Sleeping In” (Sean Turk remix) (free DL)
If you’re looking for a chilled out mix of a song that will keep you snuggly on a cold, late winter evening, then Sean Turk’s remix of “Sleeping In” by L.A.-based singer Phil Good is for you! It’s got a totally different vibe from the original mix, leaving more to the imagination about what exactly is going on when “Sleeping In” (I don’t think it actually has to do with sleeping 😉 ). Aside from that added bonus to his “Bedroom Bass” style, “Sleeping In” has a great, comfortable groove for you to fall into on the dance floor, backing up Phil’s soul-tinged vocal nicely, making it perfect as a late night track before everyone goes for their 3 a.m. breakfast after clubbing. Best of all, you can pick up “Sleeping In” for free at the link above.
About a year ago I wrote about “Love Is Fire”, a single which came to my attention by Dallas band Northern National. Since that time, Northern National has become a quintet (though still full of Michaels), and after making themselves a presence on the Texas club and rock circuit, return with an EP called The New Age. Like with “Love Is Fire”, which is included, a spotlight is on the vocals, which are the driving force behind the songs and I’m sure command attention in concert. But the music has definitely been fleshed out with the addition of two band members, which is particularly notable in the title song, which is the kind of song that takes them away from initial comparisons to bands like Train and instead towards more cutting edge groups like Cage The Elephant. There’s still a country-tinged backdrop in some of the songs, and “Dallas” could be played live in any city and you’d still get the lighters and cell phone flashlights igniting the show. Northern National has the chops to stay on rock fans’ radar in these days filled with all kinds of music. Give The New Age a listen above and pick it up at your favourite online store.
The top of the chart becomes unzipped after a slew of long-lasting favourites give way, resulting in some huge moves, and other favourites depart, meaning that there are six debuts on the new chart, giving us a good sign of what’s in store for 2017 🙂
The Top 10
#1 and #2 duke it out and once again “Starboy” by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk stays ahead of “Plans” by Elephante featuring Brandyn Burnette. What a fine pair of songs to lead a very busy pack below!
The fastest riser on the chart belongs to Halifax’s Famba, whose fun and mainly narrated “Right Here Right Now” soars 16 to 3. The song would make a good mix with 90’s hits “The Rockafeller Skank” by Fatboy Slim or “People Are Still Having Sex” by LaTour, to name two tunes that come to mind…
Amid the three songs that vault into the Top 10, “Just A Dream” by Molly Moore featuring Brandyn Burnette finds its way to #4, from Molly’s terrific Now You See Me EP.
Also sailing into the Top 5 from #17 is “D E E P In NY” by Bobby Nourmand featuring rappers DOC and Goodmorning. “D E E P” is a unique record, originally a house instrumental that has been taken to another level with the hip hop vocals, and has found a place on Pete Tong’s renown show! More to come I’m sure of it!
Pet Shop Boys look like they could be headed to the top with third single “Burn” from their album Super. “Burn” ignites and rises 18-6.
Hey even Rihanna is in the picture – her gorgeous “Love On The Brain” moves 9-7.
Also new to the Top 10 is NYC singer Stefan Alexander with his pensive “Skeleton” climbing 15-9.
The 5th debut in the Top 10 belongs to Fabian Luttenberger whose laid back grower “Vague” climbs 11-10 in a Stan Sax remix.
“The Thirst” is an infectious house track by Eric Sharp featuring vocalist Kenny Zhao that rises 20-14 with much thanks to some guitar effects which sound like Stardust’s classic “Music Sounds Better With You”.
“Brothers” by German duo Saxity featuring Norway’s Strøm on vocals is a sax-led dance track to warm your soul at this time of year. It soars 25-16.
“All The Way” by Hellberg continues to have long legs after premiering this past summer, climbing 26-19, and now the prominent Swedish producer has released a VIP mix to add to the fun. Check it out above.
SIX Debuts
What a way to lead a fine group of debuts than with American pop/R&B singer Victor Perry’s beautiful rendition of Everything But The Girl’s “Missing”. The piano-led cover bows at #23 and is available at Victor’s Soundcloud page above as a free download 🙂
It quickly scurried to #1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Play chart this past week, and like with its predecessor, the #1 “So Happy”, Tony Moran and Jason Walker have created another instantly memorable, fun, upbeat song with “Say Yes”, which arrives at #24.
Kid Cudi makes his debut on this chart with a somewhat provocative but good timey single “Surfin'”, featuring Pharrell Williams, and it premieres at #25, in advance of an album due next year.
I wrote about “Chemistry” by talented and affable young Dutchman Steve Void & No Mondays back in the Fall, but it has endured, and recently Epic Records picked it up for release! After winning a remix contest, Syence presented their version this past week too. “Chemistry”, featuring singer Clara Mae, bows at #26. Listen to the original and remix above:)
L.A. producer Mahalo and vocalist Cat Lewis are quite the pair with a great song called “Be My Love”, which lands at #27 out of the gate.
After a great year of songs it seems only fitting that Canadian Felix Cartal should appear on the chart with the pop radio-worthy “Drifting Away”, featuring frequent vocal collaborator Ofelia K. It debuts at #28.
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
Listen for me with my Pick of the Week at 2:20/6:20/10:20 AM/PM EST onhttp://www.planetradio.ca most days Monday through Sunday, and my flashbacks to a Toronto Top 10 of yesteryear this Wednesday (December 14) and next Tuesday (December 20) at 9pm EST!
CALL ME KARIZMA featuring AVALON YOUNG, “If I Had A Heart”
Minnesotan pop/hip hop vocalist, songwriter and producer Call Me Karizma has perhaps made his deepest most warmly personal song yet with “If I Had A Heart”, featuring pop/R&B singer Avalon Young. ‘Riz has no problems laying out exactly what he feels in his songs whether it’s with humour or a wink (“u suck” and “F U Till I F U”) or cutting and to-to-the-point (his recent “Disconnected”). “If I Had A Heart” is a bit more of an about face, turning to a more pop-oriented vibe and EDM flavour with poignant lyrics that share sentiments that most of us have felt more than once or twice. Like with “Disconnected”, ‘Riz continues to show what a fine singing voice he has as well. With every new song he creates, Call Me Karizma makes us think and go for a gut reaction, which is a great approach in finding out what his audience wants to hear. And of course he continues to want to get to know his fans, so do reach out and chat with him 🙂 Even better, be sure to check out Call Me Karizma’s show when he comes to your town! Listen to “If I Had A Heart” above and pick it up at your favourite online digital store.
Call Me Karizma and Avalon Young and friends play at Skully’s in Columbus, Ohio tonight, and then tomorrow at The Loft in Lansing, Michigan.
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