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#BILLCSTop30 #473 – December 28/15

It’s my last chart of 2015, and the chart has been flooded regularly with many fine songs which makes creating a year end Top 75 Songs list difficult, not so much for the top part of the list but the rest of it.

The Top 10

Adele’s “Hello” holds at the top for a fourth (and likely final) appearance as we are all moving on to listen to the deeper songs on her album 25. Adele and her team have given the world a new template for how to create a mass appeal album, unfortunately you need loads of money to do it. Those performers who get signed to a major label need to strive for their own variation of what “their” 25 might be regardless of genre or sub-genre.

2016 looks very bright indeed for L.A.-based singer/songwriter Brandyn Burnette. First, make sure you tune into American Idol on January 6 to see our Brandyn perform and compete!! Second, from his rewarding Made Of Dreams EP, “Nothing At All” advances to #2 and the pensive “Lost (Stripped)” climbs to #5. Third, the determination of “Down” debuts at #28, featuring a striking new video with animated flourishes that will keep you watching! Three of Brandyn’s songs will appear in my year end Top 30 Songs too.

NY producers/DJ’s The Knocks are playing in my city at The Mod Club on January 22, and wouldn’t it be nice if Matthew Koma could make a cameo appearance to sing “I Wish (My Taylor Swift)” – pretty please?? The song holds at #3.

Mako’s “Smoke Filled Room” just soared up the Billboard Dance Mix Show Airplay chart 19-5 – I was beginning to wonder who else was championing this winning song! Like only a handful of performers associated with EDM or dance music, L.A.-based duo Mako home in on the emotional part of songs, both lyrically, melodically and vocally. “Smoke Filled Room” deserves to be a dance club smash as well, particularly in the Elephante remix 🙂 It rises 9-6.

Max Schneider and team are on the right path to many great things. Not only does the title song from Ms Anonymous (featuring Jared Evan) zip into the Top 10 at #7, his stunning but rhythmically dirty title song from his new EP Wrong is the highest new entry at #22! 2016 promises to be a great year for all things MAX!

The Voice contestant Clinton Washington’s beautiful “Hearts Beat Loud” climbs into the Top 10 at #9. To me it’s still a perfect companion song to Adele’s “Hello” when you’re in the mood for something touching and heart-warming.

The last new entry into the Top 10 is the long-lasting “Over” by Chicago’s Goldhouse at #10, which still has the potential to me to break into dance clubs and/or dance and/or pop radio too!

Movin’ on Up

It’s so perfectly timed that NYC duo Sofi Tukker have been added to the Toronto show by The Knocks at the Mod Club on January 22 that I will likely grab a ticket very soon! The incredibly infectuous – even sung all in Portuguese – “Drinkee” is the fastest riser on the chart, climbing 20-12.

Dance-hit-in-waiting “The Shadows In The Moon” by classic dance voice Rozalla with DJs/producers House Of Virus advances 19-14 – dance club DJ’s should be all over this one for an immediate dance floor draw!

Another sure fire dance club hit, albeit currently available as a free download, is the gorgeous “Lost In Feelings” by Final DJS featuring none other than Bright Light Bright Light on vocals. The song moves up 23-16 – do check it out!

Toronto’s River Tiber has given me two of my favourite songs of 2015 – “No Talk” and the #1 “Let You Go” (currently at #13) from the EP When The Time Is Right. The great songs from that EP continue with “Waves” crashing into the Top 20 at #19.

Right behind is more Canadian talent moving up to #20, Kendal Thompson with “Secret”, a track from her fine EP One. Call it enjoyable 90’s flavoured pop/R&B with influences from Rihanna and Beyoncé!! Click right here to hear all of the songs on One!

And the Third Debut Belongs to…

Molly Moore! After notching up a #14 appearance for “Natural Disaster” earlier in the year, the L.A. based singer/songwriter recently released a moody, captivating alt.pop EP called Shadow Of The Sun. It features “Blood. Sweat. Tears”, which arrives on the chart at #25. Watch the beautiful acoustic performance of the song below with her beau Brandyn Burnette – it’s so scary how talented these two are either separate or together!

The Full Chart

Listen to the songs or watch the videos using the links on the pictures on the pretty and detailed web edition of my chart. Go on, have a look and listen/watch 🙂

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

Planet Radio Canada is back! You can hear me online on http://www.planetradio.ca every Monday at 9:00 pm EST counting down a Toronto Top 10 chart from yesteryear!

Meet Toronto’s @JulianTroiano with the soulful “Try”

JULIAN TROIANO, “Try”

Canada has produced so much talent this year to the attention of the rest of the world that there is always room for others. Toronto’s Julian Troiano is one that you should pay attention to. Not only does he have great pedigree (being the nephew of the renown late guitarist Domenic Troiano) but there’s deep down soulfulness afoot if “Try” is any indication. The gospel backdrop in the song along with Julian’s soaring voice makes try instantly memorable and is the kind of song that would quell a noisy room into complete silence. I heard some of Julian’s music a couple of years back but that seemed like a false start. Time to build on “Try” and let’s hear much more from Julian in 2016. You’ll be very glad you downloaded “Try” for free below 🙂

https://soundcloud.com/benudoyou/try-julian-troiano

Australia’s @KelsyKarter tantalizes with “Crystal Blues” and “Kiss The Boys”

KELSY KARTER, “Crystal Blues”, “Kiss The Boys”

It’s very easy to say that Australian-raised, New Zealand-born multi-instrumentalist Kelsy Karter will instantly remind you of Amy Winehouse-meets-Lana Del Rey. But it’s also obvious that there is a much deeper musical background at play here that brings out blues, jazz, and classic rock in both “Crystal Blues” and the title song from her EP Kiss The Boys, that a better reference point for me would be April Smith & The Great Picture Show’s 2011 release Songs from a Sinking Ship. Like April Smith, Kelsy has a wide-ranging, expressive voice that can wield a big diss for an ex (hence the title song) or become all wrapped up in the memory of his eyes as in “Crystal Blues”. Both songs have well-directed, entertaining videos that keep you watching. Get to know Kelsy Karter more by picking up her EP on iTunes.

#BILLCSTop30 #472 – December 14/15

Two weeks sometimes goes by in a flash when life keeps you busy… and so we have a busy new chart as well!

The Top 10

So North America wasn’t being left out after all, as Adele announced tour dates, including 4 in my city Toronto – next October! So it should come as no surprise that Adele’s “Hello” remains on top for a third appearance (that’s 6 weeks). Have you got any money on who might succeed her at the top either in two or four weeks?

While Adele calls out from the other side for her former flame somewhere in California, DNCE party it up by the waves with “Cake By The Ocean” being one of 2015’s sheer delights for entertainment value alone, as it holds at #2 for Joe Jonas and company, from the EP Swaay.

Cali has it all wrapped up in spades with the Top 3 as it’s summertime in Los Angeles when Matthew Koma and The Knocks search for dream girl in “I Wish (My Taylor Swift)” (video up top), up a notch to #3.
Brandyn Burnette’s “Nothing At All” cruises 7-4 to give the chart some edgy, blues-rooted progressive soul for the mind and body 🙂

https://soundcloud.com/brandynburnette/nothing-at-all

“Black Water” by Lucien Dante lands at #5 just in time for the release of a cool, sometimes head-scratching animated lyric video that definitely helps you understand the song much more. But it’s Lucien’s vocal that’s one-of-a-kind – alternately forlorn and sexy with bursts of joy and energy.

The Top 10 was cleaned out a bit with four new arrivals:
- There’s no time in a day when the honest emotion of “Lost (Stripped)” by Brandyn Burnette doesn’t strike you. No matter how you’re feeling or what you’re doing, the song will affect you differently, and that’s part of its beauty. It soars 12-7.
https://soundcloud.com/brandynburnette/lost
- I still haven’t seen “Spectre”, but I continue to revel in the amazing vocal by Sam Smith in “Writing’s On The Wall”, which rises 11-8.
- The wonder of the vocal and lyrics in Mako’s “Smoke Filled Room” always catch my attention, and in its Elephante remix the song climbs 13-9.
- New Order acquires its first Top 10 song on my chart since 2005 with “Plastic” from the top notch Music Complete album jumping 14-10.

Movin’ On Up

MAX (Schneider) has another EP on deck this month called Wrong, available for pre-order on iTunes. His pairing with rapper Jared Evan on “Ms Anonymous” climbs 15-11.

Clinton Washington’s soaring vocal on “Heart Beats Loud” leaps out of the speakers whenever it’s played, and moves up 19-13 for “The Voice” season 7 contestant.

Right behind is the would-be-bitter taste of revenge of “Over” by Goldhouse that’s set to a slamming dance rhythm. It rises 20-14.

Get yourself high with “A Higher High” courtesy of pop singer Nathalie Archangel. The Billboard Dance Club Play hit climbs 23-18.

The fastest riser on the chart is a song that I believe should be played everywhere and anywhere in dance clubs throughout the world. “The Shadow Of The Moon” by Rozalla and House of Virus has great lyrics with an unbeatable hook, which is why it moves 29-19 🙂

Uh-oh… Matt and Kim are now on Snapchat, which can only mean many snippets of fun and mayhem, M&K style. The frenetic 2:11 of “Make A Mess” climbs 28-21.

The gorgeous retro 90’s dance music rhythm and melody blessed with a Bright Light Bright Light vocal spells great things for “Lost In Feelings” by Final DJS, moving 30-23.

Premieres

It’s an insane mix of Portuguese lyrics (based on poetry!), an irrefutable guitar hook, and a slinky beat that will draw you on to the dance floor. By all rights “Drinkee” by New York duo Sofi Tukker should be the talk of clubs, and I’m going to help out with that by premiering it at #20.

It wasn’t my most favourite song from River Tiber’s When The Time Is Right EP when it dropped this past Fall, but the hip hop/soul anchor of “Waves” and its graceful flow are completely compelling. While former #1 “Let You Go” now sits at #6, “Waves” bows at #24 for the Toronto band.

Kendal Thompson appeared on this chart last year with the very catchy “Be Mine”. The Toronto singer is back again at #26 with a soulful slice of pop that would be right up Rihanna’s alley called “Secret” from Kendal’s new EP One. Give a listen right here.

The Full Chart

Listen to the songs or watch the videos using the links on the pictures on the pretty and detailed web edition of my chart. Go on, have a look and listen/watch 🙂

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

Planet Radio Canada is back! You can hear me online on http://www.planetradio.ca every Monday at 10:00 pm EST counting down a Toronto Top 10 chart from yesteryear!

@missMollyMoore has star power with her debut EP “Shadow Of The Sun”

MOLLY MOORE, Shadow Of The Sun (EP)

Regular readers of this blog know how intrigued I am by the variety of songs that L.A.-based singer Molly Moore has brought to us in 2015. “Natural Disaster” courted my ears for most of the year before its official release this past summer and an effervescent Win & Woo remix, which got it to #14 on my chart. “Don’t Believe It” was darker and more geared towards alternative/college rock à la Banks. Both of these fine songs are included in Shadow Of The Sun, produced by Molly’s guy Brandyn Burnette, as is lead off single “Peace Of My Heart”, which grapples with a variety of emotions and about which I wrote about recently (Molly’s self-directed video above). “Come Fly” plays at a deliberate pace, with vivid imagery leading us to the destination. The title song sounds like it could be a long epic but focuses instead on a pristine vocal. But it’s “Blood. Sweat. Tears” (live acoustic clip below) which is the record’s defining song and show’s the singer’s versatile star power. It’s unlike anything Molly has ever written. Honesty, commitment, and emotion all try to lead the way at various times in this struggle of love. Molly’s voice at times recalls Jessie Ware at her best, and at other times, the subtleties of Sarah McLachlan (also apparent to me on the title song). Shadow Of The Sun is a compelling and powerful six song premiere into the talented world of Molly Moore. Listen to the full EP below and pick it up on iTunes.

#BILLCSTop30 #471 – November 30, 2015

The new chart is crammed with new music on the rise that is deserving of your attention! Three debuts add to the fun 🙂

The Top 10

Yes, I am in Camp “Hello”. Adele gets a second appearance at the top. I’m not sure when she will give it up or to whom, always fun to wait and see.

Joe Jonas and DNCE get a personal best on my chart with “Cake By The Ocean” rising to #2. It tops Joe’s own “Make You Mine” from 2012, which peaked at #3. The band was a wild party in Toronto a couple of weeks back (photo below). I’m waiting for their new song “Naked” to surface on an upcoming release.

It’s one of those clever songs that you just want to learn the lyrics so that you can sing along. “I Wish (My Taylor Swift)” by The Knocks & Matthew Koma rises 6-4.

While Dan Talevski’s “My Religion” appears to have peaked at #5, I didn’t want to go without highlighting his beautiful, completely on-point recent acoustic cover of Adele’s “Hello”. Pretty flawless and the best I’ve heard of several. Available for free download at Dan’s Soundcloud page too!

Chicago’s Lucien Dante has held a steady pace in the Top 10 as the unique sound of “Black Water” climbs to #6, from his album Our Of We. “Black Water” is still available as a free download.

There’s plenty of competition ahead but Brandyn Burnette’s “Nothing At All” from his Made Of Dreams EP is a force to be reckoned with on the chart as it soars 14-7.

https://soundcloud.com/brandynburnette/nothing-at-all

Movin’ On Up

It’s been more traditional fare than ever for Sam Smith so it hasn’t really captured the hearts of radio listeners, but you cannot deny his supurb performance on the “Spectre” theme “Writing’s On The Wall”, which moves up to #11.

I’m going to take advantage of a live acoustic clip that Brandyn Burnette posted of “Lost (Stripped)”, which rises 20-12. It features his talented gal Molly Moore (who co-wrote it) – completely honest, earnest talent at work here. The original appears on Brandyn’s Made Of Dreams EP.

The fastest riser on the chart is the joyous Elephante remix of Mako’s “Smoke Filled Room” which vaults 26-13. It’s one of those unassuming songs in its original mix that benefits from this killer remix, which is also a free download below.

Ms Anonymous is the title song from the recent EP by MAX (Schneider) featuring Jared Evan that shoots right up through the middle of the chart, landing at #15 from #25. MAX is touring throughout the USA in various cities in December.

Their new album Astoria definitely harkens back to the Masterpiece Theatre days, full of great songwriting and Josh Ramsay powerhouse vocals. “One Love” is the single release and it rises 19-16.

There’s already a new single coming from Nathalie Archangel, after peaking within the Top 25 on Billboard’s Dance Club Play chart with “A Higher High”, which continues to climb here 27-23.

Debuts

I have to recall the fun concert in May by Matt and Kim, who always put on a fine high energy show. It’s only 2:11 but “Make A Mess” is a bubbly, jazzy, almost ska-sounding bit of fun from their New Glow album, and it arrives at #28.

I’m hoping club DJ’s will latch on to Rozalla’s “The Shadows Of The Moon” in the same way they did “If You Say It Again” earlier this year, which got to #3. This pairing with producer/DJ’s House Of Virus is irresistible for the dance floor, and bows at #29 (from the same songwriting team of Nathalie Archangel’s “A Higher High” too!).

The last debut would not have sounded out of place at all on either of Bright Light Bright Light’s album releases to date. As a featured artist, Rod Thomas teams up with German producer/DJ Final DJS for “Lost In Feelings” at #30. And it’s a free download too!

The Full Chart

Listen to the songs or watch the videos using the links on the pictures on the pretty and detailed web edition of my chart. Go on, have a look and listen/watch 🙂

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

Planet Radio Canada is back! You can hear me online on http://www.planetradio.ca every Monday at 10:00 pm EST counting down a Toronto Top 10 chart from yesteryear!

Dance this mess around: “Drinkee” by NYC duo @SofiTukker

SOFI TUKKER, “Drinkee”

NYC duo Sofi Tukker picked a great variation on a famous celebrity’s name, using their own names: Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern. And it looks like their debut single “Drinkee” is going to be the talk of the winter on the dance club circuit. It’s got this slinky R&B groove that will make you think of ZHU’s “Faded”, a guitar hook that recalls “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes, and a sultry vocal that’s singing… in Portuguese (but adapted from poetry by Brazil’s Chacal). And that really creates bliss on the dancefloor as you try to make sense of it all. “Drinkee” is very entertaining – perhaps you might look back to the first time you heard Enur & Natasja’s “Calabria” (only of course to realize that one was in fact rapped in English) – and Sofi Tukker are protégés of The Knocks, having been signed to their label Heavy Roc, with an EP on the way. I’m predicting great things for this one. Check it out below and pick it up on iTunes.

Toronto-based pop singer @KendalThompson drops EP “One” full of R&B flourishes

KENDAL THOMPSON, One (EP)

Kendal Thompson is a promising Toronto-based singer (from just outside of Toronto in Alliston) you may recall from past blog posts in early 2014, but more importantly when she issued her single “Be Mine” as a Valentine’s Day treat initially for free download. Accompanied by a sexy and intriguing video, “Be Mine” got to #16 on my personal chart. Kendal is back with a new release called One, after dabbling more on the side of acoustic pop and folk songs. The five songs in One are more in the vein of “Be Mine”, but instead of reaching back into bluesy influences, the focus here is on 90’s R&B/pop with dashes of jazz and blues. And because the days of Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, and Mary J. Blige have gone on to influence others, thus we hear more current inspiration in the styles of Rihanna or Beyoncé in Kendal’s music. Overall it’s an enjoyable record with the sizzle of “Burn” and “Run” in full gear, while the best is definitely saved for last. “Secret” is my favourite, joyous and engaging, featuring Kendal’s best vocal within, and could easily find a place on the radio. The One EP is a great showcase for a diverse performer who grows with every release and here finds her pop niche. Give a listen to the songs in One by clicking right here.

Minnesota rapper @callmeKarizma strikes a chord with “Euphoria”

KARIZMA, “Euphoria”

With his new song “Euphoria”, 20 year old Minnesota rapper Karizma wants everyone to know that it’s okay to fall in love. He’s all about peace, love, co-operation, unity – positive messages from someone who enjoys the stage but never feels that he’s above anyone else. He’s had his successes in the hip hop scene in the Twin Cities and deserves to breakout nation-wide. I caught Karizma (aka Morgan Parriott) opening up for MAX (Schneider) in concert last month, and his energetic and personable set was a breath of fresh air, sort of like the kinder side of Eminem. “Euphoria” (which revolves around a sample from “Radio” by Alkaline Trio) is a standout song and contrasts a downbeat melody with convincing lyrics that make you feel good. He calls his largely teen fans ‘losers’ because he cares – he’s been down and out, and knows how to rise above it, and they’re all in this together to have a good time. Give a listen to “Euphoria” below and be sure to catch a Karizma show when he comes to your city – guaranteed to make you smile.

L.A.’s @SugarJoans shows off her gorgeous range in “Nvr”

SUGAR JOANS, “Nvr”

You will undoubtedly remember Sugar Joans as a contestant from Season 7 of “The Voice” whose blind audition made mincemeat out of Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools”, among her many standout performances. And appearing on such a show is never about the winning when a song like “Nvr” comes out of nowhere and grabs your ears. Sugar comes from musical roots – her father is pop/R&B singer Joe Pizzulo, whose own striking voice was the lead on 80’s hits by Sergio Mendes, “Never Gonna Let You Go” and “Alibis”. Marry Sugar’s multi-octave voice with a chilled out EDM backdrop and you have a breakout when she goes to town with the strong, emotional and retrospective lyrics of “Nvr”. It might be a touch long at over 5 minutes long but it’s a fine story, and I would definitely enjoy hearing what some remixers might do with it for the dancefloor. You can pick up “Nvr” on iTunes.