alternative – Page 83 – BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

Texan trio Northern National @NorthernNatl arrives with single “Love Is Fire”

NORTHERN NATIONAL, “Love Is Fire”

It’s difficult to pull off a solid pop/rock single with alternative leanings in these days where popular radio is full of mainly faceless pop/dance and hip hop. So for those of you who enjoy bands like The Fray or Train, then Texan trio Northern National should definitely be on your radar with their single “Love Is Fire”. Comprised of three guys named Michael (!), Northern National forges a well-crafted alt.rock song with a compelling but simple lyric reminiscent of classic folk or country songs that reinforces the urgency of love. They’ve already received a reputation as force on stage through touring too. What I’m most impressed about is the killer vocal which sends the song home. Pick it up on iTunes. Give a listen below.

https://soundcloud.com/northernnational/love-is-fire-northern-national

An Engaging, Unique and Personal Experience: @BrandynBurnette’s debut EP Made Of Dreams

BRANDYN BURNETTE, Made Of Dreams (EP)

It’s been a long time in the making and seems many steps further away from last year’s winning single “Thanks For Nothing”, but Brandyn Burnette’s 6 song achievement called Made Of Dreams is now ready for you to purchase!

I’ve already previewed four songs from it, including the anthemic title song, the innovative progressive soul of “Nothing At All”, the intensely emotional “Lost (Stripped)”, and Brandyn’s rework of “I Wanna Be (Free)” featuring rapper Nevelle Viracocha, which here brings forward a more serious set of messages than the EDM-flavoured original (still available as a single), which is set to be my #1 song of 2015. The remaining two songs are the jaunty and instantly likeable “No Invitation”, and the more hip hop flavoured, bluesy “Down”.

Brandyn and his collaborators have come up with a one-of-a-kind EP that is testament to his evolution as a performer. He’s found his groove for this record with influences from old school blues and folk, his heroes like John Mayer and Chris Martin, as well as 70’s and 80’s soul and hip hop. Brandyn is also out to ensure that is music is as touching as it is enjoyable.

Made Of Dreams is Brandyn’s ticket to the next level, whatever that may be and whenever it may happen, but he will get there with the able assistance of a committed team and of course his own perseverance which he embodies every day through social media. I’m so happy that Made Of Dreams is now part of my record collection – pick it up on iTunes 🙂

Part 3 of Previews from @BrandynBurnette’s Made Of Dreams EP: “Lost (Stripped)”

https://soundcloud.com/brandynburnette/lost

BRANDYN BURNETTE, “Lost (Stripped)”

Be prepared for goosebumps and teary-eyed moments when you listen to the latest preview from Brandyn Burnette’s EP Made Of Dreams (due Friday November 13) called “Lost (Stripped)”. It’s a stunningly beautiful tribute to living, carrying on, and being supported, even when faced with incredible loss. These days I can’t think of another performer who is so much on a person-to-person level than Brandyn, even without many fans ever meeting or seeing him in concert. “Lost” is a heartbreaking, real-life story of two of Brandyn’s fans who Skyped with the singer while suddenly faced with a suicide of a friend; and then subsequently the singer encountered further sorrow when learning that the father of his producer passed away; lastly upon sending the song to his manager, Brandyn learned his manager’s mother had passed away. A song like “Lost” reminds us why music can be our friend and solace in tough times, its power should never be underestimated. I can’t think of hearing “Lost” another way besides this stripped down version, with all of that great high register vocal power, and I’m so happy Brandyn found a place for it on Made Of Dreams. Hearing the songs he’s previewed thus far in concert will be an experience, and can’t wait for that to happen in 2016!

Love is a battle worth keeping in @missMollyMoore’s “Peace Of My Heart”

MOLLY MOORE, “Peace Of My Heart”

L.A.-based singer/songwriter Molly Moore continues to breakout with pensive and sometimes edgy alt.rock tunes, and her latest is “Peace Of My Heart”, co-written with beau Brandyn Burnette. So you find yourself constantly entrenched in disagreements in your relationship but keep overlooking the root of why you’re together – that you love and trust each other. And as long as you keep coming back and finding that and appreciating it with all of your heart, you’ll find peace in love. Or at least, that’s what I think 🙂 Molly convincingly embodies the lyrics with her strong and committed vocal. Because of those vocal chops and her songwriting skills and current partnership, Molly is not to be labelled as an alt.rock.chick but as a versatile performer whose songs reach out and don’t let go. Pick up “Peace Of My Heart” on iTunes.

Can’t keep a good pop song down! @iamtheELEPHANTE kicks up a dance storm with @weareMako’s “Smoke Filled Room”

MAKO, “Smoke Filled Room” (Elephante remix)

I hate to see great songs escape out from underneath us and fall off the radar. Sometimes remixes can bring new interest and flavour to a record, and reknown remixer/producer Elephante (Jack Ü/Justin Bieber, The Magician/Years & Years, among many) has done exactly that with L.A. duo Mako’s engaging “Smoke Filled Room”. It starts deceptively with slow piano chords, which play into winning lyrics and melody that complement the vocals, which remind me sometimes of The Fray’s Isaac Slade. It has radio hit written all over it with a gritty, emotional side that will turn heads. Elephante amplifies the emotion and intensifies the song by making the chorus much more frenetic than in the original mix. It will have you bouncing in bliss long after dark. Mako’s “Smoke Filled Room” is a gem waiting to be found, so pick it up on iTunes. You can download Elephante’s remix for free below by clicking the link to follow him and Mako on Instagram.

L.A. producers/remixers @TwoFriendsmusic reinvent @Blink182’s “I Miss You” for dance clubs (free DL)

https://soundcloud.com/two-friends/blink-182-i-miss-you-two-friends-remix

BLINK-182, “I Miss You” (Two Friends remix) (free download)

Purists of this alt.rock classic might be slightly aghast at the thought, but L.A. producers/remixers Two Friends have managed to reinvent Blink-182’s 2004 hit “I Miss You” for dance clubs while being reverent to the punkish emotional attitude of the original ballad. The switch from ballad to dance raveup may seem a bit jarring but club goers will certainly connect with it. Not only that, but Two Friends (best friends Eli and Matt) turn it into a feel-good reminiscence without throwing too many bells and whistles into the mix, instead revolving their EDM flavours around the simple repeated guitar riff. In this early part of their career, Two Friends have already worked with the likes of Krewella and The Chainsmokers, and with remixes like “I Miss You” they should continue to build on these connections towards many more interesting and club-worthy remixes. Download it for free at the link above.

Part 2 of Previews from @BrandynBurnette’s upcoming Made of Dreams EP: “Nothing At All”

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

BRANDYN BURNETTE, “Nothing At All”

With the Made Of Dreams EP set to drop next Friday, November 13, Brandyn Burnette has given us another diverse and compelling song called “Nothing At All”. This one draws on influences from ages old soul and folk, and mixes it up with contemporary twists that would not be out of place on records by The Weeknd or Drake. Like “I Wanna Be (Free)”, “Nothing At All” keeps your attention throughout with a similar lazy vibe as backdrop, augmented by different effects, and sincere but direct lyrics that insist on commitment. “Nothing At All” is in short a solid, innovative song, and Brandyn is definitely comfortable in finding an alternative soul style without having to drop current radio-style pop flavours into the mix. Also like “I Wanna Be (Free)”, you can listen to “Nothing At All” over and over again and find something new every time. Can’t wait to hear the rest of Made Of Dreams!

#BILLCSTop30 – #469 – November 2, 2015

The Top 10 is log-jammed with fine songs and new peak positions, but some will need to give way within the next few weeks to make room for all of the newcomers on the rise. The highest debut has undoubtedly got #1 to contend with, while the other three have enormous potential and debut a little lower than usual because of the songs with which they are currently competing.

The Top 10

River Tiber’s “Let You Go” has a comfortable lock on #1 – for now – despite the incredible activity below. The song’s stellar performance and rich, soulful vibe help define it! Other songs from the EP When The Time Is Right are also sinking in, such as “Waves”.

It’s been a steady pace for songs that are totally different but have been bookends these past few weeks. Continue to dance your a** off to “Let You Go” by The Chainsmokers & Great Good Fine OK, which arrives at #2, while the beautiful and thoughtful “Pain Told Love” by Tribe Society & Kiesza moves up to #3 (ironically where Tribe Society’s predecessor band Gentlemen Hall peaked in 2013 with “Sail Into The Sun”).

And here’s Brooklyn’s Great Good Fine OK again in the Top 5 in a great pairing with St. Lucia on “Something To Believe In”, which climbs to #4.

I was very early on “The Other Boys” by NERVO featuring Kylie Minogue, Jake Shears, and Nile Rodgers. It holds at #5 here but in better news has reached #1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Play chart. I like it when my ears ring early on a song and this happens 🙂 Watch the new video above!

Brandyn Burnette’s enduring “I Wanna Be (Free)” leaves the chart after a mandatory 10 appearances (20 weeks), but until his new Made Of Dreams EP (which I will continue to preview) arrives in two weeks, the heartfelt “Life’s A Beach” will keep your attention at #9. It’s available for free from Brandyn’s website from his mixtape called The Bright Side.

Can you say Food Fight? 😛 The second new entry to the top 10 is the rollicking “Cake By The Ocean” by DNCE, led by one Joe Jonas. It soars 17-10. Pleased to say I got a ticket to their Toronto show on November 18 🙂 “Cake” is culled from the new EP Swaay.

Movin’ on Up

It’s Koma Koma time! Now a Top 10 Billboard Dance Club Play hit – I’m another early adopter on this one too! – “So F**kin’ Romantic” by Matthew Koma continues to climb up to #11.

And three places below, we find talented Matthew again, in a pairing with talented production duo The Knocks, with the rhythmic and dreamy “I Wish (My Taylor Swift)”. It’s the fastest riser on the chart, charging up 24-14.

Toronto singer Diego Gomes has a new EP called The Beginning due this month. Until this new music arrives, we have the chipper and winning single “Bow Tie”, which climbs 21-17.

New Order is definitely on a roll with new single “Plastic”, which I anticipate will arrive on international dance charts very soon. It moves up 25-19. The enduring band has charted four times on this chart since its inception in 1998 – “Crystal” got to #2 in 2001, followed by Get Ready album tracks “Rock The Shack” (#12) and “Turn My Way” (#16), and then “Krafty” reached #5 in 2005.

Marianas Trench’s latest album Astoria is now on release and “One Love” is a delightful change of pace for them, recalling the diversity of 2009’s similarly conceptual Masterpiece Theatre. “One Love” climbs 23-20.

Those 4 Debuts

It should be no surprise that “Hello” by Adele is at the top of the debuts, crashing in at #15 with #1 high on its radar. Adele’s pristine vocal leads a song that anyone can identify with and should garner her a Grammy. This bodes extremely well for the upcoming album called 25. This is one song that will continue to sound grand over and over again.

At #25 is the bitter but danceable “Over” by Chicago-based EDM performer Goldhouse, which I wrote about not long ago. You’re guaranteed to be singing this one after one listen! Pick up the “Over” EP on iTunes.

At #26, is a song that I think is a perfect companion to Adele’s “Hello”. “The Voice” contestant Clinton Washington will make you swoon with his soaring vocal on his independent release “Hearts Beat Loud”.

The last debut at #27 is from an EP that I’m enjoying a whole lot. I was fortunate to see MAX (Schneider) recently in concert, and he’s a ball of energy who is extremely well-connected with his fans, even jumping into the audience to perform in the centre of the crowd. The title track from his EP Ms Anonymous also features a nice break by talented rapper Jared Evan.

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

@Reigenmusic marches to the beat of his own drum with the equality anthem “Real New Yorker”

REIGEN, “Real New Yorker” (free download)

Versatile New York vocalist Reigen returns with an anthem that will touch you deep down inside as it does me called “Real New Yorker”. I worked in the equity field for a number of my early years with my company so the spirit of all forms of equality is embedded inside. “Real New Yorker” gets right in your face and between your ears, exactly what it should do to command immediate reaction with its chorus “the future is now”. There’s a bit of charming synth work at the beginning that sounds like it might burst into “The Neverending Story” 😉 and helps to set the stage brightly for what’s to come. Reigen’s vocal is committed and appropriately unrelenting. “Real New Yorker” is quite unlike the soulful EDM ballad “Come Back To Me” that reached #2 on my chart earlier this year. Reigen is a powerful, honest new voice and with songs like “Real New Yorker” I can only foresee great things for him and his music in 2016. Download “Real New Yorker” for free below #thefutureisnow 🙂

https://soundcloud.com/reigen/real-new-yorker

For #Halloween 2015: @KSHMRmusic & @Bassjackers feat. @Sirah with “Memories” and a @Snowmassbeats remix

KSHMR & BASSJACKERS featuring SIRAH, “Memories”

“Memories” is a pretty fierce dance club track lead by a powerful and urgent vocal by Sirah, who you recently heard on MAX (Schneider)’s EP Ms Anonymous, and of course is most noted for vocals on the Grammy-winning “Bangarang” by Skrillex. American DJ/producer KSHMR and Dutch comrades Bassjackers have created a haunting and propulsive song that doesn’t let up till it’s done. Then US futuristic dub remixer Snowmass takes the song many steps in a different direction (below) with ultra-creepy vocal effects that are just perfect for Hallowe’en or a late dark night. Play this remix LOUD.

https://soundcloud.com/snowmass/kshmr-bassjackers-ft-sirah-memories-snowmass-remix