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#BILLCSTop30 #633 – February 14/22

As was anticipated from the last chart two weeks ago, this new edition of the BILLCS Top 30 gets shaken down pretty significantly. A lot of favourites leave or are about to leave the chart, and others slip down to make room for new ones. And surprisingly, there are another four debuts. But with the fast pace of the music industry it is next to impossible to keep up with all of the new songs that are released each week. I like to think that this blog offers some highlights that you should hear, but I still hear songs months after their release for the first time. And it’s only fair to independent performers who have been pushing out their songs as quickly as they can, to give them a chance for a review up to six months after their songs are released. I’ve seen it happen before, and all it takes sometimes is one door to open, and the song gets a new lease on life.

Just a reminder about my New Music Pick of the Week online radio segment: It now airs on four separate online radio stations! These are segments that usually last between four and a half and seven minutes, depending on the length of song being featured. If you participate in or own an online radio station, feel free to connect with me if you’re looking for additional programming like this!

Make sure you read about my ONLINE RADIO AFFILIATES (see details after the post)!

“Bad Things” (above) by Swedish indie pop/rock quartet Louis Pax has been flying up my chart for the last month of so, and it’s only fitting that the song advances 4-1 this week. It’s a bright, feel good song with an amusing video and a terrific guitar solo that screams 80’s influences but sounds contemporary in its own lane. The band released a new softer new single recently, you can check out “Spanish Rain” below.

I can’t rave enough about Years & Years’ Night Call album. I think it’s now passed The Weeknd’s Dawn FM as my favourite album of 2022 so far (and it’s still early, mind you). So while “Sweet Talker” (with Galantis above) stays put at #2, the title song (below) advances 28-20.

Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to spread the love about Darren Hayes’ solo return to the pop music world after 10 years. And the song has been released without any expectations and any designs on radio play. So do take the time to enjoy “Let’s Try Being In Love”, which leaps 10-3. And your eyes will definitely be moist at the end. His vocal contribution on Louis La Roche’s “Cold To Me” gives Darren two songs in the Top 10, just like old times, as it climbs 12-9.

Kylie Minogue and Jessie Ware offer up everything that was fun and memorable about disco music in “Kiss Of Life”, which climbs 9-6.

And speaking of The Weeknd, both of my featured songs from Dawn FM move up in fine fashion. First we have “Less Than Zero” (above) climbing 16-7, while current single “Sacrifice” (below) rises 22-15.

Rounding out the Top 10 in a big way this week is the punchy rock-flavoured “Pulling Me Down” by Emirati producers Revelries, which soars 19-10. It’s the duo’s third visit to the Top 10, following “Don’t Think Twice” (#2) and “Fall-Out” (#7).

The sound of Martin Garrix is evolving eight years after “Animals” created a defining moment in electronic dance music history. Now one of the richest producer/DJ’s in the world, he can write his own ticket, and working with Russian producers Matisse & Sadko and vocalist John Martin has given him one of his best recent singles, a natural for play at upcoming festivals called “Won’t Let You Go”, and it moves up 21-14. And is that Zedd collaboration actually coming soon? Hopefully all of the photo teasing of them together means that the song is on its way.

Given that The Chainsmokers have had 3 #1’s on my chart and 3 #2’s too, it’s no surprise that the incredibly infectious “High” flies up the chart as the Fastest Riser, moving 26-16.

Lifehouse’s rocking “Cut and Run” is wasting no time proving that a straight-ahead rock track still kicks ass in today’s music world. It climbs 24-17 and is culled from the EP Goodbye Kanan.

Arriving on the chart at #24 as the Highest Debut for the first time since 2014 is L.A.-based British electronic artist Frankmusik, and it’s with a song he didn’t even write. But the production and vocal here are outstanding so be sure to check out “The Half Moon Came Up In The Sky”. It’s Frankmusik’s 14th chart entry, which all began back in 2009 with “Confusion Girl” (#9).

L.A.’s Mahalo returns to the chart with his 11th chart entry, the piano-house track “Careless” at #25. It’s his second collaboration with Poland’s Milkwish – they previously charted together with “Alone Again” (#11) in 2019. The vocalist on the track is the fantastic Lena Leon. Mahalo’s last two entries, “Not Watching Anymore” and “Got That Love”, both went to #1 and were both in My Top 10 of 2021.

NYC singer/songwriter Victor Perry is also back on the chart with his 13th entry under his name (which includes the #1 “Myself In You” plus one entry under his project as a duo called Labrose) with German producers Saxity with the dance rave up “Oxygen” at #26. It’s Victor’s sixth time working with Saxity, previously charting with “You Found Me” (#8) and “Fantasy” (#4), and it’s Saxity’s 5th entry. I love hearing whatever they come up with together!

The fourth debut is NYC singer/songwriter Robbie Rosen’s 8th entry in less than two years, this time with Finnish producer Foxela, called “Think About You” at #28. With “To The Top” still hanging in at #30, “Think About You” continues Robbie’s unbroken streak of regular chart entries which began with last year’s “When I Lost You” on the March 15, 2021 chart.

View the full BILLCS Top 30 right here! Click on the hyperlink on the song titles to hear the songs or watch the videos!

Listen to the BILLCS Top 30 Songs on Spotify! You can also follow me on Spotify at the following link: BILLCS Top 30 Songs.

Check out and ‘like’ the BILLCS Music Projects Facebook page 🙂

ONLINE RADIO AFFILIATES

Radio GTA – listen to The Big 20 from 10pm to Midnight EST as “The Musicman” James Rogers and I bring you the latest in new songs. And on Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 6pm I bring you “Your Weekend New Music Mix” six hours of commercial-free music from the 2000’s including many song choices from this blog.

Halton Hills Online – “Your Weekend Music Mix” has a second home on Saturday and Sunday evenings from 8pm to Midnight! It’s a different mix from Radio GTA’s show, and like that one it is also commercial free, proudly brought to you by Symposium Cafe Restaurant & Lounge in Georgetown, Ontario!

The 3D Variety Show by Planet Radio Canada – I’m featured Tuesdays between 7 and 7:30 pm with my New Music Pick of the Week on the “3D Variety Show” with “The Musicman” James Rogers, and I also join occasionally for looks at music from our past through some live segments. The “3D Variety Show” now repeats on Friday evenings at 9pm EST on Radio GTA .

My New Music Pick of the Week also now airs on Radio GTA Wednesdays at 11:15 pm EST, Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm EST, on Halton Hills Online on Saturdays and Sundays at 10pm EST, and now on Mix88.ca‘s “Addictive Energy” show with Hunter Wilbur on Saturdays at 9pm EST.

#BILLCSTop30 #627, November 22/21

I’m very happy to live musically on the development and discovery side of songs and artists. I’m a huge lover of contemporary music, I just don’t love what the big labels and artist management companies are investing their time and cash into anymore. The awards shows all feature the same big name performers. Anyone who says this is fair game and an “open” club has to be kidding. It’s by invite only and there are layers of gate-keepers to help it stay that way. So many performers can have success in a different set of terms and develop fans and followers without getting on the charts. So if you plan on making the right connections to get there, by all means. Otherwise you’ll still have loads of people like me to appreciate your music. There are only three songs on my chart that are signed to major labels directly, and there are another half dozen with labels with distribution deals, otherwise the rest are independent.

Make sure you read about my ONLINE RADIO AFFILIATES (see details after the post) – all kinds of online radio announcing projects now keeping me busy!

Boye & Sigvardt become the first artists from Denmark to have a #1 song on my chart, as “Microdose” (featuring the wonderful voice of Jordan Shaw) succeeds “Sanctuary” by Howen and Robbie Rosen at the top after three appearances (six weeks). I can’t get enough of “Microdose” months after its release, though it suddenly has competition for retaining #1 in two weeks.

Darin’s touching ballad “Holding Me More” storms up the chart 20-3, following his recent #1 “Can’t Stay Away” in a similar fashion. You can have Adele’s “Easy On Me”, I’ll take “Holding Me More” any day!

Robbie Rosen gets another song in the Top 5, as his fancy work with German producers Natixx and Lyonbrotherz in the unique “To The Top” (above) allows it to climb 8-5. It’s his fourth Top 5 on my chart in the last year. Check out another recent Robbie release called “Fragile” with Philadelphia producer Sauniks, below.

Australia’s Sonny Fodera gets his first Top 10 on my chart from his new album Wide Awake with “Angel” (above) featuring the lovely voice of Clementine Douglas. It rises 13-7. Another veteran dance producer, Morgan Page, is right behind with “Turn Off My Mind” (below) with co-writer and vocalist Lights, up 11-8.

It’s already been a year since Toronto’s Justin Nozuka released his gracious, soulful ballad “No One Like You” with British singer/songwriter Mahalia, which got to #4 on this chart. Justin’s back in the Top 10 with his latest “Nova” rising 12-9.

Moving up 14-10 is “Wish I Didn’t Miss You”, the Angie Stone song as covered by German producers John Skyfield and Shoby with an indelible, faithful vocal by Victor Perry. It continues Victor’s string of Top 10’s on this chart, as a lead or featured act, now up to 12, with four in the last year alone. Check out Victor’s latest single “Sleepwalking” below, his first major label release (for Sony) with Ukrainian producers Kalush in a mix by none other than Pink Panda.

“Play It Cool” by UK/Irish production duo Menrva and singer Island Banks closes in on the Top 10 as it climbs up 16-11.

Karen Harding continues to make waves with “You & I (All I Need)” (above), which climbs 19-14 and is a certified North American dance radio hit. Check out her recent dynamic collaboration with producer Sammy Porter called “Celebrate” below.

This past week, “Unbreakable” by TELYKast and Sam Gray, soared into the North American dance radio Top 10. It soars up my chart as well, rising 25-17.

It’s good to have Tears For Fears back with the title track of their upcoming album “The Tipping Point”, which moves up 30-23. I remember vividly coming home with my British import 12″ single of “Mad World” (which I still have) after hearing it on our local alternative rock station back in the day.

Returning to the chart at #25 is the latest by Austin producers Tritonal, with vocalist EMME, called “Out Of The Dark”, from their upcoming album Coalesce. It arrives in a sparkling Morgin Madison remix after resonating with me in its original, more progressive mix. Tritonal reached #1 on the chart with Henry Dark on “Shivohum” in January 2020.

Also back on the chart for a third time this year is San Francisco area producer Jay Bird in collaboration with TWSTD ZOO with the positive energy of “Float” at #26. It’s graced by a cool vocal by L.A.’s Harley Bird (no relation to Jay), and follows Jay Bird’s “Escape” (#4) and “Gone Tomorrow” (#15).

Back with their 9th chart entry (going back to 2012!) are The Knocks who pair up this time with singer/songwriter Parson James for the delightfully catchy “River” at #28. Both The Knocks and Parson James have reached #1 on the chart before (The Knocks with “Kiss The Sky” and Parson with “Broken Love”), and “River” follows up The Knocks’ collaboration with Foster The People “All About You”, which got to #9 earlier this year.

At #29 is the debut entry for southern California singer/songwriter and resident disco dad, Michael Medrano, who I’ve written about several times, with his fun but telling “I Don’t Wanna Talk About Love” (above). Michael has quickly followed this one up with “Personal Heaven” this past week, which you can also check out below.

View the full BILLCS Top 30 right here! Click on the hyperlink on the song titles to hear the songs or watch the videos!

Listen to the BILLCS Top 30 Songs on Spotify! You can also follow me on Spotify at the following link: BILLCS Top 30 Songs.

Check out and ‘like’ the BILLCS Music Projects Facebook page 🙂

ONLINE RADIO AFFILIATES

Radio GTA – listen to The Big 20 from 10pm to Midnight EST as “The Musicman” James Rogers and I bring you the latest in new songs mixed with classics and songs you haven’t heard in a while. And on Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 6pm I bring you “Your Weekend Music Mix” six hours of commercial-free music from the 2000’s including many song choices from this blog.

Planet Radio Canada – I’m featured Tuesdays between 7 and 7:30 pm with my New Music Pick of the Week on the “3D Variety Show” with “The Musicman” James Rogers, and I also join occasionally for looks at music from our past through some live segments.

My New Music Pick of the Week also now airs on Radio GTA Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm EST, and on Halton Hills Online on Saturdays and Sundays at 10pm EST!

The fab @KeiynanLonsdale pumps up the energy in “Gods Of The Disco”

KEIYNAN LONSDALE, “Gods Of The Disco”

For those not familiar with the talented singer and actor, Keiynan Lonsdale is the Australia-born star who portrayed Kid Flash in TV’s “The Flash” and had a prime role in the film “Love, Simon”, which he reprised recently in its TV counterpart “Love, Victor”. He’s been making records for the last five years or so, including last year’s full album Rainbow Boy, with great response from the indie music community. Challenging us with every release, “Gods Of The Disco” manages to embody the music and sounds of the 70’s disco era, and brings it up to date in a slick production. Its entertaining video starts off as a night club performance in a club (the look reminds me of Ne-Yo), but there’s a fantasy element of it that comes alive about 2/3 of the way through, though its story seems incomplete. Nonetheless, Keiynan’s vocal sounds great, and there is terrific choreography that offers up some fine dance moves, making “Gods Of The Disco” an energetic retro romp with a few twists.

England’s @Barbudoband spin disco-flavoured pop in “Sunshine”

BARBUDO, “Sunshine”

British duo Barbudo are making some pleasing inroads from when I first heard them last year with their new single “Sunshine”. Barbudo are brothers Ben and Harry Stanworth, who hail from the south of England. Although the production is fairly basic, sometimes more is less when it suits the moment and the song. Taking their cue from the pandemic and spinning that on its head, the lads came up with “Sunshine” as part of the musical antidotes we’re all hearing now as much of the world transitions out of the pandemic. It doesn’t say anything new, but the presentation is alternately chill and snappy, full of 80’s sounding British-European jazzy disco flavours that help turn it into a bit of a singalong. Although it’s too long for what it has to say, “Sunshine” is made up of all the right stuff to turn listeners’ heads.

“Nonchalant” is the latest deep house treat by @DuckSauceNYC featuring a fun, prominent sample from the 80’s

DUCK SAUCE, “Nonchalant”

After a long hiatus, A-Trak and Armand Van Helden reunited on record as Duck Sauce last year with two delightfully quirky singles in “Captain Duck” (which prominently sampled Captain Sensible’s “Wot”) and “Mesmerize” (which has one of the strangest animated videos). “Nonchalant” isn’t as much of a novelty as either “Barbra Streisand” or “Captain Duck”, as it builds an extremely catchy, soulful vocal chorus around a retro-sounding Latin melody that is lifted from British group Modern Romance’s 1981 disco/dance release “Queen of The Rapping Scene (Nothing Ever Goes The Way You Planned)”, a minor but memorable dance record (I still am proud to have my original 12″ import of it!!). That makes it a sure dance floor draw, with the slick-sounding sample in direct contrast to the fierce vocal. “Nonchalant” is a pretty irresistible, highly creative slice of fun. You can peruse the ‘duck takeover’ in the odd video above, or check out the track below. Quack!

Get down to Canadian dance producers Boogie Hill Faders @boogie_hill with “The Spot”

BOOGIE HILL FADERS, “The Spot”

Veteran Canadian producers Boogie Hill Faders are off on a 70’s disco tip with their latest single “The Spot”, which is from their forthcoming debut album The Formula. They also operate separately as Nitro and Big D and they seem to come from the same place musically as fellow Canadians A-Trak and Chromeo. “The Spot” is a tight production, guaranteed to make you groove, and if it samples a song or two of the past then it’s well-disguised. Otherwise its feel-good rhythm is totally infectious, and, as clubs come back to life, “The Spot” is one to spin in a set to help get the crowd moving.

Canadian dance producer @RyShepherdmusic has your end of summer dance anthem with “All The Way Down” with Black Gatsby @BLKGATZ

RYAN SHEPHERD and BLACK GATSBY, “All The Way Down”

Who better to offer up a smashing end of summer dance anthem with a lot of house-meets-disco flourishes than Canadian producer Ryan Shepherd? He does so in tandem with L.A.-based pop/R&B singer/songwriter Black Gatsby, who has recorded with Zed’s Dead and Chris Lake among others. “All The Way Down” follows up Ryan’s recent success with “Hello Sunday”, a grower which was given new life through online Sunday performances by Ryan during the pandemic. “All The Way Down” is about being your best ‘you’ and celebrating that in style. It’s an obvious dance floor filler that will have fists pumping and people cheering on as we begin to take back our lives for some much needed fun times.

Ryan plays a “Hello Sunday Day Party” at Toronto’s Love Child Social House from 4 to 9 pm on Sunday August 29

Dance diva and Broadway star @MOYAangela collaborates again with UK/Canadian producers @realFutureKings on “Peace”

MOYA x FUTURE KINGS, “Peace”

“Peace” is a celebratory anthem for everything that is good in the world, that I’m counting on the dance community to embrace. Reteaming for this banger are dance diva and Broadway star MOYA and UK/Canadian producers Future Kings, who kicked off 2021 with the memorable “Laser Beams” with Moguai for Spinnin’. The only other belters to come along this decade that I can think of who hold their own with MOYA’s fierce voice are fellow Broadway star LaChanze (from “The Donna Summer Musical”) and Glee’s Alex Newell (currently blowing the house down with “The Feels” with Cash Cash). “Peace” is bouncy and jubilant and bubbling with old school disco flavours, with everything that you need in a magnificent summer anthem.

Producer @YungBae pairs up with rapper @Channel_Tres for disco and hip hop flavoured electronica of “Wonder”

YUNG BAE and CHANNEL TRES, “Wonder”

Yung Bae’s recent single with UPSAHL called “Woman On The Moon” had its lens on alternative flavoured pop, and his latest release “Wonder” couldn’t be anything more different. This time with Compton rapper Channel Tres taking the vocal reins, the Portland, Oregon native has opted for a semi-sung hip hop song that charges right in with disco lights and mirror ball ablaze! I could be wrong but I think there is a sample in there too that helps drive the song with its orchestral melody. “Wonder” is very well crafted, with interesting lyrics and vocal that don’t come off too heavy. I guess the best thing to bear in mind with the music of Yung Bae is to expect the unexpected and ride those cool grooves.

#BILLCSTop30 #607 – February 15/21

Change is afoot at the top of the chart, as new songs make inroads, and recent favourites start to run their course. My chart is totally based on my opinion, there is no science or method to the chart – what I currently enjoy most is at the top, and I’ve been pleased to share my list with you online for 23 years. The only rule I’ve had in place is that songs drop off after 10 appearances (20 weeks), to help keep the chart fresh, unless the song starts climbing back upward, which has only happened once (Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep” managed 11 appearances and peaked at #2).

Swedish production duo NOTD get their first #1 with vocalist Catello with “Nobody”, which also recently topped the US dance airplay charts for 5 weeks. Also contributing to the songwriting were Sandro Cavazzo, noted for his work with Avicii, and Victor Thell of Smith & Thell. NOTD is the first Swedish act to top my chart in over 8 years, since Swedish House Mafia did it in 2012 with “Don’t You Worry Child”!

Swiftly moving up to second place is “Like Gold” by Loud Luxury & Frank Walker featuring vocalist/co-writer Stephen Puth. Loud Luxury have two #1’s to date on my chart – their rework of Craig David’s “Fill Me In” with Ryan Shepherd, and “Show Me” with fellow Canadian group Nikki’s Wives, while their greatest overall success, “Body” (featuring brando) also got to #2. Will “Like Gold” become their third #1?

Charging into the Top 5 is Japanese-British sensation Rina Sawayama with the Lady Gaga-inspired “Lucid”, moving up 9-4. Will “Lucid” become her first chart topper?

UK dance legends Faithless obtain their first Top 10 on my chart just shy of 22 years, since “God Is A DJ” (which bowed on this chart in March 1999), with “Synthesizer”, featuring vocalist Nathan Ball, which climbs 11-7. It’s from their recently released album All Blessed.

Any of the songs ranking 11-14 could find their way into the Top 10 in two weeks.

Rising 14-11 is the dark and mysterious “Sinnerman” (above) by veteran UK producer Hot Since 82 featuring singer/songwriter Ed Graves, from the album Recovery. The joy of finding synergy and harmony with someone is reflected in “All About You” (also above) by The Knocks and Foster The People, which moves up 15-12. The dazzling collaboration of Illenium, Toronto’s Dabin, and fellow Canadian Lights is hard at work in “Hearts On Fire” (below), which climbs 18-14. But the Fastest Riser on the chart belongs to UK producer Bobby Harvey with fellow UK vocalist Danny Dearden for the intense and emotional deep house track “Tell Me” (also below), which soars 21-13.

Out of the songs that debuted two weeks ago, two move up seven places on the chart. Mahalo’s US dance hit “Not Watching Anymore” (above) rises 28-21, while SoCal electronic dance producer Jay Bird’s personal best to date called “Escape” (featuring Chrxstal Sarah, below) climbs 30-23.

The first of four debuts belongs to Victor Perry, in collaboration with German producers Cal1 and l’essay for the soft and lovely “Stories”, which arrives at #27. Victor is just finishing off a long run on the chart with “Fantasy” (#25), which peaked at #3. “Stories” is also a very welcome follow up to last year’s “What I Deserve”, which got to #2 behind Joel Corry & MNEK’s “Head & Heart”.

Next up at #28 is the quirky delight “Space Melody” by Germany’s VIZE and Sweden’s Alan Walker, partnering this time with fellow producer Edward Artemyev and vocalist Leony. VIZE reached #2 last year with the infectious “Never Let Me Down”, while Alan Walker gets his third appearance on the chart, one of which of course was “Faded”, which peaked at #3.

Also making his third appearance on the chart is NYC indie pop-dance-soul singer/songwriter Reigen with the dark and dreamy “blue” at #29. Both of Reigen’s other songs have reached the Top 10, with “Come Back To Me” climbing to #2 and his cover of The Cranberries’ “Dreams” peaking at #10.

Making his debut on the chart is Toronto R&B/pop singer/dancer D!XON with “Arms Around Me” at #30. Be sure to check out its diverse and well-choreographed video above, which totally suits the bold and sexy vibe of the song.

A reminder that the music from my chart and blog are featured regularly on the online radio station The New 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 🙂 You can start by joining Radio GTA’s new interactive Facebook group too!!

View the full BILLCS Top 30 right here! Click on the hyperlink on the song titles to hear the songs or watch the videos!

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

Check out and ‘like’ the BILLCS Music Projects Facebook page 🙂