electronica – Page 167 – BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

BILLCS Top 30 #452 – March 9, 2015

Spring is almost here and over 70% of the songs on my new personal chart are on the rise or holding, which means that competition to get to the top is pretty fierce! It also makes it difficult when I want to write about them all, but I’ll have to resist 😉

The Top 10

https://soundcloud.com/brandynburnette/01-sleeve

“Sleeve” by Brandyn Burnette is not letting go of #1 yet, as the L.A. based singer/songwriter is about to preview another new song called “Lottery”. Watch for it on Brandyn’s Soundcloud page!

Season 7 contestant on “The Voice”, pop/R&B singer Chris Jamison, moves up a notch to #2 with his slick song “Velvet”.

Having Kylie Minogue and Giorgio Moroder on a tour together would be an absolute dream, not to mention a huge dancefest! I’d love to hear Giorgio remix some of Kylie’s older songs *hint hint* but in the meantime “Right Here Right Now” advances 6-4. Pop radio should not be ignoring this one!

To get you through until Anton Ewald’s upcoming single “Higher” is released on April 7 is sexy R&B-influenced album track “Save The Last Dance” moving up 7-6.

Don’t understimate the power of “King” by Years & Years, as it became the new #1 song in the UK today! It’s the only new entry in my Top 10, and I predict some great things are in store for it on my chart too. Interscope releases it in the U.S., Polydor elsewhere. It climbs 12-10.

Movin’ On Up

All of the songs between #9 and 17 are on the rise!

If there’s room for Years & Years in the charts of the world, then fellow British performer Shift K3Y could also find himself there at some point! “I Know”, which climbs 15-11, did become a Top 30 hit in the UK last Fall but deserves international attention!

Suddenly, there seem to be Smashing Satellites fans all over North America, as the quartet heads to the U.S. to play some shows. Check out the Canadian band’s impressive video for “Waterfall”, which soars 18-13.

The fastest riser on the chart belongs to the singer who is also at #3 with “Pieces” – Jessie Ware. She will be headed back to North America very soon, supporting her new single “Champagne Kisses”, which vaults 23-14.

“Hurricane” by Lifehouse is a kick-ass rock song that has the now-trio back in fine form. The song moves up 22-17 – look for it to break open on the chart in two weeks.

Adam Tyler is a busy guy – wrapping a self-directed video for “Knew You Better” (from the Shattered Ice deluxe edition release), and featuring on both The Wookie’s “The Dreamers” and the song that lifts off 27-22, “Alive” by his label mate Mi Disguise.

One song that will creep up and grab your attention with its simple story and sunny melody is “Memories” by Samantha Gibb (daughter of late Bee Gee Maurice), which rises 28-24.

Three High Flying Debuts

It’s the best song on their album The Velvet Flame, and I’ve been waiting to put it on my chart, but “Reason” (which drops off) prevailed first. “Sacred” is Erasure at their classic best, and should fare even better in dance clubs than “Reason” as the third single release from the album. It bows at #18 – likely because I’ve had it on repeat since I downloaded the album!

At #19, and continuing to win me over with every listen, is “Chasing Stars”, the moving and contagious pop/hip hop song from Canada by Corey Niles featuring Ottawa native Alex Lacasse which I wrote about recently. This is one radio-ready song worth fawning over!

https://soundcloud.com/databoy/when-it-rains-it-pours

Arriving at #20 is the dance floor rave-up (begging for remixes) which I also wrote about recently, “When It Rains, It Pours”, by BILLCS chart veterans, the duo DATABOY. Featuring producer/remixer Niko The Kid, “When It Rains” has a different sound for the guys, and it suits them to a ‘D’ 🙂

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 for My New Music Pick Of The Week on D-Moos.com!

Every week I feature a New Music Pick of the Week on D-Moos, which is usually either on my chart or may soon be! Listen in amid the great variety of older music as I bring cutting edge new music to the rotation of over 20,000+ songs!!

Flying High with “Cosmonaut” by @Wrathschild from the New EP “Birds”

WRATHSCHILD, “Cosmonaut”

So very talented are the duo of Simon Curtis and Bad W0lfy (Ro Danishei) that they have continued last year’s electronica project Wrathschild, resulting in a seven song EP called Birds, which dropped this week on iTunes. Included are the effervescent “Fall Into Love” and wistful “Angeles” from last year, plus 5 new songs including “Cosmonaut”.

I’ve elected to focus on “Cosmonaut” because it is easily the most mesmerizing and enticing song that the pair have either recorded together or separately, starting with an operatic-sounding intro that throws back to Simon’s “Beat Drop”. “Cosmonaut” draws you in by including themes common in both Simon’s 8bit Heart mixtape and W0lfy’s album End Of The Rainbow – loneliness, needing to be loved, escape, fantasy, and being empowered to stick with it all – carefully reinvented to capture fans’ hearts all over again. W0lfy’s powerhouse vocal commands the proceedings while Simon uses both higher range and spoken voice to anchor key parts of the song, and then they harmonize gorgeously as always.

The production by Ray Reich on “Cosmonaut” is lush and subtle, full of WOW moments – like Simon’s introduction into the song after the minute mark that to me is a star-turning move – and will keep your ears mesmerized.

BILLCS Top 30 #451 – February 23/15

The top of the new chart stays steady, while the rest is formed of a diversity of so many pop music genres… I like to think my tastes are well-rounded 🙂

The Top 10

https://soundcloud.com/brandynburnette/01-sleeve

The names are Brandyn, Reigen, and Chris, and they have a lock on the Top 3! Brandyn Burnette’s heartwarming (and yet to be officially released) “Sleeve” will continue to have you tugging at it as it stays at #1, while “Come Back To Me” by Reigen holds steady at #2, and “Velvet” by Chris Jamison rests contentedly at #3. So what songs below could shake the Top 3 loose perhaps even in two weeks?

Jessie Ware is always a good bet, as the gorgeous album track “Pieces” slips into the #4 ranking, while rocker Graham Alexander is right behind with his energetic blast called “She’s A Chameleon” up 8-5.

The fastest riser on the chart is accompanied by news that Giorgio Moroder will in fact be touring with Kylie Minogue this year! Undoubtedly somewhere in the show “Right Here, Right Now” will be performed, as the first single from Giorgio’s upcoming album 24 Is The New 74 is the fastest riser for a second week, advancing 14-6!

Also new to the Top 10 is the song produced by John Rzeznik of Goo Goo Dolls for Canadian quintet Eleven Past One. It’s not a single but it’s the gem from their EP The World Is Ours called “There’s Nothing Wrong”, moving up 13-10! Here it at the Amazon link right here or on other sources like Spotify.

Movin’ On Up

Sam Smith’s last entry “Restart” topped out at #11, so let’s see if “Like I Can” will become the 4-time Grammy winner’s 6th Top Tenner on my chart, as the lovely “Lay Me Down” becomes his latest single. In The Lonely Hour is the album that keeps on giving 🙂

Years & Years are the band to watch in 2015, and with good reason – catchy, well-performed songs like “King” from their self-titled EP! The song climbs 19-12 on the chart.

Daniel Robinson’s breezy take on EDM pop, the mysterious “Moonmolt”, moves up 17-13 as the singer announced the imminent arrival of an EP called I Don’t Know How It Is, in advance of his album called Truant.

UK’s Shift K3Y definitely is getting around, remixing songs such as “You & I (Forever)” by Jessie Ware! The singer rises 21-15 with the single “I Know”

Canadian quartet Smashing Satellites, led by striking ex-My Darkest Days singer Salvatore Costa, has one of the hardest hitting videos of 2015 so far created for their song “Waterfall”, which climbs 25-18. Look for the band playing regularly around North America – with side trips elsewhere, who knows? – throughout the year.

Another hard hitting song, and a standout from his debut album, is “Riot” by Mikky Ekko, performed on TV’s David Letterman show last week. It moves up 26-19.

Matt McAndrew’s “Wasted Love” has a wonderful singalong chorus, and the runner-up contestant on Season 7 of “The Voice” climbs 27-21. Look for Season 8 of “The Voice” starting Monday February 23 (recent Grammy winner Christina Aguilera returns).

Lifehouse’s “Hurricane” climbs 28-22 but I think the song will let loose everywhere in the coming weeks. Watch out!

4 Debuts

Why it’s Jessie Ware again! And while the video is a tad, urhm, unconventional, the song is brilliant. “Champagne Kisses” is one of my faves from Tough Love and bows at #23, likely to join “Pieces” in the Top 10 at some point.

It’s taken a little while longer than usual to hear what a brillo song that 19 year old DJ/producer Mi Disguise (aka Louie Garcia) and BILLCS chart fave Adam Tyler have created with “Alive”. I did write about it a while back in September, but it’s finally debuted on the chart at #27.

Samantha Gibb, she of the famous last name as daughter of The Bee Gees’ Maurice, premieres on the chart with her sunny and reflective “Memories” at #28.

It’s kind of strange how my fellow Torontonian The Weeknd (aka 25 year old Abel Tesfaye) had yet to appear on my chart until now, but his song from “50 Shades Of Grey” called “Earned It” is a dramatic stunner with a compelling vocal that I bet will land him a Grammy nomination. The song is already a Top 5 UK hit (a good sign), and arrives on my chart at #29. Fellow “50 Shades” performer Ellie Goulding did appear on my chart in 2012 with her free download cover of The Weeknd’s “High For This”, the original of which you can find on his House Of Balloons album.

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 for My New Music Pick Of The Week on D-Moos.com!

Flood On The Dance Floor: “When It Rains, It Pours” by @DATABOYmusic featuring @NikotheKid

DATABOY featuring NIKO THE KID, “When It Rains, It Pours”

Hot off the presses is the latest single from Austin-via-Los Angeles EDM duo DATABOY, featuring producer/remixer Niko The Kid, on “When It Rains, It Pours”. The song joins a fabulous series of dance songs about the rain – “I Can’t Stand The Rain”, “It’s Raining Men”, “When The Rain Begins To Fall”, and more of course – and will definitely create one whirlwind of a flood on the dance floor. The lads (being Cam and Adam) have created a striking but different and often deeper vocal arrangement in this song which will serve them well as they prepare more new songs, which I hope will lead to album #2 (after a true favourite of mine, 2012’s Dreams Are Gold). With past pairings with the likes of Rune RK and Kid Massive, DATABOY have great creative instincts which leads to some of the most listenable dance music around. I’m hoping for some big, original remixes this time – “When It Rains, It Pours” is most deserving of international dance club play. DATABOY continue their evolution and have come a long way since I saw them perform in NYC in 2011!! Listen below and get it now on iTunes.

https://soundcloud.com/databoy/when-it-rains-it-pours

BILLCS Top 30 #450 – February 9, 2015

Five debuts and a sparkling new #1 highlight my 450th bi-weekly chart since 1998!

https://soundcloud.com/brandynburnette/01-sleeve

The Top 10

After vaulting into the top 10 from 12-2 two weeks ago, it’s no surprise that Brandyn Burnette’s gentle song about family, “Sleeve”, is my new #1. Since the song is so fresh and being played regularly by yours truly, I have no idea what will succeed it. I’m hoping “Sleeve” will be on Brandyn’s upcoming album tentatively called The Healing. “Sleeve” is one of those songs that will strike an emotional nerve and leave you feeling great.

Right behind “Sleeve” again is another indie performer, New York singer Reigen, with the almost equally affecting EDM ballad “Come Back To Me”, weighing in at #2.

No doubt about it, Chris Jamison’s R&B-influenced pop song “Velvet” has grown on me immensely since I first heard it in December. It’s one of those songs you look forward to hearing every time you play it. “Velvet” jumps 13-3 (tied for the fastest riser of the week) and is obviously a #1 contender.

I’m really surprised more promotion isn’t being given to Jessie Ware’s stunning album Tough Love. I have so many favourites from it but my current is “Pieces”, which climbs 10-7.

Graham Alexander’s “She’s A Chameleon” is leading the way for more rock songs to arrive on my chart – four alone this week – to continue the diversity in music that I like. This energetic number climbs 12-8 from Graham’s latest album Repeat Deceiver.

Every song that has appeared on my chart for Swedish singer Anton Ewald has reached the Top 5. And though it’s not a single, “Save The Last Dance”, from his EP On My Way, rises 16-9, and may get there too!

Boycode’s lovely rendition of “It’s A Mistake” is a great showcase for the Belgium vocal quartet, and it climbs 14-10.

Movin’ On Up

I’m sure it will conquer clubs in no time, but I want “Right Here Right Now” by Giorgio Moroder & Kylie Minogue to be a pop hit too! This pop-dance extravaganza soars 24-14 to tie as the fastest rising song of the week.

Buffalo, NY indie singer Daniel Robinson moves up 21-17 with the mysterious but melodic “Moonmolt”, which is among the new songs that will appear on his upcoming release Truant through EQ Music!

L.A.-based Color Theory has a second song rising on my chart, and it’s a cover of Barry Manilow’s “Could It Be Magic” as remixed by Lyder Janøy. This faithful but contemporary cover rises 22-18, following up the recent #1 “Headphones”.

2015 looks to be the year for UK trio Years & Years! A self-titled four song EP dropped this week containing previous singles “Desire” and “Take Shelter”, plus the latest called “King” which is well on its way, with a smashing video too, moving 28-19.

Chart Debuts

This one’s been around last Fall and got to #25 on the UK charts following the #3 hit “Touch”, but UK singer/DJ/producer Shift K3Y (aka Lewis Jankel) has a winning style that goes somewhat hand-in-hand with Years & Years. “I Know” bows on my chart at #21. You can also glimpse the singer briefly as he walks by in the video.

As “Hounds” departs the chart after peaking at #16, the striking “Waterfall” arrives for Canadian quartet Smashing Satellites with a powerful video at #25, from their album SonicAluzion (A-Side).

I’m not sure what is the official next single from Mikky Ekko’s new album Time following my #1 “Smile”, but the rollicking “Riot” is the next standout song for me, featuring a ‘timelapse’ video. “Riot” bows at #26.

To keep fellow contestant Chris Jamison from The Voice company on the chart, New Jersey-born Matt McAndrew’s “Wasted Love” wastes no time in arriving at #27. The only other time a contestant from The Voice has appeared on my chart, is actually before he was a contestant and was an indie performer! Chris Mann charted at #10 in 2010 with his cover of George Michael’s “I Want Your Sex”. Now he’s on tour as “The Phantom Of The Opera”!

I’m very hopeful for Lifehouse’s “Hurricane” to put the group back on the rock map, with a new independent album due called Out Of The Wasteland. “Hurricane” debuts at #28.

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.

02 01 SLEEVE Brandyn
03 02 COME BACK TO ME Reigen
13 03 VELVET Chris Jamison
04 04 LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE Eli Lieb
01 05 GOIN’ DOWN Deniz Koyu Vs Twoloud
07 06 IGNITED Antonio Giacca
10 07 PIECES Jessie Ware
12 08 SHE’S A CHAMELEON Graham Alexander
16 09 SAVE THE LAST DANCE Anton Ewald
14 10 IT’S A MISTAKE Boycode
05 11 REASON Erasure
06 12 LOVE COME HOME Kristine W.
15 13 THERE’S NOTHING WRONG Eleven Past One
24 14 RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW Giorgio Moroder featuring Kylie Minogue
18 15 LIKE I CAN Sam Smith
19 16 HERE’S TO THE ZEROS Marianas Trench
21 17 MOONMOLT Daniel Robinson
22 18 COULD IT BE MAGIC Color Theory
28 19 KING Years And Years
08 20 HEADPHONES (Matt Mancid Retro Crossover Mix) Color Theory
New 21 I KNOW Shift K3Y
09 22 TIME Steve Grand
17 23 SOMEDAY Neverest
11 24 GOLD SKIES Sander Van Doorn, Martin Garrix & DVBBS featuring Aleesia
New 25 WATERFALL Smashing Satellites
New 26 RIOT Mikky Ekko
New 27 WASTED LOVE Matt McAndrew
New 28 HURRICANE Lifehouse
20 29 BURN AGAIN Tristan Thompson
26 30 ARMS OF ANOTHER Bright Light Bright Light

Listen for My New Music Pick Of The Week on D-Moos.com!

Did you know that 12 of this week’s charted performers have never appeared on my chart in its 16 years (and that includes Giorgio Moroder and Sander van Doorn)!

Get Inspired with “Colors” by @Hardwell & @Tiesto featuring @AndreasMoemusic

HARDWELL & TIESTO featuring ANDREAS MOE, “Colors”

There’s so much very busy EDM out there, and some of it, especially by major artists who are phoning it in, is becoming easy to dislike and dismiss. Not so with the songs I’ve heard from Dutch DJ/producer Hardwell (aka 26 year old Robbert van de Corput) on his latest album United We Are. There are several collaborations, including one with Jason Derulo that will make you turn your head all the way around, but the most striking is “Colors”, a partnership with the reknown Tiësto and Sweden’s Andreas Moe, who has the uncanny ability to sing just about anything. You already know Andreas from my blog posts about his own recordings and vocals on both Avicii’s “Fade Into Darkness” and John De Sohn’s “Long Time”. The positive message, the lush production, those gorgeous arpeggios, plus Andreas’ truly engaged vocal make “Colors” one of the best EDM records around going into Spring. The massive attack on club dance floors will ensue. United We Are also includes last year’s UK Top 20 hit “Dare You” featuring Matthew Koma. Get it on iTunes.

Two For The Show: “My Body My Mind” from UK Duo @Bimmusic

BIM, “My Body My Mind”

It’s always a welcome treat to have UK duo Bim (Becky and Tim) back with new music. “My Body My Mind” is from their forthcoming album Two, and fortunately Bim has not done a complete about face from their first album Scatterheart (gosh, it’s been five years!) and follow up EP Lifelines. “My Body My Mind” continues the path with gorgeous melody, thoughtful and thought-provoking lyrics, beautiful vocals, and an interesting video. We are all human underneath and somewhat trapped in our own skin, but would we want it any other way, and how can we achieve that at least temporarily? I think “My Body My Mind” will be a grower and a fine introduction to album Two. Can’t wait to hear more!

@AdamTylerx Pairs Up with The Wookie (@wookie_official) for “The Dreamers” (free download)

https://soundcloud.com/adamtylermusic/the-dreamers

THE WOOKIE featuring ADAM TYLER, “The Dreamers”

To paraphrase the old song, what do you get a Wookie(e) when he already has a comb? Well, you match him up with L.A.-based singer Adam Tyler, that’s what! It’s great to hear Adam both in and out of his element on “The Dreamers”, this EDM collaboration with producer/DJ The Wookie (aka Gabriel Garcia). The Wookie has provided a rich production with somewhat of an echoey effect which makes Adam’s vocal sound a little disembodied, but that’s not a bad thing at all, it makes the song highly recognizeable. Of course having Adam’s encouraging vocal also greatly enhances the positive vibe of the song, because where would we be without the dreamers of the world? “The Dreamers” soars at all of the right moments, and making it highly dancefloor-worthy, so I hope some remixes are in the offing soon. Download “The Dreamers” at the Soundcloud link above.

@GiorgioMoroder. @KylieMinogue. Right Here. Right Now.

GIORGIO MORODER featuring KYLIE MINOGUE, “Right Here Right Now”

The ever-amazing Giorgio Moroder teased us late last year with the title instrumental song from his upcoming album 74 Is The New 24. And after having appeared at many dance/EDM events last year, he’s following up his work on the Grammy Award-winning Daft Punk album Random Access Memories with more collaborations, which are rumoured to include Britney Spears, Sia, Mikky Ekko, Foxes, and others. Last week, his pairing with Kylie Minogue on “Right Here Right Now” surfaced and you can hear it right here on Kylieblog.com. Like Daft Punk’s chart takeover in 2013 with “Get Lucky”, I would not underestimate Giorgio’s collaborations as they will bring a whole new dimension to the dance/pop played on the radio largely in the David Guetta and Calvin Harris molds. “Right Here Right Now” brings a trademark Giorgio Moroder disco sound full circle, and how he produces Kylie’s voice on this song is like nothing you’ve ever heard from the singer. I think the song gets a little too busy with effects competing with Kylie’s voice at times, but in its memorable chorus the song just soars. 74 Is The New 24 will be a must-hear for pop music fans.

What’s “Moonmolt”? Daniel Robinson (@leinadrobinson) Explains It All!

DANIEL ROBINSON, “Moonmolt”

Buffalo NY singer Daniel Robinson always seizes the unexpected and unique in his songs, and his latest, “Moonmolt”, is likely one of his best yet, holding promise for his upcoming album Truant. “Moonmolt” breezes along with a very 80s bright electro-Britpop kind of melody (which reminds me of UK group China Crisis ca. 1984) with optimistic lyrics that resonate and hold a bit of the unknown over your head (“let it change me, until I’m not myself”). While the song is sometimes awash with synths, Daniel’s vocal has a raw, edgy appeal that comes out in the song’s simplest moments. And that simplicity combined with the complexity of the lyrics is what will attract you to the music of Daniel Robinson. Listen below and pick it up on iTunes (for $.69 while it lasts!).

https://soundcloud.com/leinadrobinson/moonmolt