folk – Page 3 – BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

Folk meets EDM in warm and catchy “Silent Games” by @LarsBeckMusic & @super2beHenri featuring @Zektmusic

https://soundcloud.com/selectedsounds/silent-games

LARS BECK & HENRI PURNELL featuring ZEKT, “Silent Games” (free DL)

“Silent Games” is one of those understated surprises that only comes along once in a while. It’s a gem of a direct storytelling folk song that is amazingly married with a buoyant tropical house rhythm that equals sing-a-long/dance-a-long 🙂 I’m not familiar with Lars Beck but Germany’s Henri Purnell collaborated with Dutch teen producer Teison last year on the enjoyable pop/EDM “Your Loving”. Zekt is a Honolulu-based singer who is a real find with his unique gruff vocal style, perfectly suited for “Silent Games”, with its interjection of a few swear words to catch your attention. “Silent Games” is highly recommended, so get the free download above and enjoy 🙂

NYC’s @AndyxSuzuki @AndTheMethod continues with diverse sophomore rock album “The Glass Hour”

andysuzukithemethod

ANDY SUZUKI & THE METHOD, The Glass Hour

After previewing two outstanding singles “Fight” and “I Need You More (The More You Leave)” in earlier blog posts, Andy Suzuki & The Method’s sophomore album The Glass Hour has arrived.

You can generically label it a Rock album if you wish, but it’s a complimentary fusion of styles which lead through the guitar wizardry of John Mayer through the story-telling of Joshua Radin through softer R&B ballad tones of John Legend, and then inject some gospel flavour that Kirk Franklin fans would appreciate. It’s all well-connected together through Andy Suzuki’s committed vocals and passionate guitar work, and Kozza Olatunji-Babumba’s drum and percussion work is totally on the same level.

The album to me is at its best when it’s skewing R&B on “Shelter” and “Overtime” as well as the tight, danceable pop of “I Need You More”, likely the most radio-friendly song. But then there’s the power and urgency of “Fight” and “Come Forward”, as well as the deep sentiment of “Mama Told Me”.

All in all, The Glass Hour has a vibrancy and zeal for tantalizing your musical taste buds with variety plus, and it all works. You can hear it all in a show coming near you, so be sure to check out their website for tour dates. Give The Glass Hour a listen below and then be sure to pick it up at any online digital store.

“Fight” is an energetic, promising new song by Andy Suzuki @andtheMethod (@AndyxSuzuki and @Kozza)

ANDY SUZUKI & THE METHOD, “Fight”

Can it be four or five years now since I first heard “Fairytale” by NYC’s Andy Suzuki & The Method? Riding high on devout fandom from the Malaysian country of Brunei, the duo of singer/songwriter/guitarist Andy Suzuki and songwriter/percussionist Kozza Babumba (grandon of Grammy-winning Nigerian drummer Babatunde Olatunji) returned to their city, playing club gigs around the USA to support their EP Ghost Stories. Come 2014 they issued a top notch mix of country, folk, rock, and pop in their album Born Out Of Mischief, and I caught the hella-nice pair performing in NYC on one of my visits. Up next, after touring on rock music cruises as well as with Joshua Radin, Marc Broussard, Amanda Palmer, and others, is a brand new album in early ’17 called The Glass Hour. In advance of the album we have post-USA election encouragement with “Fight”, sure to be a crowd-pleaser. I particularly enjoy the arrangement, which sends the bass in and out of the mix to focus on the high end of the song. This is definitely not the diverse kind of rock music you’ll hear on the radio, but it has everything it needs to attract more new fans, and maybe even get them back to Brunei 🙂 Check out “Fight” at the link above.

#BILLCSTop30 #486 – June 27, 2016

All eyes on the top of the chart in this edition as there’s a new #1 and loads of activity. As a result, newer songs make smaller moves, and even the fastest riser on the chart only moves up 5 places. I like a good competition! 🙂

The Top 10

It was only a matter of time, but either in its original version or its love struck-sounding remix by EDWYNN x TIKAL and Spirix, Brandon Skeie’s “So Bad” (above) displaces Connor Phillips’ “Lost” (Young Bombs remix) at #1. With Eli Lieb, Brandon also co-wrote and sang “Pulse” (below) during the past two weeks, a warm and inspiring song written in the aftermath of the Orlando tragedy.

It’s summer in the western world and no song on the chart suits the summer months better than “Dreamin'” by Embody featuring Camden Cox, which climbs 7-3.

Another romance-oriented remix by Speaker Of The House surfaced to show what a great, diverse song Elephante has in “Closer” (featuring Bishøp). “Closer” really does deserve to be a pop hit. It moves up 6-4.

Jenaux’s powerfully funky and fresh “Get It On” arrives in the Top 10 at #8. Got any platform shoes handy? 😉

It says something when you get to play a free show in Times Square, and NYC natives The Chainsmokers are doing just that tomorrow (Monday June 27). If they perform “Don’t Let Me Down” perhaps Daya will be present too. The song rises 12-9

The Knocks and Semi-Precious Weapons singer (and now noted songwriter) Justin Tranter are a great pairing, and “Tied To You” becomes The Knocks’ third song from their album 55 to grace the Top 10, climbing 13-10.

Movin’ On Up

Tom Odell’s winning new composition “Magnetised” gets stuck outside of the Top 10 due to fierce competition. Thanks to a bass-synth driven Kat Krazy remix it continues to get attention in the club scene. “Magnetised” jumps 15-11.

It’s a fantastic, vivid story that will hold your interest throughout – Toronto-bases singer Joël’s “You Fucked Up” rises 14-12.

Ariana Grande’s “Into You” is one of her best songs, yet it seems to be still stuck behind many better ones! We’ll see if she surpasses the #8 peak of “The Way” in the coming weeks. “Into You” moves up 20-16.

The fastest riser on the chart is the gloriously feel good #1 dance anthem “So Happy” by Tony Moran featuring Jason Walker, which jumps 23-18.

Hand in hand with Embody’s “Dreamin'”, Rain Man has done exactly what his song says. “Bring Back The Summer” (featuring Oly) is meant for sunshiny days and moves 24-20.

Nik Ernst’s “Stronger” is British deep house at its best, and given a slick edit by Dutchman Steve Void. It climbs 25-21.

Built By Titan’s collaboration with Jesse McCartney on “Dangerous” is definitely turning heads as it bubbles under in the pop and dance genres. “Dangerous” moves up 26-22.

Debuts

“Take Me Apart” is a thoughtful original by producers/remixers LZRD and Spirix featuring the flattering voice of Remmi. Spirix of course is part of the teenage remix duo who bring us “So Bad” by Brandon Skeie at #1 too. “Take Me Apart” is one of the most impressive new songs I’ve heard all year, so expect great things to happen for it in the coming weeks. It arrives at #23 and is a free download – for now!

“Open Your Mind” by Chicago producer/remixer Megaphonix follows up his remixes of songs by Zedd, Jack Ü, and others which have got worldwide attention. “Open Your Mind” is a joyous original slice of house which is perfect for Pride events. It’s a free download and bows at #25.

And lastly…

“Worship” by Brandyn Burnette arrives at #28 from the freshly minted State I’m In EP which was released this past Friday. “Worship” stands out as one of Brandyn’s best compositions, but there are many more to meet the ears in State I’m In which I haven’t yet written about, such as “Inner Child”, “Closer” (with John Lock), in which I keep hearing vocal phrasing from both MGMT’s “Electric Feel” and DNCE’s “Cake By The Ocean”, and “Set In Stone”. State I’m In is another fantastic effort for Brandyn, admirably following up Made Of Dreams. It’s available to buy on all platforms.

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

http://www.planetradio.ca is back! Listen for my Pick of the Week at 2:20/6:20/10:20 AM/PM EST Monday through Sunday (that’s 42 times in a week!), and my flashbacks to a Toronto Top 10 of yesteryear on Tuesday evening at 9pm EST

Toronto-based singer/songwriter Joël LeMay (@itsjoelmusic) scores with his R&B flavoured story “You Fucked Up”

JOËL, “You Fucked Up” (free download)

Toronto has many fine up and coming performers who are finding themselves in the midst of a keener interest in R&B/soul – which Toronto has always fancied back to the 1950’s. And yes I’m talking about beyond Drake and The Weeknd who we really have to thank for flinging the door open wide. 23 year old Joël LeMay actually hails from closer to North Bay from a family of music-makers, but is rooted in Toronto now to create his craft. “You Fucked Up” is an excellent start. It’s a fine piece of storytelling when your lover is cheating and has ‘splainin’ to do. But that seems to happen after she drinks lots of whiskey, so what kind of mess have you got yourself into? “You Fucked Up” is over 4 minutes long but breezes by because of the gritty, captivating vocal that makes you want to hear this story. The production by Manuso Joshua is deftly subtle, allowing the song to bask in R&B/soul/alternative folk flavours. If “You Fucked Up” is any indication, Joël should do well both as a solo performer and an in-demand featured vocalist who can adapt to many styles. Download “You Fucked Up” for free at the link above and watch for more new music every month from Joël.

joel

Another “Loser” preview: “I’m Alive, but I’m Not Here” by @callmeKarizma

https://soundcloud.com/callmekarizma/sets/loser-almost-the-album

KARIZMA, “I’m Alive, but I’m Not Here”

The great appeal about Minnesota native and hip hop performer Karizma is his ability to get inside common themes in the teen and young adult minds. “I’m Alive, but I’m Not Here” may seem on the surface like it’s just about being down and out, with a style that focuses less on hip hop this time and more on an acoustic Green Day-meets-Beck-meets-Blink 182 narrative, but it’s not. It’s also about not being alone with who and what you are, there is always someone else, and hey that person may be even worse off. Karizma is big on empathy and outreach, qualities that you don’t find in many performers these days, and they resonate with his audience of ‘losers’. Karizma’s album Loser arrives on Saturday January 30 so be sure to pick it up. Listen above to “I’m Alive, but I’m Not Here” as well as “u suck” and “Euphoria” (both of which I’ve recently written about).

Check out the soothing, gentle “Chestnut Spoke to Maple” by Toronto’s @Justin Nozuka

JUSTIN NOZUKA, Chestnut Spoke To Maple (EP)

I didn’t see this one coming when it dropped early last month, but immensely talented Toronto singer/songwriter Justin Nozuka released Chestnut Spoke To Maple, a four-song EP, kind of out of nowhere, and not really as a follow up to 2014’s bold and experimental Ulysees. It was recorded after a series of acoustic shows which Justin performed throughout last year, as well as opening for the likes of Brian Wilson. There’s always a lot of deliberate quiet and rawness in some of Justin’s songs, and this EP basks in peace, tranquility, love, and being at one with nature. The gentle zinger here is a stripped down rendition of Sade’s By Your Side (originally from the 2000 Lovers Rock album) which Justin reinterprets and makes his own. The EP is rounded out by the soothing ear candy of “September Grass” and “Moonlight”, while only “Willow” seems to fade into the background well before it ends. Overall though, Chestnut Spoke To Maple is the kind of record to play when you need a distraction or to relax, knowing that someone like Justin Nozuka can make it all feel better for its duration.

The Voice season 9 contestant @Chance_Pena scores with low-fi original “1965”

https://soundcloud.com/chance-pena/1965a

CHANCE PENA, “1965”

15 year old Texas singer Chance Peña was a dark horse Top 20 contestant on the most recent season of “The Voice”, but you couldn’t help but root for him with his sincere performances that soared beyond his young years. He was too-harshly critiqued for his performance of Imagine Dragons’ “Demons” (below) on the show – I personally thought it was the best of that night, honest and vulnerable to the core, and it got better as it went along – which was his last until coach Adam Levine knew that Chance had more to offer and brought him back. And without that, we wouldn’t have got to see Chance’s take on The Civil Wars’ “Barton Hollow”, which stood out as thoroughly unique from the rest of the performances. Like season 8 winner Sawyer Fredericks, Chance simply cannot be placed in the same pop box as the rest of his fellow contestants. He is working on new original music, and he’s posted “1965” on Soundcloud above for you to hear. It’s low-fi but that adds to his touching story-telling charm; a song like this needs no busy arrangement. While he might be leaning towards folk and Americana as his key sub-genres, I still think Chance has a lot to offer as a diverse pop singer. Keep your ears out for more new music from Chance Peña.

More about @LucienDante’s album Our Of We

LUCIEN DANTE, Our Of We

Last week was one of those weeks when one song came out of nowhere and floored me, and that is “Black Water” by Chicago-based singer/songwriter Lucien Dante from his album Our Of We. It debuted on my chart at #21 with its expressive vocal, engaging charm, and gorgeous arrangement. While it remains my favourite from the album, Our Of We is full of other delights which will keep you thinking as you’re listening. Lucien’s influences seem to come from all over – I hear pop, classical, folk, EDM, and R&B/soul at various times – and he doesn’t sound like anyone in particular. Most of his songs seem to be delivered with a shy-sounding vocal that gives perspective from a viewpoint of wonder, discovery, and keen interest. But when he breaks away from a minimalist sound and heads toward a powerful bridge or chorus, the confidence in his craft really comes out. Most of the songs are produced by TKANG! who obviously has a good read on what the singer is trying to convey. I’ll admit the songs aren’t really for everyone but Lucien is very persuasive. So do yourself a favour and check out the club-worthy “Ivory Toast”, “Spark”, “Light, Love & Chaos” and the hip-hop flavoured “Love Me Lessons (Imma Be)” (nothing to do with the Black Eyed Peas 😉 ) as starting points. This is a great start from a singer/songwriter who consistently delivers, making Our Of We a personal, sincere, and enlightening experience! Listen to the album above (and do download “Black Water” for free on Lucien’s Soundcloud page) and pick it up on iTunes.

You will be tantalized by the expressive @LucienDante’s “Black Water” (Free DL)

LUCIEN DANTE, “Black Water” (free download)

Just when I think that 2015 can’t be loaded up with more fine singers and new music, and along comes Chicago-based singer/songwriter Lucien Dante with “Black Water” from his release Our Of We, available for free download right here (I am unable to embed the link). This is a young man who is able to marry real-life experiences, largely from living overseas in Germany, to his art, and is thus able to touch the listener profoundly. I still have to listen more to “Black Water” to figure out what it’s all about, but the strikingly subtle production, which becomes quite powerful towards the end, compliments the singer’s refreshingly shy-sexy-confident vocal that has the ability to draw you in and keep you there under musical lock and key. Think of him being somewhere between Jeff Buckley, Bon Iver, and Matthew Koma… what a unique artistic space to find him in! I will be delving more into the Our Of We release in the coming release and I expect to rave on further about Lucien Dante. Below is also the first song I heard from him, “Spark” (also available as a free download right here) which is in a different more EDM setting, but look past a sometimes busy production for the unique vocal performance. Lucien Dante is one-of-a-kind and you can’t say that about many singers in these contemporary days when so many fine voices pervade social media.