SONG OF THE DAY: DJ Cassidy ft Robin Thicke and Jessie J – “Calling All Hearts”

DJ Cassidy is a true superstar DJ.? He’s spun the biggest celebrity events for everyone from Beyonce & Jay Z and Naomi Campbell to? Oprah Winfrey and President Obama.? When deciding what kind of music he wanted to create for his solo debut album, he analyzed his favorite dance music and discovered that everything was released between 1978 and 1982.? To recreate that soulful disco sound, he reunited the actual original musicians and producers to create a modern take on the classic sounds.? The resulting music is unlike anything else out there right now.? This is run to the dance floor, happy, sing-along good time party music.? Songs that make you want to actually dance – not just jump and down and rage (not that there is anything wrong with that). The first single “Calling All Hearts,” co-written by Claude Kelly, brings in Robin Thicke and Jessie J who sound raw and real yet absolutely polished and perfect at the same time.? The hooks of “Calling All Hearts” are so catchy that it will be stuck in your head on first listen.?? I had the honor of hearing a preview of the album at the Promo Only Summer Sessions last August, and as amazing as “Calling All Hearts” is, it might not even be the best song on the album.? If you are a fan of Daft Punk, Robin Thicke, Tensnake or any of the other modern interpretation of disco or NuHouse – you should definitely be listening to this.? After listening to the song, watch the making of clip which shows studio sessions with the vocalists and instrumentalists from Earth Wind & Fire, guitar work with Nile Rodgers, and horn and string arranger Jerry Hey (who worked on Michael Jackson’s classic albums).

Image Courtesy of Sony.

DJ Cassidy ft Robin Thicke and Jessie J – “Calling All Hearts”

SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY): Just Ivy ft Akon – “Paradise”

It’s pretty much a safe bet that I am going to like anything that the Wideboys happen to remix.? Back in November, I got the promo of “Paradise” and I played it pretty much blindly.? Listening back to my radio set, it just leapt out at me.? It was like, what the heck is this catchy pop song?? “Paradise” is the debut single from European singer Just Ivy, a summery-vibed escape song with somewhat simple lyrics that just gets ingrained in your head without you even realizing it.? While her vocal is somewhat processed, she sounds like a cross between Leigh Nash (Sixpence None the Richer) and Nina Persson (The Cardigans), with just a hint of Lumidee’s rasp.? In addition to the previously-mentioned Wideboys remix,? there are incredibly strong mixes by Starkillers, R3hab, and Sean Finn which toughen the song up with a more aggressive electro feel while keeping the vocals intact.?

Image Courtesy of Pearl / The Orchard.

Just Ivy ft Akon – “Paradise”

SONG OF THE DAY: Judy Torres – “Beautiful Life”

Something that is often missing from current dance music are actual songs- you know, the traditional verse, chorus, verse thing.? Status quo seems to be a massive build-up, then a dropout with a chorus or refrain before another build-up back to banging beats.? When working with the legendary freestyle singer Judy Torres, that just won’t do.?? Not to be confused with the song of the same name by Armin van Buuren/Cindy Alma, “Beautiful Life” is a beautiful pop translation of the stadium sound. The original production by Eric Rezn has a bit of the ’90s trance sound in there as well, recalling some of the best Perfecto tracks.? The synth line sounds oh so familiar, and my trainspotter brain is in overdrive trying to place it.? With a few fun “oh oh oh” chants in there as well, this is a great, uplifting end-of-night track for a commercial club (or even for dance radio). The Monikkr mix toughens it up a bit while keeping the pretty elements and the vocals as the focus. It’s definitely great to hear Judy Torres in clubland again and I hope that we don’t have to wait three years for another wonderful new song from her.

Image Courtesy of Contagious.

Judy Torres – “Beautiful Life”