I got the call last week to hit local live music joint 12th and Porter to check out a showcase from Nashville-based singer/songwriter Cameron James.? She sounds like a cross between Ellie Goulding and Plumb with chilled out EDM productions featuring intelligent lyrics and catchy pop hooks.? The mildly dissonant and stuttered intro for “One Step Ahead” caught my attention.? The dirty production contrasts with her airy sweet vocals.? This all builds to a retro-vibed synth-pop chorus that will get stuck in your head.? Hearing it on Vanderpump Rules later this month will no doubt expose her and her music to a wider audience.? Be sure to check out Cameron’s music on her Soundcloud – especially “All Out War” and “Stolen.”
??
Tag: ellie goulding
SONG OF THE DAY: Calvin Harris ft John Newman – Blame
Here’s a song that I’ve been meaning to write up for a while. “Blame,” the followup to “Summer” featuring the soulful vocals of John Newman, sounded so familiar but I just couldn’t place what. Then I heard this mashup by DJSkillz and realize that it was quite similar to “I Need Your Love.” Granted the songs aren’t identical, but the similar melodies make the two mash together so well. On its own, “Blame” is quite strong and sounds incredibly full, one of those rare times when a dance music production is more lush and encompassing than a dance production, yet still completely ready for the dance floor. Well, maybe not all dance floors, but leave it Melbourne team Bombs Away to turn it into a bounce track. Even though official remixes should land any minute now, its doubtful that any will exhibit the frolicking energy and joy that the delightful duo serve up as a counterpoint to the dark and almost somber song. After listerning to “Blame,” I pulled up John’s debut album Tribute and can’t help but thinking how amazing a John Newman / Sam Smith duet would be.
Image courtesy of Columbia Records.
SONG OF THE DAY: Cahill – Sunshine
Summery dance pop with the perfect name. The trio of Anton Powers, Scott Rosser, and Tim Condran, better known as Cahill, are having such a great summer with incredible remixes of Clean Bandit, Ellie Goulding, Ferreck Dawn & Redondo, and Charli XCX that it makes sense that they would channel that energy into an original production. Following the nu-House vibe, they’ve covered the 1999 soulful track “Sunshine” by Black Science Orchestra and Alison David with a beach-friendly, sexy house production that is light and airy while full of soul. The horns and strings interplay so wonderfully that we can almost forgive them for the long wait since their brilliant anthem “Feel the Love.” While they clearly focus on their record label 3Beat and an insane remix schedule, imagine how wonderful a Cahill album of original productions would sound. They have a knack for reworking lost classics like Oris Jay’s “Trippin,” Apollonia 6 “Sex Shooter,” and of course “Sunshine,” that letting them go crate digging and exploring could yield even more masterpieces. Making this a free download is truly a generous gift as well.
Image Courtesy of 3Beat.