Carte Blanche Music -

Deena Lynch is a multi-talented performer. She is an Instagram artist (as Spectator Jonze), a photographer (Dusky Jonze) and a musician (Jaguar Jonze). Recently however, her artistry was pushed to the back a little, for she had quite the year. Apart from the ‘usual’ COVID-19 hassle, she attracted the virus herself. Also, she shared her experiences of sexual abuse and harassment in the music industry, and became a strong voice for the #metoo movement in Australia.

In her fiery new single Who Died And Made You King?, Jonze celebrates the fact that in the last year, many notable ‘kings’ or heads at the top of the music industry have been taken down. The track is driven by punchy percussion, fierce distorted vocals and determined lyrics. It acts as a warning that more downfalls and clean-ups are yet to come.

Meanwhile, she leaves no doubt she’s back. Jonze explains: “With this single, I wanted to take back my power, take back my voice and take back my artistry.”

This week, Who Died And Made You King? by Jaguar Jonze is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. It’ll feature at the top of the blog for a full seven days.

Recommended as well:
Rabbit Hole
Kill Me With Your Love

Follow Jaguar Jonze on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

In the Wildcards 2021 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.

werner's weekly

Werner’s Weekly (week 41)

October 11th, 2021

This is Werner’s Weekly, your compass to the music that matters, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:

Youth Sector – Self Exile (Wildcard this week)
Foxes – Sister Ray (Wildcard last week)
David Bowie – You’ve Got A Habit Of Leaving [2000 Version]
IndyAnna Baby feat. Amy Shark – I’m Not Giving Up
Julie Zenatti – France Et Jojo
Paloma – Fever
The Cat Empire – Into The Night

Click the links for more info and listen to each of the tracks via the Werner’s Weekly player below.

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist. Also added last week: Richard Ashcroft, Tears For Fears, We Are Scientists, and more.

single track

Ida Laurberg – Personal Letters

October 9th, 2021

When Danish DIY artist Ida Laurberg self-released her debut single Puppy Dog Eyes in 2016, she was only 16 years old. The song went viral and has now been streamed over 15 million times. It made Laurberg one of the most critically acclaimed DIY pop stars-to be in Denmark. You can imagine several major labels have been chasing her autograph. For a record deal, that is. But instead, she started her own label All Chemistry with her manager. Small on the one hand, but with big – international – ambitions on the other.

So, five years into her career, her new single is once again self-released, just like the one that started it all. “I have never written a happy song”, the songwriter claimed recently. She still hasn’t. New song Personal Letters is a hard-hitting track that fuses dark, modern pop with matching grunge-y guitars.

Speaking of the single, Laurberg says: “Personal Letters is about my frustration of not having the nerve to confront people in my life when they do something that hurts me, which ends up in me getting hurt and having my boundaries overstepped time after time. Instead, I keep up finding myself perform angry monologues with myself in the shower in the mornings. That’s Personal Letters.”

Play this one loud!

Follow Ida Laurberg on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

indie | pop | rock

single track

Aloe Blacc – Made From The Stars

October 9th, 2021

A year after his latest album All Love Everything came out, Aloe Blacc is back with another brand-new track. The American artist, born Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III, is best-known for his single I Need A Dollar and as featured singer on Avicii’s Wake Me Up. Since then, he continued to release his trademark fresh soul-infused pop, and his new single is no exception.

As always, Made From The Stars is an utterly infectious track. It features a simple but very catchy horn part that appears to be a sample, but it isn’t. That’s one of Blacc’s strengths: his songs sound authentic, but contemporary at the same time. Great tune!

Recommended as well:
Aloe Blacc – King Is Born

Follow Aloe Blacc on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

pop | r&b | soul

album track

Wyn Starks – Black Is Golden

October 9th, 2021

After releasing 14 singles in just two years’ time, Wyn Starks finally came up with his debut album Black Is Golden. A record as diverse as diversity gets, which puts an extra dose of soul in modern r&b. Meanwhile, the album combines Starks’ upbringing in Minneapolis with the innovative sounds he discovered upon relocating to Nashville.

In online magazine Euphoria he explains: “When I say black is golden, I think about so many artists, activists, and everyday people that have inspired me. People like Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, James Baldwin, Bayard Rustin, Cornel West, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Prince, and my mother Cheryl Ann Johnson (just to name a few). It’s important we acknowledge their contributions to society, music, and the world. I stand on their shoulders. I hope that through this album I can inspire someone in the same way. That’s why I decided to call it Black Is Golden. It’s a celebration of people who have inspired me on this road to becoming Wyn Starks.”

The title track is my favourite song on the album. It was written in response to injustice and racial inequality when it comes to black people. A track with an important message, wrapped in a sound that’s both vintage and progressive.

Follow Wyn Starks on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

indie | pop | r&b | soul

single track, wildcard

Wildcard (week 40):
Youth Sector – Self Exile

October 6th, 2021

Are you (like me) old enough to know and appreciate bands like Devo, Talking Heads and Tubeway Army? Then you might want to check out Brighton five-piece art-rock outfit Youth Sector, who combine the best of these bands.

Speaking of their new single, the band’s Nick Tompkins says: “Self Exile is about feeling self-destructive, cutting your nose to spite your face, and wanting to push yourself away from those around you as punishment. The lyric ‘That should do it this time’ is written in the mindset of thinking you’ve finally hit someone’s final nerve.”

Clocking in at [3’02], Self Exile is an energetic, well-crafted post-punk track. Exciting and catchy; playful and punchy. What more does a good song need? ‘That should do it’, indeed.

Self Exile by Youth Sector is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard, so it’ll feature at the top of the blog for a full week!

Follow Youth Sector on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

In the Wildcards 2021 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.

indie | punk | rock

werner's weekly

Werner’s Weekly (week 40)

October 4th, 2021

This is Werner’s Weekly, your compass to the music that matters, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:

Foxes – Sister Ray (Wildcard this week)
Mazy – Flowers (Wildcard last week)
Caroline Romano – Oddities And Prodigies
Kacey Musgraves – There Is A Light
Lucky Blue – Daydreaming
Pixey – Take Me On
Renée Millner – So Much

Click the links for more info and listen to each of the tracks via the Werner’s Weekly player below.

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist. Also added last week: Aloe Blacc, The Allergies, Sam Fender, White Lies, and more.

single track

Agnes – Here Comes The Night

October 2nd, 2021

Nine years after her most recent album, Swedish singer Agnes Carlsson is making a great return. The last three years, she’s been releasing seven singles. The latest three, Fingers Crossed, 24 Hours and Here Comes The Night will end up on her upcoming album. This long-player, Magic Still Exists, will be out on 22 October.

Co-written and produced by Vargas & Lagola, the euphoric track Here Comes The Night is Agnes’ new single. If ABBA would not have reunited, this would have been a perfect substitute. But even with the quartet temporarily back together, this is a great song of timeless class.

The singer says about the track: “Here Comes The Night is a homage to all of us out there who are longing to just let go. It is a declaration to the dreamers, the night, the mist, the spirituality. Those that dare to fall in love – with the moment, the people around them and themselves. Hopefully it will guide the listener into a moment of something they can call freedom.”

Follow Agnes on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

pop

remake, single track

David Bowie – You’ve Got A Habit Of Leaving [2000 Version]

October 2nd, 2021

Before David Jones called himself David Bowie, he recorded music as Davy Jones. He changed his name to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of The Monkees. The last song he released using his old moniker, in 1965, was You’ve Got A Habit Of Leaving. 35 years later, Bowie re-recorded the song, along with other tracks from his early career, using the experience and perspective he had at the time. He did so with a band that featured Sterling Campbell, Gail Ann Dorsey, Earl Slick, Lisa Germano and others. The sessions were co-produced by Mark Plati (The Cure, Natalie Imbruglia, Lou Reed).

It was Bowie’s intention to collect the new recordings on the album Toy, to be released in 2001. However, Virgin refused to put it out, which eventually led to him leaving the label. Bowie moved on and started writing and recording new songs, which would become his album Heathen. The album Toy (or a version of it) leaked online in 2011, but early next year it’ll be officially released as intended. Warner Music recently acquired the rights to Bowie’s music and will oversee the project.

The ‘new’ version of You’ve Got A Habit Of Leaving is out now as the project’s first single. The recording may be over 20 years old, but in my ears it stood the test of time.

Follow David Bowie on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

pop | rock

single track

Julie Zenatti – France Et Jojo

October 2nd, 2021

In December 2017 and January 2018, France lost two of its biggest icons: Johnny Hallyday and France Gall respectively. On her new single, French singer and actress Julie Zenatti pays tribute to the musical heroes. The piano and bassline in France Et Jojo make it even sound a bit like a France Gall song. It causes both a good mood and a nostalgic one.

Zenatti’s homage is a brand-new song, that’s not on her latest album Refaire Danser Les Fleurs. But with its ‘80s influences it’s entirely in line with the music on that long-player. Also, this song is bound to work well live, when the singer goes back on tour in November.

Recommended as well:
Julie Zenatti – Tout Est Plus Pop

Follow Julie Zenatti on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

indie | pop

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