June 30th, 2017
border breaker, single track
Alice Merton – No Roots
Some songs take longer to make a wide impact than others. But once they kick in, they kick in hardā¦ No Roots is such a song.
Alice Merton was born in Germany from a German father and a British mother. She grew up in Canada however. When she was 13 she came back to Germany, but spent a lot of time in the UK as well, where her parents had gone and live. Finally, she attended the Popakademie Baden-WĆ¼rttemberg in Mannheim and started her career from Germany. No wonder her debut single is called No Rootsā¦ The song describes her feeling to not have a real home.
Earlier this year, the song was a huge hit in her country of birth, Austria and Luxembourg, reaching the Top 3 in all three countries. And now, all of a sudden, the track is crossing over to Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Lithuania, Macedonia and Slovenia, causing it to enter the European Border Breakers Chart at #11. Ā No wonder, because itās a great song, that deserves to finally become the pan European hit it should have been already.
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
chart, ebbchart
European Border Breakers Chart 30 June 2017
An incredible 21 songs enter the European Border Breakers Chart this week. In other words: one fifth of the Top 100 consists of fresh emerging artists, making it the source for discovering new European music.
The two highest entries make quite a splash. Alice Merton (pictured) debutes impressively with her first single No Roots at #11. Read more about her here. Only two notches below, Jax Jonesās new single Instruction (feat. Demi Lovato & Stefflon Don), comes in. The Discotexas Band defends the Portuguese honours and is new at #67 with Family Affair. A few days ago I introduced you to BC Unidos feat. Shungudzo and today they make their first appearance in the EBBChart with Bicycles at #72. Other first-timers this week are Belau feat. SzĆ©csi Bƶbe, from Hungary, with You And I (#83), Findlay – Monomania (Nobody Loves You Like I Love You) (#86), Pixx – Baboo (#88), Sigridās George Ezra cover Budapest (#98) and J. Bernardt – The Question (#99).
For the complete Top 100, click the āEBBChartā tab in the top menu of this blog (loading of the PDF may take a little while). More charts (like the Bubbling Under, which ranks the tracks that are on their way to the Top 100), can be found at www.europeanborderbreakerschart.eu.
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
album track
Public Service Broadcasting – People Will Always Need Coal
Since a few years Public Service Broadcasting is one of my favourite bands. As youāll understand from this, Iām very much looking forward to their new long player (or collection of tracks, if you will) Every Valley, to be released on 7 July.
After they explored themes like the Second World War and the space race, and put out a brilliant live recording, PSB’s third album is a concept piece about the rise and fall of the South Wales coal industry. One of the featured tracks is Progress, which features Tracyanne Campbell, the singer of Scottish indie pop band Camera Obscura. Elsewhere, Manic Street Preachersā James Dean Bradfield lends his voice to the track Turn No More.
As always, PSB incorporate humour in their music. People Will Always Need Coal, for instance, begins with a genuine recruitment advert from the 1970s, depicting an absurdly glamorous vision of life as a miner, followed by an authoritative voice assuring the listener that there is enough coal to last another 400 years. A track that slowly builds to a grand final with a great drive.
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
single track
Nerina Pallot – Ta Chance
Ever since her debut album Dear Frustrated Superstar, from 2001, Iām a big admirer of Nerina Pallotās. Her second album Fires, especially, is a favourite of mine. Singles like Everybodyās Gone To War and Learning To Breathe are still on high rotation on my imaginary radio station. In 2014, she released an EP every month. These tracks were collected on the album My Best Friends Are Imaginary: A Year Of EPs, which was released digitally only in September 2016.
Later this year, Nerina Pallot will put out her new album Stay Lucky. The title track was released as its first single. Alas, it went by largly unnoticed. But now that she releases a French version of that same song, all the pieces seem to fall into place. In the first place perhaps, because of her flawless French pronunciation (probably thanks to her father being half-French). Itās a timeless, classic song, worthy of your attention.
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
border breaker, single track
BC Unidos (feat. Shungudzo) – Bicycle
Any idea whatās the connection between Robynās Dancing On My Own, Icona Popās I Love It and Charli XCX’s Boom Clap (except that these are three of the best pop hits of this millennium so far)? They were all penned by Patrik Berger. He and fellow Swede Markus KrunegĆ„rdĀ (who has multiple Grammy nominations to his name) also have a project of their own: BC Unidos.
Their first successful project together (under the BC moniker) was producing Santigold’sĀ 2016 singleĀ Can’t Get Enough Of Myself. Since then, they added āUnidosā to their name and now, BC Unidos have their debut single out. This track, Bicycle, features Zimbabwean/CalifornianĀ ShungudzoĀ on vocals. Potential summer jam!
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
single track
Trailer Trash Tracys – Eden Machine
Susanne Aztoria and Jimmy Lee are London duo Trailer Trash Tracys. Their music has elements of dreampop and shoegazing in it. Not pop music by any traditional definition, although it can certainly be infectious.
11 August, five and a half years after their debut album Ester, they release the follow-up: Althaea. It was recorded in 2016 to accompany the film of the same name and is said to have been influenced by anything from Filipino carnival music and Latin rhythms to Japanese tropical music from the ā80s. Hard to imagine how that will sound, as far as Iām concerned, but if the first single Eden Machine is anything to go by, it will be a delight!
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 26):
Wildcard (week 26):
Eliza & The Bear – Higher
When these five Essex musicians got together in the autumn of 2011, all of them had given up trying to make it as super stars. They felt their efforts had failed, and it was time to return to real life. They started Eliza & The Bear as a hobby, just for fun.
Knowing this, youāll understand why their songs are so happy and their trumpets so triumphant. They did what they loved to do most, without having to prove anything to anyone. There was no master plan.
But after the band started posting their recordings on their Facebook page, they caught the attention of blogs, managers and labels, and decided to become a real band after all. Last year, they released their self-titled debut album, but Higher is a brand new song. As joyous as everā¦
And thereās one more reason to cheer, ācause Eliza & The Bearās Higher is this weekās Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
single track
Frankie Chavez – Whatever Happened To Our Love
Frankie Chavez is a guitar man. On his latest album Double Or Nothing – like on most of his albums – the Portuguese mixes traditional Portuguese guitar music with American blues. Because of that, he isnāt easy to pigeonhole, leading to references like Jimi Hendrix, Robert Johnson and Ry Cooder.
Whatever Happened To Our Love is one of the most straight-forward tracks on the album, with a definite classic edge. The use of an organ only adds to that effect. A catchy tune!
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
single track
Dance Ć La Plage – Fever
Joe Hamilton is not only a fine promoter of other artistsā music (he used to work at Hart Media in London and is about to start at record label Play It Again Sam next month), but he is also a very decent musician and songwriter himself.
Dance Ć La Plage is his band and they released EPās in 2012 and 2014. Three years later they managed to finish one more track ? and I like it! Fever sits somewhere halfway between two of my favourite acts: Phoenix and Jack PeƱate.
Itās a pity Dance Ć La Plage arenāt more prolific, for I would like to hear more from them!
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
single track
Jamiroquai – Superfresh
Imagine this: in 2017 itās exactly 25 years ago Jamiroquai was formed. Now youāre feeling old, donāt you? Seven years ago Jay Kay and his band released their album Rock Dust Light Star and who wouldāve thought it would take them ’till 2017 to come up with the follow-up?
This year, they finally put out their eighth album Automaton. Some of the tracks have a somewhat updated sound, experimental even. But to be honest, Iām most fond of the songs where Jamiroquai sounds likeā¦ wellā¦ Jamiroquai.
One of my favourite album tracks is the new single!
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
