July 6th, 2017
FFF – Monkee
FFF stands for the French Funk Federation. It’s a troupe of music veterans, still going strong. They recorded their first album Blast Culture in 1991 with the legendary Bill Laswell, who wrote Herbie Hancock’s Rockit and worked with Sly & Robbie, Mick Jagger, PiL, Motörhead, The Ramones, Iggy Pop and Yoko Ono. Spike Lee shot the band’s first videos. After that CD, FFF toured with George Clinton, Parliament and Funkadelic. Three more albums later, in 2000, they took a break.
After six years, the band regrouped, but only now they release their first new material. I think Monkee is a smash. Welcome back, FFF!
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
AronChupa – (Don’t Fight It) Feel It
In 2014, Aron Michael Ekberg, better known as AronChupa, scored a pan-European novelty hit with I’m An Albatraoz. This currently is his only hit to date, but that might change…
For the short movie ‘La Vida Nuestra’ he recorded a new version of Sam Cooke’s (Don’t Fight It) Feel It. 56(!) years after the original, the song sounds as fresh as ever. If radio embraces it as a summer anthem – which it is – this could very well be the comeback of AronChupa. If not, it’s still a fun party song.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Wildcard (week 27):
BC Unidos (feat. Shungudzo) – Bicycle
Competition is mad recently, but only one song can be chosen to be the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard…
This week, this blog will prominently feature Bicycle by BC Unidos (feat. Shungudzo). It may be the debut single for this Swedish duo, but they aren’t new to the game. Patrik Berger wrote Dancing On My Own for Robyn, I Love It for Icona Pop and Boom Clap for Charli XCX and Markus Krunegård has amassed multiple Grammy nominations.
Perfectly timed for the Tour De France and the summer, this could be a smash! It will undoubtedly sound great on the bicycle, but I strongly recommend listening in your car. With the woofers open wide. Feel that bass!
Long story short: this week, when visiting this blog, you’ll be only one click away from BC Unidos (feat. Shungudzo)’s Bicycle. It’s the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Punnany Massif (feat. Pásztor Anna, Charlie & Petó Szabolcs) – Ami Volt Az Majd Lesz!
I’m not a huge believer in coincidence, but I also mentioned The Black Keys when I recommended Lovesick by The Dead-On. Ami Volt Az Majd Lesz! by Punnany Massif (feat. Pásztor Anna, Charlie & Petó Szabolcs) definitely has the same bluesy rock sound as many Black Keys tracks. But for fans of Van Echelpoel’s Ziet Em Duun there’s a lot to enjoy here too!
Punnany Massif is a Hungarian band and Ami Volt Az Majd Lesz! was the official theme song of the Volt festival, which took place in Sopron last week (looks like that was good fun). Even for those of you who speak as little Hungarian as I do, it’s a great song.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
The Dead-On / The New Madness – Lovesick
The Dead-On is a Danish rock band that only signed their record contract mid-May. Now, their debut single Lovesick is out. Fans of The Black Keys should definitely check this one out.
Lovesick is the lead single of The Dead-On’s first EP, that is about to be released. Oh, and the kids in the video are not the band members themselves… ?
UPDATE: because of legal issues the band changed its name to The New Madness in October.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Roy Paci & Aretuska – Tira
Roy Paci, born in Sicily, started playing the piano as a young child and picked up the trumpet at the age of 10. In 1999 he met former Mano Negra frontman Manu Chao and became part of his band Radio Bemba Sound System. They toured extensively and recorded several albums together. In 2001 he started doing the same with Dutch anarcho-punk band The Ex.
In 2002 Paci started his own band Aretuska. Their new single, the latin-flavoured track Tira, sounds like a potential future summer classic to me.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Werner’s Weekly (week 27)
A new week has started and I promise you: there’s a lot of great new music coming your way. Watch this space!
But first of all, let me summarize what last week had in store for you. I added brand new tracks by Arcade Fire, Lorde, UNKLE, Sheppard, Kakkmaddafakka, Circa Waves, Radiohead and many others to my 2017 container playlist Carte Blanche Music. This is the fastest way for me to inform you about the best new music around. For daily updates, that’s the playlist to subscribe to.
Each Monday morning I present to you Werner’s Weekly, a selection of the recommendations I put online last week. All of these tracks are in the Werner’s Weekly player in the sidebar, while you can click the links for more info.
- Eliza & The Bear – Higher (this week’s Wildcard)
- IX – Difference (last week’s Wildcard)
- Alice Merton – No Roots
- BC Unidos (feat. Shungudzo) – Bicycle
- Colin Waters – We Go Our Own Way!
- Dance À La Plage – Fever
- Frankie Chavez – Whatever Happened To Our Love
- Jamiroquai – Superfresh
- Sea Girls – Call Me Out
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Sea Girls – Call Me Out
Henry Camamile (vocals/guitar) and Rory Young (guitar) are originally from the UK. Andrew Noswad (bass) spent most of his youth in Indonesia and Sri Lanka, while Oli Khan (drums) was born in Hongkong.
Now in their early twenties, the four have been friends since school. Playing in different bands they came together to form Sea Girls only in 2015. Call Me Out is their debut single and the title track of their first 4-track EP.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Colin Waters – We Go Our Own Way!
Last April, the young and talented Dutch singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer Colin Waters released his debut single Change The Game. Although shamefully ignored by other media, the song was a hit among Carte Blanche Music followers. My recommendation of Change The Game was the best-read story on this blog in the first half of 2017.
And now, Colin Waters returns with a follow-up that’s even better. We Go Our Own Way! has a bit of a rockier sound, while it’s still undeniably a pop song. The track features in the movie ‘100% Coco’, that’s out next week. Hopefully, this will be the game changer Colin deserves.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Your favourites (June 2017)
Half of 2017 has gone by, but it hasn’t gone by unnoticed. Not as far as the music is concerned, anyway. In the first six months of Carte Blanche Music I shared 364 pieces of great new music with you (allow me to round that off upwards to an average of two a day; seven days a week).
Looking back to the month of June, which of my recommendations received the most ‘eyeballs’? This is your Top 10:
- The Hunna – Never Enough
- Triggerfinger – Flesh Tight (WC)
- Arcade Fire – Everything Now
- Pimpy Panda feat. Alana & NiCo Gomez – Don’t Give Up
- Placebo – Life’s What You Make It
- Wouter Hamel – Stray Cat
- Beachwood Coyotes – Face To Face
- Bad Sounds – Zacharia
- Frankie Chavez – Whatever Happened To Our Love
- BC Unidos (feat. Shungudzo) – Bicycle
Like I noticed before: among the Carte Blanche Music visitors rock fares way better than on most radio stations (let alone charts) nowadays. Also, I think this Top 10 shows a great mixture of brand new bands and artists that have been around for a while. It appears you and I are on the same page here. Proud of you!
All of these tracks can be found in my Carte Blanche Music Spotify playlist, filled with the best new music 2017 produced so far! 500 tracks all in all, together good for 30 hours of listening pleasure. Enjoy!
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
