April 24th, 2018
The Rubens (feat. Sarah) – Never Ever
Down under, The Rubens scored platinum and gold with their first albums The Rubens and Hoops, respectively. Their third one, Lo La Ru, is announced for 29 June.
As a first taster, the band released the single Never Ever, featuring singer-songwriter Sarah Aarons. She already wrote for the likes of Dua Lipa, Jessie Ware and Alessia Cara, and now adds The Rubens to that list. On Never Ever, Sarah’s voice sounds totally different from singer Sam Margin’s, but still, they go together very well.
Although it was the first time for the band to collaborate with another artist, it turned out a successful experiment. Eventually, the song was finished after a session of only five hours.
For more great new music follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
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.
Shed Seven – Won’t Get Home Tonight
Late last year, Shed Seven released Instant Pleasures, their first album in 16 years’ time. Apparently, they recorded more than the 12 tracks on it, but instead of waiting another 16 years to put them out, they decided upon a Deluxe Edition of the album, adding ten tunes. Among them three remixes, three demos and four ‘new’ songs.
Won’t Get Home Tonight is the best of the new bunch in my opinion, with its driving rhythm, ’80s power chords, double guitar solo and staccato drum accents, all crammed into 3’34. Very likable!
For more great new music follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
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.
Elisa – Will We Be Strangers
Elisa Toffoli has been musically active (and successful) for over 20 years. She released her debut single Sleeping In Your Hand in 1997, claiming a Top 5 hit in her home land Italy and a modest chart position in the Netherlands. Her first album Pipes And Flowers, completely in English, went quadruple platinum in Italy.
In 2002, she released a compilation of her first three albums, simply entitled Elisa, internationally. Alas, it failed to establish her as an international artist. Since then, the singer put out albums both in English and Italian. High quality pop music throughout.
In my humble opinion, it’s high time the rest of the world (starting with Europe) should get to know this artist. The ‘best of’ album Soundtrack ’97-’17, released to celebrate her 20 years of career, is a good starting point. But also check her great new single Will We Be Strangers!
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.
Werner’s Weekly (week 17)
Well, this was a really fun week, musically! Acts like DMA’s, Hooverphonic, Dutch talent Naaz, The Pale White and We Are Scientists all put out great new tracks, all of which and more are compiled in the Carte Blanche Music playlist, featuring this year’s best new music so far. It’s a list worth subscribing to (but don’t take my word for it, just go and listen for yourself).
But if you’re fine with a ‘best of the best’ list, then let me present you with Werner’s Weekly, your compass to the music that matters:
- Cute Mess – Untied (Wildcard this week)
- Stars – Ship To Shore (Wildcard last week)
- Arkells – People’s Champ
- Belle & The Beats – Deeper
- James – Better Than That
- Priest – Lost Lions
- Young Gun Silver Fox – Take It Or Leave It
Check all tracks above via the Werner’s Weekly player in the sidebar. Triggered by one of the songs? More info behind each of the links!
For more great new music follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
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.
Efecto Mariposa – Mágico
The ‘butterfly effect’ is the scientific theory which states, that a butterfly flapping its wings under the right conditions, can cause a tornado weeks later and thousands of kilometres away. But more important, as far as this blog is concerned, Efecto Mariposa (the Spanish translation of ‘butterfly effect’) is a band from Málaga. It was formed in 1998 and currently features singer/guitarist Susana Alva and bass player Frasco G. Ridgway as its centre pieces.
In June, Efecto Mariposa will release their eighth album Vuela. Two months ago, the first single Qué Me Está Pasando was put out, but it looks like the campaign has only really started with the release of second single Mágico. An infectious pop/rock song, that should appeal to Coldplay fans, with its big drums and piano touches. Vocally however, Mágico is immediately recognizable as an Efecto Mariposa song.
I hope it can strike a chord far beyond their home country, just like the scientific ‘butterfly effect’.
For more great new music follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
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.
Young Gun Silver Fox – Take It Or Leave It
Young Gun Silver Fox’s second album AM Waves was a ‘greatest hits’ album the moment it was released (which was yesterday). It features the singles that ‘young gun’ Andy Platts and Shawn ‘silver fox’ Lee released in 2017: Lolita, Midnight In Richmond and Lenny, all of which got their fair share of airplay and landed the duo sold-out venues all over Europe.
Fourth single Take It Or Leave It sounds like their next hit. It’s 100% original, and 100% recognizable at the same time. One second into the track you think you’re tapping along with The Doobie Brothers’ What A Fool Believes, while elsewhere your brain is tricked into singing Hall & Oates’ Kiss On My List. Pure pop bliss of the timeless kind!
For more great new music follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
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.
European Border Breakers Chart 20 April 2018
The big winner of this week’s European Border Breakers Chart is Sigrid, who won a European Border Breakers Award this year. Not only does she jump from #3 to pole position with Strangers, besting Liam Payne & Rita Ora’s For You after nine consecutive weeks of chart domination, but Sigrid’s latest single High Five is also the highest entry at #10. Not often does a track gain direct access to the Top 10. And that’s not all, the song that started the Norwegian singer’s career, Don’t Kill My Vibe, re-enters the Top 100 at #65, while her recent single Raw is still at #91.
A little bit further down the chart there’s another winner, and a less obvious one. Hot on the heels of the release of their eponymous debut album, young British all-female rock four-piece Goat Girl (pictured) enter the Top 100 with no less than three album tracks: The Man With No Heart Or Brain (#70), Creep (#72), and Slowly Reclines (#79). Meanwhile, their singles Cracker Drool and The Man also hold #54 and #86, respectively.
By the way: if you want to see all tracks of your favourite artist in the chart at one glance, simply type their name in the field ‘Search in current chart’ and see what happens…
In total, this week’s European Border Breakers Chart counts 26 (re)entries, 17 of which make their very first appearance. Curious? For the full Top 100, click the ‘EBBChart’ tab in the top menu of this blog (loading of the PDF may take a little while). More charts, like the Tips (ranking the tracks that are on their way to the Top 100, with La Grenade by Clara Luciani currently at #1), the Airplay Chart and the Streaming Chart, are available at www.europeanborderbreakerschart.eu, where you can also listen to all of the tracks and watch their videos, as well as share them via social media.
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.
Belle & The Beats – Deeper
Last February, we made the acquaintance of Belle & The Beast, a project of Dutch singer-songwriter Isabel Zoeteweij and producer and guitarist Gil Lopez. Soldier Of The Night was their first single, a mysterious piece of pop noir.
Ahead of the duo’s debut EP Lose Your Feathers (out in May), they now launch second single Deeper. A sensual masterpiece, while the guitar licks make it edgy as well. The video certainly adds to the atmosphere, but the song is a banger in itself. Pun intended ?
For more great new music follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
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.
Priest – Lost Lions
Priest is electronic-based indie-pop singer Camille Priest from Orlando, Florida. She first set her melancholic vocals to music on her Samurai EP in 2014. Further singles were collected on her eponymous debut album in 2016.
Her new EP The Lost Lions is out now. Four tracks, produced by David Kazyk, including stand-out track Lost Lions. More or less the EP’s title song, it sounds like a female Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark. Gorgeous stuff!
For more great new music follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
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.
Joris – Signal
Three years, three Echo music awards and 300 gigs after German singer and self-taught musician Joris released his hugely successful debut album Hoffnungslos Hoffnungsvoll, he is back with new music. It’s the first taste of new material he wrote during a time-out in Spain and Italy.
Signal is the first single off Joris’s upcoming long-player Schrei Es Raus (‘scream it out’), which is said to have a more progressive and energetic sound than before.
For more great new music follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
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.
