April 12th, 2018
The Spectors – Dorothy
When Marieke Hutsebaut founded The Spectors in 2012, their demos soon caught the ear of former Editors guitarist Chris Urbanowicz. He produced the Belgian band’s self-titled debut EP (2014) and full album Light Stays Close (2015), two releases full of shoegaze and dreampop.
Their second album Ooh Aah Aah took three years to make. Three years that Hutsebaut used to experiment with different line-ups and to find the right musical touch. She says about that search: “Our main goal on this record was to step away from the heavy shoegaze and highlight our poppy side with a collection of catchy songs.”
Mission accomplished, as far as I’m concerned. Ooh Aah Aah contains short, snappy and sparkling songs with honest lyrics, in which Hutsebaut chronicles her life with Asperger’s. For me, Dorothy is one of the album’s highlights!
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.
The Dark Light – She Likes It
The Dark Light may be based in London, but it’s a truly European project, with members from Italy (guitarists Marco Simoncelli and Roberto Cicorella), Great Britain (singer-songwriter Gerard Edwards and bass player Sonny Moylan), and Germany (drummer Henning Brand).
In February, I recommended the band’s first single It’s Alright, and last week, their debut album Keep Off The Grass came out. Passionate, classic rock ‘n’ roll, recorded in an astonishing 16 days and mastered by John Webber (David Bowie, George Michael, The The). It also features second single She Likes It. Well, I like it too and so do you, I hope!
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.
The Academic – Fake ID
Irish band The Academic was formed in 2013 by Craig Fitzgerald (lead vocalist and guitarist), Dean Gavin (drums), and brothers Matt and Stephen Murtagh (guitar and bass, respectively). I played their early singles Northern Boy and Mixtape 2003 in the late Carte Blanche radio show in May 2016 and August 2016, but the band garnered more media interest a year later, after Bear Claws came out.
Most of these singles appear on the band’s debut album Tales From The Back Seat. My favourite track off the album though, is the über catchy Fake ID, that features in the Carte Blanche Music playlist since the record come out, last January. Now, it’s The Academic’s new single!
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.
Wildcard (week 15):
Stars – Ship To Shore
Stars are a Canadian theatrical pop/rock band, which is active since the year 2000. Only last October they released their ninth album There Is No Love In Fluorescent Light, but Ship To Shore is a brand new track.
It’s a classic case of things being not always what they seem. Ship To Shore sounds like a light-hearted – even happy – summer ditty with its danceable disco-ish musical backdrop. Man, how I love those bold ’80s drums and synths!
But this electro-pop mask hides the true meaning of the song: it a remembrance of singer Amy Millan’s late friend, John Bil. A discrepancy that’s beautifully captured in lines like ‘You played me The Cure / Friday I’m In Love / It’s so good it hurts’.
This week, Stars’ Ship To Shore is the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. All 15 of them (so far) can be found in the Wildcards 2018 playlist on Spotify.
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.
Jessie Clement – Something Different
Raised in a musical family, Jessie Clement began her singing career as a studio singer when she was only 9 years old, and wrote her first song at age 10.
She’s currently finishing her third album and this is the first single. Something Different has a simple, but addictive melody. It sounds innocent and timeless, reminding me of Sara Bareilles. Other, less obvious influences on her writing and singing include James Taylor, Coldplay, and Adele.
Something Different comes with a colourful black and white video.
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.
Freak Power – Hear My Call
Allow me a flashback to the early 90s of the last century. Norman Cook (ex-Housemartins, ex-Beats International, later to be known as Fatboy Slim) formed Freak Power with horn player Ashley Slater. They scored a huge pan-European hit with Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out in 1994, and… well, that was about it, basically.
If you thought we’d ever hear from them again, please raise your hand. It appears you were right. Freak Power just released their first new music since 1999. Norman Cook is no longer involved, but Ashley Slater is back on board. Also part of this new line-up, among others: original bass player Dale Davis (Amy Winehouse, Paul Young, Tina Turner), Tony Remy (Herbie Hancock, Annie Lennox) on guitar and Kate Cameron on backing vocals.
Much may have changed in the last 20 years, but the sound of the new Freak Power is remarkably consistent with the ’90s version. Acid house bassline: check. Big synths: check. Soulful sing-along chorus: check. Let’s see if we can eventually tick the check box ‘hit’ as well…
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.
Alice Merton – Lash Out
Chances are, you first read about Alice Merton on Carte Blanche Music (although I’m aware success has many fathers). Anyway, I instantly liked her debut single No Roots and made it Wildcard. It became a pan-European hit – landing the German singer a European Border Breakers Award – and has just entered Billboard’s Hot 100.
The follow-up single took its title too literally and Hit The Ground Running, but I think she could hit the bull’s eye again with this third single, Lash Out. And after seeing her show at the ESNS festival, last January, I can tell you there is plenty more where this is coming from. Alice Merton is a potential future superstar.
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.
Werner’s Weekly (week 15)
In a great week for new music, I added the likes of Band Of Horses, Chromeo, Gin Wigmore, Johnny Marr, Manic Street Preachers, Novastar and We Are Scientists to my 2018 container playlist Carte Blanche Music. All of them very much worth checking out and you might even consider following that playlist, so you won’t miss a single great track, ever.
But there is only one ultimate rundown, containing only the best of the best new songs: Werner’s Weekly, your compass to the music that matters. Click the links below for more information about each track, and listen to them all via the Werner’s Weekly player in the sidebar.
- boy pablo – Losing You (Wildcard this week)
- Tiny Fighter – New Century (Wildcard last week)
- Gruppo Sportivo – (This Is A) Normal Song
- Inge van Calkar – Imaginary
- NoNoNo – Friends
- Ofenbach vs. Lack Of Afro (feat. Wax & Herbal T) – PARTY
- Victor Manuelle & Juan Luis Guerra – Quiero Tiempo
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.
IAMJJ – China
Last year I featured You In My Arms by IAMJJ here already. A great track, that followed Bloody Future and served as a second introduction to this mysterious 24-year-old Danish singer-songwriter. After his third release (and first proper single) Homer, IAMJJ just put out his debut album Bloody Future.
IAMJJ played many of the album’s songs at showcase festival ESNS, in January, and one of the songs that immediately stood out for me, was China. It’s one of the highlights on the album as well.
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.
Måneskin – Morirò Da Re
Last year, Italian band Måneskin emerged from the 11th series of X Factor. Since then, their star is rising. Their first single Chosen was in English and featured on their 7-track mini album of the same title. Their second single, however, is in Italian.
Morirò Da Re once again features the ear-catching and characteristic voice of Damiano David, but it also has an eye-catching video, featuring snakes, sword-swallowing, plenty of latex and a guy with a split tongue. A bit of a freak show… ?
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.
