February 14th, 2021
Sarpa Salpa – Another Life
For artists, recognition (and motivation) can come from various places. Family and friends are often amongst the first supporters. When well executed, live performances produce new fans that were unrelated to the act beforehand. Then, hopefully, curators at radio and streaming platforms will follow suit. Sarpa Salpa can hardly complain about support from radio. Obviously, family and friends are on board as well. As far as I’m concerned, streaming gatekeepers could do better. And, like for any other band, it’s heart-breaking to see they’ve had to cancel all of their touring plans.
On the other hand, the Northampton five-piece ended 2020 on a high in the form of a grant from the (UK music licensing company) PPL Momentum Music Fund in December. This grant, supported by PRS Foundation, PPL, Spotify UK, Creative Wales, and Arts Council Northern Ireland has enabled the band to continue to progress by funding the recording, mixing, mastering and promotion of their sophomore EP. Additionally, this funding will back the release of the EP on vinyl and help the band promote the release through a series of live dates in 2021.
We’ll have to wait until 2 April for the EP to come out, but Another Life is Sarpa Salpa’s new single off it. An uplifting, upbeat pop song, that begs to be played live. The band have socially distanced gigs lined up for April through August. Fingers crossed…
Recommended as well:
Sarpa Salpa – Stick To What You Know
Sarpa Salpa – Say Something
Sarpa Salpa – Before It Goes Dark
Follow Sarpa Salpa on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | 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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
The Bamboos – Ride On Time
Back in 1989, Italo-house/Euro-dance act Black Box released Ride On Time. A great floor filler, based on a vocal sample of Loleatta Holloway’s 1980 single Love Sensation. Her lyric “Thank you baby, ‘cause you’re right on time” was misquoted in the song title. Nevertheless, it topped several European charts and went on to become the bestselling single of the year in the UK.
32 Years later, the song gets a complete make-over. Australian nine-piece The Bamboos turn the track into an infectious soul/funk tune. It’s not the first time they sink their teeth in another track to turn it completely upside-down. They did so before with songs by everyone from James Blake, Kings Of Leon to London Grammar.
Their reinvented version kicks off with tight, up-tempo drums, followed by the three piece horn section, which carries the song’s hook. Subsequently, The Bamboos’ stellar singer Kylie Auldist does what no-one would have thought possible: she does complete justice to Loleatta Holloway’s inimitable vocal.
Ride On Time will be the closing track on their upcoming tenth album Hard Up, which will be out on 7 May. It’ll also feature the band’s three 2020 singles Hard Up, While You Sleep (feat. Ev Jones) and Power Without Greed.
Recommended as well:
The Bamboos – Night Time People
The Bamboos (feat. Montaigne) – I’ll Make You Happy
Follow The Bamboos on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | 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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
L U – Liquid Gold
L U is the artist name of Lucy Pearson, a singer, songwriter, producer and DJ from Norwich, UK. After collaborating with some of the hottest artists in the country, she is now embarking on her own solo project.
Earlier this year, she released the 1 minute long track Hit My Line, which has since been deleted from the interwebs. That makes Liquid Gold her new debut single. As the title promises, it’s sweet and sticky like honey. It’s inspired by the fever of new love and pays homage to the ‘80s classics she grew up with. It would be a fun game to find out which classics, based on the sound of this great track. My five cents: it sounds like a 2021 version of Five Star to me. Yes, a 2021 version. For with its imaginative synths and propulsive rhythms Liquid Gold sounds as ‘80s as can be, but at the same time, the production is very contemporary.
L U wrote and produced the track herself, but it comes with a fiery guitar solo, played by Harry Smith from the band Mirror Mask.
Follow L U on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | 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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Just – Walk Slow Smile More
People often say pop music is shallow and superficial. That doesn’t do right to many pop songs. Excuse me for leaving the question ‘what is pop music anyway?’ unanswered at this point.
Dutch singer-songwriter Just’s new single is a good example of a song with a deeper layer. Walk Slow Smile More tells the story of a good friend with MS. Last March he fled to a remote part of the Netherlands because of COVID-19, leaving family and friends behind. It was completely uncertain what the future would hold for him. Even in this desperate situation, he was strong enough to encourage himself to go on. He had his motto ‘walk slower, smile more’ tattooed on his forearm. A reminder to enjoy the beautiful things in life, even when you have to give up more and more.
This true story inspired Just to turn his friend’s motto into a song. He recorded Walk Slow Smile More with some of the finest musicians. Lothar Kosse for example, whose guitar melodies sometimes remind me of songs by Fish. Also, the track is graced with a beautiful Hammond part courtesy of Steve Smith, who worked with Dire Straits and ABC before. Minco Eggersman produced the single (as well as Just’s upcoming album Deep Cycles), and plays the drums. Just himself does a great job stretching his vocal chords to the max.
The singer is especially proud of the song’s artwork, made by James Marsh. He also designed the iconic cover art for the Talk Talk albums, one of Just’s all-time favourite bands.
Walk Slow Smile More is as close as Just has come to writing a pop song. His finest moment so far.
Recommended as well:
Just – Dark Days
Follow Just on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | 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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Ivan & The Parazol – Mást Vártam
This year, Hungarian band Ivan & The Parazol will release their fifth album Budai Pop. Unlike their earlier records, this one will feature lyrics in their native tongue, instead of English. That’s because they see this album as a celebration of their roots.
Mást Vártam is the five-piece’s new single. The title means ‘different expectations’, which is exactly what the song is about. It’s a bittersweet song about growing up in Budapest and managing the expectations of adulthood. ‘Why don’t you find a real job’, ‘music is only a hobby’, etc. Mást Vártam opposes this attitude. It’s the product of a group of best friends who claim full artistic freedom. They wrote it during a session in a cabin at the shores of a Hungarian lake.
The song opens as a potential dance tune, but soon changes into a danceable rock track with infectious keys. This one’s sure to go down well live, sometime…
Recommended as well:
Játék
Changin’
Follow Ivan & The Parazol on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | 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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Abbie Ozard – Breakdowns
Lauran Hibberd, whenyoung and Phoebe Green have all featured in these columns before. That same scene now produces Abbie Ozard, whom I praised before as well.
Following 2019’s Growing Pains EP, she just released her second EP, Let’s Play Pretend. It collects the Manchester-based artist’s latest three indie hits, and comes with her new single Breakdowns. Another obvious indie-pop hit, it features some heavy synth bass. The track was co-written and produced by Easy Life collaborator Ben Matarvers.
Breakdowns is an observational track, as explained by Abbie: “I wrote this tune after a massive conversation about Generation Z. I’m intensely guilty of the accusations we make in this song – how life is online, and how we deal with our problems through social media. (…) I’m sure I’m not the only person who’s found the word breakdown relatable recently…”
Recommended as well:
Abbie Ozard – True Romance
Follow Abbie Ozard on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | 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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Amen Mustang – (The Shit You Say) When You’re High
After Aussie band Jenny Broke The Window went their separate ways in 2018, singer Sam Lathlean moved to London. It wasn’t long before he reinvented himself as Amen Mustang, a one-man band inspired by Mystery Jets, PNAU, The Maccabees and Passion Pit. Exactly one year ago, he released his debut single Someone To Somebody. It was followed by Isolation Tapes, an EP with three covers and a home recorded version of his first song.
Amen Mustang’s second single (The Shit You Say) When You’re High came out mid October 2020 in Australia. However, it wasn’t promoted outside that continent. Until now. British label Snowhill Songs is determined to make this the indie hit it deserves to be. And I think they’re right.
After an intro that sounds like a collection of samples, (The Shit You Say) When You’re High really kicks off with a driving bass line. Elsewhere, we hear spacey drum patterns, shimmering guitars, cutting edge synths, horns and layered vocals. Indietronica meets downtempo rock. Cleverly produced by Xavier Dunn (Jack River, Slum Sociable, Sarah Wolfe), it sounds like an indie version of OneRepublic.
Follow Amen Mustang on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | 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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Wildcard (week 6):
Almost Monday – Live Forever
Only a year ago, San Diego trio Almost Monday’s career took off to a flying start. In 2020, Dawson Daugherty (vocals), Cole Clisby (guitar) and Luke Fabry (bass) released four tracks. All of them drenched in sunshine, with funky basslines, ecstatic choruses, and danceable grooves. They were crafted with producers Mark Needham (The Killers, Fleetwood Mac) and Simon Oscroft (The Naked & Famous, Dreamers). Together, those songs formed their debut EP Don’t Say You’re Ordinary, which racked up 23 million audio and video streams. Countless garage jams, small-scale DIY gigs, and innumerable writing sessions paid off.
Not wasting any time, Almost Monday release their first single of the new year. Live Forever (not the Oasis song), is another uplifting feel-good tune with a catchy chorus. It’s a reminder for us to boldly live in the moment, especially in these crazy times. A very promising start of what should be their break-through year.
As a push in the right direction, Live Forever by Almost Monday is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. As such, it’ll feature prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Follow Almost Monday on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2021 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.
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 6)
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:
- The Reytons – Jealous Type (Wildcard this week)
- Tom Jones – Talking Reality Television Blues (Wildcard last week)
- Eelke – Too Much Too Soon
- President Street – Time Is Up
- Katie Kittermaster – Lukewarm Lover
- Kuzko – My Mama Says
- Tom Aspaul & Funk LeBlanc (feat. Madeleine Wood) – The Program
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: Celeste, Serj Tankian, Vargas & Lagola, and more.
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.
Allie X – Glam! [2021 Version]
Alexandra Hughes began her career by performing in televised talent shows in her native Canada. She continued her career as Allie Hughes, before switching to her current moniker Allie X (not to be confused with Elle Exxe). After moving to Los Angeles, California, she released the song Catch, which reached #55 in her home country.
A few years earlier, in 2013, she recorded a demo for Glam! (Love Me Forever). The song leaked in 2015 but was never put out as a single. Last year, as a bonus track for a special edition double LP of her early albums CollXtion I and CollXtion II, she recorded a new version of the track. This time around, it is a single. More than that, it’s a banger!
Glam! is about Allie X leaving Toronto to start working on her music in LA. In her own words, it’s an ‘unapologetic superpop synth fantasy song about following your dreams’. In my words, Glam! is a very lovable bubblegum-pop track. For fans of Dua Lipa, Kylie Minogue, Charli XCX and Katy Perry.
Follow Allie X on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | 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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
