April 28th, 2021
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 17):
Wildcard (week 17):
Lissie – Hey Boy
We all know about Prince’s world famous vault, where he presumably stacked even more music than he officially put out. Obviously, more artists (probably most of them) sometimes record material they eventually don’t release. I presume when a recording is shelved, there’s a good reason to do so. Because it’s crap, for instance. All too often, these sessions end up on box sets, ‘Deluxe Editions’, ‘Expanded Versions’ or ‘Anniversary Editions’. Such a shame…
That being said, there may also be other reasons to hold a release. When a track doesn’t fit the sound or feel of the other songs that make up an album, for instance. However, in some cases it’s impossible to imagine why a song wasn’t issued before. Lissie’s ‘new’ single Hey Boy is such a track…
The American singer-songwriter rediscovered the song when she went through her archives recently. She browsed her old recordings on behalf of two upcoming projects: the Anniversary Edition (whaaa!!) of her 2010 breakthrough album Catching A Tiger (which will be out 25 June) and Watch Over Me (Early Works 2002-2009), an album compiling nine highlights from her formative years as a songwriter (out 23 July). Both will feature lots of cult fan favourites and previously unreleased material.
The latter album is now previewed by the previously unreleased song Hey Boy. It’s a raw and rootsy folk-rocker with an intense and bluesy vocal performance. The track, written circa 2003, finds Lissie criticising the sexism and misogyny that she faced as a young female artist.
She recalls: “When I was in college, I was out seeing live music almost every night. I would play open mics and eventually get to open up for touring acts that passed through town. There was a crew of musician guys who always seemed to mock me and my lyrics, trashed my posters around town and who insinuated that the only reason I was getting opportunities was because I was a silly young woman who was a flirt. That strangely felt like a normal thing to have to deal with then, so I just shrugged it off and kept going. (…) It seems like this is now changing for the better.”
This week, Hey Boy by Lissie is the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. Deservedly, this finally unearthed gem will feature prominently at the top of this blog for a whole week.
Recommended as well:
Lissie – Love Blows
Lissie – Best Days
Follow Lissie on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2021 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.
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.
werner's weekly
Werner’s Weekly (week 17)
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:
- Marina – Purge The Poison (Wildcard this week)
- Yelle – Noir (Wildcard last week)
- Charlie Collins – Fuck It
- Grae – Spinning
- Punky Monky – In The Name
- Ruby Waters – Blow
- The Hisunz – CNTRDCTNS
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: The Chemical Brothers, Chvrches, The Weeknd feat. Ariana Grande, and more.
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
Miss Li – The Manual
Linda Karlsson is one of Sweden’s most-loved artists. As Miss Li, she has a career of some 20 years to her name. Even if you’re not familiar with one of her eight studio albums, it’s very well possible you heard her music. Songs of hers have been used in American TV series like ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Desperate Housewives’, as well as in US and UK TV commercials for the likes of Apple and Volvo. Still, she’s mostly successful in her home country. A well-kept secret. Alas, I might add.
Miss Li is currently recording her ninth studio album. All tracks will be featured both in an English and a Swedish version. The Manual/Instruktionsboken is her new single. And as the title suggests: it’s a pop song by the book. Hopefully it’ll find many ears outside of Sweden as well!
Recommended as well:
Therapy
Beautiful
Follow Miss Li on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
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
morgxn – Losing Myself
Nashville-born Morgan Karr already sung in a gospel choir at the age of 6. As a 9-year-old, he took singing and piano lessons and started writing his own songs. Then he went to New York, where he ended up in the theatre world. In 2015, he contributed vocals to two Tiësto tracks. This was the start of him refocussing on his music.
Now based in Los Angeles, Morgan goes by the stage name of morgxn. These last five years, he released quite a few really good electronic pop songs. Some of them rightly featured here on Carte Blanche Music.
Meridian: vol. 1 is morgxn’s latest project. It’s a 5-track EP, including his recent singles How Do You Hold What Hurts and Porcelain. However, opening track Losing Myself is by far my favourite. A great and infectious tune with a walking bass line and some nifty guitar strumming. Not only a fun song to dance to, but also one that’ll sound great on the radio.
Recommended as well:
Smallpools x morgxn – Slowdown
morgxn & Nicholas Petricca – Blue
morgxn & Walk The Moon – Home
Follow morgxn on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
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
Aly & AJ – Don’t Need Nothing
It’s been 14 years since singing sisters Alyson & Amanda Joy Michalka released an album. After a lengthy break of almost 10 years, they came back with new music in 2017. Their comeback was partly helped by TikTok. That platform caused an unexpected re-run for their 2007 global break-through hit Potential Breakup Song, 13 years later. This even led to the duo recording un updated version of the track. All of this helped them reach a new audience. Also, it created the perfect launchpad for the next stage in their career.
Still only 31 and 29 years old, Aly & AJ will put out their fourth studio album on 7 May. Its title: A Touch Of The Beat Gets You Up On Your Feet Gets You Out And Then Into The Sun. This title comes from the lyrics to their new single Don’t Need Nothing. It’s the album’s fifth single, following Slow Dancing, Listen!!!, Pretty Places, and Symptom Of Your Touch. Don’t Need Nothing is a triumphant, up-beat, four to the floor stomper that begs to be played live. It must be fun to hear the audience sing along to its lyrics, including the lengthy album title.
Aly & AJ said of their new long-player: “We weirdly held an unnatural confidence over the recording and writing process this year (even when things would start and stop given all of the Covid shutdowns). It was like we were meant to make this music regardless of the world falling into the abyss, because it was the record we were always born to make.”
Recommended as well:
Aly & AJ – Good Love
Follow Aly & AJ on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
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
Certain Animals – Hold On
Rotterdam-based Certain Animals continue their streak of ‘70s influenced pop tracks. They approach song-writing as a craft, and put exactly the right amount of traditional elements into their songs. That makes them sound familiar, but far from daft or old-fashioned. On the contrary, these are three guardians of timeless music.
Later this year, Certain Animals release their sophomore album. Ahead of that, we can now enjoy its first single Hold On. From the first bars on, it sounds like a future evergreen. The guitar riff, polyphonic vocals, real violins and even a church bell make for a warm, nostalgic feeling. Perhaps ‘vintage’ is the best word for it.
Lyrically, Hold On is a hymn of hope about holding on (obviously), persistence and perseverance. Also, it’s about doing things your own way, even when others advise against it. A classic in every way, this might be the song to buck us all up in these trying times. With Hold On, Certain Animals single-handedly provide us with the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.
Recommended as well:
Certain Animals – TV
Follow the band on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
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.
remake, single track
Beach Bunny feat. Tegan & Sara – Cloud 9
Beach Bunny is a Chicago-based 4-piece around front woman Lili Trifilio. When they released their debut album Honeymoon, in 2020, the closing track Cloud 9 was one of its highlights. It was rightly released as a single, early that year, but only recently it started to truly make an impact. Thanks to TikTok (where it racked up 1.3 million(!) creations), the track re-emerged and went viral. So far, it spent five consecutive weeks on the Spotify Global Viral 50 chart, earning more than 2 million streams per day and over 78 million total streams. It also crossed from the streaming charts to Billboard’s Hot Alt Songs chart and the Rolling Stone Trending 25 chart. Meanwhile, it’s one of the most added songs at alternative radio.
And now, there’s a brand-new version of Cloud 9, that’s likely to spice things up even further. This new take on an already great tune features Canada’s finest singing twins: Tegan & Sara Quin. The Platinum-selling duo not only lent their voices to the song, but also updated its lyrics to include gender neutral and feminine pronouns.
The sisters say about the collaboration: “We’re massive fans of Beach Bunny, and when we heard Cloud 9 for the first time fell in love with the brilliant lyrics and addictive melody. We love that Lili was up to let us experiment with changing the pronoun in the chorus to ‘she’. The efforts made to make the song relatable to everyone, isn’t just about inclusivity, we think it’s a great indication of the flexibility and creative spirit of the band at its core!”
Follow Beach Bunny on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
Follow Tegan & Sara on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
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
Mia Nicolaï – People Pleaser
Born in Amsterdam, Mia Nicolaï grew up in a half Dutch, half Russian household. She just turned 25 and is about to conquer the world with her ‘attitude pop’. She says about her music, in a cynical way: “I had the pleasure to go through a bunch of heavy stuff which I now put into music. My songs always feel a bit like self-help books to me, as I like to re-write life scenarios into something with a solution, I guess.”
Mia only released three singles since she came to the scene last year. Yet, she already made a name for herself with her raw unpolished pop music. People Pleaser is her third release. Catchy and energetic, it’s a song of international class. It’s based around driving drums, an infectious – New Order-like – bass line and Mia’s distinctive voice.
Lyrically, People Pleaser is about (our journey towards) self discovery. As she points out: “It can be very difficult to be true to your inner values when all you do is please the people around you instead of your inner needs. I’ve always come across as a strong-minded person. But In reality, I’m capable of helping everyone BUT myself. At some point I felt so uncomfortable in my own skin that I couldn’t even breathe properly.”
Follow Mia Nicolaï on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
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
Barenaked Ladies – Flip
Barenaked Ladies are a multi-platinum band that formed in 1988. Already very successful in their home country Canada, their single One Week became a worldwide hit 11 years later. Subsequent singles they released around the turn of the century did well abroad as well. Their latest (15th) regular studio album, Fake Nudes, dates back to 2017.
Now, BNL are back with their first new music in four years. Flip is the first single to be released ahead of their upcoming new album Detour De Force. The recording of this single was pretty much of a tour de force in itself. The band started working on new music before the pandemic, but quarantine forced them out of the studio and into their respective homes.
Flip is a trademark BNL track; fresh and upbeat. But there is more beneath this jolly surface. Its lyrics provide us with a nuanced take on the human psyche, conflicts in our communities, and the many ‘flips’ that have occurred all over the world during this last year. It’s a song about trying to change your viewpoint.
Flip is about being open to other perspectives,” lead singer and guitarist Ed Robertson said in an interview with Consequence Of Sound. “We live in a time where people seem to just dig deeper into their own trenches, without any willingness to see another viewpoint, or even engage in discussion… It’s all yelling, and no listening. I like that saying, ‘We were given one mouth, and two ears, and we’re supposed to use them proportionately!’”
Follow Barenaked Ladies on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
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
Chymes – Death Wish
Back in the Greco-Roman times, Chymes was said to be the founder of alchemy, the magical power of transforming the ordinary into something extraordinary. Today, it’s the name of an Australian electronic pop act with millions of streams to their name. Chymes are often referred to as the stage name of singer-songwriter Kiersten Nyman, but don’t forget about producer Cameron Taylor. He is instrumental in building their great sound. If you dig Billie Eilish or recently upcoming acts like Archie X and Rooue, you’re sure to like Chymes as well.
The duo had released a few singles already, when things really took off in December 2018. BTS front man Jungkook liked their single Dreaming and decided to share his discovery with the 17+ million followers of his band’s Twitter account. It changed Nyman and Taylor’s lives overnight and resulted in Dreaming reaching 8 million streams.
Chymes’ new single Death Wish proves they can now continue to grow on the strength of their songs. It’s a well-produced track, built around electronic drum beats and Nyman’s cool singing style. Furthermore, it’s full of vocal effects, finger snapping and alienating choirs to almost hypnotic effect. Very much the sound of now.
Death Wish is the latest track from Chymes’ new EP Hell And Divine, set for release on 28 May 2021.
Follow Chymes on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
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.
