December 18th, 2021
single track
Chris Corey – Storms We Face
Christopher Steven Draper was raised in a small city in Northern Ontario, Canada. Classic acts like Oasis, Billy Idol, The Police, The Smiths, Bruce Springsteen and The Rolling Stones are amongst his main influences. But he also names more contemporary artists, like Sam Fender, Maggie Rogers, and even Carly Rae Jepsen. Draper started making music himself in the summer of 2018, using the moniker Chris Corey. Not only does he sing and write lyrics, he also plays the guitar and the drums. His first single Wildfire came out in 2019 and got a bit of airplay on some Canadian and US college radio stations.
Currently recording his debut album in Vancouver, he just released his sophomore single Storms We Face. This self-written track is about providing shelter for someone when they’ve reached a rough patch and need a helping hand. To me, it sounds like itâs got the potential to become his break-through. The song opens like a slightly slower version of Frank Blackâs Hang On To Your Ego. That comparison only holds for a few seconds though. Fans of the aforementioned Sam Fender are sure to love this song.
Coreyâs debut album will drop in early 2022. He calls the record âa mixed bag of everythingâ. âI really tried to pull from a variety of influences on the newer tunes, I didnât want to hold back thinking something wasnât possible.â Drawing influences from a variety of genres including rock, pop, blues, country, folk and new wave, his new album promises to be a treat for listeners with wide musical palettes.
Follow Chris Corey on Facebook | Instagram | 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, wildcardWildcard (week 50):
Wildcard (week 50):
Yuke – Stranger Still
I donât know why, but songs which open with a drum fill always catch my attention. Always have. Enter Stranger Still by Yuke, a five-piece band from Hackney, the birth ground of Marc Bolan, Mel & Kim, William Orbit and Paloma Faith. They like to blend different genres, from jazz to soul to French house. Their debut single however, is full-on funk-pop. Try it if youâre curious what it would sound like if Robert Smith would be joined on stage by Funkadelic!
Over the next six to eight months, Yuke plan to release six singles. If the very first of these is anything to go by, itâs going to be a fun-filled half year. Apart from some serious bass slapping, Stranger Still features plucked violins, a full brass section, catchy choruses and happy handclapping. Guaranteed to make you dance, this is the sound of a band full of ambition. Thatâs always a good thing to start with, but itâs even better to fulfil the promise at first listen.
This week, youâll be able to listen to the single as often as you like. Stranger Still by Yuke is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard, so itâll feature here prominently for seven full days!
Follow Yuke on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2021 playlist youâll find all of this yearâs 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
Wernerâs Weekly (week 50)
This is Wernerâs 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:
- Miles Kane feat. Corinne Bailey Rae – Nothing’s Ever Gonna Be Good Enough (Wildcard this week)
- Coral Palms – Something In The Air (Wildcard last week)
- Alta Falls – The Fire
- Buffalo Paradise – Buffalo Paradise
- Render Ghosts – Eye Rhyme
- Teen Jesus & The Jean Teasers – Miss Your Birthday
- Wilsn – You Know Better
Click the links for more info and listen to each of the tracks via the Wernerâs Weekly player below.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist. Also added last week: Bad Suns, GG, 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
Ally Cribb – Bigger
Toronto-based singer and songwriter Ally Cribb comes from a musical family. Her father Robert Cribb is a musician and writer as well. No surprise, then, that Ally chose the same career path. Citing Taylor Swift and Joni Mitchell as her heroes, she started taking singing lessons at the age of eight. Now only 16 years old, she steps into the spotlights.
Her first ever single, released earlier this year, was a heartfelt cover of Radioheadâs Creep. Impressive, but I think her first original release, Bigger, is even more extraordinary. Especially since she wrote the song herself at such a young age. Sonically, her first two tracks couldnât be further apart. Her version of Creep was a stripped back, piano-only affair, while Bigger sounds, well, âbiggerâ.
Speaking on the track, Ally Cribb explains: âBigger is about breaking through the obstacles that convince us to accept less than what we are. Iâve come to understand failure as a source of strength instead of something I should be scared of. I wrote this thinking about the many things I want to accomplish in my life, and the feeling I get when I close my eyes and picture myself standing on a big stage, staring out into a sea of faces. Thatâs my dream. And however challenging it might be getting there, this song is my own reminder that perseverance and dedication are stronger than the fear of failure.â
Bigger was produced by Allyâs father and will be part of her forthcoming EP Unbroken.
Follow Ally Cribb 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
Bilderbuch – Zwischen Deiner Und Meiner Welt
Austrian indie band Bilderbuch are currently on tour in the United States and Canada, opening for Rooseveltâs shows. However, that doesnât stop them from releasing a brand-new single.
Following Nahuel Huapi and Daydrinking, Zwischen Deiner Und Meiner Welt (âbetween your world and mineâ) is the third single off the groupâs upcoming album. Due to be released on 25 March 2022, its title is Gelb Ist Das Feld. In good Bilderbuch tradition, the album is likely to sound different from their earlier output. Judging from the singles so far, they are moving towards stadium-sized pop-rock songs with a bit of a dreamy melody. More than ever, the band puts the guitar front and center.
Zwischen Deiner Und Meiner Welt combines German and English lyrics as if they were always meant to be together. All in all, itâs a catchy, four-to-the-floor song that wonât necessarily appeal to German-speaking audiences alone (as proven by their current tour).
Recommended as well:
Bilderbuch – Checkpoint (Nie Game Over)
Follow Bilderbuch 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 trackWho Parked The Car – Other Side
Who Parked The Car – Other Side
Thomas Salvatore (vocals, piano and keyboards), Laura Wamba (vocals), SebastiĂĄn Muñoz (saxophone, flute), FĂ©lix Reneault (saxophone), CĂ©sar AouillĂ©Â (guitar), Ludo Prieur (bass), Malo Ropers (percussions) and Alejandro Dixon (drums) are Who Parked The Car. Eight people in one band. Eight people to share the money. Hopefully theyâre good friends and/or make music for fun đ.
One thing is sure: coming from the best music schools in Paris, this is a talented bunch of young musicians. And with pop influences like Bruno Mars, Stevie Wonder, Toto and Supertramp, and jazz influences like Snarky Puppy, Robert Glasper, Louis Cole and Weather Report, what could possibly go wrong?
Following their energetic, funk/nu-disco debut single Candle Dance, Who Parked The Car now show an âother sideâ of themselves. Their new single is a laid-back, jazzy track with soulful lyrics about the different sides of people. A song that fits winter like a glove.
Nevertheless, I canât wait for spring, for more than one reason. Because of the sun and higher temperatures (hopefully), but also because this octet will release their debut album Mad Weather, Good Friends in April. The band say the music on it will be fresh, organic, spontaneous, cheerful, bright, inclusive, optimistic and comforting. Sounds like just the thing we all need. Bring it on!
Recommended as well:
Who Parked The Car – Candle Dance
Follow Who Parked The Car 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
Dancer – It Matters
After making a low-key entry in the music business in 2020, Australian band Dancer started all over again this year under the wings of a proper record label. They now release the quartetâs 6-track debut-EP Fears. It features the bandâs debut single Dreamer, a totally revamped version of Show Me The Way (re-named The Light) and this yearâs Fears. The other songs are brand-new.
No EP or album release nowadays without a âfocus trackâ. In this case, It Matters is it. Good choice! It Matters is an upbeat song that sounds like is was made with (alternative) radio in mind. Another one of the bandâs addictive tracks, it has a contagious melody and powerful lyrics.
The band say about the song: âEach of us have our own expression, our own beliefs, mistakes and pain. And all of it matters. This song is a call out to the people who feel like their stories donât matter. Every person matters and is worth it.â
Recommended as well:
Fears
Show Me The Way
Dreamer
Follow Dancer 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 trackAngĂšle – Libre
AngĂšle – Libre
Donât say I didnât warn you. AngĂšleâs debut album Brol was great and I wrote about many of its singles. It turned her into a pop princess, and her new album will only enhance that status. Iâm curious what would happen if sheâd switch to lyrics in EnglishâŠ
âNonante-cinqâ is Walloon for â95â, the year of birth of the Belgian singer and songwriter. She turned 26 on 2 December, a week before her sophomore album Nonante-Cinq was scheduled to appear. However, as a last-minute present to her fans, she decided to release the record digitally on her birthday. This obviously caused some stress at her label, for the physical versions (CD and LP) werenât ready yet. The problem was solved within a week though, even before the intended release date.
This second record is more introspective than its predecessor. It sounds like a public diary, in which she tells about the most important emotions she had in the past three years: sadness, doubt and fear. However, as weâve come to expect, she packs these themes in colourful songs that appear light-hearted. For non-French-speaking people, anyway.
The long-playerâs second track is my favourite song on it. Libre deals with emancipation in the broadest sense. This includes claiming her position and taking revenge of the ones who hurt her. Musically, itâs a seemingly carefree and danceable tune, with a prominent bass line that resembles Tame Impalaâs The Less I Know The Better. This would be a great single!
Recommended as well:
Balance Ton Quoi
Tout Oublier (feat. Roméo Elvis)
Je Veux Tes Yeux
La Loi De Murphy
Follow AngĂšle 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
Pipin – Maybe Itâs Me
Pipin, pronounced as âpip-inâ, is a project from Australian singer-songwriter Rebecca Hoole. Making dreamy, electronic pop, she established herself as one-to-watch in Brisbaneâs music scene with shows supporting the likes of Ball Park Music, and playing multiple festival gigs.
Her new single Maybe Itâs Me is a captivating piece of music. Simple-sounding at first listen, but more ingenious underneath the surface. Every single element has been carefully considered by Pipin and her producer, guitarist and real-life partner, Hugh Middleton. Just listen to the rhythmic bed, which features lots of different percussive sounds like claps and clicks, for instance. Towards the end, it builds up with extra vocal harmonies and percussion noises. Making a complex song sound simple asks for real craftsmanship!
Maybe Itâs Me isnât only a joy sonically, but visually as well. The accompanying video, partly inspired by the clip for Kate Bushâs Babooshka, really fits the tune.
Follow Pipin 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
Kinishao – Always In My Head
Some people are born artists. Others only start chasing their calling at an older age. Frenchman Guillaume Depierre falls in the latter category. As a teenager, he loved music, from Beethoven to Prince. But instead of making it his profession, he decided to please his mother and do law studies. After succeeding, he eventually started his own law firm.
However, while hiding under his lawyerâs dress, music continued to knock on his door. He built a small studio at home, and anonymously wrote pop songs and composed beats between trials. Since 2013, he released an EP trilogy (Pages, volumes 1-3) and an album, all of which have now been deleted from the internet.
In 2021, Depierre made a fresh start. He hung up the dress, sold his law firm and became a full-time musician under the guise of Kinishao, releasing music on his own label. His first official single, last summer, was a re-recorded version of his 2017 track November Falls. Now, itâs time for a follow-up, which sounds like a potential break-through to me.
Always In My Head opens with a guitar part that resembles Sausolito Summernight by Diesel. Itâs quickly followed by tight drums, a cowbell, catchy vocal melodies and more guitar riffs. It brings Lenny Kravitz to mind. Old-school scratches and a fade-out provide an extra touch of nostalgia. A classic rock song for the â20s.
Follow Kinishao 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.
