March 14th, 2022
werner's weekly
Werner’s Weekly (week 11)
This is Werner’s Weekly, your compass to new music that matters, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:
- Iris Gold – Crushed Velvet
(Wildcard this week) - Two Year Vacation – Chasing The Morning
(Wildcard last week) - Daimy Lotus – Never Get Me
- Gang Of Youths – Forbearance
- Nikki & The Waves – Online Chess
- Reddi – The Show
- The New Shining – Thief
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: Florence & The Machine, Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa, Sigrid, 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 trackNazzereene – That’s How I Like It
Nazzereene – That’s How I Like It
Nazzereene Taleb, from Melbourne, Australia, started out as a dancer at the age of 9. A few years later, inspired by the likes of Rihanna, Bruno Mars and The Weeknd, she decided to switch to singing and song-writing. Her father was her vocal coach. At 18, she impressed the superstar judges from ‘X Factor’, followed by a successful appearance in ‘The Voice’.
Her performances didn’t go unnoticed. Soon, Nazzereene was offered musical collaborations with Tensnake, Sick Individuals and Firebeatz, to name but a few. She accepted, obviously. But eventually, she wanted to release her own tracks.
That’s How I Like It is her new, self-written single. The production is clean and cool, but still manages to sound organic. Despite its retro-disco feel, it’s a timeless song.
Follow Nazzereene 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.
re-release, single trackGorgeous – Divine
Gorgeous – Divine
With a band named Gorgeous and a single titled Divine, you can wait for the smart wordplay. We’ll come to that later, but let’s start at the beginning…
Singer and songwriter Maríe Louise and producer and multi-instrumentalist Murga are Gorgeous. Oh wait, that one came too early… Let me rephrase. Gorgeous are singer and songwriter Maríe Louise and producer and multi-instrumentalist Murga. The Copenhagen-based duo met three years ago, and write and record all their music as a team.
They self-released their first single Divine in late August 2021. The right song at the wrong time, amidst the traditional tsunami of post summer releases by other artists. However, it did draw the attention of a proper record label. Not only did it decide to sign the duo and re-release their awesome debut, they also commanded a beautiful video to go with it. This adds greatly to the track’s atmosphere: gentle and introverted, yet fresh and charming. And it’s about a very relatable subject, as well.
Maríe Louise says about it: “Falling in love easily seems like a veil of euphoria, happiness and fascination. But at the same time, it’s a personal invitation into the life of a complete stranger – and the other way around – where you eventually will have to face each other’s story and what it holds of peculiarities, weaknesses, misfortune and tragedy. Divine is about that total surrender. About showing the good and the bad sides when you bump into that ‘one in a million’ true love.”
All in all, Divine is gorgeous and Gorgeous is divine (you may shoot me now).
Follow Gorgeous 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 trackTommy – Uninvited Attention
Tommy – Uninvited Attention
You can wake me up in the middle of the night for a song with a killer horn section. If that goes for you as well, get ready for Tommy’s sophomore single Uninvited Attention to blow you away. But the song holds more surprises. I love the short mariachi kind of break halfway, followed by a violin solo that sends shivers down the spine.
Lyrically, the track warns against the long-lasting effects of posting on social media on our social wellbeing. Tommy explains: “In the world today everyone seems to be living behind a mask on social media. Daily, we as humans expose ourselves to the online realm without considering the repercussions.”
Tommy Cobley was born and bred in Leicester, which also produced acts such as Kasabian and Cornershop. After the split of his former band Arcades, he went solo. Following his debut single Alive, he did a successful UK tour. Now, Uninvited Attention is Tommy’s second great track in a row. A sold out headline gig in his hometown is already in the books for the 8th of April. What a way to start a (solo) career! And there’s more where this is coming from, for the singer and songwriter describes the catalogue of songs he wrote the past months as ‘a rich bag of tricks’.
Keep ‘em coming Tommy!
Recommended as well:
Alive
Follow Tommy 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
Shirley Davis & The Silverbacks – Take Out The Trash
Shirley Davis has been around the world quite a bit. Born in London to Jamaican parents, she moved to Australia when she married at 16. She stayed downunder for many years and built a successful career in the funk/soul/R&B scene. In 2016, shortly after returning to Europe, Sharon Jones invited Davis on stage at one of her shows in Madrid. A label representative who attended the concert immediately invited her to record an album with Spanish band The Silverbacks.
This resulted in the successful record Black Rose, which was followed in 2018 by sophomore long-player Wishes And Wants. Their colourful blend of exotic soul and funk, both light and heavy, firmly put the band on the international map. On 23 March, third album Keep On Keepin’ On will come out. It’s named after the last advice Sharon Jones texted to Davis.
Take Out The Trash is her new single. A fast and frantic funky soul track that sounds old-school and organic. Almost 50 years old, Davis gives it her all. Props to The Silverbacks as well, who are strutting their stuff as if they were The Dap-Kings themselves.
Follow Shirley Davis on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
Follow The Silverbacks 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 trackThe Rills – World Leader
The Rills – World Leader
Radio listeners will find this hard to believe, but there’s great guitar music aplenty nowadays. You only have to know where to find it. Here at Carte Blanche Music for instance…
The Rills are a British rock band, inspired by the likes of Arctic Monkeys and Libertines. They used the past two years to grow their online following. Quite successfully so, for their joke-filled TikTok account now counts no less than 4 million likes.
The trio (singer/guitarist Mitchell Spencer, bassist Callum Warner-Webb and drummer Mason Cassar) will release their debut EP Do It Differently on 6 May. Ahead of that, they put out their energetic new single World Leader. It sees the band pointing their fingers towards the stuffy, political gatekeepers of the world in an ironic fashion.
Spencer calls it ‘an ironic bashing of modern politics’. He adds: “It’s a stab at our modern political figures, the way we digest media and the way voters express their views online.”
Follow The Rills 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 trackThe Regrettes – That’s What Makes Me Love You
The Regrettes – That’s What Makes Me Love You
Like most of us, Los Angeles quartet The Regrettes spent the pandemic apart. In January 2021 however, they reconvened at Joshua Tree to begin demoing the new material they had written via Zoom in the months prior. They then entered separate studio sessions with producers Jacknife Lee and Tim Pagnotta to create their third album Further Joy. Described in a press release as their ‘poppiest, and danciest’ record yet, it’s due out on 8 April.
The long-player will feature the recent singles Monday and You’re So Fucking Pretty, as well as this just-released new track. That’s What Makes Me Love You is a wonderful, Gwen Stefani-like track.
Front woman Lydia Night reveals how the single came about: “I was in a dark anxious place and realised that I was becoming very critical of my partner. I got out of that place by realising, ‘I love this person for exactly who they are, and nothing needs to change about who they are or who I am to make each other happy’. The song came from me flipping the narrative to ‘That’s not why I should be scared. That’s why I love you’.”
Follow The Regrettes 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 trackBeka – Don’t Call Me A Friend
Beka – Don’t Call Me A Friend
Rebeka Rachel Prance used to be a member of Honne’s backing band, but stepped out as a solo artist in Autumn 2020. A lot has happened since then. Beka released her debut single I’ll Be There, while its follow-up More Than Friends featured her old Honne pals. Following her 2021 debut EP I’ll Be There, she just put out her first music of the new year.
Don’t Call Me A Friend is a sophisticated pop banger that’s elevated by soaring synths and catchy drum beats. It’s inspired by her Grandparents’ relationship that saw them pursue love against all odds.
Beka explains: “I’ve been exploring the themes of legacy and identity and part of my personal story is that my Grandparents, who met each other in the 50’s – one from the West Indies the other from York – at that time when most people thought they shouldn’t be together, pursued love even amidst the haters. In the midst of a bunch of negativity my Grandparents found a way to carve out a future together and choose love.”
Later this year, Beka will come full circle when she’ll hit the road with… Honne.
Follow Beka 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 trackBrooke – That’s Rich
Brooke – That’s Rich
Ireland has won the Eurovision Song Contest seven times. Johnny Logan famously triumphed twice (in 1980 and 1987) and there was a real hattrick in 1992, ’93 and ’94. The latest victory however was in 1996. This year, in a new effort to secure the top slot, the country sends 23-year-old Brooke Scullion to Italy.
The singer and songwriter from Derry was a finalist of ‘The Voice UK’ 2020. She won her spot to represent Ireland at Eurovision 2022 in Turin after a show-stopping performance of That’s Rich on RTE’s ‘Late Late Show Eurosong Special’. She beat five other competitors. Following some comments after the broadcast, she tweaked the track a little more, so the version now available on streaming services is ‘final’. Talking of which, I’m sure this tune will at least secure Ireland a placement in the ESC final. I’m even confident it’ll do very well in that second round as well.
Mainly inspired by Blondie and Gossip, That’s Rich is a fiery and empowering single. It’s a modern pop song that narrates how you should never settle for anyone who doesn’t fulfil your needs. Bizarrely, this is the first track Brooke ever wrote. That being said, it’s only the second single she’s ever released.
Follow Brooke 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, wildcardWildcard (week 10):
Wildcard (week 10):
Iris Gold – Crushed Velvet
I don’t have to tell you that nowadays, the amount of new artists and tracks is huge. On the one hand that’s great; if you’re open-minded and not afraid to listen to totally unknown acts or songs, you might very well stumble upon a new personal favourite. On the other hand, it’s easier than ever to overlook a great act or fantastic song. In that respect, I ask myself how it’s possible I didn’t come across the brilliant Iris Gold before?
Iris’ career finally took off in 2015, after a long and not too successful run-up. She was offered record deals, but she didn’t sign when she felt she had to make too many compromises. Which was almost every time. Free from restraints and restrictions, she made a debut album that was truly her own. This record, Planet Cool, was a tribute to diversity and to staying true to yourself, no matter the cost.
Since some time, Iris Gold collaborates with David A. Stewart, of Eurythmics fame. He co-wrote and produced her new single Crushed Velvet. Sounding like a hard-hitting version of Funky Town, it’s a song Lenny Kravitz would kill for.
The singer says about her new single: “The world can be crazy sometimes and sometimes all the time. With this song i guess i can offer you 2 min. of escape to a carefree purple planet. A headbangers ball for ya’ll.”
As far as I’m concerned, Gold will strike platinum with this one. Just like her latest single Piece Of Mine two months ago, Crushed Velvet is the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. This means it’ll feature at the top of the blog for a full seven days.
Recommended as well:
Piece Of Mine
Follow Iris Gold on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2022 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.
