October 30th, 2024
single track, wildcard
Wildcard (week 44):
Wildcard (week 44):
Customs – Rise Again
The final years of the ‘00s were very kind to Belgian band Customs. They won radio station Studio Brussel’s talent contest, scored big-time with their debut album Enter The Characters and headlined the Rock Werchter festival. Personally, I was very fond of their early ‘10s sound. Notably tight pop-rock songs like Rex, Harlequins and Toupee. Success continued, but still the quartet called it a day in 2018.
Now, they’re back. Not with one, but with two new singles.
Last week, Custom released New Galaxy and Rise Again simultaneously. They’ve asked their fans which one is their favourite, but both songs are liked evenly. Understandably, for both tracks are very strong comeback tunes. Yet, I tend to like the latter best. The first drum beats of Rise Again bring Pat Benatar’s classic Love Is A Battlefield to mind, followed by a The Cure-like guitar part. But forget that, for above all, it’s a 100% Customs song. Where the rest of us turned back time with one hour last weekend, these songsmiths turned it back a whole 15 years. With this fine up-tempo track, Customs make us feel as if time stood still.
“I’ll rise again / Stronger than ever / You have not seen the best of me”, they sing. That’s good to hear. Especially in the light of a promise they make on their socials: ‘We will be bringing new music to you, on the 23rd of every month, for years to come’. Welcome back!
Rise Again by Customs is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. It will be prominently displayed at the top of the blog for an entire week.
Follow Customs on Facebook | Instagram | X | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2024 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 44)
This is Werner’s Weekly, your guide to the best new music, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:
- Dead Anyway – Does Anybody Know Who I Can Hand These Things Into?
(Wildcard this week) - Sohni Singh – Jealous Of Canada
(Wildcard last week) - Goodnight Sunrise – Jealous (Of My Friends)
- Hoshi – Mauvais Rêve [28 Ans]
- Declan McKenna – Champagne
- They Might Be Giants – Doctor Worm [Live]
- Underworld – Techno Shinkansen
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.
Partly selected via input by Musosoup. Submit your music here. #sustainablecreators
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.
playlist
Additions to the Carte Blanche Music playlist (week 43)
Not all, but only the *best* new music from a massive release week. Added to the playlist this week (alphabetically):
- The Allergies – Knock Me Off My Feet indie | pop | r&b | soul
- The Awkward – Killer Whale
indie | pop | rock - The Cat Empire & Sydney Symphony Orchestra – Blood On The Stage [Live] indie | live | orchestral | pop
- Customs – New Galaxy / Rise Again
indie | pop - Flat Moon – A Moon’s Bouche funk | indie | jazz | rock
- Goodnight Sunrise – Jealous (Of My Friends) indie | rock
- Hoshi – Mauvais Rêve [28 Ans] hip hop | indie | pop | rock
- HotWax – She’s Got A Problem indie | rock
- Madame Psychosis – Lucky indie | rock
- Manic Street Preachers – Hiding In Plain Sight pop | rock
- Declan McKenna – Champagne pop
- Mobley – Y’r Ghost indie | pop
- Lenny Monsou – Idolizer pop | rock
- Maren Morris – People Still Show Up pop
- Rykarda Parasol – Like Maria Callas indie | pop | rock
- Slow Pilot – Falling Off The Earth indie | melancholic | pop
- They Might Be Giants – Doctor Worm [Live] indie | live | pop
- Underworld – Techno Shinkansen dance | pop
Check them all in the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music Spotify playlist.
Add it to your library (click ‘+’) to hear the best new music first.
Partly selected via input by Musosoup. Submit your music here. #sustainablecreators
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, wildcard
Wildcard (week 43):
Wildcard (week 43):
Dead Anyway – Does Anybody Know Who I Can Hand These Things Into?
How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously? (Pet Shop Boys). Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey (The Beatles). Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand (Primitive Radio Gods). Just a few unusually long song titles that at one point made me think: how on earth can one pack these into a catchy melody? It was exactly the thought that occurred to me when I saw the title of Dead Anyway’s new single: Does Anybody Know Who I Can Hand These Things Into?
The answer to this question often isn’t only in the vocal melody. The accompanying music can be just as important to create a memorable tune. Especially when the lyrics aren’t sung, but delivered in spoken word style. And in Dead Anyway’s universe, that intersection of vocals and music is exactly where the magic happens. The way Marc Symonds sets Kate Arnold’s poetry to beats and sounds brings the already expressive lyrics to life even more .
Does Anybody Know Who I Can Hand These Things Into? is a pop song with an edge. Or, well, multiple edges. In fact: many edges. Every time you put it on, new details reveal themselves. It’s a layered song with a walking bass line, playful drum patterns, a lovely piano, sweet strings, and.. wait… do I really hear seagulls? Extra vocal lines, singing Kate’s spoken lyrics, certainly help the audience to sing along with the track’s complicated title. A really great song!
Next Friday, 25 October, Dead Anyway’s new album Tough, Listen comes to all the streaming platforms. But it’s already on Bandcamp, if you can’t wait. You didn’t hear it from me…
PS: In Kate’s recent book Kicking At Tombstones you can discover that her poems are intriguing in their own right. It contains a selection of 25 poems she wrote for her band, and each physical copy of the book comes with a code to download all of the 25 full songs.
Does Anybody Know Who I Can Hand These Things Into? by Dead Anyway is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. It will be prominently displayed at the top of the blog for an entire week.
More Dead Anyway @ Carte Blanche Music
Follow the duo on Facebook | Instagram | X | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2024 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 43)
This is Werner’s Weekly, your guide to the best new music, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:
- Sohni Singh – Jealous Of Canada (Wildcard this week)
- Orla Gartland – Backseat Driver
(Wildcard last week) - Batts – Vessel Of Love
- Dream Wife – Room 341
- The Early Swerve – I’m Not Walter Mitty
- Nieve Ella – Sweet Nothings
- Rosé & Bruno Mars – Apt.
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.
Partly selected via input by Musosoup. Submit your music here. #sustainablecreators
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.
playlist
Additions to the Carte Blanche Music playlist (week 42)
Not all, but only the *best* new music. Added to the playlist this week (alphabetically):
- Batts – Vessel Of Love indie | pop
- Blanko – Get Up indie | pop | rock
- Capital Cities – The Monster In My Closet indie | pop | rock
- Dead Anyway – Does Anybody Know Who I Can Hand These Things Into? indie | pop | rock | spoken word
- Dream Wife – Room 341 indie | rock
- The Early Swerve – I’m Not Walter Mitty indie | pop
- Eevah – One Of Those Days indie | pop
- Nieve Ella – Sweet Nothings indie | pop | rock
- High Vis – Guided Tour indie | rock
- Kakkmaddafakka – Head In My Hands
indie | pop - Lølø – Don’t! indie | pop | rock
- Luna Morgenstern – Miss U
drum & bass | electronic | indie | pop - Thelma Plum – Hurricane pop
- Rosé & Bruno Mars – Apt. pop
- Slow Pilot – Giants indie | melancholic | pop
- Theeth – Real indie | pop
Check them all in the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music Spotify playlist.
Add it to your library (click ‘+’) to hear the best new music first.
Partly selected via input by Musosoup. Submit your music here. #sustainablecreators
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, wildcard
Wildcard (week 42):
Wildcard (week 42):
Sohni Singh – Jealous Of Canada
Hailing from Sydney, Australia, meet 26-year-old Australian-Indian artist Sohni Singh. Her indie pop melodies are making waves on the music scene with her evocative storytelling and lyricism. With a guitar in hand since she was 10, Sohni’s musical journey is a blend of fresh storytelling and raw emotion, drawing influences from Taylor Swift, Maisie Peters and Olivia Rodrigo.
Her sophomore single, 2022’s Things You Ruined, has already garnered over 30.000 streams on Spotify, showcasing her unique voice and lyrical depth. Sohni’s music resonates deeply with her growing fanbase of 1.400+ TikTok followers, who eagerly follow her every musical move. When she’s not crafting her next indie anthem, Sohni balances her musical passion with a career in medicine.
The beautiful song Jealous Of Canada is her new single. It’s a collaboration with producer Liam Quinn, the creative mind behind many of Peach PRC’s hits. This track continues her tradition of blending lyrical depth with raw, emotional storytelling.
Jealous Of Canada by Sohni Singh is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. It will be prominently displayed at the top of the blog for an entire week.
Follow Sohni Singh on Instagram | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2024 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 42)
This is Werner’s Weekly, your guide to the best new music, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:
- Orla Gartland – Backseat Driver (Wildcard this week)
- Carla Wehbe – Life’s An Awful Mess (Wildcard last week)
- The Cure – A Fragile Thing
- Veronica Fusaro – Slot Machine
- Bobbi Lu – Future Shock
- Regina Song & hongjoin – I Don’t Rly Care About U!
- D’Arcy Spiller – I Bleed
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.
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.
playlist
Additions to the Carte Blanche Music playlist (week 41)
Not all, but only the *best* new music. Added to the playlist this week (alphabetically):
- The Cure – A Fragile Thing pop | rock
- Veronica Fusaro – Slot Machine indie | pop
- Bobbi Lu – Future Shock electronic | indie | pop
- Regina Song & hongjoin – I Don’t Rly Care About U! indie | pop | rock
- D’Arcy Spiller – I Bleed indie | pop | rock
Check them all in the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music Spotify playlist.
Add it to your library (click ‘+’) to hear the best new music first.
Partly selected via input by Musosoup. Submit your music here. #sustainablecreators
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, wildcard
Wildcard (week 41):
Wildcard (week 41):
Orla Gartland – Backseat Driver
Dublin-born Orla Gartland started her career like so many others. At the age of 14, she started posting covers and originals on YouTube. At 18, she moved to London to launch a full-time career in music instead of going to college. Things went uphill from there. She ditched the covers and fully concentrated on her own songs, which are filled with warmth and humour. Her tracks are filled with personal realisations that lay herself bare, while always remaining in on the joke. This combination of wit and gut being recognizable for many, her audience grew and grew.
Now 29 years old, Gartland just released her sophomore album Everybody Needs A Hero. Its main theme is ‘women do it all’. In line with this theme, she expanded her production skills. After co-producing her debut album, Gartland took the reins even more on this follow-up. Yet it isn’t a full DIY project. She even asked her former roommate and close friend, Lauren Aquilina, to co-write some of the songs. Since their time in London, Aquilina became a sought-after songwriter, who worked with artists such as Demi Lovato and Rina Sawayama.
One of the songs they wrote together is anthemic new single Backseat Driver. A song about self-doubt, it’s a takedown of intrusive thoughts. We can hear Gartland demand: “Shut up backseat driver, this has gone too far / You’ve taken up enough space, now get out of my car.” With its rocked-up instrumentals and euphoric la-la-la chorus, Backseat Driver is a driving slab of indie sleaze. Gartland manages to portray an emotionally difficult subject with an infectious sense of fun. Groovy production and a stonking bassline lend an edgy, alt-pop flavour to the song.
Backseat Driver by Orla Gartland is in the driver’s seat at Carte Blanche Music this week. As our new Wildcard, it will be prominently displayed at the top of the blog for an entire week.
More Orla Gartland @ Carte Blanche Music
Follow her on Facebook | Instagram | X | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2024 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.
