Browsing Category album track
Alfa Rococo – Danser Dans L’ombre
After Justine Laberge and David Bussières met in Québéc, they decided to form a musical duo and Alfa Rococo was born. 14 years later, the Canadians release their fourth album L’amour Et Le Chaos, which, indeed, means ‘love and chaos’. I wish French was that easy all the time…
L’amour Et Le Chaos is an album full of melodic pop songs with rock sensibilities. Synth-driven tracks with guitars thrown in the mix. Lyrically, it reflects upon time; lost time and wasted time. Danser Dans L’ombre is my absolute favourite of the 11 tracks on the album.
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.
Blossoms – Cool Like You
Last week, Blossoms – of Charlemagne fame – released their ‘difficult’ second album Cool Like You. But ‘difficult’ has more to do with the recording process (when there was some friction in the band) than with the result. On the contrary: the album sounds very easy and smooth.
Over a year ago, the band told British music publication NME their new album would sound like ‘New Order meets Kylie Minogue’. But there are more 80s influences to be heard, like Blondie, Prince and Cyndi Lauper. At the same time, hints of The Killers and Tame Impala can be spotted as well.
One of my favourites is the album’s title track. That’s probably the one that fits the description ‘New Order meets Kylie Minogue’ best.
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.
Foé – Qu’est-Ce Que T’as Là?
There are a lot of good things happening in the French music scene, with loads of great new artists emerging. Keep following Carte Blanche Music, and I’ll introduce you to all of them.
Did you know Foé already? He only released his self-titled debut EP last autumn. All four tracks off it – and seven more – are now also available on his first full album Îl. It’s out on the Tôt Ou Tard label, home to acts like Cats On Trees, Shaka Ponk and Yael Naim, who featured here before as well.
Foé, only 20 years old, named himself after Daniel Defou, the author of ‘Robinson Crusoé’. You could file him under ‘urban pop’, but Foé is not your regular new artist. The first thing that will strike you, is his theatrical voice and way of narrating/singing, slightly reminiscent of Grand Corps Malade. Musically, he presents a mix of hip hop rhythms, classical piano and electronic sounds, ranging from dance pop via latin jazz to classic French ‘chanson’ territory.
One of my favourite tracks on this promising debut album is Qu’est-Ce Que T’as Là? It has verses in French, while the chorus is in English. At the same time, the music switches from summery mid-tempo dance pop to a slow, less heavy form of dub step. Actually, you shouldn’t read about it, you should just listen…
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.
Bishop Briggs – Tempt My Trouble
Personally, I first heard of Bishop Briggs early last year, when she collaborated with Cold War Kids on their single So Tied Up. However, the singer – whose real name is Sarah Grace McLaughlin – released a few singles of her own before. They all feature on her first official EP Bishop Briggs, which also includes my favourite track The Fire.
That song, and a couple of her earlier singles, also appear on Briggs’s just released debut album Church Of Scars. Opening track Tempt My Trouble is an absolute knocker and a great way to introduce her, if you didn’t already know her.
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.
Sub-Radio – Emotional
In 2017, Washington DC band Sub-Radio set out to release a single a month for an entire year, but after putting out 6 of the 12 planned singles, they decided to go for a different approach. Releasing a single every month being too exhausting a process, they opted to release an EP instead. That allowed them more time to create a cohesive piece of work that they felt they didn’t have to rush to release, like with the singles.
In February, the sextet put out the first single off the EP: What We Are. Now, the entire Headfirst EP is out there. A collection of danceable pop rock songs, of which Emotional is my favourite!
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.
Shed Seven – Won’t Get Home Tonight
Late last year, Shed Seven released Instant Pleasures, their first album in 16 years’ time. Apparently, they recorded more than the 12 tracks on it, but instead of waiting another 16 years to put them out, they decided upon a Deluxe Edition of the album, adding ten tunes. Among them three remixes, three demos and four ‘new’ songs.
Won’t Get Home Tonight is the best of the new bunch in my opinion, with its driving rhythm, 80s power chords, double guitar solo and staccato drum accents, all crammed into 3’34. Very likable!
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.
Priest – Lost Lions
Priest is electronic-based indie-pop singer Camille Priest from Orlando, Florida. She first set her melancholic vocals to music on her Samurai EP in 2014. Further singles were collected on her eponymous debut album in 2016.
Her new EP The Lost Lions is out now. Four tracks, produced by David Kazyk, including stand-out track Lost Lions. More or less the EP’s title song, it sounds like a female Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark. Gorgeous stuff!
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.
The Spectors – Dorothy
When Marieke Hutsebaut founded The Spectors in 2012, their demos soon caught the ear of former Editors guitarist Chris Urbanowicz. He produced the Belgian band’s self-titled debut EP (2014) and full album Light Stays Close (2015), two releases full of shoegaze and dreampop.
Their second album Ooh Aah Aah took three years to make. Three years that Hutsebaut used to experiment with different line-ups and to find the right musical touch. She says about that search: “Our main goal on this record was to step away from the heavy shoegaze and highlight our poppy side with a collection of catchy songs.”
Mission accomplished, as far as I’m concerned. Ooh Aah Aah contains short, snappy and sparkling songs with honest lyrics, in which Hutsebaut chronicles her life with Asperger’s. For me, Dorothy is one of the album’s highlights!
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.
IAMJJ – China
Last year I featured You In My Arms by IAMJJ here already. A great track, that followed Bloody Future and served as a second introduction to this mysterious 24-year-old Danish singer-songwriter. After his third release (and first proper single) Homer, IAMJJ just put out his debut album Bloody Future.
IAMJJ played many of the album’s songs at showcase festival ESNS, in January, and one of the songs that immediately stood out for me, was China. It’s one of the highlights on the album as well.
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.
Victor Manuelle & Juan Luis Guerra – Quiero Tiempo
Spring is in the air, so why not starting to look out for the potential signature summer songs? I deliberately don’t use the term ‘summer hits’, for Carte Blanche Music isn’t about hits, just about great new music.
European radio stations are often not adventurous enough to play genres like salsa, bachata or merengue, not even in the summer. While there is so much to like! Hopefully, the worldwide success of latin songs like Despacito, Mi Gente and Échame La Culpa will give a boost to other (and more authentic) music in Spanish as well.
What can go wrong when two veterans join forces? Victor Manuelle, from Puerto Rico, has been scoring latin hits since the mid-90s and most recently featured on a salsa version of Despacito. Dominican singer Juan Luis Guerra’s career started ten years earlier. He rose to global fame in 1990 with Burbujas De Amor, which is currently (and criminally) absent from streaming platforms.
Manuelle’s brand new just-released album 25/7 features an incredibly sunny duet with Guerra, that would be a great soundtrack for the summer of 2018.
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.
