Another month has passed, and what a month it was… Well, it was the month of April, obviously, and it was a very busy one. It strikes me that the number of new releases has exploded during the pandemic. And If I may be honest: a lot of it doesn’t meet the Carte Blanche Music standards. Sometimes, I’d like to yell: “It’s not enough to have the time and the means to make a recording. For a decent song, you need talent as well!” In other words: I listen to a lot more songs lately, only to end up with the ten good ones a week that I’d really like to recommend you. But hey, I happen to love listening to new music and making the best selection possible for you guys, so I’m not complaining!

Still, there’s much more great new music than I can write about. Check (and follow) my 2020 Spotify-playlist for the rest of the best. I update it constantly, so you’ll find it there first.

So, which of my recommendations were most popular in April? As you may know by now, I write about artists for all over the world, not sticking to the countries that provide most of today’s popular music, the US and the UK. I’m very glad to see that reflected in the articles that you liked best in the past month. France (Shanguy), Iceland (Daði Freyr), Belgium (Tout Va Bien), Canada (Roquemore) and even my own tiny Netherlands (Inge van Calkar) are represented amongst Your Favourites. That makes me proud.

Below, you can find the full Top 10. Your Top 10. Are there entries you didn’t know yet? Just click the link to go to my recommendation directly and listen why others liked it so much. Allow yourself to be amazed!

1. Shanguy – Toukassé ^(WC)
2. The Magic Gang – What Have You Got To Lose
3. Daði Freyr & Gagnamagnið – Think About Things
4. Tout Va Bien – This Is How We Say Goodbye
5. Lilly Hiatt – Brightest Star
6. Roquemore – Blame ^(WC)
7. Rat Boy – Brave New World
8. Gotts Street Park feat. Flikka – Favourite Kind Of Girl
9. Inge van Calkar – Spinning Around
10. Child Of The Parish – Relic Of The Past

^(WC) = former Carte Blanche Music Wildcard

Werner Schlosser

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.

www.carteblanchemusic.nl

These may be bizarre times, but people still find comfort in listening to music. Many people cling to the songs they already knew, but Carte Blanche Music visitors are apparently still searching for new music. Dûh… there’s nothing else to find here 😉. I can imagine that, especially in times like these, when you have other things on your mind to worry about, it’s nice to be able to turn to a place where the ‘dirty’ work has already been done. Where someone has already ploughed through all of the new releases (and the numbers seem to rise every week).

Carte Blanche Music loves to be that place. I update my Spotify-playlist with the best new music constantly. I already holds nearly 300 tracks, all of them released in 2020. Twice a day I recommend one of those songs here on my blog. And then, of course, it’s up to you to decide which of these recommendations you’ll read and to which of those tunes you’ll listen.

Below, you’ll find the full Top 10 of your favourite blog posts in March. A wide variety of artists in all kinds of genres and from all over the world. There’s so much great music you didn’t already know! Sometimes on your doorstep, sometimes at the other end of the world. But always here, at Carte Blanche Music. Feel free to come back any time you like, as often as you want. You don’t need to go outside and it’s open 24/7.

If you like what you hear below, following my Spotify playlist might be a good idea. Free of charge. You’re welcome!

1. The Magic Gang – What Have You Got To Lose
2. Daði Freyr & Gagnamagnið – Think About Things
3. Shanguy – Toukassé ^(WC)
4. The Jaded Hearts Club – Nobody But Me
5. Child Of The Parish – Relic Of The Past
6. Shingai – Coming Home
7. The Snuts – Coffee And Cigarettes
8. Lime – Surf N Turf
9. Merci, Mercy – Fucked Myself Up
10. Videoclub – En Nuit ^(WC)

^(WC) = former Carte Blanche Music Wildcard

Werner Schlosser

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.

www.carteblanchemusic.nl

Last month, an incredible (probably unprecedented) amount of new music came to the market. After trying to listen to as much of it as possible, making choices proved more difficult than ever. This means of course that the quality of the submissions was high, which can only be a good thing.

Meteorologically, February was a month that saw several storms raging over Europe, causing considerable damage. Isn’t it appropriate, then, that the two most read recommendations on Carte Blanche Music were Perfect Storm by IBA and Toukassé (‘ruin it all’) by Shanguy? 😉
The Belgian Perfect Storm performer even had another track among your favourites of the month: his debut single Table Of Fools returned to the Top 10. The chart hosts even more ‘fools’, courtesy of IBE’s fellow-countrymen Neo Minor. Apparently, craziness was something of a theme in February, as Mad With The Moon by Lux Lyall was liked a lot as well.

Your full Top 10 of favourite blog posts in February is below. For an overview of the latest and greatest new music, check my 2020 container playlist Carte Blanche Music. It contains well over 200 pieces of damn fine music, good for over 12 hours of listening pleasure. Have a listen and/or follow it through this link.

1. IBE – Perfect Storm
2. Shanguy – Toukassé ^(WC)
3. League Of Wolves – On The Run
4. Lux Lyall – Mad With The Moon
5. James Blonde – Hundred Bucks
6. Jesse Merineau – Honey
7. Neo Minor – Fools
8. IBE Table Of Fools
9. Charmless i – Superhero
10. Dagny – Come Over

^(WC) = former Carte Blanche Music Wildcard

Werner Schlosser

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.

www.carteblanchemusic.nl

As you may have seen in the listing of most read Carte Blanche Music posts of the past year, Your Favourites (2019), Roi by Videoclub was the most popular of my recommendations. And it was by far the most popular. In fact, every single month of 2019, this was the most visited page on the whole blog. And all of that via organic searches, there was no strange activity (like bots) to be found. So, in short: this was a real hit, no holds barred. And it still is, actually, for also in January 2020, a year after publication, this is still the song that attracts the most visitors. Incredible! Yet, I’ve decided not to list it in these monthly charts anymore, in order to give another track the chance to show up.

For the same reason, I left another very popular post out of this Top 10: an article with photos of the best performances I saw on the ESNS showcase festival, halfway January. Just so you know…

That still leaves us with a very interesting listing of Your Favourites in the last month, with a surprising #1: Every One Of Us by Rick Astley was particularly popular just after the singer appeared live at Jools Holland’s Annual Hootenanny. He didn’t even sing this new track, by the way, but apparently the performance made people curious for it. Which is great, obviously. The only other ‘80s icons among my most popular tips are the Pet Shop Boys, whose latest Daft Punk-like single Monkey Business ends third.

Jaguar Jonze and Eliza & The Delusionals, who both have great new singles out, also feature in the Top 5. And at #9, surprise surprise, Videoclub still show up, with their follow-up to Roi, the former Carte Blanche Music Wildcard En Nuit.

Your full Top 10 of favourite blog posts in January is below. For an overview of the latest and greatest new music, check my 2020 container playlist Carte Blanche Music. Only one month into the new year, it already holds almost 120 tracks, good for over 7 hours of recent tracks. Have a listen and/or follow it through this link.

1. Rick Astley – Every One Of Us
2. Shanguy – Toukassé ^(WC)
3. Pet Shop Boys – Monkey Business
4. Jaguar Jonze – Kill Me With Your Love
5. Eliza & The Delusionals – Just Exist
6. Friedberg – Go Wild
7. Sarpa Salpa – Say Something
8. Mute Choir – Shadowboxing
9. Videoclub – En Nuit ^(WC)
10. Rat Boy – Victim Of A System

^(WC) = former Carte Blanche Music Wildcard

Werner Schlosser

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.

www.carteblanchemusic.nl

For new music lovers, showcase festival ESNS in the Dutch city of Groningen is a must. The 2020 edition has just finished. In four days’ time, 350 upcoming acts from all over Europe played for crowds existing of industry professionals, journalists and music lovers. Besides the official programme, there were numerous parallel programmes, hosting hundreds of other emerging artists. Below you’ll find pictures of some of the most recommended acts I visited at ESNS 2020, in alphabetical order!

Friedberg (AT)

Veronica Fusaro (CH)

Georgia (GB)

The Howl & The Hum (GB)

Josephien (BE)

Jules (NL)

Moonradio (NL)

The Snuts (GB)

Werner Schlosser

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.

www.carteblanchemusic.nl

Roi by Videoclub is still ‘king’ in the listing of Your Favourites during the month of November. That’s odd, because the French duo released three other singles already since they put out Roi at the start of the year. You could say: Roi still rules. Big time! Also in your Top 3, Toukassé by Shanguy is another French track that has been popular among Carte Blanche Music visitors for a long time now. And a little bit further down, at #7, Therapie Taxi are the third Top 10 entry from France. Their new single Candide Crush went down very well last month.

The same can be said of Deacon Blue’s former Wildcard City Of Love. A welcome return from the Scottish band, although it can hardly be called a comeback. They have been one of my favourites for over 30 years now, and I’m glad to see them featuring in Your Favourites as well. A total newcomer however, is Australia’s Jaguar Jonze. Kill Me With Your Love is only her third single, but it already ranks among the best read recommendations of November. Let’s keep an eye on her!

Your full Top 10 of favourite blog posts in November is below. You can find them all (and many more) in my 2019 container playlist Carte Blanche Music. My Spotify list now holds circa 950 tracks, good for over 55 hours of great new music, released in 2019. Have a listen and/or follow it through this link.

1. Videoclub – Roi
2. Rick Astley – Every One Of Us
3. Shanguy – Toukassé ^(WC)
4. Eliza & The Delusionals – Just Exist
5. Sheppard – Kiss My Fat Ass
6. Deacon Blue – City Of Love ^(WC)
7. Therapie Taxi – Candide Crush
8. Calby – The Everyday Bit
9. Parov Stelar feat. Lilja Bloom – Go Wake Up
10. Jaguar Jonze – Kill Me With Your Love

^(WC) = former Carte Blanche Music Wildcard

Werner Schlosser

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.

www.carteblanchemusic.nl

I love it when a plan comes together… As announced, I was on holiday in October. By consequence, I haven’t been able to add new recommendations to the blog until this week. Despite that, the monthly figures show hardly any dip. As I had hoped, you found your way to the Carte Blanche Music archive. Great to see the ‘long tail’ principle also applies to blogs. To this one, at least…

Nevertheless, the Top 10 of articles you read the most in October is in line with earlier round-ups. Roi by Videoclub is still by far the most popular song  among you. By far. Its follow-up, former Wildcard En Nuit, is in the list as well this month. Your open-mindedness towards great new music really showed in October, as you gave Rick Astley a warm welcome in terms of views. 30 Years after his Stock Aitken Waterman produced worldwide hits, he still proves relevant in 2019.

Pretty much all of the rest of the Top 10 is exclusive Carte Blanche Music material. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I haven’t heard any of these tracks on any radio station outside the artists’ home country. I’m confident that is one of the success factors of this blog. Thanks for your confidence!

Your full Top 10 of favourite recommendations in October is below. Since I’ve continued to add new tracks to my 2019 container playlist Carte Blanche Music during my holiday, my Spotify list has by now expanded to circa 865 songs. If you wish to follow it, please click here.

1. Videoclub – Roi
2. Rick Astley – Every One Of Us
3. IBE – Table Of Fools
4. Calby – The Everyday Bit
5. Eliza & The Delusionals – Just Exist
6. Friedberg – Go Wild
7. Shanguy – Toukassé ^(WC)
8. Videoclub – En Nuit ^(WC)
9. Sheppard – Kiss My Fat Ass
10. Claire Laffut feat. Yseult – Nudes

^(WC) = former Carte Blanche Music Wildcard

Werner Schlosser

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.

www.carteblanchemusic.nl

Because of a – if I may say so myself – well-deserved holiday, not much will happen here on the Carte Blanche Music blog during the month of October. But I will continue to update my Spotify playlist. So, if want to keep track of the best new music, please follow that one, if you didn’t already. Furthermore, during my absence, this blog is a wonderful archive of recent music. It holds over 1500 recommendations of songs from all over the world, in all genres and many languages. Listening via your platform of choice is only one mouse click away.

That said, let’s look back upon my tips that were most-read in the month of September. What strikes me, is that 4 out of the Top 10 tracks are songs in French. Videoclub continue their winning streak, but elsewhere, we find Ethel (#7), Shanguy (#8) and Claire Laffut feat. Yseult (#9). One possible explanation is the popularity of France among holiday-goers, who may have heard these songs on the radio there and searched for more information when back home. But that’s only guessing…

The only recommendation that was published in September, was for Calby’s The Everyday Bit. It shows up at #3 among your favourites of the month. All of the other entries are slightly older, which proves you like Carte Blanche Music for its archive as well.

Your full Top 10 of favourite recommendations in September is below. All of these tracks, and circa 800 more, are in my 2019 container playlist Carte Blanche Music, which will continue to be updated during my holidays. Click here to follow it. See you again in November!

1. Videoclub – Roi
2. IBE – Table Of Fools
3. Calby – The Everyday Bit
4. Eliza & The Delusionals – Just Exist
5. Friedberg – Go Wild
6. The Brand New Heavies feat. N’Dea Davenport – Getaway
7. Ethel – Rubikscube
8. Shanguy – Toukassé ^(WC)
9. Claire Laffut feat. Yseult – Nudes
10. Sheppard – Kiss My Fat Ass

^(WC) = former Carte Blanche Music Wildcard

Werner Schlosser

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.

www.carteblanchemusic.nl