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Your favourites (June 2019)
As you probably know by now, Carte Blanche Music is about new music only. But apparently my recommendations sometimes come a little early. Perhaps too early for some of you. Therefore, it’s very gratifying to see that some of my tips from months ago are only being picked up now. Okay, my recommendation of Roi by Videoclub has been massively popular ever since it was published, back in January, and is still by far the piece that was read the most in the month of June. But another song in French, Toukassé by Shanguy (which was a Carte Blanche Music Wildcard in March), is only starting to be appreciated now. I’m sure the hot weather plays a role in this, as it’s an ultimate summer song.
Talking about potential summer hits: (Yo No Soy Tu) Nena by Mamacita (feat. Didy & Roy Paci) was one of Your Favourites in June as well.
The full Top 10 is below. All of these tracks, and about 550 more, are in my continuously updated 2019 container playlist Carte Blanche Music.
- Videoclub – Roi
- Sophie & The Giants – Waste My Air
- Shanguy – Toukassé (WC)
- boy pablo – 50 Souls And A Discobowl (WC)
- Friedberg – Go Wild
- The Brand New Heavies feat. N’Dea Davenport – Getaway
- Mamacita feat. Didy & Roy Paci – (Yo No Soy Tu) Nena
- Inhaler – My Honest Face
- IBE – Table Of Fools
- Otherkin – On And On
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.
Your favourites (May 2019)
When I recommended Roi, only the second single of French teen duo Videoclub, on 14 January, I couldn’t have known this write-up – and the song, obviously – would become so much-loved for months to come. Since February, this track dominates the monthly ‘Your Favourites’ round-up. And if that isn’t special enough, the article has reached more people month over month ever since. In May, once again, the number of people that read this specific blog was 2½ times as high as in April. Congrats!
The all-female-fronted Top 3 also contains debut single Love Me Long of Dutch singer Narda and last year’s Waste My Air by Sophie & The Giants. Talking about ‘all-female’: Belgian/French project Gemme’s cover of Sweet Harmony by The Beloved enters Your Favourites at #5.
Sir Notch profits of receiving an important Dutch advertising prize for the use of Gimme That Sunshine in a commercial for fruit drink Appelsientje. This news keeps the song, released in August 2018, comfortably in the Top 10 of most-read recommendations in May.
The full list is below. All of these tracks, and over 450 more, are in my continuously updated 2019 container playlist Carte Blanche Music.
- Videoclub – Roi
- Narda – Love Me Long
- Sophie & The Giants – Waste My Air
- Phantom Isle – Four Walls
- Gemme – Sweet Harmony
- Countless Numbers – Twice As Hard (WC)
- Sir Notch – Gimme That Sunshine
- Phil Collins – The Man With The Horn
- Shanguy – Toukassé (WC)
- The Brand New Heavies feat. N’Dea Davenport – Getaway
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.
Your favourites (April 2019)
I’m not sure why, but April is always a good month for Carte Blanche Music. Last month was this blog’s best ever in terms of both visitors and pageviews. Thanks a lot, I hope you found what you were looking for, or even better, I hope you’ve discovered songs and artists you didn’t already know!
One of the big drivers of last month’s numbers was French duo Videoclub. To be more precise, these youngsters have been dominating the Carte Blanche Music statistics ever since I wrote about their single Roi on 14 January. They dominated the results to such extent, that I started to doubt, to be honest. Was my recommendation targeted by a bot, pumping up the figures? Or was there another suspicious pattern to be found? However, after diving deep in Google Analytics, I must conclude Videoclub are really that popular. Next to direct referrals via Facebook and Twitter, most of the hits are the result of organic searches. Examples of search terms are the names of the teens (Adèle Castillon and Matthieu Reynaud), but also ‘carte blanche music france’ and ‘videoclub band’.
So, with a doubt-free mind and my hand on my heart, I can tell you my review of Videoclub’s Roi was once again the best-read article on Carte Blanche Music last April. Other ‘golden oldies’ that still perform extremely well are Gimme That Sunshine by Sir Notch and Waste My Air by Sophie & The Giants. These appear to be evergreens. And in case you’re interested: the lead vocals in your Top 10 are equally split between female and male 😉.
Enjoy your 10 favourites below. For further listening, check my continuously updated 2019 container playlist Carte Blanche Music, which is by now filled with over 22 hours of great recent music.
- Videoclub – Roi
- Chateau Chateau – Burn Me Alive
- Sir Notch – Gimme That Sunshine
- Charmless I – Cold Queen Killer
- Will Hutton – Silhouette
- Moddi – Kriegspiel
- Self Esteem – Girl Crush
- Sophie & The Giants – Waste My Air
- Yuna – Forevermore
- Owl Eyes – You And I / Le Soleil
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.
Your favourites (March 2019)
Your Favourites is a monthly chart, published on the first day of each new month, and looking back upon the most-read Carte Blanche Music recommendations in the month before. So, today’s edition shows which of my blogs received the most eyeballs in March.
The latest data, where IP addresses are counted only once, expose a rather unique phenomenon: ever since 14 January, when I wrote about Videoclub’s single Roi (only the young French duo’s second outing), it has been a vast favourite of yours. It appeared in the Top 10 of most-loved blogs in January, topped the February listing, and was still the most-read recommendation last month. And to make it even better, I can reveal it’s the best-loved song on the Carte Blanche Music blog since I started it, in January 2017. If you haven’t heard the track yet, simply click the link below. Obviously, the same goes for the other tracks in your list.
Another interesting track among Your Favourites of March is Gimme That Sunshine by Sir Notch. Released in August 2018, this looks set to become an all-time summer anthem, which keeps popping up in your monthly charts. After re-entering in February, it jumped back into the Top 3 over March. Great thinking to give this hit a title that appears to be suitable both in sunny periods and in periods that lack sunshine.
Enjoy your 10 favourites below, or discover almost 300 other great recent songs in my continuously updated 2019 container playlist Carte Blanche Music…
- Videoclub – Roi
- Barry Moore – Hey Now
- Sir Notch – Gimme That Sunshine
- Model Depose – Damage Control
- Retro Video Club – Addicted
- Sun Gods – Zanzara
- Indigo – Distant Lullaby (WC)
- Man & The Echo – A Capable Man
- Josh Leys – Army Of Love
- Shanguy – Toukassé (WC)
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.
Your favourites (February 2019)
So far, this winter can hardly be called a winter, and you won’t hear me complain about it. In February, weather record after record was broken. It looks like this is reflected in your favourites of this past month. There’s a sunny vibe running through this Top 10, which features the most read Carte Blanche Music recommendations of February.
Dutch producer Sir Notch has not one, but two tracks amidst your favourites. Last year’s Gimme That Sunshine still resonates with you, while his latest single (a co-production with his youth friend Tommy The Sound) stands proudly at #2.
Talking about being proud: the only two established artists in your Top 10 are Pet Shop Boys and Dodgy, all of the other entries are emerging – or even debuting – acts. You guys have great taste!
Below are your 10 favourites. You can find them all (and many more) in my daily updated 2019 container playlist Carte Blanche Music:
- Videoclub – Roi
- Sir Notch & Tommy The Sound – Miami Vice
- Cassia – Small Spaces
- Picture This – Modern Love
- Nadia Sheikh – Toxic
- Lydia Briggs – Down
- Dodgy – Staying Out For The Summer ‘19
- dodie – Monster
- Pet Shop Boys – What Are We Going To Do About The Rich?
- Sir Notch – Gimme That Sunshine
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.
Your favourites (January 2019)
Just like all of the tracks I add to the Carte Blanche Music Spotify playlist on a daily basis, all of the songs I recommend on this blog are hand-picked. If it’s on here, it’s good… But that’s only my opinion. On top of that, on the first of every month, I publish an overview of your favourite Carte Blanche Music posts. And because good traditions must be cherished and continued, below you’ll find the most-read blogs of January.
Throughout the first month of this year, I collected over 110 great new tracks in the 2019 container playlist Carte Blanche Music (almost 7 hours of highly recommended songs). Below, the 10 of those you liked best:
- Christon – Closer To A New Day
- Jesse Hite – When It All Comes Down
- Cat Pierce – Human Experience
- Superbird – Cola Bottle Fizz
- Model Depose – Bombs Are Falling
- 900 Miles feat. The Kooks – Hold Tight
- Videoclub – Roi
- Chateau Chateau – Evidence
- Uncle Frank – Lay It All At His Feet
- Nona – Last To Know
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.
European Border Breakers Chart 11 January 2019
Making the last refinements before the Music Moves Europe Talent Chart is finally launched, next week, we needed to recalculate last week’s European Border Breakers Chart. Just so you know. Upon launch, all of the chart rules will be explained here very clearly, showing what a powerful tool we are developing for emerging European artists, bookers, managers, journalists, and consumers alike. Yes, I am proud! 😉
Now, one week before the rebranding officially takes place, let’s look at what’s happening in the European Border Breakers Chart one last time. You might say it goes out with a bang, opening its gate to 29 (re)entries, 13 of which are complete newcomers:
#23: Jugo Ürdens – Yugo
#34: Sea Girls – All I Want To Hear You Say
#42: Spielbergs – Five On It
#48: Kokoroko – Uman
#62: Rosalía (pictured) – Dí Mi Nombre
#63: Jada – Lonely
#65: Sophie Lloyd feat. Dames Brown – Calling Out
#66: jens – Any Other Way
#74: Aya Nakamura – La Dot
#82: You Tell Me – Clarion Call
#85: Karel – Out
#86: Amilli – Maybe
#94: Hugo Helmig – Young Like This
For the full Top 100, click the ‘EBBChart’ tab in the top menu of this blog (loading of the PDF may take a little while). More charts, like the Tips (ranking the tracks that are on their way to the Top 100), the Airplay Chart and the Streaming Chart, are available at www.europeanborderbreakerschart.eu, where you can also listen to all of the tracks and watch their videos, as well as share them via social media.
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.
European Border Breakers Chart 4 January 2019
In less than two weeks, during the next edition of the ESNS conference and festival, the new Music Moves Europe Talent Chart will be launched. This chart will act as an important selection tool for the Music Moves Europe Talent Awards (MMETA). Starting today, the rules that go with that chart, will be applied to the European Border Breakers Chart, to make a smooth transition possible.
Without giving away too many details at this moment (stay tuned, folks 😉), I can tell you this: at the request of the awards committee, former winners of a European Border Breakers Award, this year’s MMETA winners and participants of the Eurovision Song Contest are no longer eligible for the new chart. As a consequence, artists like Alice Merton, The Blaze and Blanche no longer appear.
Also, the rule that tracks will automatically fall off the Top 100 after a chart run of 52 weeks, has been abandoned, allowing several tracks back in the list.
Partly because of these changes, this week’s EBBChart counts a staggering 38(!) (re)entries, 6 of which are total newcomers. Among them, for the first time, we find an emerging European act from Malta (The Travellers). This week’s Streaming Chart welcomes its first ever Croatian act (Lost Sky). Congrats!
These are all of the first-timers in the main (airplay and streaming based) Top 100:
#27: Sam Fender – Play God
#61: The Travellers – Ħafi Paċi Kuluri
#62: Umi – Friendzone
#68: Okay Kaya – Dance Like U
#80: Biig Piig – Flirt
#81: Tamino – So It Goes
For the full Top 100, click the ‘EBBChart’ tab in the top menu of this blog (loading of the PDF may take a little while). More charts, like the Tips (ranking the tracks that are on their way to the Top 100), the Airplay Chart and the Streaming Chart, are available at www.europeanborderbreakerschart.eu, where you can also listen to all of the tracks and watch their videos, as well as share them via social media.
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.
Your Favourites (2018)
Happy New Year from ‘all of us’ (that’s me) at Carte Blanche Music! Like the past year, 2019 will undoubtedly be full of musical surprises. Especially when you’re open to let some new sounds into your life. And if you don’t have the time to find them yourself, please let me help! Simply follow the Carte Blanche Music playlist on Spotify for daily updates of great new music, or bookmark this blog.
Carte Blanche Music doesn’t intend to list all new releases. On the contrary: I make a strict selection and only give you the best new music, twice a day. Since last year, I restrict the number of recommendations to two per day: one around 9AM, and the other around 7PM (CET). This limitation provided for a 35% increase of the number of views per post in 2018.
This brings us to the question: which of my recommendations have been viewed the most throughout the year? In other words: what are your favourites of 2018? The answer is: a totally different set of songs than my year-end list, the Carte Blanche Music Top 2018 😉 and that’s totally fine!
Just a few statistics to kick things off:
- Your Favourites (2018) contain nine songs that were in Your Favourites (2017) already, and apparently stuck with you
- The full Top 3 of your list contains Dutch artists (in total, there are 21 tracks by acts from the Netherlands. Dutch fans are the best)
- 36% of the visitors are Dutch (like myself … Hi mom!)
- 19% of the visitors are Americans, 16% are from the UK; a total of 87 nationalities have come by in 2018 (dank je wel, thanks, merci, obrigado, danke schön, etc.!)
- 26% of all traffic comes from direct searches for specific titles, so Carte Blanche Music also seems to have an archive function
- Other important referrers are Facebook (22%), and Twitter (13%)
- Impressive: the relatively high position of Mokono’s debut single Signs, the final Carte Blanche Music Wildcard of 2018
Okay, I can hear you thinking: ‘Don’t bore us, get to the chorus’, so here they are… Just two more things: all of these great songs (plus 1.000 more) are in my Carte Blanche Music 2018 playlist, and the links below direct you to my original recommendations for more information. Now, enjoy the music! Read More →
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.
Carte Blanche Music Top 2018
Ahead of your favourites among this year’s Carte Blanche Music recommendations, which I publish on New Year’s Day, I round off 2018 with my personal choice.
The last year, I introduced you to 1104 great new songs via my container playlist Carte Blanche Music; over 65 hours of music. Exactly 500 of those translated into a written endorsement through this blog. In other words: only one out of each 11 suggestions (and one fifth of all of my posts) made it onto the Carte Blanche Music Top 2018.
I’m very proud of this year-end list, as it differs largely from the majority of charts you’ll find. Just a few statistics:
- 58% of the tracks feature female lead vocals (up from an already impressive 43% in the Carte Blanche Music Top 2017)
- 43% of the tracks are guitar-based (rock is dead? Think again!)
- Apart from British and American acts, my list contains artists from Australia, Norway, the Netherlands, Canada, Spain, France, Belgium, Ierland, Estonia, Germany, Sweden, Hungary and South Korea
- By consequence, you’ll not only hear lyrics in English, but also in French, Hungarian, Spanish, Portuguese and Korean
- Needless to say, my year-end list contains no proper hits whatsoever 😉
The Carte Blanche Music Top 2018 features 100 tracks by 100 different artists. As making that choice was hard enough, the songs are sorted alphabetically. Just use the shuffle button if you prefer another order 😉.
I hope you enjoy listening to the list via the Spotify player. Meanwhile, you can read my original recommendations through the links below.
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.
