Browsing Category single track
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 12):
Wildcard (week 12):
Dande & The Lion – Children Of The Hour
Dande & The Lion is an indie pop rock band from Bristol, UK and Sydney, Australia, where they’re based. It’s fronted by dual vocalists Natassa Zoë (guitar) and Abbey Gardner (synths), backed by Chris Gabriel (drums) and Nicholas Shea (backing vocals and bass). They cite bands such as The Naked & Famous, Metric, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Wolf Alice as their influences.
Children Of The Hour is the quartet’s latest single. A shimmering combination of indie-rock and bouncy electropop, that’ll do well on festivals and dance floors alike. Lyrically, the song is all about being playful in the moment and following the feeling, rather than over-thinking things.
Talking about how she wrote the tune, Zoë explains: “I was sitting in Centennial Park in Sydney waiting to be picked up. I’d just finished reading a play called ‘The Children’s Hour’ and that kicked off the songwriting process. My ride was late which allowed me to finish the entire song all in one go which was kind of cool.”
The track was produced by talent Aussie producer Xavier Dunn, whose name has featured here many times already. He created a mesmeric cut that sees ardent intimacies erupt into explosive, danceable choruses.
Children Of The Hour by Dande & The Lion is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Follow Dande & The Lion on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 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.
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 11):
Wildcard (week 11):
Caity Baser – Pretty Boys
Pretty Boys is the latest single by Southampton-born, Brixton-based talent Caity Baser. Her 2021 debut single Average Student immediately racked up 1 million views on TikTok. Not long after that, her first EP Lil CB came out, which spawned some more well-streamed singles. Subsequent non-EP tracks Virtually and Friendly Sex were even bigger hits.
However, her success multiplied when she started releasing tracks that would end up on her second EP. Friendly Sex, X&Y and Kiss You were listened to millions of times. They can be found on her EP Thanks For Nothing, See You Never, just like her latest single Pretty Boys. Hits don’t come any more British than this one. If you like Lily Allen or Kate Nash, you’ll certainly love Caity Baser. She currently features on Sigala’s upcoming summer smash Feels This Good (with Mae Muller and Stefflon Don), but first up, she’s about to dominate the charts with Pretty Boys, which is bound to be her biggest hit yet.
Pretty Boys by Caity Baser is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Follow Caity Baser on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 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.
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 10):
Wildcard (week 10):
youproblem – Avalanche
Sydney producer/drummer Alistair Hayes and singer-songwriter Alana Patmore only debuted in March 2022 as a duo. By now, they’re five tracks into their career, and I like each and everyone of them. Their alternative indie-pop songs are characterized by lush, driving production and relatable lyricism. On Australian radio, their style had been described as ‘a slice of magnetic indie’. And not only radio is fond of youproblem, their Broods-, Lauren– and Two Door Cinema Club-inspired tunes could already be heard in TV series as well.
New single Avalanche completes the duo’s first song quintet. Its delicate blend of lush guitars and spacey synths is sure to have you tapping your feet and singing along. Introspective vocals dance over the light, hoppy production, culminating in a dramatic guitar solo.
Patmore explains: “The song is about crossing a line, saying something you can’t take back, and being stuck in the consequences of that. The other person ices you out, gives you the cold shoulder, like they’re punishing you and you’re just left in their power until they get over it.”
Avalanche by youproblem is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Recommended as well:
Shoot Me In The Grocery Line
Wasting Time
Follow youproblem on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 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.
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 9):
Wildcard (week 9):
The Heavy – I Feel The Love
Put a big red cross in your agenda to mark 21 April. That’s the date The Heavy will release their sixth album, Amen. You might want to set your alarm as well, just to be sure. For a new album by this British quartet always turns out to be a true ‘event’. Especially since it’s three and a half year since they last put out new music. The long-player was produced by Tchad Blake, who worked with everybody from Crowded House and Pearl Jam to Sheryl Crow and The Black Keys.
I Feel The Love is the band’s new single. In good The Heavy tradition, it’s full of energy. The song combines rock, funk, soul and – first and foremost – a healthy dose of gospel. As a result, it’s a super swinging affair that soothes the mind and spirit. An ultra American sound for a band from the European continent. Praise The Heavy!
Speaking about the track, front man Kelvin Swaby says: “The world feels as if it’s burning down at times and that it’s being torn apart by divisive agendas and evil personality traits. This is a solid reminder that as challenging as that is and may feel from day to day, we feel and will always believe, in Love. Always and forever.”
This week, we totally feel the love for The Heavy’s new single. It’s the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Recommended as well:
Last Man Standing
Fighting For The Same Thing
Follow The Heavy on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 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.
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 8):
Wildcard (week 8):
Bailen – Call It Like It Is
Twin brothers Daniel and David and sister Julia Bailen were born and raised in New York. The rising indie-pop trio just announced their sophomore album Tired Hearts will be out on 5 May.
While they recorded their debut album after testing the songs on the road tirelessly, they took another approach on this follow-up. This time, many of the songs were honed in the studio as opposed to live. This resulted in 12 original songs that are centred around Bailen’s radiant harmonies and adventurous arrangements. Lyrically, they wrestle with an uncertain future where ethics and morality – both communal and personal – are constantly shifting. In their own words, it’s a set of songs that ‘navigates the space between the heart’s expectation and the head’s sober reality’.
Bailen co-produced their new album with Brad Cook, who worked with Bon Iver, Waxahatchee and Snail Mail before.
Alt-pop anthem Call It Like It Is is the first single off Tired Hearts. It was co-written by Bailen and X Ambassadors’ Adam Levin and Sam Harris. It’s ‘an anthem for anyone who refuses to be taken advantage of’, the band stated. “It unmasks the ugly truth behind shiny veneers.” The beat-driven, bass-heavy track comes with a cult classic thriller style video.
Call It Like It Is by Bailen is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Follow Bailen on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 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.
single track, soundtrack, wildcardWildcard (week 7):
Wildcard (week 7):
Gabrielle Aplin – Be Yourself
English singer-songwriter Gabrielle Aplin rose to prominence early in her career, when she was asked to record a cover of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s The Power Of Love. It was the soundtrack of department store John Lewis’s annual Christmas commercial and went on to top the UK Singles Chart. The one-off single was soon followed by her debut album English Rain, which became a hit as well.
Aplin started 2023 with a bang, putting out her fourth album Phosphorescent. Less than a month after that, she’s already come up with two brand-new tracks: Side By Side and Be Yourself. Both were written and recorded for the computer-animated fantasy comedy film ‘The Amazing Maurice’.
In an interview with Atwood Magazine, she says about the project: “I am big into music and film. I love it. It was really lovely to work to a brief. (…) As a fan, it was a really wonderful experience. It’s a really wholesome film about literally being yourself and community, and how your individuality is your superpower. I loved writing that. I love putting bits of the script into the song. It was a really wonderful thing to do and a really wholesome experience.”
Be Yourself is Aplin’s new single. A joyful, up-tempo song with a lively beat and an infectious guitar riff. The uplifting lyrics reflect the film’s main theme.
Be Yourself by Gabrielle Aplin is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Follow her on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 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.
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 6):
Wildcard (week 6):
Dolores Forever – When I Say So
Close friends and songwriters Hannah Wilson (from Yorkshire) and Julia Fabrin (from Copenhagen) met at a house party in London. Connecting over their love of Mitski, Sharon Van Etten, Stevie Nicks and the Spice Girls, they formed Dolores Forever. Their 2022 EP Baby Teeth collected the singles the duo released since 2021. They went on to release three more tracks that same year and have been tipped across media and radio alike as one of the most exciting new acts to make an impact in 2023.
Their first single of the new year is titled When I Say So. It was produced and mixed by Grammy Award winner Ben Allen, who worked with Gnarls Barkley, Animal Collective, MIA and Big Moon before. The song takes Dolores Forever’s dreamy pop to yet another level, with hooks, harmonies and a festival-sized chorus to boot. This is the track to elevate the duo from just ones to watch, to one of the most exciting acts of 2023.
“When I Say So is about reluctantly growing up,” Dolores Forever explain. “A song for the curious who want more than they are supposed to expect. There’s the moment when you’re suddenly not the ingénue in the room anymore and everything around you is changing. You’re not sure you’re on the same ride as everyone else.”
When I Say So by Dolores Forever is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Follow Dolores Forever on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 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.
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 5): Nell Mescal – Homesick
Wildcard (week 5): Nell Mescal – Homesick
Just 19 years old, Nell Mescal makes an impressive entrance into the entertainment world. Homesick is only her second official release, but a very promising one.
Hailing from Maynooth in Kildare, Ireland, the young emerging singer-songwriter has been singing all her life and has been performing in groups and choirs for as long as she can remember. During the pandemic, she decided to make music her career. She moved to North London, where she’s surrounded by other young creatives and kindred spirits.
Mescal wrote her charming new single with Jamie N Commons and Cameron Montgomery whilst in Los Angeles. However, it was inspired by her move from the cosy country side to the big city. She explains: “It’s about when I first moved to London from Ireland and really missed home, but also being determined to stick it out so it doesn’t look like I failed at moving away. The lyrics give a bit of insight to how hard it is to move away at a young age and the loneliness that comes with it, while the music is upbeat and hopeful to show that you can do hard things and that you can make a home wherever you go if you give it time.”
Homesick by Nell Mescal is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Follow Nell Mescal on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 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.
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 4):
Wildcard (week 4):
Altered By Mom – Dive In
I consider myself a huge Altered By Mom fan. 2020 was an extraordinarily prolific year for the Canadian duo; they released one song every week, resulting in a massive, truly great album, aptly titled 52 Songs. Two hours and 30 minutes very well spent.
Unsurprisingly, Gina Kennedy and Devon Lougheed eased down after fulfilling that project. They participated in a Christmas single at the end of 2021 and were completely off the musical radar last year. Now, thankfully, they’re back! Diving head first into the new year, Altered By Mom just released a beautiful new single.
Dive In is a classic power pop song, with a hooky psychedelic sound which the duo describe as ‘St. Vincent and Lenny Kravitz racing Lamborghinis’. Lyrically, it’s a call to action to chase after the things that scare you the most. A relatable tune that clocks in just under the 3 minute mark.
Altered By Mom’s comeback single Dive In is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
More from the band @ Carte Blanche Music
Follow Altered By Mom on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 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.
remake, single track, wildcard
Wildcard (week 3): Luude & Issey Cross (feat. Moby) – Oh My
Some songs bring back great memories. I remember only too well I drove on the island of Curaçao in a cabriolet, while Moby’s Porcelain blasted out of the car stereo. A wonderful holiday in lovely company, musically as well. That must have been in the summer of 2000, when Porcelain was a worldwide hit. A beautiful, subtle song that showed another side of an artist who was previously known mostly for his harder hitting, danceable songs. Personally, I love both sides of Moby’s artistic output.
23 years later, Australian producer Christian Benson (Luude) breathes new life in the classic track. It didn’t take him much more than the original strings and a frantic drum & bass beat to make it ready for today’s dance floors. Talented 21-year-old UK singer-songwriter Issey Cross then laid some beautiful vocals on it. The new version, re-titled Oh My, already received Moby’s seal of approval. He commented: “I’d love to say something smart or insightful about Oh My, but honestly when I first heard it I simply thought, ‘fuck, this is great!’”
Bound to become a huge hit all over again! You’d better put on your dancing shoes…
Oh My by Luude & Issey Cross (feat. Moby) is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Follow Luude on Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
Follow Issey Cross on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
Follow Moby on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 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.
