Browsing Category single track
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 17):
Wildcard (week 17):
Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson – Bad Dreams
Apart from being an actress, Scarlett Johansson is a singer. Her first album Anywhere I Lay My Head, full of Tom Waits covers, dates back to 2008 and her most recent single Set It All Free made it into the Carte Blanche Top 2016.
In 2009, she teamed up with singer-songwriter Pete Yorn for the first time. They recorded a duet album, Break Up. Nine years later, they’ll follow it up with a new EP called Apart, to be released on 1 June.
First single Bad Dreams is more bombastic than the material on Break Up. It’s a great pop song, with more than just a bit of Fleetwood Mac thrown into the mix. In the video, directed by the notorious Sophie Muller, Yorn and Johansson go on a hallucinatory road trip.
You can follow them on this trip the whole week long, for Bad Dreams is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard.
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.
single track
The Rubens (feat. Sarah) – Never Ever
Down under, The Rubens scored platinum and gold with their first albums The Rubens and Hoops, respectively. Their third one, Lo La Ru, is announced for 29 June.
As a first taster, the band released the single Never Ever, featuring singer-songwriter Sarah Aarons. She already wrote for the likes of Dua Lipa, Jessie Ware and Alessia Cara, and now adds The Rubens to that list. On Never Ever, Sarah’s voice sounds totally different from singer Sam Margin’s, but still, they go together very well.
Although it was the first time for the band to collaborate with another artist, it turned out a successful experiment. Eventually, the song was finished after a session of only five hours.
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.
single track
Elisa – Will We Be Strangers
Elisa Toffoli has been musically active (and successful) for over 20 years. She released her debut single Sleeping In Your Hand in 1997, claiming a Top 5 hit in her home land Italy and a modest chart position in the Netherlands. Her first album Pipes And Flowers, completely in English, went quadruple platinum in Italy.
In 2002, she released a compilation of her first three albums, simply entitled Elisa, internationally. Alas, it failed to establish her as an international artist. Since then, the singer put out albums both in English and Italian. High quality pop music throughout.
In my humble opinion, it’s high time the rest of the world (starting with Europe) should get to know this artist. The ‘best of’ album Soundtrack ’97-’17, released to celebrate her 20 years of career, is a good starting point. But also check her great new single Will We Be Strangers!
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
Efecto Mariposa – Mágico
The ‘butterfly effect’ is the scientific theory which states, that a butterfly flapping its wings under the right conditions, can cause a tornado weeks later and thousands of kilometres away. But more important, as far as this blog is concerned, Efecto Mariposa (the Spanish translation of ‘butterfly effect’) is a band from Málaga. It was formed in 1998 and currently features singer/guitarist Susana Alva and bass player Frasco G. Ridgway as its centre pieces.
In June, Efecto Mariposa will release their eighth album Vuela. Two months ago, the first single Qué Me Está Pasando was put out, but it looks like the campaign has only really started with the release of second single Mágico. An infectious pop/rock song, that should appeal to Coldplay fans, with its big drums and piano touches. Vocally however, Mágico is immediately recognizable as an Efecto Mariposa song.
I hope it can strike a chord far beyond their home country, just like the scientific ‘butterfly effect’.
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.
single trackYoung Gun Silver Fox – Take It Or Leave It
Young Gun Silver Fox – Take It Or Leave It
Young Gun Silver Fox’s second album AM Waves was a ‘greatest hits’ album the moment it was released (which was yesterday). It features the singles that ‘young gun’ Andy Platts and Shawn ‘silver fox’ Lee released in 2017: Lolita, Midnight In Richmond and Lenny, all of which got their fair share of airplay and landed the duo sold-out venues all over Europe.
Fourth single Take It Or Leave It sounds like their next hit. It’s 100% original, and 100% recognizable at the same time. One second into the track you think you’re tapping along with The Doobie Brothers’ What A Fool Believes, while elsewhere your brain is tricked into singing Hall & Oates’ Kiss On My List. Pure pop bliss of the timeless kind!
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.
single track
Belle & The Beats – Deeper
Last February, we made the acquaintance of Belle & The Beast, a project of Dutch singer-songwriter Isabel Zoeteweij and producer and guitarist Gil Lopez. Soldier Of The Night was their first single, a mysterious piece of pop noir.
Ahead of the duo’s debut EP Lose Your Feathers (out in May), they now launch second single Deeper. A sensual masterpiece, while the guitar licks make it edgy as well. The video certainly adds to the atmosphere, but the song is a banger in itself. Pun intended ?
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.
single track
Joris – Signal
Three years, three Echo music awards and 300 gigs after German singer and self-taught musician Joris released his hugely successful debut album Hoffnungslos Hoffnungsvoll, he is back with new music. It’s the first taste of new material he wrote during a time-out in Spain and Italy.
Signal is the first single off Joris’s upcoming long-player Schrei Es Raus (‘scream it out’), which is said to have a more progressive and energetic sound than before.
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.
single track
Arkells – People’s Champ
Almost exactly a year ago, Arkells’ single Knocking At The Door was the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. A great (and in Europe greatly overlooked) track that was later added to the Deluxe Edition of the Canadian band’s fourth album Morning Report.
Not ready to succumb to the deafness of many radio stations, Arkells just put out another heart-pumping (and hard pumping) hi-energy pop/rock track that would do so well on the airwaves… People’s Champ is graced with a horn section and lovely call-and-response vocals that make you want to shout to your radio (or your streaming service of choice, for that matter).
Frontman Max Kerman says about the song’s lyrics: “We’re comforted every day by the people in our neighbourhood who go the extra mile for their community – especially when they don’t have to. We love that person. This song is about the opposite of that: it’s about the guy who acts like Robin Hood, but is the farthest thing from it. But that’s OK: look around and you’ll find people’s champs all around ya.”
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.
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 16):
Wildcard (week 16):
Cute Mess – Untied
Honestly, I can’t remember the last Polish band that scored a pan-European hit. However, Cute Mess might soon pull it off!
Cute Mess are a young quartet, consisting of Mateusz Olechno, Kacper Witkowski, Franciszek Wojnarowski and Zuzanna Stępkowska, who’s voice sometimes reminds me of former 10,000 Maniacs singer Natalie Merchant. Untied is only their second single, and reflects upon the necessity to distance oneself from unhealthy relationships.
A great track, that I proudly present as this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. You can find all of them in the Wildcards 2018 playlist.
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.
single track
James – Better Than That
Sure, James (one of the ‘Madchester’ bands) are still best remembered by their first hits, released at the start of the ’90s of the last century. How about Sit Down, Sound, Laid, or – one of my all-time favourites – Born Of Frustration?
But don’t set them aside as one-hit-wonders or an ‘old’ band, for James are still going strong. Their latest album Girl At The End Of The World (2016), earned them their highest debut entry in nearly twenty years, reaching number two in the UK, second only to Adele.
18 May, James will release the Better Than That EP, with four new tracks. All of them produced by Charlie Andrew, who has previously worked with alt-J and Wolf Alice. The title track is the upbeat EP opener and its first single. Great proof the band continues to be one of Britain’s finest.
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.
