Browsing Category single track
Izzy Bizu (feat. Chris Martin) – Someone That Loves You ’19
Izzy Bizu (British singer Isobel Beardshaw, who has an Ethiopian mother) put out her first EP Coolbeanz in 2013. The year after, she already performed at the Glastonbury festival. She continued to release singles of her own (most notably White Tiger), and ahead of her debut album A Moment Of Madness, she was the featured singer on electronic music duo Honne’s 2016 single Someone That Loves You.
A year later, Bizu opened for Coldplay on their A Head Full Of Dreams tour. That same year, she and the band’s singer Chris Martin sung Someone That Love You live together for the first time. Two years later, on her new EP Glita, a studio version of this duet appears. Although Martin is uncredited as a vocalist, the male voice is unmistakably his.
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.
Wildcard (week 22):
boy pablo – 50 Souls And A Discobowl
One of last year’s best singles in my opinion was Losing You by boy pablo, a Norwegian group of high school best friends, fronted by now 20-year-old Pablo Muñoz. Recently, they recorded two Spotify Singles at the streaming platform’s Stockholm studio. One of them a new version of Ready/Problems, the original of which featured on the band’s 2017 debut EP Roy Pablo; the other a cover of 50 Souls And A Discobowl, a Norwegian indie classic by The Lionheart Brothers, dating from 2007.
“It is a song I have listened to since I was a kid,” Muñoz says in a press release. “I remember the feeling I had the first time I heard the song, and I remember that I think it sounds amazing. I wanted to take the song out of the sound it had original and make it more modern, just to give it some light and attention again. I think it was a great way to show off this cool underground band from Norway, which in my opinion never got the attention they deserved while they were active,” he adds.
Mission accomplished, as far as I’m concerned. 50 Souls And A Discobowl sounds totally fresh and contemporary, without throwing the charm and drive of the original overboard. Just like Losing You in 2018, 50 Souls And A Discobowl by boy pablo is this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
In the Wildcards 2019 playlist you can find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.
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 Snuts – All Your Friends
The Snuts’ first demo, in 2016, was called Glasgow. Appropriately, for a Scottish band. Since then, the quartet’s star is rising fast. They played huge sold-out gigs and festival sets in their homeland, signed to Parlophone Records, and continued to release massive indie tunes.
Just like their debut album, which the band are currently recording, their new single All Your Friends was produced by Inflo, who worked with Danger Mouse, Michael Kiwanuka and others. The Arctic Monkeys-like track is full of rock ‘n roll swagger. It possesses an irresistibly catchy raw edge and a massive chorus. No doubt, The Snuts will be one of 2019’s break-out bands.
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.
Girli – Up And Down
At the age of 12, Milly Toomey originally wanted to pursue a career as an actress, but after two unsuccessful auditions, she left the dream behind. Three years later, she formed an all-female band where she played the role of singer and guitarist. She wasn’t the easiest person to get on with, however. Or, in her own words: “I was totally neurotic. I was the bossiest, most annoying band member ever.” After the group fell apart, she decided to carry on on her own, adopting the stage name Girli.
After singles like Hot Mess, Day Month Second and Deal With It, she put out her debut album Odd One Out in early April. The closing song has now been chosen as Girli’s new single. Another guitar-based electropop song, which is about having mood swings. But, the singer concludes, “This is me, and if you want me around you, take it or leave it.”
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.
Inhaler – My Honest Face
Inhaler are a four-piece rock band from Dublin, consisting of Elijah Hewson (vocals, guitar), Josh Jenkinson-Tansia (guitar), Robert Keating (bass), and Ryan McMahon (drums). They met while still at school and formed the band in 2016. Inspired by artists such as Joy Division and The Stone Roses, they mostly sound like a younger version of U2. This hardly comes as a surprise, since Hewson is Bono’s son. That said, Inhaler can do without this reference. Although they only have a handful of songs out, they can easily stand on their own feet.
Last week, the band added two new tracks to their tiny catalogue: There’s No Other Place and My Honest Face. The latter, my favourite, has the rhythm tandem working their asses off, with its driving drums and bass line. Great song!
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 Twang – Everytime
The Twang – vocalist Phil Etheridge, bassist Jon Watkin, guitarist Stu Hartland and drummer Ash Sheehan – have been making music for over a decade. Early in their career they were even dubbed the potential successors of Oasis, not in the least because of Etheridge’s bravado.
Having released four studio albums since 2007, The Twang are currently in the studio putting the finishing touches to their fifth record; their first in five years’ time. Everytime is the first single off the new record. It comes with a music video about escapism and nostalgia, escaping the rules and regulations of life, your parents, job, school and exploring the unknown.
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.
Feeder – Youth
Following their 50(!) track Best Of album in 2017, and after spending the year of 2018 making old B-sides available online for the first time, Feeder are back with brand-new material in 2019. After Fear Of Flying, back in March, the British rock band just put out the fierce, up-tempo follow-up Youth.
Both tracks will appear on Feeder’s tenth studio album Tallulah, which will be out on 9 August.
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.
Eliza & The Delusionals – Just Exist
Led by colourful front woman Eliza Klatt, Eliza & The Delusionals are an acclaimed indie rock band from Southport, on the Gold Coast of Australia. They’ve been making waves since forming in early 2015, with a sound that has been likened to that of Catfish & The Bottlemen and Alex Lahey.
Eliza & The Delusionals are the latest signing to the Cooking Vinyl label, which just released the band’s great new single Just Exist. Eliza Klatt says, “Just Exist is about the balance of feeling depressed and feeling creative and inspired by those feelings. I find a lot of my best and most inspired creative ideas have come from some of the saddest and worst feelings I’ve ever felt which is very bittersweet. I hate feeling down but if I didn’t feel that way I think I would plainly just exist.”
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.
Beachheads – Death Of A Nation
Norwegian pop-rock band Beachheads are a side project of Kvelertak members Vidar Landa and Marvin Nygaard. As you might have guessed from its title, their new single Death Of A Nation is pretty political, with lyrics taking on the rise of fascism worldwide. Musically, it reminds me of the Buzzcocks (which is never a bad thing).
The band explain: “Death Of A Nation pursues the more punk side of Beachheads and was originally hammered out on an acoustic guitar – all the parts coming together first go. Later it became the first song that producer Frode Strømstad picked out to record for the new album. We wanted to keep the rawness of our rehearsal room demo, so throughout the recording process we focused on enjoying ourselves, rather than overthinking it.”
Following their self-titled debut album (2017), Beachheads will release their second long-player later this year. Landa and Nygaard’s main band Kvelertak will do the same, introducing Ivar Nikolaisen (The Good The Bad & The Zugly) as their new singer.
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.
Phil Collins – The Man With The Horn
No need to introduce this man, I presume…
Let me take you back to 1982. During the recording sessions for Hello, I Must Be Going, Phil Collins put the song The Man With The Horn to tape. A track featuring horns, obviously, alongside Collins’ trademark drumming and an overall sound in the line of Genesis’ 1982 hit Paperlate. Eventually, it didn’t make the cut, but it was released in 1985 as the B-side to the first single from his next album No Jacket Required, which was One More Night in the United States and Sussudio in the rest of the world.
Although Collins has said he has ‘no emotional attachment’ to the song, it has now been as re-released as a single, as part of the upcoming Other Sides album. Only released digitally on 31 May, the collection consists of demos and B-sides. A further compilation, Remixed Sides, will come out on the same date, and includes remixes of some of his hits.
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.
