Browsing Category single track
London Grammar – Baby It’s You
To me, London Grammar’s 2013 debut single Wasting My Young Years has always remained their finest moment. But it was follow-up track Stronger that really caused their break-through. Both tracks were on the band’s debut album If You Wait.
Since their sophomore album Truth Is A Beautiful Thing from 2017, London Grammar went pretty quiet. Apart from last year’s collaboration with Flume, Let Me Know, new single Baby It’s You is their first release in 3 years’ time. And surprise: it’s not one of the band’s trademark ballads this time!
For Baby It’s You, Hanna Reid, Dan Rothman and Dominic Major worked with British electronic pioneer George FitzGerald. This collaboration resulted in a track with atmospheric verses and beat-laden choruses. Somehow, it reminds me of the vibe of early ‘90s project Deep Forest, especially the title track of their debut album.
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.
Altered By Mom – You Can Do What You Want With My Heart, Babe
Even the artists I like best (as in: ever), have their weak moments. And they’re not to blame, for they’re only humans, aren’t they? It’s hardly possible to record only great tunes. That being said, it looks like Altered By Mom are trying to prove the opposite.
Since the beginning of this year, the Canadian duo are releasing one song every week. To be honest, I only recently learned of – and started following – their initiative, and it’s quite impressing. Three out of the four songs they put out in the last 28 days are absolute aces (and the fourth one isn’t bad at all).
You Can Do What You Want With My Heart, Babe is Devon Lougheed and Gina Kennedy’s most recent release (at the time of writing, that is). It’s written with Lawrence Nichols of fellow Toronto band Lowest Of The Low and features a modulation by the book near the end. Wonderful stuff… again!
Judging from the quality of their recent output, with 52 songs to choose from by the end of the year, it must be possible to compile the bestest ‘Best Of’ ever. Perhaps even two.
Recommended as well:
Better On The Page
Walking With The Enemy
Hear That Sound
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.
Ellur – Alive
Please allow me a little D-tour before properly introducing you to Ellur…
Remember the 1990s? Or, a little bit more specific: remember Britpop? What a glorious time for a music lover! Eventually, in 1995, this whole Britpop hype lead to nothing less than a good old musical war. ‘The battle of Britpop’. Blur vs. Oasis. Country House vs. Roll With It. I loved both bands, but I didn’t dare to say it, or someone would have chopped my head off. Like all wars, it was completely pointless. It didn’t progress Britpop, but ended it.
Luckily, Britpop was followed by post-Britpop. A second wave of bands, influenced by the first. Think The Verve, Radiohead, Travis, Stereophonics, and even Coldplay. But also Embrace. I love them for late ‘90s/early ‘00s gems like Come Back To What You Know and All You Good Good People. All of them (co)written by the band’s guitarist Richard McNamara.
Fast forward to 2020, we can conclude McNamara’s musical genes found a great new home in his daughter Ella. Always knowing she wanted to pursue a career in music herself, she started writing her own songs at the tender age of 11. She learnt to play the bass and piano, and these instruments also represent the different sides of Ellur’s repertoire. It ranges from piano ballads to full-on pop-rock songs. Alive is from the latter category. Produced by her father, it’s a huge track that sounds like Katy Perry with guitars.
Alive isn’t even Ellur’s most recent single, but I didn’t want you to miss 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.
Wildcard (week 34):
Archie X – Loud Boy
Debut singles seldomly come any stronger than this. Archie X are a Belgian duo, and their first track is totally exciting. Parts funk and parts jazz, but 100% pop at the same time. Excuse me if I raise the bar too high, but Billie Eilish is a fair reference in my ears.
Last year, Charline D’Hoore took part in Belgian TV talent show The Voice Of Flanders, where she impressed the jury with her version of F.U. by Little Mix. Apart from playing the guitar (like she did in her audition), she also plays the piano and saxophone. Tom Lodewyckx, a musician in bands that accompany talents during TV talent shows, is her musical partner.
Loud Boy is their very first single and a very promising one. I love the kind of confident bass lines it starts with. After a short into, together with Charline’s voice, a simple but effective beat kinks in. What follows, is a rollercoaster of vocal layers, voice effects, changes in tempo, creepy whispering, a jazzy interlude and more.
D’Hoore’s impressive delivery and Lodewyckx’ tight production make for a song with international hit potential. Immediately picked up by Warner Music, it’s up to them to transform this promise into reality (no pressure 😉 ).
For starters, Loud Boy by Archie X is this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard, which means it’ll feature prominently at the top of this blog for a whole week.
In the Wildcards 2020 playlist you’ll 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.
Catherine Anne Davies & Bernard Butler – Sabotage (Looks So Easy)
The Anchoress is the moniker of Welsh multi-instrumentalist and producer Catherine Anne Davies. In recent years, she worked with former Mansun front man Paul Draper and the Manic Street Preachers. Now, using her own name, she adds another high-profile collaboration to her CV. 18 September, she’ll release the album In Memory Of My Feelings, which she made with former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler. The album was written and recorded by the two in just 15 days, although years went by between the first session and the last.
Hot on the heels of the project’s first single The Breakdown, the duo come up with a second track. Sabotage (Looks So Easy) could have been a female-fronted Suede track, with its pounding drums, trademark guitar magic and chopsticks piano. The fade-out is a bit of a pity though.
Speaking of the new single, Davies says: “Some people lift others up. They’re altruistic and constructive. Then there are the energy vampires who have perfected the art of destruction. It’s about toxic masculinity and I’m channelling my inner Patti Smith and Chrissie Hynde here to raise a middle finger to every man who played the victim when they were called out.”
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.
Saint Raymond – Love This Way
Saint Raymond (Callum Burrows for friends) just put out his new single. Love This Way is a sun-kissed pop song, which pairs bold indie hooks with tropical alt-pop rhythms. Its sparkling guitar motifs are boosted by punchy synths.
“The song is about when a relationship doesn’t quite work how it should”, he says. “But you’re both too scared to let go and you wonder if it’s just how it is and always will be. And whether it’s better to stay in it together in a messed up way.”
Recommended as well:
Saint Raymond – Echo
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 Darcys – Look Me In The Eyes
Only recently, I recommended Fool’s Paradise by Ferraro, which was produced by The Darcys. Now, this Canadian alt-pop duo are back with new music of their own.
Jason Couse and Wes Marskell formed The Darcys in 2007. They took their name from Jane Austin’s novel Pride And Prejudice. Following their most recent, fourth album Centerfold (2016), they released numerous new tracks. Also, during quarantine, they launched a series of ‘COVID covers’, with streaming profits going to charity.
In other words: these two are quite a prolific bunch. They just put out their new single proper, Look Me In The Eyes, the first to be released ahead of the band’s next long-player. It’s an upbeat track, which comes with a fun, half-animated video. The clip was partly funded by Canada’s private radio broadcasters. Smart, for Look Me In The Eyes sounds like a bona fide radio hit to me!
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.
Mell & Vintage Future – Brand New Day
Mell & Vintage Future is a Dutch soul/R&B band, fronted by Melanie Jonk. She emerged after applying for TV talent show The Voice Of Holland. She’s backed by producers duo Vintage Future, consisting of drummer Ton Dijkman (who worked with Marco Borsato, Candy Dulfer a.o.) and Hammond player Nico Brandsen (Ilse DeLange, Anouk, Kane a.o.).
Brand New Day is the first single off the trio’s upcoming sophomore album. With its driving four to the floor beat and rousing organ part, it’s a fresh burst of energy. Mell says about the powerful track: “It deal with this very moment, where we can’t do that much and restrictions are everywhere. But we are still going to live the moment to the max.”
Soul with a capital S!
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 Flowers – You Don’t Say!
Quite honestly, I only discovered upcoming Sydney band The Flowers recently. When I wrote about their collaboration with Sarah Wolfe on the track 100 Times, to be precise. It turned out The Flowers front woman Agnes O’Dwyer, a.k.a. Aggy, is Wolfe’s long-time best friend. However, while 100 Times was a full on pop song, her own band is more of a rock outfit. And a damn fine one, judging from their available tunes so far.
You Don’t Say! is The Flowers’ new single. Produced by Peter Holz (Vance Joy, Peking Duk), it fuses pop-punk sensibilities with a radiant indie presence. Lyrically, it carries a self-love message. As O’Dwyer puts it: “You Don’t Say! is about struggling with body image. It’s essentially me yelling cause I’m kinda mad about how much it has ruined my life.” She adds: “Some of us are our own worst critics. This song is about striking back against self doubt and deciding the love yourself a little more. I don’t want to make self love sound easy, or make it seem like I’ve got it all figured out. The song talks more about taking small steps.”
The Flowers are a band about to bloom. I’m eagerly awaiting the debut EP they’re currently working on.
Recommended as well:
Sarah Wolfe feat. The Flowers – 100 Times
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.
Winnetka Bowling League – Come To The Beach
Matthew Koma worked with a diverse range of artists. Think Bruce Springsteen, Tiësto, Ryan Tedder, RAC, The Knocks, Shania Twain, Kelly Clarkson and more. But since two years, heading Winnetka Bowling League is his main occupation. I’ve written about songs from their first two EP’s Winnetka Bowling League and Cloudy With A Chance Of Sun before.
Now, a third EP is on its way. Entitled Congratulations, it’ll feature the recent tracks CVS and Kangaroo. Come To The Sea is the EP’s third single. A light and playful track, which will bring some relief in these heavier times.
Talking about his inspiration for the new song and forthcoming EP, Koma says: “Congratulations and Come To The Beach are two potentially misunderstood titles to release during a world pandemic that’s encouraging a pause in all traditional social and celebratory normals. But, they were both written pre-pandemic and hopefully they’ll last people through to post-pandemic when we can resume congratulating and going to the beach.”
Recommended as well:
Winnetka Bowling League – Diane
Winnetka Bowling League – Feeling California
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.
