Browsing Category single track
single track
Sara Schwab – Control
‘Blue-eyed soul’ was made famous by artists like The Righteous Brothers, Hall & Oates, The Style Council, Lisa Stansfield, Simply Red, Paul Carrack and Joss Stone. Maybe it’s time to add a contemporary artist to that list. My vote goes to New York singer-songwriter Sara Schwab. Her songs sit somewhere halfway soul and jazz, a sound described in a press release as ‘melting butter’. Mixing humour with sincerity, she loves singing about mental illness, feminism, the subway and whiskey. She typically provides catchy music with striking lyrics to contrast.
Her new single is no exception. Control is an upbeat and soulful song with introspective lyrics to stand out against the fun musicality. Schwab explains: “I wrote this in quarantine after spending days upon days thinking about someone halfway across the world. What were they doing? Were they thinking of me? Were they forgetting my face already? I couldn’t stand the hypotheticals so I wrote this song out of pure frustration. And it ended up being one of the most fun and groovy songs I’ve put out there!”
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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
Z.A.M – Who I Love
Bryan Valentijn Hall is a 20-year-old up and coming indie singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from New South Wales, Australia. Influenced by artists like San Cisco, Blanks and Claire Rosinkranz, he draws from genres like indie, pop, jazz and rock. Using the stage name Z.A.M, he both performs solo and as a one man band, using a loop station.
Who I Love is only Z.A.M’s second single. A colourful, fresh, melodic and upbeat song. Or, as he says himself: ‘a retro disco track that bounces the bubble pop effect’. It was produced by Michael Watson from local hit band Wharves.
Talking about the tune, Z.A.M says: “Who I Love is a hopelessly romantic and dreamy track. It talks about how to love yourself and remember the people you love the most. Trust is always the answer for mutual connection or relationship. Love yourself first before the others.”
Follow Z.A.M on Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
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
Birdee – Monday Throwaway
Birdee Sideris is a Sydney-based artist with Chinese, Greek and Russian roots. In other words: a woman of the world by birth. Oh, and Birdee is indeed her real name.
She made her debut last year with her single Like That. Bedroom pop track Monday Throwaway is only her third single to date. It was produced and co-written by Toby Anagnostis (Butter Bath) and arranged and co-produced by Budo J. Miller. They provided her dreamy vocals with a contemporary-sounding backdrop, including lo-fi drums, out of tune guitars and a prominent bassline. Slick and catchy!
Lyrically, Monday Throwaway is about the days of being young and youthful, enjoying the young adulthood of freedom while it lasts.
Follow Birdee on Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
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 51):
Wildcard (week 51):
Wilsn – You Know Better
I recommended this great track earlier, but this week, You Know Better by Wilsn is the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll feature at the top of the blog for a full seven days!
Just like her biggest musical inspirations (Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Etta James, Lauryn Hill, Donny Hathaway, Lianne La Havas and Whitney Houston) Geelong (Australia) native Shannon Busch is gifted with a great voice. With her equally strong pen, she writes songs that celebrate the rich history of soul, but are firmly rooted in the here and now. In 2015, she released her debut EP Don’t Give It Up as Wilsn. She then spent a few years in Nashville, honing her craft with the help of Grammy Award winning writers.
Wilsn returned to Melbourne in 2019, when The Teskey Brothers asked her to open their sold out UK/Europe shows. During the 2020 lockdown, she headed back into the studio with producer Stephen Charles. Together, they brought to life what Wilsn had learned in the US. The resulting single, You Know Better, has a truly authentic, yet modern soul sound. Obviously, her voice is a highlight throughout, while the Stax style horns add a delicate vintage touch. A warm and rich song, delivered with attitude. For fans of Sharon Jones and Amy Winehouse.
No wonder then, that Wilsn recently signed with Ivy League Records. She joins the likes of The Teskey Brothers, and Carte Blanche Music favourites The Rubens, Hatchie, Shannen James and Mia Wray on the label’s roster.
Follow Wilsn on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
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
5 more great new holiday tunes (part 2)
There’s so much more to Christmas than Mariah Carey, Wham! and Chris Rea… The tracks below are brand-new songs (in no particular order) that deserve to be future holiday classics. Crank up the volume, but make sure the tree stands firm. Happy X-Mess!
Dream Nails – Lonely Star (Christmas Song)
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Arkells – The Last Christmas (We Ever Spend Apart)
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Sigrid – Home To You (This Christmas)
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Rob Thomas – Small Town Christmas
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Immaculate Fools – Christmas
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All of these, and almost 200 other ‘different’ Christmas songs can be found in my playlist Werner’s X-Mess. Follow it for over 11 hours of festive fun (and counting)!
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
5 great new holiday tunes (part 1)
There’s so much more to Christmas than Mariah Carey, Wham! and Chris Rea… The tracks below are brand-new songs (in no particular order) that deserve to be future holiday classics. Crank up the volume, but make sure the tree stands firm. Happy X-Mess!
Roleplay – Jingle Bells
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Beach Bunny – Christmas Caller
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Adri-Anne Ralph – Season Bright
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Fog And Lasers & Altered By Mom – Fuck Yeah It’s Christmas
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Laura Tsaggaris – Get In The Mood
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All of these, and almost 200 other ‘different’ Christmas songs can be found in my playlist Werner’s X-Mess. Follow it for over 11 hours of festive fun (and counting)!
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 Confederation – Coat In The Hallway [New Version]
Coat In The Hallway is The Confederation’s fifth single of the year so far. Or their sixth, actually, for this new version replaces an earlier mix. In their own words, their music is ‘a melting pot of musical dna fusing styles from the golden past, vibrant present and exciting future of music’. The band name soul, pop, rock, jazz, funk and fusion as their main musical influences. With a sound somewhere halfway Amy Winehouse and Morcheeba, new single Coat In The Hallway is a great example.
The Confederation are Lynz Crichton (vocals), Jill Mccracken (vocals), Steven Blessing (guitar) and Simon Jolly (songwriter, keyboards). They recorded this single via online sessions, which had its technical challenges. Still, the quartet managed to maintain a live performance feel. Lyrically, the track is about letting go of the world, if only for a short time.
Follow The Confederation on Facebook | Spotify
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
Chris Corey – Storms We Face
Christopher Steven Draper was raised in a small city in Northern Ontario, Canada. Classic acts like Oasis, Billy Idol, The Police, The Smiths, Bruce Springsteen and The Rolling Stones are amongst his main influences. But he also names more contemporary artists, like Sam Fender, Maggie Rogers, and even Carly Rae Jepsen. Draper started making music himself in the summer of 2018, using the moniker Chris Corey. Not only does he sing and write lyrics, he also plays the guitar and the drums. His first single Wildfire came out in 2019 and got a bit of airplay on some Canadian and US college radio stations.
Currently recording his debut album in Vancouver, he just released his sophomore single Storms We Face. This self-written track is about providing shelter for someone when they’ve reached a rough patch and need a helping hand. To me, it sounds like it’s got the potential to become his break-through. The song opens like a slightly slower version of Frank Black’s Hang On To Your Ego. That comparison only holds for a few seconds though. Fans of the aforementioned Sam Fender are sure to love this song.
Corey’s debut album will drop in early 2022. He calls the record ‘a mixed bag of everything’. “I really tried to pull from a variety of influences on the newer tunes, I didn’t want to hold back thinking something wasn’t possible.” Drawing influences from a variety of genres including rock, pop, blues, country, folk and new wave, his new album promises to be a treat for listeners with wide musical palettes.
Follow Chris Corey on Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
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 50):
Wildcard (week 50):
Yuke – Stranger Still
I don’t know why, but songs which open with a drum fill always catch my attention. Always have. Enter Stranger Still by Yuke, a five-piece band from Hackney, the birth ground of Marc Bolan, Mel & Kim, William Orbit and Paloma Faith. They like to blend different genres, from jazz to soul to French house. Their debut single however, is full-on funk-pop. Try it if you’re curious what it would sound like if Robert Smith would be joined on stage by Funkadelic!
Over the next six to eight months, Yuke plan to release six singles. If the very first of these is anything to go by, it’s going to be a fun-filled half year. Apart from some serious bass slapping, Stranger Still features plucked violins, a full brass section, catchy choruses and happy handclapping. Guaranteed to make you dance, this is the sound of a band full of ambition. That’s always a good thing to start with, but it’s even better to fulfil the promise at first listen.
This week, you’ll be able to listen to the single as often as you like. Stranger Still by Yuke is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard, so it’ll feature here prominently for seven full days!
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In the Wildcards 2021 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
Ally Cribb – Bigger
Toronto-based singer and songwriter Ally Cribb comes from a musical family. Her father Robert Cribb is a musician and writer as well. No surprise, then, that Ally chose the same career path. Citing Taylor Swift and Joni Mitchell as her heroes, she started taking singing lessons at the age of eight. Now only 16 years old, she steps into the spotlights.
Her first ever single, released earlier this year, was a heartfelt cover of Radiohead’s Creep. Impressive, but I think her first original release, Bigger, is even more extraordinary. Especially since she wrote the song herself at such a young age. Sonically, her first two tracks couldn’t be further apart. Her version of Creep was a stripped back, piano-only affair, while Bigger sounds, well, ‘bigger’.
Speaking on the track, Ally Cribb explains: “Bigger is about breaking through the obstacles that convince us to accept less than what we are. I’ve come to understand failure as a source of strength instead of something I should be scared of. I wrote this thinking about the many things I want to accomplish in my life, and the feeling I get when I close my eyes and picture myself standing on a big stage, staring out into a sea of faces. That’s my dream. And however challenging it might be getting there, this song is my own reminder that perseverance and dedication are stronger than the fear of failure.”
Bigger was produced by Ally’s father and will be part of her forthcoming EP Unbroken.
Follow Ally Cribb on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
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.
