Browsing Category wildcard
Wildcard (week 47):
Joel Culpepper – WAR
Now this is a sound we haven’t heard in the charts for way too long: funky soul. Hopefully, Joel Culpepper can undo that injustice. The south-east London native just announced his debut album, with the rather brilliant title Sgt. Culpepper, for next year.
The long-player is preceded by a double A-sided single: Return/WAR. As is so often the case, the AA-side is my favourite. WAR is an upbeat track in the best James Brown tradition. For the youngsters among you, who may think: James who? Think Learnalilgivinandlovin by Gotye.
Addressing social and political undertones, WAR details Culpepper’s frustration with the hostile environment towards marginalised groups, expressing that ‘enough is enough’. WAR is an acronym for Without Any Restraint. The track was co-written by two musical heavy-weights. Jimmy Hogarth (who worked with Amy Winehouse, Sia, Tom Grennan, Paolo Nutini, Duffy, and many more) and Shawn Lee (a very prolific artist who worked with the likes of Lana Del Rey, Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys, and is half of Young Gun Silver Fox).
Joel Culpepper. What is it good for? WAR! It’s the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard.
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.
Wildcard (week 46):
Keleketla! – International Love Affair
Keleketla! is an expansive collaborative project, initiated by Coldcut. It started as a musical meeting ground between the Ninja Tune cofounders and a cadre of South African musicians. This included the raw, South African-accented jazz styles of Sibusile Xaba, and rapper Yugen Blakrok. From those initial sessions, the project grew bigger and bigger. Other artists that joined the group were the late Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen, esteemed percussionist Thabang Tabane, legendary LA spoken word pioneers The Watts Prophets, West Papuan activist Benny Wenda and many more.
They draw from a multitude of musical styles, most notably jazz, soul and African music, accumulating into world music of the purest kind. Recording sessions took place both in South Africa and London.
International Love Affair is Keleketla!’s new single. A track with a title as multicultural as the project itself. And as you might have expected, it grooves like a mean machine!
This week, International Love Affair is the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
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.
Wildcard (week 44):
Rooue – What You Want
Roísín & Louisa O’Connor are twin sisters. They were born in London, but have been living in Dublin, Ireland since their pre-teens. As a pop duo, Ro and Lou call themselves Rooue (see what they did there? 😉 ).
Their beautifully blending, slightly distorted harmonies are a signature part of their sound. The razor sharp and up-to-date production does the rest. What You Want is only their debut single. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Nao, Banks, Lennon Stella and Christina Aguilera, it combines electronic dark pop with a hint of old-school R&B. In a way, it reminds me a bit of another recent debut single: Loud Boy by Archie X.
Speaking on the single, Rooue says: “What You Want is about how we as women within the music industry and within everyday life have felt the pressures to conform within societies expectations. The story line stems from our experience studying in music college. On one hand being forced to be authentic, yet being criticised when not fulfilling their mould whilst reaching our authentic sound.”
With What You Want, the twins clearly and convincingly found their own voice and style. With this very promising debut, Rooue secure this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
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.
Wildcard (week 43):
Abbie Ozard – True Romance
If you like artists like Lauran Hibberd and whenyoung (I happen to love them!), do listen to Abbie Ozard as well. After years of writing and playing music in and outside of school, she won a song-writing competition in her hometown. Subsequently, the now Manchester-based artist began to independently release music in 2018. Gradually, she developed her own gritty, ‘80s and ‘90s inspired indie-pop style, with the help of co-producer Rich Turvey (Oscar Lang, Vistas, Blossoms).
True Romance, named after the Quentin Tarantino-written movie from 1993, is Abbie Ozard’s new single. An escapist, upbeat track with guitars, drums and bass equally prominent in the mix.
Just like its predecessor TV Kween, it’s a song that’s romanticising what is actually happening. She explains: “Growing up and living in a small town has made me dream of better things, and being a better person outside the bubble that I live in at the moment. I feel like I’m constantly having some form of identity crisis. I watched True Romance and thought ‘fuck, i just want to be Alabama in this film’ and live this mad life with a cool leopard print coat on and a pink Cadillac. Hopefully one day I’ll be happy with everything that’s going on and the way I am, but for now I’m just gonna carry on wishing I was in True Romance.”
This week, True Romance by Abbie Ozard is the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
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.
Wildcard (week 42):
Palace Winter (feat. Penny Police) – Richard (Says Yes)
Palace Winter, led by Australian songwriter Carl Coleman and Danish songwriter/producer Caspar Hesselager, are working towards their third album. The record – titled …Keep Dreaming, Buddy – will be out on 23 October. It has been preceded by four singles, including this new one.
The duo were inspired to write the upbeat Richard (Says Yes) when watching a Jimi Hendrix documentary in which Little Richard was featured. Coleman explains: “Little Richard came on and we were both just floored by how f***in’ alive and funny and inspiring he was. So, he kind of became this little team mascot for us. Like, just do it ALL! ‘Put some sugar on it, man! MORE!’ So this song is exactly that. Richard says yes to f***in’ EVERYTHING!”
This resulted in a larger-than-life song that sounds like nothing can bring it down. It features the vocals of Penny Police (a.k.a Marie Fjeldsted), along with an uplifting saxophone part, courtesy of Ned Ferm (MØ, Yusef Lateef). Little Richard may have passed away after the song was recorded, but Richard (Says Yes) still carries the late pioneer of rock ‘n’ roll’s unstoppable energy.
This monumental track is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
Recommended as well:
Palace Winter – Empire
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.
Wildcard (week 41):
Little Quirks – Florence’s Town
What sparks the magic that often happens when family members sing together? Is it the genes that make their voices blend so beautifully? Anyhow, Little Quirks are another fine example of my ‘theory’. The trio was formed in 2015 by Australian teenage sisters Abbey and Mia Toole, and their cousin Jaymi Toole. While singing in blissful harmony, Mia drums, Jaymi plays mandolin and Abbey guitar.
Little Quirks started by busking at farmers markets. It didn’t take long though, before they took the stage, supporting (upcoming) local heroes like Alex The Astronaut, Jack River, and Xavier Rudd. Soon, they developed themselves a sound that sits comfortably between those three acts, but is still very much their own. Or think of as them a folky version of The Cranberries, if you’re looking for further reference.
After Corona wiped their agendas clean, the girls recorded their upcoming 4th EP in their home studio. Finally, Nashville mix wizard Ryan Hewitt (The Lumineers, Vance Joy) sprinkled his magic dust over the songs. Florence’s Town is the first single to be released off the project. Abbey Toole describes it as an ‘anthem of empowerment’. She explains: “In a world where unfortunately everything and everyone can be judged, I wanted it to be an anthem of empowerment for everyone feeling like they don’t fit into the social ‘norm’.”
This week, Florence’s Town by Little Quirks is the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
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.
Wildcard (week 40):
Boo Seeka – Days Get Better
Boo Seeka are an Australian electro-pop duo featuring best friends Ben Gumbleton and Michael May. Their melodic beats and angular rhythms are both accessible and credible.
In their home country, they received praise ever since they broke through with their first single Kingdom Leader in 2015. Two years later, their debut album Never Too Soon resulted in them playing festivals and sold out shows all over the world.
Touring in support of their upcoming second album will be quite a challenge, but the new music is coming anyway. Their sophomore long-player is planned for early 2021, and Days Gets Better is its latest single. Not wasting any time on an intro, it gets to the point straight away. The track is another fine example of the dynamic energy the duo’s music possesses. Somewhere halfway The Weeknd and Twenty One Pilots, this will sound great on (radio) playlists.
This week, Days Gets Better by Boo Seeka is the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
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.
Wildcard (week 39):
Pixey – Just Move
Pixey (born Elizabeth Hillesdon) is a DIY artist in the true sense of the word: she literally does everything herself. She writes and produces her own songs, plays the drums, bass and guitar, and sings.
Listening to her music, you can hear she doesn’t try to hide she’s from North West England. The influence of other bands from Liverpool and Manchester is evident. With it’s lush guitars and breakbeat-like drums, her new single Just Move has a distinct Madchester sound. Think The Stone Roses, for instance. On top of that, the opening guitar riff sounds like it’s borrowed from King Bee’s Back By Dope Demand and part of the vocal melody comes straight from Madonna’s Material Girl. Further referencing the queen of pop, she even urges the listener to “get into the groove”.
However, with all of these ingredients, Pixey mixes an energy drink that’s very much her own. It’s fresh but spicey, and highly addictive.
Talking about her euphoric single, she says: “Just Move was written and recorded in my bedroom at the beginning of lockdown. I thought it would be ironic to write a dance tune when the last thing anyone would be doing is going out and actually dancing. (…) With the last few months feeling so complicated and unprecedented I thought it would be refreshing to write something with a simple request, as dancing and moving is in (most) people’s nature!”
This week, Just Move by Pixey is the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
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.
Wildcard (week 38):
ONR (feat. Nile Rodgers) – Kill TV
Robert Shields was born in Scotland, where he started making music in his early teens. He learned to play the piano and made himself conversant with song-writing. Soon, it became clear he’s a talented singer-songwriter, multi instrumentalist, and producer. But even though he was offered record deals by multiple labels, he decided to perfect his skills first. In the process, he wrote loads of songs and toured with the likes of Bastille.
As an artist, Shields calls himself ONR, and in my ears, Kill TV is his master piece so far. The track, which he describes as ‘anarchic’ and ‘incredibly aggressive’, touches on the subject of media and social media and just how toxic it can be to us. It features Nile Rodgers‘ unmistakable guitar licks, Bastille’s Chris Wood on drums and was mixed by acclaimed producer Mark ‘Spike’ Stent (Madonna, Coldplay, Florence & The Machine, Muse, and many more).
Kill TV came to be when ONR was at a songwriting camp at Abbey Road Studios. That’s where he met Nile Rodgers. When Corona ruined ONR’s plans to release an EP and go on tour, he wrote this track in his home studio in Scotland. He sent it to Rodgers, who loved it so much that he immediately laid down the guitar tracks.
In a world of justice, Kill TV would be ripping apart radios (and television sets) all over the globe. In the world we currently live in, ONR has to settle with my choice to make it this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. For now, that is. For I’m convinced in the end justice will prevail.
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.
Wildcard (week 36):
Red Rum Club – Ballerino
If you like upbeat, optimistic, catchy summer tunes full of hooks and with a triumphant horn section (like I do), look no further! Red Rum Club, specialists in ‘hands in the air’ music, have a great new track out.
With their trademark feelgood songs, the Liverpool sextet are ambassadors and catalysts of good times. New single Ballerino is no exception. Lyrically, this track tackles toxic masculinity and the fear of really letting go.
Lead singer Fran Doran says: “I am always the fool that gets up first at a wedding. The ‘ballerino’ is me. The way I see it is that if I’m dancing, then I don’t know what you’re doing sitting there, you should be too. Ultimately, it’s about boys not dancing and that sense of unnecessary, toxic masculinity that stops people expressing themselves. It’s like a Billy Elliot story, just forget what anyone else thinks and dance!”
Ballerino is the third single in anticipation of Red Rum Club’s sophomore album The Hollow Of Humdrum. It’s set to be released on 2 October and was produced by Chris Taylor. He worked with Blossoms and The Coral before.
This week, Ballerino is the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard, and will feature prominently at the top of this blog for a full 7 days!
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.
