Browsing Category wildcard
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.
Wildcard (week 35):
Sebu with Eraserfase – The Worst That Could Happen To Us
In his band Capital Cities, Sebu specialized in banging pop singles. As a commercial jingle composer, he knew how to write a catchy melody. I bet you’ll recognize their hit Safe And Sound.
As a solo artist however, Sebu makes music that impacts on a more emotional level. Both musically, lyrically and visually. His earlier singles The Secret Is Out and Have You Ever Hurt Somebody are great examples of how minimal music can be meaningful music. And his new song takes this concept to the next level.
The Worst That Could Happen To Us, a collaboration with Los Angeles-based producer Eraserfase, is based around a beautiful piano melody, prominent drums and lots of subtle electronic elements. Its lyrics are more in your face though, and so is the video. The clip is entirely made using the famous, 29 seconds short video of a Lebanese bride in Beirut, filmed at the exact moment an explosion destroyed most of the town. Talk about making an impact…
You can stream the song everywhere, obviously. But if you still like to extend your MP3 library, Sebu offers the track for free (and legally) in high quality via his website.
The Worst That Could Happen To Us is this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
Recommended as well:
Sebu feat. Sirusho – Have You Ever Hurt Somebody
Sebu – The Secret Is Out [Lucas Vidal Arrangement]
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 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.
Wildcard (week 33):
Town Of Cats – Lemons
There are pop songs, rock tracks, dance tunes, etc. And then there are the ditties that are impossible to categorize. These are ‘genre defying’, as they say. Musical melting pots, as it were. This is one in the latter category.
But how about a short introduction to start with? Town Of Cats are from Brighton, a town that is slowly taking over from London as the musical capital of Great-Britain. Other Carte Blanche Music favourites from Brighton are Black Honey, The Magic Gang, Lime, MarthaGunn and Yonaka. As well as Fatboy Slim, The Kooks and Royal Blood, of course.
The last few years, Town Of Cats built themselves a solid reputation by ripping up festivals around their home town with their explosive cocktail of styles. Hip hop, jazz, punk, afro-beat, (prog) rock, funk … it’s all there, and more. The best reference I can think of, is a cross between Dog Eat Dog and Fishbone. Remember them? They were fantastic as well!
Lemons is Town Of Cats’ new single. With its lively rhythms, blasts of brass and guitar, a good old-fashioned sax solo, and sing-along vocals, it bursts with energy. Not the music you’re likely to hear on the radio (which is plain stupid, if you’d ask me), but you can easily imagine this band to grow into one of the huge future live bands. Can’t wait for the festival season to re-open. But way ahead of that, on 28 August, Town Of Cats release their sophomore album The Elephant’s Room.
This whole week, Carte Blanche Music combines the sweet and the sour, as Lemons is the new Wildcard. They don’t come any wilder than this!
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 32):
Altered By Mom – Walking With The Enemy
As you may have noticed, Australia and Canada are currently two of my favourite sources of exciting new music. Altered By Mom are from Toronto.
The project started as an excuse for producer/songwriter Devon Lougheed to play with some of his favourite musicians from all across Canada. But it really took shape with the permanent addition of Gina Kennedy (bass/vocals) and Jamie Williamson (drums). Well, not really permanently actually, for in 2020, Altered By Mom are a duo consisting of Lougheed and Kennedy. In general, they play all instruments themselves.
Long before Corona kicked in, the band set a goal for themselves: they would release a song a week this year. That’s 52 songs. In other words: quite a lot! Still, they manage to maintain a high standard, combining a knack for infectious melodies and classic song-writing with a quirky sense of humour and a tongue-in-cheek post-grunge aesthetic. They describe themselves as ‘like Sloan had a baby with Barenaked Ladies… and then that baby stole your cigarettes’.
Walking With The Enemy is the pair’s latest single. Or, by the time you read this, they’ll probably have released a follow-up already. But Walking With The Enemy is a song worth servicing to radio stations and playlist curators. It’s an above par track which starts with an ‘80s, Neue Deutsche Welle kind of synth, before the drum kicks in. What follows is a tune so catchy, it deserves to be a hit (whatever that may mean these days).
As I like to put my money where my mouth is, Walking With The Enemy by Altered By Mom is this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
Recommended as well:
Altered By Mom – Hear That Sound
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 31):
The Magic Gang – Make Time For Change
Brighton quartet The Magic Gang offer a wide range of musical styles. Personally, I like them best when they enter The Style Council territory. In other words: when they revisit the Northern Soul sound. The band did so with recent single Think, and they’re back at it with their new track Make Time For Change.
Lead vocalist Gus Taylor explains, “Make Time For Change is a song about self-care. It’s a reminder to look after yourself and to encourage yourself to do the things that make you feel good.”
28 August, The Magic Gang will release their second album Death Of The Party. This horn-driven new single will feature on the vinyl Bonus Edition and digital formats of that long-player. It was recorded in Atlanta with producer Ben H. Allen (Deerhunter, Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley).
This week, Make Time For Change will feature prominently on Carte Blanche Music. It’s the new Wildcard!
Recommended as well:
What Have You Got To Lose
Think
How Can I Compete
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 30):
Crimer – Eyes Off Me
Did you like recent The Weeknd singles Blinding Lights and In Your Eyes? Then look no further for your next favourite song. Eyes Off Me is a new track by Crimer, a Swiss singer who deserves to conquer the world with this one.
In his own country, his career has already taken off in a big way. He reached #2 in the Swiss charts with his debut album Leave Me Baby, containing most tracks off his EP’s Leave, Me and Baby. Also, he won the ‘Best Talent’ gong at the Swiss Music Awards 2018.
Previously singing with a baritone voice, Crimer re-invented himself for his new single. Written in just 5 hours during a song-writing camp in Berlin, Eyes Off Me combines his effortless vocals with rousing retro synths. This results in a fresh and exciting electronic pop track with a euphoric ‘80s vibe.
Radio stations and curators who featured The Weeknd, but ignore Crimer, aren’t worth their salt. This week, Carte Blanche Music has its eyes on him, as Eyes Off Me is the new Wildcard. May more well-deserved attention follow!
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 29):
Doves – Prisoners
11 years. Eleven(!) years. It’s that long ago that Doves released their latest album. If you, like me, were eagerly anticipating its follow-up, the wait is almost over. On 11 September, at last, the Manchester rock band will give us their fifth full-length The Universal Want. In an interview with NME, frontman Jimi Goodwin calls it ‘probably the most organically-made Doves record’. Further explaining that process, he said: “It was born out of chatting to each other over email. (…) We started pooling all our material and the material that we couldn’t work into shape on the last record Kingdom Of Rust.”
Following Carousels, Prisoners is the album’s second single. A soaring, yet melancolic rock song. Goodwin: “Sometimes we get trapped by our own behaviour. You can be a prisoner of your own thoughts. They can take you to some pretty dark and unexpected places if you let them. It’s a song about checking yourself. It’s not to do with lockdown or the pandemic, it’s just the day to day wellbeing.”
This whole week, Doves’ new single Prisoners will feature here prominently. It’s 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.
