Browsing Category wildcard
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 5): Nell Mescal – Homesick
Wildcard (week 5): Nell Mescal – Homesick
Just 19 years old, Nell Mescal makes an impressive entrance into the entertainment world. Homesick is only her second official release, but a very promising one.
Hailing from Maynooth in Kildare, Ireland, the young emerging singer-songwriter has been singing all her life and has been performing in groups and choirs for as long as she can remember. During the pandemic, she decided to make music her career. She moved to North London, where she’s surrounded by other young creatives and kindred spirits.
Mescal wrote her charming new single with Jamie N Commons and Cameron Montgomery whilst in Los Angeles. However, it was inspired by her move from the cosy country side to the big city. She explains: “It’s about when I first moved to London from Ireland and really missed home, but also being determined to stick it out so it doesn’t look like I failed at moving away. The lyrics give a bit of insight to how hard it is to move away at a young age and the loneliness that comes with it, while the music is upbeat and hopeful to show that you can do hard things and that you can make a home wherever you go if you give it time.”
Homesick by Nell Mescal is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Follow Nell Mescal on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 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, wildcardWildcard (week 4):
Wildcard (week 4):
Altered By Mom – Dive In
I consider myself a huge Altered By Mom fan. 2020 was an extraordinarily prolific year for the Canadian duo; they released one song every week, resulting in a massive, truly great album, aptly titled 52 Songs. Two hours and 30 minutes very well spent.
Unsurprisingly, Gina Kennedy and Devon Lougheed eased down after fulfilling that project. They participated in a Christmas single at the end of 2021 and were completely off the musical radar last year. Now, thankfully, they’re back! Diving head first into the new year, Altered By Mom just released a beautiful new single.
Dive In is a classic power pop song, with a hooky psychedelic sound which the duo describe as ‘St. Vincent and Lenny Kravitz racing Lamborghinis’. Lyrically, it’s a call to action to chase after the things that scare you the most. A relatable tune that clocks in just under the 3 minute mark.
Altered By Mom’s comeback single Dive In is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
More from the band @ Carte Blanche Music
Follow Altered By Mom on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 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.
remake, single track, wildcard
Wildcard (week 3): Luude & Issey Cross (feat. Moby) – Oh My
Some songs bring back great memories. I remember only too well I drove on the island of Curaçao in a cabriolet, while Moby’s Porcelain blasted out of the car stereo. A wonderful holiday in lovely company, musically as well. That must have been in the summer of 2000, when Porcelain was a worldwide hit. A beautiful, subtle song that showed another side of an artist who was previously known mostly for his harder hitting, danceable songs. Personally, I love both sides of Moby’s artistic output.
23 years later, Australian producer Christian Benson (Luude) breathes new life in the classic track. It didn’t take him much more than the original strings and a frantic drum & bass beat to make it ready for today’s dance floors. Talented 21-year-old UK singer-songwriter Issey Cross then laid some beautiful vocals on it. The new version, re-titled Oh My, already received Moby’s seal of approval. He commented: “I’d love to say something smart or insightful about Oh My, but honestly when I first heard it I simply thought, ‘fuck, this is great!’”
Bound to become a huge hit all over again! You’d better put on your dancing shoes…
Oh My by Luude & Issey Cross (feat. Moby) is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Follow Luude on Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
Follow Issey Cross on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
Follow Moby on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 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, wildcardWildcard (week 2):
Wildcard (week 2):
We Are Scientists – Settled Accounts
We Are Scientists are singer/guitarist Keith Murray, bass player Chris Cain and drummer Keith Carne. As professional musicians, they can live off their music, but I still think they deserve a much broader audience. As their music has broadened over the years (from post-punk via indie rock to a more pop-leaning sound), I bet the trio agree. Alas, as streaming allows lovers of all kinds of niches to find music of their liking, radio has started to become more uniform, with most stations trying to reach the same listeners. Hopefully other channels, like less narrow-minded music bloggers, can help expose great bands like We Are Scientists.
The New York City-based band is currently preparing for the 20 January release of their 8th studio album Lobes. In preparation of this self-produced long-player, they released four tracks. Settled Accounts is the latest of this bunch. A song with a funky guitar throughout, and be honest, what’s not to like about that? Murray says of the tune: “Murray said: “It’s nice that things have come full-circle. Strident old Keith would have argued that funk was the one true musical genre. And here we are, with our funkiest tune yet.”
Following the album release, We Are Scientists will play a host of live shows in Europe, where their star has always shone brighter that in their home country. Don’t miss them!
Settled Accounts is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Recommended as well:
Operator Error
One In, One Out
Follow We Are Scientists on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 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, wildcardWildcard (week 1):
Wildcard (week 1):
Ainsley Costello – Cherry On Top
2023 has started and we hit the ground running. Ainsley Costello featured here as a Song Snack last December, but today, she grabs the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means her new single will be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a full seven days. Talking about a cherry on top…
Ainsley is an 18-year-old singer, songwriter, and performer. Currently based in Nashville, but originally from Seattle, she began performing at the age of 7. By the time she was 14 she could hold down a 3-hour set with a full band of adult musicians. In 2022 she won the ISSA (International Singer Songwriter Association) Young Adult Artist of the Year award. But those are all things of the past, let’s now look forward to 2023, the year she’s about to deliver on her promise.
Cherry On Top, Ainsley’s 24th release, is a rocking pop song full of attitude. I bet Pink and Paramore are amongst her favourite acts of the century. What makes it stand out however, is the soft ukulele that’s placed strategically in between walls of heavy-hitting guitar and drums.
Lyrically, this revenge song tells the classic story of a relationship gone wrong. At the same time, it’s an inspirational song. In Ainsley’s own words: “This song is all about how it’s possible to be the bigger person even when relationships and friendships turn sour.”
Cherry On Top by Ainsley Costello is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. It’ll be only one mouse click away for a whole week. Enjoy!
Follow Ainsley Costello on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 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, wildcardWildcard (week 52):
Wildcard (week 52):
Karin Simonian – Fade Out
Karin Simonian is a singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, who appears to have emerged onto the music scene out of nowhere. For Carte Blanche Music followers however, her last name may sound familiar. This is the catch: she’s the sister of Sebu Simonian, of Capital Cities fame. He’s also the one who co-produced her debut album 11 Degrees Of Love.
The 11 tracks on this long-player have been put out one by one throughout last year. The album release coincided with the birth of this new single. Fade Out is another strong and beautiful piano-led pop song with driving drums. Also, it has a fitting title, considering this is the last ‘old-style’ Carte Blanche Music post.
Fade Out by Karin Simonian is the last Carte Blanche Music Wildcard of 2022. It’ll feature prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week, ready for you to discover.
Recommended as well:
Beat Of My Heart
Follow Karin Simonian on Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2022 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards.
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):
Louie Ashley feat. Elle Exxe – Is This My Moment
Lewis Ashley is the mastermind of a one-man project called Epic Orchestra. For his YouTube channel, he arranges and orchestrates pop songs into orchestral pieces. The result is often stunning. Especially when you know that the up to 52 instruments you’ll hear are all played by one and the same guy.
Ashley records and mixes the tracks on his PC. So far, he reimagined songs from numerous different artists, including Taylor Swift, Muse, Coldplay, Lewis Capaldi, ABBA, Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Queen and Linkin Park.
Recently, he was challenged to write and record his first original song in a real music studio, with a professional producer (Sam Cramer) and some talented musicians. Ashley co-wrote the song with violin player Ceskie Hummingbird, drummer Toby Evangelou and singer-songwriter Elle Exxe, whose Rose Gold featured here in 2020. You can watch a behind the scenes video through this link. I think the challenge turned out great.
Is This My Moment is a truly epic ballad. An uplifting tune about big dreams. Perfectly suited for the dark days at the end of year. Goosebumps alert!
Is This My Moment by Louie Ashley feat. Elle Exxe is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll feature prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Follow Louie Ashley on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
Follow Elle Exxe on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2022 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, wildcardWildcard (week 50):
Wildcard (week 50):
The Veils – No Limit Of Stars
For most people, December is Melancholy Month. Mentally, but musically as well. That explains why so many ballads are being released during this month. Personally, I’m not a big sucker for ballads. But there’s nothing wrong with a bit of melancholy. However, I prefer upbeat songs with a touch of melancholy. That’s where The Veils’ new single comes in…
I’ve been a The Veils fan ever since their earliest output, in 2002. The band is fronted by Finn Andrews, the son of Barry Andrews (of XTC and Shriekback fame). They’ve released five albums so far, with ever growing gaps between consecutive albums. The Veils’ latest long-player came out in August 2016. Record #6, a double album called …And Out Of The Void Came Love, will finally see the light on 3 March 2023. Andrews says about it: “It is difficult to articulate quite what a strange 6 years it’s been since The Veils last put out a record, but it’s all in these songs. They are songs of loss, songs of anger and isolation, and songs of love.”
Following first single Undertow, No Limit Of Stars is the second track to be released ahead of the new album. Andrews sounds like a younger version of Nick Cave on it. Despite that, thanks to a light piano motif, swinging drums and a driving bass line, it sounds like a carefree song. Lyrically however, it ponders on the themes of the upcoming record: ‘the certainty of death, the power of new life, and the dizziness of contemplating your place in an unknowably vast cosmos’.
No Limit Of Stars by The Veils is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll feature prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Follow The Veils on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2022 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, wildcardWildcard (week 49):
Wildcard (week 49):
Hayes Warner – Shut Up
New York City native Hayes Warner is a rising pop artist. She wrote her first song at 14 and began recording at 16. While attending Northwestern University, she dedicated much of her time to grow her social media presence, amassing over 40.000 organic followers on TikTok and clocking 1 million views in 2022 alone.
Warner only released three singles to date, all of them in 2022. Her first EP will follow in the Spring of 2023. Shut Up is her latest track. A very contemporary song with electrifying beats and a driving synth bass line.
The song was inspired by the saying ‘If someone’s mean to you, it’s because they like you’. Warner explains: “I think it’s part of the game to poke fun at someone you like. Writing this song, I tried to channel feelings from that moment before any real relationship begins, where the butterflies of liking someone kind of take over, and you say things that are the opposite of how you feel.”
Shut Up by Hayes Warner is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll feature prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Follow Hayes Warner on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2022 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, wildcardWildcard (week 48):
Wildcard (week 48):
K.Flay – It’s Been So Long
The Carte Blanche Music crew (that’s me) loves K.Flay. We’ve featured many of her tracks already. Shifting between pop, hip hop and electronic moods, this new one is one of her most accessible singles to date. It’s Been So Long is an infectious feel-good song, where Kristine Flayerty sounds like an indie version of Lizzo. Gotta love it!
The artist explains ‘it’s about not giving a f*** and being yourself and feeling powerful in your body and mind’. She adds that the song has ‘taken on a whole new meaning’ for her after she lost hearing in one ear.
K.Flay says about the track: “There’s that moment after heartbreak or loss or pain when you emerge from the wreckage and finally feel good again – ready to go out dancing, ready to be yourself, ready to feel handsome – and it’s like you’ve been waiting all your life to get back to that place and it feels so so so good when you do get there. It’s Been So Long is about that feeling.”
It’s Been So Long by K.Flay is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll feature prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
More K.Flay @ Carte Blanche Music
Follow K.Flay on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2022 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.
