Browsing Category wildcard
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 21):
Wildcard (week 21):
Ericka Jane, Dopha & bbybites – Come Sit With Us
Denmark has always been a great incubator for new pop talents. The last few years alone, the country produced hot new artists like Drew Sycamore, RoseeLu, Mina Okabe, Eyjaa and Dopha. All females, as you might have noticed. Despite that, Denmark doesn’t have a real ‘girl crew’ atmosphere, according to singer Ericka Jane. In a press release, she claims Danish women in pop have often supported each other, but this seldomly resulted in musical collaborations.
In that respect, Come Sit With Us is a break-through. It’s not only an ode to female artists and sister love by three of Denmark’s most promising young singers, it’s also an invitation to others to spread these good vibes. The song title is a response to this scene from teen movie ‘Mean Girls’, where Regina is told: ‘You can’t sit with us’. Instead, Ericka Jane, Dopha and bbybites invite everyone to come and sit at their table.
Come Sit With Us is an incredibly catchy tune with euphoric synth strings, memorable vocal melodies and multiple ways to say ‘okay?!’.
This week, Come Sit With Us by Ericka Jane, Dopha & bbybites is the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week. Okay?!
Follow Ericka Jane on Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
Follow Dopha on Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
Follow bbybites on 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 20):
Wildcard (week 20):
Sparks – Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is
This week sees the glorious comeback of some ‘old’ favourites, like Amanda Marshall, Queens Of The Stone Age and Tenacious D. And they don’t return with half-baked wannabe tracks. No, they provide us with some of the week’s best new music. Top of the bill, in that respect, are Sparks. Their new single has the unmistakable Sparks stamp on it. However, in 2023 – over 56(!!!) years after brothers Ron and Russell Mael made their first recordings as Urban Renewal Project – they sound as fresh as ever.
Yes, you read that well. The band ultimately known as Sparks first entered the studio in January 1967. They were soon discovered by Todd Rundgren and, sorry if this sounds lazy, ‘the rest is history’. Despite regularly changing styles, their songs are immediately recognizable. The same goes for their visual representations throughout the years. For almost six decades now, Sparks have been at the forefront of modern, artful pop music.
Their 26th studio album The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte (out on 26 May) was already preceded by its title track and Veronica Lake. But single #3, Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is, is the most accessible track off it so far. A hi-NRG song with upbeat drums, guitars, Ron’s subtle piano and Russell’s authentic vocals, which could have been recorded when they formed FFS, with Scottish band Franz Ferdinand. Let me tell you it’s beyond good, and despite the tune’s title, you can trust me on this one.
Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is by Sparks 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:
Hippopotamus
Follow the duo 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 19):
Wildcard (week 19):
Tom Grennan – How Does It Feel
Tom Grennan’s collaborations with dance artists are sure fire hits. His 2016 single with Chase & Status, All Goes Wrong, became his big break, while By Your Side (with Calvin Harris) was a pan-European hit. However, I personally like his own (pop) singles better. His new one is another great example why.
How Does It Feel is the third single to be released ahead of Grennan’s upcoming third album. The longplayer, What Ifs And Maybes, will be out on 16 June. The British singer and songwriter said about the record: “I want (people) to feel they have no stress and no worries when they’re listening to these songs. So I made that conscious decision to write some up-tempo songs that can live in a party world.”
New single How Does It Feel is a good example. Speaking about the track, he explained: “This song is a reflection of a moment in my life when I realised I had let something unreal slip. It’s a reflection on the excitement that comes when you know you have a chance to rebuild. It’s exciting, fun, and gives you the energy to want to get up and do what you believe in!”
With its upbeat drums, sunny guitar sound and catchy lyrics, How Does It Feel by Tom Grennan is a contender for the Summer Song of 2023 trophy.
For starters, it’s 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:
Sober
Found What I’ve Been Looking For
Follow Tom Grennan 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 18):
Wildcard (week 18):
Only The Poets – Jump!
Singer Tommy Longhurst, bassist Andy Burge, guitarist Clem Cherry and drummer Marcus Yates are Only The Poets. A young quartet from Reading, on their way to conquer the world. Inspired by the Reading Festival, which is practically held in their back yard every year, they started writing their own songs. Main ingredients: Longhurst’s honest autobiographical lyrics and festival-ready melodies, inspired by ‘90s British indie music.
Only in 2021, they released 14 early demos on an EP titled, erm, demos. Their first single proper, Every Song I Ever Wrote, is just twelve months old. After their debut EP Our Time, which combined the band’s first five singles, they were quickly signed by Universal Music.
Their live career followed a similar path. Only The Poets grew from student house parties, via pub circuits and small venues to selling out 1,600-capacity venues home and abroad. After supporting Lewis Capaldi earlier this year, they just finished a European sold-out headline tour.
Building a fanbase through live shows is about to pay off big time. The band just released their anthemic new single Jump!, backed by the world’s largest record company. It’s an urgent, attention-grabbing track with galloping riffs, that’s sure to be liked by Sam Fender fans.
Longhurst explains: “Jump! is about all the times when you need to follow your heart and not your head. Too often in life we don’t take the leap, always wondering about potential problems and over thinking. It’s a song all about being completely unapologetic about jumping into something new and exciting, whatever that might be.”
Jump! by Only The Poets 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 Only The Poets on 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 17):
Wildcard (week 17):
Sofi Tukker – Jacaré
You can leave it to Sofi Tukker to heat up the dance floor, and their new single is further proof of that.
Jacaré contains elements the American duo (consisting of Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern), incorporated to great effect before. The track is dripping with a latin-inspired beat, a ‘caliente’ piano and a horn(y) section. The lyrics are entirely in Portuguese. All in all, a tune that perfectly fits Sofi Tukker’s well-documented affinity with Brazilian culture.
The song title means ‘alligator’ in Brazil, but it can also define a woman in a sexual relationship. You’ll understand when you watch the accompanying video, which is as steamy as the song itself, and gives a supportive nod to the LGBTQ+ community.
The timing for this infectious stomper is impeccable, as the days are getting longer in Europe, the temperatures are rising and the sun is coming out more and more.
Jacaré by Sofi Tukker 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 Sofi Tukker @ Carte Blanche Music
Follow the duo 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 16):
Wildcard (week 16):
Jessie Ware – Begin Again
Jessie Ware is about to release her fifth album. That! Feels Good! (which is also the title of the record, that comes out on 28 April). The long-player was preceded by two singles already, Free Yourself and Pearls. Now, there’s track #3, and it really brings out the sun. The song, Begin Again, has a bossa nova vibe, inspired by the British singer’s time spent in South America. In places, it reminds me of Stillness In Time by Jamiroquai, which can only be a good thing.
“Begin Again is where this album started”, Ware explained. “On a miserable afternoon during lockdown, (producer) James Ford zoomed (co-writers) Shungudzo and Danny Parker in Los Angeles. They were just waking up, it was already dark in London. Frustrated yet completely focused, we set about writing in a new – and unnatural – way over the internet.”
She continues: “Dreaming of human touch, escapes to Brazil, beach bodies, holiday romances, all of it! I absolutely adore this song and I’m so excited for you to hear it, to hear the beautiful production by James and horns by Kokoroko, it’s the song that I knew I wanted to make as soon as I finished (2021 single) Remember Where You Are.”
Begin Again by Jessie Ware 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 Jessie Ware 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 15):
Wildcard (week 15):
Oscar Lang – A Song About Me
First emerging in 2017, London-based Oscar Lang has produced numerous EP’s and two full-length albums already. All of them of the same high quality. By the sound of his new single, the talented multi-instrumentalist has no intentions of lowering his standards.
A Song About Me is a classic pop tune in more ways than one. It’s timeless and drenched in beautifully arranged strings. All in all an ambitious piece of art. Lyrically, it’s a song about lost love.
Lang says about the track: “A Song About Me is a break-up song that is honest and open but self-aware. I wanted to write in a similar world to You’re So Vain by Carly Simon or Love Song by Sara Bareilles. A break-up song for all the people that have had their hearts broken, it’s got bit of bite but at the end of the day means well. I took influence for the sound from classic songwriters like Billy Joel, Paul McCartney and mixed them with a bit of ‘90s Britpop a la The Verve and Oasis.”
A Song About Me was produced by Rich Turvey (The Coral, Blossoms). It’s the first track to be taken from Lang’s forthcoming album Look Now, which is scheduled for release on 21 July.
This week, A Song About Me by Oscar Lang is the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a full seven days.
Recommended as well:
21st Century Hobby
Get Out
Apple Juice
Follow Oscar Lang 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 14):
Wildcard (week 14):
Lottie Gray – Get Lost
19-year-old singer-songwriter Lottie Gray was born on the south Norfolk coastline, but is currently based in Manchester. She spent most of her childhood nurturing her imagination. Influenced by the likes of Joni Mitchell, Taylor Swift and Kacey Musgraves, she writes exactly how she feels. Combining elements of country, pop and rock, her music is not easy to be pigeon-holed.
Get Lost is only Gray’s second single. It follows hot on the heals of her debut track Daffodil Baby. For this sophomore song, she swaps out acoustic guitar and piano for distortion and synths. And let’s not forget to mention the cow bells. This catchy tune is a perfect showcase of both her raw and honest lyrics, and her powerful vocals. An upbeat pop-rock track, Get Lost tells the story of someone who is a waste of time, expelling them from her life through this.
Gray’s second single will be followed by an EP in April. With her newly formed band, she’s poised to share her work with a wider audience.
In a bid to further expose this talented artist, Get Lost by Lottie Gray 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 Lottie Gray 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 13):
Wildcard (week 13):
Jesse Hite – How Did I
Jesse Hite was born in the United States. Nowadays, he lives in the French countryside as a musician, producer and singer-songwriter. He has taken his lyrics and songwriting to a whole new level by combining his experience exploring and living on the West Coast of America, travels through Asia and Europe and time spent living in France. His songs are groovy, atmospheric tracks with poppy hooks and deep stories.
How Did I is the latest example. It’s a great tune with a catchy chorus and a dark, yet danceable groove. It comes with heavy drums, guitars, vocals and synths with melodic overlays. Lyrically, Hite explains, the song has multiple meanings: “I was really talking about:
- Being trapped in a cycle of depression (how did I get here in my head after being such a happy kid)
- Feeling trapped during the pandemic (being locked in a ‘cage’; confined between four walls)
- Thinking about how I got to France and the chances/circumstances that must have happened for me to write music in France
All related to this initial question, ‘How did I end up here?’.”
The track is slated to appear om his long awaited EP Volume 1, which will be released in June 2023.
Jesse Hite’s new single How Did I is this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a full seven days.
Recommended as well:
When It All Comes Down
Follow Jesse Hite 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 12):
Wildcard (week 12):
Dande & The Lion – Children Of The Hour
Dande & The Lion is an indie pop rock band from Bristol, UK and Sydney, Australia, where they’re based. It’s fronted by dual vocalists Natassa Zoë (guitar) and Abbey Gardner (synths), backed by Chris Gabriel (drums) and Nicholas Shea (backing vocals and bass). They cite bands such as The Naked & Famous, Metric, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Wolf Alice as their influences.
Children Of The Hour is the quartet’s latest single. A shimmering combination of indie-rock and bouncy electropop, that’ll do well on festivals and dance floors alike. Lyrically, the song is all about being playful in the moment and following the feeling, rather than over-thinking things.
Talking about how she wrote the tune, Zoë explains: “I was sitting in Centennial Park in Sydney waiting to be picked up. I’d just finished reading a play called ‘The Children’s Hour’ and that kicked off the songwriting process. My ride was late which allowed me to finish the entire song all in one go which was kind of cool.”
The track was produced by talent Aussie producer Xavier Dunn, whose name has featured here many times already. He created a mesmeric cut that sees ardent intimacies erupt into explosive, danceable choruses.
Children Of The Hour by Dande & The Lion 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 Dande & The Lion 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.
