Browsing Category wildcard
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, whatās not to like about that? Murray says of the tune: āMurray said: āItās 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.ā
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. Donāt miss them!
Settled Accounts is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means itāll 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 onĀ FacebookĀ |Ā InstagramĀ |Ā TwitterĀ |Ā Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 playlist youāll find all of this yearās 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 topā¦
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, letās now look forward to 2023, the year sheās about to deliver on her promise.
Cherry On Top, Ainsleyās 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 thatās 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, itās an inspirational song. In Ainsleyās own words: āThis song is all about how itās possible to be the bigger person even when relationships and friendships turnĀ sour.ā
Cherry On Top by Ainsley Costello is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. Itāll be only one mouse click away for a whole week. Enjoy!
Follow Ainsley Costello onĀ FacebookĀ |Ā InstagramĀ |Ā TwitterĀ |Ā Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 playlist youāll find all of this yearās 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: sheās the sister of Sebu Simonian, of Capital Cities fame. Heās 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 āold-styleā Carte Blanche Music post.
Fade Out by Karin Simonian is the last Carte Blanche Music Wildcard of 2022. Itāll 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 |Ā InstagramĀ |Ā Spotify
In the Wildcards 2022 playlist youāll find all of this yearās 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 youāll 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 itāll 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 youāll find all of this yearās 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, Iām not a big sucker for ballads. But thereās nothing wrong with a bit of melancholy. However, I prefer upbeat songs with a touch of melancholy. Thatās where The Veilsā new single comes inā¦
Iāve 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). Theyāve released five albums so far, with ever growing gaps between consecutive albums. The Veilsā latest long-player came out in August 2016. Record #6, a double album called ā¦And Out Of The Void Came Love, will finally see the light on 3 March 2023. Andrews says about it: āIt 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.ā
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: āthe certainty of death, the power of new life, and the dizziness of contemplating your place in an unknowably vast cosmosā.
No Limit Of Stars by The Veils is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means itāll 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 youāll find all of this yearās 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 āIf someone’s mean to you, it’s because they like youā.Ā Warner explains: āI 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.ā
Shut Up by Hayes Warner is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means itāll 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 youāll find all of this yearās 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 – Itās Been So Long
The Carte Blanche Music crew (thatās me) loves K.Flay. Weāve 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. Itās 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 āitās about not giving a f*** and being yourself and feeling powerful in your body and mindā. She adds that the song has ātaken on a whole new meaningā for her after she lost hearing in one ear.
K.Flay says about the track: āThereās that moment after heartbreak or loss or pain when you emerge from the wreckage and finally feel good again ā ready to go out dancing, ready to be yourself, ready to feel handsome ā and itās like youāve been waiting all your life to get back to that place and it feels so so so good when you do get there. Itās Been So Long is about that feeling.ā
Itās Been So Long by K.Flay is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means itāll 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 youāll find all of this yearās 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 47):
Wildcard (week 47):
mazie – Girls Just Wanna Have Sex
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Cyndi Lauper sung in the 1980s. But these are the 2020s and girlsā needs appear to have shifted somewhatā¦ Enter mazieās new single Girls Just Wanna Have Sex. It’s a punky pop song full of attitude, that shares mazieās feelings on womenās sexual liberation. A banger in more ways than one!
Also check the colourful video, which is just as hectic as the song itself.
23-year-old Baltimore native mazieās real name is Grace Christian. She spent most of her childhood studying classical and jazz vocals. By the time she hit her teenage years, she was writing her own music. She recording it with her neighbour, Elie Rizk, who was teaching himself to engineer and produce in his basement studio. After years of experimenting and collaborating, they immediately scored big with her 2020 debut single No Friends.
Mazieās new single Girls Just Wanna Have Sex is this weekās new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means itāll feature prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Follow mazie on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2022 playlist youāll find all of this yearās 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 46):
Wildcard (week 46):
Black Honey – Heavy
Black Honey announced their third album A Fistful Of Peaches, but fans will have to wait for it until 17 March 2023. Luckily, the Brighton quartet just released the third single to be lifted from it.
Heavy is a grunge-y, anthemic track that sees frontwoman Izzy Phillips delve into āthe parallels between grief and depressionā.Ā āWe wrote this song the day I found out the founder of our fan club passed away from COVID-19ā, Phillips explained in a statement. āWe were talking about the weight of grief and the way it holds you down. The weight of mental illness and how it brings you a deeper understanding grief. Thereās always a glimmer of light though and I love how āHeavyā has that kind of glitter darkness. Itās in my nature to become co-dependant and I think in this song Iām reaching for someone to help me climb back out.ā
Heavy by Black Honey is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means itāll feature prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Recommended as well:
Believer
Beaches
Follow Black Honey onĀ FacebookĀ |Ā InstagramĀ |Ā TwitterĀ |Ā Spotify
In the Wildcards 2022 playlist youāll find all of this yearās 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 45):
Wildcard (week 45):
Pyro – Wiser
Bas Soetens started his band Pyro in order to channel the panic attacks he had. This therapy surely wore off! Heās in good shape now, which you can hear from his new songs. Theyāre happier, poppier and totally contemporary. His earlier tracks were inspired by bands like Foo Fighters, The Offspring and Kings Of Leon, but his new output echoes acts like Coldplay, OneRepublic and U2.
Bas didnāt only write the new tunes, he also recorded the complete musical skeletons (drums, (bass) guitars and piano) himself. When necessary, producer Niels Zuiderhoek (Kensington, Di-Rect) flew in his superstar friends to add additional instruments. He also took care of a sparkling, colourful sound. The sound of now.
Bas and Niels created an up-beat and uplifting ā80s-influenced rock track. Itās about making mistakes, learning from them, falling down and getting back up. Important life lessons from dark periods will only make you a better version of the one you were before, with a more positive attitude. Exactly the path Bas has gone himselfā¦
Wiser by Pyro is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means itāll feature prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Recommended as well:
Your Love
Come Back For You
F.O.M.O.
Follow Pyro on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2022 playlist youāll find all of this yearās 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.
