Browsing Category wildcard
cover, single track, wildcardWildcard (week 19):
electronic | melancholic | pop
Wildcard (week 19):
Fhin – Quand On Arrive En Ville
Fhin is a Parisian producer who immediately put himself on the map with his first EP A Crack In The Eyes, last year. During his live gigs, consisting of remixes, covers and original material, he usually plays Quand On Arrive En Ville. A song, written in 1978 by Michel Berger for the rock opera Starmania, that was partly inspired by David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust. The track was originally performed by Daniel Balavoine, who played the role of Johnny Rockfort in Starmania and went on to become a French superstar.
Now, Fhin has released his rendition of Quand On Arrive En Ville, which vaguely sounds like an updated version of Michael Jackson’s Liberian Girl, as a single. I comes with a beautiful, animated video and precedes Fhin’s second EP, to be released in June.
This week, Quand On Arrive En Ville is the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
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):
dance | electronic | pop
Wildcard (week 18):
GotSome feat. Lisa Kekaula – I Don’t Know
Put on your dancing shoes for this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard! This whole week you’ll be only one mouse click away from I Don’t Know by GotSome feat. Lisa Kekaula, for the song features prominently in the upper right corner of this blog (on a laptop, that is).
GotSome is talented British producer/remixer Adam Gorsky, from Bristol, and Lisa Kekaula sings in American ‘rock ‘n’ soul’ band The Bellrays, but also lent her vocal cords to Basement Jaxx’s Good Luck. And that’s a great reference!
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):
pop | rock
Wildcard (week 17):
Arkells – Knocking At The Door
Arkell Street is a street in the Canadian port city Hamilton, where Max Kerman, Mike DeAngelis, Nick Dika, Tim Oxford and Anthony Carone lived and practiced their music. When they started a band, in 2006, they decided to name it after that street.
Arkells have won multiple Juno Awards for (New) Group Of The Year and Rock Album Of The Year. Their fourth album Morning Report was released only in August last year, but this new single is a totally new song already. It sits somewhere between Hozier and Imagine Dragons and I think it’s great. That’s why I chose it as next week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
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, wildcardelectronic | pop
Wildcard (week 16): Saveus – Levitate Me
In October 2015, when I first played Saveus’ Levitate Me in my radio show, not much was known about this young Danish producer. I only found out that he had a small studio in a building where they used to pack meat. And that Levitate Me was his debut single.
A year and a half later, the track (albeit 10 seconds shorter) is re-released on a major label. Let’s hope their marketing power makes it a huge hit this time. Because it’s still the same great, euphoric song it was in 2015. A dancefloor banger with soulful vocals, driving beats, experimental arrangements, gospel and pure pop melodies. In short: it’s great!
(PS for the record: by now we know Saveus’s real name is Martin Hoberg Hedegaard. He won the first Danish series of ‘The X Factor’ in 2008, when he was only 15 years old)
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):
pop | rock
Wildcard (week 15):
The Kooks – Be Who You Are
The Kooks do what they do best on their new single Be Who You Are: making radio-friendly pop with a killer chorus. Who could possibly resist ‘Ta-ta-ta-ta-tadadada’? Well, I couldn’t… That’s why I follow up on my earlier recommendation of this joyful track by ‘upscaling’ it to next week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. Which means it’ll feature prominently at the top of the blog for one whole week, making this an even happier place 😉 .
Here’s to another ten years of pop perfection!
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, soundtrack, wildcardWildcard (week 14):
pop | rock
Wildcard (week 14):
Kasabian – Comeback Kid
Hot on the heels of You’re In Love With A Psycho, Kasabian officially release the track that so far only featured exclusively on the FIFA 17 game. Comeback Kid has a pulsating rhythm, some nice horns and even an organ part.
The song will appear on the album For Crying Out Loud, to be released on 28 April. Although millions of FIFA 17 players may already know the track, there is something new to this version: it was given a new intro. Now that’s what I call a game changer 😉 .
Comeback Kid by Kasabian is the new Wildcard, meaning you can enjoy it the whole week via the player at the top of Carte Blanche Music.
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):
electronic | pop
Wildcard (week 13):
The Gift – Big Fish
I’m so looking forward to The Gift’s new album Altar, that is set to appear in a week and a half! Producer Brian Eno and mixer Flood were involved, so what could possibly go wrong? And each of the three tracks that have been released off it so far, was great, so my expectations are sky high…
The third time’s lucky, for The Gift’s latest single Big Fish is next week’s Wildcard. This means it will feature prominently at the top of Carte Blanche Music for a whole week. Not to be missed, and to be enjoyed over and over again. Cheers!
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.
border breaker, single track, wildcardWildcard (week 12):
dance | electronic | indie | live | pop
Wildcard (week 12):
TANA – Leave Away (Live)
Remember I wrote about my favourite track on TANA’s EP Broken over a month ago? The Ukrainian band have just released this track, Leave Away, as their next single. Great choice, obviously 😉 .
The video shows the band performing the song live and I like this flawlessly executed version even better than the studio take. Festival material, as far as I’m concerned!
Until then, TANA gets full Carte Blanche Music support. The coming week, Leave Away will feature on top of this blog as my Wildcard.
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, wildcardmelancholic | pop
Wildcard (week 11): John Adams – Things That Make You Beautiful
After Aberdare singer-songwriter John Adams sung Cannonball by Damien Rice on The X Factor UK in 2011 (bringing the original back in the charts at a higher position than at first release, a first in chart history), he went on to crowdfund his debut album The Pavement Is My Stage by busking across the UK in 2013.
This week, he releases not one, but two new singles. My personal favourite – and this week’s Wildcard – is Things That Make You Beautiful. This is in part due to its simple but touching video.
No doubt this has to do with the fact that last week, after over 30 years, an old class-mate came back into my life. She suffers from progressive eye-trouble, but is incredibly optimistic and strong. She recently entered a comprehensive program to help her remain as independent as possible. Walking with a stick, taking the bus, working on the computer, using her cell phone… things that are so self-evident for most of us. Of course, all of the confronting situations involved also bring up feelings of insecurity. That’s exactly what needs to be overcome.
The video for Things That Make You Beautiful captures both the freedom and the insecurity, and shows what you are capable of when you have self-confidence. I’m sure my friend is going to get to that point!
With or without this story in mind, enjoy this week’s Wildcard on Carte Blanche Music: Things That Make You Beautiful by John Adams!
This is his other single, See You Again:
Both tracks are taken from John Adams’s forthcoming EP, due out in June/July 2017.
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 10):
dance | disco | pop
Wildcard (week 10):
Fatboy Slim – Where U Iz
Beats International, Freakpower, Pizzaman, Mighty Dub Katz, Fatboy Slim… It’s all one and the same man: Norman Cook, who started his career as bass player in The Housemartins.
Fatboy Slim is far and away Cook’s most successful alias and it’s been too long since we heard from him. Over three years, to be exact. He broke through with The Rockafeller Skank, in 1998, and followed it up with classic dance tracks like Praise You, Right Here, Right Now and – more recently – Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat. That was at the end of 2013.
Now the boy is back with an epic new track. It’s bound to set both dance floors and living rooms on fire with its joyful party vibe, Elton John-style piano, infectious horns, funky guitars and repetitive lyrics (“Where U Iz is where it’s at, and you can’t beat that with a baseball bat”). I absolutely love it, so the whole of the coming week it’ll feature on top of the Carte Blanche Music blog as this week’s Wildcard.
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.
