Browsing Category wildcard
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 39):
Wildcard (week 39):
The Hunna – Summer
To me, The Hunna (who’s Piece By Piece and Never Enough already featured here), are one of the best emerging rock bands to come out of the UK lately. In the two years since they were founded, The Hunna delivered a great debut album, which spawned no less than six singles.
Summer is a brand new track already, providing further proof that The Hunna deserve to be the next big thing.
For starters, they score this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard (all of which you can find in this neat little playlist).
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 38):
Wildcard (week 38):
Rae Morris – Do It
Rachel Anne Morris is a British singer-songwriter who turned 25 early this month. She contributed vocals to albums by Bombay Bicycle Club and Clean Bandit, before launching her own debut album Unguarded. It went on to spawn no less than six singles. One of them, Cold, was a duet with Fryars.
On Morris’s new single, the two have been working together again. Do It was produced by Fryars. It’s the second single off her forthcoming album, which is rumoured to be called Someone Out There and will probably be out early next year.
But one thing is for sure: Do It by Rae Morris is this 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, wildcardWildcard (week 37):
Wildcard (week 37):
Sol Heilo – America
With her band Katzenjammer on hiatus, Norwegian artist Solveig Heilo embarks on a career of her own. Playing guitar, trumpet, banjo, harp, flute, accordion, mandolin, ukulele, drums, bass and many other instruments, she isn’t only a singer, but a multi-instrumentalist, as you will hear on her first solo album Skinhorse Playground, which she releases on 6 October.
America is Sol Heilo’s new solo single. It featured here before, but I like it so much, I made it this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard, giving it the most prominent place on the blog for seven days in a row.
Make sure you watch the video, it took 744 hours to make! The raw material, all shot with her iPhone, is 27 hours long and she filmed 42 locations in addition to 24 close-ups in her living room and garden.
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.
album track, wildcardWildcard (week 36):
Wildcard (week 36):
Calogero – 1987
With his single Je Joue De La Musique firmly in the French Top 5, Calogero just released his seventh album Liberté Chérie, which he recorded in the legendary Abbey Road Studios. “A childhood dream come true”, according to the 44-year-old singer.
Last week, Liberté Chérie went straight into the French album chart at #1, after 57.200 physical copies of the album were sold. That’s more than the sale of 51.000 pieces that caused its predecessor, Les Feux D’artifice, to come in at pole position in 2014 and the 45.000 CD’s that were shifted in the first week after the release of L’embellie, five years before that. An extra respectable feat when you take into account the streaming explosion that occurred in those 8 years.
My favourite track off the album Liberté Chérie is 1987. An extremely catchy song that will have you sing along, even if you don’t speak any French at all. It may not be a single (yet), but I already made it this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. So each time you visit this blog, 1987 is only one mouse click away.
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 35):
Wildcard (week 35):
AKA George – Stone Cold Classic
George Barnett (a.k.a. AKA George) ranked up tens of millions of YouTube streams with a mix of his own material and superb covers. This got him the attention of every publisher and record label in the UK, but he decided that didn’t feel right. He subsequently tore down everything he had created on the internet, losing all of those tens of millions of views in the process. Then, he started again.
This spring, AKA George released his album First Friday on his own record label, but he is already writing his next album. Talking about that process, he says: “I’m not interested in writing small songs that live on the internet. When I write, I write big pop songs that will sound amazing at Glastonbury. That’s my measure: Does it sound huge?”
Listening to the first fruit of that upcoming album, the track Stone Cold Classic, one can only conclude: yes, it does!
Tom Robinson said about AKA George: “He is one song away from superstardom.” This could very well be that one song, and to help it just a tiny bit more, I made it this 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, wildcardWildcard (week 34):
Wildcard (week 34):
Julian Velard – Don’t Ask Me About Hamilton (Anymore)
I’ll be the last to suggest that my man Julian Velard listened to my recommendation, but let me just say I’m very glad my favourite track off his latest album Fancy Words For Failure is now officially his new single. What more can I do than repeat the opening lyric of this great track: “My master piece got released today.”
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll have to put this one on and on over and over again. Sheer happiness and an obvious choice for the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard! This means the song is featured prominently at the top of this blog for a whole week, making it easily accessible so that you, too, can play it over and over again the coming days. It’ll cost you nothing but a mouse click. Enjoy!
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 32):
Wildcard (week 32):
Ridsa – Avancer
The holidays are a great moment to pick up music that you don’t usually hear at home. Especially songs by local acts from the country that you’ve travelled to. Here in France, Avancer by Ridsa is on the radio a lot and to me it sounds like it could be a hit abroad as well…
Ridsa (born in 1990 as Maxence Boitez) is a French rapper/singer. He became an internet phenomenon after posting his songs on YouTube. His channel now counts 879.000 subscribers and his clips have been viewed around 300 million times altogether.
Avancer is a single that was released last April from his most recent album Libre. Since then 14 million (I suppose mostly French) viewers saw the clip. When released throughout Europe, I predict an even greater success…
Let me start by making the single this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. Hopefully this will help the song ‘avancer’…
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 31):
Wildcard (week 31):
Skott – Mermaid
Skott is a young Swedish artist, surrounded by mystery. She grew up in a community of folk musicians and only came in touch with pop music at a later age. Once she started to make her own music, she combined the two and added a classical touch to it all.
In October last year, Skott’s single Amelia was my record of the week. Now, she repeats that feat with her new single Mermaid. A track she started working on three years ago already, but that only recently found its final form. It was worth the wait…
Mermaid by Skott is this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard (all of which you can find in the Wildcards 2017 playlist)!
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 30):
Wildcard (week 30):
Wolf Parade – Valley Boy
Over the years, legendary record label Sub Pop has been the home of bands like Afghan Whigs, CSS, The Go! Team, Hole, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Modest Mouse, Nirvana, The Postal Service, Saint Etienne and The Shins. One of the best bands in its current roster, in my opinion, is Wolf Parade.
Wolf Parade is a Canadian indie rock band. They went on indefinite hiatus in 2011, but announced their return to recording and performing in January 2016. Since then, they worked on a new album, Cry Cry Cry, which will be released by Sub Pop on 6 October. The first single is here already and Valley Boy is this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard (you can find all of them in the Wildcards 2017 playlist). Good to have them back!
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 29):
Wildcard (week 29):
Aloe Blacc – King Is Born
If Aloe Blacc were to be remembered for his vocals on Avicii’s Wake Me Up only, it would be a bloody shame. Let’s at least also recall him for his wonderful real name: Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III. And needless (I hope) to remind you of his own hits I Need A Dollar and The Man.
Last year he released three tracks (one of them being the great Broke), all of which haven’t yet appeared on an album (that’s a more or less coherent collection of songs, kids). The same goes for his new single, King Is Born. A new classic, as far as I’m concerned. Most literally so, because it uses a sample from The Ides Of March’s 1970 hit Vehicle. Pop quiz question: in what hugely popular rock band did The Ides Of March singer Jim Peterik show up in the 1980’s?(*)
Talking about boxing, this brings me back to Aloe Blacc’s new single. King Is Born is the theme song to the upcoming boxing match between titans Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor, on 26 August. It’s also scheduled to appear on Blacc’s new album, that he is currently finishing.
King Is Born is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard and will feature here prominently the whole week long!
(*) Survivor, best-known for their Rocky-related hits Eye Of The Tiger and Burning Heart.
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.
