Browsing Category wildcard
Wildcard (week 11):
BC Unidos (feat. US Girls & Ledinsky) – Take It Easy
In June last year, I wrote about Bicycle by BC Unidos (feat. Shungudzo). A week later, I made it Carte Blanche Music Wildcard, and it subsequently appeared among Your Favourites for four months in a row, ending 7th in the year-end chart. After this runaway success, the duo, consisting of Swedish hit composers Patrik Berger and Markus Krunegård, collaborated with the likes of Santigold, Carly Rae Jepsen and Charli XCX on their Bicycle EP.
Apparently, they had more great names in their Rolodex: their new single Take It Easy features US Girls, who appeared on this blog multiple times, and fellow-Swede Ledinsky, whose DonaldTrumpMakesMeWannaSmokeCrack was something of a cult hit in 2016.
The track somehow reminds me of Long John Baldry’s version of (Walk Me Out In The) Morning Dew (but I’ve got a vivid imagination). Anyway, it’s a modern soul song that deserves to be embraced by many radio stations, but most importantly: by you!
For starters, Take It Easy by BC Unidos (feat. US Girls & Ledinsky) is embraced by Carte Blanche Music as this week’s Wildcard (all of which you can find in the Wildcards 2018 playlist). As a result, the track appears prominently on top of this blog until next Wildcard Wednesday!
For more great new music follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
Wildcard (week 10):
JZMN JYN – Going Under
Radio DJ’s, JZMN JYN is to be pronounced as Jazmine Jayne, her real name. You’re welcome 😉 .
JZMN JYN is from Sydney, Australia, but has been traveling the world the past three years. Inspired by the lyrical story telling of female songwriters such as Alanis Morissette and Stevie Nicks, she wrote her experiences into songs. Going Under is the first fruit of those sessions. A great rock song in the best 90s tradition, with a funky bass line the Red Hot Chili Peppers would be jealous of.
“I wrote it whilst on a 24-hour boat ride in the middle of the Adriatic sea heading from Italy to Greece,” JZMN JYN says. “The view of an endless ocean was an exact metaphor of how I felt in my life and relationship at the time, which inspired me to put pen to paper.”
JZMN JYN’s trip around the world ends with her first Carte Blanche Music Wildcard, which means that despite of its title, Going Under will hold the top position on this blog for a whole week. So this might as well be the start of another journey…
For more great new music follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
Wildcard (week 9):
Everything Everything – Breadwinner
Frontman Jonathan Higgs’s falsetto makes Everything Everything’s music instantly recognizable. Both on record and live the innovative Manchester quartet is on top of its game and their break-through to a larger public, that has been imminent for long, can’t be far away.
Now, half a year after their fourth studio album A Fever Dream, Everything Everything release the EP A Deeper Sea. Breadwinner, with its ultra-catchy “You’ve gotta be kidding me” chorus, is the set’s energetic and infectious first single.
This whole week it’ll only be one mouse click away on Carte Blanche Music, as it is the new Wildcard.
For more great new music follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
Wildcard (week 8):
Bonnie McKee – Sleepwalker
As an artist in her own right Bonnie McKee may not (yet) be a household name, but I’m sure you know many of the songs she co-wrote. Most notably Dynamite by Taio Cruz, Hold It Against Me by Britney Spears and Katy Perry’s California Gurls, Teenage Dream, Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) and Roar.
After these hits, McKee signed a record deal with a major label. The first single under this contract, American Girl, was a hit in the summer of 2013. The next song she put out, Sleepwalker, was never an official single, although it did come with a (Thriller-like) video. Over four years later, the track (produced by her boyfriend Oliver Goldstein and German DJ Boys Noize) suddenly appears on the online platforms. “You asked for it, you got it”, McKee says about it on Instagram. “Sleepwalker is officially available for streaming and download by popular demand!”
Since this up-tempo slice of dance pop still sounds as great as ever, I decided to feature Sleepwalker by Bonnie McKee here prominently all week long as the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
For more great new music follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
Wildcard (week 7):
Shake Shake Go – Dinosaur
Poppy Jones, Marc Le Goff, Kilian Saubusse, and Virgile Rozand are from France and Wales, but their band Shake Shake Go is currently based in London. They started their career busking on the streets in Britain, perfecting their collection of pop folk anthems, and winning over hearts from all around the country. A proper European tour followed, where they shared stages with James Blunt and others.
Shake Shake Go’s debut single England Skies was a Top 10 hit in the European Border Breakers Chart, based on airplay in Spain, Austria, Switzerland, and Slovenia, while their first album All This Time fared pretty well in France. With new single Dinosaur, that presents a rockier sound, the band is now ready to sink its teeth in the rest of Europe.
Next week, Dinosaur by Shake Shake Go features prominently on the Carte Blanche Music blog as the new Wildcard. You can find all of them in the Wildcards 2018 playlist.
For more great new music follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
Wildcard (week 6):
We Are Scientists – One In, One Out
We Are Scientists is one of my favourite power pop duos from New York, so I was happy to read they finished their sixth studio album, the follow-up to Helter Seltzer, which contained the great single Buckle.
27 April, Keith Murray (vocals, guitar) and Chris Cain (bass) will release their next offering, Megaplex. The album was recorded with Ash singer Tim Wheeler and produced by Max Hart. The latter used to play keyboards in Katy Perry’s band, the same instrument he played in We Are Scientists before that. And talking of former band members: Razorlight’s Andy Burrows banged the drums for a couple of years.
This spring, We Are Scientists will tour extensively. End of March they start a European tour that will take them to 30 stages in two months’ time. Midway through this series of dates the album Megaplex comes out, containing ten colourful and infectious pop songs to brighten up our lives. One In, One Out is the first to be released. The most poppy single We Are Scientists put out so far, which will hopefully help them to broaden their reach.
To help them achieve this goal, One In, One Out features prominently on the Carte Blanche Music blog this week, as it’s the new Wildcard (all of which you can find in the Wildcards 2018 playlist). Enjoy!
For more great new music follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
Wildcard (week 5):
Fall Out Boy – Church
Does a band with hundreds of millions of streams and views to their name need a Carte Blanche Music review? Of course not. But on the other hand: this blog is about great new music, and Fall Out Boy happen to have made a great new song. ‘Great’ in every way: it’s fantastic, but it’s also full of grandeur. It’s epic. A cinematic track.
Fall Out Boy has never shied away from bombast, but with this new single they outdid themselves. Church is equal parts rock and gospel. Its lyrics go: “If you were a church, I’d get on my knees.” But what follows may very well be the loudest prayer ever.
Church by Fall Out Boy is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. You can find all of them in the Wildcards 2018 playlist. If you’re interested in how this song came about, you should definitely check out this video of Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump explaining the ‘making of’. If not, just enjoy the regular clip:
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
Wildcard (week 4):
The Nectars – Heaven
Guitar music may appear to be just a little less fashionable lately, but that doesn’t mean there are no fantastic rock songs around anymore. Last week, I recommended Heaven by The Nectars, and you received it with open arms. Apparently my comparing its sound with Transvision Vamp and early No Doubt triggered you to listen to it and enjoy it a lot.
This week, I’ll make it even easier for you to access the song, by featuring it here prominently as the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard (all of which you can find in the Wildcards 2018 playlist).
Heaven, only the New Jersey four-piece’s debut single, bursts with energy and attitude. Its message is sweet as honey, though. The track is meant to act as a reminder that ‘it’s never too late to free yourself and start living the life you want and deserve’.
With The Nectars as a band name, I predict a lot of buzzzzzzzz.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
Wildcard (week 3):
Paloma Faith – ‘til I’m Done
When Paloma Faith released her debut single Stone Cold Sober in 2009, it was immediately clear she was an incredible talent. But despite scoring hits in recent years like Can’t Rely On You (co-written by Pharrell Williams) and Only Love Can Hurt Like This, I was surprised to find out her fourth album The Architect was only her first to hit number one in her home country Great Britain.
The album already produced the singles Crybaby and Guilty, but I bet she’s third time lucky. Paloma Faith’s new single ‘til I’m Done sounds like it could do well everywhere: on the radio, in your car, on the dance floor and in the charts. This gospel disco stomper, that sneakily references Donna Summer’s (well, okay, Donna Summer’s version of Barry Manilow’s) Could It Be Magic, deserves to be a hit!
This week, Carte Blanche Music is the first place where ‘til I’m Done scores big. It features here prominently as the new Wildcard (all of which you can find in the Wildcards 2018 playlist).
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
Wildcard (week 2):
Shanguy – La Louze
I’m pretty sure this could be a huge international hit, if only it was promoted properly. You see, La Louze ticks all the right boxes: you can dance to it, you can sing along with it… For even though most of the lyrics are in French (difficile!), there is enough of English in strategic places. And that killer trumpet hook speaks the universal language of music.
Shanguy is a new project of French singer-songwriter Eon Melka, Italian DJ NRD1, and indie singer-songwriter Frank-O, who had successful careers of their own before. La Louze is only Shanguy’s first single, and it sounds like a hit to me (Alors On Danse, anyone?). The track is already heating up the European Border Breakers Chart, where it rockets from 100 to 57 this week, but it could do so much better…
Promotion starts here, as far as I’m concerned. The coming week, La Louze by Shanguy features prominently on Carte Blanche Music as the new Wildcard!
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
