Carte Blanche Music

This is Werner’s Weekly, your compass to the music that matters, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:

Clara Luciani – Respire Encore (Wildcard this week)
Self Esteem – How Can I Help You (Wildcard last week)
Breakaway – I’m Feeling Dead
Certain Animals – Younger Than Now
Halsey – Honey
King Stingray – Milkumana
Louis Berry – Are You Alone?

Click the links for more info and listen to each of the tracks via the Werner’s Weekly player below.

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist. Also added last week: Andy Grammer, Royal Blood, The Vaccines, and more.

single track

Alice Merton – Island

September 11th, 2021

Two years after (finally) dropping her debut album Mint – who’s first single No Roots dated from 2016 – the wonderful Alice Merton is back with new music. Having dropped the track Vertigo in April, she now comes with two songs at once. Hero and Island are a good old-fashioned double A-side single.

Although not the song that’s being pushed at radio, Island is my favourite of the two. And I bet my radio friends will agree with me. With its restless drums, a dramatic hook and a distorted guitar riff, Island has a nervous, anxious rock energy.

In an interview with Flood magazine, the singer says about releasing two tracks simultaneously: “I decided to put out two songs, partly because I see Island as the prequel to Hero. I keep thinking if ‘hope’ was a spectrum, Island and Hero would be at opposite ends. Island showcases a desperate need for survival, whereas Hero confronts a realistic and slightly pessimistic fate, waving the white flag and admitting to its defeat.”

Follow Alice Merton on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

indie | pop | rock

cover, single track

Alessia Cara & The Warning – Enter Sandman

September 11th, 2021

Alongside the 30^th Anniversary Edition of their self-titled ‘black album’, Metallica released The Metallica Blacklist. This 4-CD set contains covers of black album tracks by artists like Juanes, Weezer, Sam Fender, Royal Blood, Biffy Clyro, J. Balvin, Chase & Status, Volbeat and Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan. Some of these are truly awful, but don’t take my word for it. You could better tempt you ears yourself…

Meanwhile, some of them are really good as well. I was rather charmed by Miley Cyrus, Watt, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujilo & Chad Smith’s version of Nothing Else Matters, for instance. The cover album’s opener is equally strong. The first track you’ll hear when you put it on, is Enter Sandman by Alessia Cara & The Warning. No way you’ll fall asleep to this one. Although the epic guitar hook is unmistakable, the ladies give the well-known hit their own spin. Alessia Cara fans especially should brace themselves. Throughout, the track is very well sung.

Just in case you didn’t know: The Warning are three sisters from Monterrey, México. Daniela Villarreal plays the guitar and shares the lead vocals with Cara, while drummer Paulina Villarreal and bass player Alejandra Villarreal both provide backing vocals as well. All four of the artists will donate their portion to Save The Children. A job well done in more ways than one.

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

rock

album track

Annie – April

September 11th, 2021

Norwegian pop princess Annie just put out her new EP Neon Nights. It features five tracks. Two of those were released before: her cover of The Jesus & Mary Chains’ Just Like Honey and a collab with Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears. Also present on this EP: Annie’s version of Patrick Swayze’s She’s Like The Wind.

My favourite however, is April. She made this track with frequent collaborator Richard X. He co-wrote, produced and arranged the song. I find it hard to decide whether Annie’s voice is warm or cool, but as always, it fits the electro-pop backdrop like a glove. In the verses I hear an echo of You’ve Got It Bad by Ocean Colour Scene, which is never a bad thing.

All in all, a great track that deserves to be put out as a single!

Follow Annie on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

electronic | indie | pop

single track

Lucy Daydream – Where I Need To Be

September 11th, 2021

Already moving on from their recent second EP of the year, Enter The Luce-Verse, Lucy Daydream just released a great new gem. Where I Need To Be is a guitar-driven pop song. Although the upbeat track would sound great on the radio, most contemporary stations aren’t adventurous enough to please their listeners with this kind of songs. But who needs radio anymore to discover great new music?

Lucy Daydream are Paige Duché and Ross Ryan Edsall from Denver, Colorado. They met in the Spring of 2017 when Duché covered one of Edsall’s original works on YouTube. After reconnecting almost a year later, they started writing songs together. Looking at how prolific they are, they appear to be on a roll.

They don’t only write their own songs by the way. In true DIY spirit, they also produce, mix and release them, as well as filming and editing the music videos.

Recommended as well:
Lucy Daydream – Fast Forward

Follow the duo on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

indie | pop | rock

single track

The Vanns – Feels Good Now

September 11th, 2021

Australian artists are on a roll. I could easily write about Aussi acts only. Here’s another uplifting track from down under which I love, by South Coast band The Vanns. Feels Good Now is their second new track since releasing their debut album Through The Walls in 2019. Following a melancholic opening minute it bursts open wide with playful drum patterns, electric guitars, and a groovy bass.

They’re saving the best for last however. The song’s long outro has a truly nostalgic ‘70s sound. Lead guitarist Cameron Little explains: “The song was originally meant to finish with a fade out, but we were having too much fun playing it for it to end so soon. We wrote (and I use that term loosely) the jam at the end of the song at the last minute, before we got in the studio and tracked it.”

He continues: “Thematically, Feels Good Now is about taking a risk on something that you feel needs to change in your life despite any anxieties, apprehensions, and reasons why you tell yourself you shouldn’t; and actually pulling it off and feeling all the better for it.”

Follow The Vanns on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

indie | pop | rock

single track

MeLLLo – Crown

September 11th, 2021

Marsheaux are a synthpop duo from Athens, Greece. It was formed in Athens in 2003 by vocalists, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Marianthi Melitsi and Sophie Sarigiannidou. The name Marsheaux is derived from the first syllable of each band member’s name. If you like acts like Depeche Mode, OMD, Ladytron, Hurts and The Human League, you really need to check out Marsheaux.

Both members also have solo projects. Sophie’s is called Aspra, and Marianthi named hers MeLLLo. The latter just released a new single, and it’s brilliant. Crown incorporates the best elements of all of the acts mentioned above and then some. An upbeat, uplifting and very powerful tune!

Follow MeLLLo on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

electronic | indie | pop

single track

Liberty – Troye Sivan

September 11th, 2021

Don’t be mistaken, this article isn’t about a new track called Liberty by Aussi superstar Troye Sivan. It’s the exact opposite, as you might have expected when an artist from the other side of the world is involved. So, let’s talk about Liberty…

Liberty is the artist name of Danish indie-pop artist Mattias Kolstrup. He is the former lead singer of innovative electro-rock outfit Dúné. As a solo artist, he channels the power of rock, introvert pop and the energy of a long lost punk-era in his music and style. Since releasing his solo debut album Haven’t Felt This Great Since 1988 last year, he put out five new tracks. His up-tempo single Troye Sivan is the latest of the bunch.

Kolstrup explains: ”This is a song about my – not so secret – man crush on the one and only, Troye Sivan. (…) While writing it, it somehow took a life on it’s own incorporating themes of the historic religious opposition to the idea of people of the same sex finding each other attractive. Cause after all: what’s Jesus got to do with it? It’s all in the spirit of love, fascination and life.”

Follow Liberty on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

pop | rock

single track

Thunder Fox – Not For Sale

September 11th, 2021

If you like your music smooth and funky – think Stevie Wonder, Prince or Justin Timberlake – please meet Thunder Fox. They’re a band from Sydney, consisting of Sam Dawes (vocals/guitar), Jesse Tachibana (trumpet/vocals/synth), Travers Keirle (saxophone/vocals) and Max Vallentine (drums). Also, new single Not For Sale marks the first contribution a bass player Casey Allan. His input is undeniable on this swinging cut.

Dawes acknowledges this in a comment about the song. He states: “Not For Sale is our introduction to Thunder Fox’s new sound. Casey, being a relatively new addition to the band at the time, brought with him a synth bass and a set of fingers carved by the Gods. Man, he had such a groove on that pile of plastic, the rest of us were floored. We wanted to write something dark, but funky (duh), and bad boy Casey had just the stuff.“

Their second single of 2021, Not For Sale is set to appear on the band’s next album Sanctuary. It’ll be out later this year.

Follow Thunder Fox on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

funk | indie | pop

single track, wildcard

Wildcard (week 36):
Clara Luciani – Respire Encore

September 8th, 2021

When I first wrote about Clara Luciani, over three years ago, she was an upcoming French singer. By now, we may conclude she delivered on the promise. For those in doubt: just listen to her new album Coeur (‘heart’). It’s a record that was born out of a profound love for 1960s and ‘70s music, but in the meantime firmly planted in the 2020s. That’s French DJ Breakbot’s contribution to the project. He adds a modern touch to Luciani’s retro influences.

When the album came out mid-June, I already recommended album cut Respire Encore (‘breathe again’). A great example of this nu-disco sound. It features a prominent bass and funky guitar riffs, as well as a beautiful string arrangement, played by no less than 18 violinists. Backing vocals are provided by Clara’s older sister Lea Luciani, who was the subject of earlier single Ma Soeur.

Lyrically, Respire Encore is an ode to post-lockdown life. “I wrote this song to convince myself that happier days were coming“, the artist explains. At Carte Blanche Music, we’d like to bring those happier days a little bit closer.

Now the triumphant track has been released as Luciani’s official new single, we’ve chosen Respire Encore as our new Wildcard. This means it’ll feature here prominently for a whole week! Even better: it’s the 1.900^th Wildcard since I started choosing one on a weekly basis. Easy Lover by Philip Bailey & Phil Collins was the first one, back in 1985!

Follow Clara Luciani on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

In the Wildcards 2021 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.

disco | indie | pop

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