Carte Blanche Music | Pagina 3 van 216 |

In the few years they’ve been active, French band Therapie Taxi attracted a large audience. Their single Hit Sale (feat. Roméo Elvis) especially, was a big, eh… hit. In its slipstream their same-titled debut album sold 170.000 pieces in France alone.

Therefore, the announcement of the group disbanding came as quite a surprise last December. Luckily, they recorded a last EP to say goodbye. Also, a final tour is planned for next summer.

Therapie Taxi’s final EP Rupture 2 Merde is out now. It contains seven electronic pop songs, just what their fans were waiting for. Eté 90 is the band’s last single. Enjoy it while it lasts…

Recommended as well:
Candide Crush
Cri Des Loups
Hit Sale (feat. Roméo Elvis)

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

cover, single track

Cold Years (feat. RR Gospel Choir) – Good As Hell

January 9th, 2021

One way to recognize a really good song is by listening to cover versions in other genres. If the cover holds up, the original was a really good song. At least, that’s my experience. Judged by that criterion, Lizzo’s Good As Hell is one for the books. The original version, released in 2016, was great already, as was the Remix featuring Ariana Grande in 2019.

Now, Aberdeen quartet Cold Years put out a rocking version of the track, which still sounds ace. This is in part thanks to them giving the RR Gospel Choir a prominent place in the rocky mix. Deservedly so, for this is not your average gospel choir. They worked with the likes of George Michael, Taylor Swift, Iggy Pop and Stormzy before.

Cold Years realized the track in association with the Scottish Association for Mental Health. The band also released a limited edition t-shirt, with all profits going to SAMH.

Speaking of the new cover, frontman Ross Gordon says: “We really wanted to do something for people who are struggling right now. This pandemic has ruined everyone’s perceptions of themselves and the outside world. (…) We adore Lizzo, she’s one of the most incredibly talented people on this earth and her music brings so much joy to the soul. She has done so much for self-love & empowerment, something the world needs more of rather than bringing each other down.”

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

indie | rock

single track

Lucy Spraggan – Animal

January 9th, 2021

The public first got to know Lucy Spraggan in 2012, when she participated shortly in ‘The X Factor’. But before that, she already had her self-released debut album out (which got wings after the TV show). It also resulted in the young singer-songwriter becoming a well-known female champion for the LGBTQ community.

Nine years later, Spraggan is about to put out her sixth long-player Choices, due for release on 26 February. As always, the songs were inspired by her own experiences, and the humourous lyrics breathe her personality. Choices gives an insight in an artist who has matured and grown, both musically and personally.

After the release of Flowers, Sober, Roots, and Run (in 2020), Spraggan starts the new year with a new single. Animal is a song with Indian influences. Speaking on the track, she says: “I do a lot of skipping, ‘cause I do a lot of working out and do a lot of weight lifting. My favourite thing to skip to is Bollywood music. It’s fucking sick! Bollywood music, bhangra music – we don’t have a Western rhythm like that. There’s so much energy and it makes me feel so passionate and alive. I was skipping and came in and just started writing that little guitar riff.”

Follow Lucy Spraggan on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

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

indie | pop | world

single track

L’Impératrice – Peur Des Filles

January 9th, 2021

L’Impératrice is a group of six musicians, founded in 2012 by keyboard player Charles de Boisseguin. Only three years later, the current frontwoman, vocalist Flore Benguigui, joined the band. Her soft and sensual way of singing – typically French – largely defined the sound of their 2018 debut album Matahari.

Its follow-up is on its way: L’Impératrice’s sophomore album Tako Tsubo will be out on 26 March. Tako Tsubo is the official name for broken-heart syndrome, which manifests itself by a deformation of the heart due to an intense emotion – a negative or positive one. The album contains 13 songs, four of which have already been released as singles: Fou/Exit, Voodoo?, and Anomalie Bleue.

The fifth single just came out: Peur Des Filles, which translates as ‘afraid of girls’. It’s a witty and sarcastic ode to femininity, including all of the elements the group is known for. It sits somewhere halfway disco and chanson, with a touch of funk. And of course, there’s Benguigui’s voice.

Peur Des Filles comes with an absurd and colourful video, directed by Aube Perrie (Angèle). The clip references ‘Mars Attacks’ as well as ‘60s horror movies.

Follow L’Impératrice on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

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

chanson | disco | funk | indie | pop

single track

The Vices – Looking For Faces

January 9th, 2021

Dutch band The Vices are gaining momentum in their home country. To prevent the attention from slacking, they’re quick to follow up their most recent single. Hot on the heels of In And Out, they now release Looking For Faces. A fierce and sharp rock song, which opens with a drum beat that sounds like a future sample staple. What follows is the band’s trademark mix of indie-pop and garage-rock, stuffed with catchy melodies.

Looking For Faces is the title track off the band’s first full album, out on 12 March. Frontman Floris van Luijtelaar says of their debut: “Looking For Faces is about finding your own face, and the journey that comes with it. The album is like a diary of a person observing life. It consists of raw thoughts and honest conversations that never lead to an easy solution. But are there answers at all in a world that keeps changing? Expect sharp contradictions, addiction in the broadest sense, and deep friendship, which might as well be the answer to all questions.”

Recommended as well:
The Vices – In And Out
The Vices – Life Grows

Follow The Vices on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

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

indie | rock

single track

The Awkward – Back

January 9th, 2021

In 2019, Dutch band Some Day announced their split, citing ‘creative differences’ as the main reason. Funny then, that three members (Jeroen Mooi, Brian Groot and Sen Caris) are now together in a new project: The Awkward. A fitting name, in that respect. Rashid Beltifa completes the quartet. In true DIY fashion, they do everything themselves, including their video clips.

As soon as Summer 2019, the four started writing and recording songs in their home studio. Scrapping their touring plans freed up their agendas and as a result, The Awkward were able to finish their debut album instead. Back is the third single to be released ahead of it. A smart mix of synth-pop and indie-pop, including random sounds they taped between recording sessions. The ‘80s meet the ‘90s.

The aerobics clip has little to do with the lyrics, but fits the energy of the song perfectly. Bring on that album!

Follow The Awkward on Facebook | Instagram | Spotify

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

indie | pop | rock

single track

Crooked Steps – Catherine

January 9th, 2021

2020 was off to a good start for Belgian rock band Crooked Steps. They were one of three winners of radio station Studio Brussel’s talent competition De Nieuwe Lichting (‘the new class’). They didn’t fully benefit from it though, because… well, you know. But I’m convinced their music will take them where they’d like to be, eventually.

New single Catherine is further proof of Crooked Steps’ infectious song-writing. It’s a classic rock song in every sense. It starts with a nostalgic guitar melody, which is quickly accompanied by a driving drum beat. Thanks to the added surf guitar, it ends up being an energetic, summer-y tune.

Catherine is about keeping your distance from someone you like. A good advice, not only in times of corona, but also after a difficult relationship. More new music will follow this Spring.

Follow Crooked Steps on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

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

indie | rock | surf

single track

Declan McKenna – Rapture

January 9th, 2021

Enthusiasm for British singer-songwriter Declan McKenna has been brewing for years. And he’s only 21. His quick rise to stardom started in 2015, when he won Glastonbury Festival’s Emerging Talent Competition. At that point, he had only just released his debut single Brazil, a protest song criticizing FIFA and the 2014 World Cup.

Last September, his second album Zeros came out. It’s clearly influenced by The Beatles, David Bowie and other musical legends from decades before he was even born. Zeros is an extremely strong album, especially for someone his age, and the track Rapture immediately stood out. Now, it’s his new single. A great slice of glammed-up indie-pop, with a chorus that’ll refuse to get out of your head.

McKenna explains: “Rapture – though it seems to touch on the current state of the world – was born early last year, and reflects some of my thoughts on the end of the world and the threats that humanity will face in the future, and on common fears for the future.”

Follow Declan McKenna on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

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

pop | rock

cover, single track, wildcard

Wildcard (week 4):
Tom Jones – Talking Reality Television Blues

January 7th, 2021

Tom Jones may be 80 years of age, after 58 years in the business he is still as relevant as ever. From It’s Not Unusual to Kiss to Sex Bomb, he always had a good nose for the musical trends. In that respect, it might seem odd that he’s chosen to record a covers album as his next project. The long-player, Surrounded By Time, will be out on 23 April. It features songs by Cat Stevens, Michael Kiwanuka, Tony Joe White and Bob Dylan.

Jones’ new single however, is a remake of Todd Snider’s Talking Reality Television Blues. But it’s unrecognizable. Snider’s version, only from 2019, was a two and a half minutes short country song. Jones stretches it out over six and a half minutes. His version has almost a Stone Roses drum shuffle, a Beck-like blues guitar and a Bob Dylan-style vocal. Other influences appear to come from acts like Baz Luhrmann, Radiohead and Public Service Broadcasting. Brilliant lyrics as well, by the way.

This week, Talking Reality Television Blues by Tom Jones is the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard, so you’ll find it at the top of the blog for a whole week!

Follow Tom Jones on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

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

blues | rock | spoken word

single track, wildcard

Wildcard (week 1): Philippine – Bah Non.

January 6th, 2021

In 2019, Gavin James recorded a version of his hit Always with Philippine. For most people it was their first acquaintance with the now 22-year-old French singer. Two years later, she hopes to reach an even larger audience. To accomplish that goal, she will battle with 11 other candidates to represent France at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021.

Philippine Zadéo will take part in the competition with her self-penned song Bah Non. She wrote it last summer after her relationship of several years ended badly. With this track, she wants to empower and encourage other people (no matter their gender) to say ‘no’ in situations where they feel vulnerable. An important message that deserves a large international audience.

For starters, Bah Non. by Philippine is this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!

Follow Philippine on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

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

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