Browsing Tag dance
Disciples – On My Mind
Disciples are a British production trio that reached the masses in 2015 via a collaboration with Calvin Harris on what became a worldwide Top 5 hit: How Deep Is Your Love. Their collab with David Guetta (No Worries) fared less well, but their new tune is a very smart one.
The track is all about the power of repetition. After three minutes there’s no denying what the title is: On My Mind. And that’s exactly where the song will stick for the rest of the day…
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.
Werner’s Weekly (week 9)
Last week, my container playlist Carte Blanche Music, with the best new music of 2017 so far, has been updated with tracks by The Amazons, Maggie Rogers, Nina June, Spoon and many others. But believe it or not, none of those great songs made my final selection of the very, very best tracks of the past seven days: Werner’s Weekly.
The ones that did make the cut, are listed below (in alphabetical order). Click on the links to read what I wrote about them when they first featured on this blog and if you want to listen to all six songs while reading about them, simply start the Werner’s Weekly Spotify player in the sidebar. You’ll be done in 20 minutes.
- MisterWives – Machine (this week’s Wildcard)
- Fishbach – Y Crois-Tu? (last week’s Wildcard)
- Can’t Swim – We Won’t Sleep
- Loyle Carner – Ain’t Nothing Changed
- Regina Spektor – Older And Taller
- TANA – Leave Away
Obviously, the above titles are a selection of a selection, since I’m not able to write about all the tracks that I add to my container playlist. If you want to hear them all, or if you want to make your own selection, click on the image in the sidebar, which will open the complete Carte Blanche Music playlist on Spotify.
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.
TANA – Leave Away
Do you like music in the vein of Disclosure and Chainsmokers, and are you looking for more in that genre, then you’ll probably like Ukrainian band TANA, from Kiev. That name is short for ‘The Active New Atmospheric music band’.
Frontwoman Tanya Stepanova is surrounded by musicians who play keys, electronic drums and guitars. So, obviously they play electronic music, covering subgenres like future bass, electronic chill-out and downtempo.
So far, TANA have only released one EP. You can find Broken on Spotify. As you’ll hear, it all sounds very modern. The most commercial track on the EP, Leave Away, even makes me think of CHVRCHES. Just check it out and you’ll be convinced!
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.
Tom Tyger – Dimini
Many people will only remember Guinea singer-songwriter Mory Kanté for his pan European number one hit Yé Ké Yé Ké, the first ever African single to sell over one million copies, back in 1988. Although he never repeated the success of this song (despite numerous remix versions), Kanté recorded a total of 11 albums.
The album Tamala/The Voyeur (2001) contained the track Dimini. You’ll immediately recognize it as a Mory Kanté track, although the production is somewhat more modern. Which isn’t strange of course, 13 years on…
French remixer Tom Tyger has updated the track once again and released this remix under his own name. Mory Kanté’s name is nowhere to be found. So, now that we’ve set the record straight, enjoy this cover. For that’s what it is…
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.
Sir Notch – Please Don’t Go (Sam Feldt Edit)
Sir Notch is a Dutch dance pop project surrounded by some mystery. It is unclear who is/are hiding behind that smiley face. As far as the summery new single Please Don’t Go is concerned, the credits reveal that Sir Notch likes to work with talented people. The track was written by Christon Kloosterboer (who appeared on this blog before). He was also asked to sing the track. Furthermore, Sir Notch asked Sam Feldt to provide the radio edit. No wonder that radio’s response to the song is very positive.
Or for all you Spotify freaks out there:
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.
Werner’s Weekly (week 2)
Each Monday morning I’ll publish Werner’s Weekly on this blog. This might need a little explanation…
All the tracks that I recommend here (and more) appear in my container playlist Carte Blanche Music, as far as they’re available on Spotify. You’ll find this list by clicking on the image in the sidebar. The absolute highlights from this lot are selected for Werner’s Weekly, which is refreshed every Monday morning. This list (with no particular order, well, alphabetical order that is) is featured in the sidebar as well. But only one track can be the best of them all. This song is chosen as Wildcard, which will be announced on Wednesdays (Wildcard Wednesday, anyone?) and will feature prominently on top of my blog for one whole week.
That’s how it works. Now, hit the player in the sidebar to listen to the tracks in Werner’s Weekly while reading about them by clicking the links below… Enjoy!
- Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Wild Forever
- Christon feat. Maxime Barlag – Perfect World
- Dua Lipa – Thinking ‘bout You
- The Gift (feat. Brian Eno) – Clinic Hope
- Hifi Sean feat. Crystal Waters – Testify
- The Little Kicks – Goodbye Enemies, Hello Friends
- Ozark Henry – A Dream That Never Stops
- Public Service Broadcasting – Go! (Live At Brixton)
- Twin Peaks – Disappear
- Young Gun Silver Fox – Lolita
Apart from these highlights the Carte Blanche Music playlist also contains songs from Alex Clare, Bastille, Deep Sea Arcade, London Grammar, Sia and The XX, to name but a few.
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.
Hifi Sean feat. Crystal Waters – Testify
If ‘danceable gospel blues’ is not a genre, Hifi Sean just invented it. Hifi who? Hifi Sean. His real name is Sean Dickson and you may or may not know him as the frontman of The Soup Dragons (whose Rolling Stones cover I’m Free is still a classic in my book). With The High Fidelity he released the even more enjoyable Scream If You Want To Go Faster, co-produced by Arthur Baker.
And now Hifi Sean is back with yet another banger: Testify, that vaguely resembles Fatboy Slim’s Praise You. The singer on the track is Crystal Waters, who scored 90’s hits in her own right, such as Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless) and 100% Pure Love.
Testify is one of the tracks on Hifi Sean’s new solo album Ft.. This is short for ‘featuring’, since the album contains collaborations with Yoko Ono, Bootsy Collins, Fred Schneider (The B-52’s), Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub) and many more.
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.
Carte Blanche Top 2016
Is there a better way to introduce myself and this new music blog than via a year-end chart? Last year in my Carte Blanche radio show I played over 800 new tracks, all of which you can find in this 2016 container playlist (subject to availability). Only 100 of them made it to the Carte Blanche Top 2016.
Some random statistics:
- After the usual suspects – Great-Britain (34) and United States (19) – the Netherlands deliver most entries (9), followed by Sweden (8), Belgium (6), Australia (5), Norway and France (4 each)
- 42% of all lead vocals are sung by women, which is unique compared to other radio stations
- There are more rock tracks in (the upper regions of) the Carte Blanche Top 2016 than in your average year-end chart
- The same goes for acts that were already successful 10, 20, even 30 years ago, proving they are still relevant today
If you want, you can listen to my radio show (in Dutch) containing the Top 30 of my year-end chart. Meanwhile you can browse through the complete list below. Enjoy!
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.
Werner’s Weekly (week 46)
Van de hele stapel nieuwe releases kregen er 14 afgelopen week het stempel ‘Werner Tipt’, met bijbehorende vermelding in de gelijknamige Spotify-playlist. Nog nooit gehoord van Fews, Washington of Escondido, maar wel nieuwsgierig hoe die klinken? Dan weet je waar je moet zijn. Vaults, Alex Clare, Imagine Dragons, Emeli Sandé en Liv zijn enkele van de artiesten die hen daar gezelschap houden. Maar alleen de crème de la crème van de toekomstmuziek heeft Werner’s Weekly gehaald…
She’s American van The 1975 is al sinds maart van dit jaar in Carte Blanche te horen. Eerst als singlesuggestie van hun album I Like It When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It en nu ook als echte single. In Engeland althans, want in Nederland komt de band niet echt van de grond. Jammer, want She’s American is een heerlijk radioliedje. Daarom is ‘ie deze week de Carte Blanche Remschijf!
Afgelopen week draaide ik Fountains van Uncle Frank al en toen viel me pas goed op hoe lekker die op de radio klinkt. Die zouden meer mensen eens de zender op moeten slingeren. Daarom zet ik het nummer deze week in de etalage die Werner’s Weekly heet. Ook Find Me van Sigma feat. Birdy promoveert deze week vanuit de Werner Tipt-lijst naar het hoogst haalbare op nieuwe-muziekgebied ;-).
Al sinds hun debuut uit 1998 ben ik een fan van de Spaanse band La Oreja De Van Gogh. Niet iedereen kan hun (pop)muziek waarderen, al was het maar omdat het niet zo lekker meezingt. La Planeta Imaginario, hun 7e studioalbum, is ook niet hun sterkste, maar de track Pálida Luna zou een goeie single zijn. In elk geval in de Spaanstalige wereld. Luister maar…
Dan San is een zesmansband uit de Belgische industriestad Luik, wat wellicht de melancholische, soms dromerige sfeer van hun muziek verklaart. Ook de samenwerking met producer Yann Arnaud (o.a. Air) kan daaraan bijgedragen hebben. Hun indrukwekkende nieuwe single heet Ocean.
Half januari komt The xx met hun derde album I See You. De eerste single daarvan heet On Hold. Die kwam naar eigen zeggen moeizaam tot stand, totdat ze een sample toevoegden uit I Can’t Go For That van Hall & Oates, die de losse onderdelen samensmolt waaruit het nummer tot dan toe bestond.
Met I’ll Make It Worth Your While van het Londens drietal Artificial Pleasure maak ik deze week de cirkel rond. Het nummer, hun debuutsingle, heeft iets weg van Love Me van The 1975 (en dus van David Bowie’s Fame). Ook Talking Heads klinken erin door. Een superliedje en een dikke tip voor mijn andere radiocollega’s.
Het hele – uiterst bescheiden – bovenstaande lijstje vind je uiteraard terug in mijn Spotify-playlist Werner’s Weekly. En al mijn inmiddels ruim 700 aanraders van dit jaar staan in de lijst Werner Tipt. Als je die zo sorteert, dat de laatste toevoegingen bovenaan staan, verschijnen mijn recentste suggesties pal onder je neus. Snuffel er maar eens aan! (en de playlists volgen is natuurlijk helemaal leuk…)
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.
Werner’s Weekly (week 40)
Als je geen tijd of zin hebt om elke dag de nieuwe toevoegingen op Spotify te checken, kan ik je misschien van dienst zijn. In Werner’s Weekly verzamel ik elke vrijdag de tofste nieuwe releases van de afgelopen zeven dagen, in random volgorde. Als de lijst je aanstaat, raad ik je aan die te volgen, zodat je geen update mist. Want volgende week is het overzicht weer 100% anders…
De Pixies zijn deze week in feite dubbel vertegenwoordigd: met een fijne track van hun nieuwe album Head Carrier, Classic Masher, en met de nieuwe single van Admiral Freebee. Het nummer Kim Basinger (dat al eerder getipt werd door vaste Carte Blanche-luisteraar Marcel van Driel) is namelijk een ode aan de Pixies.
Ook uit de lage landen: de nieuwe single van Noémie Wolfs (het titelstuk van haar album Hunt You), het openingsnummer en mijn singlesuggestie van Blaudzun zijn nieuwe album Jupiter (Everything Stops) en Model Depose. Deze Groningse newwaveband heeft een nieuwe mix van Particles (hun bijdrage aan een kunstproject van het Groninger Museum, eind 2015) op single uitgebracht.
Closer van Lemaitre is weliswaar al bijna anderhalf jaar in Carte Blanche te horen en werd in die tijd 23 miljoen keer op Spotify gestreamd, maar het nummer wordt nu ook gebruikt onder de commercial van Google’s Pixel-telefoon die in drie dagen 6 miljoen keer werd bekeken. Eens kijken of er nu mensen wakker worden.
Ook opvallend deze week is Placebo. Zij brengen vandaag twee releases uit: de cd A Place For Us To Dream (die al hun singles van de afgelopen 20 jaar verzamelt, bizar genoeg op de single Twenty Years na) en de EP Life’s What You Make It, waarvan het titelnummer een cover is van de Talk Talk-klassieker.
Alle 13 muzikale hoogtepunten van deze week vind je in Werner’s Weekly en in mijn uitgebreidere playlist Werner Tipt staan er zelfs nog meer. Volgen stel ik zeer op prijs.
Enjoy!
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.
