Browsing Tag electronic
Wildcard (week 32):
Altered By Mom – Walking With The Enemy
As you may have noticed, Australia and Canada are currently two of my favourite sources of exciting new music. Altered By Mom are from Toronto.
The project started as an excuse for producer/songwriter Devon Lougheed to play with some of his favourite musicians from all across Canada. But it really took shape with the permanent addition of Gina Kennedy (bass/vocals) and Jamie Williamson (drums). Well, not really permanently actually, for in 2020, Altered By Mom are a duo consisting of Lougheed and Kennedy. In general, they play all instruments themselves.
Long before Corona kicked in, the band set a goal for themselves: they would release a song a week this year. That’s 52 songs. In other words: quite a lot! Still, they manage to maintain a high standard, combining a knack for infectious melodies and classic song-writing with a quirky sense of humour and a tongue-in-cheek post-grunge aesthetic. They describe themselves as ‘like Sloan had a baby with Barenaked Ladies… and then that baby stole your cigarettes’.
Walking With The Enemy is the pair’s latest single. Or, by the time you read this, they’ll probably have released a follow-up already. But Walking With The Enemy is a song worth servicing to radio stations and playlist curators. It’s an above par track which starts with an ‘80s, Neue Deutsche Welle kind of synth, before the drum kicks in. What follows is a tune so catchy, it deserves to be a hit (whatever that may mean these days).
As I like to put my money where my mouth is, Walking With The Enemy by Altered By Mom is this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
Recommended as well:
Altered By Mom – Hear That Sound
In the Wildcards 2020 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.
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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Werner’s Weekly (week 32)
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:
- The Magic Gang – Make Time For Change (Wildcard this week)
- Crimer – Eyes Off Me (Wildcard last week)
- Alfie Templeman – Things I Thought Were Mine
- Bloxx – Off My Mind
- Everything Everything – Violent Sun
- Machine Gun Kelly – Bloody Valentine
- Yours Truly – Together
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: Bastille feat. Graham Coxon, Biffy Clyro, Semisonic, Snow Patrol & The Saturday Songwriters and 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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Sycco – Dribble
Emerging Australian singer-songwriter Sasha McLeod goes by the stage name Sycco, which is pronounced as ‘psycho’. Her new single Dribble is only her fifth since she came to the scene with her debut track Starboard Square in 2018. From that moment on, her songs have kept evolving, just like the number of streams, as well as her sound.
Dribble is an irresistible, easy-going pop tune with an electronic arrangement at its core. It also flirts with neo-soul, while Sycco’s smooth vocals flow on top of the beat. The Brisbane artist explains: “This track was written in four hours. [Producer] Ed and I were tired and hungover, which maybe explains why it sounds a little dark. The guitar synth was added at the last minute but I can’t imagine the song without it now”.
Sycco enjoys massive support from Australia’s alternative radio station Triple J. Earlier this year, she was one of 17 talented artists from all over the country to win a Triple J Unearthed ‘Level Up’ grant. The prize comes with $7.000, to be spent on ‘things that will level up their music career’, like musical instruments, home studio recording equipment or software, mixing and mastering costs, music video production, etc.
Money well spent by Triple J, I’d say. It’s quite clear this girl, only 18 years old, has a bright future ahead of her.
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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Werner’s Weekly (week 31)
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:
- Crimer – Eyes Off Me (Wildcard this week)
- Doves – Prisoners (Wildcard last week)
- Ferraro – Fool’s Paradise
- Gracie Abrams – Friend
- Oscar Lang – Apple Juice
- Sam & Sounds – Cloud 9
- The Go! Team – Cookie Scene
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: Anne-Marie feat. Doja Cat; Inge van Calkar; mercy, merci and 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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Wildcard (week 30):
Crimer – Eyes Off Me
Did you like recent The Weeknd singles Blinding Lights and In Your Eyes? Then look no further for your next favourite song. Eyes Off Me is a new track by Crimer, a Swiss singer who deserves to conquer the world with this one.
In his own country, his career has already taken off in a big way. He reached #2 in the Swiss charts with his debut album Leave Me Baby, containing most tracks off his EP’s Leave, Me and Baby. Also, he won the ‘Best Talent’ gong at the Swiss Music Awards 2018.
Previously singing with a baritone voice, Crimer re-invented himself for his new single. Written in just 5 hours during a song-writing camp in Berlin, Eyes Off Me combines his effortless vocals with rousing retro synths. This results in a fresh and exciting electronic pop track with a euphoric ‘80s vibe.
Radio stations and curators who featured The Weeknd, but ignore Crimer, aren’t worth their salt. This week, Carte Blanche Music has its eyes on him, as Eyes Off Me is the new Wildcard. May more well-deserved attention follow!
In the Wildcards 2020 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.
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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Werner’s Weekly (week 29)
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:
- Grace Farriss – All The People (Wildcard this week)
- Noga Erez – No News On TV (Wildcard last week)
- Alice & Moi – T’aimerais Que Ce Soit Vrai
- Esteban – Suburban Paradise
- Killboy – That’s OK I’ll Just Fuck Myself
- La Oreja De Van Gogh – Te Pareces Tanto A Mí
- Nikki & The Waves – Shirts
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: James Bay, San Cisco, The Goo Goo Dolls, and 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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Werner’s Weekly (week 28)
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:
- Noga Erez – No News On TV (Wildcard this week)
- Baxtr – Bloom (Wildcard last week)
- Joan – Want U Back
- Liela Moss – Atoms At Me
- Plants & Animals – House On Fire
- Roads To Roam – Firework
- The Radar Station – The Giant
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: Ben Folds, Cold War Kids, Honne, The Kooks, Paul Weller, Semisonic, The Veronicas, and 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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Alice & Moi – T’aimerais Que Ce Soit Vrai
Alice & Moi is the French equivalent of ‘me, myself and I’. It’s the stage name of Parisian artist Alice Vanor. As a young girl she sung Vanessa Paradis songs in front of the mirror, and in 2020 she’s living the dream.
With her sugar-coated electro-pop songs and her sensual voice, she’s built quite a career already. Especially online. Her first single Filme Moi, for instance, racked up 4,5 million Spotify streams in 3 years’ time. It was the title track of her first EP in 2017. Her second EP Frénésie came out two years later. Keeping the intervals constant, her début album will finally come out in early 2021.
T’aimerais Que Ce Soit Vrai is Alice & Moi’s new single. An up-tempo, sunny song once again, that will go down well with her growing army of fans. The colourful video reminds us in a funny way that there’s a difference between Instagram and the real world. Hence the track’s title, which translates as ‘you’d love it to be real’.
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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Wildcard (week 27):
Noga Erez – No News On TV
Noga Erez is one of Israel’s few breakthrough indie stars and one of the country’s most hyped artists. Combining electronic and pop music, she works in collaboration with her partner and co-writer, composer and producer Ori Rousso.
Currently writing and producing her sophomore album, the Tel-Aviv based artist just released its second single. No News On TV is an up-beat bop the pair wrote during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s Erez’s warning against apathy and giving into paralysis and fear, especially now when there is so much to care about.
She says about it: “This song was written during a period where I had more time than I’ve had in a decade. I was able to sit down and work my ass off on new music without any emails disturbing the silence. No notifications, nothing. I wanted to write a song that talked about that. I felt a deep need to imagine what it would be like to live in a world with no politics, money, grit, racism, or violence.” In summary, she calls it ‘an escape song’.
The summery track is held together by a catchy bass line that runs throughout the song, combined with electronic elements. Hearing this single reminded me of the first time I heard Imani Coppola’s single Legend Of A Cowgirl, back in 1997. It’s got the same kind of youthful naivety and joyful freshness to it. Also, Erez has a comparable vocal style, somewhere halfway singing and rapping, which is very endearing.
No News On TV by Noga Erez is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
In the Wildcards 2020 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Wildcards so far.
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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Plants & Animals – House On Fire
Plants & Animals are a Montreal-based trio, consisting of guitarist/vocalists Warren Spicer and Nic Basque, and drummer/vocalist Matthew Woody Woodley. They have announced their first album in four years’ time. Entitled The Jungle, the self-produced record is set for release on 23 October.
House On Fire, a driving track peppered with bits of synth-y chaos, is the album’s new single. It combines indie and post-rock the way bands like my beloved Public Service Broadcasting do. Meanwhile, the vocals and harmonies immediately bring Talking Heads to mind.
The song was inspired by Spicer’s concern for a friend of his. The band explain: “We started working on this a couple of years ago. Warren was afraid for a friend’s health. He thought he was self-medicating too much and not taking care of himself. He couldn’t let go of this image of an overworked dude swallowing too many sleeping pills and falling asleep with the stove on. So it began as the place next door, sometime before Greta Thunberg turned the expression into a rallying cry, where Earth is the house and the people are sleeping. It’s terrifying, and on the whole we’re not unlike this friend, are we?”
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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
