Browsing Tag folk
Alex The Astronaut – Split The Sky
Split The Sky is Aussie singer, songwriter and storyteller Alex The Astronaut’s new single. It follows her former Carte Blanche Music Wildcard I Think You’re Great. Both tracks will appear on her upcoming debut album The Theory Of Absolutely Nothing.
Alex (full name: Alexandra Lynn), wrote Split The Sky from her experience of caring for someone close to her in a time of sickness. It was an overwhelming experience (“I wanted to go back to childhood joy and stop all this adult stuff from happening”, she says) but it was one that gave her a new perspective on life. “I think this song is also a message of hope. No matter what happens, you can go on to joy, happiness and calm – it just takes time.”
The song comes with a unique video, stitched together from footage from Alex’s previous music videos. Her solution to not being able to shoot a new clip amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
Recommended as well:
Alex The Astronaut – I Think You’re Great
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Papooz – Figs And Gorgonzola
Rhythm guitarist Armand Penicaut and vocalist/lead guitarist Ulysse Cottin are Papooz. They met whilst studying Literature at the Sorbonne university in their home city of Paris. Since forming the band, they reinvented themselves with every new album. Their debut Green Juice was light and fresh, but follow-up Night Sketches was more groovy.
On new single Figs And Gorgonzola, they replace the synths and groovy bass with piano and a lush guitar. This makes for a more folky approach. One could easily mistake Papooz for an American band, but they’re decidedly French. And still, this new single fits perfectly in their earlier output. Probably because of their trademark androgynous voices. Hopefully a third album is on its way.
Recommended as well:
Papooz – Theatrical State Of Mind
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Werner’s Weekly (week 50)
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:
- Julie Zenatti – Tout Est Plus Pop (Wildcard this week)
- Sebu – The Secret Is Out [Lucas Vidal Arrangement] (Wildcard last week)
- Corine – Un Air De Fête À Tokyo [Japanese Version]
- Fitz & The Tantrums – I Just Wanna Shine
- North Parade – Keepthingscasual
- Peggy Sue – Validate Me
- Spacey Jane – Head Cold
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: Alanis Morissette, Polish Club, Regina Spektor, and many more.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Peggy Sue – Validate Me
When I was on holiday last October, Peggy Sue released the great single Motorcade. I didn’t get to write about it, but it’s still worth checking out, obviously. Now, the London duo come up with follow-up track Validate Me. A folky rock song, with a fresh lead melody, backed with fuzzy guitars.
Katy Young of the duo says: “We were listening to a lot of Ramones, and female bands that borrow from them – like Colleen Green and Vivian Girls. Validate Me takes inspiration from the way they can combine sweet and vulnerable and seething and heavy all in one track. This song owns up to a set of emotions that aren’t particularly empowering – to getting validation from someone else’s desire for you. But there’s something empowering about admitting to them.”
Motorcade and Validate Me, along with their 2017 single Slow Fade, will appear on Peggy Sue’s next album Vices. Released on 21 February 2020, it will be their first long-player in 6 years’ time.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Werner’s Weekly (week 39)
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:
- Mélodie Lauret – 23h28 (Wildcard this week)
- Devon – I Don’t Want 2 B Ur Friend (Wildcard last week)
- Ali Barter – January
- Elsa Birgitta Bekman – Desire Lines
- Grace Potter (feat. Lucius) – Back To Me
- Rick Astley – Every One Of Us
- Sitting On Stacy – Chest Hair
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: Stereophonics, Sunset Sons, Tove Lo, and many more.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Elsa Birgitta Bekman – Desire Lines
Elsa Birgitta Bekman is a Dutch singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music video director/producer with French and Swedish roots. She fronted Dutch soul band The Tibbs, whose great single Lies featured here two years ago. Currently, she’s pursuing a solo project based on the music that’s closest to her heart. Key words are nostalgic, melancholic and romantic.
Her debut album Once In My Life will be out in May 2020. Following its title track, Desire Lines is the long-player’s second single. It comes with a magical video, that took Bekman (and her frequent collaborator and videographer Harmen Commandeur) two years to make. The clip is recorded in Sweden and shows her parental home both as it is and in the form of a doll house. The characters in the video switch between real humans and dolls as well. Very much worth 5 minutes of your time!
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Jay Som – If You Want It
Last summer, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Jay Som drove onto my radar on her Superbike. A few weeks ago, she released her third album Anak Ko (which means ‘my child’ in the Filipino language). A completely self-produced and -engineered affair.
Now, the 25-year-old (real name: Melina Dutertre) serves the next single off it: If You Want It. Equal parts pop and folk, this is a very accessible song, with a fun, psychedelic twist half a minute before the end.
Music directors and playlist curators who are up for something original should listen. If you’re the Top 40/dime a dozen type, don’t even bother and spin another boring hit…
Recommended as well:
Jay Som – Superbike
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Werner’s Weekly (week 36)
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:
- Lush Puppy – Ms. Grey (Wildcard this week)
- Nicolah – Holiday (Wildcard last week)
- Ana & The Changes – Differences
- beabadoobee – She Plays Bass
- Raffaella – Ballerina
- Union Duke – 123
- Zuzu – Get Off [2019 Version]
Click the links for more info and listen to each of the tracks via the Werner’s Weekly player below. Only Differences by Ana & The Changes is not available on Spotify yet.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist. Also added last week: Cigarettes After Sex, Sheryl Crow & St. Vincent, Beth Hart, Alphabeat, Sløtface, and many more.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Union Duke – 123
For American artists combining genres like country, folk, pop and rock, the term ‘Americana’ was invented. So why not call this melting pot ‘Canadiana’ when served up by musicians from Canada? Union Duke is a great example of an act qualifying for this umbrella genre.
Following the release of their second album Golden Days, in 2016, the band have been touring constantly. Thereafter, they went into the studio, ready to share their lessons learned. They came out with a tape full of songs about love, distance, heartache and revelry. These will come out over the coming months.
123 is their fourth single in 2019 already. Union Duke explain: “The original plan was to write a balls-to-the-wall drinking diddy with shades of psychedelia and no social commentary. Apparently, we’re too jaded for that now. Pretty quickly, it turned into a song about being young and getting drunk as a desperate act of escapism.”
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I 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:
- Tape Toy – Sad Girl (Wildcard this week)
- Baker Grace – Sad Summer (Wildcard last week)
- Kesha – Best Day [Angry Birds 2 Remix]
- Lola Marsh – Echoes
- Prince – Holly Rock
- Sheppard – Kiss My Fat Ass
- Wallis Bird – Salve!
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: Haim, Nouvelle Vague feat. Julie Delpy, MisterWives, and many more.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.