Browsing Tag hip hop
You Me At Six – What’s It Like
You Me At Six’s latest album VI was quite a sonic departure from… well, anything you had heard from the band before. A great experiment as far as I’m concerned, which spawned some of their best songs to date. Now, they go even further…
What’s It Like is the quintet’s first new song since last year. This time, they add trap/hip hop influences to the electronic rock sound they developed last year. If that sounds deliciously kaleidoscopic on paper, just click the link of your choice below. You’ll hear it’s even better!
Frontman Josh Franceschi explains the song is the band ‘flexing their creative muscles’. “Combining our favourite genres and bringing them together in one track. For me lyrically, it’s looking at our society in parts in 2019. I definitely feel as though we are living in a time where we’ve lost our way a little bit. There are great innovators and pioneers which we can rely on, but there is also a feeling of the blind leading the blind and a lack of humility present. Within the title and the chorus I sort of poke fun at those who are libertines or self serving – ‘What’s it like being perfect all the time?’ Life’s not a competition, but people have a tendency to play it out that way.”
Recommended as well:
You Me At Six – Back Again
You Me At Six – 3AM
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.
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:
- Baker Grace – Sad Summer (Wildcard this week)
- Call Me Loop – Self Love (Wildcard last week)
- Bishop Briggs – Champion
- Charli XCX feat. Christine & The Queens – Gone
- Corine – Je Danse Le Mia
- Hemliga Klubben – Asshole
- Striking Matches – Boring
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: Feeder, Liam Gallagher, Tegan & Sara, 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.
Corine – Je Danse Le Mia
France has a rich tradition in rap and R&B. Like all over the world, these are the dominant genres in the country nowadays, but the history goes way back. In the ‘90s and ‘00s, these genres were very popular as well. And these are exactly the focus decennia of the upcoming album Back Dans Les Bacs, which compiles the biggest French rap and R&B songs, reprised by current French artists.
The first single off this album is Je Danse Le Mia by Carte Blanche Music favourite Corine. She featured here three times already. The original version, which sampled Give Me The Night by George Benson, was a huge hit for Iam in 1993. For her make-over, Corine drowns the song in her signature future disco funk, while keeping the classic sample intact. Meanwhile, she proves to be a very fine rapper herself. Great clip as well, by the way. A remake by the book!
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.
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:
- Frank Turner – Sister Rosetta (Wildcard this week)
- Miki Núñez – Celébrate (Wildcard last week)
- Imani Coppola – Lying To My Therapist
- Lizzo (feat. Gucci Mane) – Exactly How I Feel
- Pyro – F.O.M.O.
- Skunk Anansie – What You Do For Love
- Wyke van Weelden – Make You Mine
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:, The Brand New Heavies feat. N’Dea Davenport, Emeli Sandé, K.Flay, New Order, The Rembrandts, 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.
Lizzo (feat. Gucci Mane) – Exactly How I Feel
Born Melissa Jefferson, Lizzo lived in Detroit until she was nine, when she and her family moved to Houston. While growing up, she listened to gospel at home, took flute lessons, and played in her school’s marching band. She began rapping when she was 14. In recent years, she grew out to be a Carte Blanche Music favourite, scoring Wildcards with her singles Boys and Juice.
Lizzo’s third album Cuz I Love You is her major label debut. It sees her combining her musical roots with issues of race, sexuality, and body positivity, always displayed with humour and charisma. One of my favourite tracks on the album is Exactly How I Feel (featuring Gucci Mane). I’d love to see and hear this one pop up on playlists all over streaming services and radio stations!
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.
The LaFontaines – Switch Out The Light
The LaFontaines are one of the most exciting bands to emerge from Scotland in recent years. Their new single Switch Out The Light, the latest track to be taken from their just-released album Junior, is further proof of that.
The song combines infectious melodies with hard-hitting verses from frontman Kerr Okan. The track’s message of destroying the traits that prevent becoming a better person are underlined in the alarming video.
About the video, Kerr says: “With Switch Out The Light we find ourselves assuming the role of the underdog set against a backdrop of extreme circumstances. Visually it’s the darkest video we’ve ever created but the song in contrast, is a rousing call to arms aimed to ignite the fire within the underdog.”
Talking about the single, he adds: “This is the song I feel represents our band the most. Capturing the energy of what we do live and beating you over the head with it for three minutes and forty-nine seconds.”
Now, if you’ll allow me an unlikely (but accurate) comparison: the opening lines of Switch Out The Light bear a striking resemblance with Coldplay’s 2015 smash Hymn For The Weekend…
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.
Mamacita feat. Didy & Roy Paci – (Yo No Soy Tu) Nena
One of the things that make summer a bloody fine season, are summer hits. This might be a good contender for this year, I think…
Mamacita is an Italian collective of producers, DJ’s, MC’s and performers, which has its own radio show, releases compilation albums, hosts festivals, curates playlists and puts out songs. Their new single also features Dominican singer/dancer Didy and singer/trumpet player Roy Paci.
With Nena (which comes in an Italian and a Spanish version) the summer has officially started, as far as I’m concerned.
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.
Werner’s Weekly (week 24)
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:
- Rammstein – Ausländer (Wildcard this week)
- boy pablo – 50 Souls And A Discobowl (Wildcard last week)
- Lucy Spraggan – Today Was A Good Day
- Mosa – Losts And Founds
- Otherkin – On And On
- The Allergies feat. Andy Cooper – 2 Much!
- The New Nostalgia – Fragile Bones
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: Death Cab For Cutie, The Divine Comedy, Fatboy Slim, Jovanotti (with Dardust), Liam Gallagher, Machine Gun Kelly (with Yungblud & Travis Barker), Sofi Tukker & Bomba Estéreo, 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.
The Allergies feat. Andy Cooper – 2 Much!
The Allergies (a production/DJ outfit consisting of Rackabeat and Moneyshot, from Bristol, UK) are a busy bunch. Their stream of releases never seems to dry, they’re gigging all over the place, record podcasts and mixtapes, and make remixes of other people’s tunes (most recently of Get A Hold On This by Aldo Vanucci feat. Kylie Auldist)…
Next up is this great new single. 2 Much! is funky as hell, groovy as no other and full of vibes. It features Marietta Smith on vocals, Mr. Woodnote on sax, and of course lyrics by Andy Cooper, who is rapidly becoming The Allergies’ third member. Talking of speed: 2 Much! includes one of the fastest rap verses ever laid down. Ch-ch-check it out!
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.
Bomba Estéreo & Systema Solar – Carnavalera
Bomba Estéreo and Systema Solar are two huge Colombian bands, well-known for reinterpreting their home country’s traditional sounds and starting a party wherever they perform. No need to say, then, that their one-off collaboration Carnavalera sounds like a street party anthem.
The track celebrates Carnaval season in Barranquilla, the spiritual home of the folkloric rhythm and dance known as cumbia. Their club-like take on the sounds from Colombia’s Caribbean coast can be described as electro-funk cumbia fusion.
In a press release, Bomba Estéreo’s Simón Mejía writes: “Carnaval is the consummation of all of our cultures across Colombia and Latin America. It’s a mixture of the powerful roots that intermingle among this shared musical experience without social, sexual or racial labels. This is how the world should be all the time.”
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.
