Browsing Tag live
single track
Ronald Maas – Lines In The Darkness
Ronald Maas has always been a sideman, so you may not have heard his name before. But don’t be mistaken, over the last two decades he has played over 1000 gigs with a huge variety of bands and projects, recorded some 40 albums, EP’s and singles and toured all over Europe.
His best-known projects are probably Dutch bands Number Nine and Audio Adam. In the summer of 2015 Maas moved to London, where he joined the band Jaya, whose single Love Is A Bird I wrote about earlier. Although Jaya is his musical priority, he managed to self-produce the concept EP Aries, ahead of an album that’s scheduled for release somewhere in 2019.
The four-track EP is available now. It features Jaya drummer Stefano Magini, but Maas can be heard on vocals, grand piano, Hohner Pianet, Roland F-20, guitars, bass guitars, and percussion. He is also responsible for all compositions, lyrics, production and engineering.
Lines In The Darkness is the single and this very well executed live version is the official video.
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.
cover, single track
She Drew The Gun – Sweet Harmony
She Drew The Gun started in 2013 as a solo project by singer-songwriter Louisa Roach. Her debut album Memories Of The Future (2015) was produced by James Skelly, who added haunting riffs and an electronic element to Roach’s poetic narrative lyrics.
Since then, the project gradually expanded. Siân Monaghan (drums), Jack Turner (guitar) and Jenni Kickhefer (keyboards) joined, and made She Drew The Gun the four-piece it currently is.
In 2016, they won Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent Competition and subsequently played the John Peel Stage at the legendary festival. And recently, as part of the ‘25 Years of Parr Street Studios’ project, they recorded a cover version of The Beloved’s 1993 smash Sweet Harmony. Or actually, they re-invented it. Adding a rap and a far more rocky vibe than the sugar-coated original, She Drew The Gun’s version sounds like a song of their own.
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.
remake, single track
a-ha feat. Ingrid Helene Håvik – The Sun Always Shines On TV (MTV Unplugged)
From no other artist I attended as many ‘farewell tours’ as from a-ha. And luckily, they decided to extend their career even further.
Last summer, on 22 and 23 June, the band played MTV Unplugged sessions at Øygardshallen (Giske Harbour Hall) on the Norwegian island of Giske, which will be released 6 October on the live CD/DVD/Blu-ray Summer Solstice. A-ha was accompanied on stage by Ian McCulloch (Echo & The Bunnymen), Ingrid Helene Håvik (Highasakite), Lissie and Alison Moyet.
Among the 21-song setlist were two brand new tracks (one of which, This Is Our Home, is released as a single) and stripped down performances of all of the band’s classic tracks. One of these, a re-arranged version of The Sun Always Shines On TV, featuring additional vocals by Ingrid Helene Håvik, has been released as a single as well.
Following these MTV Unplugged sessions a-ha will go on an acoustic tour throughout 2018. Their third farewell tour? ?
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.
single track
Jade Bird – Cathedral
Jade Bird is only 19 and already a rising star in the London music scene. She started by singing covers of songs by the likes of Pixies, Beyoncé and Drake and just released her debut EP Something American, recorded in… well, the title explains…
The EP contains five original tracks, combining pop, rock, blues, country and r&b. And Jade assembled not the least musicians to play on it. You can hear Sara Lee (who worked with The B-52’s, Indigo Girls and many others) on bass and Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan, Levon Helm) on guitar.
Cathedral is the lead single off the EP.
If you wonder if she can pull it off live, this is a one-taker, recorded in the Dreamland Studios in New York:
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.
single track, tribute
The The – We Can’t Stop What’s Coming
One of the highlights of Record Store Day 2017 was The The’s first new single in 15 years. We Can’t Stop What’s Coming is a tribute to The The frontman (and only constant member) Matt Johnson’s brother Andrew, who designed many of the band’s record sleeves and who passed away last year. It’s the third time Johnson wrote a song about the death of a close family member, after Love Is Stronger Than Death (for his brother Eugene) and Phantom Walls for his mother).
We Can’t Stop What’s Coming features former The The members Johnny Marr, Zeke Manyika and James Eller, on guitar, percussion and bass respectively. The female vocalist is Meja Kullertsen. The song was recorded live in one take during Matt Johnson’s first performance in 15 years, on his own radio station.
After quickly selling out the always too low number of vinyl 7”-es (2000 copies, not kidding), the track has now also been made available via streaming services.
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.
album track
TANA – Why Can’t I Love You (Live)
If you like TANA’s song Leave Away like I do, it’s good to know the Ukrainian band (whose name is short for ‘The Active New Atmospheric music band’) has a complete EP out now. The EP Broken features six electronic pop tracks, covering subgenres like future bass, electronic chill-out and downtempo. It includes the singles Broken and Leave Away. If you love acts like Disclosure and Flume, this is certainly worth checking out.
You can find all EP tracks on TANA’s YouTube channel. Like they did for Leave Away, the band also released a live video for the track Why Can’t I Love You. Further proof that the band can also pull it off on stage.
Talking of which: TANA will present the tracks of its first EP on 2 June during a concert in Átlas, one of the most popular music venues in Kiev. The concert is announced on billboards (pictured) throughout the city, proudly labelled with the logo of media partner Carte Blanche Music 😉 .
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.
border breaker, single track
Rat Boy – Revolution
Sooner or later, Rat Boy will break through big time. 21-year-old Jordan Cardy has the same swagger as his musical heroes Blur and Babyshambles (he signed to the same label as well), while he also cites The Beastie Boys and Kasabian as his influences. Personally, I also hear a younger Fatboy Slim in some of his songs. In Move, for example.
Other fine tunes of his are Wasteman and Get Over It (2016’s summer hit that never was), and now, he’s back with Revolution. I expect it to enter the European Border Breakers Chart soon, but today it’s on Carte Blanche Music already.
They also pull it off live, by the way…
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.
border breaker, single track, wildcardWildcard (week 12):
Wildcard (week 12):
TANA – Leave Away (Live)
Remember I wrote about my favourite track on TANA’s EP Broken over a month ago? The Ukrainian band have just released this track, Leave Away, as their next single. Great choice, obviously 😉 .
The video shows the band performing the song live and I like this flawlessly executed version even better than the studio take. Festival material, as far as I’m concerned!
Until then, TANA gets full Carte Blanche Music support. The coming week, Leave Away will feature on top of this blog as my Wildcard.
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.
single track
Cold War Kids (feat. Bishop Briggs) – So Tied Up
Cold War Kids are quick to follow-up their single Love Is Mystical. The second set-up song for their upcoming album L.A. Divine is called So Tied Up. It features Bishop Briggs, a British singer-songwriter currently based in Los Angeles, California. Her real name is Sarah Grace McLaughlin, but she was born to parents from Bishopbriggs, Scotland, which inspired her professional name.
The official video for the single showcases a live acoustic version of the song with a beautiful string arrangement and a more prominent role for Bishop Briggs.
This is what the original studio version sounds like:
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.
single track
Public Service Broadcasting – Go! (Live At Brixton)
If you can, go and see Public Service Broadcasting live. They’re great. Both the musicians and the ‘concept’. Now don’t say ‘yuk’ when I say ‘concept’, will you? Let me explain…
The album The Race For Space is one of the most extraordinary musical projects I’ve encountered the last years. On it, Public Service Broadcasting put impressive historical audio fragments from space documentaries to music. And when they perform it live, they add an extra element: the images that accompany the audio fragments. It’s incredible how all of those samples (both in sound and vision) melt together with the music.
In November 2015 they staged their show in O2 Brixton Academy where, as an added bonus, they added a choir, strings and horns to the party. The concert was recorded for the 2cd+dvd Live At Brixton, that I highly recommend. To get you in the mood, let me show you the live version of one of my favourites: Go!
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.
