Browsing Tag pop
Icona Pop & Sofi Tukker – Spa
A steamy collaboration if ever there was one. In the EDM world, both of these two duos are hot. Sweden-based Icona Pop already reached the mainstream with their 2012 debut single I Love It (feat. Charli XCX). Meanwhile, America’s Sofi Tukker (consisting of Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern) are building a large audience of their own, via live gigs as well as radio.
Collaborative single Spa offers the best of both worlds. The beats and verses are trademark Sofi Tukker, while the chorus has all the right sing-along ingredients of an Icona Pop song. This results in a radio-friendly dance track that has the potential to set fire to both dancefloors and airwaves.
Gonna make you sweat!
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.
Better Person – Close To You
Polish-born Adam Byczkowski is a promising artist who is currently living in Berlin. Using the artist name Better Person, he just released his debut album Something To Lose.
The single Close To You is based on a drum pattern that could have been borrowed from Prince. Meanwhile, Byczkowski’s timbre and way of singing bring the late Talk Talk frontman Mark Hollis to mind. Great references as far as I’m concerned, which make for a throwback to sophisticated ‘80s and ‘90s pop. Furthermore, the track was produced by MGMT’s Ben Goldwasser and mastered by Greg Calbi (Joe Jackson, Tame Impala and hundreds more). I’d say Byczkowski couldn’t have surrounded himself with better persons.
In his own words, Close To You is ‘a simple song about love and growing tired of the nightlife’. He explains: “When I wrote this song I was quite done with going out. It’s ironic because now all I dream of is a good ol’ pre-covid party time.” Don’t we all? Until then, Better Person provides us with a wonderful alternative…
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.
Wildcard (week 43):
Abbie Ozard – True Romance
If you like artists like Lauran Hibberd and whenyoung (I happen to love them!), do listen to Abbie Ozard as well. After years of writing and playing music in and outside of school, she won a song-writing competition in her hometown. Subsequently, the now Manchester-based artist began to independently release music in 2018. Gradually, she developed her own gritty, ‘80s and ‘90s inspired indie-pop style, with the help of co-producer Rich Turvey (Oscar Lang, Vistas, Blossoms).
True Romance, named after the Quentin Tarantino-written movie from 1993, is Abbie Ozard’s new single. An escapist, upbeat track with guitars, drums and bass equally prominent in the mix.
Just like its predecessor TV Kween, it’s a song that’s romanticising what is actually happening. She explains: “Growing up and living in a small town has made me dream of better things, and being a better person outside the bubble that I live in at the moment. I feel like I’m constantly having some form of identity crisis. I watched True Romance and thought ‘fuck, i just want to be Alabama in this film’ and live this mad life with a cool leopard print coat on and a pink Cadillac. Hopefully one day I’ll be happy with everything that’s going on and the way I am, but for now I’m just gonna carry on wishing I was in True Romance.”
This week, True Romance by Abbie Ozard is the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
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.
Werner’s Weekly (week 43)
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:
- Palace Winter (feat. Penny Police) – Richard (Says Yes) (Wildcard this week)
- Little Quirks – Florence’s Town (Wildcard last week)
- A Girl Called Eddy – Been Around
- Charles – Far Gone
- Creature Comfort – Woke Up Drunk
- Genes – Super Single
- Lauran Hibberd – Boy Bye
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: Icona Pop & Sofi Tukker, Nothing But Thieves, Pearl Jam, Smith & Burrows, 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.
Efecto Pasillo feat. Huecco – Funketón [2020 Version]
Efecto Pasillo is a popular Spanish band, formed in 2007 on the Canary Island of Gran Canaria. Three years later (now 10 years ago), their first, self-titled album came out. The band have dedicated the whole of 2020 to the celebration of this milestone.
So far, Efecto Pasillo released four albums. Throughout this year, they’ve been releasing new versions of tracks off these albums, each with a guest artist. In the end, they’ll have released ten updated versions, and meanwhile, they’re working on three brand-new songs.
After collaborations with acts like Despistaos, David Otero and Georgina, the seventh jubilee single features Huecco. He is the creator of the rumbatón genre, which mixes rumba flamenco with reggaetón. To make things more complicated, Huecco collaborates with Efecto Pasillo on a reprise of their 2013 track Funketón. This results in an extremely catchy cocktail of funk and rumbatón.
I dare you to try and sit still to this one!
Recommended as well:
Efecto Pasillo feat. O’Funk’illo – Chacho [2020 Version]
Efecto Pasillo – Las Banderas
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.
Superbird – Operate
2019 was a hugely successful debut year for British funk-rock power-trio Superbird. They released no less than six singles, the very first (Cola Bottle Fizz) ending up as the theme tune for ITV’s ‘The Sara Cox Show’. This resulted in sold-out shows, and ultimately, they were crowned BBC Introducing’s ‘Band of the Year’.
Superbird just released their third single of 2020. Operate starts in soft mode, but builds up to an epic conclusion. A groovy track that sounds like a future live favourite. Unfortunately, live shows as we used to know them are not expected to resume any time soon. In a short Q&A, I asked drummer/vocalist Alex Ash about the consequences of the Corona pandemic for Superbird…
How did COVID-19 change your master plan?
Alex: “COVID forced us into full writing mode. We did our first writing session over Zoom and in a three hour session we wrote a whole new tune! This happened for the next four nights. Never before had we sat on so much material and were able to select which were the best. It has truly made such a difference and without a doubt taken our next release to another level.”
Nine tracks into your career, are you into the ‘album’ concept or will you just continue to release separate singles?
Alex: “We would love to do an album but with the way music is consumed now, we want to continue staying in people’s faces and have a lot more announcements. Recording an album would take us away from the hussle.”
What’s Operate about and/or what inspired it?
Alex: “Operate is a heartfelt, emotional rock-ballad of love and loss. The story depicts the tragic separation of two people, with the protagonist begging the question: can the person that broke your heart be the only one who can fix it?”
Recommended as well:
Think You Got Me
Super Superior
Year On String Along
Cola Bottle Fizz
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.
Veronica Fusaro – Beach
I already knew Veronica Fusaro’s music, but the first time I saw her live was last January. She played a showcase at ESNS and to me, it was one of the highlights of the festival. After the show, I bought her Sunkissed-EP and got a chance to talk to her. She told me she was working on new material with producer Paul O’Duffy and was surprised I knew who he is.
(In the ‘80s and ‘90s of the last century, Paul Staveley O’Duffy produced many of my favourite sophisticated pop artists. Best-known for his work with Swing Out Sister, he also put his stamp on music by the likes of Hipsway, Curiosity Killed The Cat, Was (Not Was), Danny Wilson and Lisa Stansfield. More recently, he worked with Amy Winehouse, Låpsley and Ella Eyre).
I promised Veronica to keep the information to myself, but now the first fruit of their collaboration is out. Beach is the Swiss singer’s new single. Decorated with handclaps and a beautiful string arrangement, it sounds as sunny and fresh as the title promises. Pop doesn’t get any more sophisticated in 2020.
Asked about the creative process to and behind the song, Veronica tells online magazine God Is In The TV: “The song is about (…) that feeling you have when you want something but you can’t have it. But instead of facing the problem of why you can’t have that thing in the first place you distract yourself with other fun things and cool stuff (or people). Only problem is that all of these fun things have an ‘expiration date’ so you never end up getting what you actually want.”
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 Vices – In And Out
To international music lovers, the Northern Dutch city of Groningen is probably best-known for its yearly showcase festival ESNS. One of the reasons for the organisers to choose Groningen for their event, was its versatile climate for music. Inge van Calkar and The Vices are only two recent acts to hail from the city.
The Vices are an indie pop-rock band, who hit the ground running in 2019. That year only, they supported Yungblud and Feeder, played ESNS (obviously) and 25 shows as part of traveling festival Popronde. Their music is best described as the love child of Cage The Elephant and The Strokes, with a hint of surf.
So far, the band released two EP’s: Life Grows and Good Morning City, Now Let Me Sleep…, but their debut album is on its way. Looking For Faces is set to be released on 12 March 2021, but lead single In And Out is out now. Catchy and tuneful, it’s a tasty mix of indie-pop, surf and guitar-rock. Talking about tasty… to promote the song, they brewed their own In And Out Blond Beer. Cheers!
Recommended as well:
The Vices – Life Grows
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 Calicos – Heartbreaker
Although they never went away, The Calicos’ single Nova felt like a comeback last Spring. Two years earlier, the Belgian band followed their victory in Humo’s Rock Rally contest with three singles. Next, they took their time to fine-tune their songs and sound. Nova was the first result of their collaboration with producer Tobie Speleman (Geppetto & The Whales, Blackwave. and others).
Now, The Calicos serve up their new track Heartbreaker. I don’t know if it’s because of that title, but I hear Tom Petty all over it. It may not be a lockdown song, but lyrics like ‘Another day wasted on the window sill’ and ‘Another day passes by and you lost count’ sure give it that atmosphere. In reality, it’s a classic sad love song, including broken hearts, unanswered love and what not. But, frontman Quinten Vermaelen tells Humo magazine, “the violins in the outro make for a hopeful ending.”
Heartbreaker is the second single off The Calicos’ upcoming debut album, which has been pushed back to next Spring.
Recommended as well:
The Calicos – Nova
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.
Middle Kids – R U 4 Me?
18 months have passed since Australian guitar-pop trio Middle Kids released new music. Now, the band around lead singer and songwriter Hannah Joy is back with R U 4 Me? It’s faster and more furious than before, but as catchy as ever. As always, it combines infectious melodies with raucous, arena-worthy indie rock. But this time, there’s more of an edge to it, probably courtesy of producer Lars Stalfors (St Vincent, Cold War Kids, Soccer Mommy).
Explaining the inspiration for the song, Joy says: “I was at university once and there were all these signs on the walls saying ‘BE NICE IT’S NOT THAT HARD.’ The tone of the message itself actually wasn’t very nice or kind… We are always looking around at other people thinking ‘are you on my team?’. I think this just results in us all feeling lonely.”
Middle Kids’ new single comes with a moving music video, focusing on a young boy who struggles to fit in. It tells a story of youth, peer pressure, social isolation and the joy of finding a place to belong.
Recommended as well:
Middle Kids – Beliefs And Prayers
Middle Kids – Real Thing
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.
