Browsing Tag r&b
single track
Shirley Davis & The Silverbacks – Take Out The Trash
Shirley Davis has been around the world quite a bit. Born in London to Jamaican parents, she moved to Australia when she married at 16. She stayed downunder for many years and built a successful career in the funk/soul/R&B scene. In 2016, shortly after returning to Europe, Sharon Jones invited Davis on stage at one of her shows in Madrid. A label representative who attended the concert immediately invited her to record an album with Spanish band The Silverbacks.
This resulted in the successful record Black Rose, which was followed in 2018 by sophomore long-player Wishes And Wants. Their colourful blend of exotic soul and funk, both light and heavy, firmly put the band on the international map. On 23 March, third album Keep On Keepin’ On will come out. It’s named after the last advice Sharon Jones texted to Davis.
Take Out The Trash is her new single. A fast and frantic funky soul track that sounds old-school and organic. Almost 50 years old, Davis gives it her all. Props to The Silverbacks as well, who are strutting their stuff as if they were The Dap-Kings themselves.
Follow Shirley Davis on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
Follow The Silverbacks on Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
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
Werner’s Weekly (week 42)
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:
- Jaguar Jonze – Who Died And Made You King? (Wildcard this week)
- Youth Sector – Self Exile (Wildcard last week)
- Aloe Blacc – Made From The Stars
- Ida Laurberg – Personal Letters
- Wyn Starks – Black Is Golden
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: David Bowie, Foo Fighters, The Wombats, They Might Be Giants, and 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.
single track
Aloe Blacc – Made From The Stars
A year after his latest album All Love Everything came out, Aloe Blacc is back with another brand-new track. The American artist, born Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III, is best-known for his single I Need A Dollar and as featured singer on Avicii’s Wake Me Up. Since then, he continued to release his trademark fresh soul-infused pop, and his new single is no exception.
As always, Made From The Stars is an utterly infectious track. It features a simple but very catchy horn part that appears to be a sample, but it isn’t. That’s one of Blacc’s strengths: his songs sound authentic, but contemporary at the same time. Great tune!
Recommended as well:
Aloe Blacc – King Is Born
Follow Aloe Blacc on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
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.
album track
Wyn Starks – Black Is Golden
After releasing 14 singles in just two years’ time, Wyn Starks finally came up with his debut album Black Is Golden. A record as diverse as diversity gets, which puts an extra dose of soul in modern r&b. Meanwhile, the album combines Starks’ upbringing in Minneapolis with the innovative sounds he discovered upon relocating to Nashville.
In online magazine Euphoria he explains: “When I say black is golden, I think about so many artists, activists, and everyday people that have inspired me. People like Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, James Baldwin, Bayard Rustin, Cornel West, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Prince, and my mother Cheryl Ann Johnson (just to name a few). It’s important we acknowledge their contributions to society, music, and the world. I stand on their shoulders. I hope that through this album I can inspire someone in the same way. That’s why I decided to call it Black Is Golden. It’s a celebration of people who have inspired me on this road to becoming Wyn Starks.”
The title track is my favourite song on the album. It was written in response to injustice and racial inequality when it comes to black people. A track with an important message, wrapped in a sound that’s both vintage and progressive.
Follow Wyn Starks on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
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.
single track
Pip Millett – Hard Life
13 August, British songstress Pip Millett will put out her new EP Motion Sickness. Following recent single Running, Hard Life is the second track to be released in anticipation. The song mixes gospel, old-school soul and a bit of modern R&B, the same way Amy Winehouse and Lauryn Hill did. What’s not to like about a song that incorporates organ, guitar bass and a little bit of horns?
Talking about the single, the singer says: “Hard Life is about exactly that. It’s about moving through unresolved trauma and understanding that ignoring those things doesn’t mean they go away. It takes learning and listening to yourself and lots of patience.”
Follow Pip Millett on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
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
Werner’s Weekly (week 16)
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:
- Yelle – Noir (Wildcard this week)
- Who – Hey! Get Out The Way (Wildcard last week)
- Ashe – I’m Fine
- Carla de Coignac – Danse
- Glades – Limbo
- Jan-Marten Block – Never Not Try
- The Vain Travail – Do You See The Sun?
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: Barenaked Ladies, Fickle Friends, Pale Waves, and 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.
werner's weekly
Werner’s Weekly (week 15)
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:
- Who – Hey! Get Out The Way (Wildcard this week)
- RoseeLu – Playing Alone (Wildcard last week)
- Danilo – Bringing It Back
- Devon – Warning Signs
- Paloma – 2AM (Love Again)
- Rori – The Same Way
- Vistas – Start Again
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: Alice Merton, Crowded House, Texas, Twenty One Pilots, Years & Years and 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.
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 14):
Wildcard (week 14):
Who – Hey! Get Out The Way
When I spotted a track with the title Hey! Get Out The Way in the Danish New Music Friday playlist, I presumed it would be a cover of The Cardigans’ Hey! Get Out Of My Way. It isn’t, however. That said, it’s very hard to find out what it actually is. I mean, calling your project Who isn’t going to make it easy to find any info via Google, is it? Furthermore, a Spotify bio is lacking as well. The only thing I know for sure, is that Hey! Get Out The Way is Who’s debut single. And a damn fine one as well.
The rest remains pretty much a mystery, and it might even be meant to be. One can only guess it’s a Danish project, as it appeared in the Danish NMF playlist. This guess appears to be confirmed by the fact the track was co-written by Nabiha Bensouda. She’s a very fine (Danish) artist in her own right. I’m especially fond of her early singles, like Deep Sleep and Never Played The Bass from circa 10 years ago.
Anyway, ‘who’ever Who is or are, Hey! Get Out The Way is a great debut, that echoes Lizzo’s Good As Hell. What’s not to like about that? If you like a good pop-r&b-soul crossover, this one’s for you. The single is this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard, which means it’ll feature prominently at the top of this blog for a whole week!
Follow Who on Spotify
In the Wildcards 2021 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.
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
Jessy Yasmeen – Holy Water
Jessy Yasmeen is an emerging artist with both Dutch and South-American roots. Over the past years, she played over 200 shows in The Netherlands and Germany and won some important music awards. In 2020, under the wings of a new label, she released several singles and two EP’s. Her songs were playlisted by radio stations and curators all over the world.
Now, she’s ready for the next step. Ahead of her debut album Formation, due out in the Autumn, she’ll release another set of singles. According to a statement these will be ‘bigger, more poppy and personal’. And, for the first time, self-produced. Her new songs are meant to challenge listeners to be vulnerable, help conquer personal battles with underlying fear, and break those taboos.
Holy Water is the first, very promising example. This earworm is a cross between pop, soul and R&B. Sure to go down well with fans of Adele, Joss Stone and Alicia Keys.
Yasmeen says the track started as a song about her narcissistic ex. However, the meaning changed figuring out it was all about her not loving herself. She recalls: “I looked up to him. I adored him like a God. His words were like the testament to me and his will like the commandments. But if he was God and God was love then why was I not fulfilled? It was me that was feeding his ego afraid of losing him. Because I already gave up on me. But the day he left me was a blessing. That’s when my formation started, a purification of the soul.”
Follow Jessy Yasmeen on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
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
Werner’s Weekly (week 8)
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:
- Drew Sycamore – 45 Fahrenheit Girl (Wildcard this week)
- Almost Monday – Live Forever (Wildcard last week)
- Amen Mustang – (The Shit You Say) When You’re High
- Ivan & The Parazol – Mást Vártam
- Just – Walk Slow Smile More
- L U – Liquid Gold
- The Bamboos – Ride On Time
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 Fratellis, Pale Waves, Smith & Burrows, Sondre Lerche, and 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.
