Browsing Tag r&b
Werner’s Weekly (week 43)
So here it is, with no further ado (listen via the Werner’s Weekly player in the sidebar):
- Childcare – Getting Over You (By Dressing Up Like You) (Wildcard this week)
- Les Gordons – Let The Music Speak (Wildcard last week)
- Band Of Gold – I Wanna Dance With You Again
- Bokito – Aloof
- Columbia Mills – This City Doesn’t Feel Like Home To Me
- The Go! Team – Semicircle Song
- Kara Marni – Golden
- Sol Heilo – Killing Karma
For more background information about each track, click the respective links.
Werner’s Weekly is my ‘best of the best’ playlist; an alphabetically orderded summary of my container playlist Carte Blanche Music, which provides you with a lot of ‘further listening’. So, if you’d rather make your own selection, please check and follow the mother ship 😉 . There I added, besides the tracks above, great new music from the likes of Joss Stone, Mika, Rita Ora, Mikky Ekko and Saint Raymond in the last week.
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.
Kara Marni – Golden
Just 19 years old, London native singer-songwriter Kara Marni was discovered after posting covers of her favourite artists – like Minnie Riperton, Roberta Flack, Anita Baker, Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill and Angie Stone – online. Her choices already reflect her musical tastes. Marni describes her music, which has a modern R&B sound, as a fusion of soul music and current music.
After the covers that got her noticed, it’s this debut single that will really spark the flame. Think Alicia Keys singing to a Kraftwerk kissed R&B backdrop. The video, completely filmed on Super 8 camera, adds even more vintage feel to the song.
Kara Marni is certainly one to watch for 2018 (and beyond).
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 33)
Are you following my 2017 container playlist Carte Blanche Music already? It’s my most comprehensive collection of great new music, updated on a daily basis. Last week, I added Ella Eyre, Liam Gallagher, Ozark Henry, The Horrors, Kesha, Otherkin, Sparks, and many more. On the blog I can only recommend a few of them. And the very best of the songs I reviewed last week, are now listed alphabetically in Werner’s Weekly, below:
- Ridsa – Avancer (Wildcard this week)
- Skott – Mermaid (Wildcard last week)
- Broken Social Scene – Vanity Pail Kids
- Francesca Michielin – Vulcano
- Jimi Charles Moody – Shame
- My Baby – Make A Hundred
- Skinny Living – Why
Listen via the Werner’s Weekly player in the sidebar and click the links for more info.
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 32):
Ridsa – Avancer
The holidays are a great moment to pick up music that you don’t usually hear at home. Especially songs by local acts from the country that you’ve travelled to. Here in France, Avancer by Ridsa is on the radio a lot and to me it sounds like it could be a hit abroad as well…
Ridsa (born in 1990 as Maxence Boitez) is a French rapper/singer. He became an internet phenomenon after posting his songs on YouTube. His channel now counts 879.000 subscribers and his clips have been viewed around 300 million times altogether.
Avancer is a single that was released last April from his most recent album Libre. Since then 14 million (I suppose mostly French) viewers saw the clip. When released throughout Europe, I predict an even greater success…
Let me start by making the single this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. Hopefully this will help the song ‘avancer’…
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 30)
For those of you who are not on holiday, I’ll pretend not to be as well. On the other hand: why would you stop listening to new music when you’re not at home? The stream of great new releases doesn’t run dry either.
The last seven days I enriched my 2017 container playlist Carte Blanche Music with Armstrongs, Nothing But Thieves, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark and Ride, among others. And as always, the crème de la crème of this fine bunch if brand new songs is listed alphabetically in my Werner’s Weekly playlist below. Please allow me to bring you up to speed in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…
- Aloe Blacc – King Is Born (Wildcard this week)
- Alice Merton – No Roots (Wildcard last week)
- Chase & Status feat. Emeli Sandé – Love Me More
- Last Train – Between Wounds
- Tom Grennan – Found What I’ve Been Looking For
- Young Gun Silver Fox – Midnight In Richmond
Through the links above you can read my recommendations for each track, and while reading, you can listen to all of the songs via the Werner’s Weekly player in the sidebar.
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 29):
Aloe Blacc – King Is Born
If Aloe Blacc were to be remembered for his vocals on Avicii’s Wake Me Up only, it would be a bloody shame. Let’s at least also recall him for his wonderful real name: Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III. And needless (I hope) to remind you of his own hits I Need A Dollar and The Man.
Last year he released three tracks (one of them being the great Broke), all of which haven’t yet appeared on an album (that’s a more or less coherent collection of songs, kids). The same goes for his new single, King Is Born. A new classic, as far as I’m concerned. Most literally so, because it uses a sample from The Ides Of March’s 1970 hit Vehicle. Pop quiz question: in what hugely popular rock band did The Ides Of March singer Jim Peterik show up in the 1980’s?(*)
Talking about boxing, this brings me back to Aloe Blacc’s new single. King Is Born is the theme song to the upcoming boxing match between titans Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor, on 26 August. It’s also scheduled to appear on Blacc’s new album, that he is currently finishing.
King Is Born is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard and will feature here prominently the whole week long!
(*) Survivor, best-known for their Rocky-related hits Eye Of The Tiger and Burning Heart.
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)
Summers used to be slow-moving as far as new music was concerned, but that has changed in recent years. Why would you wait to release your great new track until after the holidays, when all other artists release their great new tracks as well? Radio and streaming playlists (or listeners in general) are in need of good content the whole year round. No wonder then, that I could add new music from the likes of The Allergies, Arcade Hearts and Foster The People to my 2017 container playlist Carte Blanche Music last week.
Each Monday morning, I put my personal recommendations out of all new releases in Werner’s Weekly, an alphabetically sorted playlist, kicking off with the Carte Blanche Music Wildcards of this and last week. It’s in full below. Follow the links for more information and listen to the songs via the Werner’s Weekly player in the sidebar!
- Alice Merton – No Roots (Wildcard this week)
- BC Unidos (feat. Shungudzo) – Bicycle (Wildcard last week)
- Black Grape – Nine Lives
- Jain – Dynabeat
- Kesha feat. The Dap-Kings Horns – Woman
- Kideko – Dum Dum
- Urban Cone – Pumping Up Clouds
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.
Kesha feat. The Dap-Kings Horns – Woman
Kesha (who has ditched the dollar sign from her stage name) has a new goal: female empowerment. That became clear last week already, when she released the emotive ballad Praying, but even more so on the quick follow-up: the soulful Woman; a song that features the fantastic Dap-Kings horn section. Both tracks will be on Kesha’s forthcoming album Rainbow, due out on 11 August. It’s her first album in five years and we all know what kept her busy in the meantime…
It looks like Rainbow is an ambitious project all along the line. Lyrically, obviously, but also because of its collaborations. You can expect the Eagles Of Death Metal, Dolly Parton and Kesha’s mother, Pebe Sebert, on it. But personally, I’m looking out most for the appearance of Ben Folds.
Kesha has stated the album was influenced by the likes of Iggy Pop, The Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, T-Rex, James Brown, The Beatles and The Sweet. Not the first names that popped into my mind when I first heard Woman, but what a great song that is! This is the fun video to go with it…
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.
Black Grape – Nine Lives
When The Happy Mondays fell apart in 1992, no-one expected to ever hear from Shaun Ryder again. It was commonly accepted that he (or at least his career) probably wouldn’t survive his various drug addictions. So, it was quite a surprise to see Ryder – in fairly healthy shape – return to the top of the charts three years later, with a new band: Black Grape. A band he formed with ex-Ruthless Rap Assassins frontman Paul ‘Kermit’ Leveridge (not the green one).
Black Grape’s debut album It’s Great When You’re Straight… Yeah was nothing less than a master piece and, although commercially less successful, I love 1997’s follow-up record Stupid Stupid Stupid as well. No link there, as it’s officially missing from streaming services, but *cough* YouTube *cough*. Worth the effort, though…
You can imagine that after 20 years of silence, the announcement of a new Black Grape album was even a bigger surprise than the band’s debut in 1995. But you’d better believe Pop Voodoo will be out 17 July. And since it’s 2017, new tracks off it are being released each week now, to give the album release as much momentum as possible. Nine Lives is my favourite 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.
Jorja Smith – Teenage Fantasy
Jorja Smith is a young British neo soul singer, who turned 20 last month. She released her debut EP Project 11 only at the end of 2016. Earlier this year, she released the single Beautiful Little Fools on International Women’s Day and she also featured on two tracks on Drake’s More Life playlist.
According to a press release Smith wrote her new single four years ago. The intro features humming she recorded while babysitting when she was 16 years old. Teenage Fantasy is a laid back track, jazzy and soulful at the same time. Bonus points for keeping the blooper at the end as a part of the song…
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.
