RoseeLu has always done things her way and has always been a loner. In other words: the 19-year-old Danish newcomer is a girl with character. Rosa Frydensbjerg (her real name) grew up to the sound of her dad’s piano, and wrote her first melodies in kindergarten. Eventually, she decided to follow her own dream and ambition to become a full-time musician. She quit high-school, left home and moved to Copenhagen at the age of just 17.

Destined for big things, she already released three tracks in 2020. But with this new autobiographical single, Playing Alone, her break-through is inevitable. It’s a very confident track, which clashes grungy guitars with contemporary beats. The sound of the alternative ‘90s meets raw, modern R&B and widescreen pop.

RoseeLu explains: ”Even though it sounds cliché, I really hope to inspire anyone who listens to embrace their inner child and cherish it. Playing Alone is my appeal to those who thinks kids are wrong if they – like me – are not into commercial toys and football trading cards, but are totally fine contemplating with themselves in their own company – which is OK and super healthy.”

To me, Playing Alone is the best new single of this week, which makes it the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. This means, it’ll feature prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week!

Follow RoseeLu on Facebook | Instagram | Spotify

In the Wildcards 2021 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.

Werner Schlosser

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.

www.carteblanchemusic.nl

Hawke are a young Dublin act, consisting of friends Richie Power (vocals/keyboards) and Eoghan MacMahon (vocals/guitar). They formed the band in the shadow of the world-famous Guinness Brewery (in the south of the city). Cheers to that! The duo is currently based in London, by the way.

After recording initial home demos in Richie’s bedroom, they decided to send their demo-tape to a hit-list of the industry’s top producers. Within days, the cunning plan paid off and Richie & Eoghan found themselves recording their newly-written songs during precious studio time at both Abbey Road and Metropolis Studios in the capital.

Hawke have used their lockdown time wisely, spending much of 2020 furiously writing and recording songs. These will form the basis of another cunning plan: they’ll release twelve new singles throughout 2021. One each month.

Pinch Me (Am I Dreaming?) is the second of this bunch. An anthemic track that displays the duo’s fondness for rousing ‘90s indie-rock (particularly their love of The Verve, Coldplay and Oasis). Produced by Jamie McIntyre (a member of highly tipped The Covasettes), it was mastered by Carlos Bricio of the Abbey Road Institute, London.

Pinch Me (Am I Dreaming?) by Hawke is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. As such, it’ll feature prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.

Follow Hawke on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

In the Wildcards 2021 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.

Werner Schlosser

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.

www.carteblanchemusic.nl

Toronto-based Monowhales are a rock band ready to break into the mainstream. That was already clear by the sound of their past singles, which featured in these columns before. But if you have 45 minutes to spare, treat yourself to this recent live concert as well. And on top of all that, the trio (finally!) released their mini album Daytona Bleach last week. It features Monowhales’ four most recent singles and three new songs.

He Said/She Said (I Wait) is a track in the latter category. It appears the band are in a constant battle with themselves to make each next song even catchier than the one before. Yet, the songs have things in common as well: they’re all very well written, and combine glossy synth rock with shiny choruses. He Said/She Said (I Wait) for instance sounds like No Doubt performing Smells Like Teen Spirit. Radio-friendly, danceable rock that’s both alternative and fresh.

The new Monowhales single is this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard, so it’ll feature prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.

Recommended as well:
Out With The Old
BL/FF (Fake Friends)
All Or Nothing

Follow Monowhales on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

In the Wildcards 2021 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.

Werner Schlosser

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.

www.carteblanchemusic.nl

Kalie Shorr’s career is off to a fabulous start. She was named ‘CMT Next Woman Of Country’ and a ‘Top 10 Country Artist To Watch In 2018’. A year later, her debut album Open Book even became the #7 best album of 2019 according to The New York Times.

The Portland, Maine singer-songwriter just started the next chapter of her success story. Amy is her first all-new track of 2021. Gone are the country roots. Instead, she embraces a grungy sound. But that only emerged secondarily. Initially, Kalie Shorr posted a 30 second video of the song played on an acoustic guitar on TikTok. It was watched over 2 million times, and one of its viewers was renowned producer Butch Walker (Avril Lavigne, Taylor Swift, Green Day). He offered to produce the final version, which ended up a rock song in the best ‘90s tradition. To me, it sounds like a cross between Cornershop’s Brimful Of Asha and Sinéad O’Connor’s Mandinka (the latter being from 1987, obviously, but you get the point).

Amy is an honest and brutal song. Based on feelings of both hurt and anger, it contains great one liners like ‘He wasn’t over me when you were under him’. It’s the first track released from Shorr’s forthcoming EP, set for release later this year.

This week, Kalie Shorr’s Amy is the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!

Follow Kalie Shorr on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

In the Wildcards 2021 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.

Werner Schlosser

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.

www.carteblanchemusic.nl

MBG is short for Music Box Girl, the artist name of Carolina ‘Leena’ Rodriguez from Ontario, Canada. A toy keyboard sparked her interest in music at the age of 15. It was the first instrument she mastered, learning songs by ear. She also self-taught herself other instruments such as the drums, guitar, and bass. Since her family couldn’t afford music lessons – let alone the instruments themselves – she commuted to the local music store every day after school, where she practiced until closing time.

In 2021, after years of self-education, Leena is a skilled multi-instrumentalist who excels in the genres of jazz, r&b, blues and classic rock. She is part of a band project called the Common Chase, a four-piece where she mostly plays the bass and sings background vocals. But above all, she’s an up and coming solo artist using the MBG moniker. As a one-woman rock band, Leena writes, records, performs and produces her music in her home studio.

Following her 2019 debut EP Have A Alright Day, she put out a single in 2020. New track This Time is her first release of 2021. A great alt-rock track with an accessible melody, drenched in guitars.

This Time by MBG is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. As such, it’ll feature prominently at the top of this blog for a whole week.

Follow MBG on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

In the Wildcards 2021 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.

Werner Schlosser

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.

www.carteblanchemusic.nl