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North Yorkshire artist Dylan Cartlidge didn’t have the easiest of youths. In 2018, he appeared on the BBC documentary The Mighty Redcar, which followed people’s struggles in a town that has faced its fair share of hardship. This documentary proved a turning point for Cartlidge. The years since then have been nothing short of amazing for him. His music grabbed the attention of the likes of NME and BBC Radio One. Also, he performed at festivals like Glastonbury and SXSW.

9 July, he’ll release his debut album Hope Above Adversity, which has been his long-time motto. He created the record with world-class producers and engineers such as Eg White, James Dring, Dan Parry and Edmund Irwin-Singer from Glass Animals.

Hang My Head is the album’s new single. Although the song has come from a place of pain, it’s a euphoric feel-good track. It opens and closes with a catchy whistle. In between, we hear a groovy bass, upbeat drums, an uplifting choir and motivational lyrics about positivity and self-reflection. Cartlidge’s voice is stirring throughout. To me, the song sounds like a perfect mix of Around Town by The Kooks and Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Sacrilege.

Speaking on his new single, he says: “Hang My Head is a track about when you take a wrong turn or make a bad choice and feel like you’ve let yourself and others down. It’s then also about learning from your mistakes, growing from within and trying to get yourself back out the front door, knowing that you are doing yourself, your work and your family justice.”

This week, Hang You Head by Dylan Cartlidge is the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. As such it’ll feature prominently at the top of the blog for a full seven days.

Follow Dylan Cartlidge 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's weekly

Werner’s Weekly (week 23)

June 7th, 2021

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:

Dua Lipa – Love Again (Wildcard this week)
Stefanie Heinzmann – Labyrinth (Wildcard last week)
Dirty Heads (feat. Train) – Vacation
Drew Sycamore – Jungle
Farmer & Friends (feat. Zuzu) – Wanna Be With You
Hurry – A Fake Idea
The Deep Blue – Jealous Sea

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: Public Service Broadcasting, Sigrid, Twenty One Pilots, Volbeat, and more.

single track

Lena – Strip

June 5th, 2021

I must warn you: searching on Google for ‘Lena strip’ may not result in the information you’re looking for. Not if you’re interested in the German singer’s latest single, anyway. So let me save you from a NSFW experience. I’ve been there for you…

You may remember Lena Meyer-Landrut. She won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2010 with her single Satellite. A far cry from the result of Germany’s candidate this year. The track became a pan-European Top 5 hit. For Lena, her victory – and the following hit – was the start of a very successful career. Especially in her home country and the surrounding German-speaking countries.

Hopefully her new single Strip will bring her back to the international charts. For starters, this happy, fresh and carefree tune reminds us a bit of Satellite. You can also hear the vibes of the early works of artists like Lily Allen or Kate Nash shine through. May I have your votes please?

Follow Lena on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

pop

single track

Not A Boys Name – Psychopath

June 5th, 2021

Not A Boys Name is the alter ego of Sydney musician Dave Jenkins Jr. Influenced by the likes of Talking Heads, Todd Rundgren and Lou Reed, He aims to create without concerning himself with the consequences. Also, he tries to avoid being pigeonholed, creatively or otherwise. He spent much of his teen years tinkering away with recording equipment and writing psychedelic pop songs in his bedroom. This is where he developed his love of DIY recording. So obviously, he produced his early singles and EP The Internet Sucks himself.

Psychopath is his first release to land in 2021. A twisted indie-pop track, it mixes psychotic fuzz guitars, frantic drum fills and a heavy bass line. Over this energetic, groove-laden backdrop, Jenkins sings about ‘gaslighting, manipulation and the awful feeling that you are being taken advantage of’.

Follow Not A Boys Name on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

indie | pop | rock

single track

Wolf Alice – How Can I Make It OK?

June 5th, 2021

When you’re a fan of a band, what would you like more? A constant stream of releases that the band rushed to write and record, cutting some corners in the process? Or a gap of four years between albums, resulting in a smashing record? Nowadays, many bands choose the first path, ill-advised by fear of being forgotten. Wolf Alice however just released their new album Blue Weekend, the follow-up to 2017’s Visions Of A Life.

Coinciding with the album release, the British band put out a fourth single. Judging the track in its first 30 seconds wouldn’t do it justice. This is an enchanting song that takes four minutes to unfold itself. It starts off with a slow-moving intro, without percussion. As it progresses, it builds into a mid-tempo gem, complete with big drums, airy synths, a gorgeous guitar riff and a romantic chorus. The full-blown part only lasts a minute, but that’s enough to make a lasting impression.

Recommended as well:
Wolf Alice – Beautifully Unconventional

Follow Wolf Alice on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

pop | rock

single track

School Of X – Feel Of It

June 5th, 2021

In the 1960s, Eksskole was an anti-establishment art school in Copenhagen. A Danish collective of experimental artists, the group featured Andy Warhol collaborator Jørgen Leth, art historian Troels Andersen, and artists Poul Gernes and Per Kirkeby. “It was about learning from each other and being progressive,” explains School Of X, a.k.a. Danish producer, singer and multi-instrumentalist Rasmus Littauer. “There were no labels – anyone could join. That philosophy is so cool and I really admire all those artists.”

Over the past years, Littauer has been the drummer of Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Major Lazer and MØ, but School Of X is his solo project. 24 September, he’ll release his second album Dancing Through The Void, and Feel Of It is its second single.

With a light-hearted backbeat, summery vibe and even an organ solo, it sounds like a future indie pop banger. The story behind the song, however, is somewhat darker, says Littauer. “It’s about the desire to break out of daily routines and boredom, craving for headspace, excitement and bigger emotions. It’s a desire that seduces me and haunts me and sometimes comes with a cost. Sometimes you end up all alone because you’ve been blinded by the light.”

Recommended as well:
School Of X – Words

Follow School Of X on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

indie | pop | rock

single track

Alba August – Old Love

June 5th, 2021

Alba August comes from a family of creatives. She’s the daughter of Danish director Bille August and Swedish actress and director Pernilla August. Both Alba and her older sister Asta became actresses as well.

In 2001, Alba played her first minor role as a child actor in her father’s film ‘A Song For Martin’. Since then, her roles got bigger and her reviews better. Only in 2018, she graduated form the National School Of Performing Arts in Copenhagen.

Two years later, she broadened her scope and released her debut single We’re Not Gonna Make It. The song appeared on the soundtrack of the Netflix series ‘The Rain’, in which she played a part as well. Alba wrote the track with Swedish hit writer Tobias Fröberg, who previously worked with Ane Brun, Loreen, Ricky Ross of Deacon Blue, and Brooke Frasier. The two continued to work together on her subsequent singles, which are now collected on the EP Overflow.

One of the two new tracks on the EP is August’s new single. Old Love is an upbeat song with tambourines, strings, handclaps and many other ingredients that should guarantee a summer hit. But most strikingly is the resemblance of her voice with that of Florence Welsh from Florence & The Machine.

Follow Alba August on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

pop

single track

Bakermat (feat. LaShun Pace) – Ain’t Nobody

June 5th, 2021

God-fearing folks and non-believers are united in their praise (pun intended) of gospel music. It’s swinging, uplifting and brings a sense of euphoria and positivity to the table. What’s not to like about tracks like Go Like Elijah, Like A Prayer or even Underground?

Dutch DJ/producer Bakermat’s new single has the potential to be added to this series of classics. Ain’t Nobody is a funky feel-good dance tune, with a groove from here to eternity. And of course it features some deeply spiritual powerhouse vocals, courtesy of world-renowned singer LaShun Pace.

Speaking on the track, Bakermat says: “Since Teach Me, back in 2015, I really wanted to make a gospel inspired tune again. I absolutely love mixing genres and when I stumbled upon the original acapella by LaShun Pace I immediately began writing chords. I’m glad she approved me to release the end result! The track is a happy, cheerful and fun dance record that I’m very proud of. It is best enjoyed in sunny environments with positive people, and could be a real summer soundtrack if you’re into feel-good house music!”

Ain’t Nobody combines a piano, organ, horns, jazzy rhythms and four-to-the-floor beats. It’s the energetic lead single for Bakermat’s upcoming album. To be released this June, The Spirit will include many more funked-up church choirs and boasted spirituality to spice up your life. Hell yeah!

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

dance | electronic | funk | gospel | pop

single track

Mrozu – Złoto

June 5th, 2021

Mrozu (real name: Łukasz Mróz) is a popular Polish singer, songwriter and producer. His debut single Miliony Monet immediately became a big hit in 2009. Five years later, his third album Rollercoaster was his definitive break-through. He is currently working on his sixth long-player.

Złoto (Polish for ‘gold’) is the first single from the upcoming album. It’s Mrozu’s first new song in over a year. According to the singer it’s a throwback to the early ‘90s, the time of his youth, when he was dreaming carefree of what the future had in store for him. The song came about when he and two friends rented a house at the Czorsztyn lake. They had taken their guitars and studio equipment with them, and started jamming on the first night. Within half an hour the basis of Złoto was ready.

To me, it sounds like the song title might prove to be prophetic.

Follow Mrozu on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

indie | pop

single track

Greta – Vibrant

June 5th, 2021

Since its introduction in 1983, Yamaha’s DX7 has become one of the best-selling synthesizers in history. It defined the sound of ‘80s pop music. Instead of bothering to program their own sounds, most artists simply used the instrument’s presets. Its piano preset is probably the most famous, as it’s been used in many power ballads. Think of Whitney Houston, Chicago and Phil Collins, and I bet you can hear the sound in your head.

Another popular DX7 preset was the bass. You can hear it in songs like Madonna’s Who’s That Girl, Take On Me by a-ha and Kool & The Gang’s Fresh. And now, a brand-new track has been built around it as well: Vibrant by Greta Louise Schenk. She’s a German, Copenhagen-based singer, professionally known as Greta.

Vibrant is her first single since the 2020 release of her debut album Ardent Spring. The track is a shimmering slice of electro-pop, which sounds as if it were recorded in the ‘80s. You can thank (or blame) the DX7 for that. The lyrics are no less melancholic. Greta explains: “Vibrant is about two people who love each other and spend the lockdown together. It is about the feeling of reality becoming a blur, about losing sense of time, becoming restless and longing for something more. Something more from each other but from life too.“

The songs ends with a spoken part in German; a nod to Greta’s roots and the missing of her family.

Follow Greta on Facebook | Instagram | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

electronic | indie | pop

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