Browsing Tag indie
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 24):
indie | pop
Wildcard (week 24):
Jonas Brøg (feat. Lilian Vieira) – I’m Your Nr. 1 [Brazilian Version]
It’s heart-warming to see people claw their way back after hard times. Especially when they’re your friends. Full disclosure: Jonas Brøg is a good friend of mine. A sweet and wonderful chap. He’s had his share of hardship in the past years, but he fully embraced his music (and not in the least his family) to recover from the darkness.
It’s been too long since we last spoke, but his music spoke for him. It was great to ‘hear’ him see the light at the end of the tunnel and walk towards it. If his new single is something to go by, he left the tunnel behind him. I’m as happy for Jonas as the song is in itself.
I’m Your Nr. 1 sounds like a ray of sunshine over a recently re-opened terrace. That already goes for the solo version, but the Brazilian Version is even more summer-y. It features additional vocals in Portuguese, and a guest appearance by Zuco 103 singer Lilian Vieira.
Jonas is throwing a party, and he invites you to come dance with him. Welcome back my friend, meet you there! Or here, for I’m Your Nr. 1 by Jonas Brøg is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard and will feature here prominently for a whole week.
Recommended as well:
My Father’s Hand (feat. London Community Gospel Choir)
That Feeling
All Across The Sky
I Think Of You I Cry (feat. Laura Mathilde)
Follow Jonas Brøg on Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
Follow Lilian Vieira on Facebook | 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.
werner's weeklydance | electronic | funk | gospel | hip hop | indie | pop | rock | soul
Werner’s Weekly (week 24)
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:
- Dylan Cartlidge – Hang My Head (Wildcard this week)
- Dua Lipa – Love Again (Wildcard last week)
- Alba August – Old Love
- Bakermat (feat. LaShun Pace) – Ain’t Nobody
- Greta – Vibrant
- Lena – Strip
- Not A Boys Name – Psychopath
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: Cold War Kids, Lorde, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Tones & I, 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 trackindie | pop | rock
Sam & Sounds – Does It Matter?
It’s hard to believe Samuel Gemmell only released his first track a year ago. A lot has changed since than. Also for Sam. Over the course of nine singles, he amassed almost 3 million streams and 65.000 Instagram followers, to mention but a few highlights. He laid the foundations for this success busking the streets of Tunbridge Wells and Crawley in 2019.
Now, it’s time for Sam’s 10th single Does It Matter? One of the cheerful, poppy rock songs we’ve come to like him for. It’s a cry to live it up and live care free, whilst we are young, and with life ahead of us.
“We’ve had a year of being stuck at home and with little opportunity to live it up”, says Sam. “So many young people have had their youth curtailed by restrictions in the last 18 months, and as we approach summer – I feel we need to get out and remember to enjoy life.”
Recommended as well:
Sam & Sounds – Silly
Follow Sam & Sounds 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 trackindie | rock
K.Flay (feat. Travis Barker) – Dating My Dad
Travis Barker is one of the most featured artists in recent history. Only the last few years, he featured on singles by the likes of Pitbull, Machine Gun Kelly, Maggie Lindemann, The Hunna, Demi Lovato, Amy Shark, and Willow. That’s only a very selective list, to which we can now add alt-indie singer K.Flay. She a very popular featured artist herself as well, by the way.
Dating My Dad by K.Flay (feat. Travis Barker) is a great tune. Just like most tracks the blink-182 drummer is involved in, and just like most of Kristine Flaherty’s songs. In other words: this cooperation that couldn’t have gone wrong. It’s an energetic rock song, where K.Flay’s funny observations are accompanied by spacey sounds, memorable hooks and of course Barker’s tight beats.
The singer says of the song: “This is basically 6 months of therapy condensed into a single song. You spend so much of your life thinking that you’re the exception, but at the end of the day, you’re just like everyone else – becoming a version of your parents or falling in love with one. Or both. (…) There are patterns in our lives and in our families that we can either choose to perpetuate or choose to stop. That’s what growing up feels like, at least to me.”
You can find Dating My Dad and four more tracks on K.Flay’s new EP Inside Voices.
Recommended as well:
K.Flay – Not In California
K.Flay – Sister
Follow K.Flay on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
Follow Travis Barker 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 trackindie | pop | rock
Oscar Lang – 21st Century Hobby
True to their name, the Dirty Hit label produced quite some (dirty) hits already. It’s home to successful artists like The 1975, Pale Waves, beabadoobee, Wolf Alice, Marika Hackman and London based artist/multi-instrumentalist Oscar Lang. All of them featured on Carte Blanche Music before.
Lang, particularly, is a prolific artist. And astonishingly, all of his output has the same high quality. In only four years’ time, he released numerous EP’s and a full-length album. He just announced his next long-player Chew The Scenery, due out on 16 July.
Following Stuck and Are You Happy?, 21st Century Hobby is the album’s third single. A strumming song with fuzzy guitars; upbeat and catchy, despite its touches of psychedelia. A perfect radio song in my ears.
As is so often the case recently, there’s a more gloomy message behind the uplifting instrumentation. “21st Century Hobby’ is a tune based on the idea of society’s obsession with sharing your life online and comparing yourself to other people”, Lang says in a press release. “There was one point where I was spending 13 hours a week on social media, which equated to about a month every year. That was a really dark time for me – I always thought that it would never affect me, but it took some time to realise that it was subconsciously affecting my mental health.”
The main strength of this song is the fact it never tries too hard to get the message across. You’ll find yourself humming and singing along without being aware of it. In the end, it’s up to you to take action or not. If you’re completely happy with your ‘21st century hobby’, good for you!
Recommended as well:
Oscar Lang – Get Out
Oscar Lang – Apple Juice
Follow Oscar Lang 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 trackindie | pop
Japanese Breakfast – Paprika
Michelle Zauner (a.k.a. Japanese Breakfast) just released her third album Jubilee. It’s lovely! I was immediately grabbed by the opening track, the rather bombastic – and brilliantly titled – Paprika. To me, it’s the best song on the album. I love its marching band feel, and the strings and horn parts in the chorus. It’s both weird and wonderful.
In an interview with Stereogum, Zauner explains how the album, and this song in particular, came about. She explains: “My biggest fear for this record was that I didn’t want to be the kind of artist that pivots to pop in this very obvious way. I think that as you grow as an indie musician, the logical step is to enter into that world and play bigger venues and have more mainstream music or whatever. So I was really inspired by the greats… like Kate Bush. I think it’s really amazing that she’s someone who has such massive appeal but is, like, the biggest freak and has the most surreal, bizarre lyrics and has this really strange, proggy instrumentation. So I was really influenced by Kate Bush on this record and leaned towards surreal lyrics a little bit more on Paprika.”
About the song title she says: “I called it Paprika because it reminded me of this Susumu Hirasawa song called Parade that’s in the movie Paprika. There’s a big marching band and it’s this really psychotic parade dream sequence, and so that’s why I called it Paprika.”
It may sound like a strange choice, but I think this would make a great single!
Recommended as well:
Japanese Breakfast – Be Sweet
Follow Japanese Breakfast 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 trackindie | pop
Silvertwin – Saviour
Do you remember me writing about Wait For Me by Super db, last month? I think it sounds like a Westcoast take on Olivia Newton-John & ELO’s Xanadu. Well, they’re not the only band to be inspired by Jeff Lynne’s musical legacy…
Let me introduce you to Silvertwin. A London quintet around Isaac Shalam, with like-minded souls Alicia Barisani, Dan Edery, Lauric Mackintosh and Antonio Naccache. They too are raised on a diet of ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s music. And now, Shalam has found himself the vehicle to recreate this beloved sound. There’s no copy-pasting however, he writes all of the songs himself, carefully following his heroes’ examples.
Silvertwin’s new single Saviour is equal parts Electric Light Orchestra, Paul McCartney, Supertramp and Steely Dan (including the famous Reelin’ In The Years riff). The track has come out ahead of the band’s upcoming self-titled debut album, set for release on 16 July.
Follow Silvertwin 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, wildcardWildcard (week 23):
hip hop | indie | pop | soul
Wildcard (week 23):
Dylan Cartlidge – Hang My Head
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.
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 weeklyfolk | hip hop | indie | pop | reggae | rock
Werner’s Weekly (week 23)
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.
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 trackindie | pop | rock
Not A Boys Name – Psychopath
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.
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.
