Browsing Tag indie
single track
Roads To Roam – We Are
As you know, all roads lead to Rome. But apparently, Hilversum (the Netherlands) 5-piece Roads To Roam prefers to wander around. Which doesnât mean theyâre not ambitious. On the contrary. They certainly have a goal, and eventually they will get there.
Last year, Roads To Roam presented their 7-track debut EP A Guide To Your Mind, featuring the great singles Building Bridges and Walking Away. The band hasnât sat still since then. They continued writing new songs and yesterday evening, in their hometown, they presented their new single We Are with the accompanying video. Instead of just playing the clip they did a full-blown concert, showcasing their skills without being afraid to honour their musical heroes, like Kings Of Leon and fellow Dutch band Kensington. Bands that are more than modestly popular, who could use some company to keep themselves sharp. Roads To Roam are more than willing to fulfil that role. Onwards to Rome!
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
Wernerâs Weekly (week 4)
As always, Wernerâs Weekly consists of the very best of all tracks that I put in my Carte Blanche Music playlist last week. In this container playlist, which features the highlights of all music releases in 2017 so far, youâll find additions of Halestorm, The xx, Temples, Declan McKenna, Kâs Choice feat. Skin, Spoon, Lady Antebellum, and many more. But only the following have made it to my narrowed down selection (in alphabetical order) of top tracks. Activate the player in the sidebar to listen to the songs and if you want to know more about them, click on the links below:
- Powers – Dance (this weekâs Wildcard)
- Izzy Bizu – Talking To You (last weekâs Wildcard)
- Blackfield – How Was Your Ride?
- Blaenavon – Orthodox Man
- Dan Croll – Away From Today
- Electric Guest – Back From Me
- Gloria Estefan – One Day At A Time
- Saint Motel – Move
- Train – The News
Mind that as of this week I give extra support to the Wildcard by featuring it twice in Wernerâs Weekly: in the current week and the week after.
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
Blaenavon – Orthodox Man
Of course, last weekâs edition of showcase festival Eurosonic Noorderslag brought back memories of earlier editions. No better way to get surprised than to just walk into a venue, not knowing what band is playing. That way I âdiscoveredâ Blaenavon a few years ago, a very young band playing rattling rock. I started playing their single Into The Night in my radio show, calling them âa promising British psychedelic teeny wave bandâ.
By 2017, the only part of that description that still stands, is âpromisingâ. Their songs are more compact, the song structures more accessible and their overall sound more sophisticated. If fact, there is absolutely no reason for radio not to embrace Blaenavon as one of the next big things. I liked their latest single My Bark Is Your Bite already, and Orthodox Man is a great follow-up.
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
Kakkmaddafakka – Young You
Spotify already shortens the band name Kakkmaddafakka and calls them KMF, so I would not be surprised if the band would soon start abbreviating it themselves as well. And letâs be honest: the pretty âcontroversialâ name of the Norwegians could generate wrong expectations about the music theyâre making, which is actually very accessible.
Kakkmaddafakkaâs latest album KMF was co-written and co-produced by Erlend Ăye (Kings Of Convenience, Whitest Boy Alive), like their last two albums. It already produced the singles May God and Galapagos, but I like the new one, Young You, even better.
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
Wernerâs Weekly (week 2)
Each Monday morning Iâll publish Wernerâs Weekly on this blog. This might need a little explanationâŠ
All the tracks that I recommend here (and more) appear in my container playlist Carte Blanche Music, as far as theyâre available on Spotify. Youâll find this list by clicking on the image in the sidebar. The absolute highlights from this lot are selected for Wernerâs Weekly, which is refreshed every Monday morning. This list (with no particular order, well, alphabetical order that is) is featured in the sidebar as well. But only one track can be the best of them all. This song is chosen as Wildcard, which will be announced on Wednesdays (Wildcard Wednesday, anyone?) and will feature prominently on top of my blog for one whole week.
Thatâs how it works. Now, hit the player in the sidebar to listen to the tracks in Wernerâs Weekly while reading about them by clicking the links below⊠Enjoy!
- Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Wild Forever
- Christon feat. Maxime Barlag – Perfect World
- Dua Lipa – Thinking âbout You
- The Gift (feat. Brian Eno) – Clinic Hope
- Hifi Sean feat. Crystal Waters – Testify
- The Little Kicks – Goodbye Enemies, Hello Friends
- Ozark Henry – A Dream That Never Stops
- Public Service Broadcasting – Go! (Live At Brixton)
- Twin Peaks – Disappear
- Young Gun Silver Fox – Lolita
Apart from these highlights the Carte Blanche Music playlist also contains songs from Alex Clare, Bastille, Deep Sea Arcade, London Grammar, Sia and The XX, to name but a few.
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
Public Service Broadcasting – Go! (Live At Brixton)
If you can, go and see Public Service Broadcasting live. Theyâre great. Both the musicians and the âconceptâ. Now donât say âyukâ when I say âconceptâ, will you? Let me explainâŠ
The album The Race For Space is one of the most extraordinary musical projects Iâve encountered the last years. On it, Public Service Broadcasting put impressive historical audio fragments from space documentaries to music. And when they perform it live, they add an extra element: the images that accompany the audio fragments. Itâs incredible how all of those samples (both in sound and vision) melt together with the music.
In November 2015 they staged their show in O2 Brixton Academy where, as an added bonus, they added a choir, strings and horns to the party. The concert was recorded for the 2cd+dvd Live At Brixton, that I highly recommend. To get you in the mood, let me show you the live version of one of my favourites: Go!
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
Be Charlotte – One Drop
Only 19 years old, Charlotte Brimnerâs musical cv is no less than impressive. Born in Dundee, Scotland she has already been invited to American showcase festival SXSW twice, played at Scotlandâs largest festival T In The Park and just finished a tour in South East Asia. Sheâs not only a talented songwriter, but also a great singer (who raps and beatboxes as well) and a multi-instrumentalist. Even better: she helped to invent some of her own unique musical instruments.
Her new single One Drop is one hell of a catchy pop song. Go and see âthe most exciting emerging artist in agesâ (BBC Radio 1) at Eurosonic Noorderslag in Groningen, the Netherlands if you can, or elsewhere on her upcoming European tour.
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
The Gift (feat. Brian Eno) – Clinic Hope
Each year, Dutch showcase festival Eurosonic has a âfocus countryâ. This year Portugal is it. One of the Portuguese acts performing in Groningen next week is alt-pop quartet The Gift, consisting of SĂłnia Tavares, Miguel Ribeiro, and brothers Nuno and John Gonçalves. The band formed in 1994 and founded its own label in 1999, thus becoming pioneers of DIY music in Portugal. By 2017, they are one of the most experienced bands of the country.
This spring The Gift release their new album, that was produced by Brian Eno. Clinic Hope, the follow-up to first single Love Without Violins, is out today. The whole video (to be released next week) will be over 6 minutes long, but this trailer cuts it down to 5 seconds:
Thank God the whole song is already on Spotify (the radio edit, that is):
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
British Sea Power – Bad Bohemian
If you donât know British Sea Power yet, songs like Carrion, Please Stand Up and Waving Flags are a good introduction. Pretty bombastic, eh? I love it. If you liked it too, you can read on.
The good news is: British Sea Power are back. On 31 March they release their new album Let The Dancers Inherit The Party and for those who canât wait, they just dropped the first single Bad Bohemian. Itâs instantly recognisable. Not only because of BSPâs own distinct sound, but also because of the hints of The Cure and New Order that shimmer through. Iâm glad the wait is over!
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
Twin Peaks – Disappear
A band that names itself after the utterly brilliant TV series âTwin Peaksâ canât be bad. Bold statement, maybe, but these lads prove me right.
Twin Peaks (the band, obviously) are from Chicago and their Facebook bio doesnât leave you guessing about their intentions: âWe like to rock and most certainly love to rollâ. Yeah baby! If you donât believe them, go find out for yourself, theyâll be all over Europe the coming weeks.
Last spring, Twin Peaks released their latest album Down In Heaven. A special version of it came packed with a 7â vinyl single, featuring two songs that are not on the album. This package was available at independent record stores only.
I presume the last copy had just been sold, for only now, over half a year later, the band has been pleased to give it to the masses. In other words: the tracks have finally been made available to a streaming service near you.
The record has a double A side, one of them being I Donât Want To Miss You. Personally, Iâm especially fond of the other track, Disappear, which appears below:
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.
