Browsing Tag indie
single track
Wesley Fuller – #1 Song
If you like jangling guitar pop (think The Byrds, Big Star and even Teenage Fanclub), then hit the play button below before you even read on. Wesley Fuller, from Melbourne Australia, knows his classics, especially when it comes to 60’s bubblegum pop and 70’s glam rock. He produces familiarly sounding music, but with a subtle modern touch. The Equals, Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers, Sparks, XTC, The Bangles, Deep Sea Arcade, The Sweet and Talking Heads are among his inspirations.
22 September, Wesley Fuller will release his debut album Inner City Dream. It’s preceded by his new single #1 Song, which, funnily, sounds like a #1 song from the early seventies indeed. The video ties in with this theme neatly. The way it is shot, the way the musicians look and move, it all resembles an episode of a TV show like Top Of The Pops from that bygone era.
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
Freak – No Money
The times you could (very) roughly say: ‘pop comes from Britain, rock from the United States’ are far behind us. On the contrary: the most interesting developments in British music are based in rock (although they have yet to translate into the charts, for what that’s worth). You can find numerous good examples of this on Carte Blanche Music. Let me give you another one…
19-year-old Connar Ridd (vocals, guitar) goes by the name of Freak and has already been described as a ‘one-man Nirvana’. But he probably likes Arctic Monkeys as well. And he went to the same school as Rat Boy, who uses the same kind of rap-rock to express himself.
No Money is Freak’s new single.
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
Arcane Roots – Off The Floor
If you like the ambitious, progressive music of bands like Clock Opera, combining guitar riffs and electronica, you might want to check out Arcane Roots. This alternative rock band from Kingston Upon Thames, UK, that already released the mini album Left Fire (2011), full album debut Blood And Chemistry (2013) and another mini album, Heaven And Earth (2015), are now back.
Their second full-length Melancholia Hymns is slated for a 15 September release. Another complex musical journey for the head and the heart, preceded by the great single Off The Floor. A sure-fire floor filler during their upcoming 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.
werner's weekly
Werner’s Weekly (week 31)
The likes of Spotify, Deezer and Apple Music made it easier than ever to keep track with new music. Whether you’re at home, on the beach, in your car or on safari: a smartphone with your service of choice is all you need. Oh, and you need the time to browse through all of the available playlists to pick the tracks of your liking…
If that’s too much hustle for you, trust me to it. I listen to music in every spare minute and love to select the best new songs for you on a daily basis. Just check (and follow) my Carte Blanche Music playlist and hear for yourself! Last week I added Belle & Sebastian, The Killers, Pvris, Sløtface, Superfood and many more to that playlist. Each and every one of them great tracks. But the very best of them – in my opinion – are listed alphabetically below (listen through the Werner’s Weekly player):
- Wolf Parade – Valley Boy (Wildcard this week)
- Aloe Blacc – King Is Born (Wildcard last week)
- Drones Club – International
- Jade Bird – Cathedral
- Nicole Atkins – Sleepwalking
- Skott – Mermaid
- The Montreals – Deadheads
- Young Gun Silver Fox – Midnight In Richmond
(Click the links for backgrounds on each of the tracks and click below to listen to them)
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
Jade Bird – Cathedral
Jade Bird is only 19 and already a rising star in the London music scene. She started by singing covers of songs by the likes of Pixies, Beyoncé and Drake and just released her debut EP Something American, recorded in… well, the title explains…
The EP contains five original tracks, combining pop, rock, blues, country and r&b. And Jade assembled not the least musicians to play on it. You can hear Sara Lee (who worked with The B-52’s, Indigo Girls and many others) on bass and Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan, Levon Helm) on guitar.
Cathedral is the lead single off the EP.
If you wonder if she can pull it off live, this is a one-taker, recorded in the Dreamland Studios in New York:
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 30):
Wildcard (week 30):
Wolf Parade – Valley Boy
Over the years, legendary record label Sub Pop has been the home of bands like Afghan Whigs, CSS, The Go! Team, Hole, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Modest Mouse, Nirvana, The Postal Service, Saint Etienne and The Shins. One of the best bands in its current roster, in my opinion, is Wolf Parade.
Wolf Parade is a Canadian indie rock band. They went on indefinite hiatus in 2011, but announced their return to recording and performing in January 2016. Since then, they worked on a new album, Cry Cry Cry, which will be released by Sub Pop on 6 October. The first single is here already and Valley Boy is this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard (you can find all of them in the Wildcards 2017 playlist). Good to have them back!
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 trackYoung Gun Silver Fox – Midnight In Richmond
Young Gun Silver Fox – Midnight In Richmond
Earlier this year, Young Gun (Andy Platts) Silver Fox (Shawn Lee) released the single Lolita, that was not on their album West End Coast. Although that CD contains a few more single worthy songs, the band appears to have moved on. That is, what else could I conclude from their new single being brand new as well?
‘Brand new’ must of course be interpreted with some flexibility, because Young Gun Silver Fox’s music sounds like it has been produced in the 70’s of the last century. The fact radio still loves it, only means the band managed to give it a magical timeless touch.
If Midnight In Richmond is your first encounter with this band, and you like it, then you can drag their whole repertoire into your playlist. And if you want to know where this is coming from, just look up some Eagles and Steely Dan tunes. You’ll like it, I give you my word!
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
Werner’s Weekly (week 26)
Music is good, new music is great and the tracks in Werner’s Weekly are the greatest 😉 . Werner’s Weekly contains the best songs that were added to my 2017 container playlist Carte Blanche Music last week (including new tracks by Beth Ditto, Rat Boy, Haim, Blondie and Vant).
These are the ones that made it to the final round…
- IX – Difference (this week’s Wildcard)
- Nana Adjoa – The Resolution (last week’s Wildcard)
- Dangers Of The Sea – You And I
- Julian Velard – Don’t Ask Me About Hamilton (Anymore)
- Pimpy Panda feat. Alana & NiCo Gomez – Don’t Give Up
- School Of X – Words
The links will bring you to more information about each song and if you want to listen to any of them, please check the Werner’s Weekly player in the sidebar of this blog.
If you like what you hear, you might consider subscribing to one (or both) of these playlists…
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
School Of X – Words
Drummers who sing as well… Sometimes that turns out quite successful. Phil Collins, Dave Grohl, Don Henley, Sheila E., Ringo Starr, Karen Carpenter. Do you want me to continue? Well, I won’t, because I’ve got a brand new example to introduce to you…
Rasmus Littauer is a Danish drummer, who drummed for Mø, for instance. Now, he takes the front. School Of X is his solo project. Solo in the exact meaning of the word. He composes, records and produces everything on his own. What results is dreamy pop.
So far, School Of X released a few tracks, one of them being a Sadé cover. The first single to be released on a larger scale (via Spotify et al.), is Words. A song that slowly crawls under you skin. Don’t say I didn’t warn you… ?
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, wildcard
Wildcard (week 25): IX – Difference
Marnix Dorrestein is a songwriter, composer, producer, arranger, singer, piano player, guitarist, drummer… well, in fact he plays on everything he comes across. After winning the largest Dutch talent show with his band Über-Ich in 2012, he was invited to attend a talent development plan. This resulted in his first musical solo project, IX, which is actually a trio.
You can hear a big love for ’60s, ’70s and ’80s pop in his music, which he calls nostalgic future pop. But a partly electronic cabinet of instruments and exotic influences make it sound rather more futuristic than nostalgic, as you’ll witness on IX’s new EP 00:00.
Anyway, these are only words and music must be heard. So why don’t you hit ‘play’? And again? And again? Difference by IX is this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
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.
