Browsing Tag indie
Additions to the Carte Blanche Music playlist (week 8)
Not all, but only the *best* new music. Added this week (alphabetically):
- The Boo Radleys – The Unconscious
indie | pop
- Emerson Brophy – Day Job
indie | pop
- Calicos – Comedown
indie | pop | rock
- Gorillaz (feat. Stevie Nicks) – Oil
pop
- The Heavy – I Feel The Love
gospel | indie | rock
- Lipstick Palms – New Year
indie | pop
- Tilly Louise – Join The Club
indie | pop | rock
- Mood Bored – Lucky
indie | pop | rock
- Meg Smith – All The Things You’d Ruin
indie | pop | rock
- Drew Sycamore – Paradise/Surfer
pop
- Tamir – Roses
indie | pop | soul
- Lucy Warr – Better
indie | pop | rock
- Melanie Wehbe – For The Show
indie | pop
- Zuco 103 – Aruenda [2023 Version]
funk | indie | pop | tropical
Check them all in the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music Spotify playlist.
Follow (click ‘♥’) to hear the best new music first.

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.
Wildcard (week 8):
Bailen – Call It Like It Is
Twin brothers Daniel and David and sister Julia Bailen were born and raised in New York. The rising indie-pop trio just announced their sophomore album Tired Hearts will be out on 5 May.
While they recorded their debut album after testing the songs on the road tirelessly, they took another approach on this follow-up. This time, many of the songs were honed in the studio as opposed to live. This resulted in 12 original songs that are centred around Bailen’s radiant harmonies and adventurous arrangements. Lyrically, they wrestle with an uncertain future where ethics and morality – both communal and personal – are constantly shifting. In their own words, it’s a set of songs that ‘navigates the space between the heart’s expectation and the head’s sober reality’.
Bailen co-produced their new album with Brad Cook, who worked with Bon Iver, Waxahatchee and Snail Mail before.
Alt-pop anthem Call It Like It Is is the first single off Tired Hearts. It was co-written by Bailen and X Ambassadors’ Adam Levin and Sam Harris. It’s ‘an anthem for anyone who refuses to be taken advantage of’, the band stated. “It unmasks the ugly truth behind shiny veneers.” The beat-driven, bass-heavy track comes with a cult classic thriller style video.
Call It Like It Is by Bailen is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Follow Bailen on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 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 Weekly (week 8)
This is Werner’s Weekly, your guide to the best new music, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:
- Gabrielle Aplin – Be Yourself
(Wildcard this week)
- Dolores Forever – When I Say So
(Wildcard last week)
- beabadoobee – Glue Song
- Black Honey – OK
- Desirée Dawson – Lonely
- Bea Miller – Cynical
- Jason Mraz – I Feel Like Dancing
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.

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.
Additions to the Carte Blanche Music playlist (week 7)
The best from a crazy amount of new releases. Added this week (alphabetically):
- Anna Of The North – Swirl
indie | pop
- Bailen – Call It Like It Is
indie | pop | rock
- Nessa Barrett – Bang Bang!
pop | rock
- beabadoobee – Glue Song
indie | pop
- Black Honey – OK
indie | rock
- Cole Bleu – Heartbreakers
indie | rock
- Gia Darcy – I’ll Never Drink Again
indie | pop | rock
- Desirée Dawson – Lonely
indie | pop | r&b
- Death Of The High Street – Not Fair
indie | rock
- FloodHounds – Psychosemantics
indie | rock
- James Gittins feat. Sophie Naglik – What You Want [Dance Remix]
dance | indie | pop
- Tara Hack – Bounce
disco | electronic | funk | indie | pop
- The Hengles – Flashes Of Green
indie | pop | rock
- Tycho Jones – Risk To My Reward
indie | pop
- Daimy Lotus – Friends 😉
indie | pop | rock
- Melle – Can’t Come Home
indie | pop
- Bea Miller – Cynical
indie | rock
- Jason Mraz – I Feel Like Dancing
indie | pop
- noelle – Mars
indie | pop
- Lo Noom – Too Much For Me
acoustic | indie | pop
- Giovany Revelle – Time
indie | pop | rock
- Rews – Misery
indie | rock
- Bebe Rexha – Heart Wants What It Wants
pop
- Bartees Strange – Tisched Off
indie | pop | rock
- Temples – Cicada
indie | pop
Check them all in the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music Spotify playlist.
Follow (click ‘♥’) to hear the best new music first.

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.
Wildcard (week 7):
Gabrielle Aplin – Be Yourself
English singer-songwriter Gabrielle Aplin rose to prominence early in her career, when she was asked to record a cover of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s The Power Of Love. It was the soundtrack of department store John Lewis’s annual Christmas commercial and went on to top the UK Singles Chart. The one-off single was soon followed by her debut album English Rain, which became a hit as well.
Aplin started 2023 with a bang, putting out her fourth album Phosphorescent. Less than a month after that, she’s already come up with two brand-new tracks: Side By Side and Be Yourself. Both were written and recorded for the computer-animated fantasy comedy film ‘The Amazing Maurice’.
In an interview with Atwood Magazine, she says about the project: “I am big into music and film. I love it. It was really lovely to work to a brief. (…) As a fan, it was a really wonderful experience. It’s a really wholesome film about literally being yourself and community, and how your individuality is your superpower. I loved writing that. I love putting bits of the script into the song. It was a really wonderful thing to do and a really wholesome experience.”
Be Yourself is Aplin’s new single. A joyful, up-tempo song with a lively beat and an infectious guitar riff. The uplifting lyrics reflect the film’s main theme.
Be Yourself by Gabrielle Aplin is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Follow her on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 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 Weekly (week 7)
This is Werner’s Weekly, your guide to the best new music, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:
- Dolores Forever – When I Say So
(Wildcard this week)
- Nell Mescal – Homesick
(Wildcard last week)
- Eddie Benjamin – All For Nothing
- Django Django feat. Self Esteem – Complete Me
- Harm & Ease – Meet Me At The Riot
- Kezra – Insane
- Hannah Scott – Into Your Grief
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.

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.
Additions to the Carte Blanche Music playlist (week 6)
Not all, but only the *best* new music. Added this week (alphabetically):
- Gabrielle Aplin – Be Yourself
indie | pop
- Eddie Benjamin – All For Nothing
pop
- Bitter Kisses – Pr*y
indie | pop | rock
- Crystal Cities – I Should Have Known That This Was War
indie | pop
- Depeche Mode – Ghosts Again
electronic | pop
- Django Django feat. Self Esteem – Complete Me
indie | pop
- Harm & Ease – Meet Me At The Riot
indie | pop | rock
- Kezra – Insane
indie | pop | rock
- Naia Lika – Gas Station Bouquet
funk | indie | pop | soul
- Little Green – Dinner With The Moon
indie | pop
- Mal Fantôme – Higher
indie | pop | rock
- Manning – Hearts On Fire
indie | pop
- Peking Duk feat. Darren Hayes – I Want You
pop
- Roe – My Greatest Fear
indie | pop | rock
- Hannah Scott – Into Your Grief
acoustic | indie | melancholic | pop
- Super Ghost – Don’t Talk About It
indie | pop | rock
- Tired All The Time – One Big File
indie | pop | rock
- Joshua Ziggy – Can’t Go Back
indie | pop | rock
Check them all in the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music Spotify playlist.
Follow (click ‘♥’) to hear the best new music first.

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.
Wildcard (week 6):
Dolores Forever – When I Say So
Close friends and songwriters Hannah Wilson (from Yorkshire) and Julia Fabrin (from Copenhagen) met at a house party in London. Connecting over their love of Mitski, Sharon Van Etten, Stevie Nicks and the Spice Girls, they formed Dolores Forever. Their 2022 EP Baby Teeth collected the singles the duo released since 2021. They went on to release three more tracks that same year and have been tipped across media and radio alike as one of the most exciting new acts to make an impact in 2023.
Their first single of the new year is titled When I Say So. It was produced and mixed by Grammy Award winner Ben Allen, who worked with Gnarls Barkley, Animal Collective, MIA and Big Moon before. The song takes Dolores Forever’s dreamy pop to yet another level, with hooks, harmonies and a festival-sized chorus to boot. This is the track to elevate the duo from just ones to watch, to one of the most exciting acts of 2023.
“When I Say So is about reluctantly growing up,” Dolores Forever explain. “A song for the curious who want more than they are supposed to expect. There’s the moment when you’re suddenly not the ingénue in the room anymore and everything around you is changing. You’re not sure you’re on the same ride as everyone else.”
When I Say So by Dolores Forever is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Follow Dolores Forever on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 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 Weekly (week 6)
This is Werner’s Weekly, your guide to the best new music, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:
- Nell Mescal – Homesick
(Wildcard this week)
- Altered By Mom – Dive In
(Wildcard last week)
- Dead Anyway – Big Foot
- Paddy Echo – Butterfly Kissing
- Hannah Grae – I Never Say No
- Rori – Encore
- The Utopiates – Making History
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.

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.
Additions to the Carte Blanche Music playlist (week 5)
Not all, but only the *best* new music. Added this week (alphabetically):
- Blaue Blume – Crush
indie | pop
- Dead Anyway – Life Is Brutal/Big Foot/The Dotted Line
indie | melancholic | pop | spoken word
- Dolores Forever – When I Say So
indie | pop
- Paddy Echo – Butterfly Kissing
indie | pop
- Girli – Imposter Syndrome
electronic | indie | pop
- Hannah Grae – I Never Say No
pop | rock
- Raye – Worth It.
indie | pop | soul
- Rori – Encore
pop
- Secret Lung – Phantom Limbs
indie | rock
- Jake Shears – Too Much Music
disco | indie | pop
- The Utopiates – Making History
indie | pop | rock
- We The Commas – Keep Going
indie | pop
Check them all in the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music Spotify playlist.
Follow (click ‘♥’) to hear the best new music first.

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.