Browsing Tag indie
Winnetka Bowling League – Diane
Going through Matthew Koma’s CV, I can’t help but thinking about a chameleon. A Koma Chameleon, as Culture Club would have it… Inspired by Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen, Koma started his music career in punk rock, later transitioning into pop, hip hop and EDM. He worked with artists ranging from DJ’s like Zedd, Hardwell and Tiësto, to Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic and Shania Twain.
With his latest project, one might say Koma returned to his roots. Since a year, he is the front man of rock band Winnetka Bowling League. I wrote about their single Feeling California before, which was included on the band’s self-titled debut EP. Last week, they came up with their second EP Cloudy With A Chance Of Sun.
Predominantly produced and recorded by Matthew Koma, the record features six tracks. Kombucha and Slow Dances preceded the release as singles. I’d like to suggest Diane, with its All Day And All Of The Night vibe, as single #3.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
Magdalena Bay – Only If You Want It
If you’re fond of clever pop by the likes of Grimes, Charli XCX or Britney Spears, please meet Magdalena Bay. This Miami-born, LA-based duo, consisting of Mica Tenenbaum (song-writing, vocals) and Matthew Lewin (song-writing, vocals, production) make just that.
Drawing inspiration from ’80s and ’90s pop song-writing and contemporary production, they began writing together in high school and started making music as Magdalena Bay in 2016. Since then, they released quite a collection of upbeat and synth-driven singles. No sad songs, just fun.
If you’re new to Magdalena Bay, their new single Only If You Want It is a perfect introduction.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
Wildcard (week 18):
The Cheap Thrills – Smile When You Sleep
The Cheap Thrills are a garage rock band who very proudly come from Liverpool (England). The group consists of primary school friends Lewis Pike, Terry Eaves, Callum Fitzpatrick and Anton Eager, who specialize in songs with catchy hooks and melodies, resulting in jumpy bass lines, spacey guitars, and synths.
About their new single, lead singer Lewis says: ”Smile When You Sleep lists our problems with sleep in various different ways but I think it highlights the beauty of sleep too. It also questions how you feel sleeping with someone else as opposed to sleeping alone. It’s always about progression with songs for us. We want people to connect to these tunes and sing them back to us.”
This week, Smile When You Sleep by The Cheap Thrills features prominently on the Carte Blanche Music blog as the new Wildcard!
In the Wildcards 2019 playlist you can find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
Mat Kerekes – Hawthorne
Best known as lead vocalist of alt rock band Citizen, American singer-songwriter Mat Kerekes just released his fourth solo album Ruby. He tracked most of the instruments himself, and produced and engineered the album in a studio that he built with his brother in his garage.
Although Ruby showcases his softer side and his versatility as a singer-songwriter, the album still boasts massive choruses, dynamic arrangements, and infectious melodies. All of these elements are present in the album’s new single Hawthorne, the follow-up to Diamonds.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
Nikki’s Wives – Real Girl
After releasing their debut EP Motor Court in last year, alternative pop trio Nikki’s Wives are working hard to make 2019 the year of their break-through. With their single Lemonade, they were off to a good start, but the follow-up track Real Girl is even better.
Starting off lovely with the sound of a music box, it gains energy once a slow, driving drum and guitar set in. Lyrically, it takes a biting and critical approach to stereotypical ideas of what it takes to be a ‘real girl’.
A song that crawls under your skin.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
Werner’s Weekly (week 18)
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:
- Jain – Gloria (Wildcard this week)
- Hey Violet – Better By Myself (Wildcard last week)
- Bear Ghost – Haunt, The Cartoon Heart
- Kakkmaddafakka – Get Go
- Owl Eyes – You And I / Le Soleil
- Roads To Roam – For A Better Day
- Talisco – Sensation
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: Bastille, Cage The Elephant, Foals, Jade Bird, Marina, SOAK, and many more.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
The fin. – Come Further
The fin. are a Japanese duo that are currently located in London. Until very recently, they were a trio, but only on 27 March, guitarist Ryosuke Odagaki played his last show with the band. He decided to stop his music activities and take a different path from now on. Since then, The Fin. consist of Yuto Uchino and Kaoru Nakazawa, who will be complemented live by a support guitarist.
For a band that was formed in Japan, it may strike you as a little bit odd that they combine indie-rock with synth-pop, but they do so very well, in my opinion. In recent years, The fin. supported major artists like The Last Shadow Puppets, Circa Waves and Mew, performed globally at major music festivals in Japan and beyond, as well as embarked on world tours.
Come Further is the band’s new single.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
Will Hutton – Silhouette
Multi-genre singer-songwriter Will Hutton from London spent the past two years working on successful collaborative projects, all of which were rather danceable. In a subtle way, this influenced Hutton’s new solo single. With a little bit of imagination, one can hear a light version of Lost Frequencies in his just-released track Silhouette. Other inspirations appear to have been Editors, Ben Howard, and Fleetwood Mac.
Hutton wrote the track whilst travelling on a tram in Amsterdam. It is a song about a love that over time and space continues to grow, and no matter the time apart, is worth the wait. However, the lyrics are open and ambiguous, allowing each listener to draw their own individual meaning from the song.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
Kakkmaddafakka – Get Go
I’m quite fond of Norwegian sextet Kakkmaddafakka; I’ve written about them on this blog a few times before. Most recently, I put forward the track Sin off their most recent album Diplomacy as a potential future single. But that’s not the only great track on the long-player.
This time, I’d like to suggest you listen to the tune Get Go. Another up-tempo, radio-friendly, danceable, 80’s-influenced song that will refuse to leave your head once it’s entered it. You have been warned…
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
Citizens – Looking Up
Seattle-based band Citizens was formed in 2011, just months prior to their debut EP Already Not Yet. They now have three full-length albums under their belt.
Next up is their fourth album Fear, to be released on 3 May. The creation and production of this album was funded via a Kickstarter campaign, which was met with overwhelming support. The album was fully funded in 8 hours, with an initial goal of $20,000. Since then, total support has exceeded $62,000.
Citizens have already put out four tracks ahead of the album: the title track, Out Of Sight, Everything For Nothing, and – only last week – Looking Up.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Has been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, he developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart.
