Browsing Tag indie
Cassia – Small Spaces
Cassia are Rob Ellis (lead vocals, guitar), Lou Cotterill (bass, vocals), and Jacob Leff (drums, vocals). A British trio that combine indie-pop with elements of tropical and world music in their songs, not unlike Vampire Weekend, for instance.
In less than three years, they released ten singles and an EP. Quite some output, that brought them sold-out shows and rave reviews. But the best has yet to come. Or rather: their best yet has just come out. Small Spaces could bring them big things…
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.
Nadia Sheikh – Toxic
Nadia Sheikh is a half British, half Spanish artist with an impressive cultural background. Currently London-based, she’s a genre chameleon, combining elements of indie, rock and pop, with the addition of folky and jazzy vocals, that shift from airy to powerful in the split of a second.
Since releasing her debut EP 50 Feet in 2013, she put out a new track almost every year. Toxic (not a cover) is her new single. A great song, that shows Sheikh’s rockier side. It’s once again produced by Nigel Walker, whose credits range from Shakatak to Dire Straits, Aerosmith and Kate Bush. This century so far, he is very popular amongst Spanish artists, producing best-selling albums by the likes of La Oreja De Van Gogh, El Canto Del Loco and Pereza.
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.
Tessa Dixson – Beautiful Pain
Like Machines by Billie Louise is this week’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. As I explained, they made the pre-selection of radio station Studio Brussel’s ‘De Nieuwe Lichting 2019’ (‘the new class 2019’). They didn’t win, however. On the other hand, Tessa Dixson was one of the winners of this year’s competition, earning her airplay, studio time and a cheque.
The Belgian singer went to a French-speaking school, speaks English at home and has family in Los Angeles. In 2014, Dixson participated in the Walloon version of The Voice. Since then, she performed live with fellow-Belgian acts Roméo Elvis and Warhola and played numerous festivals.
Beautiful Pain was the song that won her ‘De Nieuwe Lichting’. A wonderfully arranged, dramatic song, combining strings and beats just like Billie Louise’s song (which perhaps explains why the latter didn’t win the competition). Beautiful Pain was released late in 2018 already, but has only now been picked up by Studio Brussel, as part of the prize. A well-deserved second chance!
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 6):
Billie Louise – Like Machines
Belgian radio station Studio Brussel has its own talent contest. Each year, a jury and the broadcaster’s listeners choose ‘De Nieuwe Lichting’ (‘the new class’).
This year, one of the nine contestants (selected out of a thousand artists that sent in their music) was Billie Louise, an ultra-young band, consisting of Billie Louise (16, vocals), Dejan (17, drums), and Jérôme (22, keys). They have been together for such a short time, they only played their first ever gig last week.
Billie Louise is the daughter of Reinhard Vanbergen, who played in Belgian bands like Das Pop, The Happy, and Rheinzand. Growing up with pop music, but mainly listening to hip hop herself, she started writing her own songs at the age of 13. Like Machines, a song about a world where people are becoming more and more alike, is the band’s first single. Musically, acoustic instruments like violins and piano are in perfect harmony with synths and beats. A very promising debut.
Billie Louise didn’t win the StuBru competition, but they did win my heart. Like Machines is this week’s Carte Blanche Music 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.
Kakkmaddafakka – Runaway Girl
Norwegian sextet Kakkmaddafakka (Axel Vindenes, Pål Vindenes, Stian Sævig, Kristoffer Wie van der Pas, Lars Helmik Raaheim-Olsen, and Sebastian Kittelsen) are on a roll. Releasing back-to-back albums in 2016 and 2017, the band have their fifth – as yet untitled – long-player set for release on 22 March.
Runaway Girl, with its striking resemblance to The War On Drugs, is the energetic second single to be released ahead of the album. Frontman Axel Vindenes says about it: “Runaway Girl is the story of forbidden love, how some people feed off playing with others’ emotions.”
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 6)
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. A great collection of female-fronted tracks this week!
- Dua Lipa – Swan Song (Wildcard this week)
- Sigrid – Don’t Feel Like Crying (Wildcard last week)
- Band Of Skulls – Cool Your Battles
- Girli – Deal With It
- Nilüfer Yanya – In Your Head
- Piroshka – What’s Next?
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: Cage The Elephant, The Chemical Brothers, Circa Waves, 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.
Dodgy – Staying Out For The Summer ‘19
Dodgy are a British pop-rock band, which had its finest moments during the Britpop era in the mid-1990’s. Who doesn’t remember (and love) hits like Staying Out For The Summer, Good Enough and In A Room?
The former celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Originally a minor hit in 1994, it became one of their signature songs a year later, when it was re-issued in remixed form. Now, Dodgy re-recorded the track. To be honest, it’s a pretty straight-forward remake, but Staying Out For The Summer ’19 is still a great song. And a wonderful introduction if you’re new to the band. A bunch of guys with a good heart, for all of the proceeds of this version will go to a charity for homeless people.
Dodgy will play their breakthrough album Homegrown in full on their upcoming UK tour. They will be supported by Babybird (best known for their hit You’re Gorgeous), and Tony Wright (lead singer of rock band Terrorvision). A truly great line-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.
Nilüfer Yanya – In Your Head
Although she’d been writing songs in her head since she was six, and on the guitar since she was 12, now 23-year-old Nilüfer Yanya only started sharing her tunes with the world in 2016. Since then, the UK-based singer-songwriter of Turkish/Irish/Bajan heritage garnered a loyal mass of followers. After a few EPs, including great tracks like The Florist and Thanks 4 Nothing, she just readied her debut album Miss Universe.
We’ll have to wait until 22 March for it to drop, but in the meantime, we can enjoy the set’s new single. In Your Head is as catchy as ever, but with considerably more guitars and energy.
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.
Piroshka – What’s Next?
Late in 2018, Miki Berenyi, KJ ‘Moose’ McKillop, Mick Conroy and Justin Welch (members of British indie bands Lush, Moose, Modern English and Elastica) launched their first collaborative single as Piroshka. Everlastingly Yours immediately struck a chord. What’s next, you ask? Well, their debut album Brickbat is scheduled for release on 15 February. But first, they put out a new single.
Aptly titled What’s Next?, the track is a euphoric guitar pop song, which recalls The Cranberries, in a good way. Berenyi explains: “The lyrics are inspired by the shock and fallout regarding current political upheavals – how this finger-pointing and rage and blame are so damaging, how we need to get back some kind of solidarity if we possibly can because the divisions between us are playing into certain people’s hands.”
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 5)
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:
- Sigrid – Don’t Feel Like Crying (Wildcard this week)
- Jon Tessier – For A Little Eye Candy (Wildcard last week)
- Alice Merton – Learn To Live
- Ivan & The Parazol – Changin’
- Jealous Of The Birds – Blue Eyes
- Superbird – Cola Bottle Fizz
- The Revivalists – Change
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: Bring Me The Horizon, Danko Jones, Death Cab For Cutie, Dido, Florence & The Machine, Foals, Vampire Weekend, 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.
