Browsing Tag indie
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 50):
Wildcard (week 50):
Yuke – Stranger Still
I don’t know why, but songs which open with a drum fill always catch my attention. Always have. Enter Stranger Still by Yuke, a five-piece band from Hackney, the birth ground of Marc Bolan, Mel & Kim, William Orbit and Paloma Faith. They like to blend different genres, from jazz to soul to French house. Their debut single however, is full-on funk-pop. Try it if you’re curious what it would sound like if Robert Smith would be joined on stage by Funkadelic!
Over the next six to eight months, Yuke plan to release six singles. If the very first of these is anything to go by, it’s going to be a fun-filled half year. Apart from some serious bass slapping, Stranger Still features plucked violins, a full brass section, catchy choruses and happy handclapping. Guaranteed to make you dance, this is the sound of a band full of ambition. That’s always a good thing to start with, but it’s even better to fulfil the promise at first listen.
This week, you’ll be able to listen to the single as often as you like. Stranger Still by Yuke is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard, so it’ll feature here prominently for seven full days!
Follow Yuke on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2021 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
Werner’s Weekly (week 50)
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:
- Miles Kane feat. Corinne Bailey Rae – Nothing’s Ever Gonna Be Good Enough (Wildcard this week)
- Coral Palms – Something In The Air (Wildcard last week)
- Alta Falls – The Fire
- Buffalo Paradise – Buffalo Paradise
- Render Ghosts – Eye Rhyme
- Teen Jesus & The Jean Teasers – Miss Your Birthday
- Wilsn – You Know Better
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: Bad Suns, GG, and more.
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
Ally Cribb – Bigger
Toronto-based singer and songwriter Ally Cribb comes from a musical family. Her father Robert Cribb is a musician and writer as well. No surprise, then, that Ally chose the same career path. Citing Taylor Swift and Joni Mitchell as her heroes, she started taking singing lessons at the age of eight. Now only 16 years old, she steps into the spotlights.
Her first ever single, released earlier this year, was a heartfelt cover of Radiohead’s Creep. Impressive, but I think her first original release, Bigger, is even more extraordinary. Especially since she wrote the song herself at such a young age. Sonically, her first two tracks couldn’t be further apart. Her version of Creep was a stripped back, piano-only affair, while Bigger sounds, well, ‘bigger’.
Speaking on the track, Ally Cribb explains: “Bigger is about breaking through the obstacles that convince us to accept less than what we are. I’ve come to understand failure as a source of strength instead of something I should be scared of. I wrote this thinking about the many things I want to accomplish in my life, and the feeling I get when I close my eyes and picture myself standing on a big stage, staring out into a sea of faces. That’s my dream. And however challenging it might be getting there, this song is my own reminder that perseverance and dedication are stronger than the fear of failure.”
Bigger was produced by Ally’s father and will be part of her forthcoming EP Unbroken.
Follow Ally Cribb on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
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.
single track
Bilderbuch – Zwischen Deiner Und Meiner Welt
Austrian indie band Bilderbuch are currently on tour in the United States and Canada, opening for Roosevelt’s shows. However, that doesn’t stop them from releasing a brand-new single.
Following Nahuel Huapi and Daydrinking, Zwischen Deiner Und Meiner Welt (’between your world and mine‘) is the third single off the group’s upcoming album. Due to be released on 25 March 2022, its title is Gelb Ist Das Feld. In good Bilderbuch tradition, the album is likely to sound different from their earlier output. Judging from the singles so far, they are moving towards stadium-sized pop-rock songs with a bit of a dreamy melody. More than ever, the band puts the guitar front and center.
Zwischen Deiner Und Meiner Welt combines German and English lyrics as if they were always meant to be together. All in all, it’s a catchy, four-to-the-floor song that won’t necessarily appeal to German-speaking audiences alone (as proven by their current tour).
Recommended as well:
Bilderbuch – Checkpoint (Nie Game Over)
Follow Bilderbuch on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
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.
single trackWho Parked The Car – Other Side
Who Parked The Car – Other Side
Thomas Salvatore (vocals, piano and keyboards), Laura Wamba (vocals), Sebastián Muñoz (saxophone, flute), Félix Reneault (saxophone), César Aouillé (guitar), Ludo Prieur (bass), Malo Ropers (percussions) and Alejandro Dixon (drums) are Who Parked The Car. Eight people in one band. Eight people to share the money. Hopefully they’re good friends and/or make music for fun 😉.
One thing is sure: coming from the best music schools in Paris, this is a talented bunch of young musicians. And with pop influences like Bruno Mars, Stevie Wonder, Toto and Supertramp, and jazz influences like Snarky Puppy, Robert Glasper, Louis Cole and Weather Report, what could possibly go wrong?
Following their energetic, funk/nu-disco debut single Candle Dance, Who Parked The Car now show an ‘other side’ of themselves. Their new single is a laid-back, jazzy track with soulful lyrics about the different sides of people. A song that fits winter like a glove.
Nevertheless, I can’t wait for spring, for more than one reason. Because of the sun and higher temperatures (hopefully), but also because this octet will release their debut album Mad Weather, Good Friends in April. The band say the music on it will be fresh, organic, spontaneous, cheerful, bright, inclusive, optimistic and comforting. Sounds like just the thing we all need. Bring it on!
Recommended as well:
Who Parked The Car – Candle Dance
Follow Who Parked The Car on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
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.
single track
Dancer – It Matters
After making a low-key entry in the music business in 2020, Australian band Dancer started all over again this year under the wings of a proper record label. They now release the quartet’s 6-track debut-EP Fears. It features the band’s debut single Dreamer, a totally revamped version of Show Me The Way (re-named The Light) and this year’s Fears. The other songs are brand-new.
No EP or album release nowadays without a ‘focus track’. In this case, It Matters is it. Good choice! It Matters is an upbeat song that sounds like is was made with (alternative) radio in mind. Another one of the band’s addictive tracks, it has a contagious melody and powerful lyrics.
The band say about the song: “Each of us have our own expression, our own beliefs, mistakes and pain. And all of it matters. This song is a call out to the people who feel like their stories don’t matter. Every person matters and is worth it.”
Recommended as well:
Fears
Show Me The Way
Dreamer
Follow Dancer on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
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.
single track
Pipin – Maybe It’s Me
Pipin, pronounced as ‘pip-in’, is a project from Australian singer-songwriter Rebecca Hoole. Making dreamy, electronic pop, she established herself as one-to-watch in Brisbane’s music scene with shows supporting the likes of Ball Park Music, and playing multiple festival gigs.
Her new single Maybe It’s Me is a captivating piece of music. Simple-sounding at first listen, but more ingenious underneath the surface. Every single element has been carefully considered by Pipin and her producer, guitarist and real-life partner, Hugh Middleton. Just listen to the rhythmic bed, which features lots of different percussive sounds like claps and clicks, for instance. Towards the end, it builds up with extra vocal harmonies and percussion noises. Making a complex song sound simple asks for real craftsmanship!
Maybe It’s Me isn’t only a joy sonically, but visually as well. The accompanying video, partly inspired by the clip for Kate Bush’s Babooshka, really fits the tune.
Follow Pipin on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
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.
single track
Kinishao – Always In My Head
Some people are born artists. Others only start chasing their calling at an older age. Frenchman Guillaume Depierre falls in the latter category. As a teenager, he loved music, from Beethoven to Prince. But instead of making it his profession, he decided to please his mother and do law studies. After succeeding, he eventually started his own law firm.
However, while hiding under his lawyer’s dress, music continued to knock on his door. He built a small studio at home, and anonymously wrote pop songs and composed beats between trials. Since 2013, he released an EP trilogy (Pages, volumes 1-3) and an album, all of which have now been deleted from the internet.
In 2021, Depierre made a fresh start. He hung up the dress, sold his law firm and became a full-time musician under the guise of Kinishao, releasing music on his own label. His first official single, last summer, was a re-recorded version of his 2017 track November Falls. Now, it’s time for a follow-up, which sounds like a potential break-through to me.
Always In My Head opens with a guitar part that resembles Sausolito Summernight by Diesel. It’s quickly followed by tight drums, a cowbell, catchy vocal melodies and more guitar riffs. It brings Lenny Kravitz to mind. Old-school scratches and a fade-out provide an extra touch of nostalgia. A classic rock song for the ‘20s.
Follow Kinishao on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
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.
single track
Lou Ella & Shae Brock – Snake In The Garden
Making timeless music is a real craft. Fleetwood Mac is one of those bands that know the drill. No wonder many contemporary artists are fans. Acts like Haim, Little Green Cars, Lissie, Liv and many others don’t exactly make a secret of this fascination. We can now add a new act to that list.
Lou Ella & Shae Brock are two Los Angeles-based artists, who met online. They co-wrote their occasional collaboration Snake In The Garden with Mike Kamerman from Smallpools, who produced it as well. This resulted in a smooth and (radio) friendly indie-pop tune.
Lyrically, things are a little harsher though. Snake In The Garden talks about betrayal, knowing who your enemies are and growing. Lou Ella explains: “Don’t always trust people who come into your life even if all seems ok. Whether it’s romance or friendship, we’ve all been betrayed or hurt by someone we’ve trusted. You come out stronger but it still hurts.”
Follow Lou Ella on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
Follow Shae Brock on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
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.
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 49):
Wildcard (week 49):
Miles Kane feat. Corinne Bailey Rae – Nothing’s Ever Gonna Be Good Enough
Surprises are the best, aren’t they? I mean, had you ever expected a collaboration between Miles Kane and Corinne Bailey Rae? But now that it’s out there, I can only conclude it’s one of those duets we didn’t know we missed so dearly. Their voices blend together so wonderfully!
For two seconds, the opening piano notes of Nothing’s Ever Gonna Be Good Enough bring ABBA’s Money, Money, Money to mind. But then the drums kick in and a great groove takes the tune in a totally different direction. It continues to sound nostalgic, but with a Northern Soul feel, which is never a bad thing. A happy song which comes with a cute video.
Nothing’s Ever Gonna Be Good Enough is Miles Kane’s fourth single of the year, and 2022 is about to make a great start as well. His new, ‘uplifting’ album Change The Show will be out on 21 January. It contains all four previously released tracks plus seven new songs.
This week, Nothing’s Ever Gonna Be Good Enough by Miles Kane feat. Corinne Bailey Rae is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard!
Follow Miles Kane on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
Follow Corinne Bailey Rae on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2021 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.
