Browsing Tag indie
Noga Erez feat. Rousso – Story
It may sound corny, but Noga Erez’ 2017 debut album Off The Radar put her very much on the radar. She’s got a unique and adventurous approach, including synths and ingenious beats, that makes the Israeli pop star stand out. She makes her music in collaboration with her partner and co-writer, composer, and producer Ori Rousso.
Story is Erez’ new single. It’s the fifth track to be released ahead of her upcoming album Kids, set for release on 26 March. For the first time, she and Rousso delved into their personal relationship. The song explains how couples’ relationships are always a relationship between two people’s past and present.
The singer-songwriter says of Story: “This is the first time we tell a story about our relationship in a song and video. It’s a song about a couple fighting and how, in that situation, sometimes what you hear the other person say is not what they actually said. The making of this video was a 10-day couples therapy session for us. As we rehearsed the pretend fighting and martial arts moves we knew that, at times, one of us would get punched just a little too hard. It was so intense and interesting to live in this world, where our relationship comes alive in the most physical way.”
Recommended as well:
Noga Erez – No News On TV
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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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
King No-One – Bad Porno
Formed in York in 2013, King No-One built a live reputation busking the streets across the UK. Eventually, they went on to sell 8.000 concert tickets a year, selling out major venues. Until 2020, this is.
Bad Porno is the alternative pop outfit’s new single. It combines an acoustic riff that later turns into an electric guitar solo, punchy percussion and some hip hop inspired scratching. Lyrically, it’s about the toxicity, misplaced grandeur and pretentiousness around the sex culture. But infectious enough to sing along to. All of this makes for a catchy, hi-NRG indie-pop/rock song, that’s sure to become a staple during future live shows.
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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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Gretta Ray – Bigger Than Me
After experimenting with the concept before, Gretta Ray has now announced a series of ‘Duologies’. These are two songs released simultaneously, with the same theme, but sonically different. A bit like good old double A-sided singles. The first Duology, her first release of 2021, consists of the songs Bigger Than Me and Readymade.
Ray says about the concept: “When I write a song, I often find it’s in response to something that I’ve already written about, whether that be a week or a year ago. Bigger Than Me and Readymade are both songs about my relationship with creativity, which is something that I can become very obsessive about, especially since I’ve found myself on that path, completely immersed in it, collaborating with a lot of like-minded people.”
Readymade is an intimate, reflective song, but Bigger Than Me is my favourite. In line with its title, it’s a big, upbeat, glossy indie-pop song. It’s got delicious drum fills and a climax that’s backed by a string section.
Gretta Ray is a Melbourne-based singer-songwriter. She won prestigious airplay and songwriting awards at just 18, and Bigger Than Me is a great radio-friendly composition as well. Another winner!
Follow Gretta Ray on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Wildcard (week 11):
Hawke – Pinch Me (Am I Dreaming?)
Hawke are a young Dublin act, consisting of friends Richie Power (vocals/keyboards) and Eoghan MacMahon (vocals/guitar). They formed the band in the shadow of the world-famous Guinness Brewery (in the south of the city). Cheers to that! The duo is currently based in London, by the way.
After recording initial home demos in Richie’s bedroom, they decided to send their demo-tape to a hit-list of the industry’s top producers. Within days, the cunning plan paid off and Richie & Eoghan found themselves recording their newly-written songs during precious studio time at both Abbey Road and Metropolis Studios in the capital.
Hawke have used their lockdown time wisely, spending much of 2020 furiously writing and recording songs. These will form the basis of another cunning plan: they’ll release twelve new singles throughout 2021. One each month.
Pinch Me (Am I Dreaming?) is the second of this bunch. An anthemic track that displays the duo’s fondness for rousing ‘90s indie-rock (particularly their love of The Verve, Coldplay and Oasis). Produced by Jamie McIntyre (a member of highly tipped The Covasettes), it was mastered by Carlos Bricio of the Abbey Road Institute, London.
Pinch Me (Am I Dreaming?) by Hawke is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. As such, it’ll feature prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
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In the Wildcards 2021 playlist you’ll 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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Werner’s Weekly (week 11)
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:
- Monowhales – He Said/She Said (I Wait) (Wildcard this week)
- Kalie Shorr – Amy (Wildcard last week)
- Ali Barter – You Get In My Way
- Eyjaa – Don’t Forget About Me
- Louis & The Shakes – How Badly Do You Want It?
- Lucy Daydream – Fast Forward
- Penfriend – Cancel Your Hopes
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: Dua Lipa, London Grammar, Tom Grennan, and 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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Hedda Mae – Sitting Down Here (De Neste)
Emerging future pop star Hedda Mae hasn’t really broken out of her home country Norway yet, but you’d better keep an eye on her. She and her co-writer and producer Benjamin Giørtz (Tiësto, Betty Who) are a great tandem. He creates songs with a nu-disco flavour, while her youthful performance makes them sound extra fresh.
The singer, whose real name is Hedda Aalvik Grønhaug, will put out her second EP of original material later this year. First single Take It Or Leave It was released earlier this year. As a side project, Hedda Mae contributed to Norwegian TV show De Neste (‘the next’). For the programme, she recorded two covers of Norwegian classics: Jaa9 & OnkleP’s Glir Forbi, and Lene Marlin’s finest moment Sitting Down Here. The latter was a pan-European hit in 1999.
On behalf of the TV show, Giørtz produced and arranged a modern version, full of his trademark ‘80s influences. It goes down very well with the original composition and could make the song a hit all over again. I think the current generation will love this Kylie Minogue-like take on Sitting Down Here.
Recommended as well:
Hedda Mae – Madness
Follow Hedda Mae on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
You Am I – The Waterboy
Remember the band Silverchair? They named themselves after a You Am I song. Yes, YAI’s career is that long already. Formed in December 1989, they were one of the most successful and admired Australian bands of the ‘90s.
Their latest studio album, Porridge And Hot Sauce, dates from 2015, but a follow-up is on its way. Recorded during the pandemic, the band members recorded their parts individually. The as-yet untitled record is due out later this year, but the Aussies just shared its rocking lead single. Entitled The Waterboy, the new song indeed takes inspiration from The Waterboys themselves. The lyrics directly reference the band’s front man Mike Scott.
Follow You Am I on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Audio Book Club – Boots
Please meet Dylan Jordan, Derek Moore, Adam Thornbrough and Zach Pearson. Four lads from Oklahoma who called their band Audio Book Club. After releasing two 4-track EP’s in 2019, they slowed their production down a little. They released one track (Don’t Ask Me Where I’ve Been) in 2020 and Boots is their first release of this year. But as far as I’m concerned, I like quality over quantity. In that respect, there’s no reason to complain.
Boots is another one of Audio Book Club’s cheerful, dynamic pop songs. It sounds like they recorded it with the same synth Gary Numan used in Cars, 42(!) years ago. Fans of post-punk bands like Devo and The Gang Of Four are sure to like this as well. All in all, this is an energetic, well-produced track that ticks all the right nostalgic boxes.
Follow Audio Book Club on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Madame Monsieur – Coeurs Abîmés
Only last year, Madame Monsieur released their 25-track album Tandem. With collabs by the likes of Kyo, Slimane, Black M, Christophe Willem, Hatik, and many more, it sounds like a ‘who is who’ in French pop. Apparently, Emilie Satt and Jean-Karl Lucason are on a prolific streak, as they’ve already started releasing all-new songs.
Coeurs Abîmés (‘damaged hearts’) is a fun, up-beat track. Its synths and drums are directly borrowed from the ‘80s, creating a Take On Me or Kids In America-like vibe. No complaints there, obviously.
Recommended as well:
Madame Monsieur – Mercy
Follow them on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Japanese Breakfast – Be Sweet
Japanese Breakfast’s first two albums were made in times of grief, worries and anguish. However, for her upcoming third album Jubilee (out on 4 June), she chose a more buoyant and colourful approach. Inspired by records like Björk’s Homogenic, the songs are about ‘recalling the optimism of youth and applying it to adulthood’.
First single Be Sweet is a good example of what to expect. Michelle Zauner (Japanese Breakfast’s real name) wrote the track with Jack Tatum of Wild Nothing. Kickstarted by a great bass melody, it’s an energetic song with undeniable ‘80s synth-pop influences. A far cry from her earlier inspirations, like indie-rock and shoegaze.
Follow Japanese Breakfast on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
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. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
