Browsing Tag indie
British Sea Power – Bad Bohemian
If you don’t know British Sea Power yet, songs like Carrion, Please Stand Up and Waving Flags are a good introduction. Pretty bombastic, eh? I love it. If you liked it too, you can read on.
The good news is: British Sea Power are back. On 31 March they release their new album Let The Dancers Inherit The Party and for those who can’t wait, they just dropped the first single Bad Bohemian. It’s instantly recognisable. Not only because of BSP’s own distinct sound, but also because of the hints of The Cure and New Order that shimmer through. I’m glad the wait is over!
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.
Twin Peaks – Disappear
A band that names itself after the utterly brilliant TV series ‘Twin Peaks’ can’t be bad. Bold statement, maybe, but these lads prove me right.
Twin Peaks (the band, obviously) are from Chicago and their Facebook bio doesn’t leave you guessing about their intentions: ‘We like to rock and most certainly love to roll’. Yeah baby! If you don’t believe them, go find out for yourself, they’ll be all over Europe the coming weeks.
Last spring, Twin Peaks released their latest album Down In Heaven. A special version of it came packed with a 7” vinyl single, featuring two songs that are not on the album. This package was available at independent record stores only.
I presume the last copy had just been sold, for only now, over half a year later, the band has been pleased to give it to the masses. In other words: the tracks have finally been made available to a streaming service near you.
The record has a double A side, one of them being I Don’t Want To Miss You. Personally, I’m especially fond of the other track, Disappear, which appears below:
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.
Mist – Hey (Little Canyon Session)
Rick Treffers is a Dutch songwriter, singer, guitarist and producer, releasing albums since 1995. His main vehicle is Mist, originally a band consisting of Dutch musicians, but since he relocated to Spain in 2011, Rick surrounds himself with Spanish band members. His songs are full of intimacy and melancholy. Though I love this sound, I’m especially fond of his tracks that are a little bit more upbeat and that contain a spark of hope. Blame my radio past for that… 😉 .
One of my favourite tracks on Mist’s latest album The Loop Of Love, entitled Hey, has just been re-recorded with the Spanish band, live in the Little Canyon Studios in Valencia. Next month, this version will appear on their next album Underwater, a collection of outtakes from The Loop Of Love, duets, covers, B sides, remixes, you name it…
During this re-recording not only the tape recorder was rolling, but some cameras as well, so you can see the result for yourself:
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.
Giant Rooks – New Estate
New music from Germany, where Giant Rooks are quickly making inroads. The band consists of four guys from the town of Hamm, who just finished school. They only came together in 2014 and started making art pop, as they call it, delivering their first EP The Times Are Bursting The Lines at the end of 2015. The fairy-like track Småland in particular gained them a large audience, as you will see if you attend their gig at Eurosonic Noorderslag next week.
One week later, on 20 January, they release their second EP New Estate (digitally as well as on vinyl). The title track is out now as a warming-up.
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.
Lucy Spraggan – Modern Day Frankenstein
Ever since her single Last Night (Beer Fear), where she sounded like a folky Lily Allen, I have a weak spot for Lucy Spraggan. The track originally appeared on her self-released album Top Room At The Zoo (2011) and would have become a huge hit in August 2012 after she played it in her auditions for The X Factor. But… the talent show requested the British chart compiler to keep the song off the charts. It is maliciously suggested that the track formed a threat to a single by Little Mix, who would later win the competition (Lucy had to quit her run due to illness). Over a year later Last Night (Beer Fear) was re-released in a new version that appeared on her second album Join The Club.
At the end of this month Lucy asks you to join the club once again, when she releases her fourth album I Hope You Don’t Mind Me Writing. Modern Day Frankenstein is the first single and this is the video (caution: blurred middle finger at [0’28]; don’t say I didn’t warn you…).
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.
Deacon Blue – Gone
I’ve been making radio shows for nearly 30 years and Carte Blanche Music is the follow-up to that adventure. Deacon Blue’s career has followed the exact same lines as my radio career. Their first single in the Netherlands, Dignity, was ‘record of the week’ (‘Remschijf’ at the time, ‘Wildcard’ nowadays) in my second radio show, dated 21 June 1987. Also, Deacon Blue has been away for a few years, like I have, but came back strongly (which I won’t claim for myself 😉 ).
In 2016 the band released their album Believers and Gone was my favourite album track. After I announced my retirement from radio, that track appeared to me to be the ideal final song, given its title and lyrics. (Of course I could also have played their Fellow Hoodlums track Closing Time, but Carte Blanche Radio was about new music only, just like this blog).
When I learned, two weeks ago, that Gone was about to become Deacon Blue’s new single, I made up my mind… This song would be the perfect way to close the circle! It became my last ‘record of the week’ and the very last record on my last show. Case closed 😉 .
And now it only seems appropriate to open this blog by drawing your attention to this great pop track. Sophisticated pop, to be exact. The genre they handled so well throughout their career and which I love so much. This is the ‘live’ video…
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.
Carte Blanche Top 2016
Is there a better way to introduce myself and this new music blog than via a year-end chart? Last year in my Carte Blanche radio show I played over 800 new tracks, all of which you can find in this 2016 container playlist (subject to availability). Only 100 of them made it to the Carte Blanche Top 2016.
Some random statistics:
- After the usual suspects – Great-Britain (34) and United States (19) – the Netherlands deliver most entries (9), followed by Sweden (8), Belgium (6), Australia (5), Norway and France (4 each)
- 42% of all lead vocals are sung by women, which is unique compared to other radio stations
- There are more rock tracks in (the upper regions of) the Carte Blanche Top 2016 than in your average year-end chart
- The same goes for acts that were already successful 10, 20, even 30 years ago, proving they are still relevant today
If you want, you can listen to my radio show (in Dutch) containing the Top 30 of my year-end chart. Meanwhile you can browse through the complete list below. Enjoy!
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 48)
Nu de cadeauperiode officieel begonnen is, zijn de belangrijkste releases van het jaar wel zo’n beetje uitgebracht. De eerste ‘slappe’ week hebben we inmiddels achter de rug. Maar wie goed zoekt (en dat doe ik graag voor je), vindt altijd nog wel een paar pareltjes. In mijn Werner Tipt-lijst op Spotify verzamelde ik afgelopen week nieuwe tracks van o.m. Dutch Uncles, Two Door Cinema Club, The Last Exposure, OK Go en Roosevelt voor je. Maar alleen het beste van het beste haalt Werner’s Weekly…
Bovenaan in die lijst als altijd de Carte Blanche Remschijf van komende week. Die is van de Franse singer-songwriter Jain (echte naam: Jeanne Galice). Zij heeft afgelopen zomer in heel Europa (behalve in Nederland) een hit gescoord met Come en mede daardoor krijgt zij begin januari een European Border Breakers Award uitgereikt. Van haar debuutalbum Zanaka is nu een Deluxe Edition uitgebracht met zes bonustracks. De leukste daarvan is deze week Remschijf: Dynabeat.
Animal Noise, uit Colchester in zuid-oost Engeland, noemt hun muziek zelf ‘experimental indie’ en hun liedjes ‘moody swamp songs’. Nadat ik hun nieuwe single Little Things al een paar keer op de radio draaide, staat die nu ook op Spotify. En deze week dus in Werner’s Weekly.
Ook Make Believe van Clean Cut Kid hoor je al geruime tijd in Carte Blanche. De track is nu officieel op single uit in Nederland. Het echtpaar Mike en Evelyn Halls combineert vrij vrolijke muziek met teksten die uit het (studenten)leven gegrepen zijn, over studieschulden, prestatiedruk en persoonlijk verlies.
Toen The Brahms eerder dit jaar hun EP Belise uitbrachten, viel de track Backseat me onmiddellijk op. Wat een heerlijk uptempo nummer! Bij deze singlesuggestie is nu een videoclip opgenomen en hopelijk horen mijn collega’s ook wat een fijn radioliedje dit is, juist nu de kerstballads op de loer liggen…
Inheaven tot slot is een female fronted rockband uit Londen, die helemaal in de lijn past van Honeyblood, Deap Vally en Black Honey. Hopelijk gaat deze mix van shoegaze en grunge (gecombineerd met een doe-het-zelf mentaliteit) in 2017 wat tegenwicht bieden aan de vele electronica die de hitlijsten momenteel bevolkt. Hun nieuwe single heet Treats.
Binnen een kwartier heb je al deze nummers beluisterd via mijn Spotify-playlist Werner’s Weekly en ben je weer helemaal bij op muziekgebied. Bij behoefte aan meer lekkers verwijs ik je graag naar mijn dagelijks aangevulde lijst Werner Tipt. Volg die playlists en mis voortaan niks meer!
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.
