Browsing Tag rock
Nikki’s Wives – Lemonade
Spending their time between Canada and the USA, alt-rock powerhouse Nikki’s Wives have currently set up shop in a Hollywood Hills home, where they built their own recording studio and will be filming music videos and continuing to write music until next month. In other words: the three-piece are working hard to force their breakthrough in 2019.
Lemonade is their first single of the year. Huge drums and a driving guitar propel Lemonade forward, perfectly complemented by lead singer Nikki’s powerful vocals, making this their most catchy song, so far.
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.
Faico – Half Of It
Faico is a Dutch five-piece, which was started in 2016 by brothers Sep and Jesse Eshuis. Their debut EP Finish Your Song reveals the band’s roots. Raised with The Eagles, and inspired by American folk-rock band Dawes, Faico makes a poppy version of Americana music.
Half Of It is their 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.
Werner’s Weekly (week 9)
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:
- Vendredi Sur Mer – Chewing-Gum (Wildcard this week)
- Stats – The Family Business (Wildcard last week)
- Badflower – Promise Me
- Barrie – Clovers
- Dombresky – Soul Sacrifice
- PLYA – Adenaline
- Two Year Vacation – I Forgot Your Name (But I Like You)
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: Alex Lahey, My Baby, Johnny Marr, Weezer, 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.
Badflower – Promise Me
Before she departed to Universal Music, Taylor Swift was the labelmate of Badflower. It’s hard to imagine them working together though, as Badflower are an emo rock band. On the other hand, stranger collaborations have happened… (Rihanna, Kanye West & Paul McCartney, anyone?)
Today, Badflower released their debut album OK, I’m Sick. It was already preceded by the singles Heroin, Ghost, x ANA x, and their most recent one: Promise Me. The latter has expressive lyrics and smooth guitar riffs, that punctuate its message. On the one hand, it’s about holding on to love and the hope of youth, on the other it’s about accepting loss and moving on.
Lead singer Josh Katz says of it: “This is probably my favourite song on the album. Not only because it’s a departure from what we normally do musically and lyrically, but because it really feels like a story with a beginning, middle, and end. It describes the feeling of growing up, losing youth and losing love – which is a simple concept that scares the hell out of me.”
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.
Picture This – Modern Love
Since their self-titled debut album came out in August 2017, Picture This have gone on to become the biggest selling Irish act in 2017 and 2018. Last week, they released its follow-up, MDRN LV, which is even for sale as a cassette. In interviews, the band claim not to have felt any pressure producing the record, but I bet their label feels pressure to make it just as successful as the first one 😉 .
The long-player opens with Modern Love, more or less the title track, and the song whose lyrics inspired the album’s title. The track marks a different sound for the band, with tight, clean The 1975-like production. Destined to become a live favourite.
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.
Simple Creatures – Drug
Both their bands being between albums, Mark Hoppus (blink-182) and Alex Gaskarth (All Time Low) found some down-time to start a side-project: Simple Creatures. Their debut EP is due out in March and was produced by Zakk Cervini (blink-182 and All Time Low, but Yungblud and 5 Seconds Of Summer as well).
Drug is the duo’s first single. After a short intro, it starts with a ‘Nanana’ bit that could’ve been ripped off of Pink’s So What. The sound and attitude of that song are echoing throughout the whole of Drug. Lyrically, it’s about being destroyed by the things you love.
Gaskarth: “Drug is a song about someone or something you want the most, being terrible for you… Feels great until it doesn’t, but then you can’t stop. In the studio it felt immediately like it was the song that best defined Simple Creatures; it’s gritty, grimy, rooted in the musicality we both came up on, but with a twist that takes it away from anything we’ve worked on before.”
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 8)
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:
- Stats – The Family Business (Wildcard this week)
- Billie Louise – Like Machines (Wildcard last week)
- Elliphant – To The End
- Mat Kerekes – Diamonds
- Mauger – Grace Plays Alone
- Pet Shop Boys – What Are We Going To Do About The Rich?
- Sir Notch & Tommy The Sound – Miami Vice
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: Avril Lavigne & Nicki Minaj, Catfish & The Bottlemen, Christine & The Queens, Hozier, Stereophonics, 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.
Mat Kerekes – Diamonds
Ohio-based singer-songwriter Mat Kerekes is best known as the lead vocalist of alt-rock band Citizen. On his new solo material, he presents his softer side and showcases his versatility as a singer-songwriter. His second solo album Ruby, incorporating elements of pop and alternative, is expected later this year. It boasts massive choruses, dynamic arrangements, and infectious melodies.
Following the long-player’s title track, Diamonds is the set’s second single. A pop song with a rock edge that will go down well with fans of Billy Joel and Ben Folds.
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.
Sports Team – M5
During their short career so far, British six-piece Sports Team worked with some seasoned producers. Their debut EP Winter Nets, released in January 2018, was produced by Dave McCracken (Ian Brown, Depeche Mode), follow up single Kutcher was recorded with Courtney Barnett producer Burke Reid, and their latest release M5 was helmed by Jolyon Thomas (The Magic Gang, Kendrick Lamar, U2).
The infectious new single has been tried and tested during the band’s live shows last year. Drummer Al Greenwood expands: “No one had heard the song, but by the second chorus we had crowds singing the lyrics back to us.” M5 is taken from a new EP called Keep Walking!, out on 8 March.
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 7)
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:
- Billie Louise – Like Machines (Wildcard this week)
- Dua Lipa – Swan Song (Wildcard last week)
- Cassia – Small Spaces
- dodie – Monster
- -M- – Grand Petit Con
- Nadia Sheikh – Toxic
- Tessa Dixson – Beautiful Pain
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: Beck, Caravan Palace, The Heavy, Mercury Rev, 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.
