Elke Nominikat

Song Pick of the Day

Tristan Armstrong - The Lonely Avenue

Canadian singer, songwriter, and producer Tristan Armstrong delights with the bright and warm "The Lonely Avenue," which features Trevor Falls on drums and out via Littleknown Records. Asked about the track, Tristan says: "I wanted this track to be a good time – a release of rock-and-roll abandon

Song Pick of the Day

Ten Fé - All Night

Eight years ago, I came across Ten Fé for the first time when Ben Moorhouse and Leo Duncan (songwriters and lead vocals) were still a duo. This was with their song "Overflow." By now, they had expanded to a four-piece by adding Rob Shipley (bass, vocals) and Tom

Newsletter

Home for the Holidays

We are back from our weeklong trip to Germany. It is wonderful and exciting to see family and friends in person, but we are also happy to have returned to the place that has been our home for over two decades. Enjoy some photos of a festive Munich at the

Song Pick of the Day

JESSIA - I’m Not Gonna Cry

"I’m Not Gonna Cry" by Canadian pop singer and songwriter JESSIA, is not just " another break-up song" but serves as a beautifully upbeat pop anthem about resilience and making it through all the pain intact and maybe even stronger. This is great music paired with

Song Pick of the Day

Cornelia Murr - Pushing East

Dreamy indie-pop singer/songwriter Cornelia Murr enchants with the tender and utterly gorgeous "Pushing East." The gentle sound reminds me of the soothing vibe of Tamara Lindeman (The Weather Station), and couldn't be happier to have learned about Cornelia Murr! With "Pushing East," the

Song Pick of the Day

Tremendous - Slipping Away

It’s all too easy to lose track of things we like, music, and musicians we are fascinated by. The last time I actively heard about Birmingham glam-rock act  Tremendous, was in 2019 with the song “Copycat Killer.” The more I’m excited to have learned that they have a

Newsletter

Winter Wonderland

We arrived yesterday in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, after a long flight via Reykjavík to Munich. We had to take the bus from the airport due to train track maintenance. It is winter here, cold and snowy – perfect for a Christmas break. Even though neither Elke’s dad nor my mother lives

Song Pick of the Day

Alto Alto - Broken Fin

Oxford indie-rock band Alto Alto makes a splash on the scene with their mesmerizing single "Broken Fin." It's hard to believe that this marks only the debut of Alto Alto, which makes them one exciting emerging act to watch! I asked Alto Alto whether they'

Song Pick of the Day

Tabi Gervis - Clearly

Tabi Gervis's new single "Clearly" delights with a big swagger and a touch of a jazzy, retro-feel while simultaneously forward-thinking. In particular, she's faulting a former (?) significant other when she croons, "you clearly don't know how to love." Grandiose! "

Song Pick of the Day

Strange Flesh - Chaos Hearts

New York-based synth-pop duo Strange Flesh dropped their debut album, The Hardest Thing to Burn Is the Heart, on Friday, which is an elegant piece of constrained electronic music. We are fans of Varrick Zed (vocals, synths) and Ed Zed's (vocals, synths, drums, various noise) music since their

Song Pick of the Day

Olivia Reid - Quite Simple

And just when I thought I'd heard "the best," aka my favorite songs of the year already, along comes Olivia Reid with "Quite Simple," and empowers my music-loving heart with joy and beauty. When I fell in love with Olivia Reid's unique

Newsletter

A Christmas Treat

During the holiday season, lists of the year’s best albums used to pop up everywhere. This has become a bit muted lately. I don’t know if this has to do with the fact that musical tastes are generally more spread out or if there is a bland consensus

Song Pick of the Day

zzzahara - It Didn’t Mean Nothing

Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter zzzahara released "It Didn’t Mean Nothing" today, and the highly alluring song might very well be the last single before the album drops on January 10 on Lex Records. Titled Spiral Your Way Out, the tracks on the album deal with relationship struggles

Song Pick of the Day

Close to Monday - Quality of Love

"Quality of Love," the newest single by darkwave synth-pop duo Close to Monday sparkles with finesse and magic. It showcases Alexander's analog and modular synth expertise —featuring Moog, Erica Synths, and Buchla models— that come together to weave a carpet of atmospheric tension around Ann’s

Song Pick of the Day

Malu Pierini - Souvenir

"I'm flying home in a month, I kinda wish I could stay," sings Malu Pierini in her newest single, "Souvenir," and I think we can all relate to that sentiment. However, in Malu's case, this is even more pronounced, with her French

Song Pick of the Day

Shane Pendergast - Winter Grace

Folk singer/songwriter Shane Pendergast just dropped the quietly gorgeous "Winter Grace," a song that beautifully captures the more mellow spirit of this season. "Winter Grace" is also the title of his upcoming fourth album, scheduled for January 2025. On Prince Island, one of Canada'

Newsletter

Thank you for the Music (2024 Version)

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the US, and a very happy start into the holiday season, which I believe is pretty global by now. I already used the newsletter title “Thank you for the music” last year, but it is even more fitting today. We will see an ABBA tribute

Song Pick of the Day

Johnny Lloyd - Manchester in Bloom

Last time I featured Johnny Lloyd, the North London composer, singer and songwriter, he released the beautiful "Joypolis." That was in 2021. Further back in 2019, I came across him for the very first time, thanks to the grandiose "Next Episode Starts In 15 Seconds." Now,

Song Pick of the Day

Madisine - Holy Hand

As much as it makes me happy to feature young artists from New York, it especially pleases me to feature someone from Europe, like, for example, Italy. Madisine is based in Bologna, and after a flurry of solid single releases, he dropped the spectacular "Holy Hand." Equipped with

Song Pick of the Day

colby! - Dead Giveaway

Upon learning that colby! grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, and got signed to SONY Nashville, one might instantly think Country! However, colby! is musically much closer to Billy Eilish, thanks to her sultry, ethereal vocals and the collaboration with her brother RJ Johnson. They co-wrote the songs together, and

Newsletter

Of Grey and Blue Skies

We are under a draught warning here in New York City, so we cannot enjoy the endless row of gorgeous fall days as much as we should. When it finally started raining this week, we were happy to see water drops on the windows and the wet terrace floor reflecting

Song Pick of the Day

Art d'Ecco - Traveller

"Open up your eyes, see the world through a different lens," sings Art d'Ecco in his new song "Traveller," which is such an elemental suggestion! If only we all would be willing to leave our own four walls, literally or figuratively, would do too,

Song Pick of the Day

The Laughing Chimes - High Beams

Great new music can be found in Athens, OH! Indie-rock four-piece The Laughing Chimes released the irresistible "High Beams," which also comes with a vibrant live video. Their debut album Whispers InThe Speech Machine is scheduled to drop on January 31 via Slumberland Records. Vocally, The Laughing Chimes

Song Pick of the Day

Adult Leisure - Kiss Me Like You Miss Her

When was the last time I was that excited about a new song like Adult Leisure's "Kiss Me Like You Miss Her?" Well, you know, like transported to my way younger years when 'everything' (ha!) was still possible? I hear Simple Minds, and I

Song Pick of the Day

Karisa - Sin City

"Sin City," the new single by Karisa, comes with a mesmerizing dose of synths and a touch of 80s nostalgia, and I love it! The Toronto-based artist co-produced the song with CL3VR, né Lucas Vuco, who happens to be Karisa’s boyfriend. Here's to a happy