Tula Vera puts first things first, Neiss ventures into the unknown, Johnny Franco keeps it real, Sévigné shows you some places and more in today’s submissions from Groover, a platform that connects artists with critics like me for a small fee. You can (and should) subscribe to my Tinnitist Groover Top 100 playlist HERE, or you can listen to it via the widget at the lower right of every page on this site. If you want to be in an upcoming playlist, click the link just below the widget or go HERE. But first, check out the latest cuts from around the world and around the corner:
Tula Vera | The First Thing
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Motown hooks meet the hustle & bustle attitude of the NYC indie rock scene.”
Neiss | In The Unknown
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Perpetually curious about modern sound design, with expressive and captivating vocals, it’s possible to hear distinct influences from artists like Troye Sivan, LAUV and eAeon on his musical creations. Although searching for inspiration in his life events, believing that the meaning of the lyrics must be disassociated from its author’s background and intention he hopes to entice the listeners’ imagination, leaving the created song’s meaning to the interpretation of the listener. “What I love the most is to reinvent the sounds, to experiment, explore and mix different musical styles … This is a synth-Pop/disco-blending single titled In the Unknown from my upcoming EP Moonlight. I think this track brings forth a new direction for my sound and I’m really proud of the direction it’s taking. I had a lot of fun writing and producing it and my only wish is that you enjoy it as much as I do!”
Johnny Franco | Stay Real
HOME BASE: Brazil / United States.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Walk down any street in Portland, Oregon and you are sure to encounter a mustachioed Brazilian spaghetti western rock and roll troubadour named Johnny Franco. Recently moving from Sao Paulo, Johnny has developed a cult following in Portland for his high-energy street performances and stylish music. Signed by music producer Sterling Fox (Lana Del Rey, Elle King) on his label Blanket Fort, Johnny has put together a debut EP that feels instantly timeless. Experience Report #1 is the name of the EP, featuring four tracks of spaghetti-western jungle-folk that are as wild and varied as his background. Here is the new single Stay Real. Johnny has been stuck in the United States because of the pandemic, so this single is a message to stay positive in these crazy times. Sonically, it is a throwback to classic rock, and Johnny played most of the instruments on the recording.”
Sévigné | Some Places
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Sévigné is a Parisian artist. Singer-songwriter, he works with Pierre Welsh (co-composer on some titles, keys), Elie Gaulin (guitar) & Fabien Tessier (drums). Influenced by cold/new wave & Mancunian post-punk (Joy Division/New Order, Smiths, James) and by other artists like Eels, Ariel Pink or James Blake. Some Places is Sévigné’s new single. The title evokes the atmosphere of the places we love. There are, among other things, palm groves, siren songs and silences. Sévigné is preparing his first album, to be released in 2020.”
Docteur H | On Ira Là-Bas
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Author, composer and singer Docteur H is a globetrotter, having lived in different countries in Africa, Canada and in France since 2001. Docteur H proposes an original musical cocktail, mixing reggaeton, electronic music, hip-hop and salsa in French, Spanish and English.
Docteur H strongly believes in the power of music crossing all frontiers and healing the wounded souls. On Ira-Là-Bas is a cool old-school rap in French about nostalgia for the country, a chaotic love and the dream of the artist who tries to escape the routine, to change life and get away there with his Bella!”
Chantel Van T | Come To Me
HOME BASE: South Africa.
GENRE: Folk.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Chantel Van T is an alternative folk artist, singer-songwriter, poet and actress based in Cape Town, South Africa. She is also the lead singer of Diamond Thug, but 2020 is the year she plans to release here solo music into the world. Marked with the slow, low, roomy rolling guitar, Come To Me continues to embody the question of being seen in one’s entirety. This is the first track of Chantel’s debut album Nicalochan — so its importance introduces the album that is to come. Being one of the more emotional songs off of the record, Chantel says “by the end of the vocal take the tears were rolling down my face and every word sang, I meant and felt wholeheartedly while pouring it into the microphone .” There is a bold statement in this song made every time she sings Come To Me, and a deep intimacy in each vocal line of this song.”
The Silver Medalist | Wishbone, Backbone, Jawbone
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Folk-Rock.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m looking for more exposure, and that’s it. Not in it for the money, I just love making music, and I want more people to hear it. I’m looking to find people who love all kinds of music, as I have a tendency to write and record a wide variety of music. Although I don’t exactly sound like them, I tend to enjoy artists like The Beatles, Radiohead and Beck, because they make eclectic music.”
Arma Gee | In Your Sight
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Folk-Rock.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Born in 1988 in France, the singer/guitarist Arnaud Gaydon (Arma Gee) was raised on a mixed diet of punk, alternative rock, funk rock, and electro with bands like Sum 41, Blink 182, The Strokes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ratatat. As a teen, he progressively began writing song, starting by focusing on melodies. After several years of gigs and one EP released with the band Old Trip in 2015, he decided to start working on a solo LP in 2016 with his friend Benoît Lagard, who plays the bass. In 2019, his first LP Filigrane was released, with 13 songs exploring trips memories, love, regrets and inner interrogations, with various atmospheres stained of alternative rock, electro, folk. He’s now working on a new EP planned for the end of 2020 and has just released a new song called In your Sight.”
B.E.N | Always In The Sky
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Rap.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “From Saint-Eustache, Québec, I’m a songwriter and a singer. My biggest dream is to make an album and I am currently working on it. The track Always in the Sky is the first song of my future album.”
Scott Garred | He Was Gone
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Scott Garred, former leader of critically acclaimed bands Silver Scooter (1995-2001) and Super XX Man (1995-2015), is a music therapist whose work shapes his songwriting and vice versa. He began work on the new album in early 2019. The songs are delivered from various perspectives including a first-person mass shooter, artificial intelligence, a priest, and a drug user. With each new song, Garred’s first goal is to create structure with simple instrumentation and a vocal, much like one of his early four-track recordings. Garred likes to avoid the modern cut-and-paste approach to music production so he can focus on the performance of each part. He Was Gone is a short and sweet song about suicide. It’s upbeat and features male/female harmonies. Percussion sounds collide with piano and then it’s over leaving you hoping for more. 1:34 seconds of your time.”
Hazzah | Psycho
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Rap
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Harry aka Hazzah, rapper-hooligan, has been roaming the streets of Big London for a few years now. Ex-singer of the punk-rock group Juice, Hazzah is an emerging artist in the world of cloud rap. Following the enthusiasm around his first EP released in April, he is back in force with beatmaker ONZ. His new track Psycho reveals the troubled teenager who lives in Hazzah. Nostalgia for childhood takes over the responsible adult. Living in his fantasies and taking refuge in naivety become his way of better enduring everyday life. Creating your imaginary world does not protect anyone, the descent can strike hard. This track is just a taste of the next EP due out this fall. The artist, accompanied by ONZ, asserts his new musical desires while revealing aspects that we do not yet know about him.”
Abi2spee | Rockstar
HOME BASE: Switzerland.
GENRE: Rap.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Abi2spee is an ambivalent rapper: Constantly oscillating between softness and power, seriousness and humour, divided between his hometown and his city of adoption (Geneva and Marseille), he can’t help but apply this duality to his music. Full of energy and love, Abi2spee easily goes from trap to R&B, sometimes allowing himself to add blues-rock sounds to his compositions: the result is a kind of music that is liberating, focused on the sharing of good energies, constantly changing and evolving, to which Abi2spee has given the name of Love & Juice Music. In Rockstar, the second in a series of singles, Abi2spee draws on a more poetic register, to evoke his dreams of escape amid the colors of melancholy and ’90s rock.”
