Thanks to the inexplicable popularity of my Submit Music page, I always have a digital backlog of albums, EPs, singles and videos awaiting my perusal. Here are the latest submissions that caught my ears and eyes. As usual, it’s a pretty eclectic lineup, with everything from funky jammers and stoner rockers to folkies and house producers in the mix. Something they have in common: Any one could easily be your new favourite artist. To that end, I’ve included Bandcamp links wherever possible so you can buy the music straight from the source. Tell ’em I sent ya. And if you’ve got something I need to hear, send it my way. If I think you’re half as good as you think you are, I just might include you next time.
Bright Dog Red
Somethin’ Comes Along
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Somethin’ Comes Along is the third and most ambitious release from Bright Dog Red, an improvising collective from Albany, New York. Joe Pignato, the group’s drummer and leader, explains their approach: “We’re kind of a go-for-broke ensemble. We start with a loose plan. I’ll offer a concept or direct a player to start with a mood or style. There are the references we tend to favor, jazz, electronica, hip hop, psychedelia, and those things weave in and out, but it’s pretty open, which is liberating but kind of frightening. It can spur some confusion, trepidation, like “hmmm, what should we play?” Or, “uh, where’re we going next?” At some point though, we stop thinking about what to play and start listening for what to play. So, there’s risk, but there’s also this comforting surrender to the process.” Of Somethin’ Comes Along, he says: “Sometimes in life, something comes along, unanticipated, maybe not completely understood, that changes everything, resetting life in profound ways. Sometimes that thing is good. Other times, less so. Either way, it doesn’t really matter. It’s come along, regardless of your preferences, plans, desires, or choices. In the end, though, your choices determine how you navigate through. This album is a rumination on navigating through.”
Captain Blind Chameleon
Tales of a Floating Man
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Captain Blind Chameleon is France’s Tom Penaguin. He says: “I play guitar in Djiin. I play vintage combo organs in Orgöne. This album is comprised of two suites narrating the story of a random fellow being sent to space. As things go south he’ll experience the five-stages of grief and take a front-row seat to the Floating Man thought experiment by Avicenna. This album was recorded, mixed and mastered in my bedroom between November 2019 and August 2020. I played, recorded and mixed everything by myself.”
Slack Bridges
Lindenlea to Ledbury
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Slack Bridges are a nine-piece soul band from Ottawa. Their full-length record was mixed and finished during lockdown. This is an album with a live feel and a huge sound, vibing on Anderson .Paak, Chance the Rapper and Gregory Porter, and paying tribute to the masters like Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder and A Tribe Called Quest.”
Fuzz Muffin
No Loss
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Fuzz Muffin are based in St. Louis, MO. Fuzz Muffin focuses on short, catchy, pretty lo-fi punk rock songs that have a decent sense of melody buried in the noise.”
Nora Toutain
Grounding Place Vol. 1
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Nora Toutain is a Moroccan-French singer-songwriter, based in Montreal. Her brand of synth-driven R&B seamlessly moves across genres like neo-soul, funk and jazz with hints of Afro rhythms — a direct reference to her diverse cultural experiences and musical upbringing. Grounding Place Vol. 1 is one half of a collection of songs, that honours and celebrates her North African roots — the place where Nora’s story began. Authenticity and innovation is at the heart of the album. It has a distinct blend of modern synth pop and traditional African rhythms and reflects on themes of love, heritage, identity, travel and dreams. Listeners of genres like alternative and contemporary r&b music, neo-soul, funk, jazz, and afro-pop will also appreciate how these different sounds come together on this album. Says Toutain: “There is a lot of movement in this album. It’s an energetic exploration of sounds… it’s innocent, impulsive, playful and painted in bright warm colours.”
Nhoah
Our House
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Our House can appeal to house music and techno fans alike. Female vocalist Ina Viola sings with joy and intensity for a classless community. The chorus ‘This house is our house / this house is love’ completes the image. In times of closed clubs, the ruined cultural landscape of 2020, racial discrimination and minorities that are exposed to repressions again and again, the cover artwork which shows the globe in the pride colors is a beautiful way to take up the original idea of house music, of a dancing in a classless community. The track is a perfect opener for every evening and not entirely accidentally created in Berlin. Nhoah tells us: ‘I was born and raised in West Berlin. West Berlin is a very special place in the world where we shared special freedom of being ourselves and safety of judgement for people of all walks of life. West Berlin is in my core and what defines me. The city was a huge inspiration for this song Our House with the driving message that live music experiences are irreplaceable. It creates a sense of communal feeling for those in attendance to bind us in the shared experience of euphoria, love and joy with all of our differences cast aside.’ ”
Chris Cruz
Rosary Beats
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Southern California folk-rocker Chris Cruz’s Rosary Beats features performances by Alice Wallace (vocals), Quinton Fults (banjo and kazoo), Tom Bremer (electric guitar), Jeremy Long (pedal steel and accordion), Matt Froehlich (drums) and Rae Shirer (backing vocals). The EP has five original tunes and a cover of Woody Guthrie’s This Land Is Your Land recorded at Bobbo Byrnes’ Wandering Star in Anaheim.”
