Trauma Lanes ring a bell, Promise Game would like a do-over, Azel Phara evolves, Kovic makes a heroic effort — and they’re just the appetizers in today’s musical banquet from Groover, a platform that connects artists with critics like me for a small fee. You can (and should) subscribe to my Tinnitist 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 below the widget or go HERE. But first, peruse today’s menu. Hope you brought your appetite:
Trauma Lanes | Tinnitus At Twenty
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Post-Hardcore.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “With a fury rooted in a heavy tone bordering on thrash metal, Trauma Lanes attack all would-be narcissists and social lowlifes with their newest track Tinnitus at Twenty. From circle pits to walls of death, the song is the perfect moshing companion. Though we may have to wait a bit longer till it becomes a reality, Tinnitus at Twenty exudes the energy and raw tenacity that would be experienced at a live show. “This is a track that Ash Williams can shake his hips too,” says Brendan “Sinco” Sincovich, referencing the Evil Dead protagonist. The song is the second single of Trauma Lanes’ upcoming EP Nosferatu, a collection of vicious tracks. Don’t be surprised if you experience the urge to kick open a door or two after playing Tinnitus at Twenty. This song is made for mayhem.”
Promise Game | Take It Back
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Pop-Punk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Lyrically relevant, creatively bound, and harmonically emphasized, Promise Game balance late-’90s pop-punk and the modern-day genre on Take it Back, from their debut EP It Won’t Be Along Now… “Everyone says they feel like they’re playing the original Tony Hawk Pro Skater when they hear this track, which couldn’t be more true to what Promise Game is all about.”
Azel Phara | Grow
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: IDM.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Azel Phara is an award-winning composer and musician who writes music for film, television and advertising. Grow is a dynamic IDM track based on a breakbeat feeling with a drum ‘n’ bass vibe. It’s all about raw energy. The video, directed by Joris Bacquet, illustrates struggles in Black history. Says Phars: “Grow is about the only solution I think we might have to raise our consciousness: Education. Not necessarily in an academic way, but in very general terms, in the transmission of knowledge. I like the barking brutality of the word grow, which is in fact the best thing that can happen to you: That you manage to grow throughout your life. It is of course an English word — but in a way it sounds like it could have been the first spoken word of the very first human.”
Kovic | Wake Up Tomorrow
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Mark Kovic is an English singer-songwriter and producer from Essex. Known for his baritone vocal and big choruses, his first single Drown was released in 2017, produced by Jonny Coffer (Emile Sandé) & Mark Crew (Bastille), and co-written with Jamie Scott (Ed Sheeran). His debut was released in 2018 and features a contrasting combination of songs, ranging from soulfully haunting ballads to summer infused pop. “This song is a shoutout to everyone who crawled through 2020 — so many out there had our backs and kept us safe risking themselves on our behalf. Absolute heroes!”
Meryem Saci | Les Ailes
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Urban.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Meryem Saci is a Montreal singer-songwriter of Algerian origin. Arriving in Canada in the early 2000s while fleeing civil war, the powerfully voiced artist charms with her prodigious trilingual prose. In addition to leading a solo career, Meryem Saci is an important figure within the Montreal hip-hop collective Nomadic Massive.”
Ragnar Ægir | The Surface
HOME BASE: Germany.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “The creative process of writing music gives me the mental strength I need to be the person I want to be. It enables my fearlessness. It allows me to process emotions and experiences with words and sounds that otherwise have no other means to escape. It is my essential survival mechanism. These feelings and realisations come across in my music. It’s sincere and emotional, dark but also somehow optimistic; a soundtrack for those going through existential crisis. The Surface is my debut single. The music video fetures Vikings star Ragga Ragnars.”
Dami | Schizophrenia Tex
HOME BASE: Italy.
GENRE: Post-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Dami is the solo project of Adamo Sulpizi, ambient/post-rock guitarist and chemist. Wide soundscapes are the components of Dami’s songs, which are stacked in loops to create dreamy timeless vibes. “This track is recorded with my analog synth and guitar connected to my pedalboard. I’m passionate about new sounds and noise. I’m a pedal geek, always looking for new sound combinations.”
Alexander Grandjean | No Words
HOME BASE: Denmark.
GENRE: Urban.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Alexander Grandjean is a Danish artist, songwriter, and producer releasing his first solo album in summer. He has produced and written songs for European hip-hop/R&B artists. His 2021 album Via Motion is an ambitious and artistic cross-genre piece that nods to artists from James Blake, Frank Ocean and Kanye West to Bon Iver. The songs are a mix of melodic pop hooks, heavy bass, distorted guitars, live horns and big choirs — all mixed with drum machines and samples. With a mix of his own and other artists’ vocals, he creates a dreamy, romantic and melancholic vibe. Borders are blurred and genres are mixed, making the whole project both timeless and contemporary. No Words mixes Latin influences including a guitar loop, a Spanish sensual monologue, a street trumpet, an R&B beat and sexy vocals á la Sade.”
Panaviscope | Perplexed
HOME BASE: Switzerland.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Panaviscope is a one-man band who composes, plays all the instruments and sings. A journey of exploration both visual and musical, Perplexed explores the dream-pop path, with fleeting voices and long hypnotical reverbs. We find Panaviscope working on low frequencies and groove which remind us of contemporary R&B. The lyrics detail a relationship in which one of the sides opens one’s heart and finds oneself surprised to deceive the other by telling the truth. Perplexed evokes the impossibility to connect entirely with someone else.”
Francis Bedard | Je Te Donnerai
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Singer-songwriter Francis Bedard unveils Je Te Donnerai, the first single from a new mini-album to be released next fall. Written with Marc-André Sauvageau and composed by the latter, the pop song promises to be promising. Somewhere between the musical worlds of Sam Smith and The Weeknd, Je Te Donnerai expresses the duality one can feel when a relationship ends: The constant urge to go back, to familiar ground, to give the other a second chance, even when we know it is no longer worth it.”
Need Soft | Fly High
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Disco.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “We are twins brothers who were born in 1989 and formed Need Soft in 2017. Passionate about music with eclectic tastes, we practice an instrumental style mixing pop rhythms, melodies and melancholy. Our sound is based on a mix of electric guitar and groovy production.”
David Lafleche | Lonely Fire
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Country.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “David Lafleche is a guitarist, musical director and producer. He is the son of conductor Jacques Lafleche and singer Hélène Levasseur, and the nephew of singer Gisele Mackenzie Lafleche. Prominent in the Quebec scene, Lafleche has worked with artists such as Vincent Vallières, Jeffrey Piton and Marie-Mai. His single, from his Everyday Son Pt. 1 EP, is pure country with beautiful lyrics.”
Malvyna | Nuestra Fuerza
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Reggae-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “23 years old and of Spanish origin, I have been singing since the age nine. Today, a singer-songwriter, I haven’t given up on my piano and my guitar, but Ableton has been a real eye-opener!”
Sound Identity | Earth Prayer
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Experimental.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “From film music to electronic music, I am an eclectic composer. Encouraged by those around me, I hope to find my audience.”
Impérieux | Terra Incognita
HOME BASE: Germany.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “There’s an air of mystery surrounding Impérieux. The Bulgarian-born, Berlin-based artist prefers to avoid the spotlight and work diligently on music, building a sound influenced by the underground scene in Sofia and his Turkish roots. Dark and brooding, simplistic and surreal, Impérieux takes inspiration from the fantasy worlds of novelist Haruki Murukami and named the tracks on his EP Modus Operandi after his work. Terra Incognito, with its scintillating hi-hats, glitchy synths and resonant brass, feels full of optimism and urgency. It’s here the full spectrum of Impérieux’s talent comes to the fore — the producer understands how to draw emotion from the listener, when to add elements and when to take them away, to create a transformative aural experience.”
The American Couple | Winnie Luv
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “From dream to reality, there is one couple. Our new track mixes French — our orignal language — and English (because we are The American Couple). So if you notice our French accent, it’s because English people told us they LOVE IT as much as French kisses.”
Raychillout | Let Me Go
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: EDM.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Raychillout is a DJ and composer of French and Caribbean origin. His sound spans ambient, tropical house and electronic dance music.”
Eternal Return | The Void
HOME BASE: Estonia.
GENRE: Jazz-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “The progressive ensemble Eternal Return are a quintet of various duos/trios that have previously worked together — including Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree) on bass and Robert Jürjendal (Toyah Wilcox) on guitar. At the heart of the band is Dogon, the duo of keyboardist Miguel Noya and singer Paul Godwin. Dogon have been widely celebrated and aired since the late ‘90s. Holding down this aerial act is Miguel Toro, Venezuelan-born, Berlin-based drummer.”
Bagatelle | Si Tu Vis Dans Un Labyrinthe
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “We define Bagatelle as a frivolous thing — a fleeting, insignificant romance. This definition fits with the Parisian trio’s sound, which is nostalgic, light and chill. Ten years after the release of their debut EP Rendez-vous Transatlantique, Bagatelle return with a new hybrid opus of bedroom pop album. It all starts with the title track Si Tu Vis Dans Un Labyrinthe (If You Live In A Labyrinth).”
Mark Houston | The Way It Goes
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Indie-Folk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Mark Houston is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist in Spokane. Recorded throughout 2020 and set for release in 2021, Houston’s full-length debut blends thoughtful storytelling with guitar-driven melodies and organic soundscapes. The Way It Goes is an alternative indie-folk artist’s take on a cheeky pop song, with the concept centering around the idea of “taking off the rose-colored glasses.” Playful vocals and repeatable melodies meet catchy acoustic licks, sassy melodica riffs, and groovy drum and bass lines in this Bill Withers-inspired track — with a few other surprises along the way.”
