Sometimes bigger is better. Like today. Not only is this the biggest Groover Playlist so far — it’s also one of the most diverse, with gems of all styles from all corners of the globe. Of course, as always, they made their way to me via 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 just below the widget or go HERE. But first, settle in for today’s musical trip:
Combé So | Je M’en Fous
HOME BASE: Belgium.
GENRE: Afro-groove.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’ve been singing since a young age, but it’s only in 2012 that I had the opportunity to start an intense musical journey, thanks to a Belgian composer who wanted to take my singing to a new dimension by mixing it into more contemporary music. I am preparing my first album, scheduled for fall. My first single was released in February. The album’s style is called Afro-groove, but it contains varied influences, from funk to rock to all facets of modern “black music.”
Raphaël Dénommé | Le Clochard (The Lost Boys Remix)
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Originally from a suburb of Montreal, Raphaël Dénommé recorded a mini-album in 2016, merging the Cajun sound of the bayou with a more current blues-rock. In 2018 he released his first full album Bayou Saint-Laurent. Now Dénommé is releasing a new version of his song Le Clochard, remixed by The Lost Boys, along with an animated video directed by Cassandre Émanuel.”
Slide | Floating Slip N Slide Mix
HOME BASE: Sweden.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Slide are the Stockholm duo of Albin and Simon. The two came together in a joint love of The Strokes, Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers. They introduced themselves in 2018 with their Into Happiness EP, a collection of grunge-infused anthems. They released the Things I Tell Myself EP last summer. Today the Swedish duo return with one of their strongest singles to date, Floating.. The upbeat earworm is about losing yourself in thought and possibly losing yourself in love, too.”
https://youtu.be/N8e1PFzAuRc
Jayleen Mc Carty | Rain
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Jayleen Mc Carty is a young artist from the island of Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten. She released her first EP (under the name V’Nuss) in 2017. During the following year, she prepared her first album, a folk-rock opus spiked with pop or blues. Today, she returns with her first video Rain, which illustrates her new artistic direction: A soulful universe inspired by the great artists of the Motown era.”
Jaj & The Family Hope | Qui Dort Danse
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: World.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Qui Dort Danse is a short sentence inviting us to join the arms of Morpheus and leave our worries there. It’s a song that invites you to let go and find peace with your inner child. It is inspired by rhythms from the Caribbean and Martinique in particular: biguine, ragga dancehall, dub, salsa. Qui Dort Danse invites us to make peace with our inner wounds and to nourish them with love, a framework and joy, like a mother to her son. When the child in me is loved and listened to, then he calms down and falls asleep peacefully. And I can dance: I feel free. When I welcome life, with its ups and downs, and dance with it, then my inner child calms down, calms down and falls asleep. He accepts who he is: I feel good.”
Peter Lake | Vaccinate With Love
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Peter Lake is a New York City singer-songwriter who revels in anonymity. His musical influences include Curtis Mayfield, Motown, Billie Eilish and Rüfüs Du Sol. Therefore, it’s no surprise that he has not stuck to one genre, dabbling in rock, pop, indie, and house. Lake’s philosophy of musicmaking is that by combining genres, the range of song creation has increased.”
Zum Raggidy | Attackee
HOME BASE: Jamaica.
GENRE: Reggae
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m an original artist from August Town in Kingston, Jamaica, now living in France. I express myself through reggae, dancehall and old-school music. My first single arrived in 2020. Honorable encourages unity with a striking flow; it is a conscious and positive message addressed to all cultures and fans from all musical backgrounds. My second single, See Dem A Come, is full of energy; the lyrics invite to a deep reflection on the social facts that shape our world. I chose to express myself with a new roots sound for my third single, driving a wave of energy.”
Tiphanie Doucet | L’amoureuse
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Folk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “French songbird Tiphanie Doucet’s dreamy and distinct vocals take you on a rustic journey through tender emotions that will lift your spirits. Fans of Norah Jones, Ingrid Michaelson and Feist will welcome her new take on this popular, folk genre. Doucet is set to release her latest EP Painted Blue which threads darker, more mature and haunting tones through her adored folky sound. She says: “I wrote this song about a relationship that was fast but stopped pretty quickly, out of fear coming from him… This song is a lullaby you would sing to the love you lost, and about these beautiful stories that will never really be possible.”
Wild Sisters Band | Think About You
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Created in June 2019 by Gabrielle Jouanno and Janicka Alie-Thivierge, The Wild Sisters Band is made up of eight young musicians and two singers. They are already making their place in the Montreal musical landscape, thanks to their first single Think About You. They are working on a second single which will be released in early summer.”
Vooo | Desire
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Jazz-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Vooo are the jazz-pop duo of Anne-Fred (vocals & guitar) and Cédric (keyboards). Before creating Vooo, both had diverse experiences: Folk, rock and blues for Anne-Fred and jazz for Cédric. Vooo’s sound is difficult to define (even fo them!). Hyper sensitive to melody & harmonizations, Anne-Fred & Cédric composed all their music together. They say: “Desire is our third original composition. We have made the choice of simplicity.”
Khu Haiku | MiWay
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: R&B.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “MiWay is the first comeback project of mine that is on the mellow/alternative R&B side. It refers to memories on a local street and our bus system (Mississauga Transit aka MiWay). Despite that, the song is relatable and has a unique sound with a blend of different vocal tones.”
Zita Garnier | Chills
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Thibault Gabriel Zita Garnier aka Zita studied classical music at The Sarcelles Conservatory and composition at the Saint-Denis Conservatory. From a young age, he also trained as a ballet dancer. In 2018, he self-released his debut EP Odd Son Vol. 1. Chills is an invitation to Zita’s new interpretation of romanticism. Zita’s latest singleis a sensual groove influenced by pop and R&B, bursting with vocal polyphonies and nourished by the art of Kate Bush, Björk, Prince and Micheal Jackson.”
Andy Young | I Just Wanna Be With You
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Music is the only thing in my life I couldn’t do without: it’s pure magic to me ever since my first memory. The best music can only be made out of pure love for music itself.”
https://youtu.be/Oihv8zUqTpY
Mhud | Les Anges Ont Perdu la Mémoire
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Folk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Mhud traces its route outside the paths of the usual musical system. A musician who loves painting and words, his inspiration also comes from everyday life. He is above all a music lover who has no difficulty mixing genres. At a time when music is even asked to go faster than music, Mhud gradually sets the record straight.”
https://youtu.be/rKSa7yjbGyU
Alex Elliot | We Are Reckless
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Alex Elliot is a singer-songwriter from Montreal. His first album Tommy! explored a person’s misguidance and his relationship with himself. Yellow Fog is the second and final chapter of his story. It delves back into that same person’s mind, this time discovering his relationships with others, moving between hope and resignation. The album brings together pieces written over several years and its production was accelerated by the lockdown of 2020. It was written, composed, recorded and mixed by Alex Elliot. His main influences can be traced to the past as much as the present and share one thing in common: the United Kingdom. From Joy Division to David Bowie, from the earliest works of Placebo to the last by The Kills, with stops in the minimalism of Portishead and the versatility of Muse or PJ Harvey, Alex Elliot grew up to the sounds of the essential U.K. artists.”
Jean de Aguiar | Alma Libera
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Jazz.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Alma Libera is a sung version of a track from my album Acoustica. It represents the fusion of a voice and a guitar; it’s a story of friendship.”
Cymphony | Medusa
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “An artist, writer, & producer continually breaking boundaries through musical development and experimentation. Her stories and melodies explore many worlds while her music paints a beautiful canvas, ranging from ambient electronic to deep soul. A glimpse into the mystical world of cymphony, where you’ll find stories and sounds that reach into the depths of your soul.”
PIB | Es Vedrà Energy
HOME BASE: Spain.
GENRE: Dance-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “We are French, but based in Ibiza and Barcelona. Inspired by our amazing scenic homeland, we want to give positive emotion from our music. Our first track Es Vedrà Energy is a tribute to a magnetic and famous rock in Ibiza.”
Welch | Mon Heure
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Welch cut his teeth with the VSO collective he created in 2010. Mon Heure in on the sixth and final volume of his ongoing Triptyque series. On this volume, Welch talks about his relationship with music — his failures, but also his successes.”
Enki Thing | In The Starry Sky
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Who are we? A UFO of four musiconauts who landed on the rock planet. Their Divinity album brings together the four essential elements of the cosmos: stars, energy, magnetism and gravity. Over the course of its four tracks, the album tells a story: In The Starry Sky, there is a Secret Message from Venus Huracan on this Special Day. It’s time to dream together with our rock musical arsenal!”
Stradovare | Dark Horse
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m an American singer from a small town near the Canadian border. I moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music. My music is heavily influenced by my small-town upbringing in a national forest, and my new and exciting life in Los Angeles. I’ve spent years curating my favorite balance between pop / alt / and ethereal storytelling to write my music. Dark Horse is about a relationship with a power imbalance on one side, only for that person to realize the other had the power all along.”
Lil Antisocial | ibăthəxblxxd
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Trap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Would luv it if you wouldn’t mind checkn out sum of my music. Thanks for your time, it is very much apprecieated.”
Girl No. III | Forsake Pete’s Sake for Pete, For Pete’s Sake
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Electro-Jazz.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Largely influenced by the works of Frank Zappa, Air and Weather Report, the music produced by Girl No. III spans a variety of genres and does not shy away from strange song structures and key changes. The Toronto music producer/visual artist chose the moniker Girl No. III based on their own experience of”growing up as an outcast: “I always felt like the background characters of the background characters — one of the nameless strangers in the background of a movie.” Girl No. III’s debut self-titled album gives the listener a sense of calming nostalgia for a place or time they have never visited. The mostly instrumental tracks feature warm synth chords, clean, billowy bass, percussive ripples, and melodic lines that sound like they could live in a Studio Ghibli film.”
Still Eighteen | Tomorrow
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Alt-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Still Eighteen are not your average alt-rock band. Still Eighteen includes former Platinum Blonde and Trixie Goes Hollywood singer Joey, along with his wife Karen on drums, and their daughter Samantha as co-lead singer and bassist. Their life-changing move to a small, coastal town in the Dominican Republic had a profound effect on the whole family. “It really expanded our world view,” Karen recalls. This new perspective ignited Joey’s creative inspiration and his songwriting flourished.”
https://youtu.be/ME_jeR7FNwI
Trent-Jean | B4IDie
HOME BASE: Australia.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “One of the most surprising and accomplished musical acts to emerge from Perth in 2020, Trent-Jean creates larger-than-life pop music and plays it live, like life depends on it. As a pop outfit, Trent-Jean is at the high-water mark of creativity, mixing soaring melodies with primal beats and energy. Trent-Jean is comfortable expressing himself and is confident in his own skin. This song, he says, “is about embracing my art and individuality, in pursuit of encouraging others to do so themselves during their unique journeys through this lifetime.”
Brian Crosby | A Strong Tide Of Liberty
HOME BASE: Ireland.
GENRE: Neo-classical.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Brian Crosby’s debut album Imbrium marks the culmination of a personal and musical journey that in many ways began when he left popular Irish band Bell X1 in 2008. After several years owning and operating a studio in Berlin, he moved back to Ireland with his family in 2017, eventually setting up home in rural county Wicklow at the foot of Carrick Mountain. Inspired by the wooded landscape around him, he designed and built Treehouse Studios, a beautiful log cabin set in the native Irish forest. Brian notes: “Both the studio and this album were created during 2020, they are both pandemic babies so to speak and I think it was that period of forced pause and suspension of so much of life that helped bring that sense of stillness and restraint and space to the music.”
Gene Scott | The Tongues + Potato Heads
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Folk-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Gene Scott is a retired English teacher currently penning novels, taking photographs, and writing songs. His debut novel Jelllybeaners was well received. He says: “The Tongues is my ode to The Who, with topical lyrics aimed at the current U.S. political culture. But it’s a metaphor for life as well. Potato Heads a is topical tune will generate laughs and repeat plays due to its hilarious lyrics and catchy melody.”
Heyiloveyou | Night Drive
HOME BASE: Croatia.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Heyiloveyou is a one-man experimental, ambient, post-rock, trip-hop, electronic project from Croatia. Started in 2020 by its only member, K (production, guitars, field recordings, programming drums, beats), the project refuses to sign a record deal and continues to be as experimental as possible, followed only by intuition and driven by all the amazing underground artists out there. The project’s name is something we all seem to be afraid to say directly and always find different ways to show it in a more subtle way. The secret to making diverse music is in listening to as many genres as possible and taking something from every single one. Night Drive contains elements of many music genres: The deep bass of EDM, the aggressiveness of rock and metal, the guitar work of post-rock, the peacefulness of ambient music, and the creativity of experimental/progressive music.”
Bloom 604 | Punk Breed
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Noise-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Formed in Vancouver, Bloom 604 is a solo effort by multi-instrumentalist Jack Briscoe. Blending influences of noise-rock, post-rock, and pop-punk, Bloom 604 is a maelstrom of intensity, honesty and passion. The debut album Bloom is set to release April 30. Punk Breed is a noise rock track influenced by the noisier side of Sonic Youth, the vocals of a Daughters track, and the raucous energy of Converge. Swirling layers of noise and abstract imagery draw you into the song’s haunting narrative.”
Daisy Dream | Too Much Times
HOME BASE: Italy.
GENRE: Folk-Rock
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “We are a folk/indie rock band with a very international background. Our main focus is to create evocative atmospheres and inspire the listener with powerful and introspective lyrics. We also aim at the top when it comes to musical production, recording only at the finest studios, using vintage gear and analog mixing techniques. Our first album Volcanoes and Other Sad Stories is out now. It’s about the suffocating sensation that the modern world can sometimes transmit to the inner part of every human being.”
NevilleSounds | Don’t Stop Rolling
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Don’t Stop Rolling It’s is a song about trying to make it as a musician/artist. It’s a gamble doing something you are passionate about but the risk is worth the reward!”
Charlie Grant | Crash & Burn
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “U.K. native Charlie Grant got his first break in music as a songwriter for hire, landing cuts with Melanie C, Simply Red and Robert Miles, among many others. However, the original dream of writing and releasing music as an artist in his own right refused to stay quiet. So, pulling in favours and forming a new currency based on pints of beer owed to musician friends and studio owners, Charlie got used to recording in the dead of night and set to work on a heartfelt set of songs focused on musicianship, storytelling, and song craft. Crash and Burn is about the moment you realise you need to get someone toxic out of your life, because if you don’t they will take you down with them.”
Autorhythm | Endorphins
HOME BASE: Sweden.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Autorhythm is an anachronistic yet strikingly contemporary mix of Krautrock, Techno and No Wave. Autorhythm is named after an obsolete German Rhythm Box produced by famous saxophone maker Selmer. The box was never used for the recordings. Autorhythm is Joakim Forsgren, Stockholm artist and musician. First single Endorphins is music that you can dance to. Autorhythmic cells functions autonomously, without the need of instructions from the brain.”
Ilan Navah | Presence Is Zion
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Reggae.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “After 15 years of writing, performing, and recording music, Ilan Navah is ready to share his inspiring message with the world. His new album Faith & Love is a beautiful compilation of original songs that fuse diverse sounds and melodies from across the American soundscape. His timeless lyrical messages lend hope and positivity to challenging times. The album is a fusion of soul, blues, jazz, gospel, funk, and folk with meaningful lyrics, gorgeous harmonies, and a full horn section.”
Clide | Blank Space (Acoustic)
HOME BASE: Germany.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Although still pretty young, Clide knows exactly what adjectives he wants his music to be associated with: Authentic, innovative and raw. He wants to talk about things that move him and are close to his heart. Of course, love is one of those things, but so are questions around his own identity, the search for truth, dreams and interpersonal relationships. Blank Space is about his search for identity in a world where you can be everything. The song is released again as an acoustic version after having been released on his debut EP In My Mind. Being a blank space, he tells his very own story, proving his talent for hooky and smart songwriting.”
Carla Stark | Short Skirt. No Bra.
HOME BASE: Belgium.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Carla Stark, born Carla Biset-Bentchikou, is a French-Algerian singer who divides her time between Bombay, London and Belgium. Her latest album Karma was a quest. A quest of love and a search to find herself again after a painful breakup. She explains her new single Short Skirt. No Bra.: “A little while ago in France, there was this debate about girls having to wear a ‘republican outfit’ at school, because crop tops were considered too much. That pushed a button for me; to think that in 2020, when so much progress seems to be made on so many subjects, these kind of debates could still happen. And so this song poured out of me! But I didn’t want to write it in an angry way, or a political way, I wanted it to be fun and light because that’s how we should be able to be when we think about what to wear.”
Grosse Isle | Sur Le Bord du Rivage
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: French-Irish Folk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “The traditional music trio Grosse Isle are releasing their new album Le Bonhomme Sept Heures / The Bonesetter on St. Patrick’s Day. This group masterly fuses Quebec music and Irish music, via the real-life union of Sophie Lavoie from Lac-St-Jean and Fiachra O’Regan from Ireland. The legendary André Marchand (La Bottine Souriante) is the third member of this talented trio. Says O’Regan: “Each piece is a world in its own right. We travel from Quebec to Ireland, the rhythm moves from soft to more festive… People will not recognize typical traditional Quebecois music, but discover music with a thousand facets to it.”
