Amen Viana brings it home, JayJay Brass Dance take you back to the Mediterranean, Gryfo & Toki welcome you to their jungle, Nathan Zanagar seeks shelter — and they’re just the opening tracks in today’s submissions from Groover, a platform that connects artists with critics like me for a small fee. You can (and should) visit and follow my Tinnitist Top 150 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, spend some quality time with these international offerings:
Amen Viana | Back Home
HOME BASE: Togo/France.
GENRE: Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Guitarist, singer, composer and arranger, Amen Viana knows how to create stunning sound universes, while drawing from the roots of African music. Originally from Togo, he quickly rose through the ranks of the West African music scene, before crossing the Mediterranean to settle in France. His virtuosity on the guitar is reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix, his rock energy that of Living Color, and he quickly carved out a reputation in many international events where he was invited to play alongside artists such as Black Eyed Peas, Angélique Kidjo. , Indila, Cheick Tidiane Seck, Tony Allen. Amen Viana has composed and recorded five albums: Gamessou (2007), Togo to Go (2010), Funkabelik (2012), Pearls and Gold (2012) and Electric Togoland (2017). The album The Afrocanalyst, out Oct. 15, is a new step in the artist’s career. Recorded during his travels as a musician, it corresponds to a reflection on his career and brings together guests such as Keziah Jones and Akua Naru.”
JayJay Brass Dance | Mediterranéo
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Jazz.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Created in 2018 in the South of France, the JayJay Brass Band play New Orleans Brass Band standards with Funk and Hip-Hop accents. They have repeatedly shared the stage with Leroy Jones, Kermit Ruffins, Kevins Louis, Kirk Joseph. Their album After was released in 2020. Méditerranéo is inspired in particular by Mano Négra, whose influence can be heard in Louis Huck’s electric guitar. The video was directed by Nina Liguoro.”
Gryfo & Toki | Jungle
HOME BASE: Italy.
GENRE: World.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “The track is about how it could be to live a jungle life and leave all our chaotic and busy life apart. For the lyrics and voice we contacted an urban reggaeton Colombian singer.”
Nathan Zanagar | Gimme Shelter
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Nathan has been singing since the age of three. In his free time, he plants trees. He doesn’t like to be put in a box, he doesn’t like labels, even for his music. He says he’s simply trying to be himself, whether it’s an N turned upside down, or a Z that fell down. Nathan recently released his debut EP Continents Carnivores in three different languages, featuring the songs Gimme Shelter, Espagnol and Sacs en Plastique reflecting Nathan’s strong opinions on environmental issues. He says: “We were all very proud because when we reached out to the record company of The Rolling Stones in New York, asking for the rights to put it on the EP, their response was that they all loved our version of the song.
So we decided to also shoot a video, which I directed. I am currently recording my new songs which I hope will be released soon.”
Herman A. | Lo Tengo Todo
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Indie-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m a French singer based in Montreal. I write and sing in French, English, Spanish and Portuguese. Lo Tengo Todo, my first single, is a song about resilience and empowerment for every womxn. It is made to dance, with joy and confidence.”
Márcio Lugó | Tem
HOME BASE: Brazil.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Márcio Lugó is a 37-year-old artist from São Paulo. With his new album [esque]ser, he hopes to reach even higher flights than his last two works, Liberdade Aparente and Penduo.”
Tukuleur | Taamunaala
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Afro-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Oumar Sall is the founder of the Afro-Pop group Tukuleur. Their music is a unique blend of African and urban influences like soul, pop and hip-hop. Their lyrics are sung in Fulani, French, English, Wolof and other West African languages. Thanks to catchy melodies, With rich instrumentation and powerful words, Tukuleur are attracting a large audience on the Afro-Pop scene.”
Layron Gued | Un Soir D’Été
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Dance-Pop.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Un Soir D’Été (A Summer Evening) perfectly represents my musical universe inspired by the French variety in the composition and the tropical house (Latin marimba / percussion) in the production.”
Jeune Victor | APDLV
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Hip-Hop.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Jeune Victor is a musical paradox as explosive as it is sincere. His projects are to be approached as contemporary short stories of which the pieces are the chapters. The jazz boom-bap atmosphere, simple and catchy, dialogue throughout the song with the rapper’s multi-syllabics. Beatmaker Polybamboo and pianist Arthur Guyard — both based in Toulouse — bring the touch of sunshine by transcribing the joyful nostalgia conveyed throughout the piece! APDLV, which stands for Au Palier De La Ville, is the declaration of love of a young Parisian resident who remembers the crazy evenings of Parisian drunkenness As the song progresses, the alcohol as a beautifying liquid dissipates to give way to a more lucid introspection.”
Luis Paul | Time
HOME BASE: Germany.
GENRE: Neo-Classical.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Every person has his or her own stories — and all too often they could just as easily come from a movie. The only thing missing is the music. Ludwig Paul Karsch (aka Luis Paul) wants to capture exactly such moments, stories and associated feelings with his compositions and give them what they deserve in retrospect. Thus, the Berliner’s album Rebirth features a series of different moments of love, resistance, struggle, acceptance and finally rebirth. With a lot of love, the studied music producer and composer creates touching sound worlds that would have felt just as comfortable in one or the other film genre and can be classified somewhere between well-known film scores by John Williams, Hans Zimmer and more soulful songs by Ludovico Einaudi or Yann Tiersen.”
Taco Theory | Les Poux Meutriers
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Punk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “It’s been three years since I started working on this humorous punk project Taco Theory. In those years, I have released 10 albums and three EP, and I will release my 11th album in summer.”
Emma Peters | Fous (Edmofo Remix)
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Emma Peters is 24 years old and she sings what she lives, without filter and without makeup. She just released her first EP Fous etc. Fous sounds like a cry from the heart. Emma’s instructions are clear: don’t try to please, don’t try to lose yourself. Assume who you want to be.
Sukëshi | Dis Le Moi
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Pop.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Dis Le Moi is the first track from my EP Et Si Et Si. My lyrics are about love, wounds and loopholes in a pop-folk universe. Self-taught, I go step by step. My goal is to have a return on my work, to develop my artistic project, to assert my universe and to surround myself with professionals in order to work again and again to take this beautiful project as far as possible. My motto is: Give yourself the means so that you never regret.”
Ginne Marker | Never Golden But Beautiful
HOME BASE: Denmark.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Ginne Marker is a talented singer-songwriter and guitarist. This young woman is mature in both her songwriting and her performance, with both complex yet compelling compositions and lyrics of great depth. Her music is highly original and can be described as pop jazz. Ginne showcases a naturally gifted flow, and both her guitar playing and singing are heart-melting and executed in a warm and charming way. She released her debut album For Seasons to Come in 2019. Her latest single is Never Golden But Beautiful.”
Muhlbo | Arcades
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Muhlbo is a French author, composer and singer. His new concept album Themes was inspired by the music for cinema, sounds from the ’80s and the atmosphere of Strangers Things. Among the 15 tracks, Arcades is one of the most representative. It is focused on the positive energy of ’80s synth sounds and electric guitars (which also balance with more classical and nostalgic tracks on the album).”
Daphné Realmstead | Static Silence (Cover Palette)
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Daphné Realmstead is a Montreal singer-songwriter and flutist known for her powerful yet versatile vocals. Drawing from the cultural and linguistic richness of her city and background, her creations are the product of a unique blend of sounds including alternative rock, pop, and jazz. Static Silence (Cover Palette) is an alt-rock version of her catchy and emotionally rich original. Inspired by today’s fast-paced, dizzying society, she summons the listener to block out its paralyzing noise with a voice loud enough to supplant the chaos. With its heart-rending ambiance and narrative of cathartic overwhelment, it appeals to hardened and casual rock listeners alike.”
KMK2 | Starting Blocks
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “The confluence of Manue G and Kamille Louis was so obvious that it seemed to always have existed. This new duet appeared like a natural outcome. Manue comes from the techno scene, seething and glowing when she’s at her DJ controller. She has collaborated with Vitalic, Ken Ishii, Sébastien Léger and John Digweed and played in the most popular clubs of Paris, Europe and even across the Atlantic. Kamille followed a classical training and studied in a school for radio broadcasting. Their song Starting Blocks marks the start of a new sound adventure imagined by the duo.”
https://youtu.be/UwpDtUbTJGs
Australasia | Perdere
HOME BASE: Italy.
GENRE: Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Australasia is the sound universe of the Italian multi-instrumentalist Gian Spalluto — who, with the help of other musicians and collaborators, translates stories, feelings and thoughts, in an inner musical diary, almost completely instrumental. His music assimilates a passion for the soundtracks of Angelo Badalamenti and John Carpenter, metabolizing it through the sounds of bands like Russian Circles and Slowdive. The taste for refined melody is combined with cascades of distorted guitars, and layered delays, where dark and melancholic passages result in dramatic moments or bright visions of wide-ranging.”
Loyik May | Ice (Original Mix)
HOME BASE: Switzerland.
GENRE: EDM.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Loyik May has been an electronic music lover for almost a decade. Producer since 2017, he released many tracks during these last years. His skills, goodness, generosity and compassion make him a very appreciated producer in the industry. Ice is from his new EP.”
Bit Shebang | Witches
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “A whole universe in itself. Witches, a total flashback from a dark creepy time — bad to the bones!!!
Ed Corrado | Time
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Ed Corrado has been performing for decades. His music reflects the combination of powerful lyrics with melodic hooks and beautifully recorded instrumentals that speak to the audience. What makes Corrado stand out is the unique quality of his voice, which is melodic yet raspy and characterful, like a prized cask of perfectly aged whiskey. His timbre perfectly matches the hard-hitting instrumentals and the authenticity of his songwriting. He is back with his third release, Time. This drum and bass-led track is a rock ’n’ roll celebration of aging and coming to terms with it. It’s an uplifting song that juxtaposes the fear of getting older with the joy of watching children grow and mature.”
JP Lancaster | Dusk Came Early
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Alt-Country.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Dusk Came Early is a rumination on the strangeness and backwardness of life in the mid-sized city or small town. It is an abstract narrative of someone who has lived their entire life in one of these communities where nothing ever happens, and the bleakness one may experience in the twilight of it all. I was backed up by Matt Kelly (City and Colour) on pedal steel, Liam Befurt on vocals, and Jordan Koop (Orville Peck) on drums. Koop also mixed the track.”
