Yep, it’s true: This is my 100th playlist featuring submissions from Groover, a platform that connects artists with critics like me for a small fee. And even though I’ve showcased well over 1,000 bands, musicians and producers in these posts, we all know there’s plenty more where they came from. You can (and should) follow me on Spotify HERE, check out my Tinnitist Top 150 playlist HERE, or 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, go HERE. But first, take a minute to celebrate this musical milestone with another great lineup of international artists:
Mil Beats x Vic Spencer | Situation OG (ft. Willie The Kid)
HOME BASE: Belgium.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Originally from Paris and currently living in Brussels, producer Mil Beats is first and foremost a jazz lover. He loves mixing electronics and acoustics in order to offer a warm and ambitious sound. For Situation OG, he collaborated with Chicago rapper Vic Spencer and Michican’s Willie The Kid. Mil Beats sets up a new custom musical decor for the rocky voice of the rapper from Illinois, who delivers technical rhymes tinged with humor. Meanwhile, Willie The Kid, contrasting with his high-pitched voice, once again demonstrates his great writing skills with an equally technical rap.”
013 | Sous Tise (ft. Va2s)
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I am a 20-year-old artist from Nice. I think I have finally found my style and the quality I wanted to target. I am very influenced by the R&B of the 90s and ’00sm and more recently by artists such as Drake, The Weeknd and XXXtentacion. I still have a lot to learn but am determined to achieve my goals.”
Bobby Páraknight | Bathe In Sunshine
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m a singer-songwriter, actor and dancer from New York City. Bathe In Sunshine is my second single.”
https://youtu.be/SZWgP7cwN0s
Lafin | Nocturne in Black & Gold, The Failing Rocket
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Post-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I Initially made my way in music as a drummer in doom-metal and post-hardcore bands. I started Lafin two years ago to meet a need for songwriting and exploring electro sound textures, building weird ambiences with acoustic drums as a more “human” and aggressive touch. Lafin is an alternative-rock / electro-experimental instrumental solo project, set in a rough and depressive atmosphere supported by rough drums with a heavy groove. This song comes from the first LP Umwelt.”
Sh4wn | Partir
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Hip-Hop.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “The electro-pop of Sh4wn, affiliated with the lyrics of Guillaume Laroche, form music that directly catches the ear. Listeners looking for explosive music will be served as well as those looking for researched and polished lyrics.”
Nicky D Soundz | Shadows
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Hip-Hop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Nick Simba Komasa Doutre — better known as Nicky D Soundz — is a Canadian singer born in Montreal. His musical influences are mostly R&B and Hip-Hop. His new single is called Shadows, but his future is looking bright. He says: “Shadows can make your mind wander towards the lustful and sexy but also towards the haunting and scary. Like individuals deciding to connect spiritually and physically for a night of passion but must suffer the consequences once separated. Even though they are no longer close, they can still sense each other’s presence when they reminisce on that summer night.This songs chorus (sung in Creole) says: ‘Hold me tight, tell me you will never let me go.’ What do you do when love haunts you like a ghost, follows you like a shadow?”
DeLaurentis | Be A Woman
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Musician, producer, composer, author, interpreter — DeLaurentis is all of these and more. She builds a wall around her melodies where old and modern synthesizers, pianos, loops and arpeggios mix together. Her voice is the leading role in her musical films. Rhythmic or melodic, harmonious or vaporous, it is the blood that gives humanity to her addictive and synthetic travels. Her musical inspirations are electronic, contemporary and cinematic at the same time. “I got the idea for this song after a hypnosis session, where I relived the same scene three times. First in a subjective way, then in a meta position (by being outside the scene, in observation) then a third time by imagining a double, a new version of myself that would take me by the hand, getting me out of this situation and took me to Sunset Boulevard where we would rollerblade towards the beach and the sunset!”
Beltuner | Taka Taka
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Gypsy Jazz.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Beltuner, led by the accordionist Johann Riche, mix gypsy jazz, rock and improvisation for a music that gets under your skin. We find in “Taka Taka” the ingredients which made Beltuner’s reputation: Festive rhythms, unbridled improvisations by Riche and arrangements which keep the listener spellbound.”
Uzuk | T’As Décodé
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Soul/R&B.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I grew up with headphones in my ears and learned to express my emotions in writing. I have about 50 songs to record in the studio, and currently have four mixed singles, with the five-song EP 24Hours in the process of being finalized. I have also planned a 15-track album titled Variation. I can’t really define myself because I like variety; however, my inspirations come a lot from American R&B and rap culture.”
Andrea | White Leaves
HOME BASE: Italy.
GENRE: Ambient.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Andrea was born in Italy in 1972. He inherited the ability to create artistic works out of crystal from his father, while at the same time cultivating his own intense passion for music. His musical voice is very interior, and Andrea feels the need to compose to externalise that which his interior self cannot express with words. Listening to his music is like listening to your best friend’s secrets, with all the emotional involvement that this implies. In a certain sense, it can help us take an important step towards opening up with others, towards empathy. It is a path few are prepared to follow as it is far from radio-friendly music, but his music will enrich you and make you more attuned to the beauty of authenticity. He says: “On this track, as with all music I create, I try to express what I’m feeling honestly, hoping I can transmit the same emotions to my listeners.”
Tin | Sunny Side Up (Tôa Remix Radio Edit)
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Tin is a Parisian singer, composer and producer. Her music describes the ups and downs of a girl who makes her own songs, in the sound and the fury, in joyfulness and quakes. Her most recent album came out in September 2020, produced with Guillaume Leglise and Julien Galner. Her single Sunny Side Up has been chopped into new remixes! Hand in hand with Galner’s production, Tôa displays a sunny and danceable remix, coated with analog and percussive synthesizers, winking at early Madonna.”
George Katsos | How Would You Handle This?
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “George Katsos is an American musician and songwriter. Inspired by 1960s British invasion and Motown artists, he writes adult contemporary pop. He says: “This is my first independent release, a single from my five-song solo album/EP. How Would You Handle This? describes moving forward after a personal loss. It begins with acapella harmonies that build throughout the song, reminiscent of the bands Yes, the Bee Gees, and Billy Joel, sharing the spotlight with piano and percussion, and closing with a heart-filled vocal solo.”
Aéronèf | Le Paradis S’Eteint
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Aéronèf are a multi-instrumentalist duo based in Brittany, resulting from crossed paths between French variety and symphonic rock. On original keyboard compositions, Violaine Le Provost delivers her singular gaze on the world that questions her. David Chivers, a complete and versatile artist, synthesizes and augments the score in a perpetual sound quest. With a myriad of musical experiences, Aéronèf defend a poetic and soaring space. Ten songs are in production and will be released this year. They say: “Our second release is in a rich electronic vibe whilst retaining our classical music background through a relentless piano motif. The song is a reflection on technology and the future of humanity. We’ve worked really hard on this song going out of our comfort zone and exploring new sound worlds.”
Terry Blade | Forward (Live)
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Blues.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Terry Blade is an award-winning singer-songwriter. He is originally from D.C. and resides in Chicago. He has been compared to Tracy Chapman, Amos Lee, Meshell Ndegeocello and Antony & the Johnsons. His debut EP Misery (Mastered for Headphones) was released in May 2020. In February, he premiered his 19-track debut album American Descendant of Slavery, The Album to critical acclaim. “Forward is an acoustic blues original meant to honor Juneteenth.”
https://soundcloud.com/terryblade/forward-live/s-sDYSMjlgin4
Fantast | Repeat
HOME BASE: Austria.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Fantast’s new single Repeat discusses the romanticisation of one’s own past. As the only safe haven to get away from the present, enveloped in a nice and warm, glittery world of the past, a feeling of a lack of any future and melancholy arises. A time machine that only works in one direction, taking you to recurring loops of a retro feeling. Fantast want to create something new. We want to be experimental and have our own unique sound.”
Roleplay | The Pain Will Set Me Free
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “The Pain Will Set Me Free is Roleplay’s upbeat ode to a love story doomed from the start. With her signature blend of lush vocal harmonies and pulsing basslines, this single showcases Roleplay’s classic pop credentials . Cinematic strings and melancholic lyrics drift over arpeggio synths and four-to-the-floor beats to create a shimmering, energetic soundscape. Swedish-born, U.K.-based musician and producer Roleplay (Anna Haara Kristoferson) is a multi-instrumentalist who spent her childhood in choir academies. Roleplay is her first solo project outside of her ventures as vocalist and bass player in Yassassin. “I wrote The Pain Will Set Me Free when I was heartbroken and dealing with a lot of emotional pain last year,” she says. “The lyrics were my way of telling myself that I needed to acknowledge and accept the situation in order to let go and move on. It’s always easier said than done, but writing this song was definitely part of my healing process.”
Blitz Union | Money Crazy World (Zardonic Remix)
HOME BASE: Czechia.
GENRE: Electro-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Blitz Union are a furious rock band that combines melodic pop with hard rock and EDM. Using a blend of heavy guitar riffs, industrial metal overtones and melodic vocals, Blitz Union refuse to be put into a specific genre or category. This is also because the band stands for much more than music. The idea of creating an “union,” a community of devoted followers is omnipresent. Blitz Union are about standing together in times of uncertainty, pointing out social, economic and political issues — sometimes serious and forceful, sometimes ironic and sarcastic, but surely never conventional. Blitz Union team up one last time with revolutionary DJ Zardonic for another thought-provoking banger based on the single Money Crazy World, a bold statement against the ever-so-powerful influence of money on our lives, world and society.”
