Tom Guibal takes a seat, Jon McLeod takes a shot, Odd Sounds Project talk about you and more in the first of a bazillion new submissions from Groover, a platform that connects artists with critics like me for a small fee. You can (and should) follow me on Spotify HERE, check out my 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, get to know these fine artists:
Tom Guibal | Le Chair(e)
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m hoping that this second single will seduce. Here are a few words written by Romain Humeau from the french band Eiffel: ‘After Comme des Mots, La Chair(e) is a real sound barrier! … a heady bassline (is) joined by guitars like Boeing 737s whose wings shake with every riff.’ ”
Jon McLeod | Jesus Is My Vaccine
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Indie Folk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Singer-songwriter Jon McLeod blends a indie, folk and blues, then adds a personal twist, creating his own alternative style with a calmly compelling vocal delivery and distinctive guitar playing. He’s been writing, recording and performing in different projects sporadically over the last 10 years. Jesus Is My Vaccine is a taste of things to come. It was written about Trump supporters, evangelical ‘Bible belt’ preachers banishing COVID through your TV screen and a story in early lockdown about a church in South London busted by Trading Standards for selling COVID protection potion (aptly named Divine Cleansing Oil).”
Odd Sounds Project | You
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electro-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Odd Sounds Project is a four-piece band from southeast France. Formed in May 2021, the band consists of Elena Lisa (vocals), Lex Bono (guitar, backing vocals), Stan (bass) and Schwartz (drums/machines). Their lyrics are inspired by the complexities of human beings and by life and its manifold experiences. A four-track EP is already available on all streaming platforms and an album is currently being produced and recorded.”
Martin Lizotte | Dissidence
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Neo-Classical.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Pianist, keyboardist and composer Martin Lizotte’s inventiveness has led him to play with artists like Martin Léon, Daniel Bélanger, Jean Leloup, Arthur H, Robert Charlebois and many others. Dissidence is the first excerpt from his album to be released in early 2022. “I read a book called Limonov written by Emmanuel Carrère,” says Lizotte of the inspiration behind Dissidence. “It is a book based on the life of a Russian writer, poet and political dissident named Edward Limonov. A fairly tumultuous life. The word ‘dissidence’ came up often in the book and it seemed obvious. I put myself in the shoes of a character a little. A dissident musician who goes against the grain and fashion. I tried to put in images the turrets of the Kremlin which turn like tops. Life as a merry-go-round. The rides which are a form of dissent from the routine.”
Tonyno | Je Ne Peux T’Oublier
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Reggaeton.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “The former member of the group Sale Équipe is back in the stirrup solo! Only two weeks after the release of part 1 of his trilogy, Por Siempre Para Siempre, Tonyno returns with a Franco-Spanish Chapter 2 entitled Je Ne Peux T’Oublier. Over a track with strongly Hispanic / Latino tones and reggaeton rhythm, the Marseille artist demonstrates once again his ability with melodies, emotion and musicality. Madly active, Tonyno is also working on his studio album project for 2022, and has plenty of surprises in store.”
Slkrack | Hazi Life 3 (ft. Dehmo)
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Slkrack made his appearance on the French drill scene in early 2020 with Gestion, quickly followed by a quartet of other singles. After a busy year, he continues his series of freestyle Hazi Life tracks with a third chapter accompanied by Dehmo.”
NewAir | Born (ft. Clara)
HOME BASE: Italy.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “NewAir, aka Gabriele Carone, was initially a musician, but over the years he became a producer, a composer, and performer. In 2020 he founded his own recording studio called NewAir Studio in Rome, where he records his own music and works as a producer for other artists. Born, which features with the singer Clara, was inspired by Sia, Lana del Rey, The Cranberries and Nancy Sinatra. It mixes jazz and pop with rap, trap, rock and indie to birth something entirely new. The lyrics deal with the rebirth, the return to life after the difficulties of this period of pandemic. Born is a light, airy song, which stands out from the solemnity of the themes dealt with by NewAir in the previous EPs Animae, Redemptio and Eden, which focused on the three canticles of the Divine Comedy. With this new single, the artist wants to open a new phase of his musical production, and the title of Born is the demonstration of this.”
M.A.D. | Pour la culture X M.A.D.
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “From the books to rap. This is how we could describe in one sentence the journey of Mystika Ava Dynasty alias M.A.D. Growing up in Montreal, she found a passion for reading and discovered the power of words to influence people and impact reality. However, she never would have thought that this passion would lead her to music. Hers is a journey marked by personal experiences strong in emotions, sometimes even traumatic, but always enriching. It is this experience that M.A.D. relates today. For her, it’s about taking a critical look at her own life, but also at the world around her. To share your fears, your rage, your hopes, while knowing on the other hand that words, for all their power, are not always enough to express exactly what you feel.”
Alvin Chris | Averse
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “It is through his nonchalance that Alvin Chris unveils his analysis of the modern world. It highlights the hypocrisy of propriety at which we are all adept, the superficiality of the digital age or the fear of the gaze of others. His latest powerful and innovative hit, Averse draws its influence from contemporary British electro and still breaks the boundaries between styles. “Being happy is knowing how to dance in the rain. That’s what I wanted to tell in this track,” he says. “I particularly like the production of make a meal, who is the producer who produced half of the project and is directing it. A tasty mix of neo-soul and electronic sounds that I like.”
Itzama | Si Loin (ft. Joanna)
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Dream-Pop.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Itzama is the story of two childhood friends (producer Major Minor and performer/multi-instrumentalist Jones Blank) stranded somewhere between 1970 and 2040. Halfway between dream and reality, Itzama takes you on a utopian, uninhibited ride. In this project where melodies float between eras, bromance and dreams are engines of inspiration. Si Loin is an ode to the romanticism of years gone by. Between R&B lover and sentimental indie-pop, Si Loin is a modern slow; a love song in which Itzama and Joanna express their respective feelings. Dreamy and nostalgic, this ballad can be listened to both by the sea and at the golden hour of sunset.”
Clintiss | Live Session: Toreador
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Neo-Classical.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Clintiss creates rich, rhythmic piano music full of reliefs and variations. He has spent hundreds of hours at his piano, at home, in piano bars and on stage, looking for the musical language that could reconcile his classical learning and his taste for modern pop music, like indie music, post rock or neoclassical. “For me,” explains Clintiss, “composing a piano solo piece is the fruit of a long journey and a lot of hard work … My personal challenge was to create a piano language that I couldn’t manage to find or hear anywhere else, a fusion between the demanding classical technique and the different musical repertoires that have influenced me over the years — classical, symphonic, pop, electronic music … I hope to have succeeded in developing something unique, sometimes a little peculiar, straddling several worlds.”
Axmaxv | AI (ft. Jei Bandit)
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “On his latest track AI, the young Montreal artist Axmaxv continues to amaze us by playing with different textures and using his voice in a unique way that allows the track to be punchy and dynamic while keeping an immersive and ambient aspect. The verse of rapper Jei Bandit accentuates the emotion of loneliness which invites us to appreciate and feel things in the moment, to listen, to reconcile with ourselves and just feel the vibe.”
NoCeelin | Sauvé Par La Cloche
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I produce my own songs, sometimes with a few of my friends’ help. I just released my hip-hop album.”
https://youtu.be/Q-rcH2Ynfp0
Ikky | Coragem
HOME BASE: Brazil.
GENRE: Hip-Hop.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I looked to my ancestry for answers to my personal challenges. I am of Malê origin (as enslaved Muslims in Brazil were called). They organized the largest slave revolt in the Americas, the Malês Revolt, which took place in the city of Salvador. Their presence revolutionized society and the abolitionist process. They left a courageous imprint on history. I brought this lesson to my music and to life. I looked for Afro-Brazilian musical references to talk about the feeling of insurrection and the limitations imposed, internally and externally. LIFE ASKS COURAGE!”
Vartang | Honoré
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Soul/R&B.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Somewhere between Martinique and Paris, the singer-songwriter Vartang offers an urban music inspired by Afro-Caribbean, hip-hop and electronic cultures. Vartang updates Honoré by Claude Confiant, an icon of traditional Martinican music. This song, born in 1981, has become a real Christmas hymn in the West Indies. With urban up-tempo production, Vartang breathes new life into this monument of Creole music. Antoine Chabert, winner of several Grammy, took care of mastering Honoré‘. In the video, Vartang takes us on a visual journey between his native Martinique and Paris, his adopted city.”
Devk | Petit Oiseau
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Devk has a passion for computer-assisted electronic composition. After playing guitar for 25 years, he found another style that he loves — a kind of techno/house that includes trip-hop and drum ‘n’ bass. Devk intends to put all his energy into this project and make noise and at the international level.”
Bayass | Smash
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Bayass is a young Parisian rapper rooted in his time and his generation. He knows the street, the real one, but nevertheless chooses to focus on the things that are important to him, including music. His music is lively and colorful but also features dark instruments. He raps and sings about his life adventures.”
Desmond Parson | Therapy
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Soul/R&B.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “This song is an ode to music and the vibe we get from listening to it as well as writing our thoughts and feelings to it.”
Etienne Dorsay | Stop
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Etienne Dorsay, a name taken from one of the most emblematic characters of French cinema in the 1970s, is the alter-ego of the ineffable Jean Rochefort, is a French artist in his 40s. A rather reserved observer of life, he expresses his view of the world through naive melodies and downtempo beats. Eclecticism being his favorite category, Etienne’s universe is vast. Despite influences from all horizons and a certain penchant for electro, he has a boundless admiration for dwarves in purple heels, vocodized robots, rock stars with glittery dreadlocks, or even blind and superstitious black singers. Stop is an electro chill out vibe with a story behind it. An American hobo, crossed by chance at a gas station, guy spits truths to the guy who films him. The monologue is quite poignant.”
Movment | We All Must Go
HOME BASE: Ireland.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Movment are an al-rock band from Ireland. They just released their second album Transformation. Movment are more dark than light, more strong than weak. Movment make observations on life and living. They mean what they say. Although guitars and bass are at the heart of their sound, it is hard to ignore the electronics that have infiltrated Movment’s core. Movement have been through it before. Their time is now.”
The Electric Petals | Sunday Blue
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Folk-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “We’ve known each other for a long time. We collectively started playing guitar and listening to old classic rock songs up on an island in Lake Temagami where we spent our summers growing up. We’ve all gone in wild directions since then and often found ourselves on film sets and playing venues in far corners of the world; never in the same room but always in synchronicity in some way. With everything that’s happened in the last couple of years, for the first time in a long time we finally found ourselves with nowhere else to go, except right back up to an island on Lake Temagami, six hours north of Toronto. Call it a spiritual awakening or call it fate , but when we all stepped into this old ”50s log cabin studio that we now call home, and Tall Pines studios, something electric struck and stuck. Our first day in the studio together we punched out the single and title track of our album Wild at Heart. I can’t speak for the whole band but when I first listened to what we just produced, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was like a lifetime went by and we started anew. We were as excited at that moment as we were when we were 12 years old, picking up guitars and strumming along to our favorite songs. We’re now working on our second album and it feels like we’ve been doing it together for years.”
NoCopyright | Shadom
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Soul/R&B.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Initially a cordial meeting between France and England, this group came together around a common project: Making music.”
The Arlequeen | Third Eye
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Psychedelia.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Côme Destribois, a composer, lyricist and singer, is proud to present his music under the nom de plume The Arlequeen. The multi-talented native of France creates his works from beginning to end, composing, producing and directing his own videos. As diverse and vivid as the colorful patchwork of a harlequin’s costume, his songs express powerful emotions of the soul, like the reflections of multiple mirrors playing in the wind. Come along on his authentic, dreamy, sometimes unhinged, powerful musical journey. Third Eye is about self-awareness.”
Slick Da Sniper | Him Not Friendly
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “My music is based on my life growing up in Brooklyn’s Brownsville M.G.V. Projects, where any day can be your last. I consider my flow real hip-hop. I’m a lyricist, not a rapper. My name Slick Da Sniper comes from my “one shot, one kill” approach — go in the studio, put the beat on, and body it. It’s a done deal! This is hardcore hip-hop in its purest form: A lot of passion, aggression and witty wordplay.”
Melkior | Time To Time
HOME BASE: Australia.
GENRE: R&B.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Time To Time comes from a series of late-night conversations with someone I saw a future with. In her presence, I would fuel my addiction to her mind, to her body, and to her very existence. Yet she was conflicted with her feelings for me. Time To Time runs through the emotions of me wanting her intimately, passionately, exclusively, and the rollercoaster of forbidden love between us.”
Oshiga | Mûmbé
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Reggae.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Originally from Cameroon, singer-songwriter Oshiga embarked on an independent music career in 2020. She had been singing and dancing since childhood in front of her mirror, in the choir and on stage during school and academic shows. Her love for letters can be heard in her polished writing and her committed texts. The public will soon be able to discover her universe on her EP.”
MarcanT | Gravure 2.0
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Rap.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “My songs are written by my heart. I let the BPMs of the music tell you. Gravure 2.0 is part of my new mixtape ACO Tome 1.”
The Brokers And The Wall Street Band | Red Crow
HOME BASE: Italy.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “The Brokers and the Wall Street Band are a musical project by Giuliano Taviani and Carmelo Travia with Diana Tejera. It is a tribute to the garage-rock and punk of The Velvet Underground, X, The Stooges and The Sonics.”
TLo | Let Me Love You
HOME BASE: Belgium.
GENRE: Soul-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Originally from Cameroon, I have been passionate about music since childhood. As a singer-songwriter, I released my first single Let Me Love You in October. This is my first single. I wrote it during the lockdown. When I wrote this song, I was thinking about my first love.”
The Bongo Brothers | Loveless
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Indie-Folk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “We are a band from all around the world. Loveless is a song that was thoughtfully made by our writer. We are trying to get feedback to become a bigger and professional band.”
Isaackito | Biwoudi (ft. Gil C. Freak)
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Jazz-Funk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Isaackito, the trombone player of French funk outfit The Malka Family, welcomes Gil C. Freak on trumpet for his new production.”
Jordan Samrose | Hold On
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Jordan Samrose is an accomplished singer-songwriter whose highly personal compositions have led many to compare him to iconic balladeers like Serge Gainsbourg, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. Raised in Paris by an American father and an Italian mother, Jordan writes and sings in English, Italian and French and has performed across Europe. Hold On is one of his most strongest songs, off his Maybe In Bloom album, a lyrical ode addressed to a difficult lover. Written in Los Angeles, it is one of Jordan’s most sincere and poetic compositions.”
Vanwho | Pizza For One
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Vanwho’s music is a fusion of refined folk accents, smoky vocals, and tasteful, unique guitar stylings that will keep you captivated. Contemplative, ethereal, intimate and dreamy, the songs of Vanwho invite the listener on a timeless journey that explores the spheres of life and the present moment. Pizza For One is a song that evokes feelings of self-reflection and loneliness. With her raw emotion as the star of the track, the luscious harmonies and silky reverb guitar bring the listener through the emotions of wishing to reunite with a loved one. You can feel Vanwho’s trust that love will never fade. And really… who has never eaten a whole pizza alone?”
