Julie & Dany spread the mayo, Matteo Palermo & Vitriol Project are weaklings, Total Hip Replacement bring the smoke and mirrors — and that’s just the start of today’s multi-part offering 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, kick off your week with these tracks:
Julie & Dany | Mayo
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “The musical duet of Dany Placard and Julie Doiron. As a new project with this single, we would like to introduce our universe. We hope you’ll like our first single and keep listening to us!”
Matteo Palermo & Vitriol Project | Mr Weak
HOME BASE: Italy.
GENRE: Alt-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “after playing guitar and writing for years with the rock band Zed, Matteo Palermo decided to try his hand traveling the solo route a year ago. Currently, fans can see Palermo performing his new EP A Coffee With Nietzsche in his live show, which imagines taking a coffee break with the German philosopher and talking about about God, morality, the circle of life, emotions, humanity and its weaknesses. Says Palermo: “I don’t want perfection, I don’t want robots, I want humanity.”
Total Hip Replacement | Smoke & Mirrors
HOME BASE: Denmark.
GENRE: Reggae.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Total Hip Replacement are a groovy seven-piece orchestra known for their energetic and unique live concerts. The band operate between the organic and the electronic, where heavy grooves, warm brass and intense synthesizers meet in a musical landscape that is dark and longing, but full of hopeful energy. Their single Smoke and Mirrors features highlife legends Kwame Yeboah & Kwashibu Area Band. Written and recorded in the same session, Smoke and Mirrors is teeming with energy and curiosity, with driving drums, stabby horns and playful guitars. The message is described by lead singer Victor Hosbond: ‘For too long, we have lived in uncertainty and inaction. So we felt writing and recording Smoke and Mirrors was a great sense of relief. To just go into the studio and play music together gave us some power back in our hands and minds and sparked a sense of hope for better days to come. For me, that feeling of taking action is the glory of the song.’ ”
Niala’Kil | Persévérance
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “A producer, composer and remixer since 2006, Niala’Kil has been passionate about music from an early age. Influenced by the world around him, his music offers us a rhythmic journey beyond the songs. He sayS: “After two years of difficult and extremely memorable moments for me (Loss of my father, miscarriage, illnesses), I decided to end this period with an album called Vivre. It’s about all I’ve been through and I hope the emotions I want to share speak to those who listen to my album.”
Juliette Jemm | Mirages Blancs
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “What brings value to your life? For Juliette Jemm, it is the power — a little magical, completely instinctive — to create melodies and compose music. These days, she is singing a dark ballad with her new song. “Mirages Blancs is sad and emotional,” she says. “When I play it, people get very moved, and I receive a lot of love.” Mirages Blancs is a song to say bye-bye to life. But not forever. Just for a moment. It is aerial and ethereal.”
Enid | And I
HOME BASE: Belgium.
GENRE: Indie-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Enid means spirit and soul. Behind this hides a fusion of fire and ice. Nawal is an impulsive, compulsive and intuitive creator and composer. When not writing, she delves into the works of English poets, creating a bridge connecting eras. Pascal is Enid’s temperance and wisdom. He is the one who centralizes ideas, channels Nawal’s creative ardor and hits the beat. Known as a drummer in bands like Kinsley, Blutch and The Diplomat, he integrates his rock influences into the ethereal universe of Nawal. The band’s second single, And I symbolizes the emotional downfall. This angel who fell from heaven finds himself in a painful earthly life, sown with traps, moments of doubt and fear. However, And I is intended to be a message of hope: Mutual aid, solidarity and empathy make it possible to heal all wounds and to reach fullness.”
Sumo Y Los Hermanos Del Alma | King Of Creation
HOME BASE: Cuba / Switzerland.
GENRE: Reggae-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Since their creation in the late ’90s, we have seen Sumo roam various territories: Electro, soul, funk, hip-hop, dub. Brothers Alex (guitar, vocal) and Fred Sumi (bass, production) don’t box themselves into one specific style, embarking instead on a constant musical odyssey. For their sixth opus Oya, the journey continues by exploring new horizons, rhythms and sounds. The group exiled itself to Cuba to become Sumo y Los Hermanos del Alma and create an Afro-Cuban rock record. The album brings together such an eclectic assortment of musicians: Chilean drummer Ramon Plaza, Jamaican reggae singer Wayne Paul; percussionist Dunieski Baretto, pianist Maykel Gonzalez and trumpeter Eduardo Bringuez, singers Los Niches and singer-guitarist Nelson Labrada.”
Max M | Coming Through
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “An intimate and symbolic title, Coming Through is Max M’s very first piece written for one voice. Its release follows a long musical work imbued with originality, just like the lyrics dealing with marginality.”
Fabrice Mukuna | Saï Saï Remix
HOME BASE: Congo.
GENRE: Afrobeat.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Saï Saï Remix features Fidia, a Senegalese singer who makes it an irresistible Afrobeat rhythm to be discovered!”
The Verge | Keep The Head Up
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Hard Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “In the first clip from their new LP Eccentric Girl, the French band The Verge play their dynamic brand of rock with pleasure and sincerity.”
Diofel | Ta Teté
HOME BASE: Congo.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Born on the hot sands of the wild coasts of Pointe-Noire in Congo, Diofel writes, performs with passion. He began in 2009 in Dakar, Senegal, when he created and produced Friday Slam, a hybrid evening where amateurs, curious people and lovers of words still meet today. Now settled in France, he continues his work in unexpected places and prestigious rooms to deliver messages of love, life and emotion.”
Oceng Oryema | Je Sais Pas
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Oceng Oryema is the son of Geoffroy Oryema, signed to Real World by Peter Gabriel. Raised in France, his indie project is full of funk, good vibes, great sounds and smiles. This track is produced by Lude.”
Jorge Rodrigues | Time Ran
HOME BASE: Portugal.
GENRE: Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “This is a simple and melodic song.”
https://youtu.be/KkK0KiOn11E
Bruno Bisaro & Les Ouragans Gris | J’Ai Paradé
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Bruno Bisaro is a French songwriter and performer. He lives and works in the Paris suburbs. He is a renowned artist of contemporary creation but also one of the actors in the renewal of a European counterculture. For more than 10 years, he has contributed, through the production of a demanding work constantly renewed and thanks to the singularity of his artistic approach, to the dynamism and influence of the independent and alternative French-speaking scene.”
Roy Cheese | Sofa
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I am a French musician/producer. I love outdated grooves and my goal is to make music people want to make love and/or dance to. I also want to rehabilitate synth solos and modulations in pop music.”
Faith Collective | Renacer
HOME BASE: Spain.
GENRE: Jazz-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “We are a new Christian music band from Barcelona. We try to find a different sound in our songs.”
Elaine Kristal | Love Over Living
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Soul / R&B.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Elaine Kristal is a singer and songwriter from Staten Island. Elaine’s voice offers a healing component, striking a harmonious balance between soothing and fierce, pacifying yet rousing. She started performing her music with one of her best friends at an open mic. One day she was performing and the whole place started singing her song. “It’s a high I will never forget,” she says, “and one I want to have for the rest of my life.”
Thaïs | Arrête De Danser
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: indie-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Montreal singer-songwriter and performer Thaïs explores the sounds of French pop music. With her soft and controlled voice, she sings of melancholy, loneliness and love disorders. Her influences are diverse, ranging from Emily Haines to Malajube and Serge Gainsbourg. More than a year after her sublime first EP Paradis Artificiels, the young Quebec artist is back with a little pop bomb! Opening with seductive synthesizers, Arrête De Danser quickly displays its colors. With a powerful delicacy, surrounded by Béatrice Martin (Coeur de Pirate) as co-writer, Renaud Bastien as co-producer and arranger, Tim Buron as mixer and Marc Thériault (Le Lab) as die-caster, Thaïs shows us what she is capable of.”
Larissa Tormey | Mirror
HOME BASE: Ireland.
GENRE: Blues.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Larissa Tormey — a native of Russia — released her first album Perfect As I Am in 2014, her second album God Loves A Trier in 2017, and her third album Cowgirls Don’t Cry in 2018. Mirror is a fifth single from my upcoming spring album. I wanted to emphasize how important it is to understand that we are reflecting the world around us, and we need to give in order to receive.”
Horehound | The Heavy
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Heavy Metal.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Within one year of forming in Pittsburgh in 2015, Horehound released their self-titled debut album and cemented their standing as more than just local favorites. Horehound take inspiration from COC, Melvins, Pallbearer, YOB, and of course Black Sabbath. The overall sound is slowly melodic, with heavier sludge dwelling in the grinding guitar, haze-laden bass, bruising drums, and demanding magnetic vocals. Horehound just finished recording their third album.”
Laurie Lewin | It Never Crossed My Mind
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I have worked on some music projects in Africa over the years, especially in Namibia and Botswana. Doing work like that changes your life. This song is the story about my journey in this respect … and I am still on that journey along with all of the amazing young dedicated gap-year students and others who give their time to work with children in schools that need extra support in Africa and other parts of the world. Thank you to all of you. As I sit here thinking about the song, I can truly say it never ever crossed my mind that my life would take on such a different direction after working in Africa.”
The Broots | Tell Me The Story
HOME BASE: Switzerland.
GENRE: Reggae-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “We have already toured a lot in Switzerland and several songs have been broadcast.”
Nancita Kapi | Le Blues
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Soul / R&B.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Nancita Kapi is a passionate singer-songwriter who creates music from the heart. Partnering with local and international Francophone artists such as Jade, Carimi, Marvin, Jeff Kavanda, Jamice, Iron-G, Kinash, Naelle, Le R Premier, YAO and many others, her innovation and style wow audiences.”
Doctor Lincoln | Don’t Let Go
HOME BASE: India.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “My name’s Lincoln Samuel. I’m a singer-songwriter who goes by the artist name Doctor Lincoln. My debut single Don’t Let Go will feature on my sophomore album Will See You Now, which will come out in May. This particular song is about love, loss and asking for help. I emerged in India’s underground music scene with alternate band Once Chosen in 2008. The band released the EP Superliminal in 2009.”
