Salvation Jayne send their apologies, Female Presidents see ghosts, Lambz keep things pure, Jeremy Engel gets caught and more in the first half of today’s 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 your long weekend listening going with these tracks:
Salvation Jayne | Apathetic Apologies
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “With huge emotive choruses, sultry dark synth undertones, and pop hooks that grasp you by the throat and demand you sing them back, Salvation Jayne are a band who fully deserve the attention they’ve garnered since smashing their way onto the scene. Since 2018, SJ have created their own unique brand of alt-rock. With big, loud guitars, inventive and powerful drums, huge dirty bass, atmospheric keys and a world-class vocalist in the guise of Chess Smith (whose incredible power and delivery is an often highlighted factor amongst fans). Imagine Deftones are throwing a party for the sombre, Wolf Alice are the house band, whilst Paramore and Veruca Salt serve drinks behind the bar. And it all takes place on the set of American Horror Story: Hotel. Apatheric Apologies is from the band’s debut album A Mouthful Of Magnificent Spite.”
Female President | Bring Back The Ghosts
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Roots-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “An American family trio inspired by early roots of rock ’n’ roll, simplistic riffs that groove and dynamics that build to a fever pitch. Started during the pandemic as a way to cope with cancelled tours and shuttered venues, Female President write songs with an honest grit and emotional vibe that you can groove to and rock out. Combining their unique styles of playing and genuine love of music, Female President are an energized modern rock band with a sound all their own. Formed during the pandemic, their first songs are triumphs of love, loss and healing. Human hearts are fragile but rock ’n’ roll can never die.”
Lambz | Un Pur Son
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Reggae.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “A self-produced artist, I composed and wrote my first album In Real Life, to be released in 2022. The album, all in French, is based on reggae without being limited to it. The songs address both social themes and more personal subjects. Un Pur Son is the first extract.”
Jeremy Engel | I Got Caught
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Folk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “With his captivating voice and intimate storytelling, Jeremy Engel has a unique way of touching listener’s hearts. Inspired by the likes of Leonard Cohen and Rory Gallagher, the French-born, Dublin-based singer-songwriter creates deeply evocative songs. With fluid guitar playing and adventurous soundscapes, Jeremy has proven himself to be the rare artist capable of perfectly capturing listeners’ emotions. Jeremy was born in Normandy, France, and spent much of his life traveling around Europe while working as an interpreter for the UN. As a result, he gained the broad perspective that would come to define his songwriting. Somewhere along the way, he fell in love with Irish culture, and settled down there in 2006. After many long nights in pubs absorbing traditional Irish music, he decided to embrace his life long dream of becoming a songwriter in his own right. Jeremy has since built up a catalog of meaningful songs which he is excited to continue sharing with his ever-growing audience. Now he returns with his new poetic offering I Got Caught. Driven by Jeremy’s impassioned vocals, he shares with us his complex introspection surrounding a suffocating relationship. The internal battle he’s having is further reflected in the instrumentation, with a circling guitar line and intensifying strings.”
Lumanzin | Dia A Dia
HOME BASE: Brazil.
GENRE: World Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Lumanzin has produced two albums, seven singles, three international art exhibitions, two art residencies and 30 partnerships with artists from all around the world. From Brazil, singing in Portuguese, Lumanzin serves the pure juice of the independent artist as a professor in universities and a hard worker who is talented and professional. Dia A Dia is the last single before the third album Mansinha. This track was recorded in London with Ayman Sinada, a Sudanese musician born in Saudi Arabia. The video clip was recorded in Brazil.”
Panther Hollow | Butterfly
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Psychedelic Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m Nardo and I write, perform, compose and produce as Panther Hollow. I’m based in Philadelphia and New York. I also play with Daisy the Great, Ackerman, Charlotte Rose Benjamin, Dig Nitty, JessX, On the Farm, Modern Diet & more. Most recently I scored the short film Chaperone by my friend Sam Max.”
Martin Ruby | In The Field
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Ambient Folk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Martin Ruby is an alt-folk band led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Marco North. Born in Brooklyn, he has been living in Moscow for the past 13 years. Laying his demons bare, North pulls on characters like a series of strange coats. Paring back the extraneous, coaxing out the wry details, always seeking that conversational tone, his songs are a wandering collection of midnight confessions. His first album Heaven Get Behind Me was written on a 100-year-old parlor guitar, and recorded in a Soviet-era living room on a collection of vintage instruments, including a 1887 Pollman banjola. North’s unique songwriting is steeped in not only the melancholy grace of Nick Drake and Mark Linkous, but also the foggy noir of Johnny Cash’s American albums, and the somber meditativeness of Nick Cave’s most recent recorded output. This is atmospheric music with a capital A.”
Michael Love Michael | Lemons
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Michael Love Michael is an eclectic American singer-songwriter who makes heartfelt music inspired by every genre. Lemons has a darkly upbeat quality and lyrics about standing in your power despite having people who doubt you or don’t see your potential for greatness. It’s an eclectic take on hyperpop made with Lady Gaga collaborator Mood Killer. The video was filmed with in Berlin with all queer people of colour.”
Dr. Groove Gang | L’Odyssee De L’Espece
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Welcome to the world of Dr. Groover Gang. In a secret laboratory, the doc and his acolytes have developed a potion with extracts of soul, hip-hop, funk and reggae with healing properties. The gang seek to spread their natural medicine on all possible waves and supports. It’s up to you to welcome them to your pharmacy.”
Onyeka | Dreams
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m a 23-year-old British-Nigerian singer-songwriter. Like many others, I’ve always loved music and writing stories. At first I wanted to just be a songwriter for other artists, but I felt inspired to put my own stuff out there after graduating from university and starting to work full-time. Currently enjoying the process of writing and releasing songs, collaborating with other artists, and learning as I go. Dreams is my second single. The track is about finding hope through the dreams that you have, especially when you feel uncertain about them. I wanted to create something that captures the strength of dreams against that deep, existential dread that you could be wasting your time with whatever it is you’re pursuing.”
Abra Salem | Without Your Love
HOME BASE: Jordan.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Abra Salem is a Jordanian singer-songwriter who started his career posting cover videos on YouTube and made his way to original writing and recording. His originals are filled with emotion, sonically and lyrically, so he never fails to capture the listener’s ears and hearts. It’s about devotion — which is nothing but a byproduct of the most powerful feeling in this world: True love.”
Bong-747 | Big Brother
HOME BASE: Cyprus.
GENRE: Synth-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Bong-747 is ex-Belarusian electronic veteran working undercover. The original track was created on a tablet, while remixes contain more conventional production methods and even live instruments. The release was twice delayed because the cover artwork (actually two versions of it) where banned by major platforms, even though it did not contain any explicit content or anything prohibited or unacceptable. Just concept design that struck the zeitgeist and challenged bureaucratic processes for approvals. The track is a first in a series of works dedicated to works and lives of a selection of writers.”
Clint Is Good | Bad Boy
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Rocked by music from an early age, Clint Is Good was classically trained before switching to rap and grime. Demanding, his musicality and his attraction to instruments such as the guitar allow him to develop a singular musical universe. Bad Boy is the fourth clip from the EP Les Fleurs du Male, with Latin and Afro-Caribbean sounds. The result of the collaboration between Clint Is Good and the beatmaker and producer Mainy Touch, the song creates a bewitching and caliente sound atmosphere, very well transcribed through the imagery of swimming pool, villas and beautiful girls.”
An Echoic | Bad Weather
HOME BASE: Sweden.
GENRE: Freak-Folk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “An Echoic personifies the uneasiness of tough times in Bad Weather, his first single of 2022. It’s a nervous fast-tempo song that reminds you of freak-folk bands like Grizzly Bear, with Swedish verses sprinkled here and there like a self-interrogating monologue. The fast-paced mood of the song doesn’t immediately evoke uneasy feelings. But this was exactly what An Echoic had in mind. “To me, the saddest songs aren’t all minor chords for instance,” he explains. The quirky animated video was made by Canadian artist Georgia Rose.”
Weltschmerzdigest | Flat Earth
HOME BASE: Ireland.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Weltschmerzdigest is a project of Pavel Doronin, an Irish producer of Russian origin who has been making electronic and indie-pop music under various aliases since 2005. Weltschmerzdigest is literally translated from German as “the digest of the world-weariness.” The idea of the project is to reflect this concept in the music by touching topics like relativity of time, ethics of deepfakes, conspiracy theories, cyberstalking, the role of media in education, etc. Flat Earth offers a creative approach to dealing with conspiracy theories and odd ideas. Doronin comments: “Weird conspiracy theories are a part of the modern world. If we have to deal with them, let’s give them an innocuous twist. So, if someone thinks the Earth is flat, OK. It’s flat, and it has a form of a disk, and this disk is spinning and playing my song.”
Pierre de Frebourg | Caïman Certain
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Funk-Pop.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Born in Metz, Pierre de Frebourg admires Lalo Schifrin, François de Roubaix, Michel Legrand, Gainsbourg, Jonasz and Bashung. “It’s been a little over three months since I changed my life, and I’m now moving towards music and audiovisual,” he says. “Jazz is a passion in which I immerse myself more every day. In Caïman Certain, I talk about the health crisis with lightness. Everything is self-produced from A to Z, with a digital piano connected to a sound card, royalty-free loops and images, edited and synchronized with the soundtrack. I wrote the lyrics, composed the music and performed the vocals.”
Adrien Bocksruth | Moon Stone
HOME BASE: Belgium.
GENRE: Neo-Classical.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “While piano has always had a place in my life, I can’t say the same about its practice. I was only a student at the conservatory from 10 to 12, the strict codes of the institution put me off and drove me away from the music world, stopping me from pursuing this experience. It is only in 2020, after about 10 years of break, that I decided to get back to practising this instrument of infinite sounds — this time in my own way, and with my own rules. I’m not a pianist like the others, I’m just a random guy who share what’s come to my mind. Do you feel the energy of the moon? Moon Stone wants to bring you accross the world with soft melody and a different rhythm.”
Mathieu Saïkaly | Neptune
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Indie-Folk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Mathieu Saïkaly, winner of 2014’s French Idol, returns sailing on the waters of indie pop with a sublime single somewhere between Radiohead and Bon Iver. Neptune is about a feeling before a separation. It’s about that moment when you realize that you’ve lost the other person. Neptune is the last stage; the last planet before we leave the solar system. A planet where the storms are the size of our world. The ingredients to translate this feeling are simple, stripped of all the superfluous. First of all, there is an airy voice, alone or mixed with several other layers of voices like a veil. A nervous and soft guitar, like the impacts of raindrops on the sea. And finally some notes of kalimba, to crystallize the mixture.”
Allume-Toi | Etienne
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Allume-Toi is a singer, rapper, director and rebellious sorcerer with 30 years of activities. Three years of yellow, black and sometimes red vests have fueled his rage to light up all the souls that can be. The social, human and political struggle inhabits each theme addressed. Because you can’t ask others to light up without doing it yourself, Allume-Toi is first and foremost a space of unbridled imagination where the singer and his acolytes free themselves from the conventions of their respective styles, to usher in a world of singing wizards and psycho-magical acts.”
Except One | In Nomine
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Metal.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Except One are a French, female-fronted metal band that make you headbang for more than 10 years now. After European touring and headlining shows, we are more than happy to introduce you to our new album Broken with our first single In Nomine.”
Vanessa Philippe | Pantalon De Soi
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Indie-Pop.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “My new album Soudain les Oiseaux was released on Jan. 21. I make my own clips to develop my universe, including the latest Pantalon De Soi. The album was recorded and produced by Pascal Parisot, mixed by Angy Laperdrix. I wrote and composed it as a tribute to my big sister who passed away in 2019.”
Charles Like The Prince | Cigarette
HOME BASE: France
GENRE: Dream-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Charles Like The Prince’s new song Cigarette is the first track of an EP composed and produced by the artist himself. Somewhere between the reverberated drum machines of Cocteau Twins, the crystalline guitars of The Smiths and synthesizers from the bottom of the ocean, Charles Like The Prince delivers ambitious and deep dream pop, perched from his own studio overlooking the Atlantic ocean.”
Koenix | Hanna
HOME BASE: Switzerland.
GENRE: Folk-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Koenix, the internationally well-known medieval folk-rock band from Switzerland, are back. Over the next few months they are going to release three singles as well as a new album. The first release Hanna tells the story of a girl who sets out to get rid of her inner demons. On her way, a new chapter begins. The band combine traditional folk elements (accordion, bagpipes, guitars and more) with modern atmospheres and tricky drums.”
Athanase Granson | L’Opium
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Dream-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Somewhere between Pink Floyd, Elliott Smith, The Beach Boys and Carole King, Athanase Granson is a Parisian indie-pop act, active since the last decade. L’Opium is a very laidback French dream-pop cut with hints of psychedelia.”
Long / Last | Feel
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “We mixed our hard rock instrumentals and explosive vocals with the synthetic sounds of pop and hip-hop to make a song fairly unique to us.”
Jamie Backlight | Liberté
HOME BASE: Belgium.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Want freedom? Jamie Backlight returns with a new single that sets the tone. Precise and melodious music, with enchanting lyrics for a musical cocktail that we love to (re)hear. To share and distribute without moderation. We all dream of fleeing, lightening our lives and living our dreams. Let yourself be lulled by this melody. Give yourself the right to dream because tomorrow is already far away. Between rock and pop and embellished with dancing melodies, Jamie Backlight’s cocktail slices, seduces or surprises; but leave no one indifferent. Music cut for the stage or mornings in the car, no doubt about the energy it transmits when waking up or in the evening.”
Bodi Bill | Peruhu
HOME BASE: Germany.
GENRE: Art-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “An ode to trial-and-error, to DIY and to friendship, an obelisk made of all the bits and trinkets found along the way, Berlin’s Bodi Bill are a band that works within contexts: With their art school background and a fertile home soil they are pioneers of a modern musical eclecticism of techno, folk and indie. With their various EPs and albums, they make themselves indispensable and grow into the hearts of listeners. Bodi Bill are about ideas and creative processes as a form of communication, not isolation. It’s about mindfulness, exchange and interaction. The music confronts you in a civilized way, as disturbing as stimulative, constantly changing form and function. It offers its services, but still it rather poses new questions than giving answers. And most of all: It’s beautiful.”
Jaimy Jay | The Passenger
HOME BASE: Belgium.
GENRE: EDM.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Jérémy Masy, aka Jaimy Jay, has been immersed in music since childhood. He discovered Jean-Michel Jarre at the age of 14 and, while continuing to study classical at the conservatory, he decided to compose and move towards electronic music. Since 2012,he has been collaborating on different projects through remixes and co-production, but has also released his own singles, the EP Contemplation Of Memories and the album Voyager, which includes The Passenger.”
Donnie Chase | Roses
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m an up-and-coming artist/engineer from D.C. I make music from hip-hop to R&B to pop — it just depends on how I feel that day.”
Umbrella No. 9 | A Day In November
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Indie-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Umbrella No. 9 are a group of musicians from the U.K. Founding members Adam Bowser, Will Ryan and Martin Ryan are focused on building songs with the studio as the main tool for developing their sound. They take their inspiration from the soul, reggae and funk of their Manchester years and meld it with rock, pop and jazz of the ages to create their sound. A Day in November is their new single and third release. It plays with the idea that there are certain moments in life which set in motion the unique path that a life takes. The song looks back on a moment like this and wonders ‘what if’. The question of whether she stayed or not is left unanswered. And this leaves another question; is the last verse of the song about what happened on a day in November, or just what might have happened?”
