Specyal T keeps it low-key, Jermaine Coles would like to have this dance, Estella Dawn gets a buzzcut and more in 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, check out the rest of today’s outstanding offerings:
Specyal T | Lowkey
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Hi-Hop Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Specyal T has released 10 EP and LPs. With her distinctive voice and flow, she is usually compared to a young Lauryn Hill. The Toronto artist’s latest track Lowkey, is a sultry hip-hop soul tune about the immediate connection you sometimes feel when meeting someone for the first time. Specyal T sings about “butterflies and magnetic ties,” as “the world around (her) melts” and she thinks about that special someone. “It’s about having an instant vibe and attraction to them but without knowing their situation,” Specyal T says. “You want to keep it on the down-low while at the same time getting the vibe that they’re feeling you too.”
Jermaine Coles | We Should Dance
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Folk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “As a native to the mountains of Roanoke, Virginia, Jermaine Coles has cultivated a signature sound with influences by music genres folk, gospel, and R&B. In 2019, he thought, “I’ve achieved much, but the one thing that I felt was incomplete was the recording of the songs that were written in my heart through life experiences.” He decided to produce an EP with the help of musicians Sam West, Kaio DeSouza and Sean Mason, Douglas Andrew and James Acampora. The inspiration behind the songs came from a previous relationship that resulted in infidelity and forgiveness. The project then evolved into a short film entitled New Life. Each song on the album influenced the film as the storyline is told in multiple decades of time. (1863, 1937, 1966, 1972, & 2022). We Should Dance is a mixture of folk, swing, and pop.”
Estella Dawn | Buzzcut
HOME BASE: United States
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Estella Dawn, a New Zealand-born, U.S.-based pop artist, singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist, has the skills to not only have a creative vision but to guide that process through to a cohesive, fully formed, song. Her songs are often about empowerment and confidence and span various genres, reflecting the artist’s skill and diverse creative output. She has organically grown her career and following with a consistent release of music that resonate with the personal reflections on life as a mid 20’s woman in a complex, and sometimes overwhelming, world. Her music has been compared to Pink, Billie Eilish, Halsey, Sia and other strong, independent-minded artists. Having released a whopping 16 singles since 2020 Estella is producing an album due to be released in 2022.”
Axel PL | Smoke Break
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Smoke Break featuring Miscellaneous (MC of Chill Bump)!”
Malvill | La Petite Charmeuse De Serpents
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Malvill lets the music do the talking.
Daniel Bellegarde | Aimable
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: World.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “A freelance percussionist from Montreal, Daniel Bellegarde has been contributing to the Quebec scene for over 30 years, collaborating with artists as diverse as Robert Charlebois, Émeline Michel, Bïa, Paulo Ramos and Cirque du Soleil. He is influenced by traditional Haitian music but also by country, Celtic and Brazilian sounds. To the sounds of the tanbou bass, the ti-bwa, the chacha, the guitar, the banjo, the fiddle, the bass, along with the bandolim, the cavaquinho, the seven-string guitar and the viola caïpira from Brazil, accompanied by thin, low and Irish whistle, the drummer pays tribute to this heritage that has forged his dual Haitian and Canadian identity. With a personal vision of this African-European heritage, Daniel presents Pastourelle, the second album of his trilogy.”
Quanta | Brainwashés
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Quanta lets his music speak for itself.
https://youtu.be/Bd0uEJsFaTs
Julien Daïan Quintet | Bring Some Love (Hardcore Stepper Remix by Rub A Dub Mrkt ft. Luciano and Mikey General)
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Dub Reggae.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “The new track from French artist Julien Daïan features two big-league stars of Jamaican music: Luciano and his longtime comrade Mikey General. The result is a hypnotic, intense dub stepper that burns and smolders with the jazz overdubs of the JDQ, taking the whole experience into the realm of the sound system vibe.”
Sambox | Hatchway For You
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “After studying classical music, Samuel Pineau aka Sambox began moving towards lounge music, chillout, ambient and jazz. His productions appear in 65 CD compilations. His music is also played on television and in luxury hotel spas.”
Alex Krawczyk | There Will Be Light
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “There Will Be Light was written to bring hope to anyone struggling with loss.”
MP Grey | The Night Won’t Be Over
HOME BASE: Germany.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Hailing from Germany, Martin Polle, the producer, songwriter and mastermind behind MP Grey, created an expanded catalogue of popular crossover hits over the last two years. Critically acclaimed internationally, his positive-minded and endearing messages often feature singer Rudiger. Merged Time, the debut LP from MP Grey, was mixed and mastered by Nicolas Essig & Rob Murray. “Sometimes you just want the night to never end,” MP Grey says of his latest single. “Everything is perfect: The club, the people, the music. It’s that magical time you remember forever.”
Félix | Bipolaire
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “There is no music on a dead planet. Bipolaire is a poignant clip that pays tribute to people suffering from bipolar disorder, produced in partnership with the Bi-Pôle 31 association. It comes from Félix’s second EP, Between Others 2.”
Tanguy | Derrière Les Écrans
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Tanguy is a young artist, originally from Rennes, who is influnced by Neil Young, Pete Doherty, Bob Dylan, Radiohead and many others. Comme Un Air, his first EP, skillfully oscillates between dream and reality. Tanguy’s universe takes us back to our first summers, our first sensations. Light, poetic and strong with his own sensitivity, Tanguy willingly claims his instinctive and romantic side. His universe is borrowed from pop-folk melodies that touch from the first listen and never leave us. Derrière Les Écrans (Behind The Screens) is from his new EP.”
S4CP | Excuse Me
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Hailing from Birmingham and the West Midlands, Christof Jennings spearheads Smoking’s For Cool People aka S4CP. Formed as a production house at the Academy of Contemporary Music Birmingham, S4CP amalgamate trap, hip-hop and R&B. Excuse Me features guest vocals from Zara Sykes, and co-composer and guitarist Ben Bartlett. Lifted from S4CP’s forthcoming new mixtape Damian, Excuse Me perfectly encapsulates the warm and breezy textures Jennings has developed over the last few years. “This track is an ode to and paying homage to Zapp and Roger’s Computer Love … We wanted to take a track like Computer Love with all its technological prowess for its time, and to put a contemporary feel to it.”
https://soundcloud.com/user-6591430-297630206/excuse-me-dirty/s-aC5f7ze3H9o?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Diya | Eyes On You
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “This song is about how the person you like makes you feel. The feelings you get when you see someone attractive. Like a puppy love that never ends. This song is fun, poppy, cute and happy.”
Skyelar | I Shed My Skin
HOME BASE: Netherlands.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Skyelar is an independent music project from singer, songwriter and producer Jaklien Verham. Skyelar is the culmination of her musical career, combining soaring vocals with brooding, atmospheric compositions which draw you in to her cinematic and richly textured world. Working with session musicians from Europe and the U.S., her songs are written, arranged and produced from her home studio. In April, Skyelar will release her first album Lucid Dreaming. I Shed My Skin, her sixth release, is a rock song with an alternative sound and structure. The song is mainly piano driven but builds to a chorus where the bursting guitars of Nashville guitarist Nicky V. make you want to follow along and run off to that new start Skyelar is singing about. The song speaks about new beginnings, the longing for that clean slate to start all over again.”
Killing Karens | Drugs
HOME BASE: United Staes / United Kingdom.
GENRE: Disco.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “We are Raid Max and Didi T — two mild-mannered multi-instrumentalists who, through no fault of our own, now find ourselves on a worldwide quest. A quest to rid planet Earth of Karen-fueled bigotry with our activist dance music. We’re just as confused as you are. This is our first release. “I like drugs” is the hook, but it’s not what you think. This song sounds like a party (and it is) but it’s actually about abolishing the stigma around mental health issues and the medications that help millions of people cope with them. Not to mention a few over-the-counter heroes — shout-out to Ibuprofen and Gaviscon!”
The Flashpot Moments | Itch
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Pop-Punk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Greetings from Boston! This is the first song I’m sharing off a new album out this week. It has big production and anthemic rock with harmonies and melodies.”
Nnennaya Kelly | My Funny Valentine
HOME BASE: Nigeria.
GENRE: World.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “A portion of this song is going towards my charity to build a children’s wellness centers in Africa. We have also paid an African children’s orphanage who specialise in dancing Afrobeat to dance as part of our video. The money we paid them will go towards sending them to school and giving them a wonderful future. So this song says it all: These children and the ones we will help as part of our children’s wellness center ae our Valentines. They are close to my heart.”
Bruno Bower | Aucune Merci
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Influenced by Radiohead, Neil Young, David Bowie and Bashung, I have written 500 songs in French and English, and played more than 100 concerts in 30 years. Aucune Merci wants to be powerful and groovy. I wanted the lyrics to stick as much as possible to the guitar riff. The rhythm section was performed by professionals and I took care of the guitars and keyboards. I called on Mathieu at Decibell Studio for the mix and the mastering as well as on Philippe for the vocals at Saviprod Studio.”
E.G. Phillips | Brave Heart, Luna!
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Jazz-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “E.G. Phillips is a San Francisco songwriter who creates lyric-driven songs with his own special blend of whimsy and cinematic imagery — which he uses to give a wry take on dealing with the longings of the heart and the madness of existence. His favorites include Bob Dylan and The Kinks as well as Duke Ellington and that crowd. When it comes to his stage presence, there’s a touch of satirist Tom Lehrer in the mix. As for the inspiration for his lyrics, he readily admits an unusually outsized influence by Doctor Who. Brave Heart, Luna! is the Big Band hit of dopamine — a frenetic shot of encouragement and a great set capper. As it’s the closer for my forthcoming album Alien from an Alternate Earth, I want to ensure it gets time to shine on its own. Rich Armstrong delivered a cracking horn arrangement for a song inspired by a bit of reassurance I’d give a friend of mine when she was down. The phrase “brave heart” comes from Doctor Who — the fifth doctor used this this phrase when trying to reassure one of his companions whenever they were up against the Cybermen or Silurians or what have you.”
Jim Godfrey | Flamant
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Jim Godfrey is a pianist, composer, producer and sound designer based in the South West of England. A multi-instrumentalist, his music draws on decades of live playing, incorporating an eclectic range of influences including jazz, electronica, classical, indie, techno and trance. Flamant takes a simple jazz piano riff and overlays subtle synths, subby drums and basses to create a unique piece. One early listener commented that it sounded like a flock of flamingoes – hence the title, which is French for Flamingo — a nod to Jim’s love of French ambient electronica.”
Damien Vasić | Walk In Paris
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Jazz.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “From blues (Stevie Ray Vaughan) to funk (Jamiroquai), pop (The Beatles) or even traditional Balkan sounds, Damien Vasic shaped his tastes during his adolescence and trained himself in improvisation, assisted by computer. His EP My Point of View will be released in 2022. It consists of five tracks composed by Damien (guitar/bass), rearranged with Florian (piano/bass) and Prosper (drum). It’s a jazz fusion group that will transport you to soaring, modal atmospheres, tinged with rock / blues and a powerful and warm group sound.”
