You take one weekend off, and what do you get? Another week older — and nearly 80 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 200 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 let’s get right down to business:
Toronto Tabla Ensemble | Prayer For The Mother (ft. Bif Naked)
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Indian.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Some do it for money. Some do it for fame. But on their latest and greatest album, the Toronto Tabla Ensemble do it all for love. For The Love Of Tabla, the groundbreaking, Juno-nominated collective’s eighth and most appealing studio release, truly is a labour of love — and an album that lives up to its name by putting the North Indian Tabla right where it belongs: Front and centre. “Normally the tabla gets lost or buried under all the other instruments in a song” explains TTE’s charismatic founder Ritesh Das. “For this album I mixed each track to bring the tabla up so you can hear it prominently within all the other sounds. Exploring the theme of love is a new concept for the TTE, so we collaborated with guest artists from Canada and around the world to create songs that embody the feeling of love and devotion. For The Love Of Tabla is about love for the instrument, the music, for another human being, for the earth and nature. With this album we hope to spread a little love all around.” For a prime example, look no further than the showstopping Prayer For The Mother, a head-nodding, hip-swivelling groove-rocker featuring haunting, hypnotic vocals from Indian-born Canadian icon Bif Naked — along with a jaw-dropping, tongue-twisting vocal recitation from Das. “Because of my history with rock ’n’ roll, I always wanted to compose a piece where tabla plays a main role,” say Das. “Prayer For The Mother had a strong sense of female power and the theme of ‘mother’ for me.”
The ACT Americana Trio | True North
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Folk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “The ACT Americana Trio never stray far from their North Star: A mix of solid songwriting, rootsy riffs, and heartfelt harmonies. Their commitment to Americana led them to True North — their debut EP and title single about the magnetic draw of where we come from and where we are going. It’s for anyone who’s ever felt too far away, for far too long. The trio started playing together in Vancouver five years ago, collaborating on tracks and tunes that showcase smart lyrics, well-blended vocals, and skills on acoustic and resonator guitars, dobro, mandolin and piano. The True North EP was produced by The ACT Americana Trio with Steve Dawson and The Henhouse Express. The ACT Americana Trio is made up of Andre Chrys, Chris Lok and Taryn Laronge.”
LoDélie | Éclat Noir
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Indie-Pop.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “LoDélie is from Lyon. At 23, following a decisive encounter, she recorded seven titles under the name of Lau. Her new name LoDélie symbolizes the path traveled and the road ahead. She is about to deliver her most beautiful score with the release of her first EP. Discover Eclat Noir, a rock song with impactful lyrics.”
Libasse | Reminiscing
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Music is everything for me. I like to find new vibes, try new things. I also make beats and record other artists. Most of my lyrics are about friendship and love; sometimes I find it easier to confess ceratin things through music. My heart is crying melodies. Can you hear it?”
Jadanaë | Silhouette
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Jadanaë (first name: Jade) writes her own songs in French. Her first EP Vulnerable has been available since February. With Jadanaë on voice, Fabio on guitar and Alexandre on piano and production, it’s a symbiosis of friendship — pop with jazz / R&B influences somewhere between Emma Peters and Marie Plassard. “Silhouette is the song that best represents my first EP. This is the one where I showed myself the most vulnerable. It tells the story of the loss of a relationship and the resilience that results from it.”
https://youtu.be/rqdVf6Laku4
Exonaut | The Plot
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Symphonic Metal.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Exonaut are a symphonic metal project born in late 2019 from the mind of a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist from southern France. Drawing inspiration from many genres — including industrial, power and symphonic metal as well as classical and film music — Exonaut combine orchestral nuance with heavy drums, basses and guitars, and powerful lyrical vocals, resulting in a unique blend of energetic and epic tones. Exonaut take you on a journey through history, mythology, imagination and beyond, exploring the world as it was, is, will be, or could have been. The voyage has just begun.”
Son Savage | Superglue
HOME BASE: United Arab Emirates.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Dubai-based popster Son Savage has been making waves since his debut The River in 2021. Today, Son Savage has been turned into a video game in his video for Superglue, a song from his debut album Folie à Deux. The game will be available for free on April 14.”
Woolen | Hard Time
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Woolen, 26, is a passionate autodidact and a sensitive musician. Eight years after his debut, this complete artist finally sees the light at the end of the tunnel. His first EP Particles Vol. 1, which will be released in the spring, is both a summary of his artistic career and the soundtrack of the finally achieved ambition of this ultra-sensitive multi-instrumentalist. “After monopolizing my brain for eight years never to let go, I am finally living my dream,” he says. “I know where I come from, but I don’t know where I’m going yet.” Inspired by the film The Revenant, Hard Time plunges us into the heart of a mountain range as dizzying as it is majestic. We join a breathless chase, reflecting a liberating quest for self where the summit is reached not without difficulty.”
Chancy Squire | For A Better World
HOME BASE: Germany.
GENRE: Celtic-Folk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: In 1980, three friends founded the band in Hamburg. They recently reformed after a long break. The release of the new single For A Better Worldgives another insight into the band’s soul: Chancy Squire want to touch, inspire and move people. As if environmental pollution, climate change, widespread poverty and rampant corruption were not enough, now comes the conceivable threat of a third world war! How can this whole madness be stopped?Each of us, after all, feels powerless against what is coming at us. That our voices are heard is only possible through cohesion: Stand up! And like Gandhi, peacefully resist. Show backbone like Nelson Mandela. Standi up against racial discrimination like Martin Luther King. Try to heal like Jesus, who did so much good and had to die for it!”
Allume-Toi | La Honte
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Fight the extreme right while there is still time,” Allume-Toi say. “Our songs encourage us all to come out of torpor and take back our lives.”
Marilou Nézeys | The Way
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Neo-Classical.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Marilou Nézeys has walked the halls French and European festivals. Under her fingers, the piano sings like a human voice. She has been a resident pianist of the Ritz Paris, Hotel George V and Harry’s American Bar. Her upcoming album Earth reveals her talent as a composer. The Way is an epic, intense and melodious solo piano piece. It is the opening of the album, which was conceived as the journey of a human being on Earth. This atypical piece has a strong narrative and emotional impact.”
Lylvc | Perfect Drug
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Modern Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Lylvc are a modern rock band in Raleigh, N.C., that includes a male rapper and a female singer. Heavily influenced by Linkin Park and Bring Me The Horizon, Lylvc combine elements of rock, hip-hop and electronica with a dual-vocalist dynamic. They have shared stages with acts such as From Ashes to New, Fire From the Gods, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Puddle of Mudd, Stabbing Westward and more. They recorded their upcoming album at West Valley Studios with Mike Plotnikoff, who’s produced artists such as Three Days Grace, My Chemical Romance, Seether, Halestorm and Bon Jovi.”
Roger Valentine | Destination
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Roger Valentine’s universe plays with labels. He is nourished by cinematographic references as much as musical, mixing post-punk with a marked taste for dark jazz and discreet psychedelia. His soul-drenched speech-song inevitably reminds us of Jarvis Cocker of Pulp. In 2020, he found Paul Schneiter and Charlotte Cegarra. “It’s more of a collective project than a solo project”, explains Roger, “a bit like Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds, all things considered.” In Destination, his second single, Roger Valentine plunges us into an atmosphere that smells of frost, a winter that seems to extend endlessly in the life of the narrator: His destination decided in advance, weighed down by the sad demands of the materiality of work. Closing your eyes feels like driving a rain-battered car, dreamily driving through the dreary Monday morning landscape, Chris Rea grumbling into the radio.”
Victor Diz | Macondo
HOME BASE: Brazil.
GENRE: Jazz.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Macondo is the first single by Víctor Diz, a Brazilian artist and musician. It is an authorial instrumental composition with the participation of musicians and performers from all over the world: Brazil, Italy, Ukraine, Argentina, Serbia, Russia and U.S.A. The work spans jazz, tango and Afro-Cuban.”
Basile | Récidive
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Basile is a Parisian rapper. His first EP Récidive includes five titles. Listening to this project, you will be able to enter the melancholic and intimate universe of this artist. Cradled by the great classic French rap, the boom-bap universe and the importance of writing, this EP bridges the gap between various generations of music. Basile produced three of the songs and did the mixing and mastering.”
Kojo “Easy” Damptey | Party aka Clementine (ft. Onglish)
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: R&B.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Afro soul-pop producer and Hamilton Music Award winner Kojo Damptey is releasing Party aka Clementine to announce his upcoming third album Radical Thoughts. Blending Afrobeat, soul and electro-pop, Party aka Clementine is about having a good time on the dance floor. “It’s about connecting with other people from different worlds and respecting one another,” Kojo says. Onglish, another Hamilton producer, gives the track and the album an electronic feel, making the record feel truly unique. “My previous albums were centered around a live band, however, this record is centered around beat making, Afrobeats, and an electro sound. As a musician, I feel it’s important to redefine yourself to ensure you are pushing the boundaries creatively and personally.”
Sweet Roger | Get It Right
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Folk-Blues.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Sweet Roger is a surly blues and folk songwriter distilling Americana, grunge, and country into his own unique sound. With his deft guitar playing, crafty melodies and poignant lyrics, he finds relevance for folksy themes in our modern world. His second album Only You and Me includes the song Get It Right. The track sets the mood perfectly with its folksy guitar licks and raspy vocals reminiscent of R.L. Burnside and Keb’ Mo’. It captures that ol’ timey sound and groove with raw vocals and gritty acoustics. It’s definitely a great track for hitting the road or cozying up to a fire with a whiskey in your hand.”
Scottissexy | Who’s Asking
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Scottissexy’s unapologetic rap and R&B mixes head-turning bars with catchy hooks and memorable choruses. Scott started his music career in Halifax garage-rock band The Baketones, and since then, he’s penned dozens of songs ranging from rap to pop to dance to country, from Halifax to L.A. to Nashville and back. As his style evolved, Scott found his passion squarely centred on applying his fresh and provocative sensibility to the rap game. Now it’s Scottissexy szn.”
Mvrio | Cuddle Money
HOME BASE: Jamaica.
GENRE: Reggae.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “My track is very mellow. It has vybz and meaning, and is very positive to the music environment.”
Drew Schueler | To Know I Hurt You (Stripped)
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “New pop artist Drew Schueler is a master at creating unique yet familiar songs full of vibrant vocals and melodies, electro-pop synth textures, electric guitar and programmed beats similar to Lauv, Jon Bellion, and LANY. Drew cut his teeth in Cincinnati and Nashville fronting and producing alternative pop bands, but is now breaking into the pop mold. He not only wrote his entire debut EP New Perspective, but also played all the instruments, produced and mixed the entire project himself. “I have always been fascinated by all aspects of creating music,” Drew said. “As with any kind of art, every tiny detail matters and I love knowing everything that goes into my music … To Know I Hurt You is a raw and painful look into the thoughts of a person who has lost all they loved, due to their own mistakes. It acts as a sorrowful apology, knowing that even forgiveness might be too much to ask for.”
Doukadj & the Lions | Warrior Of Light
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Reggae.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “We are a freshly founded reggae band based in Lyon, France. Our album name is Tous Ensemble. Unfortunately, we have only one song in English.”
Television Supervision | One More Sunset
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “While independence is a trait we should all exhibit to some degree, every one of us strives to find our counterpart in life. I finally found this person though with one major obstacle: She was from Israel. We fell in love and ignored the inevitable guillotine on its way. This song is about the day we said goodbye. Every line is a memory from that day and that period of our lives. I am so grateful for this chapter of my life, even with all the pain it has caused both of us. This song blends modern synth with our emo/alt roots and a bit of EDM and ’80s. It’s one of many examples where we inject a diverse, powerful sound into lyrically heavy rock and pop songs.”
Persane | Cupidon
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Persane is Marjorie Armelle’s middle name. It was also the artist pseudonym of her grandmother Michèle Persane Nastorg: Author, screenwriter and sister of actor Pierre Vernier. And author, composer, performer who is free and self-taught, her style is refined. She just released her first six-track EP 1ER [G].”
Green Alien | Things I Do (ft. Fee-Z & Jota P.)
HOME BASE: Brazil.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “This song is a collaboration between Brazilian beatmaker Green Alien, Brazilian saxophonist Jota P. from Hermeto Pascoal’s band and Fee-Z, an MC from Bahamas. It is part of the project Off to See the World, in which the beatmaker invited people from different countries and languages to perform.”
