Alias get it together, Bazzookas travel to the dark side, Troy The Band bliss out, The Obsidian Complex open their hymnal 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 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, kick back with these great tracks:
Alias | Together
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Multi-instrumentalist, composer, dilettante, polymath: Emmanuel Alias has traversed many paths en route to his current eponymous psych-rock project. Beginning with musical contributions to TV series including Big Little Lies, Sharp Objects, Mon Fils and Mariloup Wolfe’s feature-length Jouliks, he produced the album Dreamweaver by Anachnid and the song Out of Touch on Beyries’ album Encounter. In 2019, he unveiled Alias, a smooth, soaring, elastic, cathartic psych-rock project, imbued with retro-tinged, fantastical tales that knowingly quote from the canon, rife with ambivalences, dissonances, fuzz, and tempo changes. His first single Together is from his album coming out in the fall. Meet my his evil twin Jozef in the video.”
Bazzookas | Journey To Uranus
HOME BASE: Netherlands.
GENRE: Ska.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Bazzookas let their music do the talking.
Troy The Band | The Blissful Unknown
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Established in 2021, Troy The Band blend heavy, riff-based stoner rock, with the atmospheric, experimental soundscapes of shoegaze and psychedelic rock. They just released their debut EP The Blissful Unknown.”
The Obsidian Complex | Hymns Of Innsmouth
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Metal.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “The Obsidian Complex are a self-produced two-person metal project from New Jersey, led by guitarist Joshua Aguayo and vocalist Adam Kovnat, two friends with a love for both modern and old-school metal. They incorporate elements from both musical styles to encapsulate a unique sound with technical and experimental overtones. Hymns Of Innsmouth is heavily influenced by the dark stories tied to H.P. Lovecraft. This song can best be defined as technical with a slash of brutality and dark lyrics.”
PIB | L.A Loves Me
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “PIB is a French producer (and animal lover). He wishes to share his musical compositions with the broader public, deriving inspiration from his daily life spent between the suns of Barcelona and Ibiza. L.A Loves Me is about being a (very) young star in Los Angeles. I am more motivated than ever to produce good music in the next few months and my roadmap of releases is already full.”
Middle Child | Meditate (ft. YHWHHH)
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Middle Child is a side project of artist, producer and DJ Dan L. and was birthed out of the basement of a sober living home in 2014. Middle Child is an outlet and avenue that Dan uses to express himself, give hope to others struggling and ultimately glorify God. This song is a collaboration with singer-songwriter and guitarist YHWHHH from London. Meditate is about longing and unrequited love from the viewpoint of a tortured soul dreaming about what could be. To describe it in three words, it is immediate, heartfelt and enveloping. It has sweeping guitars layered over a solid lo-fi beat. The vocals are the palpable emotions that beat at the heart of the track. The layers and elements all come together to bring about a feeling of transcendence, release, and a meditative state of being.”
Upper Echelon Square | Cyper (Bienvenue Dans Le Square)
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Upper Echelon Square, known as Le Square by those who follow them, are a collective of independent artists gathered around music and sharing. Its mixture of universes and singular personalities makes it a unique place of cooperation and an inexhaustible source of solo or group projects.”
Stitches | Kill Switch
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “My music gets everybody turnt up.”
David Leask | Take A Seat
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “David Leask pays tribute to Toronto’s Massey Hall with Take A Seat from his CFMA-nominated album Voyageur in Song, a concept record inspired by the Six String Nation guitar nicknamed Voyageur. The song was inspired by Voyageur’s headstock, made from the original wooden back of seat 69, located high up in Massey Hall’s gallery. More than 100 years of vibrations have gone through the people sitting there and through the wooden seat itself. Leask says, “I wanted the song to capture the history and range of momentous events that the hall had witnessed, so it was a big challenge to have to choose a limited number of moments.” Kevin Turcotte played trumpet as a nod to Dizzy Gillespie and the Jazz Quintet.”
Joachim Horsley | Mountain King Cha Cha
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Classical / Afro-Cuban.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Multi-instrumentalist, composer and conductor Joachim Horsley is above all an unparalleled American pianist. After working for Hollywood and Disney soundtracks, he started his new ambitious project: Arranging and performing the most famous classical pieces on Cuban melodies. Derived from the the Edvard Grieg’s masterpiece In The Hall Of The Mountain King, this new piece Mountain King Cha Cha picks up his interbreeding work between European Classical music and Cuban music, offring to the audience a cheerful and inspired artistic encounter.”
Fior | Yoyo
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Named one of People‘s emerging artists to watch this spring, Fior makes sleek, beat-driven, pop with elements of R&B, rock, and soul. There’s a modern, atmospheric quality to her sound, where trap beats and symphonic swells provide a rich textural backdrop for her lush, agile vocals. Fior’s distinct, self-taught style was influenced by Billy Joel, Amy Winehouse, Adele and Michael Jackson. Fresh off the back of her debut single Let Me Go comes her second single Yoyo, a disco-funk ’90s regen produced by the legendary Scott Storch. It’s poised to seize the summer by celebrating the freedom of moving on.”
https://youtu.be/usvQiArmOmg
Artmin | Paradis Perdu
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Thanks to a skipper father, Artmin spent part of his childhood in the Caribbean. When he makes music, he tries to get closer to all his madeleines de proust, the colors and the atmospheres which shaped his dreams very young. In this title of his new project, Artmin takes us back to his childhood with nostalgia.”
https://youtu.be/6MTaMgiN5Os
Shriving Drawers | Dracophobia
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Bossa Nova.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “A song about disorganised attachment anxiety hiding under the covers of a sensual bossa with daddy issues. Plus a dragon.”
Everlords | So Much Love
HOME BASE: Belgium.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Everlords were founded in 2020 by Jean-Luc Roelandts (guitar), Gregory Berthet (vocals) and Kris Merckx (bass), three long-time musician friends from Brussels, Wallonia and Flanders. They had turned their backs on music more than 10 years ago and who were brought back together by the Covid crisis. Everlords’ songs, of pop-rock inspiration are sober and organic, tinged with positive nostalgia — sometimes fragile, sometimes exalted but without excess or exuberance. These songs deal with very different themes such as addictions, ambiguous childhood friendships, the death of fathers, the post-traumatic shock of soldiers, the hell of sequestration or the loneliness of the artist faced with failure. So Much Love is an ode to the common good and to transmission between generations.”
Tobias Wilden | Threads And Tethers
HOME BASE: Germany.
GENRE: Neo-Classical.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “”I’m a self-taught musician and composer from Germany, playing original instrumental acoustic songs on guitar and piano. Inspired by nature and travel, I try to create ambient soundscapes aiming for an open, orchestral sound. Threads and Tethers is an instrumental piece on steel-string guitar combining impressionism, jazz, Americana and Brazilian guitar influences.”
Ketsmy | Sak Gen La Pt. 2 (ft. Emilio ZM, Wazy Vargas & Gary Légaré)
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Rap.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Ketsmy is a songwriter, composer, musician and singer from Montreal. His songs have powerful themes, adressing social and racial issues inflicted on the BIPOC community. The importance of being proud of one’s origins is a focal point of songs like Sak Gen La Pt. 2.”
Jamie Backlight | The Worst Guy (To Love)
HOME BASE: Belgium.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Jamie Backlight is stuck in the eternity. The Worst Guy (To Love) is an immersive song at the heart of tired relationship — a deep and sincere song to share. Living in a relationship as painful as it is passionate. You can feel like you are suffocating and living in the shadows. For thoe who look to shine, I wrote this song.”
Alphonse La Nuit | Paysages
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Jazz-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Alphonse La Nuit comes from the meeting between the stormy Normandy and the fiery Occitanie. The result is a clever mix of tangy groove, jazz, funk and uninhibited rock sung in the language of Molière. Composed of a horn section, a keyboardist, a drummer, a bassist, two guitarists and a supercharged singer, this collective create original compositions influenced by world music, R&B, soul, funk and disco. Paysages was recorded live in 2021.”
Mr.Fabre | Shame On You
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m about to release an EP. Here is just a sample of my music.”
Tone Ranger | Reins
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Indie-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Alex Simon’s sound incorporates influences ranging from classical and world music to techno and psychedelic rock. Based in Santa Fe, his creative process involves traveling to remote landscapes and composing music that is in conversation with the land. Reins is a single from Tone Ranger’s debut album Desert Rose. This experimental electronic, Neo-Western single gallops through the desert at night beneath star-filled skies.”
Lomnouvo | Les Fourmis
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rock.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Lomnouvo is a French singer and songwriter. Les Fourmis is the first single from an EP which will be released in fall. It was recorded in the studio with Julien O’Connor at drums and Ben Farque on bass.”
Jack Zaferes | Somniferum/Haunted
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Avant-Garde.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Philadelphia composer, songwriter, and multi- instrumentalist Jack Zaferes creates mesmerizing and sonically adventurous pieces that are influenced by his life and surroundings. By blending avant-garde, jazz and electronic sounds and combining traditional and non-traditional instrumentation and harmonic structures, he produces soundscapes that make his aural visions come to life. Somniferum/Haunted is a two-part piece. The opening to the song is a piano piece written as an elegy to those that have died due to the opiate epidemic. The second part was created as an erratic allegory for the lingering effects of addition that haunt people for the rest of their lives. The rain effect at the start of the song is actually 100 hypodermic needles dropped in front of a microphone array in the studio.”
Claire Trouilloud & Jean-René Mourot | Cheek To Cheek
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Jazz.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Blur / sharp / blur. It’s a matter of focus. Here, Frank Sinatra. Over there, Stephen Hawking. The first invites the second to dance, cheek to cheek. Time is no longer linear — it stretches or contracts until we even forget about it existence, so we can fly away. In wonderland we trust. You?”
Quincy Valentine | No Love Lost
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Musician. Producer. Songwriter. Artist. Quincy Valentine has a vast range of talent and versatility. His music is reminiscent of traditional hip-hop with a blend of R&B, and includes a strong lyrical element while creating a sound that is uniquely his. No Love Lost is a funky, upbeat song that makes you feel good about failed relationships. The song details some relationship experiences in the verses but despite failure, the chorus accentuates the fact that we’re “still loving like it’s a routine.”
Jamez Dean | Bipolar
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Jamez Dean lets his music speak for him.
Florent Josef | Renaissance
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Florent Josef is an artist who defies genres and is inspired by soul, electro, Caribbean and alternative music. A sensitive soul, his music is personal and reveals his many artistic facets as well as his proud Afro-Caribbean heritage. Renaissance is the most personal song fromhis debut album Overdue. This song is about being born again — and being completely honest this time. Having a chance to start over on your own terms. Renaissance illustrates all the suffering involved in this journey to self-acceptance.”
Naivi | Dans Mon Viseur
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Here is an extract of the tracks from Naivi‘s project Yakuza 2.0.”
Laurent Rinaldi | Burning Angel
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Metal.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Power and melody are the key words to this project. It features beautiful melodies carried by a tank.”
Elad David | Funky Smell
HOME BASE: Israel.
GENRE: Jazz-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m a professional musician, session guitarist, composer, performer, mix and mastering engineer from Israel. I have more than 25 years of performing and recording, and just recently started producing and mixing for others, and also started releasing my own original music. This track is the first single from my new and upcoming concept EP. It’s a mixture of electro-rock, dance-funk and fusion, combining real guitars, saxophone and trumpet, synths, samples and electronic beats.”
Koenix | Morge Am Drü
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. Morgen am Drü is a great party song from the just-released album Eiland.”
The Blackline Masters | You’re My Favourite Song
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Folk-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “When you create music, you are putting a piece of your soul out into the world. Music has always been a large part of my professional and family life, but it is only recently that I have felt compelled to share my most personal music with a larger audience. To me, music is more than just the universal language. Music is magic. It connects humans together, conveys emotions and thoughts in a way that cannot be expressed through words alone. Music has the power to unite people, boost spirits, and convey powerful ideas. It is at the heart of the human experience. The song I have submitted is mellow, unique and romantic. It has an underlying melancholy intertwined with optimism. It leaves much to the listeners imagination and open to interpretation. The song is authentic, flawed and fallible just like me.”
Eremos | Different Way
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Eremos are a college band in Athens, Georgia. They are influenced by rock, blues, folk, indie, and country. Different Way is a song about having someone you love leave for all the wrong reasons, but you continue to love her no matter what she has done.”
The Valery Trails | Disappear
HOME BASE: Australia.
GENRE: Power Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “When a year-long trip around the world with his family was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Andrew Bower (vocals/guitar) ended up back in his hometown of Brisbane, Australia. After several years of being separated by an ocean from bandmates Sean Bower (bass) and Dan McNaulty (drums), the band now all live in the same city, enabling a flurry of recording activity resulting in a busy 2022 release schedule. Disappear, the title track of their latest EP, is a jangly slice of power pop chronicling the early stages of an ill-fated relationship, featuring layered guitar hooks and lush vocals.”
Joseph Chedid | Appelle La Chance
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Indie-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Appelle La Chance was created, produced and mixed by Joseph Chedid. This piece aims to make us move to the sound of the magic telephone — it invites us to formulate our dreams and put them into action.”
George Katsos | Dearest Friend
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Indie-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “George Katsos writes and publishes original popular music. In the 1980s, he participated in the last night jam at the famous Cambridge Music Complex outside of Boston the night before it was demolished. It piqued George’s interest in becoming a musician. Dearest Friend is about being there at the end with a friend. During the breaks, the flute fills the silence.”
Fily Leela | I Am
HOME BASE: Belgium.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Fily Leela is an artist from Belgium. Her music inhabits a pop universe of electro and soul, with intimate, fragile and deep melodies. Her songs are reflections on the emotional world, experiencing feelings and tell us sometimes complex stories. I Am is about knowing who you are, accepting all the facets of yourself and affirming yourself despite the flaws.”
Adrien Gonzales | Palpable
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m a solo artist from Lyon who blends modern metal with electronic music elements. I’m also a music producer, songwriter, and sound designer for bands and visual media. I recently completed an EP called TH3 DZRDR XPRNC3, made of seven dark and intense songs that intertwine.”
Markeybee | Zombie
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Neo-Classical.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Markeybee is a classical composer from the U.K. who specializes in emotive music. He has also covered music by Evanescence, Ludovico Einaudi, Shakespears Sister and more. He is due to release his first full album in 2022, collaborating with producers in Nashville.”
Timothy and the Apocalypse | Aeroplane Hold + The Mindful Cherub (9 Theory Remix)
HOME BASE: Australia.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Timothy Poulton is an Australian musician, composer, songwriter and producer for Mass Experience and Timothy and the Apocalypse, based in Sydney Australia. He has no musical bounds and writes with complete passion. This lack of self-imposed restriction allows him to create fluidly, building his material as he sees what best fits the song sometimes creating unexpected results. Aeroplane Hold could be described as quirky but it’s more a cacophony of unique elements that nod at other avant-garde producers like The KLF or Art of Noise. The Mindful Cherub is sure to entice anyone who recognises David Lynch as an exceptional electronica artist as well as an incredible filmmaker. There’s a fine line between ambient electronica and escapism electronica; The Mindful Cherub will transport you to a brand-new world.”
Naked Mannequin | Kiss This
HOME BASE: Australia.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “We are a Melbourne alt-rock / ’60s garage-pop style band (or so we’ve been told). This track is a hard-rocking duet about two people whose burning passion for one another is never quenched.”
