Groover Playlist 169 | It’s Too Late To Stop Now

All the great new international artists you need to hear right now — and more.

Memphis Blood do it for the people, John Woolloff hearts Geneva, Dominc Seven gets his last orders in, William Is visits Ashland 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, get started on these essential new releases:

 


Memphis Blood | Where Are The People (ft. Majzik)

HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Blues-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “A new project: Guitar vs. DJ.”


John Woolloff | Geneva

HOME BASE: Switzerland.
GENRE: Blues.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Born in London in 1951, John Woolloff decided to be a musician at age nine, after seeing Hank Marvin of The Shadows on TV. He became professional at 13, playing clubs and pubs around London — and eventually all over England and Ireland. At 17, he auditioned for a Swiss band called Spot and went over for three weeks — 50-odd years later, he’s still there! Spot toured for years with success, and while recording their first (and only) album, he met French producer Jaques Denjean, who introduced him to the session scene in France. John has played on a very impressive variety of albums over the years. During the pandemic, he decided to concentrate on his first solo project, with a little help from  friends and studio geeks — including Jean Louis Bianchina on drums and Ivan Rougny on bass — and came up with (LIFE), an album about his life and family.”


Dominick Seven | Last Call

HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Blues-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE:Dominick Seven is a virtual projection of several musical styles, including R&B, funk, hip-hop, industrial, EDM and trip-hop. Dominick Seven is meant to be (at least in the initial phase) an avatar, a symbol, a character, in the vein of Gorillaz and Daft Punk. Taken from their album Analog Human, the single Last Call was mixed and engineered by Grammy nominee Ken Lewis (Eminem, Kanye West, Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars, Lil Wayne, Drake) and mastered by Grammy winner Brian “Big Bass” Gardner (Dr Dre).”


William Is | Ashland

HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE:William Is = The new incarnation of Chicago recording artist William Steffey. His production career began at age 11 when he received a Tascam multitrack recorder from his father, a music industry sales rep. In 2021, after releasing 16 albums in the art-rock style, he sealed the lid on the 200+-song William Steffey catalog with the swan song Sparkle. “Ashland imagines Icarus and Goldilocks falling in love in present-day Chicago,” he says. “I shot the video on my scooter using a GoPro 4k camera, then edited everything together using Adobe Premiere.”


Tylo $mith | Next Up

HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE:Tylo is independent artist and songwriter from Montana who resides in Phoenix. His versatile style extends from melodic to conscious hip-hop — and everything between. “I just released an eight-track project last week,” he says. “This was the second song we decided to do a video for, and we went with the green-screen approach.”


Jonathan AKA J Dub | Justice Peaks

HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE:Jonathan AKA J Dub is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter and rapper from Los Angeles. His influences touch on punk, rap, and psychedelia. Some career highlights have included being featured with Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube on a remix of The Position, playing the Gathering of the Juggalos 2016, and rocking clubs in ATL and L.A. The common threads in his catalog are unrestricted stylistic growth, respect for all genres and dedication to the craftsmanship required to create his wild dreams. “Justice Peaks is a live recording of my band from several years ago,” he says. “The song manages to go hard even with its slow funky groove. It sounds like a mix of The Grateful Dead, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Queens of the Stone Age. This is an original song and the cryptic lyrics are about how politics and love can both be manipulative.”


Isambourg | Mousses Blanches

HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE:Isambourg unveils his second single Mousses Blanches. It’s three minutes of letting go with a group of friends you want to join. The voice of a generation that wants to dream, Isambourg is a 25-year-old French singer-songwriter and performer. Originally from the North of France, he grew up in Mauritius, where he discovered new musical influences. His self-produced debut EP will be released on Dec. 1, 2022.”


Valderine Charlton | No Longer Bound

HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Gospel-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I am a songwriter and I love to express myself in poems and songs. I love the creative aspect of songwriting and the collaboration with other musicians to make a beautiful song.


Abakuya | Atonkoumou Mengbwa Remix

HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: World.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE:François Essindi is a Cameroonian musician who plays and makes traditional instruments with wind, skin and body strings. He works with musicians, filmmakers, theatre companies and dance troupes as both an actor and a composer. He calls his music Tag Ekang Music Experiences that bring together instruments, sounds, machines and musicians from all horizons. This song and its video pay tribute to his maternal grandfather, who participated in his traditional education.”


Fabrice Beauvoir | Les Torches De La Foi

HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “We do not choose our vocation; we are chosen by it. Fabrice Beauvoir obeys this belief, flushing out what is raging in a universe of striking contrasts where everything that lives, cries and laughs can be found. This it is no surprise to witness the breadth and depth of his  sometimes brutal, sometimes festive rock. His portrayals of the human comedy often unfold over wide horizons in cinemascope, where shadows that resemble us struggle to tell us also about today’s world. Positions are taken which will not escape attentive listeners. But you will not find any ready-to-think here — nothing is frontal or demonstrative; instead, doors open one after the other to whoever wants to move forward. The catchy choruses, however, bring the fun.”


Domenico Masiello | Nightfall

HOME BASE: Italy.
GENRE: Classical Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I am an Italian musician and composer! I would like to share  my new release Nightfall — a song with pop sounds that I wrote about summer and its colors.”


Henry Aberson | Hang It Up

HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Thank you for listening. Please support our music.”


Curtis Laoban | On Se Retrouvera (ft. Keen’V)

HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Indie-Pop.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I made a whole album in tribute to my mother who died last February. I started the Heritage album in April and released it on July 24 (my mom’s birthday). We all go through drama and we need to vent, put our feelings into words and keep hope alive. However, not everyone has the ability and talent for expression to soothe pain. I would like this project to help as much as possible. I was accompanied by other artists and in particular by Keen’V. I think the album offers a big beacon of hope and encouragement, so I would like to share it with as many people as possible.”


Varcy | See Me Hya

HOME BASE: Bahamas.
GENRE: Reggae.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “This is what what happens when you get Caribbean and Texas vibes on a song together. May you enjoy this roots-reggae tune. It was produced by Jordache Grant and Grammy-winning producer Jah Born.”


Jake Huffman | K.O.

HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “At the age of 14, Jake Huffman began his musical journey while traveling the East Coast with his band McLovins. They shared the stage with Blink-182, Jack White, B.B. King, Flaming Lips, Gin Blossoms and more. Jake was also a composer and lyricist for Sesame Street, writing songs for artists like Ed Sheeran and Leon Bridges. He also did a stint leading the band on ESPN2’s Sports-Nation. In 2019, Jake enlisted producer Andy Seltzer (Maggie Rogers, Chelsea Cutler) for a solo project that combines Jake‘s acumen as a songwriter with Andy’s golden touch. They have managed to create a sound with the uniqueness of Arcade Fire, the drive of Tom Petty and the honesty of Death Cab For Cutie.”


SaltmanKnowles | Dororo

HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Jazz.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Many great albums pay tribute to the magic of enduring musical relationships — like the 20 years that Mark Saltman (bass) and William Knowles (piano) have worked together. Meeting as composition students at university and sharing an affection for the music of Billy Strayhorn, Horace Silver and Charles Mingus, they have been artists-in-residence for the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, won songwriting awards and received grants from the DC Commission of the Arts and Humanities. With their eighth album Native Speaker, the Washington pair return — alongside Keith Butler Jr. on drums — to celebrate the inclusive spirit of jazz, inviting listeners from all over the musical spectrum to take part. Keeping classic jazz at its core, the repertoire stretches far outside these walls; their original compositions showcase two experienced composers in fine form, while a selection of unexpected pop hits shows just what can be done with a range of guests and a finely tuned set of arranging skills. As the duo put it in the album booklet: “Whether you are a Native Speaker of my language or not, you’re welcome here. You’re welcome in my country, my land, my music, my clothes, my home, our dreams and in our art. We wouldn’t want it any other way.”


Hustle Holic Wuu | Fast Speed

HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE:Hustle Holic Wudda — or Wuu for short — was born and raised in Dallas and has been writing raps since age eight. “My uncle and cousins have been the most influential people in my life and part of the reason I became an artist,” he says. “I’m a man first, father second and Gangxxx all together. It’s a marathon not ah sprint. Don’t look back — just keep GOING.”


Gold Record | Experiences

HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE:Gold Record is a movement created to bring people together and beget joy. Music and art are the mediums for this movement. Currently the artist is working on three unique but lofty projects: 1 | A live album produced by Nicolas Vernhes (Dirty Projectors, War On Drugs); 2 | An electronic dance EP produced by Ewan Pearson (M83); 3 | A full-length indie-pop LP produced by Alex Newport (Death Cab For Cutie, City and Colour). Experiences is the third single from Gold Record’s newest release Volume 2: Collector’s Edition. It is all about finding the gem inside of everyone, even when they don’t see it themselves.”


The Arsenic Lovers | Madame Piaf

HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE:Thomas and Florian met on the benches of high school, taken by the same passion for electronic music. They released their first EP on the Californian label Mizumo Music in 2010. This year marks their big comeback with a first studio album called Hibou. Now it’s up to you to discover the musical journey offered by The Arsenic Lovers. The fruit of two years of work and a few sleepless nights, Hibou contains 10 tracks that oscillate between house and melodic techno, with rhythms rarely exceeding 120 BPM.”


Red Sun Kneel | What I Did To You

HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Hard Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE:Red Sun Kneel has been a project in the works for quite some time and has progressed and matured into a sound that is both new and nostalgic. Drawing influence from many genres over the past four decades has created a sound that is both familiar and somewhat groundbreaking. Red Sun Kneel is definitely rock — but to place a subgenre on this music may not be easy.”


A1kellz | Hopeless Romantic

HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Soul-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I was born and raised in the Bahamas but live in Canada. I’m looking forward to creating a new musical wave in the industry. Please enjoy my modern take on retro soul-pop with Hopeless Romantic.”


Xavier Everaert | Flagrance

HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Neo-Classical.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Pianist, composer and teacher Xavier Everaert made his debut at the Montargis Conservatory of Music, where he was very early trained in basso continuo. His meeting at the Higher Conservatory of Brussels with Master Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden was a turning point in his musical and artistic life. His introduction to the Marie Jaëll technique (a disciple of Franz Liszt) gave him access to an extraordinary piano universe. In 2008, he created the Loiret Chamber Orchestra, which he conducts from the piano. Passionate about composition and pedagogy, Everaert writes piano pieces for his students in a simple and current style.”


Vanessa Marcoux | Chute Libre

HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Neo-Classical.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE:Vanessa Marcoux holds a degree in violin performance from McGill University (where she graduated with Outstanding Achievement in Violin) as well as a degree in violin from University of Montreal. She also perfected her training at the prestigious Conservatoire National Supérieur de Lyon in France. Throughout her studies, she has received numerous grants and awards, and is now performing regularly as a soloist and a chamber musician in an array of musical activities ranging from classical and contemporary music to world music, jazz and improvisation. She has also toured extensively with the Juno-nominated Klezmer band Oktopus, and her improvisation skills have led her to work with many other renowned Montreal ensembles. As a composer, her works have been performed by diverse formations and ensembles such as the Québec Symphony Orchestra, the Sherbrooke Symphony Orchestra and the Duo Fortin-Poirier, among others.”


King Dullah | You Were Mine

HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE:You Were Mine is about a young man’s deep and certain love for a woman he highly respects. It speaks about the unique qualities of women and appropriation for them.”


Gone Tomorrow | Projector Screens

HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “A young and exciting band from Teesside in Northeast England, Gone Tomorrow is composed of college students and mutual friends who came together just before the pandemic. Although lockdowns slowed the band’s progress, they gave singer Ben Ruddick inspiration to write more of the band’s signature snarling, heart-on-sleeve lyrics. The band’s style has been described as a unique blend of raw indie rock with atmospheric synths. Passionate vocals and a thunderous rhythm section make the band a real force to be reckoned with. Several albums worth of material are ready for the studio. Projector Screens has a accoustic vibe, moving away from the growling guitar riffs which run through most of their work sound. The stripped-back nature and overall ambience suit the lyric and mood, and show the flexibility in style and sounds the band can achieve.”


NKA | On My Mind

HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “NKA is a talented singer, musician, composer and producer. She delivers her own soul.”


Fanatic Ghostman | Kunta Kinte

HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Gifted and talented, Fanatic Ghostman aka The Ghost began music at the age of 14 in West Africa. “I grew up and was educated in the African way, I’m proud of it!” he says. After several years of self-production, decided to leave the African continent in 2015, settling in France. Today Fanatic Ghostman develops in total independence, managing the different facets of his music (sound engineer, producer, author, composer) under his label Ghost Music. He has an album planned for 2023 entitled Fast Life.”


Lewis Tivey | Flock

HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “To me, music comes first and lyrics always come second. The lyrics try to encompass the teenage angst and frustrations the youth of today feel.”


The Domain | Favorite Mistake (ft. Lousy)

HOME BASE: Australia.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “If you’re a fan of synth-pop, house music and ’80s nostalgia, The Domain might be the artist you’ve been waiting to hear. Blurring the lines between dance and pop music, The Domain is a multi-talented producer, DJ and remixer with tracks that are filled with soulful vibes, pop vocals and vintage synths. Favorite Mistake is a perfect combination of sweet vocals, ’80s keys, and modern EDM grooves. “This song was too happy and too danceable for 2021,” Domain says. “I didn’t want to drop it while everyone was suffering. I want everyone to be happy and partying when they hear this.”


Tiphanie Doucet | Joe Le Taxi (Piano Version)

HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Indie-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE:Tiphanie Doucet is a French artist who was a child actress on the French TV and started recording music after she moved to the U.S. to study acting and musical theater. After the success of her 2018 LP Under my Sun, produced by Simone Felice and David Baron (Lumineers, Bat For Lashes, Jade Bird), she released the ethereal EP Painted Blue, an introspective five-track offering featuring seductive vocals and sophisticated imagery. Fans of Feist, Charlotte Cardin, Elio, Maggie Rogers or Taylor Swift,will have their hearts stolen by Tiphanie’s earnest lyrics and calming, yet majestic take on alternative-tinged electro folk-pop. “Here is the piano version of my electro pop song Joe le Taxi, released in March,” she says. “The story behind the song is for me a bit reflective/sad, and I wanted to give a version that translates that.”


Infinity Dragon | Money Wave

HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Synth-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE:Infinity Dragon is a self-made producer, writer, and musician from Philadelphia who is making his mark in the industry. His unique yet familiar musical style falls under the genre of alternative, pop, and electronic rock. His new single Money Wave is “a thrill ride with exciting twists and turns,” he says. “This record comes on the hills of a major transition in my life: I currently work three jobs outside of the music industry to fund my endeavors and provide a stable/healthy life for myself. Through getting kicked out of two places in two months in the face of adversity, and a whirlwind of trials, I made the decisions that set me up for this grand plan. it’s time for the world to meet Infinity Dragon.”


Bachot Muna | A Lili

HOME BASE: Belgium.
GENRE: World.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “One of the most prominent emerging musical artists, Bachot Muna is quickly set to make a name for himself in the music industry. The talented singer-songwriter presents his newest anthem, the kind of record that proves there is no doubt he is an artist to keep an eye on.”


Thaïs | Le Vent

HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Montreal singer-songwriter and performer Thaïs explores the sounds of French pop music, soaring and sparkling. With her soft and controlled voice, she sings of the melancholy, the loneliness and the love disorders that often inspire her. Her influences are diverse, ranging from Emily Haines to Malajube and Serge Gainsbourg. Her new pop anthem Le Vent will be found on the EP Tout Est Parfait: Act 2, to be released on Sept. 2. The song is structured like a gust of wind building into a storm. It’s airy and vaporous, with its sweet vocal harmonies and marked rhythms, always imbued with a hint of electro-pop. The young artist unpacks the nostalgia, while the landscape she paints with catchy melodies and neat synthetic textures evolve and rock you gently.”


Daytime Lingerie | She’s Fucking A Musician

HOME BASE: Netherlands.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Armed, dangerous, and ready to tear through your chest and rip your heart out, Daytime Lingerie serve up anthem after anthem with a side of love and half smiles. The boys go way back, but you can’t live your life dwelling in the past. Get on our rock ’n’ roll rocketship and blast off with us into a future of giant riffs and hooks so sweet you’ll have to see a dentist. The high-energy outfit are centered around the talents of brothers Sean and Aidan, who eschewed the more traditional path of becoming international superspys and channeled their wild upbringing into fast-paced genre-bending bangers. Raised in New York, Shanghai and the U.K. before landing in the Netherlands, it has become the mission of the brothers to strike empathy into the core of every listener. And hopefully make everyone feel just a little less alone. Inspired by their heroes — The Walkmen, Strokes and Blink 182  Daytime Lingerie strive to give audiences the mix of escapism and comfort that they found in their headphones growing up. On their third single, they slow it down. Under the veneer of vulgarity is an unrequited love song. She’s Fucking A Musician is the unending pursuit of a love interest who needs to slow down and take the time to see what’s in front of them.”


Elevation Memphis | Speechless

HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Elevation Memphis was born out of a group of individuals with great ambition and a positive outlook. We are one of the most multi-cultural and diverse bands in the city of Memphis. Between the core members of the band, we share over 20 years of musical talent. Our arrangements definitely think outside of the traditional box while keeping the integrity of the cover songs we perform. Our objective is exactly as our name; to lift and elevate the spirits of any and everyone who comes in contact with our music. Speechless starts with a slow dark R&B vibe, then brings you into a pop-rock sound with sax.”


The Color Study | Future Past Present Tense

HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Folk-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE:Scott Oliphant of The Color Study has a lot of big thoughts and ideas. His extensive conceptual process produces narrative tracks that speak earnestly. It was a trend he started with the project’s self-titled debut, and it’s one he’s continuing with their upcoming album Future-Past-Present Tense. While the band’s eponymous debut record was consciously mired by the sadness of a relationship lost, Future-Past-Present Tense takes a turn for the more heady and existentially philosophical, though still in some aspect or another touching on the impact interpersonal relationships can leave. He began pondering the dynamics of these connections — how even the slightest interactions have the potential to change the course of one’s life, how they’ll live and how they may, or may not, experience love in life. That’s how the album title itself came to be, serving as a mini grammatical roadmap for how an interaction that hasn’t even come to be yet could affect who you are in the present, and how you’ll remember your past. The record’s title track is most indicative of these sentiments, zeroing in on how interconnectedness can bring chaos into one’s life. Slow acoustics and horns steadily build up into an explosion of sound, much like reaching the a-ha moment of the impression a person or situation has made on you. The Color Study also features Melissa Atillo on keys and vocals, Matt Jackson on bass, Miguel Mendoza on horns, Andy Jacobs on drums and vocals and Steve Reinhardt on lead guitar.”


Honey Made | Upstairs

HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Austin’s Honey Made bring back memories of legends like James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, and Earth, Wind and Fire with their modern take on slamming primal soul and focus on their R&B roots. Having shared the stage with George ClintonParliament-Funkadelic, Sierra Leone Refugee Allstars, The Motet, Lee Fields, and Flow Tribe, they have already made quite a name for themselves. The band’s first album Brand New arrived in 2020, produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos. Their new track pays homage to Motown. Upstairs is the story of a guy dealing with a girl who is playing hard to get even though she actually initiated contact. The title has a double meaning, asking the question “What’s going on upstairs?”


Rylai | Issues (Can You Let Go Of Me?)

HOME BASE: South Korea.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “What makes this release special is that it feels like a great introduction to the diverse skill set of this talented performer, as well as a deeper insight into his excellent sonic and production aesthetics. Issues kicks off with a lush acoustic guitar and pitch-shifted vocal samples that add texture to the mix. The vocal melody is warm and emotional, serving as a perfect match. The drum pattern has an 808-inspired flavor, and it adds more energy without overpowering the other elements. With passionate lyrics, Rylai conveys the heartfelt, romantic message that sometimes, real love means letting someone go and move on.”


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