The Fixer hit the road, Monique Angele goes carolling, Zackaria gets rid of some dead weight 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, enjoy these musical treats:
The Fixer | Depart
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Goth-Metal.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Dark. Sexy. Loud. The Fixer bring the darker side of fun on their debut EP The Prowl. Their influences are rooted in the harder end of rock while mixing in subtle elements from industrial, gothic metal, and EDM. Their sound combines soaring vocals with big notes and playful hooks, larger than life danceable drum beats, bass lines with a heavy groove, dynamic guitar playing that encompasses big dirty riffs to textured clean tones, and electronics that range from ambient and melodic textures to unsettling and aggressive.”
Monique Angele | Sing Together On Christmas
HOME BASE: Australia
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “With the sound of sleigh bells just around the corner, Canadian-Australian singer-songwriter Monique Angele brings a message of hope and joy to those who may need it most this Christmas. “Christmas is a time where we all want to be together, sing together and love one another,” she says. “Through difficult times we should all try to love one another and care for each other.” Produced and mixed by Sean Peter O’Sullivan from Highway 9 Productions and mastered by Joseph Carra from Crystal Mastering, Sing Together On Christmas was written during the many Covid-19 lockdowns in Australia. Monique’s mother had been asking her to write a Christmas song for many years, and feeling distant throughout lockdowns provided the deep and reflective inspiration. “I wrote it during the time I did because it felt right, and the writing process just came out naturally. I usually always write my songs when I’m feeling something very deeply, some kind of emotion or I get inspired by something. The lyrics came first because I was thinking about how I truly felt about Christmas and especially during the pandemic. I was trying to portray a song that was happy and hopeful yet sad at the same time.”
Zackaria | Ballast
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Folk-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Zackaria lets his music do the talking.
Le Projet Stérone | Être Sexy
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “To make people laugh, smile and think, that is their mission! Le Projet Stérone do everything possible to denounce inequalities, sexism, ageism, aggression or even misogyny. “We just released this song with a music video and we want it to travel as much as possible,” they say. “Our feminist and humorous duo wish to convey positive messages such as body diversity and the emancipation of women. In this song, we question the importance of entering into beauty standards. Basically, what is sexy? And do you absolutely have to suffer to be beautiful?”
Margot Kurtis | Vivre Pour Soi
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Margot Kurtis is part of the new scene electro-pop. Inspired by her experience, she writes about her personal life and shares doubts and clichés she ran into. Each song is like a page of her diary. She shares what she would have loved to say or hear. Vivre Pour Soi is more than a single; it’s an anthem, as touching and intimate as it is unifying and universal. By telling us her story as a woman and an artist with a disarming honesty, on a minimalist electro / hip-hop production a la Billie Eilish, she will inevitably strike a chord deep inside us.”
Lionel Langlais | Quand Je M’Oublie
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Country-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Open arms, smiling, Lionel Langlais comes to tell you in sad, moving or joyful songs about his love of life. Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Led Zeppelin, Léonard Cohen take him into a world that soothes him, while Pat Metheny, Paco De Lucia, Arthur C. Clarke, Stephen King and Philip K. Dick expand it to other galaxies. The first preview of his upcoming album, Quand Je M’Oublie is the song of a guy whose universe collapses as soon as he realizes that in fact it does not exist. The video, directed by Yohann Hebi Daher, in his energetic and stylish way, illustrates and stages the jubilation of those who find this liberating path.”
Jupiter Flynn | You Call Me Your Moon
HOME BASE: Germany.
GENRE: Indie-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Jupiter Flynn is a young singer-songwriter born in Amsterdam. She started composing short songs on the piano at the age of six. She has lived in Tokyo, New York, Sydney and Frankfurt, and is now based in Berlin. Her compositions are of a fragile, light-footed indie-pop quality, while her husky voice and dark coming-of-age lyrics form a strong counterpart that lends her work a captivating depth. You Call Me Your Moon is the focus track of my debut album Moon. Led by synth sounds and a melancholic melody, the song gives you the feeling of floating in the universe.”
Kaendy | Timidité
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Kaendy is a young self-taught artist. A jack of all trades, he draws inspiration from his multiple musical influences, ranging from kompa to hip-hop, via soul and Afrobeat. An author, composer and performer, Kaendy likes more than anything to pass on his curiosity and his taste for experimentation.”
Jonas x Genghis | Goal
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “From Paris, Jonas x Genghis are an duo of composers, producers and songwriters. People are interested in football this week, so check out our newest production.”
https://youtu.be/61A_NH5Ac0c
Tora Woloshin | True Legacy
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Pop-R&B.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Tora Woloshin is a singer-songwriter, dancer, actress, model and filmmaker. America saw Tora on The X Factor, where she was mentored by Simon Cowell. She has toured the U.S. with Grammy-nominated artist B.o.B. and opened for Ne-Yo, Flo Rida, Method Man, Pink and more. True Legacy is her most iconic single yet. It has true afro-pop, R&B vibes with that certain essence that only Tora can execute. This short-but-sweet island anthem is a taste of freedom; a feel of summer in the winter and an expression of what it feels like to travel and get away.”
Kria Wall | Spindle!
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Jazz-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “This is the first track I’ve released with my band. I am a Canadian composer, arranger, and musician and this is my intimately creative project. I plan to release my next single in December, followed by a full-length album in 2023.”
Fior | Undercover Lover
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Named one of People‘s Emerging Artists to Watch, Fior makes sleek, beat-driven, pop-infused music with elements of R&B, rock, and soul. Inspired by real life, her lyrics celebrate the kind of vulnerability that leads to strength, encouraging listeners to accept emotions and embrace the importance of speaking your mind. Fior’s distinct, self-taught style is influenced by Stevie Nicks, Amy Winehouse, Adele and Michael Jackson. Superstar producer, Scott Storch and Fior have just released their second collaboration, Undercover Lover. The new song sets up an EP they plan to release at the beginning of 2023. “Scott Storch is a legend and musical genius. It’s been such an honor to work with him, especially on our latest single Undercover Lover,” says Fior. “When writing this song, I was so inspired by his songs from the early aughts and wanted to pay tribute to him by bringing that energy back.”
Georginio | Stay With You For Life
HOME BASE: Jamaica.
GENRE: Reggae.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I am passionate about high quality and melodious music.”
Eteri | My Little One
HOME BASE: Greece.
GENRE: Jazz-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “DK and AA first met at a very young age and learned to play music together. Their paths converged again this year and they formed Eteri, a group with rock influences. My Little One was written for a little mermaid.”
Aurelle Key | Crazy Night
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “A sensual and captivating voice. Controlled and catchy rhythms that transport you through his compositions. A subtle mix that reminds us the magic of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. Aurelle Key invites you on a timeless journey, mixing softness and power. She has a repertoire of blues, rock and soul, which she sings in several languages.”
Alaska Blue | Blue Shelter
HOME BASE: Italy.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “We are a newborn duo. This single anticipates our first album. Our songs have mellow atmospheres due to a warm voice, they maintain a strong acoustic taste and usually our tracks are lightly produced. This is the most refined and electronic song we have recorded.”
Yannick Mirko | I’d Rather Be In Space
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Neo-Classical.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Nihilism doesn’t begin to cover my mentality. As a person who lives with a rare disease that no doctors understand, and comes from an island actively being colonized by the U.S. — that wants to kill me because I’m trans — seriously, I’m tired. I’d rather be in space, so that’s what this is about.”
Alec Berlin | Iota (Not One)
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “After more than two decades as an in-demand sideman on stages and in studios of all sizes, Alec Berlin has made an album that combines his love of concise pop-rock songwriting with his expertise as a guitarist. Berlin describes Space Punk And Other Junk, his fourth release, as “instrumental singer-songwriter music. These songs speak the vernacular of concise pop-rock music, so you’d expect them to have words. But it’s instrumental music.” Why no words? “I liked the challenge, I thought it was an interesting avenue for exploration,” Berlin explains. “How do you fill the void left by the absence of singing? How do you adapt the composition, the arrangement, the guitar playing, the guitar sounds, the production, so that this music is just as compelling as if there were a singer? That challenge was the driving force behind Space Punk And Other Junk. This is guitar-driven instrumental rock music that skews more towards song than shred.”
Bonnie Milne | Perception
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Neo-Classical.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto songwriter, composer and musical educator Bonnie Milne burst onto the international music scene in 2022 with her critically acclaimed album Anticipation and her Top 20 single New Beginnings. Her unique blend of classical piano, strings and pop sensibilities landed Milne nominations in the International Singer Songwriters Association, while helping her to earn more than 150K streams. Perception is composed in Bonnie’s signature musical style, with key changes and noticeable transitions in the melody. Creating Perception has been a cathartic experience for Bonnie, and she hopes that her fans can have the same experience while listening to the song.”
Massimo De Simone | Quasar Viola
HOME BASE: Italy.
GENRE: Orchestral Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Massimo De Simone is a smiling and sunny Roman singer-songwriter; a tireless juggler of sounds and words. Look for connections between art, science, fantasy and transcendence, through an innovative musical alchemy. Quasar Viola (Purple Quasar) is a dreamlike journey into the imaginary of open space, between planets and galaxies. But outside the planet Earth, between the planets and constellations, the physical laws we are used to no longer apply. Space tilts, time bends, love designs the future. At the end of the journey, which is a metaphor for human existence, everyone finds all the answers they were looking for; everything finds its reason. The reason why I wrote and sang this song, with the collaboration of the soprano Cinzia D’astola Perroni, is the love for music and the desire to communicate.”
Frolin | Eternal
HOME BASE: Norway.
GENRE: Neo-Classical.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I live in the southwestern part of Norway, surrounded by beautiful scenery like the sea, fjords, small islands, forests and mountains. This scenery is an inspiration for my music, and it is my hope that you can feel this when you listen! I have always been looking for inner peace, to benefit both physical and emotional health and well-being. This inner search has led to my desire to be a part of the solution for others who also desire tranquility through music, meditation and mindfulness. I hope that you enjoy my soothing instrumental music.”
Lewis Hiller | Quite The Show
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Everyone relates to a breakup song. These lyrics are based on my own experience to help anyone else going through this chapter of their life.”
Dark Capricorn Rising | Long Time Gone
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Metal.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “It’s a hard-rock piece. Powerful but artistic. It’s not noise. The lyrics are relatively profound. The “shredder” Rick Young is phenomenal! It’s a pristine production.”
Viclambart | Sonoko
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Designer, architect, engineer, telecom stylist, painter, graphic designer, rapper, composer, etc. Sonoko is house music with Japanese samples. It’s the sound of my brand.”
https://youtu.be/HDCWV56Fh1Y
Kange | In The Dark
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I am a Paris-based rapper and producer, and my music draws inspiration from artists such as Twenty One Pilots, Paramore and Drake. It is a cool infusion of pop-rap, hip-hop and cloud rap. I wrote this song a year ago, after the death of my aunt. It’s my first time experiencing a death so close to me and in my family. This song is very dark, bringing to life the darkness that encompassed our family at the time, as well as the grief and anger we felt. This song is for those of us left behind.”
Maz | School Reunion
HOME BASE: Belgium.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Rising out of the ashes of early 2000s metal and rock, Maz’s darkly heavy, energetic trap beats carry the words of the progressive rapper. Maz is known for delivering a powerful and truthful message to audiences with a determination to not only scratch at the surface, but to tear through it and see what lies underneath. His aim is to spark a raw confrontation with life in brutal honesty. With a sharpened musical and visual identity, the young rapper wants to give the voiceless not just a voice, but also an uncompromising vision and thus urging his listeners to drop the self- imposed masks and all other unnecessary superficialities to eventually find their true selves. School Reunion kicks off Maz’s Emo Season EP, a collection of tracks reminiscent of early 2000s emo-rock dealing with the zeitgeist of Maz’s generation.”
Ivajla | Adagio Amoroso
HOME BASE: Germany.
GENRE: Neo-Classical.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Adagio Amoroso is one of the most romantic compositions of the 21st century.”
The Late Heavy | From A Rooftop On Patrick Street
HOME BASE: Ireland.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “The Late Heavy were formed by Conor McCreanor and Colm McClean. They have recorded and played with Van Morrison, Beoga, Phil Coulter, Duke Special and also Gretchen Peters.”
Iron Asparagus | Diamond In The Dirt (Demo) + Mr. Molotov
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Metal.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Sons of mama metal and papa thrash, Iron Asparagus continue the carnage with a their self-styled ‘crash metal.’ Indeed, most of their songs end like a crashing 747. Mr. Molotov was inspired by the tyrants of this world, but above all by the people who resist them and stand up to say ‘Enough is enough.’ This song is a tribute to their courage. Musically, into our pot we poured a lot of our alcohol-flavored pee, some Sepultura juice, some Black Sabbath spice, a bit of grunge and heated it up until it exploded. It stinks, but it’s sincere.”
Quiet Sonia | Fragments
HOME BASE: Denmark.
GENRE: Folk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Quiet Sonia are a Copenhagen experimental chamber-rock septet performing and interpreting the folk-influenced compositions of singer-songwriter and guitarist Nikolaj Bruus. With a musical lineup of violin, acoustic piano and occasionally double-bass in addition to the traditional rock lineup, a warm, atmospheric and organic — and at other times confronting and brutally beautiful — soundscape unfolds, reflecting the diverse musical passions of the band, including jazz, indie-rock, folk, ambient, punk and modern classical music. Fragments is a neo-classical folk song originally written in Bruus’ 20s, with a mixture of stream of consciousness and cut-up lyrics drawing from diary notes and text messages with friends and loved ones. It is to be released on Quiet Sonias forthcoming second EP All Black Horses Came Thundering, which is recorded entirely live and consists solely of first takes.”
Alex Rosales | Contigo
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Alex Rosales is your typical guy next door— if the guy next door could sing, produce and play five instruments. Before becoming a walking drum machine, he was just Alejandro Rosales, born in California and raised in Indianapolis. By 22 years old, he had established himself as a producer in his home city. In 2011, he made the move to L.A. and, after only one week in the city, caught the attention of Warner Music. Always keeping us on our toes with what he’ll do next, the multi-instrumentalist and vocalist is back with a highly anticipated debut into R&B. Rosales is known for his genre-bending sounds, creating smooth and clubby songs with insanely catchy hooks. Contigo further proves his incredible versatility not only vocally but lyrically, creating a sexy Spanglish banger. This addicting track is full of pulsing bass and rhythmic beats that recreates the art of an R&B anthem.”
John Kammer | Amélioré
HOME BASE: Colombia.
GENRE: Indie-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Born in Colombia, raised in France and influenced by cinema, rap, rock and classical music, I compose and write in French and English. I try to have a positive vibe with some touch of nostalgia in my songs, like Coldplay. It’s indie-pop title with light electro and melodic accents, influenced by Patrick Watson, Christine & the Queens, London Grammar and James Blake. This song is about our double identities: That of our networks and that of reality. The first is often a symbol of perfect happiness. The second is rarely displayed because still taboo, it is that of doubts.”
Col Gerrard | Place In The Sun
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m a singer-songwriter. All the songs I submit have been written and sung by me. I’m a lover of a good tune and great musicians. I like being able to sing along to something that will become a part of me every time l hear that track.”
Tr!c | Sawyer (ft. Saddysa)
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Latin Hip-Hop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m Tr!c. I’m a genre-bender in training — if I wasn’t that I’d probably be training to be a water bender. I’m based in Chicago. I’m Congolese and Haitian. I like to call my sound ‘Afro-Caribbean sadboi music.’ I was raised to a soundtrack of great Congolese rumba artists such as Papa Wemba and Franco Luambo Makiadi and classic Haitian groups like Tropicana. I was sitting up in my bed at 7 a.m., sleep and spiritually deprived, wondering how I got to this point. I picked up my phone to call her to see if she would give me just one more chance. She always gave me just one more, but this time she sent me to voicemail. That moment created the first line of this song: “7 in the morning and I’m calling your name, what is love without pain?” This is an exploration of the desolation of a love that is no more in the tradition of Congolese rumba. It is equal parts sad and romantic.”
Max | Sky Still Blue
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Alt-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m a self-taught guitarist. I have started composing music. All instruments except drums were played by me — there are no samples — and I work with my musical ear for my arrangements.”
Dream Vision Orchestra | You Talk About Me
HOME BASE: Germany.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Back to the roots of music.”
Orbital Gloom | 6 Hours
HOME BASE: Germany.
GENRE: Elecronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Berlin’s Orbital Gloom were founded in 2019 as an electronic music project by Kosmo (synthesizer) and Can (vocals). After an initial creative dummy run, they would soon realize that the chemistry was right and decided to form a band and write their first songs. They make warm and melodic dance tracks rooted between electro, IDM and deep house. 6 Hours is a dark, warm, hypnotising and nostalgic meditation. The song is about those hours at night (or early morning) when the mind is haunted by strange voices — and, at the same time, is at its most lucid. Dark thoughts interweave with positive memories, but ultimately remain elusive.”
YMN | Come Back Around
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Hey! I think you would love this recent track I dropped.”
FreeWorldTakeover x 327.fm | TheLongWay
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Im an American producer who works with a variety of artists, from genres ranging from hip-hop to pop.”
Groovemonk | Fragments
HOME BASE: Turkey.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m an electronic musician / DJ in Istanbul. The subject here is the memory, the fragmenting nature of memory that distorts reality, melancholy and longing. The hippocampus is responsible for this work in the brain. It is shaped like a seahorse. It fragments, classifies the short-term memory and modifies it as long-term. While doing this, of course, it makes some distortions on its own. Will I relive that moment? The answer to a question like this gets pretty vague, because the information about that moment has been quite metamorphosed. But the answer is not a definite no, because the real place of memory of the moment is within you, and you need to find a creative way to go back into it and use it.”
Eoin Shannon | Blowing In The Wind
HOME BASE: Ireland.
GENRE: Folk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Eoin Shannon lets his music speak for him.
Jackson Mayz | With U I Can Confide
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Spreading a message of passion and unity, through the power of music, because what we Need now is a love revolution.”
Jiro | Anthill
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Born and raised in the din of Parisian suburbs, Jiro is a Molotov cocktail — a mix of antagonistic emotions, a quest of meaning through the new millenium’s false pretense. There is not much of an alternative: It must be heavy, crushing, thunderous. The riff is an exact science in the eyes of the band, fooling no one when it works. Jiro use the codes of extreme genres such as hardcore and metal to reach the acme of power, while building momentum through stoner and progressive parts, giving clarity to the lyrics.”
