Robin Pitts brings in the funk, Chasing Airplanes make a desperate play, Colossale steps up 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, give thanks for these tracks:
Robin Pitts | Up And Down The Funk
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Funk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Robin Pitts is the son of drummer and singer Vic Pitts. At the age of 18, he joined his father, brother and cousin in Power Funk Family, with whom he performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival. A rapper, singer, drummer, beatmaker, author and composer, Pitts is constantly working on new music, seeking new sounds, styles and collaborations to deliver the best musical experience possible and entertain you.”
Chasing Airplanes | In Desperation
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Metal.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Tampa Bay metalcore at its finest, Chasing Airplanes combine heavy breakdowns, melodic vocals, and synths that harken back to the golden era of screamo. What began as a solo project by vocalist Kyle Jeffcoat in 2019, Chasing Airplanes quickly evolved into a four-piece ensemble with Jared Bokish and Jake Hodges on guitar and Tyler Murin on drums.”
Colossale | Hanté
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Colossale is a complete artist who can do it all: Write and rap in French and English, make beats and produce, act, direct videos and more. His first album Many Are Called But Few Are Chosen Vol. 1: The Calling came out in June. From ’90s boombap sounds to trapsoul production, Colossale has a vast catalogue of over 200 songs.”
Tongas & Mates | Carcel Metal
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Reggae-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Tongas has a few things to say — with the help of his friends. Torn between his love for tango, his introverted gloomy culture and Afro-Caribbean grooves, he writes sad songs that’ll make move your feet.”
Eazy10 | Money Maker Clap
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I made a track that’s kind of absurd but still goes hard and fits well in a club setting. It’s a club hip-hop/dance-pop type of song. I’m a new artist that’s working on an album.”
Faerie | K-Town
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Faerie is a fluttering indie-pop manifestation of Christine Lam’s daydreams and fantasies. Her music is set in danceable grooves layered with dreamy synths and lyrics filled with wonder and escapism. As a New York native, she grew up in a music-oriented household and was professionally trained in jazz and Broadway styles. At 26, Faerie uses past training and techniques to manipulate her sound while collaborating with creatives worldwide to enhance her magical indie-pop aesthetic. Faerie takes you on a trip to K-Town with L.A. producer Matty Bedrosian (aka Yummm), where you get lost in nostalgic bass lines, soft guitars, and hypnotic vocals sprinkled with shimmering synths and slow-burn disarray.”
Zoyla | When We Met
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “ I am a Latina R&B singer songwriter. I write and record my own songs. I find that Latinas are not well represented in this market, but I’m working hard to change that. My past life experiences have inspired me to write this song as well as others, hoping that I can touch people and inspire.”
Nvt3l | Get Lifted Remix (ft. Cathy Matete)
HOME BASE: Jamaica.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “My name is Natel from Kingston, Jamaica. I have collaborated with the artist Cathy Matete from Nairobi, Kenya on the Get Lifted Remix.”
Nancy McCallion | Dancing Days
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Nancy McCallion is best known as the songwriter and vocalist for original Celtic / Norteno / folk-rock band The Mollys. The daughter of an Irish-Scots immigrant and a Texas farm girl, McCallion grew up in Tucson, a cross-cultural border town, influenced by, the Norteno sounds of her neighborhood, her older sister’s Beatles records, and 1970s radio rock, mixed with her dad’s Irish trad and her mother’s Texas old-time country. Throw in her adolescent Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello and Pogues fixations and you’ve got the cultural stew that emerges in her music. Here is a melancholy Christmas song for anyone who is missing someone over the holidays.”
Heavy Head | Under The Bed
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Heavy Head are a Toronto alt-rock band comprised of Jamie O’Halloran, Callen Hageman and Doug Harris-Lowe. Having grown up on rock and folk, the band pair elaborate storytelling with melodic instrumentation and a driving rhythm section. Under the Bed is their debut single.”
Alec Berlin | Patchen Avenue
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Jazz-Folk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “After more than two decades as an in-demand sideman, 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 … Patchen Avenue is a quiet, reflective song that asks you to breathe with it.”
Jade Ashtangini | Cherry Blossoms In Kyoto
HOME BASE: Taiwan.
GENRE: Neo-Classical.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Jade Ashtangini is a classical pianist, composer, cellist, mantra and kirtan chanter in Dallas and Taiwan. Her music is soothing and graceful, encompassing modern classical, contemporary, minimalist, new age, classical crossover and ambient. She loves to compose calming spiritual music for people to practise yoga, meditate, study or simply just to relax. “Cherry Blossoms in Kyoto (felted piano) is a soft, relaxing and happy feelings of a solo piano piece,” she says. “Just imagine that when cherry blossoms falling from the sky, it’s really beautiful and romantic, isn’t it? Let that mood be in your mind while you’re listening to this song.”
Nhyx | Spin-Off
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Nhyx is an independent electronic music composer from Paris. Using synths and keyboards as his main instruments, he propels us somewhere out of time, in a world of his own, both melodious and percussive, populated by haunting melodies and tasty vintage quotes. Always looking for alternative music with both poetic and quirky influences, he has created his own universe at the crossroad of many genres, sometimes flirting with lo-fi, indie house and electronica, sometimes swinging between retrowave and deep tech. Spin-Off was composed within his duo Tiki Taka. The samples, the synth pads and the round bass will inevitably end up wrapping you in a sweet nostalgia.”
Brouillet | Can You Feel The Rain?
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Folk-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Brouillet is the dream child of Bob Bruya, blending his eclectic influences into one project. Bob grew up in a rural desert town in the American West. He heard country music every day, had a father who was a jazz trumpet player, and started studying upright bass at age 8. After high school he moved to Miami on a full music scholarship, and along with studying composition and improvisation, was influenced by the club and Caribbean music in the city. All elements are now coming together as he develops his music in New York. “I wrote this song as an ode to surrealism and how life can be wilder than your dreams after a cross-country U.S.A. roadtrip in 2020, which included locking eyes with a mountain lion in the desert mountains of Nevada with my sister and spending a wonderfully bizarre day in the Badlands South Dakota with friends and a bunch of biker gangs on their way to the Sturgis bike rally,” he says. “Life’s surrealism is also always within our day-to-day, and water (rain in this case) has always been a big symbol of the universality of life for me. That’s why in this song I connected these experiences from Nevada and South Dakota with sounds from the NYC subway.”
Dark Capricorn Rising | Blood Of Kings
HOME BASE: Hard Rock.
GENRE: United States.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “We are a heavy rock band. Think Black Sabbath on steroids. But even though we have power, it is controlled and artistic. It is not noise. We aim for perfect production, excellent shredding and thundering drums, and profound, thought-provoking lyrics. We are hoping to get, in the end, world-wide recognition.”
Florian Brunner | Solar Lips
HOME BASE: France
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Florian Brunner is a composer of electronic music which explores sounds and melodies. Virtual instruments have unleashed his creativity and he can express his vision like never before. Brunner offers a journey out of the classic formats, more immersive and creative. Solar Lips is an EP with four tracks, all linked by the same creative process: The invention of an intense, poetic and melodic sound universe. The title track is carried by a powerful melody, in a magical and wild universe. It has the same melody as Immortal Lips, but was designed with different sounds.”
Kristen Miller | Marché Aux Puces
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Neo-Classical.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Kristen Miller is a Billboard-charting cellist and shamanic sound healer. She is often fascinated by and finds beauty in things that are not new, shiny, or perfect. Marché Aux Puces (Flea Market) is her reflection on finding beauty in unexpected places, like the Parisian flea market just north of Paris. Kristen hopes that this release will uplift you during a blue day and help you find beauty in unexpected places all around you.”
Robert Parks | Ripples
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I am a musician and music producer in Seattle. Ripples is a song about flight cancellations and where our minds might go while hanging out in an airport forever!∏
The Imagine If | Freedom + Sweet
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Soul-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “The Imagine If are a Toronto-based soul band formed in 2019. Their sound lies at the intersection of blues, R&B and jazz. It is the product of five individuals from wholly unique backgrounds who have found a creative common ground through music. The Imagine If are fronted by Alia Logan, who delivers expressive and powerful vocals with lyrics dripping with emotion and unbridled optimism. This is built upon by Keith Boddy’s melodic and versatile guitar playing, and elevated by the nostalgic harmonic textures from keyboardist Eric Lefebvre’s obsession with vintage electric pianos and organs. The backbone of the band comes from drummer Tom Paulovits and bassist Brian Pauls, who lock in grooves that masterfully tie their songs together. Their sound is best compared to Alabama Shakes, Lake Street Dive or Black Pumas. Freedom tells a vibrant story of quitting your 9 to 5 and setting off on the open road. Sweet is about insatiable physical love and would be perfect for romantic, soulful playlists.”
The Muster Point Project | So Damned Crazy
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Folk-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Based in Calgary, The Muster Point Project are home to the music created by multi-instrumentalist Kevin Franco. Kevin’s music often blends genres including rock, folk, country and whatever feels good. TMPP primarily write original compositions. So Damned Crazy is about the anger / confusion that division and polarization creates, ultimately this song about hope.”
Denis Granan | 21st Century
HOME BASE: Germany.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “For pop musician and singer-songwriter Denis Granan, music has been a big part of his life since his mother gave him a keyboard at six years old. He is based between Berlin and Madrid, and co-founder of the indie label Fluctua Records. 21st Century is an emotive but hopeful song about the importance of staying present. Accompanied by a beautiful piano, Denis talks about the challenge of growing as a musician and learning to let go in order to enjoy every step of making music.”
GhostfaceK45 | Hawthorne Ave.
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “ I make electro music and pop songs. I love EDM. My biggest inspriations are Lil Wayne and Daft Punk. I spent a few years dealing with mental illness and drugs but now I am happy to say I am working on music and getting my name out there.”
Tlew | Black!
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Black! tells a psychedelic story through an upbeat instrumental that makes you want to dance. A funky bassline mixed with raw and raspy vocals create a great vibe. The track also has a horn breakdown that slowly brings the energy back to satisfy listeners with a crisp final verse.”
One Inflamed | What I Mean
HOME BASE: Ireland.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “What I Mean is an original vibey rock song with some grunge influence. playful and upbeat.”
Johnny Walker | Funky Trip
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Here’s a funky track.”
Saeth | The Rite Of Circles
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Symphonic Metal.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I am a classical cellist who got bored and boxed in creatively, so I decided to pick up some more strings and DIY my own music. This song is part of my Imaginary Friends EP, which is my first solo release and is an instrumental story about the end of the world. I’ve been performing since I was 8 years old, have worked with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Chicago Symphony, and have a degree in classical cello performance. I have always had a huge passion for progressive/metal/hardcore music, and after college felt the irresistible pull to create my own music and find my voice, which turned out to be weird instrumental progressive metal.”
Bea Box | La Terre Tremble
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Bea Box is a singer, songwriter and music producer. She has studied traditional percussion and and had vocal training with various grandmasters. She has used her stays in Cuba, India and U.S.A. to train in depth diverse rhythmic cultures. Her mastery of different percussions, coupled with her unique voice and her handling of electronics make her music captivating. “La Terre Tremble is the fourth song from my new album Lotus; a song-contemplation on social control and oppression, in an electro-dreamy style,” she says. “With this indie-pop song I want to soothe our torments.”
