Blak Emoji is your main man, Majors Junction brighten your day, Polycool have it their way 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, make your way through this lineup of stone-cold killers:
Blak Emoji | Mainstay
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Electro-funk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Mainstay is the lead single from the deluxe edition of Blak Emoji’s album Eclectro, out in early 2023. Blak Emoji is the nom de plume of acclaimed New York City producer, recording artist, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kelsey Warren. He says, “Mainstay is simply about being a friend for someone in the end; expressing that you’re on-call for a person if they’re down or in a situation. This also relates to how you feel about yourself. Do you need or want to lift yourself up; do you have the tools? Will you be there for yourself like you are for others?” Sonically, he describes the track as “electrofunk hot sauce with pop sprinkles. There’s definitely some warped, cool Eno-like sounds swirling around as well. Trippy head-bobbing track.”
Majors Junction | Brighter Day
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Folk-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Country these days is so confusing. Are you talking about the pop music being churned out for the radio or the traditional styles of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings or Willie Nelson? Truth is, neither is an accurate depiction of Majors Junction, but the latter is definitely closer. Majors Junction produce a diverse meld of country, honky-tonk and blues with folk undertones, hints of bluegrass pickin’ and good old rock ’n’ roll. It is a unique sound that celebrates individuality and hard work: Two qualities the band shares with its hometown of Chicago. Brighter Day is an upbeat tune off of their first record.”
Polycool | Unlike You (Jerge Remix)
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “How do you set the dancefloor on fire? Very simple: Mix the psychedelic and catchy rock of Polycool with the mutlicultural and sunny club sound of PPJ‘s Jerge, and you get an electro bomb ready to light up any party around the world. This remix is a successful crossing between the universes of these rising artists of the new French scene, perfect for sports or for parties. Polycool are, above all, an independent and absurd project. Their unpredictable ability to surprise is also reflected in their concerts and videos. Their musical style, a strange mix of various influences including Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Air, Sebastien Tellier, Nick Hakim and Connan Mockasin, gave birth to their 2019 debut album Lemon Lord, an acid cosmogony.”
Iliane | Parfum D’écume
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Indie-Folk.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “A certain romanticism always exists when a story sung in French is accompanied by a guitar. But with Parum D’écume, Normand Iliane shares a contemplative work of nostalgia on the experience of relationships between men and women. It is the third single from his first EP which definitively defines a shift towards guitar with lyrics in French.”
Isaackito | Marie C (ft. Joze Jaramago)
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Jazz-Folk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “After a world tour and four albums with the group Malka Family, Isaac and Dany’o, trombonist and bass player, released their first album with their new group Madioko and gave birth to Madioko Mobile, a mobile studio which allows you to record an album anyplace with an electrical outlet. In 2022, Isaackito and the mobile studio continued their journey in Andalusia to meet Joze Jaramago. Marie C is second single from their collaboration.”
Pete Miller | Hard To Find
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Folk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Hard To Find is the third single from acoustic singer-songwriter Pete Miller‘s debut album. It’s a cross between Johnny Cash and Townes Van Zandt.”
Will Stovall | Unspoken
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “This is the second single off of my upcoming album. It’s a sad song with an acoustic feel and heartbreaking lyrics. I am hoping to gain some traction with it and get it heard.”
Earl Michael Thomas | Deck The Halls
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Jazz-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Deck The Halls is a guitar-led instrumental and comprises a compilation of traditional melody undergirded by uniquely inspired progressions. The selection was performed, produced, and arranged by Earl Michael Thomas.”
Mr Paterson | Premier Rêveur Live Studio du Cerisier
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Mr Paterson lets his music do the talking.
Michael Anthony Lahue | Não Sei Sambar
HOME BASE: United States
GENRE: Samba.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “But Michael Anthony Lahue has made Brazilian music the language of his career. Born in the United States, the pianist, singer, composer and music producer traveled the world in his training, but it was in Brazil that he found the voice for his songs. In 20 years of comings and goings between his native country and the one of his heart, the artist has trodden a musical trajectory that translates into more than 50 songs. Known for lyrics that weave stories Lahue makes his songs a space to work both his emotions and those of the public, who quickly identify with the authenticity of the feelings exposed in the song. The samba Não Sei Sambar is a swinging carnaval march blending musical elements that are both contemporary and harken back to the 1920’s. It’s part of my upcoming samba EP História de Amor.”
Atombalm | Happy (ft. Ella Fitzgerald)
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Reggae.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Atombalm’s work has been all over the map in the best of ways. He has shared the stage and studio with Hans Zimmer to Margaret Cho to Angelo Moore (Fishbone) to Peter Tork (The Monkees) to Shock G (Digital Underground) to Flock of Seagulls to name a few. His recent album Goody Goody was a concept he had been exploring for quite some time that was made real during the pandemic. It’s electro-swing-folktronic-mashup with half the fat and all the flavor. There are musicians who play on records, there are DJ’s who spin records, there are producers who create & build records, and then there is Atombalm.”
Chappoxx | Roty
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Hey, this is Chappoxx. I’m just glad to be heard. I’m working at a dead-end job, living check by check, and all I’ve ever wanted was an opportunity to show what I got.”
Mirabelle | Céleste
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Laurence Hélie is a Montreal singer-songwriter who grew up in rural Quebec in the ’90s listening to The Cranberries and Mazzy Star, made two much-acclaimed francophone folk-country records a decade later and then hit a wall. She calls it a musical depression. She didn’t want to sing anymore. She felt like a passenger, a pedestrian, closed in by her own genre. Guitar strumming made her skin crawl. She was convinced for a while that she was done with music. The same voice that sang cover songs in her high school band, that won the Felix Award for Best Country Album for her debut — she had to lose that to find it again. She’s calling herself Mirabelle now.”
Dune Dogs | Higher Ground
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Reggae-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Dune Dogs, an alternative beach-rock band from Massachusetts, formed in 2019. Their goal has never been to recreate old genres and styles, but rather to draw from them to create something new “It’s just about making a great song that people love,” they say. Their punk, funk, reggae, and pop influences have led to their fun but groovy original music that has reached tens of thousands of people worldwide, speaking to fans of all ages. Their self-titled, self-produced debut album was released in 2021. Its beach-themed attitude and positive energy caught fan’s attention. Unrequited love can drive you crazy, and Higher Ground tackles those ugly emotions.”
Gretel Frost | Glad You’re OK
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: This song means a lot to me and resonates more than some others. I do all of my music and production myself at home and it gets me through my mental-health struggles so it’s very important to me.”
Pierre de Frebourg | La Forêt Brûle
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rock.
THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Pierre de Frebourg is a pianist, composer and performer born in Metz. “In the beautiful month of May 2022, I went to take advantage of a few days to admire the Arcachon basin, the Pilat dune, the tip of Cap Ferret, the surrounding oyster villages. Everything was beauty, calm, symbiosis with nature. Two months later, I learned of the devastating disaster of the fires in Gironde on the radio. I become aware of all that is disappearing. So I wrote La Forêt Brûle (The Forest Burns). But I don’t forget to include my own responsibility in the age of global warming.”
Emanuel Tägil | Hard, Hard God
HOME BASE: Sweden.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Emanuel Tägil is an experimental singer and songwriter from Sweden. His songs are mysterious, dramatic, and fun. His musical style can be described as art-pop flirting with yacht rock, Broadway, and R&B. Emanuel has released two albums: Emanuel Tägil (2019) and Knock Away (2021). The forthcoming album Hard, Hard God (due May 2023) takes his music in a new direction. “I’m an experimental singer and songwriter from Sweden and this is my latest love song,” he says. “Hard, Hard God starts out softly with a Rhodes piano and ends in a buzz of saw synth frenzy. I wrote the song after watching the movie Paterson starring Adam Driver and Golshifteh Farahani.”
Wolkenpark | Beromünster
HOME BASE: Switzerland.
GENRE: Jazz-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Wolkenpark are a Swiss quartet who perform their own compositions using an attractive blend of modern club styles, funk, ambient, chillout and drum ’n’ bass. They refer to their music as Urban Hybrid Sounds. Coming from a jazz background (three of the guys teach at Swiss jazz schools), they impress with nasty grooves that mix synthesized sounds, live looping and effects with the sound of their instruments — trumpet, Rhodes, electric bass and drums. If there has ever been a blend of Robert Glasper, Joe Zawinul, Miles Davis and Goldie, here it is.”
Shar | When The World Is On Your Shoulder + No Shenanigans
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Blues-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “When The World Is On Your Shoulder is my very first song. I wrote it many years ago when I was going through a difficult period. The song is about knowing that no matter what you are going through, believe and trust in yourself and you will make it through life’s bumps and sometimes craters, in the road. Just keep going. No Shenanigans is a fun, energetic dance song with a serious theme. The song is about being in a relationship (any relationship) where one party feels that the other person is not treating them the way they feel they should and they are not willing to lower their standards and put up with nonsense. Hence the song’s title.”
BacQayard aka LennySylvester | Th Law (Cried The Voice)
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Jazz-Funk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I am a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist putting together songs for and album due in 2023. The Law (Cried The Voice) is the third track from the album, titled Here We Go. My previous releases include 2019’s Ahh Wah Me Ago Do and So Lonely).”
Reina Subramanian | Breathe Slow
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “My first single release, Breathe Slow is a light, easy-breezy, dreamy song sung to lyrics that conjure up images of summer and winter time. An infectious melody, cool synths and bass, and an uplifting vibe, all make this a truly magical track. I am getting ready to release four more singles over the course of the new year that will feature different melodies and sounds.”
Furs | Skies Blue
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Just trying to keep making what sounds good to me.”
Tymara | Passion
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Dance-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “A powerhouse vocalist and songwriter taking the world by storm, Tymara brings a hauntingly beautiful voice with a range that is beyond. Her new single Passion is an in-your-face dance-floor banger with infectious lyrics, powerful vocals and dope beats.”
Vermin & The Beachrat | Christmas Time Of Year (Remix)
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Garage-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: My name is Joe Lamore, aka Vermin & The Beachrat. I was born in Waltham, Mass. I’ve been involved with writing and playing music from a young age, like many other artists. In 2009 I released my first solo CD Crossin the Line. My second EP My Fantasy was released in 2014. My newest release is Christmas Time Of Year. You just gotta love this time of year; it’s special being with family and friends.”
Losange | Deep Blue
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Losange was born in Aix en Provence, France, studied the piano as a child, then moved into musicology and sound technique, as well as an electroacoustics. Deep Blue is a love letter to Hiroshi Yoshimura, the king of the Japanese ambient music. Reinterpreted for your enjoyment, it’s designed to make you feel the deepness of melancholia, like the deep ocean, the Deep Blue, where the deep emotions are buried.”
Dylan James | Crocodile
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Blues.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Here is a track from my first album Ruff Around The Edges, which I just finished. It was written, recorded, mixed and mastered by me. Getting other musicians to help me record the album led to the creation of a band that has been gigging for about a year in Southwest U.K. This track Crocodile is much more on our bluesy scale. If you hear the whole album you will find a huge variety of genres — gypsy jazz, blues funk, a bit of punk and metal, even an acoustic track. But crocodile was one of our facvorites during the recording process.”
Scottluo | Demothree
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m looking for anything that can help me and my project going forward.”
https://soundcloud.com/mecha_scott/demothree-v2-quick-master/s-KNDQhNnVDB8?in=mecha_scott/sets/demos-1/s-kGLztqXMy6I&si=4a7f07974d464e97bd83a098ad1e3e6c&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
