Ellen Letts goes dark, Steven Poole bids you farewell, Gabriel has the cure for what ails you 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, let’s kick off the year in a big way with these tracks:
Ellen Letts | Through The Dark
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Folk-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Ellen Letts grew up in Toronto, where she developed a love for music at a young age. She has since followed the call of the mountains to Vancouver with her partner and two cats and is excited to see where this new journey takes her. “I’m very excited (and nervous!!!) to share my first album,” she says. “What an endeavour it has been, learning how to record and release music. I never thought I would be singing five different genres all in one mish-mashed body of work, but it was so much fun drawing inspiration from so many different places: My ’90s/2000s upbringing, my Filipino family’s favourite karaoke hits, my dad’s love of classic rock. The album isn’t perfect, but I’m proud of the work we’ve done and I’m excited to keep learning and growing as a singer songwriter, exploring new genres and styles.”
Steven Poole | A Winter’s Elegy
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Neo-Classical.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “This delicate and bittersweet piece for solo piano was composed as a farewell to a dear friend.”
Gabriel | Soular Return
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Experimental.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “This is the title track from an upcoming collaborative album I am set to release with Ahselam. My goal with the music is to create a healing/awakening vibration that just makes people feel amazing. I am a physician and energy healer who does sound healing experiences too.”
Edie Yvonne | Eyes Of Lies
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Indie-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Edie Yvonne is a 13-year-old singer-songwriter in L.A. She wrote her debut album At Ease in her room during quarantine. This is the second single.”
Noble1BOF | On My Own
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Noble1BOF is an up-and-coming artist straight out of Brixton, with nothing but real-life experiences in his songs. Noble refuses to be put in a box. Nor is he a artist scared to delve into his past to paint the pictures you see in his music. On My Own is quite self explanatory. This song is for anyone with a winning mentality.”
Illectronic | Vibal Sessions OO4
HOME BASE: Israel.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Illectronic is a Brooklyn artist who transforms his life experiences into compelling EDM. His music contains layers of depth and emotion. The result is an irresistible mix of house and techno. “Even though I have suffered a lot in life, music has set me free,” he says. “This song will be inspirational to others. They can be victorious as well.”
Athyrê | Thinkin’ (ft. Nya Bloom)
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “My name is Lucas. I am an independent artist/composer using the pseudonym Athyrê. I am a passionate music lover with varied tastes. My universe can be described as a mix of different musical styles — indie-pop, soul and R&B mainly. I try to combine retro and modern with an emphasis on groove and melody. My music is melancholic, calm, soft with a touch of elegance and dreaminess. I recently released my second single Thinkin’. I collaborated with the American singer Nya Bloom and my brother, who played the bass and guitar parts. This song is from my EP STAY (Still Thinkin’ About You). One song per word. It is inspired by a breakup I went through two years ago.”
BacQayard aka LennySylvester | So Lonely
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Reggae.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “This is the second track from my upcoming album Here We Go, due in 2023. The song is about being left behind by your partner after the breakdown of the long-term relationship you had together.”
Chris Olson | Dirty Summer
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Indie-Folk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Chris Olson is an English indie-folk singer-songwriter near London. He is the frontman for the Wiltshire band The Codes as well as solo artist. “Dirty Summer is a reflection on my adolescence, a time where the world didn’t make any sense and I was physically changing and becoming more aware of my emotions,” he says. “The track has an upbeat road trip vibe — I wanted to reflect the excitement of the unknown that comes during our teens.”
Lewca | Harmony Korine
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “In the late 1990s and early 2000s, artists like The Streets, M.I.A., Cornershop and Gorillaz created a distinctly middle-class English style of music that mixed the multicultural sounds of their home with alt-rock and hip-hop of the day. Lewca takes the same approach, with the added influence of his adopted mainland home and his own unique wit. “Harmony Korine is a tune from my debut album Friday Night Rokstar,” he says. “It’s not really a single, but it’s a wonky banger in my opinion.”
1gnès | Like That
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “My name is Agnès and my pseudo is 1gnès. I am a French singer-songwriter who lives in Paris and Sweden. My music uses traditional R&B and hip-hop rhythms while adding my personal touch of modernity. My major inspirations are female singers of all eras: Summer Walker, Myriam Fares, Aaliyah, Erykah Badu, Nancy Ajram and many more. Like That is a very sexy and confident neo-R&B song.”
Michael Mayo | Like The Fire
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Dance-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Michael Mayo is an award-winning singer, songwriter, producer and actor. He mixes pop, EDM, and afro-pop. Born and raised in Connecticut, he began his career licensing one of his songs to Cirque Du Soliel. Michael has also composed tracks for a long list of artists, films and TV shows. His new album Oye includes the song Like The Fire. Brimming with cool, confident and carefree vibes, this album is the party anthem for any time of the year. Michael was inspired by returning to normal life following lockdown. He went to many parties and bars during this time and just loved the energetic music. He wanted this album to reflect that we have been through a lot these past few years.”
Jackson Mayz | Have You Heard The News?
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Jackson Mayz is spreading a message of passion and unity, through the power of music, because what we need now is a love revolution.”
Kek | Tsunami
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I am a South Sudanese artist who was raised in Canada and now resides in the United States! I enjoy music of all kinds, but what I like creating are good vibes. I have been working on many things this year as I hone my style. This song is a catchy dance song with an Afrobeat/Afro-Latino instrumental vibe and a chill feel.”
John Alonzo | A Little Gospel Music!
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Experimental.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “John Alonzo is a composer, from Missoula. A Little Gospel Music is a fun R&B / neo-soul song with an electronic spin to it.”
Walter Longscott | Six Ways To Sunday
HOME BASE: Belgium.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “A song from my third album, about when you try everything and it still doesn’t work out (hence the title). The production of the song is loosely inspired by Mark Knopfler’s early work.”
I.M. | Wonderland
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “The song is very melodic, with a warm leading vocal, a vintage beat and pulsing bass. It has a dreamy mood that gives off a warm winter vibe.”
Kali Sanna | What About Trust
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I gave up the road as a younger man and set out to be all I could be in the military. Never losing my passion for music, I continued writing. Now, years later. I have hundreds of songs in my catalog and want to get them out. As a disabled vet, I have made the time to reflect and update some of my best work (I think).”
Alix Tucou | Cretto
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Jazz.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Alix Tucou has been playing bass trombone and composing for more than 25 years. He has played and interpreted the music of Frank Zappa with LPJZ and Ike Willis, helped create electronic music collective United Fools, done symphonic sessions, worked on musical theatre productions, been a street performance artist and played all over Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and America. “With my album Portraits (2021) I initiated a research about the links between visual arts and music,” he says. “I found an endless source of musical inspiration through the spectrum of visual artists and contemporary art. It appeared to me very interesting to try to create a musical imaginative painting representing the work of a visual artist or the visual artist itself.”
Kent Okwesa | Don’t Stop The Party
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Dance-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m a 22-year-old British Nigerian singer-songwriter in London. Don’t Stop The Party is a dance-pop track with an electronic intensity. Listeners have compared it to Eddie Murphy’s Party All The Time, ’80s R&B and ’90s house, Teddy Pendergrass, Michael Jackson and Full Crate. It is a mantra for freedom as it tells the story of a young person’s anxious journey towards self-expression through dancing in public spaces. To let all your inhibitions go on the dance floor whilst being watched should never be something to fear. so let yourself go and dance. It’s OK to be unique.”
Mr. NObody | Her Dance
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: R&B / Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Mr. NObody lets his music do the talking.
Lobke Sprenkeling | Io Son Ferito
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Neo-Classical.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I often jokingly say that I have a 17th-century soul. But there is a truth in it: There is something in the music of the 17th century that just resonates with me. Its sonorities are rich and flavourful, splendid and obscure. It’s not just expressive but above all experimental. It has a whole language of its own, between the Renaissance and the Baroque, and it speaks to my soul. In the pandemics, the long-cherished wish for a recording of our 17th-century repertoire finally became a reality. A year’s preparation of this particular virtuosic repertoire, with care and exploration. This track is the first, most beautiful and most moving of our entire CD, which is a varied musical journey through a world of contrast, light, colour and darkness. You’ll listen to an intimate musical journey through the music that sings in my head, in my heart, in my soul.”
M³ | Who Am I
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Rap.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Originally from Tulsa, but now living in Atlanta, M³ (real name: Brandon Johnson) started rapping with his cousins. Filled with inspiration, he continues to intuitively come up with hooks to songs that he writes and records for the world to hear. Who Am I gives you a bit of his upbringing, his transition from Tulsa to Atlanta, and his life now.”
Tahini Bikini | Fever Dream
HOME BASE: New Zealand.
GENRE: Funk.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Tahini Bikini are a powerhouse female-fronted sextet from New Zealand, inspired by neo-soul, hip-hop, funk, disco and surf rock. Their sound is self titled Salad Funk. Fever Dream is the title track from their debut album released last September.”
