The Deli #56 - Altopalo, NAMM 2019, Queens takes over Brooklyn

Fresh Buzz | New NYC Artists
We’ve been saying for years that female indie
musicians have, on average, been producing
a lot more interesting material than
their dude counterparts, and L’Freaq,
the project of bi-coastal electronic singer
songwriter Lea Cappelli, is another piece
in the truly beautiful puzzle representing
NYC women’s musical output in the new
millennium. After premiering on Billiboard
the delicate yet edgy electro-soul ballad
“Weird Awakenings,” the artists has recently
unveiled a darker (and even edgier)
single/video combo entitled “Moonlight.”
Channeling the experimental, noir ballads
of Portishead, the track features a deceivingly
sparse arrangement, blending a killer
plodding and syncopated rhythm section
with an ever-evolving ambient electronic
soundscape. Lea’s vocals not only confirm
her noteworthy pipes and silky tone, but
also reveal her ability to convey character
to a performance and “play” the song’s
part, a trait only few musical performer
possess. (PAOLO DE GREGORIO)
L’Freaq
Soul, Noir Pop, Electronic
CLAVVS
Synth-Pop, Electronica
Synthpop Brooklyn duo (via Atlanta)
CLAVVS has been catching a lot of cyber-fan
attention recently by topping the
Hype Machine charts with singles “Lay
Back” and “Slow Dive.” The group has already
two well received full length albums
under their belt, but are showing no signs
of slowing down. Atmospheric and easy
on the ear without ever sounding banal,
this year’s singles show a noteworthy
growth in the songwriting department,
which is a promising sign for a project
whose songs aim at moving the listeners’
feelings more than their body, boosted by
vocalist Amber Renee’s soulful and melancholic
alto. (PAOLO DE GREGORIO)
Sloppy Jane is a band with bizarre and
grotesque inclinations and an interest in
translating them into their performances.
Naked bodies, colored dye, and television
screens set a backdrop for melting inhibitions
as the music (and often the musician)
tumbles into chaotic fits. It’s a must-see
for fans of avant-garde, performative
punk. Their 2018 album Willow sounds like
a theatrical post-punk/DIY opera and—allegedly—tells
the story of a “girl who existed
inside of a strip club in Inglewood, who
Sloppy Jane
Photo: Jorge Gonzalez
Avant-Indie, Post-Punk, No Wave
ran away to the desert to hustle pool with a
lion, and who burned herself alive for [our]
freedom.” It’s filled with odd tracks that
develop in unexpected sonic and vocal directions,
without ever sounding disjointed
or randomly assembled. (CAMERON CARR)
If you are stuck with the notion that emo
has become the unbearably whiny expression
of spoiled suburban kids, enter Bay
Faction, and think again. Their 2015
three-track debut EP clearly carries the
genre’s DNA, but slows down its BPM by
a lot, makes a discreet if not spare use of
distorted guitars, and puts a lot of heart in
it. Those early tracks resonated with a lot
Bay Faction
Indie Emo
of kids and gathered over a million plays
on Spotify, and so did following 2017 single
“Pendulum”. The band is now ready to
release their debut LP Florida Guilt, which
expands the group’s sonic palette with a
more varied production, without betraying
their music’s core qualities. Single “It’s
Perfect” is to date their fastest and most
driven track, but still stylistically hybrid,
with the inwardly tortured voice of singer
James McDermott adding oozes of character
to vague lyrics related to the struggles
of dating. Fans of Pingrove and Forth
Wanderers (two other bands that are taking
emo in new directions) should definitely
check these guys out. (PAOLO DE GREGORIO)
10 the deli Winter 2019