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 <strong>Brooklyn</strong> 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.” <strong>The</strong> 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. <strong>The</strong>ir 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. <strong>The</strong>ir 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 <strong>over</strong> a million plays on Spotify, and so did following 2017 single “Pendulum”. <strong>The</strong> 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 <strong>2019</strong>
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