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Detroit Proud Playlist: Week of 8/17

In the words of Beyoncé, "Who run the world? Girls." This week's playlist is dedicated to those Detroit women who know what it means to have that Motor City soul. They all pack a major punch across different genres, and we know you'll enjoy it. We have rockin' girl bands, front-women, women who know their way around the strings of guitars, the calamity of drums and can entrance you with their sultry vocals. We loved these bands so much, we couldn't pick just ONE song from each album—so this week you're going to be getting TWO recommendations (exciting, right?!). Make sure to click the song titles to hear these great tunes on the band's website!

The Deadly Vipers
1) "Yada Yada"
2) "Evolution Stone"

The Deadly Vipers
(credit: http://deadlyvipers-detroit.bandcamp.com/)

Their name projects exactly what you'd expect: Hardcore, no frills, straight to the nitty-gritty rock and roll. The guitar riffs are heavy and the bass is hypnotizing. You won't know what planet you're on when you're done with this album. These ladies are as original as it gets with a mix of psychedelic rock, punk, drone-rock, and probably any genre of rock you can make up in your head (which is always fun to do). The vocals across this album are unfaltering and unforgiving. They'll scream in your face, seduce you with harmonies (or maybe a little bit of both)...either way, they're just keeping it real and jamming harder than anyone can jam. On their most recent release, Ouroboros, you can tell The Deadly Vipers mean business. The passion in their music is unmatched from the first track. We do think that "Déjà Blu" is a great introduction to their talent, but you should probably give the entire album a listen, because you'd be missing out otherwise. It's that good.

Misty Lyn & The Big Beautiful
3) "Halloween"
4) "Drowning's Better (with Your Friends)"

Misty Lyn &The Big Beautiful
(credit: https://mistylyn.bandcamp.com/ )

We could easily get creative with the fancy adjectives and other brilliant jargon to describe this folk singer/songwriter, but we're going to let this sophomore release by Misty Lyn & The Big Beautiful do the talking for us. False Honey, released in 2012, is 20% simple, folk delicateness, 80% lyrical-genius, and 100% tear-jerking. For those that aren't as quick with math (you can include us in that category), that means this album is 200% rip-your-heart-out fantastic. We may be partial to twangy guitar and deep, metaphorical lyricism, but can you blame us?! Misty Lyn is a captivating artist that has an amazing ability to transport you in time and space. False Honey feels like a field trip through Misty's life and the experiences and hardships she's encountered along the way. It's a fairy tale album that makes it easy to picture beautiful, organic scenery behind your eyes and remove you from the present. We can't wait to hear her LP, hopefully being released sometime this year. Thanks for sharing your talent with us, Misty, you've got us hooked and we hope you get well soon!

El Dee
5) "Last Half"
6) "Moon Eyes"

El Dee
(credit: http://el-dee.com/ )

It's hard to pick just one song when you love the entire album, isn't it? We're having that same problem with El Dee's debut album, Endearment, released in 2014. Lauren Deming fronts this laid-back, jazzy group. Her vocals are innocent, sweet and totally unique to her, while the instrumentation is a perfect homage to a time when speakeasies, red lipstick, and bobs were all the rage. Everything flows like butter as you coast through this album, there are no shocking instrumental surprises. We like to think of it as elevator music with a beautiful makeover. It's classy, sophisticated and upbeat, which makes for an A+ in our book. Deming's lyricism is unrivaled and quirky, with a hint of humor and quick-wit. We would say this album would be great on a sunny day when you have nothing to do but revel in the talent that is El Dee. This definitely falls in our top favorites. Check out their full release on Spotify!

Air Is The Arche
7) "Overexposed"
8) "In Dim Light"

Air is The Arche
(credit: http://airisthearche.bandcamp.com/)

Vocally-driven, beautifully written; Air is The Arche will provide you with the tunes you need to decompress and relax, carrying you far from whatever ails you. Kam Ogden fronts this group with her impressive range of vocal ability and delicate guitar strumming. We think you'll thoroughly enjoy their recent release, Overexposed, as it carries all the lovely acoustic sweetness with a few complimentary drum and bass lines sprinkled in for good measure. Each track is a little different than the last and keeps the album interesting, yet maintains that true personality that is Air is The Arche. The music is delicate and calming, but Ogden's voice has a subtle ferociousness within it that will give you the goosebumps. You can tell there's a lot of heart that goes into their music. It will flow through your headphones and into your ears, and you will be forever happy. We promise.

Lac La Belle
9) "Passing Arizona"
10) "Breezy Sunday"

Lac La Belle
(credit: Isabel Schillace)

Lake Beautiful. Lac La Belle is French (if you didn't already know that) and it's also a place in Michigan! What a coincidence! We all know that the mitten state is full of beauty, and surrounded by some of the best lakes in the country, so that makes this band's name pretty awesome (and relevant!). Aside from their clever choice in band names, Nick Schillace and Jennie Knaggs offer us their near perfect folk album, A Friend Too Long. This talented duo encompasses all that is natural, woody and serene with their rustic lyricism and complimentary vocals. As simple and stripped down as a lot of folk music can be, this album flips the script and incorporates pretty much every classical string instrument you can think of. You'll also hear the distinct sounds of bells, accordion, pump organ, and even children singing. Oh, the variety! These two gave their album its cozy sound by recording in a secluded cabin in the Upper Peninsula during the summer months, so it can't get more authentic than that. We admire their dedication to that raw and emotional folk sound and can't wait to hear what comes next!

Who's on YOUR playlist this week?

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