Jessica 6

Appropriately named after a character in the 1976 hyper-sexual movie Logan's Run, the music of Jessica 6, is nothing short of sultry. The band is fronted by Nomi Ruiz, formerly of Hercules and the Love Affair. Nomi met band-mates Andrew Raposo and Morgan Wiley (both of the former Automato) while touring with Hercules and the Love Affair. Antony Hegarty from Antony and the Johnsons has also collaborated with Hercules and the Love Affair, most notably on the song "Blind" which was awarded Pitchfork's Best Song of 2008.

Jessica 6 play eerily mesmerizing disco; nostalgic for the seedy dance underground of the 70's while remaining totally current and that much more intriguing. While Hercules and the Love Affair boasted a more electro-disco sound, Jessica 6 plays around with a psychedelic feel and a Blues tonality which when paired with their disco beats, makes for a dizzyingly clever aftermath.

I was lucky to catch their SXSW show at Malverde, which was incredible. So much of this bands live presence is Nomi. She has a pungent sexuality, making it impossible to not stay glued to her as she moves across stage. Her femininity is intense and intoxicating. Drawing inspirations from Debby Harry, Mary J Blige and Lauren Hill, Nomi's voice is as complex and rich as they get. In songs like "Not Anymore," Nomi's R&B vocals pour languidly over the simple yet spooky piano until a perfectly placed break, and then come back in accompanied by the piano and a twangy guitar lick, sounding like the arrival of a Tarantino heroine out for revenge. The song is emotional and fierce, far from a gushy ballad. Then there is the disco-goth feel of the song Fun Girl, which showcases some good range in Nomi's vocals. The song starts with Nomi singing trance-y moans in a much higher register and then dips down into a lower more breathy tone for the lyrics. What I like most about Jessica 6 is that it evokes the New York that once was, and makes you wish that it still was.