You’re having a social evening with friends, perhaps sipping on a glass of Apothic and listening to your favourite music. Perfect combo. Like wine knowledge, music knowledge today is a form of “social currency,” so we’re letting you know about four female musicians that you should seriously consider making room for on your playlist…
Elena Tonra:
Elena Tonra is the frontwoman of British indie-folk band Daughter. Formed in 2010, the band was originally the solo vocal and guitar work of Tonra, but is now a trio with the addition of guitarist Igor Haefeli and drummer Remi Aguilella. After releasing three EPs in 2010 and 2011, they were signed by 4AD and released their first full-length album, If You Leave, in March 2013. We guarantee you’ll be a quick fan of Tonra’s pure and resonating melodies and acoustic ballads.
Grimes:
You’ve probably heard of Grimes by now. The Montreal native has found her way onto the Canadian music scene with a distinctly different sound. She was nominated as “breakthrough artist of the year” at the 2013 Juno Awards in March and took home “electronic album of the year” for her innovative “Visions.” Her songs are unique and transcend genres, but can be described as pop influenced by a broad range of styles, like R&B, industrial, goth, hip-hop and Western medieval organum. Perhaps most impressive about Grimes is the fact that she had very minimal experience with music before the age of 18. The 25-year-old is also known for her alternative style and recently talked fashion during the MTV Music Awards pre-show as part of MTV’s annual Red Carpet Report. Just when you think you’ve figured her out, she’ll pull something like this at the coveted Boiler Room.
Nina Kraviz:
Nina Kraviz has everyone in the house and techno community talking as the stunning DJ/Producer has shot to stardom seemingly overnight. The Siberian native moved to Moscow and began producing music in 2008, and had her first release ‘Voices’ on the Underground Quality imprint in 2009. Around the same time, Kraviz began to make a name for herself on Moscow’s elite nightlife scene, spinning in some of the city’s most popular bars and clubs. This led to a two-year stint running a very well-known Friday night party at one of the most respected clubs in Russia, Propaganda. Perhaps you recall hearing about her back in March, when a racy video profile on her, Between the Beats: Nina Kraviz, triggered a heated social media discussion of feminism and sexuality in electronic music.
Elle Dee:
As a teen, Sao Paolo native Elle Dee would team up with her sister to DJ rock-and-roll parties. She soon hit New York City and landed gigs in Lower East Side rock bars within weeks of moving to the city. Since then, the striking 30-year-old has DJ’d in NYC’s hottest clubs, worked with various designers during Fashion Week, and opened for rock bands such as Iggy Pop, The Black Keys, Guns N’ Roses, The Kills, The Dead Weather, Courtney Love, and Crystal Castles – just to name a few. Elle’s residencies include some of our favourite spots to hit up while in NYC, like Electric Room at The Dream Hotel, The Standard Hotel’s Boom Boom Room & Le Bain, Le Baron NY & Le Tigre Paris, Surf Lodge, and No. 8. Elle is currently involved in a super top-secret band that is about to hit the scene in a very big way…
Whatever your music style, these ladies are definitely worth checking out – we guarantee you’ll hear and see a lot more of them.
Cover Image: Tumblr