17 female musicians from metro Detroit you need to be listening to right now

By Metro Times editorial staff on Fri, Apr 13, 2018 at 10:11 pm

OK — so there are way more than these 17 sonic sirens hailing from Detroit and beyond. But we think this list is one hell of a start. From trap to transcendental, pure pop perfection and patriarchy-dismantling punk, this bevy of badass babes are femme forces you need to have on your radar.

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Dear Darkness
Stacey MacLeod and Samantha Linn are distressed to impress, sharing their wonderfully warped worldview as post-punk kitsch queens Dear Darkness. Think David Lynch meets Leslie Gore.
Photo via Facebook/ Dear Darkness

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DeJ Loaf
You might remember Dej Loaf from her 2014 YouTube hit “Try Me.” Soon she was featured on Eminem’s massive “Detroit Vs. Everybody” and was later invited to join Nicki Minaj on tour. Last year she teased the release of her debut record, Liberated, with the single “No Fear.” Prepare for blast-off, because Dej she hasn’t even gotten started yet.
Photo via Instagram / @dejloaf

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Double Winter
This dreamy, avante-garde four-piece is made up of metro Detroiters Holly Johnson (vocals and bass), Morgan McPeak (drums), Augusta Morrison (electric violin), and Vittorio Vettraino (guitar). The band's ability to meld each other's musical preferences and playing styles introduces a much-needed fresh perspective to the indie-sphere, merging surf and garage-rock sounds.
Photo via Facebook / Double Winter

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Eliza Godfrey
Maybe you’ve seen Eliza Godfrey slinging drinks at the temporarily disabled UFO Factory, or perhaps her karaoke renditions of Harry Nilsson’s “Without You” or “Crazy on You” by Heart have stopped you mid-selfie. Regardless of your six-degrees of separation, the fact is that there’s only one Eliza — and her voice is in-fucking-credible.
Photo via Instagram / @elizagodfrey

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Girl Fight
Fuck the patriarchy with Detroit drone duo Girl Fight. Ellen Cope (drums, vocals) and Jacob Boyle (guitar, vocals) keep it old school with their fuzzy, angst-heavy punk. Having released their debut EP Fight Back earlier this year, Girl Fight will knock you out.
Photo via Facebook / Girl Fight

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Honey Monsoon
Honey Monsoon knows a thing or two about being sweet and smooth. The ambient jazz outfit couples traditional elements with a modern twist. The five-piece performs with a live painter, making the group a cut above the rest.
Photo via Facebook/ Honey Monsoon

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Jena Irene Asciutto
American Idol runner-up Jena Irene Asciutto is far deeper than her mainstream reality TV roots. The 2017 Metro Times cover girl blew us away with her under-appreciated debut album, Cold Fame .
Photo via Instagram/ By Doug Coombe

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Tart
Equal parts glitz and glam, angsty power pop trio Tart is a major force thanks to frontwoman Zee Bricker. Bricker’s snarly, sweet vocals paired with Adam Michael Lee Padden’s rollicking guitar, and former Von Bondies drummer Donny Blum’s bombastic style result in a femme fatale frenzy.
Photo via Facebook/By Dan Cox

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Shells (Shelley Salant)
No one can shred like Shelley Salant can shred. She’s backed her share of bands and is always willing to lend her hands to a project. It is her solo work, Shells, that is the most haunting. Without vocals, Salant is able to weave a story with nothing but her six string and a loop pedal.
Photo via Facebook/ By Doug Coombe

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Tiny Jag
Detroit’s own trap diva, Tiny Jag is just skimming the surface of her greatness. Take her single “Uh Yut” for example. Or better yet, watch the video. With grit, grime, and all around fabulousness, Tiny Jag is destined to be trap royalty.
Photo via Instagram / @tinyjag

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Shortly
Twenty-one-year-old Alexandria Maniak went to the studio last summer to record what would be her first single as her moniker Shortly, what surfaced was completely unexpected — and it just so happened to land her a record deal with New York indie label Triple Crown Records. Maniak's breathy and fraught siren-esque vocals invite comparisons to artists like Anna Ash or Lana Del Rey and has landed her recent opening gigs for Phoebe Bridgers and the Decemberists. This summer, Shortly will perform at MoPop, and the girl doesn’t even have a record out yet.
Photo via Facebook/ By Kris Herrmann

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VNESSWOLFCHILD
Synthpop meets interactive ritual healing performance art. One could assume VNESSWOLFCHILD is unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard. Think Bjork on peyote, VNESSWOLFCHILD integrates explorative elements that invites listeners to absolve their suffering. Oh, and the music is really fucking good, too.
Photo via Facebook/ VNESSWOLFCHILD

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Soft Location
The “soft” in Soft Location might suggest that the melodic, contemporary rock outfit is, well, soft. The Kathy Leisen-fronted group is tender, sure, but the band's dreamy, hazy, atmospheric sound is a bit more challenging. For that reason, Soft Location should be your next sonic destination.
Photo via Facebook/ Soft Location

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Summer Like The Season
Fronted by drummer Summer Krinsky, Summer Like The Season is the epitome of art rock. Dizzy and atmospheric, SLTS marries poppy vocals and disorientating funk beats, and soundscapes that call to mind, well, summer — but one that lasts beyond September.
Photo via Facebook/ Summer Like The Season

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Virginia Violet and the Rays
Virginia Violet and the Rays are a bit of a sonic spectacle. Lead by Virginia Violet and her time-warping vocals, the nine-piece Motown revivalists aim to bring 1966 Detroit into the present with seamless resolve.
Photo via Facebook/ Virginia Violet and the Rays

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Sonya Alvarez
DJ Sonya Alvarez isn’t fucking around: Her beats are rooted in a transcendent astral plane. Though ambient is her wheelhouse, so is dropping the beat so hard you have no choice but to move accordingly.
Photo via Facebook/ Sonya Alvarez

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WOMB
With songs like “No Means Fuck Off” and “Christina Aguilera Will Have Her Revenge," socio-political intersectional feminist hardcore band WOMB is going to destroy the patriarchy. War on man babies (yeah, that’s what WOMB stands for) offers a fresh take on traditional punk.
Photo via Facebook/ WOMB

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