Pinc Louds’ lead singer, Claudi (all pronouns accepted), moved from Puerto Rico to NYC in 2015 to fulfill their dream of playing in the subway. This immersion into the city’s underground, performing daily for a steady stream of New Yorkers, sculpted the sound and look of the project.

Through the “litteral” underground, Claudi met the musicians (keyboard/bassist Marc Mosteirin and drummer Matt Dallal) and other artists that would turn Pinc Louds into the full-blown spectacle they are today. Busking in the parks and tunnels opened many doors for the band, who quickly gained a cult following and by 2018 were selling out shows in such NYC venues as (le) Poisson Rouge, Market Hotel and Joe’s Pub, as well as tours throughout the US, Puerto Rico, Europe and Chile.

Their music blends punk energy and crooner-style singing with elements of psychedelic folk, art-rock, Caribbean and electronic music to create a sound that is as exciting as it is unique. Their influences include such diverse artists as Pixies, Billie Holiday, Daniel Johnston, Cortijo y su Combo and Animal Collective.

In 2020, with venues closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Pinc Louds began playing regularly at Tompkins Square Park in the East Village. These physically-distanced shows gained popularity and brought together a community hungry for music, joy and human connection. They were hailed as the band that “saved summer” by ABC News and Gothamist and “NYC’s best imaginary band” by The Village Voice.  The magic created in these outdoor shows can be seen in this video for their song “Spellbound”.

Self-proclaimed as an “imaginary band”, Pinc Louds adds to the live music experience by making their shows a participatory adventure. Traveling inside giant subway puppets, reviving atomic mutants, chanting spells to a Watermelon God, as well as dance contests and prizes are all things you might expect at one of their immersive concerts.

The puppets, created by Jamie McGann, Madison Berg and Jamie Emerson, can best be described as “magical garbage”. Exquisitely made out of found and recycled materials, mattress foam, cardboard, pvc pipes, and other rejected wonders of the modern world.

In 2022, after a mental breakdown, Claudi quit music for one year. A brief hospitalization and a subsequent job rejection from Trader Joes propelled Claudi to continue making art and music. Pinc Louds returned to the streets in 2023 with their most raw, vulnerable and unhinged songs to date. They also left behind the wig and high speaking-voice which had been a part of Claudi’s persona since the beginnings of the band. This newfound sense of honesty sparked the songs that comprise their newest album, You Can’t Eat the Moon and Be a Werewolf Too. It is music you can dance and crumble to at the same time. A party in the ward. A shout to the Heavens… A kiss to the Hells.

If you’ve seen partygirl’s name before, the word “maximalist” is never far behind. Since bandleader Pagona Kytzidis formed the group in 2021, the kinetic six-piece has amassed a cult following for their relentless, inventive music. Whether you’re attending partygirl’s cathartic, emotional shows or discovering their new music online, you’ll find that the band is equally likely to enter a soaring chorus as they are an earthshaking breakdown. Listen past the pyrotechnics and you’ll hear the energy of scrappy upstarts with the sharp songwriting to match their brute force strength.

In partygirl, everyone stands out at once— producer/guitarist Francesca Pastore’s pop-punk riffs, drummer Jonathan Ashley’s jam band rigor, violinist Claire Lin Jenkins’s orchestral grandeur, Andrew Jordan’s slinking bass, and saxophonist Jenna Love’s jazz roots. At the center of the sound is Kytzidis’s booming alto, equally influenced by Freddie Mercury as it is by Fiona Apple. Kytzidis started partygirl to confront and process an ascent into adulthood littered with gendered conflict, systemic violence, a global pandemic, and political instability. She conducts the band with the Greek word “parrhesia” as a lodestar: Speaking truth to power, whatever the risks. Kytzidis spent years perfecting her lyrics and songwriting, every line and chord intentionally crafted for maximum impact.

Their debut record,I’m so charming, I forgot who I was, is the culmination of years fine-tuning and road-testing music, but it’s just the beginning for this immensely promising band. Theatrical, eccentric, and vulnerable all at once, it’s a wildly successful first effort from a band overflowing with creativity.