Local multimedia collective and label Feeltrip has carved out a niche releasing music by outre indie-pop bands and far-out dance artists, including one group who do a great job bridging those worlds: Pixel Grip. The Chicago three-piece meld indie-pop songwriting with electronic music’s insistent, seemingly infinite grooves; the tunes on their new debut, Heavy Handed, sound like they were made to start mosh pits in grimy rock clubs and get people sweating at all-night dance parties in unfinished lofts. Front woman Rita Lukea sings with a mischievous edge that helps the band’s sprawling, glistening synths and rumbling percussive patterns suggest both dreams and nightmares—and even a subtle shift could produce a dramatic swing in either direction.The joyous, sweltering single “Diamonds” pairs crystalline melodies with an irresistible thump so perfectly that you’ll wonder how you ever spent a summer night without it. v
Chicago trio Pixel Grip twist indie-pop and dance into sultry sounds
