Dungeon-synth based out of Chicago!

In late 2014, Claire Boucher aka GRIMES announced that she had finished a new record, but after living with it for a bit she decided that it "sucked" so she scrapped it & started over. This dedication to her craft only made us like her more. GRIMES is unashamedly 'pop' but there's an artful quality to her whole image that definitely sets this apart from your Katy Perrys & Miley Cyruses. The thing that surprised us most about this record is how much it's rooted in rock music. There's a lot of guitar on it but like the rest of the music, it's heavily processed to give it that slick pop sound. It makes us think of YEAH YEAH YEAHS if they tried going full-on pop. If you're looking for the best example of expertly crafted electronic pop music in 2015/16, look no further, because this it.

Ex-RACHELS member RACHEL GRIMES delivers 'The Way Forth', a 2019 'folk opera'. Lush layers of voices and orchestrations in an experimental investigation of Kentucky women from 1775 to today.