Lucha Luna
Brilla Brilla
(Self-Released)

One of Seattle’s most interesting new groups, Lucha Luna consists of vocalist Eva Vazquez and percussionist/synth manipulator Thomas Arndt. You may know Arndt as percussionist for exceptional eclecticists Day Soul Exquisite and Vazquez for her time in Toxic Tears and Savi. On their debut album, Brilla Brilla, they team up for a tantalizing fusion of reggaeton, punk, cumbia, and EDM.

In a 2024 Slog post on Day Soul Exquisite, Arndt revealed their immersion in Brazilian music, and the intro to opening track “Ritmo Eternal” appears to contain an arresting riff on berimbau, a single-stringed Afro-Brazilian instrument that produces a wonderfully warped twang. Eventually, a beautifully eerie keyboard melody sparkles over a menacing yet celebratory rhythm and synth bass, as Vazquez sings in Spanish with steely resolve. Throughout these seven songs, she’s a commanding presence on the mic, ranging from punkish agitation to heart-fluttering featheriness. “Manzana Prohibida” is as exhilaratingly tense as PiL circa Metal Box, as Vazquez sings with a gripping urgency. On “Camino por la Noche,” unusual, metallic percussion timbres and ill Roland 303 blurges cohere into a vibrantly dirge-y cumbia white-knuckler. With its superb dynamics and arrangements, interesting array of instruments, and extranjero percussive timbres, “Camino por la Noche” exemplifies Lucha Luna’s specialness.

A lot of Latin-diaspora music sounds cloyingly cheerful (I know, it’s a me problem), but Lucha Luna add a welcome degree of edginess and distortion to these styles. They excel at threading post-punk darkness with Latin American rhythmic sabor. There just isn’t much in Seattle that sounds like Lucha Luna. ¡Respeto!

Black Viiolet
Dark Blue
(Adrenalin Fix)

Nicole Laurenne plays organ and sings with the Darts, a femme-powered Seattle quartet who kick garage rock into vibrant new life with fishnet-stocking-clad legs, as evidenced by their new album, Halloween Love Songs. But moonlighting as Black Viiolet, the multi-instrumentalist/songwriter goes off on a radical tangent into torch-song trip-hop.

Like an American Amy Whitehouse fronting a jazz-loving Morcheeba, Black Viiolet traipses into familiar territory, but she imbues Dark Blue’s songs with alluring mystique and lyrics informed by the ache of being away from your new lover while you’re doing something you love, i.e., touring. Laurenne wrote these 13 tracks in the Darts’ van while on the road, and you can feel the longing in them. Absence makes the words burn brighter.

Laurenne’s nuanced singing—which would make the late David Lynch stub out his cigarette with gusto and pay close attention—dominates, but her deft keyboard playing and beatmaking elevate the music to the top 10 percent of this overcrowded field. Drummer Gregg Ziemba, double bassist Evan Strauss, trombonist Basile Conand, trumpeter Jean-Gatien Pasquier, and saxophonist Paul Cadier fill out the noir-ish portraits with restrained, impressionist daubs and a soupçon of funk. The result makes any listener feel way more sophisticated and rich than they have a right to. Even Dwarves’ notorious hell-raiser Blag Dahlia appears on vocals and arrangement on a remix of the elegantly lubricious “One” and can’t break the enchanting spell.

Seattle-area musicians can send music to NewSeattleMusic@TheStranger.com for possible coverage.

Related

(In case you weren’t awake early today, photographer Theresa Arbow-O’Connor was)

Here are highlights for today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (where you’ll find even more – thanks again to everyone who sends events for us to share!):

PASSOVER … concludes today.

FREE PLAYSPACE: West Seattle Church of the Nazarene is hosting playspace today until noon. (42nd SW & SW Juneau)

SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE GARDEN CENTER: Whether you’re planting or planning – the center is open Thursdays-Saturdays 10 am-3 pm – north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.

TODDLER STORY TIME IN WESTWOOD: 10:30 am at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW).

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME IN ADMIRAL: 10:30 am at West Seattle Library (2306 42nd SW).

WEST SEATTLE UKULELE PLAYERS: From newbie to pro, all levels welcome at this weekly 1 pm gathering. Email westseattleukuleleplayerswsup@gmail.com to see where they’re playing today. (Even if you just want to know so you can go listen!) Probably C & P Coffee, we’re told (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor)

HIGH-SCHOOL SPORTS: Boys’ soccer with West Seattle HS vs. Rainier Beach at 4 pm at Walt Hundley Playfield (34th/Myrtle); softball with Chief Sealth IHS vs. Franklin at Nino Cantu SW Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle).

DROP-IN CHESS: High Point Library‘s weekly event is on today, 4-5:30 pm for players under 18. (3411 SW Raymond)

WEST SEATTLE ART WALK! Second Thursday means a celebration of art all around the peninsula, with most receptions running 5-8 pm. Here’s the venue list:

For highlights including which artists you’ll find showing their work tonight, at venues from Alki in the north to Gatewood in the south, browse this update!

HPCS FOOD-TRUCK VISIT: First of two Thursday night events at HPCS this week – every Thursday, 4-8 pm, Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW) gets a food-truck visit. Tonight it’s Pizza Maniac.”

WINE TASTING WITH CLARK: Another regular Thursday event at HPCS, 5-7:30 pm – info here.

HELP HARVEST FOOD: Puget Ridge Edible Park (18th/Brandon) needs volunteers to help harvest fresh food that will be donated to food banks (and you can take some home too). Just be there 5-7 pm!

WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: Open 5-8 pm for your tool-borrowing needs. (4408 Delridge Way SW, northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center)

VISCON CELLARS: This West Seattle winery’s friendly tasting room/wine bar is open Thursdays, 5-9 pm (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor), for wine by the glass or bottle! Tonight, it’s also a stop on the West Seattle Art Walk, as with every second Thursday.

POKEMON LEAGUE: 6 pm Thursdays at Fourth Emerald Games (4517 California SW, upstairs) – bring your own console.

WESTIES RUN CLUB: 6 pm, starting from Good Society (California SW and SW Lander), you’re welcome to join the Westies Run Club‘s Thursday night community run!

WALKING FOR WELL-BEING: If walking is more your speed, meet at 6 pm at 47th/Fontanelle for tonight’s group walk – details in our calendar listing.

WORDS, WRITERS, SOUTHWEST STORIES: 6 pm online – find out the history behind names, with historian Feliks Banel. Here’s how to get the link.

‘SOUND OF MUSIC’: Another chance to see West Seattle High School‘s production of the classic musical, 7 pm. Ticket info is in our calendar listing.

LIVE AT THE SKYLARK: TIGERS EYE, Ladyfingers, Summer Schoo, 7 pm, 21+, $10 cover. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

’90s TRIVIA: 7 pm at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW).

LIVE AT TIM’S: 7 pm, Eric Blu & the Soul Revue, all ages, no cover. (16th SW and SW 98th, White Center)

TRIVIA NIGHT AT THE VOID: A relatively new West Seattle trivia night! 7:30 pm, with prizes, at The Void (5048 California SW).

‘WALDEN’ AT ARTSWEST: 7:30 pm opening performance of ArtsWest‘s new play. (4711 California SW)

DJ AT REVELRY ROOM: Spinning happens tonight at Revelry Room (4547 California SW), with DJ Supreme La Rock starting at 8 pm. 21+.

Are you planning an event that should be on our calendar and in our daily preview lists? Please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!