Last fall, Detroit ensemble Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas issued their latest collection of compelling, dynamic songs with the EP Demons. The near-perfect five-track release is perhaps the group’s most impactful effort yet, seamlessly blending classic Soul, slanted AltRock and dark and shadowy gypsy/cabaret sounds into an aural mélange that suggests a supergroup starring Janelle Monáe, Dap-Kings, ZZ Ward and Gogol Bordello.
Such a blend of styles wouldn’t seem like something fitting for mainstream radio, but that’s perhaps Hernandez and Co.’s greatest trick — even with all the clashing influences, there is a strong Pop undercurrent that pulls everything together and makes the songs instantly memorable. Demons is a precursor to Hernandez and the Deltas’ forthcoming full-length due this summer. The Yugos open.
10 p.m. Thursday. Free. Northside Tavern, 4163 Hamilton Ave., Northside, 513-542-3603, northside-tavern.com.
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 6, 2014.