South Florida is one of the principal locations for the reemerging screamo genre. A style of music coined from hardcore subcultures in the 1990s. This music is raw and emotionally charged, often atmospheric, often dissonant, yet melodic, with interesting dynamics binding it all.
The South Florida screamo scene offers hidden treasures everywhere and this year has been great for upcoming musicians. Many screamo bands like Pictures of Lucy, Sana, and For Odette have released easily accessible music with a genuinity that makes it less about being recognized and more about being witnessed for what this genre symbolizes: community, intimacy, and authenticity.
As a frequenter of local shows I’ve recognized that this scene is less about making it out, or making it big, but that many of these musicians are groups of friends who just want to share their craft with people who appreciate their work just as much.
Pictures of Lucy
Among these new artists, a band called Pictures of Lucy has grabbed my attention as their sound falls into the classicity of post-hardcore, and abandons chaoticism and replaces it with romantic dissonance.
Characterized by a non-commercial sound and a blend of genres like screamo, post-hardcore, and math-rock, their newly released EP “POL” is energetic, emotional, raw, yet possesses a dreamy and melodic atmosphere ideal for pensivity. Honestly, their music is not easy to describe, with influences from bands like Train Breaks Down, Toe, and American Football, Pictures of Lucy has brought structure to a unique blend of genres that differs from many other bands in the Miami and South Florida music scene. This predominately female three-piece is composed of drummer Isabel Perez-Benitez, Sophia Walsh as bassist, and Dylan Arafa on guitar and vocals. Promising us a release show soon, you can find them in flyers for shows typically organized by Equinox booking and you may check their pages respectively for any updates. @picturesoflucy.sfl on Instagram.
You can find their EP, released only last week, on most platforms including Spotify and Apple Music.
For Odette
For Odette’s aesthetic presence is noticeable in both their music and the manufacture of their art and merchandise. Bella Giraldo’s and Kalimah Richardson’s vocals have an elasticity in sound that alternates from quiet and melodic to powerfully loud during screams, while maintaining and toying with delicate femininity all throughout. Their music is a blend of post-hardcore, second wave emo, and screamo. Characterized by a poetic, raw, college radio sound that is easy to get lost into. Their new EP released on February 6 offers a pleasant 1990s-like journey and showcases their impressive ability to shift through genres. Their songs often start with poetic spoken word narratives, accompanied by melodic slow-core, and follow into a speedy 1990s noise rock buildups. The band is composed of vocalist and bassist Bella Giraldo, guitarist and vocalist Kalimah Richardson, Cristina Ameller as drummer, and Jordi Perbtani on guitar.
Some of the member’s musical influences include Braid, Unwound, Daitro, Slint, This Day Forward, with some contemporary bands like Crochet, I Hate Sex, and La Dispute. If this sounds like something that interests you I encourage you to check out their debut release “Pennant” available on Spotify, Bandcamp and other platforms.
