Best Progressive Pop Act

After first meeting at an East Atlanta house show in 2013, CLAVVS singer/songwriter Amber Renee and producer Graham Marsh used their shared love for pop and Atlanta’s trap music production to jump-start their electrified modern psychedelia. This year’s mesmerizing debut EP Halfblood combines dance beats on codeine with a gothic atmosphere. “Cover it with sugar and then feed it to ’em slow/If they spit it out, open up their mouths/Shove it down their throats,” Renee sings in “Throats.” Marsh is a four-time Grammy winner, and has made a career from working with artists like Janet Jackson, CeeLo Green, and T.I. Renee has been singing her whole life. Yet despite their obvious mainstream appeal, the duo stay true to the ominous musical terrain that fascinates them both. CLAVVS’ eerie pop soundscapes are fitting for soirees and séances alike. www.soundcloud.com/clavvsatl. less...