What’s love got to do with music? In the case of Veronica Lipgloss and the Evil Eyes, the primal urgency of love is articulated via their mystical and sometimes absurd performances. A cut above the plethora of mediocre indie-glam bands, Lipgloss takes the heat of early ’80s and ’90s goth and projects it into their own unique homage to kindred spirits like Lydia Lunch, Siouxsie And The Banshees and The Slits.

VLEE’s debut full-length, The Witch’s Dagger, on Sonny Kay’s Gold Standard Laboratories, takes the occult and twists it around in ways that mark the band as an isolated reservoir in a desert of Birthday Party-mimicking enthusiasts. “I feel the most prolific after I have experienced magical moments in life that are unordinary,” says singer/bassist Rhani Remedes. “Life’s weird turns and psychic events are the most inspiring to me.”

Few bands are as obsessed with clairvoyant phenomena as Lipgloss. After passing drummer Andrew Netboy in the street, vocalist Remedes instantly recognized his unique energy and asked him if he’d like to work with the now-forming circle. The other half of the band consists of youthful guitarist/saxophonist James Caperton, synth/bassist Krispy and an entourage of debauched dancers. “When I met everyone in the band, it was very mythical and spiritual,” states Remedes. “I think that that’s a big connection we all share. We all met each other through a sort of sixth sense.”

Having toured with Gravy Train!!! and shared the stage with acts like Lesbians on Ecstasy, Veronica Lipgloss and the Evil Eyes pride themselves on their live show. Surrounded by a harem of dancers, with the crowd encouraged to bleed to the beat while the band detoxes the woes of the world, their performances give new meaning to the term cathartic. Remedes herself has a unique description of their live aesthetic: “A dancer in neon green short-shorts doing leg push-ups on the sweaty, dirty floor. Someone breaking their heel after doing some crazy dance move that requires flipping around. Cathartic dancing. Head-throwing. Some sort of whirlwind and glitter.” Expect nothing short of divine intervention.