The Golden Filter, one of the 3 bands taking 99th place in our latest Best of NYC Emerging Artist Poll, puts a hazy layer – you may say, for lack of better wording, some kind of "golden filter" – over their music. The synth lines channel a bit of disco, although we’re not talking "The Hustle" territory. It’s a throwback, not an homage. Penelope Trappe, the vocalist, is stuck in permanent femme-fatale mode; she half-whispers half-sighs her words over the sleek backing tracks. "Solid Gold," their lead single (it even references their band name!) is probably THE example of what The Golden Filter is all about. Retro synth lines, Trappes’ voice, and the melding of the two into a golden-tinted outlook on the world. – allison levin