When I saw Nomi Ruiz performing with Hercules & Love Affair in December 2008 for the Nevereverland Festival, I was pretty mesmerized by her incredibly unique and rather androgynous voice. If any of you caught the shows you would have heard Ruiz performing the usually Antony-fronted “Blind” – you’ll also know then that Nomi’s version was JUST AS good as the original.

I was at the festival after-party at the now defunct Third Class (one year and nine days since it closed its doors) nightclub, and at one point at roughly around 2AM, Nomi Ruiz came strutting through the hallway entrance and through to the bar where I was standing. She was with one of her Hercules bandmates, and as she got to the bar, she threw her incredibly small purse on the ground and started to salsa dance in front of the bar.

I was in love.

Little did I know that she’s been busy with a project called Jessica 6. My good friend Patch (who’s behind the so-incredible-you-must-bookmark Waves At Night) brought the video clip for “Fun Girl” to my attention this morning and now I’m even MORE in love. In May last year, Jessica 6, comprising of Nomi Ruiz and two of her former Hercules & Love Affair tour band mates, released a double-A-side of sorts – the first track is the aforementioned subtle mid-tempo disco ROMPER, “Fun Girl.”

LOVE. (edit: Download the MP3 from here!)

And then there’s the flip-side, the surprising ballad, “Not Anymore.”

ALSO LOVE.

There’s no real murmurings of whether we’ll get an album this year but I’m hopeful. Will definitely be cheering these guys on in 2010.