Band: ARROWS OF ATHENA Who: Cinematic Boston alt-rock duo – Jac-Lyn Gibson (vocals, visuals, and storytelling) and Scott Lerner (guitar, bass, synth, drum programming, and engineering) – echo the past with a modern tenacity.
Press info: “Gibson was recently turned on to the story of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot, a French widow who in the early 1800s took over her husband’s wine business.
Proving her worth and defying patriarchal constraints of the era, Ponsardin eventually became known as Madame Clicquot, the “Grande Dame of Champagne,” and her famous pink bubbly, Veuve Clicquot, is still, to this day, consumed around the world.”
Gibson: “It’s said that comets crashed into the vineyard one evening and, although everyone was convinced the grapes were no longer usable, she was certain it would help with the flavor of the wine.
After many failed attempts, her ‘wine’ became popular among the elite and people would
travel quite a distance for a taste of her pink bubbly wine. The story is fascinating and a
true testament of what women can overcome in times of despair.”
TUTV: Electrifying layers of guitars and Gibson‘s avid vocals star in this new exuberant electro-pop whirlwind, while non-stop bass/drum riffs/beats pump up the jam. Fasten
your seatbelts, and be ready for this sonic collision. A superb bottle of champagne waiting for you at the end of this mousseux ride. Santé.
Artists: ARROWS OF ATHENA Who: Cinematic Boston alt-rock duo – Scott Lerner (guitars, bass,
synths, recording) and Jac-Lyn Gibson (vocals, lyrics, visuals), who
released their swirling debut album The Ghost Archives last year.
Track: ABANDONED LOVE
Their first new music since the LP.
Press info: Abandoned Love and all its glitzy ambition picks up right at the prior beat.
At its white-hot core, it’s a song about connection; a love song for modern-day chaos,
a celebration of an intimate relationship in impersonal times, and how the bond that we share with the one we love is often enough to weather all of life’s never-ending storms
and stresses.
Gibson: “The concept of our busy lives and coming home to one another at the end
of the day just spilled out of me. I think it’s a great testament to how love, although
sometimes abandoned, can conquer all.
The song has the rock edge, with my love for a good pop hook, some sexy lyrics,
that I hope won’t embarrass my kids! – and a dancey beat. What could go wrong?!”
TUTV:Abandoned Love is a disco-beat-stoked showpiece. An orchestral,
towering, and catchy rock titillation that triggers your aural attention in
an eye/ear blink. Gibson‘s full-hearted vocals star upfront. Yes, genuine love has
a vigorously rescuing passionateness. Embrace this overpowering tour de force. It rocks!
Unquestionable standout from the Irish indie
stars’ much applauded 4th LP Romance.
TUTV: Intense jam, rollin’ on with a bone-chilling flow and
frontman Grian Chatten raps all over it with his characteristic
uptight parlando and grasping for his breath every time the
refrain comes on.
Part of their upcoming 5-track EP
that’ll land early next year.
“Progress is a song about changing places, people and times.”
TUTV: Epic. Grandiose. Staggering. Amplified guitar-pop at its mind-blowing best.
One of those not-everyday puissant killer tracks overwhelms your emotions
from the first spin.
Piece from their forthcoming second longplayer, baptized Never Exhale. It’ll hit the streets on 25 January 2025.
TUTV: Taximan does your head in the way we, brainbangers, like it.
Bam Bang Boom. No mercy for the wicked. Manic mayhem as usual.
You’d better check out if Robert ‘Travis’ De Niro is behind the wheel
before taking a cab.
The song is about rediscovering old lovers after a night out from disco(theque) to disco(theque), with references to The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan and his excessive
drinking, and a legendary Belgian crooner.
TUTV: Full steam ahead from the get-go. All engines on. Decibels up, amps up.
The breakneck speed and the relentless synth/percussion riff make your head
spin 360°. I dare you to catch up with this missile all the way.
Band: LAMBRINI GIRLS Who: A two-motor punk bulldozer from Brighton, UK who have built
a notorious reputation over the past 2 years, on record and on stage.
Cut from the duo’s upcoming debut LP Who Let The Dogs Out. Out next year, on
January 10.
TUTV: Without a shadow of a loud doubt, one of the grrrlz’s best stormers so far.
An amazeballs wall-of-nasty-guitar/bass hullabaloo, a ruthless octopus drummer
and Phoebe‘s best vocals. Hell-tastic.
‘True love is nothing more than the wrong hill to die on”.
TUTV: The jaw-dropping vitality these volcanic Irish beatniks develop here is off the charts. They build a near-unbearable tension and explode insanely, time after time, along the rough ride. Vocalist/songwriter Karla Chubb knows terrifically well how to double your adrenalin production.
TUTV: Dog Dribble operates somewhere between Yard Act and Sleaford Mods.
Its limbs-activating groove is simply irresistible. Get up, stand up, and fight
for your right to bounce up and down like mad.
Band: FAT DOG Who:South London-based gang that made thousands
and ‘true love is nothing more than the wrong hill to die on”.
thousands of ears go bonkers with their first-rate debut
longplayer Woof.
TUTV: A ballistic disco-punk whopper to end and start all (il)legal
raves with. When the huge orchestral injections blast out of your
vibrating speakers you know that these misfits are your new
favorite dogs. Hallelujah!
One of the stellar singles from their
new, third, album Insight.
TUTV: Drums and bass team up for an incessantly beat that carries
this instantaneously infectiuos trip, along with a magnetizing Cure-esque guitar riff that gets you in a trance.
Truly hypnotizing from start to finish with velvety vocals
and darkwavish synths in the back adding a twilight tone.
TUTV: No, this is not a New Order song but it could easily be one, actually a stellar one. Summer Breeze sparkles from the very start to finish with scintillating guitar riffs, zealous percussion, shiny synths and Gibbard‘s eager vocals. It’s a pure pop pearl for all seasons.
Artists: ARROWS OF ATHENA (Boston, MA) Who: A pandemic project that found its two main players – multi-instrumentalist and producer Scott Lerner and vocalist and lyricist Jac-Lyn Gibson – reuniting after the latter spent some time away from music, Arrows of Athena are crafting a distinct sound on
their own terms, bridging usually disparate ends of the pop and rock spectrum for an illuminated sound of big dance beats, heavy riffs, and melodic intensity.
On this song the duo explores the mental and emotional work required
for a successful marriage, and how we’re often careless with love.
TUTV: I’m quite sure that Arrows Of Athena are huge fans of former Swedish glam and glitter pop duo Roxette. The bliss and blitz at play on Reckless Heart is sonically similar. Sizzling guitars, battering drums/bass grooves, sensuous vocals and a peppy chorus combine here for a power pop pearl that flames lustrously. Orchestral melodiousness, fiery 90s spirit, and musical. An invigorating joyride.
TUTV: This is a psychedelic shoegaze stunner, a multi-layered symphony
propelled by about a thousand guitars, a mindboggling bass riff, and combative
drums, while Rebecca Dow‘s ghostly vocals come from another galaxy.
TUTV: What’s in store for humankind. Nuclear war or peace and free love?
Or will we be just another brick in the wall? Whatever happens, never stop
pirouetting yourself dizzy to Leg Puppy.
We don’t need your education
We don’t need no your thought control
TUTV: The most energetic, exciting, pizzazy band around. Cooking on record and on stage. Sultry garage rock for party animals. This is my absolute favorite of this years Boomerang LP. Chipper tune.
TUTV: Think Cypress Hill fronted by Zack de la Rocha, rattling like
a rapid-fire riot-gun. An avid anthem that celebrates freedom and
invites you to shout along while pumping your fists in the air.
TUTV:Hallelujah rages against the anti-LGBTQ
haters with knives between their teeth and an
unstoppable drive.
“To express oneself, now expressly forbidden/ That’s a spiritual hell, that’s
a new prohibition/ And they’ll boil you down to reproductive function/ When
they see you as a vessel and not as a person!”
Track: Anna Save A Life
. TUTV: A manic motherrocker from a duo who sound as a 4-motor hit-and-run team. Riff-o-rama all the way while bashing drums do your head in. Garage punk ‘n’ roll at its filthy best. Call your own Anna and challenge the anti-decibels police.
TUTV: Wham bloody wham bam. Expect a sharp-splitting punk rock juggernaut. Amps up and full steam ahead. No rest for the wicked with this razor-blade cutting, head over heels bombshell spiced with sneering vocals. Wham bloody wah-wah guitars bam. Scrunched Up Fist hits your face really hard. Hurry-scurry stroke.
Band: SOFT SKIES INC Who: Philadelphia-based identical-twin duo and longtime musical confidants Ryan and Martin Rex, their shared sonic compass draws a straight line from the
classic alternative of their youth to the modern alternative and dream-pop of
today.
A song of hope, riding those tender waves of nostalgia, understanding that a loss of innocence comes with age but that we emerge from the other side with newfound perspective and awareness.
Melodic guitar pop at its Sebadoh best. Uptempo shoe-slacker-gaze
spiced with scintalling synths and ethereal vocals. Start dreaming in
overdrive.
TUTV: Just Like Everybody Else is a glorious, full-orchestrated pop gem, that transfers you in an eye/ear blink to a sonic dreamland with its affecting melodiousness, riveting chorus and warm-hearted vocals. Three highly-entertaining minutes and twenty seconds with Spielmann
Band: THE DIRTY THREE (Australia) Who: Australian experimental, instrumental band
from Australia, featuring bad seed and close Nick
Cave collaborator Warren Ellis.
Artists: ARROWS OF ATHENA (Boston, MA) Who: Boston-based duo – multi-instrumentalist/producer Scott Lerner and vocalist/lyricist Jac-Lyn Gibson – who craft a distinct sound on their own terms, bridging usually disparate ends of the pop and rock spectrum for an illuminated sound of big dance beats, heavy riffs, and melodic intensity.
Artists: ARROWS OF ATHENA (Boston, MA) Who: Boston-based duo – multi-instrumentalist/producer Scott Lerner and vocalist/lyricist Jac-Lyn Gibson – who craft a distinct sound on their own terms, bridging usually disparate ends of the pop and rock spectrum for an illuminated sound of big dance beats, heavy riffs, and melodic intensity.
Jac-Lyn Gibson: “I wanted to tell the story of what a family goes through when faced with a terminal diagnosis and the journey it takes you on. Unfortunately, I think a lot of our listeners have gone through a similar situation or can at least relate to receiving devastating news about a loved one. I think everyone has a Gary and although it’s a tragic story, I didn’t want him to be forgotten. Music is very healing and this one really helped me to process what he was going through and how my sister’s family was processing this heavy blow. It really shook our family.”
TUTV: Insanity is the opener of AOA’s notable guitar-pop juiced debut LP The Ghost Archives that came out in April (you can stream/buy it below).
It’s both a haunting and evocative burst with a poignant impact as if they
want to channel their sorrow and pain, following the loss of a beloved one,
with a liberating cryout.
If I didn’t know better, I would have been be certain
that Garbage‘s wonderful Shirley Manson is the vocalist
The new accompanying video is a visual, animated spectacle.
Artists: ARROWS OF ATHENA (Boston, MA) Who: A pandemic project that found its two main players – multi-instrumentalist and producer Scott Lerner and vocalist and lyricist Jac-Lyn Gibson – reuniting after the latter spent some time away from music, Arrows of Athena are crafting a distinct sound on
their own terms, bridging usually disparate ends of the pop and rock spectrum for an illuminated sound of big dance beats, heavy riffs, and melodic intensity.
TUTV: AOA came on my musical radar for the first time with their swirling Roxette-esque single Reckless Heart from their brisk debut LP The Ghost Archives which came out last month (you can stream/buy the album below).
Ahead of tomorrow’s MotherDay the Boston duo dropped another upbeat cracker
from the longplayer. Jac-Lyn Gibson‘s wrote this song specifically for her daughter Gwen, but the sentiment of unconditional love and affection can be appreciated by anyone who has had a special person come into their life and immediately change everything about it.
Cure For Everything goes out to everyone — the mothers, the fathers, those who loved,
and those who lost, and we hope it provides a sweet reminder about the indelible impact those we adore have on us. It’s a universal love song. One that should be played around the world, especially where horrible wars are destroying lives every single day.
Superb track from Ride‘s new superb album Interplay
It starts with Mark Gardner‘s starry-eyed vocals glistering over a poppy mid-tempo soundscape. At the 3-minute mark, the song fades out with subtle piano touches but restarts for a psychedelic, multi-layered wall-of-orgastic sound finale.
These British indie upstarts take you on a bouncy ride with
this jagged juggernaut from their upcoming debut LP.
Enrage Engage is a roaring roller coaster ride, going forth and back, left and right,
circling around a pulsating Yard Act like groove that gets under your skin without
asking, while the song derails in different surprising, up and down directions, now
and then.
Don’t miss these young bloodthirsty dogs, they’re going places.
Another supersonic gender sucker-punch from Brighton‘s riotous feminist punk duo fury.
They slash, trash, and smash with unbridled vigour and biting zing. Not your typical girls.
7. ‘Something To Fight For’ by TYPHOID ROSIE (Brooklyn, NY)
Photo: Janier De Jesus, via Typhoid Rosie
It’s the first single off their, forthcoming 5th LP, called Last Words. It lands on June 21. More info here.
As we experienced before Typhoid Rosie always storm full steam ahead from
the kick-off until the very last rollicking riff. This punked-up, harmonious chant
with its sickly sticky refrain triggers your best zigzagging moves.
Expect 122 seconds of afire party fuel peppered with Rosie Rebel‘s
combative rawk’ n roll vocality and vociferous pizzaz.
I’m quite sure that AOA are huge fans of former Swedish glam and glitter pop duo Roxette. The bliss and blitz at play on Reckless Heart is sonically similar. Sizzling guitars, battering drums/bass grooves, sensuous vocals and a peppy chorus combine here for a power pop pearl that flames lustrously. Orchestral melodiousness, fiery 90s spirit, and musical.
10. ‘Just Like Everybody Else’ by SPIELMANN (Leeds, UK)
Photo credit: Thandiwe Zivengwa
This song will feature on his debut EP, titled ‘Fifteen Minutes With Spielmann’, and landing
on 31 May.
This is glorious, full-orchestrated pop, that transfers you in an eye/ear blink to a sonic dreamland with its affecting melodiousness, riveting chorus and warm-hearted vocals. Three minutes and twenty seconds with Spielmann sounding not like everybody else.
“The song and video have been largely informed by the unfolding events in Gaza. Body Bags looks at humanity turning in on itself. For all the beauty & harmony in the world, we are chaotic by nature – violent and cruel to our own. It explores the human condition and our ability to inflict pain and suffering upon the most vulnerable.”
Producer Owls shares his thoughts about the dramatic Gaza fiasco with
a disturbing techno twister that sounds like an ultimate alarm alert.
Get up, stand up, and fight for your right to go out, and do it with
these Boston beatniks. They make your pelvis shake and swing with
some riff-infused rock ‘n’ roll while Avril Lavigne‘s chick alter ego,
named Jennifer Tefft, as your vocal guide.
A previously unreleased album, named Insurrection by the late Brooklyn born master of minimalism ALAN VEGA (1938-2016), half
of proto-punk duo Suicide, comes out on May 31st.
Ahead of the release comes this taster, called Mercy.
Uncanny percussion, ghostly vocals, and other-worldly
vibes.
Expect a captivating bluesy and moony slice of music that grows slowly but
surely in ardency and fervency along its Springsteen-esque strumming way. Wistful
and impassioned alternating/duet vocals flow upfront and lead us, beat by beat,
into a glowing and electrical finale.
Lonely Little Kitsch do it their own Fleetwood grunge way.
Start spreading rumours about this enthralling duo and
this new notable score.
Following last month’s frolicsome song Anna Madonna, Blansjaar entertains our ears again with this topnotch tune.
It’s a folky, sickly sticking, jangly earworm with Blansjaar
laid-back vocals rollin’ all over it.
“My face looks like I spent the night with Freddie Krueger”.
From the band’s new forthcoming longplayer, titled Broken Hearted Blue, out on June 14. Pre-order info here.
Country Americana at its romantic and heavy-hearted best. Heart-and-soul vocals and easy-going, lovey-dovey vibes for the midnight hours. Wurlitzer jukeboxes were invited
to play this kind of lullaby in bars where the lonely gather for some companion.
The opening piece from this Swiss poppy shoegazers
brand new 5-track EP, titled Hide And Seek.
Crystalline vocals, soothing resonance with warm synths and glimmering guitar play.
A sWeet little, soft-hearted ballad. Think The Sundays fronted by the wonderful Harriet Wheeler
Shoegazy dream pop musing from Seadog‘s upcoming LP Internal Noise, out 15 May.
Harmonious vocals, fanciful sonority, bedazzling guitar solo, and a head-in-the-clouds chorus combine for a top effort.
Artists: ARROWS OF ATHENA (Boston, MA) Who: A pandemic project that found its two main players – multi-instrumentalist and producer Scott Lerner and vocalist and lyricist Jac-Lyn Gibson – reuniting after the latter spent some time away from music, Arrows of Athena are crafting a distinct sound on
their own terms, bridging usually disparate ends of the pop and rock spectrum for an illuminated sound of big dance beats, heavy riffs, and melodic intensity.
New single: RECKLESS HEART
2nd shared piece from their upcoming debut LP, named
‘The Ghost Archives’ and set for released on April 26 via Belhaven Records.
On this song the duo explores the mental and emotional work required
for a successful marriage, and how we’re often careless with love.
Jac-Lyn Gibson: “‘Reckless Heart’ is just the kind of song that no matter what genre
you’re into, it just pulls you in right from the beginning. It has some rock, a little pop,
and I’m obsessed with the overall ‘90s throwback sound of it. I’m a ‘90s girl at heart,
and appreciate that Scott’s [Lerner] riffs are a nod to that time in my life. He has really embraced my love for a great pop backbeat while staying true to his own rock music background.”
TUTV: I’m quite sure that Arrows Of Athena are huge fans of former Swedish glam and glitter pop duo Roxette. The bliss and blitz at play on Reckless Heart is sonically similar. Sizzling guitars, battering drums/bass grooves, sensuous vocals and a peppy chorus combine here for a power pop pearl that flames lustrously. Orchestral melodiousness, fiery 90s spirit, and musical. An invigorating joyride.
The accompanying animated video clip is totally impressive.
