Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Cigarettes for Breakfast Shares Churning and Anthemic “Glue”

Cigarettes for Breakfast is the bedroom project of Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter and musician Matt Whiteford and an ever-changing cast of bandmembers and collaborators. The project has made a name for itself on the DIY and shoegaze scenes through crating lush soundscapes and raw, emotive, fuzzed-out performances that capture the essence of classic sheogaze and dream pop — but with their own, unique take and sensibility.

The Philadelphia-based project has shared stages with acts like Slow Crush, The Asteroid No. 4, Mahogany and a growing list of others. And building upon a growing profile, their full-length debut, 2023’s Join the Circus, an effort that showcased their ability to take the listener on a journey while exploring themes of love, loss and self-discovery garnered a comparison to The Jesus and Mary Chain from Rolling Stone.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Glixen Shares Churning and Enveloping “all tied up”

Phoenix-based shoegazers Glixen — Aislinn Ritchie (vocals), Esteban Santana (guitar), Keire Johnson (drums) and Sonia Garcia (bass) — was founded back in 2020 by the band’s Aislinn Ritchie, who then enlisted Santana, Johnson, and Garcia to complete the band’s lineup. Emerging from a scene of local DIY artists, the quartet’s unique sound and look set them apart from their counterparts and led to tours across the US alongside bands like Narrow Head, Cowgirl Clue, MSPaint, Hotline TNT, and They’re Gutting A Body of Water. 

Glixen’s debut EP She Only Said was released in the summer of 2023 through Julia’s War Recordings. The EP saw the band adding themselves to a list of contemporary shoegaze outfits actively pushing the genre in a new direction — through a approach that incorporates ethereal pop vocals and shimmering guitars that are meant to guide you toward the feeling of true self-expression. 

Building upon a growing profile, the Phoenix-based shoegazers’ highly-anticiapted Sonny DiPerri-produced sophomore EP quiet pleasures is slated for a February 21, 2025 release digitally through AWAL and on vinyl through Wichita Recordings. The EP will feature previously release singles “sick silent” and three singles I wrote about on this site:

  • “foreversoon,” a woozy bit of shoegaze built around fuzzy and melodic power chord-driven guitars, thunderous drumming and Ritchie’s tender and ethereal falsetto paired with enormous hooks and choruses. “foreverspoon” sees the Phoenix-based outfit taking up a much heavier sound that seemingly channels Souvlaki-era Slowdive, Nowhere-era RIDE, and contemporaries like JOVM mainstays Blushing. “‘foreversoon’ represents blissful moments of new love and intimacy,” Glixen’s Aislinn Ritchie explains. “The song harnesses melancholy chords, layered with fuzzy red melodies and gliding guitars that pull you in deeper. I wanted my lyrics to feel like a conversation that expresses my infatuation and sensuality. Time is relentless and memories are fleeting, this song encapsulates those emotions forever.”

  • “lust” is a woozy track that sees the band continuing to explore a heavier sound — but this time channeling 90s grunge and nu-metal with fuzz and distorted pedaled power chords, down-tuned bass and blissed out rhythms. Ritchie’s yearning vocal ethereally floating over the brooding and muscular arrangement. “lust” is about the yearning and wanting of somebody and the rush that that person makes you feel,” Glixen’s Aislinn Ritchie explains. “It is a feeling that is shallow, yet it feels intense and passionate but only for a moment. We wanted to take the direction of our sound to a heavier place. I wanted the weight of the sound to crush me.”

  • “lick the star,” which begins with an eerily atmospheric sound bath-inspired introduction that sounds a bit like Cocteau Twins and Slowdive, before quickly turning into a wall of sound of fuzzy and swirling guitar textures, thunderous drumming paired with Ritchie’s ethereal yet plaintive delivery before ending with bursts of feedback. 

Now, if you’ve been frequenting this site, you might recall that last year was a busy year for the rising Phoenix-based shoegazers: They played SXSW and Treefort Festval. They’ve also had opening slots for acts like Interpol, DIIV, Nothing., Tanukichan, Turnover, Glare, Glitterer, Softcult and Fish Narc among others. 

Building upon the rising momentum surrounding the band, 2025 looks to potentially be a breakthrough year: Along with the forthcoming release of their sophomore EP, the band will be embarking on their first North American headlining tour throughout February and March with openers Suzy Clue and she’s green. The tour will include a March 15, 2024 stop at Baby’s All Right and their Coachella debut in April. Check out the rest of the tour dates below.

The newest JOVM mainstays’ latest single “all tied up” is features churning and stormy guitars, pummeling drumming around Ritchie’s pleading delivery. “all tied up” showcases the band’s uncanny knack for crafting deeply earnest material with rousingly anthemic hooks and chorus that sounds indebted to classic shoegaze — but with a subtly modern sensibility.

“‘all tied up’ is about feeling completely consumed by someone,” says Ritchie. “We definitely wanted the song to feel enveloping. There’s a subtle tension that builds throughout with a push and pull between the guitars and vocals. The song hits hard with its emotional depth, yet breathes with a playful melody.”

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: High. Returns with Swooning and Anthemic “Flowers”

Boonton, NJ-based shoegazers High. can trace their origins back to 2021 when Christian Castan (vocals, guitar) and Bridget Bakie (bass, vocals) met while playing across the Garden State’s DIY and college circuit. During that time, Bakie built and developed a reputation as “The Queen of The Quarter Note,” and Casten as an unforgettable guitarist. After the pair had a stint playing in another band together, they longed for a project that would be their sole creative focus and could tour as far as wide as possible.

A couple of weeks after adding Jack Miller (drums) and Danny Zavala (guitar), the newly-minted quartet made their live debut at Saint Vitus Bar. They followed up with shows across the Tristate DIY circuit.

The New Jersey-based quartet’s highly-anticipated Matthew Molnar-produced sophomore EP Come Back Down officially dropped today. The EP’s first sessions started in June 2023 when the band, along with Molnar went to Chairlift‘s Patrick Wimberly‘s Greenpoint studio to test new material with engineer Sam Darwish. They also brought tracks to Shane Furst and his Cloud Factory Recording to review their recent work and begin the next stages of completion. 

Come Back Down marks the beginning of the band’s partnership with Kanine Records — and a key period in the band’s development. With a greater expression of sonic range, the EP sees the band offering more noise, more hooks, more heaviness and much more emotion: The sad is much sadder and the love is more swooningly in love. There are more song about loss and being lost. For the band, it’s the culmination of their growth after the release of their well-received debut EP Bomber, which was released through Julia’s War and Suburban Creep.

Last fall, the band took a break from the sessions to do a week-long tour with Austin-based outfit STAB, as well as opening slots for DIIV, Glare, Lowertown, A Place To Bury Strangers, as well as a Midwest run with Chicago’s Smut. After touring across the nation, the band finished the EP with Jeff Ziegler at his Philadelphia-based Uniform Recording. Zeigler’s work on Nothing.’s Guilty of Everything has been a major inspiration for the New Jersey-based group. 

In the lead-up to the EP’s release, I wrote about two of its previously released singles:

  • “In A Hole,” a decidedly 120 Minutes MTV-era take on shoegaze anchored around a towering wall of stormy guitars, thunderous drumming and ethereal boy-girl harmonies. The song’s brooding soundscape evokes the stormy emotions, trauma and unease that inspired it — but also the comfort of finding friendship and a community that truly understands where you’re coming from. “’In A Hole’ is inspired by meeting our group of friends,” High.’s Christian Castan explains. “It’s about being depressed and the people close to you dragging you out of it. It’s about the peace and belonging I used to dream about during childhood trauma and finally finding it. There’s a lyric – ‘These are the new stars, they burst alive.’  It’s about living life at its best and never wanting that feeling to end.”

  • “Catcher” which continued a run of 120 Minutes MTV-like shoegaze, much like its immediate predecessor while featuring remarkably blissed out choruses and hooks. Arguably one of the most swoon worthy songs of the New Jersey shoegazers growing catalog, “Catcher” is anchored around deeply introspective lyrics tackling grief with a wisdom that belies their relative youth. “I came to the band with the structure chords and bassline of this song, I am very attached to the music personally. Then, Christian wrote lyrics over it that have massive significance to him,” the band’s Bridget Bakie says. “’Catcher’ explores the depths of grief and the unwavering hope that binds us to those we’ve lost,” the band’s Castan adds.

To celebrate the release of their sophomore EP, the New Jersey-based shogazers shared videos for EP singles “Flowers” and “Dead,” directed by Luke Carr. Right now, I’m going to talk about “Flowers,” an urgent and swooning song featuring swirling, feedback-driven guitar textures, a propulsive rhythm section, rousingly anthemic hooks and choruses serving as a lush yet subtly stormy bed for Casten’s yearning delivery.

The accompanying video follows the band, presumably on tour, heading down to Atlantic City to gamble and party with a collection of friends, followed by a contemplative late night hang on the beach until sunrise.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Jett Jenkins Shares Meditative “Springsteen”

Jett Jenkins is an emerging Brooklyn-based indie pop singer/songwriter. Influenced by Suki Waterhouse, Fiona Apple, Clairo and Blondie, Jenkins’ work typically balances etheral sounds with profound themes.

The Brooklyn-based artist cites a Clairo show as inspiring her to dedicate herself to music, developing her guitar skills and getting involved in musical theater.

Her debut EP, last year’s Through My Eyes received praise for its relatable and emotionally rich lyrics. She supposed the album with a tour across Southern California that included stops in Los Angeles‘ iconic The Whisky A Go Go and Tea Leaf Green. The tour helped informed her forthcoming full-length debut Tender Love Like a Criminal, which is slated for release later this year.

Tender Love Like a Criminal‘s second and latest single “Springsteen” is a slow-burning and meditative track that reminds me of Soccer Mommy, Nat Vazer and San Mei among a lengthy list of others while anchored around Jenkins’ expressive delivery, shimmering guitars and a rousingly anthemic, sing-a-long worthy hook and chorus.

Jenkins explains that “Springsteen” is a deeply personal song that tells an emotional journey, capturing nostalgia, heartbreak and the bittersweet beauty of everyday moments. “My goal with this track was to create an intimate connection with listeners, something that stays with them long after the music ends. To make this release even more special, I’ve paired it with something unique: my own signature fragrance, “Springsteen” Eau De Parfum.

Together, the music and scent create a multisensory experience, evoking memories of growing pains and raw vulnerability. It’s a way to bring my audience into the world of “Springsteen” on a whole new level.”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Pure Orchids Share 90s Alt Rock-Inspired “Flood Gates”

Pure Orchids — founding members Bruce Macchione (guitar) and Ian Yori (bass), along with Bella Ashton (vocals) — is an indie rock studio project that can trace some of their origins back to when Macchione and Yori met playing together in a New Jersey-based hardcore band in which they realized they had an instant creative chemistry. Some time later, the pair joined forces in the studio, working on a couple of jams that had a raw and retro feel to them.

Macchione met Ashton at a watercolor painting class at their university, and they quickly bonded over their shared passion for creativity. Macchione gave Ashton the opportunity to sing for the band based off a demo track that he and Yori had been working on. That track would eventually become their first official single, “Flood Gates,” which Ashton’s gorgeous and expressive vocals, angular and shimmering guitars paired with a supple bass line, a simple yet propulsive backbeat and an anthemic hook and chorus.

Sonically, “Flood Gates” is a seamless synthesis of 90s/120 Minutes-era alt rock, post punk and goth that’s nostalgic — but while anchored in a lived-in earnestness.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Augu Shares a Banger

Augu is a mysterious and emerging Lithuanian electronic music producer. His latest single “Foreigner” synthesizers elements of John Carpenter film soundtracks with deep industrial house and Kraftwerk-like minimalism into a dance floor friendly, club banger.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Orian Bor Shares Brooding and Cinematic “Hard Road”

Orian Bor is an emerging Italian producer and multi-instrumentalist, who can trace the origins of his music career to when he turned 12 and started playing the piano. Around the time, he turned 15, the […]

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Jaco Jaco Shares Meditative Yet Soulful “Woman”

Tulsa-born, Philadelphia-based musician and visual artist Jacob Theriot’s career began in earnest when he began writing and recording music in grade school with his brother and childhood friend. Those early efforts led to the acclaimed indie outfit Sports.

After three albums and several international tours, Theriot decided to step out into the spotlight as as solo artist, relocating to Philadelphia, where he began to explore and meld a variety of different genres and visual mediums with his current creative project Jaco Jaco.

Theriot’s Jaco Jaco debut, Splat was released early last year. His Jaco Jaco sophomore album Gremlin is slated for a March 21, 2025 release. Gremlin is a reportedly playful album that isn’t directly inspired by Gremlins but manages to honor the movie’s use of kitsch and camp to explore a prevailing mood of irreverence and introspection. “This record came from a somewhat confused and lonely state of mind,” Theriot explains. “It’s a journey through reflection and longing for something real—an inner dialogue giving me advice on navigating life when it feels like it’s working against you.”

Now, if you were frequenting this site late last year, you might recall that Theriot closed out the year with “Favorite Kind of People,” a seamless synthesis of Thundercat and 70s jazz fusion/jazz funk with the breeziness of Bossa Nova that’s anchored around a strutting bass line, rapid-fire four-on-the-floor, twinkling bursts of Rhodes and shimmering guitar.

“‘Favorite Kind of People’ came out of a phase where I was into some classic Brazilian jazz-funk,” Theriot explained. “I can’t remember which song it was exactly, but I translated the lyrics and loved how simple and earnest they felt. The translation was probably off, but it inspired me to write something direct and real—about just being present with people and not overthinking everything.” 

Slated for a March 21, Gremlin is a reportedly playful album that isn’t directly inspired by Gremlins but manages to honor the movie’s use of kitsch and camp to explore a prevailing mood of irreverence and introspection. “This record came from a somewhat confused and lonely state of mind,” Theriot explains. “It’s a journey through reflection and longing for something real—an inner dialogue giving me advice on navigating life when it feels like it’s working against you.”

Gremlin‘s second and latest single “Woman” is a slow-burning and meditative synthesis of Quiet Storm-like R&B/funk and Steely Dan-like AM rock anchored around a slippery, a slick bass line, bursts of glistening synths paired with Theriot’s plaintive delivery.

The song’s lyrics are abstract, but behind that abstraction, Theriot tackles something deeper: The song explores the complexities and nuances of human relationship. According to the Tulsa-born, Philadelphia-based artist, it’s a meditation on honesty and acceptance, being real with yourself, and being real with your partner.

“‘Woman’ was one of those rare, serendipitous type songs that just kinda happened,” Theriot says. “Everything fell into place pretty quick, lyrics and all. I played guitar along to some random breakbeat and out came the guitar riff(s). I was big into Black Messiah (D’Angelo) at the time, so that influence may have seeped in a bit, maybe? No comparison though, of course. I just wanna be like Pino Palladino when I grow up.”

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Brighton’s Split Dogs Share Bruising “Lafayette”

Deriving their name from the classic zombie film Return of the Living Dead, Brighton, UK-based punks Split Dogs — founding members Harry Atkins (vocals) (they/them) and Mil Martinez (guitar) (he/him), along with Chris Hugall (drums) (he/him) and Suez Boyle (bass) (she/her) — can trace their origins back to around 2015 when its founding members had the idea to start a band and is fueled by its founders frustration over music seen as a soulless and commodified product made to sell more useless shit.

As a youngster in South London, Mil Martinez would hear Status Quo, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Dire Straits on the car radio while his father drove him to school. At home, he would invade his older brother’s record collection, which leaned towards punk and heavy metal. In the UK’s Black Country, Harry Atkins’ mother instilled a love of Northern Soul, Slade and rock ‘n roll, with stories of nights out at Club Lafayette and family singalongs at home. According to Martinez, “Our sound is a culmination of all those early influences and, to be honest, it really shows.”

Split Dogs officially appeared on the scene in 2022. Suez Boyle, a prominent figure in the queer punk scene, best known for her work with The Walking Abortions joined the band in 2023. Up until that point, Chris Hugall, an old friend of Martinez and a former member of ska punks Mouthwash, an act that was once signed on Rancid‘s Hellcat Records, helped design the band’s artwork. Hugall joined the band full-time last year, cementing the band’s current lineup.

The quartet quickly won over Bristol’s accepting and tolerant punk scene, a scene that has always welcomed LGBQT+ folks and marginalized people, with raucous live shows featuring infectious lyrics. As word spread, the gigs increased and in short order, the Brighton-based punk outfit was playing sold-out rooms across the European Union, which caught the attention of British label Venn Records.

Split Dogs’ highly-anticipated full-length debut, the Peter Miles-produced Here to Destroy is slated for a February 28, 2025 release through Venn Records. Recorded over a three-day burst at Middle Farm Studios, the album was laid straight to a 16-track reel-to-reel tape machine without autotune, effects pedals, and computers. Adding to the authenticity of the proceedings, the album’s material was recorded live with Atkins singing along in a vocal booth. So no cutting and pasting; but everyone had to nail their takes. “It was a blast!” Split Dogs’ Martinez says. “We fully immersed ourselves, sleeping in a small apartment below the studio, cooking meals and listening to Pete’s extensive record collection.”

While the album title makes clear that the Brighton-based punks are here to destroy, they firmly believe that they’re also here to rebuild and remind the listener of music’s vital essence. “We’re not beholden to the digital age, we don’t want to get famous on social media, we just want to show the world that rock’n’roll is alive and well,” the band says.

Here to Destroy‘s latest single “Lafayette” is a bruising, gritty and anthemic bit of pub rock that brings back memories of Highway to Hell-era AC/DC and JOVM mainstays Amyl and the Sniffers with the song being featuring enormous power chords, a thunderous backbeat paired with Atkins’ feral, booze and cigarette-soaked delivery.

The band’s Mil Martinez explains that the song is “a love letter to our families and the influence they’ve had on our love for music. At a glance it tells the story of (singer) Harry’s mother growing up in Wolverhampton during the height of the 1970s/80s northern soul scene and the characters she encountered. It also tips a hat to my older brother that passed away in 2023, he played a major role in my song writing growing up.”

Shot by the band’s Chris Hugall, the video follows Harry Atkins through Wolverhampton’s cobbled streets, pubs and clubs while lovingly introducing the viewer to the town’s characters, desperate for a night out after a long week slaving away for the man. Hugall admits that on the actual day of filming, they had no plan as all of their other ideas had fallen through, but they worked on the fly and the end result compliments the song perfectly.

“It takes you on a journey through the cobbled streets and back bars of the Black Country, Harry’s hometown Wolverhampton,” the band’s Martinez explains. “From Chewing gum-stained carpets and pints of mild to stone faced locals and tar-stained fingertips. If you fancy a dance? Come out to the club and feel alive!”
 

 

 

 
Heads down, see you at the end. 
 

 

Video by William Ruben Helms

Throwback: Happy 77th Birthday, Anita Pointer!

JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 77th anniversary of Anita Pointer’s birth.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Psych Rock Supergroup MIEN Shares Brooding and Driving “Evil People”

MIEN is a psych rock super group that features some of the genre’s biggest and most accomplished artists:

Since the project’s inception, MIEN has been a confluence of diverse musical influences and shared histories: The band’s origins can be traced back to 2004 when Dihr crossed paths with Maas during a serendipitous encounter at SXSW. That meeting sparked a deep friendship and a series of critically applauded collaborations. Around the same time, Dihr met Lapham, whose electronic and production expertise would later become a cornerstone of MIEN’s sound. These connections led to MIEN, a band that sees its members seamlessly blending their varied musical backgrounds into a unique sound. The band’s newest member Kidd joined on in 2018.

The psych supergroup’s long-awaited sophomore album MIIEN is slated for an April 18, 2025 release through Fuzz Club. The sophomore album reportedly marks a bold new chapter for a band known for an alchemical approach to their work. Building upon the foundations of their critically applauded self-titled debut, MIIEN finds the band and its members pushing their collaborative and explorative ethos into uncharted territories.

Recorded in studios between Montréal, Abilene and Austin, the psych supergroup’s sophomore album captures a unique creative process: Most songs began as a simple idea — a loop, a vocal phrase or a groove — passed between members and meticulously layered.

The band’s collaborative workflow saw each individual sketch evolving as each member contributed their distinct sonic palette. “It’s an organic process,” Rishi Dihr says. “A simple idea can become something monumental when we each put our stamp on it.”

The album’s creative journey was heightened during key in-person sessions, including an intensive recording period in Austin during SXSW. The rare opportunities for the band to work together in the same space added a dynamic immediacy to several album tracks.

Overall MIIEN represents the strength of the band’s collective vision. Each member brings their unique perspective to the table, creating music that is simultaneously personal and universally resonant. Anchored around richly textured soundscapes and fearless experimentation, the album, purportedly sees the band crafting material that actively bridges the golden age of 60s psychedelia with the cutting edge of modern music. Lapham reflects, “Working with these guys has been one of the most enjoyable experiences in my music career. Our synergy is seamless, and I’m excited to see where this next chapter takes us.”

The album’s first single “Evil People” is a propulsive bit of synth-driven psych rock featuring a relentless motorik-like groove paired with Maas imitable delivery and a rousingly anthemic hook and chorus with expressive bursts of reverb-drenched guitar.

“‘Evil People’ has its roots in a 2015 collaboration between Alex and awesome Danish musician Trentemøller,” the band explains. “Fast forward to March 2022, when MIEN reunited in Austin for three intense days of recording during SXSW. Given how rare it is for all of us to be in the same room at the same time, the creative energy was electric—music and ideas flowed effortlessly, and ‘Evil People’ was born.”

The accompanying video by the band’s John Mark Lapham and Raz Ullah features scorching VHS fuzz, collages of the band member’s faces, psychedelic art and more.

singer/songwriters by William Ruben Helms
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Live Concert Photography: Winter Jazzfest 2025: Lion Babe at Baby’s All Right 1/11/25

Live concert photography of Lion Babe performing at Baby’s All Right during Winter Jazzfest.