For a band rooted within the northeastern US, The Northern Line adopt a very British sound on parts of their debut EP. The crashy opening of ‘Lightning Strikes’ makes no secret of a love of The Who, and occasionally the number slips into a riff or two that’s reminiscent of early Dodgy. It isn’t a straight up homage to old mod or mod adjacent Britpop sounds, though: the swirling organs and crashing beats that run through the centre of this energised number carry more than a faint echo of old Northern Soul bangers, and a reverbed vocal leans a little more into a garage rock sound. If you’re going to borrow, it might as well be from good stock, of course, and what The Northern Line manage with their spoils here has a genuine spark throughout. With a slight echo applied, the lead vocal takes on a retro sound that is genuinely great, but is soon outshone by a world of lead guitar courtesy of Pete Kitchener, a man clearly able to redress a couple of Dave Davies inspired runs with the power of 90s Britpop to give the track an extra feeling of gusto. It’s all very familiar to say the least, but what this menagerie of sound represents feels far greater than the actual outcome. This is the sound of a band with a lot of energy and a band who are able to recycle bits of the past in a way that feels genuinely exciting.
Tag Archives: boston
Real Gone Presents: A Boston Round-Up, July 2026
There’s a lot of music pouring out of Boston and its suburbs in the summer of 2026. So much, in fact, that we’re making a return visit in record time! Previous Round Ups have thrown a spotlight onto a wealth of underground acts and independent musicians, and this visit is no exception. You’ll recognise a few familiar names, but hopefully discover a few new ones too, as we dip into a selection of tunes that takes in alternative rock, power pop, garage rock, alt country and singer songwriter’s wares. As always, we hope you enjoy what you hear…
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Real Gone Presents: A Boston Round-Up, June 2026
With a lot of great music pouring out of the city over the last couple of months, it’s time to take a return trip to Boston! A couple of very familiar names can be found showcasing new and recent wares, but this is still much a celebration of the newer sounds emerging from that region of the US. We’ve got an unexpected tribute to a Britpop past, a glam infused banger, and a couple of superb indie themed tracks to fill your ears, and more besides. If you find something new to enjoy – and we certainly hope that will be the case – why not drop by and tell us? Happy listening!
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THE CHELSEA CURVE – The Rideout
Those keeping a close watch over the Boston music scene in a post-lockdown era will certainly be aware of The Chelsea Curve. Vocalist Linda Pardee and her band have really carved out a niche in feel good sounds, blending the hooks of the early 80s power pop bands with a mod driven feeling of power. Their short and sharp approach has delivered lots of superb sounding chorus oriented numbers that revel in their love of recycling the past, yet never sound stale.
ARROWS OF ATHENA – Daydreaming
Following a fuzz heavy intro that suggests a love of shoegaze, ‘Abandoned Love’ – the lead track from Arrows of Athena’s second album ‘Daydreaming’ – opens up to share a techy sounding slice of alternative rock-pop in a Garbage meets Yeah Yeah Yeahs style. It doesn’t take too long before the number’s brilliant blend of mechanical rhythms and contrasting flowing vocal begins to make an impression. Against some familiar sounding music, the track places a spotlight on vocalist Jac-Lyn Gibson, whose performance here is almost strong enough alone to carry the entire track, and definitely makes it easy to forgive what might be perceived as sharing too much of an obvious influence. The vocal shares an immediate power, calling out clearly despite being subjected to filters, and ultimately sounds like the perfect compliment to a great musical melody. As for that intro: it’s not a red herring. Guitarist Scott Lerner creeps through the cracks to fill the bridges with more of that pleasingly aggressive style, giving this track a superbly tough edge when needed. When released as a single in 2025, it sounded like one of the duo’s finest recordings to date; when experienced as part of this full length, its impact certainly isn’t diminished, despite being complimented by several other strong performances. If you’ve not heard Arrows of Athena before, this will leave a superb first impression.