Mean Jeans are a punk revival group from Portland that follow Rammones’ tradition of short, speedy and most of all fun punk songs. I just love their single Steve Don’t Party No More and their brainless/amateur video just makes it even better. Enjoy without thinking about it too much!

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The Minor Leagues are a seven piece band from Cincinnati that produce a blend of chamber, indie and brit pop (although from Ohio). A 90′s nostalgia is evident in all their tracks but with a sound that borders to bands like the New Pornographers or Belle and Sebastian, that can only mean a good thing.

North College Hill is their latest album and it feels like a trip back home, to the basics of chamber pop. Charming melodies, pop lyrics and the feeling of being 20 and discovering music and love is felt throughout the album. This may not be a groundbreaking work but you will definitely enjoy every bit of it. Give it a spin..

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It’s a wonderful sunny Sunday here in London and only some Swedish pop can make it better. The Loveable Tulips are a female duo from Stockholm that love to sing about heartbreaks. Their music is both sad and happy, as it always is when it comes to love. Streets is the title track from their new EP and is about the time you start realising its time to move on, even if you love living in a dream. A bit downbeat but nevertheless too swedishly pop to pass by. Enjoy!

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Strangely enough, I have never mentioned Tennis before on Athens66 (with the exception of featuring one of their videos in our videowall back at the end of July 2010). They are a husband-and-wife duo from Denver, Colorado. Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley formed the band in 2010 and released their first EP during the summer of the same year. Their debut LP came at the begininning of 2011, titled Cape Dory, and a was a joyful bedroom pop album that I absolutely loved.

A bit over a year later the band released their followup album Young & Old, which I actually had the opportunity to hear live on the day of its official release (Feb 13) in a small stage in Hoxton. Their new tracks are still the warming pop music we came to love in their debut, the sound however is much crisper and composed this time around. It’s evident that this second album has been more professionally produced (meaning more structured melodies and better quality) but I’m really glad to see that the fresh, small-band theme was not abandoned. Their songs are cheerful, sweet and a pure pop joy. Alaina is more focused on lyrics and vocals now and the melody hase been left to Patrick, in a more traditional setup that actually works really well. For me, this is an album you just have to take with you for the summer holidays and cruise around with. One of the best release of 2012 so far!

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Summer Twins are sisters Chelsea and Justine Brown from Riverside, California. The girls formed the band back in 2008 and have since released an EP and their debut self titled first album. Their music is a happy sunny form of pop with a twist of 60′s groovy love that could only come out of California. If you combine this with their fresh look and girly attitude, you got a real charmer that will definitely put a smile on your face. Check out ‘I will love you’ and you’ll immediately see what I mean.

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Ghost Society is a project by Sara Savery from People Press Play (Morr Music), Tobias Wilner (Blue Foundation / Bichi) and Lasse Herbst founded back in December 2008. They all live in Copenhagen and have the ability to write beautiful indie pop tracks. Their first album The Back of his Hands, Then the Palms was released back in 2010 and contains quite a few nice tracks. A mix of pop and shoegaze all wrapped up in great melodies and dreamy vocals make this album quickly grow on you. If I didn’t know they come from Denmark I would have guessed they are another successful Scottish or Brooklyn band….they’re that good! Should have spotted them earlier but better late than never; so don’t make the same mistake as me and dive straight into the Danish spirit.

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We just got the new video from Stockholm based indiepop band Robert Church & The Holy Community for his song ”From Glasgow To Täby”. The track will be out on Fox Pop in 2012. Dreamy lo-fi pop from Sweden…just the way we like it!

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“Troubled singer Amy Winehouse, who has battled drink and drug problems, is found dead at her London home at the age of 27″, said the BBC. Another genuine talent lost at an early age. Although in the case of Amy, it was unfortunately not a surprise since her problems with drugs and alcohol were pilling up. Hopefully the world will not remember her for how she finished her last gig but for her brilliantly unique voice. Back to black it is then..

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