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Twin Berlin are a 4 piece out of New England that have really caught my attention. A great way to describe their sound is a mix of The Strokes and Libertines. They got the guitar riffs and rhythm section reminiscent of The Libertines, and the garage grit of The Strokes. It is almost scary how close lead singer Matt Lopez sounds like Julian Casablancas. Twin Berlin’s two songs “Fake It Well” and “Pretty From The Window” are tightly played and super catchy. You would think that these guys have been doing this for years after hearing how well they play, when in fact they are young. There songs give off a classic/punk 70’s indie vibe that is simply something that I wouldn’t want you to miss out on. They got the goods. visit Twin Berlin at their myspace. Twin Single comes out in July. I’ll keep you updated!

Twin Berlin, a New England based indie rock band storms into the rock scene with their highly infectious and powerful debut single "Twin Single". It consists of two singles, something that in times gone by could be seen as a double A-side. The single, or EP if you will, starts with the promising Pretty From the Window. It has some punk and new wave influences and heavily leans on the indie riffs that are currently very popular in the UK. Bands like Kaiser Chiefs, Libertines, Kooks, Franz Ferdinand and countless other bands are having great succes with it, and it's only slowly crossing over the big pond. Bands like The Craze are having minor successes with a similar approach and I wonder why these American bands have such a hard time breaking through with the same success formula. But from what we hear, Twin Berlin seems to have what it takes to take this formula to a higher platform within the US. Pretty From the Window with its catchiness and powerful, energetic guitar playing and steady beat is bound to get some heavy rotation on local and even national radio stations as the song sticks with you and provides joy for those who want to rock out as well for those who want to bust a move. Fake It Well has some of the same influences as its basis, but also reminds me of bands like The Cars who were a dominant force in the late 70s and early 80s. There seems to be a revival of the sound from that era and with Fake It Well, Twin Berlin feels like they are in their groove. They play this song convincingly and the arrangement is strong enough to draw you in more and more as the song goes on. And with each listen, the song gets a little better. It's a good comfort zone to be in, and Twin Berlin definitely makes the most of it. The "Twin Single", recently released, is to hold us over until the band's debut album drops later this year. And if the single is any indication, the album will be released to an already established fanbase and will most likely garner raving reviews and postive critiques from press and music fans alike. Twin Berlin is a newcomer, but they are definitely a band you want to keep an eye out for.

Last Thursday I was sitting on a Media 101 panel at District Lounge, and one of the topics was "how to get the press to cover my band/event/whatever?" My reply was simple: "Be awesome." As I've stated in the past, I listen to every CD I get sent to my desk at the Herald, and it doesn't matter how fancy-pants expensive and shiny your kit is. All that matters is that your music intrigues. Case in point: NYC garage rock boys Twin Berlin, who sent me their twin-single deftly wrapped in Connecticut newspaper. I put it in, and it floored me. Now they're playing the pill on Aug. 21 (ironic, though, since now I can't write about the gig -- but certainly others will). Both songs are lethal. "Pretty From The Window" has a fierce Libertines guitar-led dance romp (as well as a great song title) and "Fake It Well" is a super-cool Stroke-paced ballad with equally keen lyrical play and melodic drift. Been loving these guys all week, and it all started with a burned CD wrapped in Waterbury classified ads. Again, want to be noticed? Be great.

I'd be lying if I said I've been waiting for ages for this show, because quite frankly, it came together rather quickly and recently. A few weeks ago at Le Herald de Boston I received a demo CD wrapped in Connecticut newspaper. In an age of fancy-pants press packets and overpriced look-at-me-sonically-spooge packaging, I was intrigued. Then when I listed, I was floored. A few days later, they had this gig at the pill. NYC's Twin Berlin shape up, right now, as a cross between the Libertines and the Strokes, a raunchy '70s-era rock n roll romp that's equally danceable and morning-after magnetic. In a year where the pill has offered Passion Pit, Giantess, Black Joe Lewis and New Collisions, I fully expect Twin Berlin to join the list of exploding breakthrough artists who partied with us in 2009. You should, too. This will be fucking mad town, and like the time we all saw an unknown band called the Strokes open for Doves around 2000, we can all say we saw them back when... Seriously, do not miss this shit, and go check out "Fake It Well" and "Pretty From the Window" on their MySpace as a primer.