Tweens

Bridget Battle's last band might have been a high school choir, but the 21-year-old singer for Cincinnati's Tweens is no goody two shoes. Look no further for proof than TWEENS, the punk-tinged debut from the trash-pop trio-Battle on vocals and guitar, Peyton Copes on bass and Jerri Queen on drums-that showcases a melodic, driven and exceedingly catchy sound that's anything but well behaved. Tweens only formed in 2012, but has already made a name for themselves among fans-including the Breeders, who invited the band to open for them on a recent U.S. tour. The story goes that Kim Deal booked the band for one gig on the recommendation of Jim Blaze, owner of Cincinnati record shop Shake It Records, and was so impressed she brought on the band to play select East Coast gigs and a full West Coast tour. Additionally, the band toured with the Black Lips, their partners in a party-centric attitude. Despite the established friends, Tweens are very much their own band, bratty and precocious, sincere and genuine. The band's name conjures just the right image; screaming hordes afflicted with Beatlemania, teenyboppers out for a good time, the underage, over-the-top punks in LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: THE FABULOUS STAINS. Think of cheery kids at their most excited, but juxtaposed with lyrics about bad boyfriends and unrelenting independency. Tweens are not a riot grrrl revisionist band, but they are a ferociously honest one.