Christina Abbott

“Those who enjoy sophisticated, intriguing, thoughtful singer/songwriter music would be wise to listen to female talent Cea Marie. Marie's music has a laid-back feel with elements of Jazz, Folk and Adult Alternative/Pop Rock. Influences could be found in acts like Neil Young, Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan, Shawn Colvin and more. The recording itself was done expertly, especially the track "Big 'Ol Sky". "Big 'Ol Sky" has a great sound with hints of electronic blips and bleeps, muted electric guitars and pulsating drums. The song also has a great bridge and the vocal arrangements throughout are excellent. Absolutely no reason a song like this couldn't be a solid radio hit. "Everything Is Byte Size" and "The Swan And The Sparrow" (the title track of the full length album) are also very well done, with "The Swan And The Sparrow" an effective, atmospheric piece with interesting lyrics. This is truly solid music, writing and recording at its best. ” - indie music - Peter Braidis

Since our last feature, New York’s Christina Abbott has released an entire album of songs this year entitled ‘The Swan and the Sparrow’. A few are recognizable [Everything is Byte Sized, The Other End of Galaxies], from her days as the duo Hot Bitch Arsenal, although the majority are brand new to us. Its quite a refreshing album, and deserves to have much wider distribution.

The new album was recorded between 2009 and 2011 between Kinderhook NY, Brunswick ME and Cumbria UK, and released this past February. - Charles Stepczyk - Insomniaradio.net

Whoever thought trip-hop was dead probably never got around to listening to a New York duo by the name of Hot Bitch Arsenal. “Double Down Quick (Nebulae’s Sunset Mix)” is a slick, soulful tune with shimmery guitars and drum machine sequencers that could easily be a contender for a James Bond movie theme song. The track was the top of the Club/Dance channel for the month of May and is slowly creeping into my personal list of most played tracks. With sultry vocals that would rival Portishead’s Beth Gibbons and The Cardigans’ Nina Persson, Hot Bitch Arsenal singer Christina Abbot delivers a compelling, breathy performance. Free loaders and budding DJ’s rejoice – as supporters of Creative Commons, the duo has made a selection of their tracks available for download in Ableton live format for potential remixes on their official website. In the meantime, enjoy this one of “Double Down Quick” by Nebulae – a Dallas lawyer by day/producer by night. - Ourstage.com

some listener reviews of the hot bitch arsenal and their music:

“If you like music that feels “dreamy”, you’ll love this one. Awesome female vocals and a smooth, warm atmosphere make this song a must have for anyone looking for a soothing musical experience.” – skeptical

“hba just like i love, delicate instrumentation, not too fast paced so her voice has the room to swing and play with the rhythm of the words, nice melody. damn, i love her voice …” – cramyavab

“A great sound, with a very talented vocalist, and a great chill-out ambient beat.” – zzzrByte

“Low-key trip-hop beats and HBA’s trademark gorgeous female vocals…gotta love it! :)” – heykiddiego

“This is a great tune and despite the fact that I will earn little if no credits for this rec. it is throughly worth my endorsement. Every home should have this tune as should every mp3 player and bar. Still my favourite amie street discovery. very very cool” – sable6

“A sweet, gentle song of encouragement and acceptance. Great understated lyrics" – sshomi

“I fell in love with these vocals. I’m a huge electronica fan, in it’s own right, but there’s the indefinable quality of both a great ear for beats, and a smoky, sultry voice, that makes this something between jazz and electronica in all of the good ways. I love all things HBA” – genignored
- Ourstage.com

February 13, 2006 - Hot Bitch Arsenal consists of a self-described "wordsmith" and an "alpha geek," collaborating to create a genre they call "Sultronica."

Christina Abbott (the wordsmith) and Kim Galibert (the geek) came together in the fall of 2005. They are based out of New England and despite their aggressive band name, assure listeners their music is about "all that is chill."

Taking cues from electronica groups like Sneaker Pimps, Portishead and Massive Attack, Hot Bitch Arsenal rely heavily on Abbott's superb vocals. The HBA have lofty aspirations of creating a high-tech, interactive live show where the audience can fulfill "their quest for repeatable, scientific proof of the existence of telepathy."

HBA are using the Internet and word-of-mouth almost entirely to promote their album. They call the traditional model used by record companies to be "terrible for musicians, fans and the environment. Why use those precious drops of oil to make more plastic when the listeners are just going to rip the CD to the iPods anyway?"

The featured track from Secrets in Tiny Pockets is "You Bet I Will."
- NPR All songs considered