Tyburn Saints

Baritones – I fall for them like Wile E Coyote falls off a cliff. Every time I hear a deep rumbling voice I know I’ll instantly like the track, and Tyburn Saints are no exception.

The band are pegged as dark, but to tell the truth they won’t make you go in a corner and mope. Broken Bottles is actually a track that goes pretty fast. Sure it chimes and you can hear little sound effects, not to mention that romantic voice. It manages to sound urgent and classy. Really what you’ve got here is a pretty damn good song that makes you feel awesome. - stagedivemalta.com

Baritones – I fall for them like Wile E Coyote falls off a cliff. Every time I hear a deep rumbling voice I know I’ll instantly like the track, and Tyburn Saints are no exception.

The band are pegged as dark, but to tell the truth they won’t make you go in a corner and mope. Broken Bottles is actually a track that goes pretty fast. Sure it chimes and you can hear little sound effects, not to mention that romantic voice. It manages to sound urgent and classy. Really what you’ve got here is a pretty damn good song that makes you feel awesome. - stagedivemalta.com

The new track, “Broken Bottles,” was our first introduction to the indie rock DIY band, Tyburn Saints, and we immediately sought to hear more from their self-released EP, You and I in Heaven.

The band, creates cinematic soundscapes of surf rock and post punk with a haunting, early 80's-style detached sound simliar to The Cure, U2, Psychedelic Furs and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.

Stay tuned; we’ll be doing a more extensive profile of the band in the coming weeks with more songs to present as well.
The first track available from their EP is the rocking track, “Broken Bottles.” Other folks say the band’s sound is closer to “indie death rock.” The band have shared the stage The Duke and the King, D Generation, The Chameleons Vox, and also played the NXNE Festival in Toronto. - indie Rock Cafe

The new track, “Broken Bottles,” was our first introduction to the indie rock DIY band, Tyburn Saints, and we immediately sought to hear more from their self-released EP, You and I in Heaven.

The band, creates cinematic soundscapes of surf rock and post punk with a haunting, early 80's-style detached sound simliar to The Cure, U2, Psychedelic Furs and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.

Stay tuned; we’ll be doing a more extensive profile of the band in the coming weeks with more songs to present as well.
The first track available from their EP is the rocking track, “Broken Bottles.” Other folks say the band’s sound is closer to “indie death rock.” The band have shared the stage The Duke and the King, D Generation, The Chameleons Vox, and also played the NXNE Festival in Toronto. - indie Rock Cafe

"Influences are myriad, but not slavishly aped, covering post rock to classic 80s gothic pop to Nick Cave at his most operatic, but Gimenez’s own deep, baritone rumble is distinctive enough, and the songs original enough, to make comparisons spurious. Simply put, Tyburn Saints are one powerful proposition – you’d do well to dip in and have yourself a little listen." - Mad Mackerel UK - Mad Mackerel UK

"Influences are myriad, but not slavishly aped, covering post rock to classic 80s gothic pop to Nick Cave at his most operatic, but Gimenez’s own deep, baritone rumble is distinctive enough, and the songs original enough, to make comparisons spurious. Simply put, Tyburn Saints are one powerful proposition – you’d do well to dip in and have yourself a little listen." - Mad Mackerel UK - Mad Mackerel UK

"...the record evokes influences from rock bands from the "peak of the 80s, like U2 and The Cure... while title track "You and I in Heaven" referencesimilar 80s pop-goth vibe, its overall spirit leans more towards Bowie/Psychedelic Furs elements." - Dave Cromwell / The Deli Magazine - The Deli Magazine

Can we just go ahead and define ’80s music as a genre? I think enough great music was made during that decade and enough time has passed that it qualifies. Especially when so many bands continue to profess their love for the ’80s through amazing music (School of Seven Bells, The Chain Gang of 1974, Weep, White Lies, etc.). With their latest EP, You and I in Heaven, Tyburn Saints carry the torch with a firm grip and full hearts.

If the ’80s are a genre, then Tyburn Saints are certainly one of my favorite subgenres, that proto-shoegaze, jangly, dream pop veering deliciously close to goth. Think The Lucy Show, The Church, The Chameleons. Tyburn Saints also show how many so-called ’80s “revivalists” (remember Electroclash?) are doing it wrong by focusing on synthesizers and dance beats, forgetting completely about what made much of the decade’s music so powerful and memorable: guitars.

You and I in Heaven is a kaleidoscope of shimmering jewel tones, steeped in reverb and delay pedals, a sonic pool in which you would willingly drown. Singer Johnny Gimenez possesses a rich, lustrous voice that’s by turns deep and plaintive. The band has a real gift for adding little touches that completely transform their songs into instant classics. Ghostly harmonies fill the spaces between the instruments, yet leave enough for the songs to breathe. Lyrically, the tunes are not straightforward narratives, but evocative glimpses into complex little worlds, which expand as you step into them.

The title track is gorgeous. There’s a rushing drumbeat towards the end when the song changes, and a heavy bassline supporting the lyric “Don’t follow me up that hill” which absolutely slays me. “Last Time I Sing For You” conjures up imagery from Hamlet (“drops of poison in the ear”) and features a wonderful guitar feedback solo.

The EP’s masterpiece is “You Don’t Send For Me, I Send For You.” It begins with a riff aped from Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart” but then travels elsewhere. The line “Don’t think I dream of you” is sung slightly different from the previous lines in the verse and set off by a bit of guitar jangle. This gives it such an emotional hook that when it’s repeated later, it’s like a visit from a dear friend. After that line, the opening riff is repeated and then the song completely transforms and becomes something even better. There’s a bridge within a bridge. It’s an amazing piece of work.

“Broken Bottles,” the final track, has a driving beat and gothic lyrical content. You might think a line like “I can’t follow you to the grave” could not be sung with a straight face in this metacritical, ultra-ironic millennium, but it works. The song also has a glorious fade-out, something that is precious and rare these days.

Another reason the song’s potentially pretentious lyrics work is because they also reference Sixteen String Jack, an honest-to-goodness dandy highwaymen who was executed in 1774 (clearly the inspiration for one of Adam Ant’s musical personas) and the Holy Maid of Kent, a.k.a. Sister Elizabeth Barton, executed not for her prophecies, but for the ones that didn’t suit Henry VIII’s plans.

Both of these real-life characters, as well as the Gentleman Jack also referenced in the song, were all executed at Tyburn, a village located in what is now London. And thus Tyburn Saints becomes more than just a cool name for a band, but a peek into a fascinating bit of history.

You and I in Heaven does not sound like a cheap bid at nostalgia. It genuinely sounds like a lost classic from 1983 yet—ironically—it also sounds timeless. You need to hear it.

You and I in Heaven was released on March 27. Tyburn Saints will be playing in New York at The Studio at Webster Hall on Friday May 11 and in Allston, MA at The Great Scott on Sunday May 13. For more check out their website on Bandcamp, where you can stream tracks and purchase the EP. - popshifter

Can we just go ahead and define ’80s music as a genre? I think enough great music was made during that decade and enough time has passed that it qualifies. Especially when so many bands continue to profess their love for the ’80s through amazing music (School of Seven Bells, The Chain Gang of 1974, Weep, White Lies, etc.). With their latest EP, You and I in Heaven, Tyburn Saints carry the torch with a firm grip and full hearts.

If the ’80s are a genre, then Tyburn Saints are certainly one of my favorite subgenres, that proto-shoegaze, jangly, dream pop veering deliciously close to goth. Think The Lucy Show, The Church, The Chameleons. Tyburn Saints also show how many so-called ’80s “revivalists” (remember Electroclash?) are doing it wrong by focusing on synthesizers and dance beats, forgetting completely about what made much of the decade’s music so powerful and memorable: guitars.

You and I in Heaven is a kaleidoscope of shimmering jewel tones, steeped in reverb and delay pedals, a sonic pool in which you would willingly drown. Singer Johnny Gimenez possesses a rich, lustrous voice that’s by turns deep and plaintive. The band has a real gift for adding little touches that completely transform their songs into instant classics. Ghostly harmonies fill the spaces between the instruments, yet leave enough for the songs to breathe. Lyrically, the tunes are not straightforward narratives, but evocative glimpses into complex little worlds, which expand as you step into them.

The title track is gorgeous. There’s a rushing drumbeat towards the end when the song changes, and a heavy bassline supporting the lyric “Don’t follow me up that hill” which absolutely slays me. “Last Time I Sing For You” conjures up imagery from Hamlet (“drops of poison in the ear”) and features a wonderful guitar feedback solo.

The EP’s masterpiece is “You Don’t Send For Me, I Send For You.” It begins with a riff aped from Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart” but then travels elsewhere. The line “Don’t think I dream of you” is sung slightly different from the previous lines in the verse and set off by a bit of guitar jangle. This gives it such an emotional hook that when it’s repeated later, it’s like a visit from a dear friend. After that line, the opening riff is repeated and then the song completely transforms and becomes something even better. There’s a bridge within a bridge. It’s an amazing piece of work.

“Broken Bottles,” the final track, has a driving beat and gothic lyrical content. You might think a line like “I can’t follow you to the grave” could not be sung with a straight face in this metacritical, ultra-ironic millennium, but it works. The song also has a glorious fade-out, something that is precious and rare these days.

Another reason the song’s potentially pretentious lyrics work is because they also reference Sixteen String Jack, an honest-to-goodness dandy highwaymen who was executed in 1774 (clearly the inspiration for one of Adam Ant’s musical personas) and the Holy Maid of Kent, a.k.a. Sister Elizabeth Barton, executed not for her prophecies, but for the ones that didn’t suit Henry VIII’s plans.

Both of these real-life characters, as well as the Gentleman Jack also referenced in the song, were all executed at Tyburn, a village located in what is now London. And thus Tyburn Saints becomes more than just a cool name for a band, but a peek into a fascinating bit of history.

You and I in Heaven does not sound like a cheap bid at nostalgia. It genuinely sounds like a lost classic from 1983 yet—ironically—it also sounds timeless. You need to hear it.

You and I in Heaven was released on March 27. Tyburn Saints will be playing in New York at The Studio at Webster Hall on Friday May 11 and in Allston, MA at The Great Scott on Sunday May 13. For more check out their website on Bandcamp, where you can stream tracks and purchase the EP. - popshifter

Brooklyn’s Tyburn Saints just dropped a new EP, You And I In Heaven, which is gratifyingly dark yet upbeat.

From start to finish “Broken Bottles” swells with confidence, the song feels straight of the pages of 70's punk yet lyrically walks a line between The Velvet Underground and Joy Division. Tyburn Saints remind me of a death obsessed Dreamers Of The Ghetto.

These guys are currently unsigned which seems impossible, I doubt that will be the case for long. - listenbeforeyoubuy.net

Brooklyn’s Tyburn Saints just dropped a new EP, You And I In Heaven, which is gratifyingly dark yet upbeat.

From start to finish “Broken Bottles” swells with confidence, the song feels straight of the pages of 70's punk yet lyrically walks a line between The Velvet Underground and Joy Division. Tyburn Saints remind me of a death obsessed Dreamers Of The Ghetto.

These guys are currently unsigned which seems impossible, I doubt that will be the case for long. - listenbeforeyoubuy.net

You And I In Heaven

INDEPENDENT, 2012

It’s truly a pleasure to be listening to new music from Tyburn Saints. Their last full length, 2010’s For the Benefit of Strangers, was a nice throwback to jangly lo-fi artists like The Jesus and Mary Chain and Galaxy 500. With this EP, the band has fully embraced the sonic landscapes of shoegaze and dream-pop, thus giving a more rewarding experience in sound and atmosphere. Opening track, “You and I in Heaven,” begins with blankets of warmth ushered in by Cocteau Twins-esque guitars (similar also to LSD and the Search for God or The Bethany Curve) and the meaningful vocals of lead singer Johnny Gimenez. He still has a voice like Nick Cave or Stephen Merritt, but this time it comes through with much more aplomb and command like David Bowie. There is an 80s vibe going on as well, carefully hidden in the threads of the track as well as the remaining three.

“Last Time I Sing for You” should be played loud and wouldn’t be out of place on a Greg Araki movie. Again, the guitars are the main act here, never getting in the way but, instead, leading. The same can be said about track three, “You Don’t Send for Me, I Send for You”. The stylistic choices made resemble some sort of lost B-side to an obscure new-wave/post-punk band. The song is grooving and has a definite hook with the instrumentation.

Final track “Broken Bottles” is a fitting closer to the EP. Gimenez’s vocals rush by like a drive through the city at night, bottles tossed out the window. And that’s what this EP feels like: night tales. These Brooklynites reside in a mecca once known for producing unique musical and avant-garde acts. The original days of no-wave might be over, but Tyburn Saints, along with other acts like Pop.1280 and The Men, are embracing past sounds and the seedy nature accompanied with acts long gone. You get a feel for their home with their music. All those times of hazy appearances, mistakes made, and sleepless nights…

9.0 / 10 - Scene Point Blank

You And I In Heaven

INDEPENDENT, 2012

It’s truly a pleasure to be listening to new music from Tyburn Saints. Their last full length, 2010’s For the Benefit of Strangers, was a nice throwback to jangly lo-fi artists like The Jesus and Mary Chain and Galaxy 500. With this EP, the band has fully embraced the sonic landscapes of shoegaze and dream-pop, thus giving a more rewarding experience in sound and atmosphere. Opening track, “You and I in Heaven,” begins with blankets of warmth ushered in by Cocteau Twins-esque guitars (similar also to LSD and the Search for God or The Bethany Curve) and the meaningful vocals of lead singer Johnny Gimenez. He still has a voice like Nick Cave or Stephen Merritt, but this time it comes through with much more aplomb and command like David Bowie. There is an 80s vibe going on as well, carefully hidden in the threads of the track as well as the remaining three.

“Last Time I Sing for You” should be played loud and wouldn’t be out of place on a Greg Araki movie. Again, the guitars are the main act here, never getting in the way but, instead, leading. The same can be said about track three, “You Don’t Send for Me, I Send for You”. The stylistic choices made resemble some sort of lost B-side to an obscure new-wave/post-punk band. The song is grooving and has a definite hook with the instrumentation.

Final track “Broken Bottles” is a fitting closer to the EP. Gimenez’s vocals rush by like a drive through the city at night, bottles tossed out the window. And that’s what this EP feels like: night tales. These Brooklynites reside in a mecca once known for producing unique musical and avant-garde acts. The original days of no-wave might be over, but Tyburn Saints, along with other acts like Pop.1280 and The Men, are embracing past sounds and the seedy nature accompanied with acts long gone. You get a feel for their home with their music. All those times of hazy appearances, mistakes made, and sleepless nights…

9.0 / 10 - Scene Point Blank

“…gothed-out ballads that slither” “…there’s more history clinging to the shadows. I find some heavy Scott Walker/ Ian Curtis moods/cleverness, with more than a healthy amount of Nick Cave references, too. It’s not a rip-off, it’s something else you might be able to dig. And I do. Dig it like a grave, baby.”

- The Big Take Over Magazine Issue 70

“…gothed-out ballads that slither” “…there’s more history clinging to the shadows. I find some heavy Scott Walker/ Ian Curtis moods/cleverness, with more than a healthy amount of Nick Cave references, too. It’s not a rip-off, it’s something else you might be able to dig. And I do. Dig it like a grave, baby.”

- The Big Take Over Magazine Issue 70

Tyburn Saints, You Don’t Send For Me I Send For You
Does anyone else get a totally awesome Joy Division “Love Will Tear Us Apart” vibe at times from this stellar new track from Brooklyn’s Tyburn Saints?! Ahh this is a good one folks. Head on over to Bandcamp to hear more from Tyburn Saints! - Dance yourself Clean

Surf Rock might sound like California, but only Brooklyn could churn out the Psychedelic Surf Rock sound of the Tyburn Saints. While they wear the Surf Rock tag on some of the tracks from their album "For the Benefit of Strangers", it doesn't even begin to describe this band that encompasses several different styles of Rock in one album.

But then again as our short history has shown us, it's not like you'd expect anything less from a New York Rock act.


From the first notes of the opening track "Forgo Falling", it is clear that the Tyburn Saints have created a record full of personal experiences that run the gambit from triumph to hearthbreak. With a distinctive vocal style that reminds of Interpol or She Wants Revenge, the they've found a way to further diversify the sound of what is already a very original NY Rock scene.

You will find a little bit of everything on "For the Benefit of Strangers". From the ballads of "Triumph" and "Hollywood Forever", to the tense guitar on "Bells" or the folky over layed vocals of "So Long Baby Sister", the album is as far from a broken record as it gets. For some artists this would create an album of mish-moshed songs that resembled a mix tape of internet indie favorites. For the Tyburn Saints, they have infused enough character into each song that they somehow make this flow work brilliantly. No track embodies this diversity better then the shift from the slower ballads to the hard rocking "Oh Sable!", my favorite track on the album. It's six minutes of echoing guitars, pounding drums, and screaming vocals; all the elements that make up a powerful Rock melody. The fast pace of "Darling Don't You Know" was a close second, but the depth of "Oh Sable!" won me over early and just wouldn't let go.

I found "For the Benefit of Strangers" to be a delightful change of course from the albums I have been listening to as of late. For those lucky enough to catch them when they return to the stage on June 8th, I doubt they'll leave feeling anything but the same way I did after listening to this album.

"For The Benefit of Strangers" is available now on iTunes (Click here)

Album Review by Chris Brach
- Rocksposure - Soundcheck

we picked up You’ve Gone Stray by Tyburn Saints via the excellent The Devil Has The Best Tuna blog, where it is described as sounding like “the theme tune to a slasher film written by Nick Cave. It could well be the sexiest serial killer based love song ever written.” Certainly good enough for a repost on MM. - The Mad Mackerel UK

we picked up You’ve Gone Stray by Tyburn Saints via the excellent The Devil Has The Best Tuna blog, where it is described as sounding like “the theme tune to a slasher film written by Nick Cave. It could well be the sexiest serial killer based love song ever written.” Certainly good enough for a repost on MM. - The Mad Mackerel UK

If death metal is the dark side of heavy metal, you could call Tyburn Saints' genre of haunting and maudlin rock "death indie." Following in the steps of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (circa Let Love In) before them (lead singer Johnny Gimenez even sounds like the love child of Cave and Joy Division's Ian Curtis), their music is dark, dark, dark. With a set list full of murder ballads, the Saints lull you into a false sense of security while their lyrics are a bit more sinister. Sometimes, like in "For the Benefit of Strangers", the song starts off slow and then explodes with a drum solo that will fly at you like a bat out of hell. In fact, that's the title track to their debut album, which will be released June 11th. Pleasant nightmares, indie rock fans...

— Brett Ackerman - Unveiled Arts

For the Benefit of Strangers, i was immediately struck across the face with the lo-fi, yet loudly crushing guitars. this band from brooklyn, new york, who make a wall of sound that would cause phil spector to be proud, enveloped me and took me along for the ride. needless to say, it wasn't a bad drive to work that morning. anyway, soon come the voice of lead singer, Johnny Gimenez, who made me scramble my brains to determine who he sounded like. this comes with a huge amount of respect for Johnny because the guy sounds like, David Bowie, mixed with Nick Cave and the lead singer of The Magnetic Fields, Stephin Merritt.

i knew from that point on this was going to be a good one. i jammed the album twice that day, allowing my self to absorb the musical craft and dive into the nice production. not to forget the rest of the team, there's Chappy, the man who plays keys, glockenspiel and accordion, Andrew Reed, who plays bass guitar and more guitars and also does vocals, and finally there's, David Parmeter, who plays drums. these fellows make/made up the band and together they create this wonderful collective organism that's hauntingly euphoric. yeah, i love this stuff...

this is an awesome debut album and one not to miss. songs that grabbed me where, "bells" and "she murders me." there is a nice personal quality that comes from the music and it fits right in with my huge amount of love for this kind of style. the style i'm referring to is what i've listed in the labels. tyburn saints play a smoothed out post-punk/lo-fi/shoegaze/jangly style with lots of reverb. you can hear bands like, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Galaxy 500, Ride, The Birthday Party and for a bit of the newer stuff, The National, Best Coast and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. there's also a hint of 60's surf rock/girl group stuff and it seems to be their trump card. so catchy its not fare against your ears i'm tellin' ya!!!

i was told by mr. gimenez that he is currently working on demo's for a possible ep coming out soon. until then, you have their debut album and i want you all to give it a try. and no, i'm not going to post it this time. look to the links below for your source. (i gotta keep my eye on this band...) enjoy!!! - Wolf at the Door

What is it with these bands and serial killer based love songs? Hot on the heels of the Boxer Rebellion's scary Locked In The Basement comes Tyburn Saint's even scarier 'You've Gone Stray'. It sounds like the theme tune to a slasher film written by Nick Cave. With the extravagantly moustachio'd Johnny Gimenez's deep tenor reaching the parts other voices cannot reach it could well be the sexiest serial killer based love song ever written.

And these guys call themselves saints! - The Devil has the best tuna - UK

Tyburn Saints, For The Benefit of Strangers
Who among us doesn't like a good murder ballad? Personally, I can't get enough of them. Unfortunately Nick Cave can only produce so many albums. That's where Brooklyn's Tyburn Saints step in. If you like your music with a heap of American Gothic doom-and-gloom, then this band and this album are calling your name. - Toronto Music Snob

Tyburn Saints. After having a listen to their debut album, For The Benefit Of Strangers, I felt inclined to write a post about them. Head over to their Bandcamp page to stream the LP and download the single, You’ve Gone Stray. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. The band is currently in studio working on new material, so keep your eyes and ears open. For more on the Tyburn Saints, check them out on Myspace.
- The iNDiE MACHiNE

Tyburn Saints, For The Benefit of Strangers
Who among us doesn't like a good murder ballad? Personally, I can't get enough of them. Unfortunately Nick Cave can only produce so many albums. That's where Brooklyn's Tyburn Saints step in. If you like your music with a heap of American Gothic doom-and-gloom, then this band and this album are calling your name. - Toronto. Music Snob

Brooklyn based band Tyburn Saints started as a backroom project of Johnny Gimenez and long time collaborator "Chappy" Chapman; incorporating their love of classic cinema, old Hollywood icons, engines with hand cranks, crusted aluminum cans of pomade and, of course, time tested rock and roll. The project became a band with the addition of Andrew Reed (bass, guitar, vocals) and David Parmeter (percussion) whose rhythmic sensibility provides the organic backbone that makes Tyburn Saints sound at once jarring and melodic; along the same lines of genre-collapsing acts like Lansing-Drieden, the band brings together punk, soul, and psychedelic surf. - The Delimagazine.com

"Led by the haunting vocals & guitar of Johnny Gimenez, the rest of the multi-talented band includes: Chappy (Keys & Glockenspiel), Andrew Reed (Bass, Guitars, & Vocals), David Parmeter (Percussion). Let's just say that any collaboration utilizing a glockenspiel is a definite must-see. NYC band with an utterly chill surf rock vibe." - sheenabeaston.blogspot.com

"Intriguingly tuneful goth/dreampop/acoustic group"
- Lucid Culture - Wordpress.com

Brooklyn based band Tyburn Saints started as a backroom project of Johnny Gimenez and long time collaborator "Chappy" Chapman; incorporating their love of classic cinema, old Hollywood icons, engines with hand cranks, crusted aluminum cans of pomade and, of course, time tested rock and roll. The project became a band with the addition of Andrew Reed (bass, guitar, vocals) and David Parmeter (percussion) whose rhythmic sensibility provides the organic backbone that makes Tyburn Saints sound at once jarring and melodic; along the same lines of genre-collapsing acts like Lansing-Drieden, the band brings together punk, soul, and psychedelic surf. - The Delimagazine.com

Tyburn Saints don't sound anything like saints, that's for sure. They actually sound quite like the opposite: maudit artists. Johnny Gimenez's deep, tenebrous tenor knows how to scream at us ("oh Sable"), but also how to lure us with vicious whispers or charming dark ballads ("Bells"). This is well executed dark rock that will find fans among those who rever Mr. Nick Cave's musical output. - The Deli NYC

Tyburn Saints don't sound anything like saints, that's for sure. They actually sound quite like the opposite: maudit artists. Johnny Gimenez's deep, tenebrous tenor knows how to scream at us ("oh Sable"), but also how to lure us with vicious whispers or charming dark ballads ("Bells"). This is well executed dark rock that will find fans among those who rever Mr. Nick Cave's musical output. - The Deli NYC