Punk Head Present: MARS_999, Lee Feather and The Night Movers, Baaj and Baaj, Lana Crow, And Ronaldo Fuentes

We’re all haunted in one way or another, whether by the lost sounds from another era or a piece of news that hits harder than expected. The lines are meant to blur between past and present, old and new, dream and reality, where some of the best songs were born.

Nostalgia meets the artistic instinct to experiment. This edition of Punk Head Presents gives you something to hold onto during turbulent times, featuring Mars_999, Lee Feather and The Night Movers, Baaj and Baaj, Lana Crow, and Ronaldo Fuentes

Mars_999 - “Čierny Dážď”

Mars_999 is the brainchild of the lead singer of the Slovak indie band Čisté Tvary. “Čierny Dážď” explores dissonant melancholia and fractured love, where gritty textures meet lullaby-like melodies in a blend of lo-fi guitar, analog synths, and industrial soundscapes. It’s gentle and moody, chaotic and fragile. It balances between beauty and vulnerability, while everything in between grows like weeds. There’s a kind of brokenness and extreme that lies underneath the song that tackles the themes of love, loss, passion, and memory, so gently. There’s no resolution, which is part of what makes “Čierny Dážď” so haunting and irresistible.

This is the song that got us into devouring Mars999’s entire backlist just to find the catharsis we longed for (and we found it in “Este Nie Sme Strateni”). Even though “Čierny Dážď” is more in the feelings and witnessing, its experimental approach to various elements teases a wider palette waiting to be discovered.

Lee Feather and The Night Movers - “The Gods That You Pray To”

Groovy and atmospheric. “The Gods That You Pray To” is a seductive, immersive experience, beaming in a retro aesthetic. It’s a vibe and a world that operates at its own pace and affects the audience through its unique taste, color, and warmth. Like a sonic experience, Lee Feather and The Night Movers weave the spoken words into a hypnotic synth hook and an ethereal chorus, reflecting on modern life.

Sonically, it sits in between post-punk, glam, and disco. Nostalgic, but disillusioned. “The Gods That You Pray To” tastes like a drug — appealing, highly addictive, but thorny. There’s a sense of dissonance lying underneath and a note of positivity hovering above. A dystopian soundscape that’s dreamlike on the surface, but not completely lost. The lyrics sing - “When the seeds that you planted have been washed away, and the Gods that you pray to are on holiday” - it emerges from heartbreak and betrayal and offers hope.

BAAJ and BAAJ - ‘There's No Reason’

Soaked in the aesthetic and sonic impression of ‘80s pop and new wave, There’s No Reason evokes collective memories while creating a new one. The music language here is familiar, but Baaj and Baaj, filtered through a new lens. There’s No Reason is more emotionally and atmospherically grounded in the present, even though some elements are drawn from the past.

Baaj and Baaj crafts an emotive world. From “There’s No Reason” to “Hate the Haters,” every single track in this new EP is expressive, sensitive, and pulls the tenderest heartstrings. It feels like Thom Yorke meets Baaj and Baaj’s own artistic instinct. Highlighted by mesmerizing hooks and recurring themes, and infectious beats, There’s No Reason is richer than melancholia and explores a gentle, more introspective aspect of alternative rock.

Lana Crow - “No Secret" (Remastered)

The remastered version of “No Secret” from indie pop singer-songwriter Lana Crow is simply infectious. Like driving down a scenic highway during sunset, where the day bleeds into the night, lines blur, rules and worries are fading away. “No Secret” is a vibe and a state of mind. It’s liberating and joyous both vocally and lyrically. The song came from a lucid dream that Crow had, which she then realized in real life.

“No Secret” is about reconnecting to happiness and celebrating the beautiful moments in life. The original “No Secret” from Crow’s 2025 album, Live It, explored a more dream-like texture. If the original version captured the beauty of a fleeting dream, the remastered version is the wonderful aftertaste. It makes you feel more alive than ever.

Ronaldo Fuentes - “Prize”

“Prize” crosses to illusory places. Sang through a poignant, dark whisper, this single pays tribute to the skaters who died in January this year after a U.S. Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet. Singing about the lost hopes and dreams and the potentials of lives that will never be realized, “Prize” remembers them gently.

Melancholia is the undertone, but the past is its own aesthetic in Ronaldo Fuentes’ music. Loss, memory, and grief are the emotional weights that his music often carries, if not explicitly explored, but underneath the dark and moody soundscapes is an empathic heart that feels everything.