PEARL HANDLED REVOLVER – Tales You Lose

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Real Gone

In 2016, British rock band Pearl Handled Revolver released ‘If The Devil Casts His Net’, an excellent album of dark rock tunes taking in influence from The Doors, with a swathe of riffs from Queens of The Stone Age and a pinch of early Deep Purple. They’d released material prior to this, but this record is where their brand of retro rock really came into its own. Over the course of the years that followed, the band played a huge number of gigs – even appearing on the bill for the A New Day Festival in 2023 as support for Caravan, Ozric Tentacles and System 7 (the electronica duo featuring the legendary Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy) – and released a couple more albums.

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THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #100

Posted on April 17, 2025 by Real Gone

Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the individual tracks that have dropped into our inbox over the past few weeks. This time out, there’s another single from a now familiar electronica act, a quirky piece of hard edged dance-pop, a great track from a much-loved rock band, a smart cover tune, and more besides. There’s even something that doesn’t quite work, but has been included as a point of interest. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy…

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VARIOUS ARTISTS – Get Ready For The Countdown: Mod, Brit Soul, R&B & Freakbeat Nuggets

Posted on April 16, 2025 by Real Gone

When Cherry Red Records launched their Strawberry Records subsidiary in 2020, they knew they’d need something impressive to kick start what would technically be a successor to the excellent RPM label. Their inaugural release ‘Halcyon Days’ tapped into an accessible selection of mod and soul cuts, very much in the spirit of RPM’s ‘Looking Back’ series. Needless to say, fans of the style – and of that series of RPM box sets – were thrilled with the result. A second box of mod and soul cuts from Strawberry – 2021’s ‘I Love To See You Strut’ – was pretty much as solid, and at other times, the label’s well curated products – box sets celebrating “the music of Black Britain”, 60s and 70s club soul classics, and even dipping their toes into the world of psychedelic folk (normally the remit of sister label, Grapefruit) – have also been considered very welcome fare.

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OSWALD SLAIN – Kiss Me On The Mouth EP

Posted on April 14, 2025 by Real Gone

After years of making a name for themselves on the live circuit, Bristol based alternative band Little Thief finally released their debut album ‘Under The Patio’ in 2021. While their recorded work didn’t quite capture the power of their stage presence – they were far and away the best band at a showcase for Funnel Records at the Music Hall in Ramsgate, a year or so before their album materialised – ‘Under The Patio’ was a fantastic record which suggested even greater things were ahead for vocalist/guitarist Charlie ‘Fitz’ Fitzgerald and powerhouse drummer Rhii Williams.

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THE BUDDY SYSTEM FOREVER – The Most Famous Arena EP

Posted on April 13, 2025 by Real Gone

Not to be confused with several bands called The Buddy System, The Buddy System Forever are a three piece indie rock band from Queens, New York and their members delight in sharing a massively retro sound that celebrates the glory days of 90s alternative rock. Across the five tracks that make up their 2025 EP ‘The Most Famous Arena’, you’ll hear a love for the legendary Dinosaur Jr, Superchunk and Pavement delivered in massively broad strokes. Much like other twenty first century bands that are so keen to look back at those plaid filled summers, of course, everything is recycled with love, and the material has a spark of its own.

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