Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the best individual tracks to land in our inbox over the past few weeks. This time around, we’re thrilled to share a long overdue return from a power pop legend, a well crafted number from a new name in retro pop, a perfect slab of soul getting a timely re-promotion, a perfectly formed and very melodic instrumental track, and more besides. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy.
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From the very beginning of their musical journey, Silk quickly gained a reputation for creating a huge wall of sound. Their love of pioneers My Bloody Valentine quickly became obvious to all, but on their early singles, this Irish shoegaze act captured enough energy and pure force to bring a classic sound to the masses in a genuinely impressive way.
Back in the 90s, The Dambuilders released a string of albums that gained a cult following. With competition from the likes of Cracker, Sponge, and a wealth of other alternative bands circa 1994/5, they never hit the “big leagues”, at least in the truest sense, but they were one of those acts that really seemed to capture the essence of the US “college rock” sound. In the UK, their fifth album ‘Ruby Red’ could occasionally be spotted in London’s bargain bins, and for those who took the time to listen, it was an album that offered much to enjoy – especially for lovers of the equally undervalued Green Apple Quick Step and Mother May I.
The Fierce And The Dead’s fourth album, ‘News From An Invisible World’, marked a bold step forward for the band. With that record, they took their already distinctive sound from an instrumental, post-rock sphere into something song based with the addition of Kevin Feazey’s vocals. This had the effect of making a couple of their songs sound a little like a more interesting Queens of The Stone Age with proggy inflections, but it proved they were willing to experiment more than most rock bands at the time of release.
Over the past week or two, the amount of submissions for the Singles Bar column has gone through the roof! That’s made it harder than usual to pick the highlights. Regular visitors to the SB will certainly recognise a couple of names this time around as we explore some of the recent offerings from a variety of genres, but That doesn’t mean the selection is predictable. By jumping between power pop, post rock, Irish music, and even something that’s in almost an ambient mood, our choices really highlight some great sounds filling the underground as we head into the summer. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!
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