THE SILVER SEAS – Alaska

AlaskaThe Silver Seas 2010 album ‘Chateau Revenge!’ not only raised the bar in terms of what they were capable as a band, but the release also came with a strong sense of cult adoration, with the UK’s Danny Baker becoming one of the band’s most outspoken supporters.  For those who were there, the band’s September 2011 performance in front of a select but fiercely loyal London crowd – just prior to an appearance on the BBC’s prestigious ‘Later…With Jools Holland’- remains something of a watershed moment.  Riding the wave further and coming up with an album that was not only equal, but better than ‘Chateau Revenge!’ was always going to be tough.  So, like Fleetwood Mac following the hugely palatable ‘Rumours’ with the over indulgent ‘Tusk’, with 2013’s ‘Alaska’, The Silver Seas have wisely chosen not to try and top previous achievements, but instead take a side-step and – at lease on the surface – offer their loyal fans something different.  …But fear not, it’s not so different…at least not in a frankly paranoid, coked-out and bonkers ‘Tusk’ sense.

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DARK DARK HORSE – Centuries

Dark Dark HorseWhile the bulk of the work released by Leicester post-rockers Maybeshewill is concerned with winding atmospheres around hard edged guitar riffs, this project from Jamie Ward creates an almost entirely different mood.  Over the course of eleven tracks, Dark Dark Horse’s debut release ‘Centuries’ weaves electronic ambiance, pulling together the best moments from the likes of Zero 7 with the quiet menace of parts of Radiohead’s ‘King of Limbs’ and almost Thomas Newman like piano work to create a record which you’ll either love or hate.

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REAL GONE’S EUROVISION GOLD, Part 3: Almost Famous – The Silver Contenders

Previously at Real Gone, we’ve celebrated the Eurovision phenomenon by posting our three favourite and faintly ridiculous clips and also highlighted the occasions when the UK made royal arses of themselves with, frankly, quite awful performances. In this third instalment of Real Gone’s Eurovision Gold, we take a more rounded look at what makes Eurovision so much fun, with a few clips from runners-up. …And remember, enjoying Eurovision has nothing to do with musical taste. We’d never listen to this stuff at any other time of year…it’s about huge spectacle, high camp and, more than occasionally, flat out trashiness. You know you love it.

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