DIRE WOLF – Black Death EP

dire wolf epAs much as their choice of band name might suggest, Brisbane’s Dire Wolf probably don’t have much time for the Grateful Dead’s brand of Americana. Formed in 2011, the band’s chief goal was to become one of the city’s heaviest bands – and if they couldn’t claim such a feat previously, their 2015 EP release ‘Black Death’ must set them pretty close. In just under twelve minutes, the band lay down a brutal hardcore sound, uncompromising yet thrilling, in a manner that fuses influences from Dillinger Escape Plan with a whole lot more besides.

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New trip-hop release from Italy

While most people will associate trip-hop with its formative years in the 1990s and the breakthrough artists Massive Attack, Portishead and Tricky, the electronic subgenre never really went away. Italian band Ophiuco break an eight year silence and have a new release out this week via Seahorse Recordings entitled ‘Hybrid’. Canadian blog Northern Transmissions says this release “pays homage to classic trip-hop sounds” and you can find out for yourselves by visiting the link below.

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Five For Silver: Real Gone meets Daniel Tashian

The Silver Seas released their third album, ‘Chateau Revenge!’ in 2010. It quickly became one of Real Gone’s favourite albums of that year…and indeed since. …And to think we’d discovered the album almost by accident, off the back of another release which was actually one of the worst things we’d been sent for review that year! The band’s retro pop talents did not go unnoticed by others either, since they were also championed by a couple of legendary figures from the world of UK radio. From then on, we kept a close eye on things happening in the Silver Seas camp and plans were made at the end of 2014 to catch up properly with their frontman Daniel Tashian. Busy schedules meant that the proposed interview did not happen straight away and, in fact, it would be almost a year until we could actually sit down and have Daniel spill the beans with regard to any future plans…but in December 2015, he joined Real Gone for a look back and a look forward to all things musical.

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Palm Trees & Picnics (A Real Gone Sampler)

It’s been a proper mixed bag for music this year. In 2014, Real Gone had a definite metal bias, to the point where we actually managed to issue an album length sampler of purely metal based acts.

This year, there has been metal, but more of the best music coming our way has been even more of a power pop or indie variety. That, of course, is reflected in our sixth freebie.

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ANGRY SNOWMANS – What Makes An Elf Build Toys? EP

angry snowmansAngry Snowmans are potentially the funniest thing to emerge on the punk scene since Butt Trumpet released their debut LP in the mid 90s. This Victoria, BC based band have been dropping festive EP releases with tunes satirising Poison Idea, Adolescents and The Germs and reworking familiar punk tunes for yuletide amusement since 2008. There has been much to enjoy, but their twisting of Buzzcocks ‘Orgasm Addict’ into an ode to the Toblerone was particularly inspired. You’d think they’d have run out of steam after six years – let’s face it, most of Me First & The Gimme Gimmes stuff after album three is either pretty shoddy or just plain tired – but the Angry Snowmans’ 2015 release ‘What Makes An Elf Build Toys?’ could be their one of their best yet. While Brian Setzer is the undisputed crowd-pleaser when it comes to snow, sleigh bells, guitars and all-round xmas jollity, your holidays aren’t complete without this.

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