Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the individual MP3s that have landed in our inbox over the previous few weeks. This time, we bring you a selection of rock tunes, a slab of melodic punk from Australia, and an indie/disco crossover that’ll be hard to beat. As always, we think this represents a great selection of current musical treats, and hopefully you’ll discover something new.
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A relatively new band, Mirrors On The Moon features Blueox man Donny Dykowsky. This debut single from his new musical project dispenses with the funky edges of his other band but retains a very retro feel. ‘Get Lost’ applies a world of fuzz toned guitars against a heavy beat, serving up a short slice of rock that falls squarely between something bluesy and some finely honed desert rock. For fans of a fuzzy guitar, it’ll be an instant hit. It’s very much the kind of thing that bodes well for any future releases.
Another new band for 2023, Soaper features a couple of old faces. James and Karina were previously members of the short-lived Bear Makes Ninja, a three piece band that fused punk, garage rock and grunge influences to create a brilliant riff based sound. After a long time away, The duo revisits a blend of noisy garage rock with a grunge-ish undertone on the brilliant ‘Inside Out’. The track’s main riff comes with a really broad tone that suits the treated vocal, and the crashy rhythm that runs throughout the number invites the listener to really crank the volume. The grubby melodies are strong from the off, but by the time James and Karina hit some understated harmonies during a brilliantly noisy climax, the single really comes into its own. Definitely a band to keep an eye on.
Dundee’s Desert Kites latch onto a great riff on their current single ‘Something Dark’. The guitars find a musical space somewhere between garage rock and proto punk, whilst a huge wash of melody comes via a very natural vocal. You might think you’ve heard it all before, musically speaking, but these lads serve up their familiar sound with a huge confidence and this track is still set to make an impression thanks to a very radio friendly hook. Factor in a brilliantly punchy drum sound and a few understated harmonies and it’s a great introduction to an up and coming band.
Back in 2019, Scandinavian indie/electronica crossover act Diskopunk released their long awaited debut EP. The short collection of tracks introduced a lot of people to a band whom didn’t believe in boundaries. Four years on, ‘Blind’ is a single that carries a similar carefree spirit. The drum grooves draw heavily from disco classics; the basslines latch onto a little funk, and hard edged keys big up the indie and electronica elements of their previous sound. If anything, though, the band’s songwriting has grown, since this comes with a massive chorus hook that could rival an on form Portugal.The Man, and with a fuzz guitar worthy of the Isley Brothers thrown in, this becomes a number that should appeal to many. Genre bending rarely sounded this much fun.
In a complete change of mood, the award for “Most Overdue Return” goes to Brazilian extreme metal band Siegrid Ingrid. It’s been almost a quarter of a century since they were last active, but their current single ‘Never Again’ behaves as if they’ve never been away. The core of the music draws from the classic thrash sounds of Obituary and early Sepultura, whilst a few hardcore breakdowns adds an extra crunch to a classically old fashioned metal sound. In addition, a broad death metal vocal in the vein of Entombed further creates an intensity that, stylistically speaking, makes this hard to beat. Granted, it won’t be for everyone, but those in the market for a brilliant thrash/death crossover should find this a more than welcome comeback.
Australia’s Heligan inject a slightly hard edge to the melodic punk of ‘Panic Attack’, a track that explores emotional issues set to a tune of several moods. At its punkiest, a set of speed driven muted chords collide with an Aussie accent reminiscent of old school punks (the) Hard-Ons, but with better production values, before a couple of slower grooves accentuate a feeling of unease. There’s even time for a metal-infused ripper of a guitar solo, which throws everything into a world where Heligan sound more like something from the NWOBHM, if only briefly. Loaded with confidence and with a superb melody pumping the punky heart, this is a superb three minutes.
Roisin McCarney’s ‘Dancing With The Devil’ is among the more unexpected things to appear in this week’s selection. Opening with a fat guitar riff, it at first suggests a garage rock banger, only to then slide effortlessly into a country two step that sounds like an old Shania Twain single redressed in hefty boots. After a few seconds to adjust, this blend of country cheese and massive chug sounds great, and its an idea vehicle for Roisin’s sassy vocal. “Bad girls have more fun…” she opines, and with a real attitude applied to a really catchy arrangement loaded with a full compliment of whoah-oahs, it’s hard to argue.
In the spirit of other retro bands The Answer, The Bad Flowers and The Dead Daisies, Palace of The King wield some rather fat riffs in a 70s mood on ‘Children of The Evolution’. Shifting between a high octane verse and a more traditional blues rock/hard rock chorus, the number stomps across two minutes in a very direct way. Beyond the riffs, you’ll find a lead break that never really gains traction, but still hints at a sound that could still cut through with a real intent, whilst vocalist Tim attacks each syllable with a sharp wail that captures the spirit of many a rock hero from the past and present. Australia has given the world some fantastic bands over the years, and Palace of The King sound ready to join the ranks of those brilliant exports.
July 2023