Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the individual tracks that have landed in our inbox over the previous few weeks. This time around, our chosen eight numbers take in some ska, some chunky country rock with the emphasis on the rock, a couple of brilliant synth oriented tracks, a treat from the shoegaze archives, and more besides. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy.

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Ska legends Fishbone aren’t holding back on their politically themed ‘RxPxOxS’. It’s a single that won’t make the band any fans in some quarters of the US, but they’re here with a message that needs to be shared. Horns punch gainst bass and guitar riffs in a way that encourages a full on skank, and a spiky vocal delivers an extremely pointed lyric calls out the Donald Trump for his spiteful, hateful views. The ska elements are rather basic, but that’s all that’s needed to create a full-on, skank-worthy sound, and the track’s really aggressive chorus leaves one of the most incessant earworms ever. It’s great to hear this now veteran band sound so vibrant and so angry, long after some of their peers have been phoning in their schtick…it’s just a travesty that parts of the US couldn’t hear the message.

The chunky ‘Asphalt Confidential’ by JC Miller captures a mood somewhere between the rougher end of Steve Earle, the rootsier elements of the earliest ZZ Top and the swagger of George Thorogood. A single that’s absolutely unashamed in its old school approach, it sets a chunky sound in place with immediate effect, and then doesn’t deviate from its original riff. The fact is, it doesn’t need to: the boogie laden riffs chug forth as if conveying the movement of a truck, and the simple chord progression allows plenty of room for both a gruff vocal and busy slide guitar to do business. Factor in a pleasingly repetitive hook, and this becomes a catchy number that revels in both its general simplicity and its tough musical stance. It’s even more direct than Miller’s previous single – the grubby ‘Blackberry Canes’ – but no less enjoyable.

During the opening bars of ‘Like A Weapon’, Haven Chills place a light vocal on top of a busy rhythm with a light vocal, immediately setting an interesting contrast in place. The shuffling drums often feel at odds with the indie pop infused voice and main melodies, but thanks to a frantic guitar part – drawing heavily from a rockabilly influence – the two contrasting elements that power the verses of this single are brought together in a very smart way. …And then, once the listener gets to grips with the stomper of a tune, main man Dan Potter turns everything on its head by introducing a steady groove with a pumping bassline as a way of making a blues based guitar solo feel more natural. It’s very much a track of two halves, but with the original melody returning to deliver a big finish, this is a Frankenstein creation actually works.

‘Haunted’, the current single from amilost, contrasts a minimalist verse showcasing an angelic vocal with a huge, beat-laden chorus, creating something very dramatic in the process. From the outset, the duo’s brand of pop-ish electronica brims with a strange beauty, but this track really comes into its own once the bigger beats make an appearance. The steady rhythm joins a crying voice to create something epic, yet at the same time, the arrangement conveys a love for downbeat 90s trip-hop vibes, giving the arrangement a marvellous balance between moodiness and confidence. With the help of a simple chorus hook, ‘Haunted’ feels so perfectly formed. It’s easily the act’s best track to date.

A new band featuring members of Fat White Family, Permeo and White Devil Disco, Uncle Daddy aren’t playing things the easy way on their debut single ‘Blood’. The demo recording mixes glitchy elements of electronica and off kilter beats, creating a very jarring rhythm, which takes a little work on behalf of the listener to warm to. Over the very mechanical backdrop, dark and dub-oriented basslines lend even more of an ominous feel, whilst a high toned vocal brings a soulful pop influence to an already eclectic mix. That vocal provides the main hook, even if the lyric and melody isn’t really providing anything that resembles a musical comfort blanket. As a result, ‘Blood’ is really twisted, but also oddly appealing; the first fruits of a band out to push boundaries way beyond the more obvious Fat White Family grooves.

With pulsing synths sharing a descending riff, Phonseca’s ‘Staring At The Sea’ begins rather gently, but by bringing in a big drum beat to power the core of the track, it quickly becomes a pleasingly punchy number. The blend of keyboard chords pulled from Euro house tracks and spoken interlude very much calls to mind key tracks from Saint Etienne’s massively influential ‘Foxbase Alpha’, but there are also elements here that show off more of Phonseca’s own electro-pop style, especially once the beats intensify and vocalist Kristina Sheppard unleashes a much bigger performance. This is retro, but in an especially charming way – a single that’s guaranteed to please a world of listeners who enjoyed various pop infused dance acts back in the early 90s.

A track also that’s keen to share its 90s heart, ‘I Relate’ by Movieland gives fans a first taste of their upcoming rarities collection. On this single the Canadian shoegaze legends serve up a classic arrangement that comes with a massive bassline, a baggy influenced drum groove and a slightly fey vocal that more than tips the hat to a world of UK indie from yesteryear. Linking everything, a world of overdriven, swirling guitars stoke up a classic shoegaze sound, mixing influences from the early Charlatans with a hefty dose of Ride for good measure. It mightn’t sound original in 2024, but in terms of previously unreleased material from the 90s, it’s pure gold. It’s certainly a single with a huge sound, and its retro flair brings a feel-good hit with almost immediate effect.

Last up, here’s some fairly traditional sounding (but rather awesome) stoner/desert rock from Prism Temple. The London based band’s debut single ‘Sacred Leaves’ introduces itself with a classic stoner riff, with guitars downtuned to create a brilliantly fuzzed out backdrop. Adopting a mid tempo, the heavy melody quickly takes shape, falling somewhere between Black Label Society and Valley of The Sun. This will be enough for fans of the genre to get on board, but this recording is absolutely made by a great vocal. The band have chosen an almost neo-psych approach here, which certainly makes everything more accessible, but the way a heavily treated voice bends in and out a great riff also creates something a little more atmospheric than your average Kyuss obsessed act. With immediate effect, this shares the sound of a band ready to create ripples on the UK stoner circuit.

October/November 2024