Whenever psychedelic and swinging London appears in documentary footage, there’s always a tendency to suggest, to those of later generations, that Joe Boyd’s short-lived UFO club was where everybody hung out. This is largely to do with an easily available and well circulated clip of Syd Barrett and The Pink Floyd hammering through ‘Astronomy Domine’ against a home made light show. The late 60s saw lots of other underground activity, not least of all at UFO’s successor, Middle Earth.
Monthly Archives: March 2025
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #95
In terms of selection, this visit to the Singles Bar casts its net rather widely to bring you a variety of entertaining tracks. Thanks to a massive influx of submissions over the past month, we’ve had more than enough to fit our usual remit, and even been sent couple of rather bold offerings that would’ve struggled to find a home elsewhere. You’ll find one of these here – a sprawling piece of distorted noise that a few people will love, but most will likely feel affronted by such an abrasive noise. That’s balanced out nicely by a couple of singer songwriters, a strong pop based piece, and a throwback to the 90s that’s almost perfect. Dig a little deeper and hopefully you’ll find other treats along the way. …And as always, if you find something new to enjoy, why not stop by and tell us? We’d love to hear from you!
*
THE GAMBLERS – Tonight / Let Your Yeah Be Yeah
As a fixture within the punk underground, Booze & Glory have spent years carving out a niche with a street punk sound that crosses the more melodic aspects of Rancid with Swingin’ Utters. For lovers of that style, B&G have more than succeeded in sharing a world of rousing hooks.
A new project launched in 2024, The Gamblers finds the band’s vocalist – the mononymed Mark – branching out into the world of reggae. Their first release gives listeners a really well formed and direct example of the band’s sound, and by coupling a self-penned workout with a tune that’ll be familiar to almost everyone, it provides an easy entry point into their catalogue.
ECCE SHNAK – Shadows Grow Fangs EP
When a band re-appears after a long time away, it often leads to fan apprehension. The return of a favourite act can be exciting, but what if the new material isn’t up to scratch? What if it’s really different from the old stuff? What if, as a listener, it’s your ears that have moved on, and you now crave different thrills? None of these concerns apply to the return of New York’s art rock band Ecce Shnak. The five years since their ‘Metaphorphejawns’ album assaulted an unsuspecting audience hasn’t diluted their desire to bend sounds into almost impenetrable shapes and, at its best, their ‘Shadows Grow Fangs’ (released in February 2025) presents material that’s as unclassifiable and inventive as ever.
ENVY OF NONE – Stygyan Waves
The first album by Envy of None – the first new post-Rush music from guitarist Alex Lifeson – very much conveyed the attitude of a musician moving on. The fan reaction, on the other hand, proved that many of his followers were incapable of doing so. Many of them were hoping for something prog based, or at least something hugely guitar oriented in the vein of his vastly underrated Victor project. What they got was an album full of hooky songs that sounded like the missing link between ‘Blood For Poppies’ era Garbage and Chvrches.
Taken on its own terms, the music’s broad, melodic sound – coupled with great vocals from Maiah Wynne – provided something hugely enjoyable. Although the songs occasionally took a little while to sink in, it was an album that had more than enough potential to find its way under the skin of those willing to keep an open ear.