At the time of this release, Teenage Frames have been part of the garage rock underground for the better part of three decades. Their 2024 long player ‘Everything Has Led To This’ shows the work of a band who’ve really not lost their punch over time. If anything, the now veteran band have grown as songwriters, with tunes like ‘Brain Fever’ and ‘Please Don’t Be Stupid Tonight’ being on a par with peak Real Kids material from ‘77, ‘Back To The Beat’ sharing a pleasing, 60s tinged brand of power pop and, an album standout, ‘I Wish I Didn’t Know About You’ balancing the usual wall of guitars with a cheeky keyboard riff that tips the hat to skinny tie new wave bands from ’81. With fourteen catchy numbers packed into a little over thirty five minutes, the album is an old school, vinyl friendly affair that should appeal to garage rock fans everywhere.
Monthly Archives: May 2025
THE FIRES BELOW – Crouch End Sessions EP
An act who’ve made steady progress since their arrival on the rock scene in 2022, The Fires Below aren’t shy of a huge riff. On their second EP (2024’s ‘Thorns’), the dual guitar attack from Sam and Smithy attacked with a real edge, and on ‘No Man’s Land’ in particular, a massive buzzsaw-like sound, underscored by Si’s throbbing bass work, made this still relatively new band sound like a force to be reckoned with. It’s no surprise, then, that the band are able to summon an even bigger sound on stage.
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #106
Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the more interesting individual tracks that have landed in our inbox over the past few weeks. This time out, the SB takes in a little country, a couple of arty numbers that cross genres, and also welcomes back an up and coming singer-songwriter. With the return of a much loved ska band and a great pop number also present, we hope you find something new to enjoy!
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AROUND 7 – A Tale Of Martyrs & Heathens EP
There’s rarely such a thing as overnight success, but at the beginning of 2025, it almost felt as if Scottish pop punk band Around 7 have been lurking on the underground without a “major breakthrough” forever. That’s certainly not a reflection on the quality of their songs or playing abilities, however – the four tracks that make up their ‘A Tale of Martyrs & Heathens’ EP are absolutely superb.
THE DONNAS – The Atlantic Years 2002-2005
Very few people who heard The Donnas’ third album, ‘Get Skintight’, in the late 90s would’ve believed the band would have been snapped up by a major label, but that’s where Allison Robertson, Brett Anderson, Maya Ford and Torry Castellano (formerly Donnas R, A, F, and C) found themselves just three years and two albums later. Every Donnas album up to that point had showcased a stronger band with a bigger sound, but their ‘Spend The Night’ album (Atlantic Records, 2002) was streets ahead of anything they’d recorded before. Not just in terms of all round punch, but also songwriting chops, and it sort of goes without saying that a much bigger budget worked wonders for the girls’ trashy rock sound.
From there, it was onward and upward for a relatively short time, and The Donnas were praised by fans and critics alike, finally earning their place as the true successors to the pioneering Runaways.