This visit to the Real Gone Singles Bar sees the return of a cult band from the US, throws a spotlight onto a couple of superb indie pop bands and celebrates a pair of very different singer-songwriters. The eight picks represent just the tiniest fraction of submissions for the past fortnight, which should give some indication of how much new music is being shared as we head into autumn – traditionally one of the year’s busiest periods. We can promise a lot more good stuff to be unearthed from the current batch over the next fortnight, but in the meantime, we hope this selection fills your ears with something enjoyable…
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It’s been a while since the world heard from New Jersey’s Quiz Show, but the band are back with a bang. ‘XONO’ – the first taste of their EP of the same name – is big on riffs and, as before, even bigger on a love of 90s alternative sounds. Kicking off with a grubby riff in the vein of Superchunk, the number lays its retro cards on the table with immediate effect, but the way those heavier grooves eventually give way to elements of power pop – full of handclaps and cowbells – brings a welcome twist and a sense of melody that bodes very well for the upcoming full release. Although ‘XONO’ doesn’t offer much that feels new on a stylistic level, this track brings plenty of entertainment, especially via a shouty hook at the close that should please the fans.
Despite being driven by a simple, programmed drum track, Danny Dunnery’s ‘Happens All The Time’ is a very enjoyable affair. Building upon some rather rigid foundations, Danny shares a bright sounding acoustic guitar part that’s quick to offer something accessible, and the extensive use of harmony vocals feeds into a pop-ish quality with ease. These factors, along with a slightly wordy vocal, make the track work, but what really impresses here is the artist’s keenness to blur genre boundaries. The way Danny leans upon an Americana inspired riff between the stronger vocal elements is very smart, bringing a little extra flair that steers everything away from settling for a tried and tested pop-rock sound.
Originally released back in 2024, ‘Where Did The Summer Go?’ by Hungarian band Dirty Slippers is being re-promoted as we wave goodbye to Summer ’26. The mix of melodic rock riffs, big hooks and unexpected use of stabbed piano sounds come together to create something that’s immediately uplifting. The verses share a pleasingly rocky edge with prominent bass, but its on a great, sing-along chorus the arrangement springs to life. With the help of some jubilant harmony vocals, a whole world of light pop punk infused melodies and a very radio-friendly mood, this is almost guaranteed to improve any alternative playlist.
With their debut album, Everyone Says Hi introduced listeners to a smart brand of lush and layered indie pop, and their current single ‘Life Isn’t Perfect’ – released just a few days ahead of their second full length record – provides a perfect example of their slick sound. Bright keys and choppy guitars borrow from the old school of the new wave, while smoother vocals tap into a more contemporary sound with relative ease. The elements come together brilliantly, even before the chorus hits. At that point, this track really blossoms with a huge, swooning melody that’s incredibly appealing while, underscoring a great musical arrangement, a compliment of wordless vocals flesh out some pleasingly grand pop. A couple of spins are all that’s required for Everyone Says Hi to impress.
David Geraghty’s ‘Miss Manhattan’ is an interesting listen. Initially, the solid rhythmic qualities and heavy synths suggest a strong influence from Visage, Ultravox and early 80s sounds, but the arrival of the vocal allows the Bell X1 man to twist this number into something quite different. Adding a Carmine Rojas-esque bass to the mix, the number moves further towards a sophisticated pop sound, while David’s preference for flowing vocals and falsetto sounds feeds even further into an 80s Bowie influence. By the time everything finds its feet, this could be a deep cut from Dayyy-vid’s ‘Never Let Me Down’ resurrected for a twenty first century audience. An unexpectedly good track.
The first thing that’s striking about Cade Hoppe’s ‘Crashland’ is how it immediately hits with a sharp, upbeat rhythm that feels a little 80s inspired. From there, however, things soon sound very different. Beyond an incessant beat and a layer of synths, nothing about the track draws from that much-loved decade. This actually feels very contemporary – very much the sound of a twenty first century indie pop – from the use of filtered vocals, densely applied reverb and even the melodic lilt within the chorus hook. Regardless of influence, however, Hoppe’s approach is incredibly sparky; this is a recording that pushes those feel-good buttons very quickly, and although the tempo may feel slightly tiring in places, the singer-songwriter’s gift for a great melody shines through at every turn.
Veteran Canadian ska punkers K-Man and The 45s are in incendiary form on their newest number ‘We Won’t Stop’. Overlooking a couple of rougher edged vocals, everything about their performance genuinely hits the mark. Whether punching through a speed driven ska bounce or locking into a slower dub influenced middle eight, the bass work is amazing, powering the band with a fearsome bottom end that sounds pretty much unstoppable. That’s joined by some superb brass that fills out a huge melody with more of an old school sound than most of the band’s US-based third wave peers could summon (perhaps with the exception of peak Mustard Plug) and a repetitive hook that just won’t quit. Granted, this plays solidly to all of ska punk’s most obvious tropes and will only appeal to the genre’s die-hard fans, but when that results in something this sharp – and this insanely catchy – the tried and tested approach clearly cannot be beaten.
Last up, here’s a guitar/synth driven banger from hard working rock band The Howlers. Throughout their current single ‘D.R.I.V.E.’, the contrast between the slightly distorted guitar grooves of the chorus and the flowing indie pop of the verses feels absolutely vital – it’s the sound of a band brimming with confidence, a band that knows they have a striking sound that really works for them. Once you get past being floored by that, the track offers other great hooks within the chorus itself: the way the vocal shifts into something with a soaring edge brings even more of a commercial quality, and the backing vocal spelling the song title, although somewhat underplayed, is very catchy. Striking a balance between the fuzzy and alt-pop driven, this is a fantastic tune.
August/September 2026