Although he’ll be best known to most people as an ex-member of Throwing Muses and Belly, singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Fred Abong has carved out a solo career exploring some interesting lo-fi sounds. On the ‘Homeless’ and ‘Pulsing’ EPs, he introduced audiences to his minimal approach to arrangement, and with just voice and electric guitar, the best material contrasted angular noises and introspective lyrics on tunes that sometimes felt like audio sketches. Although strong on record, these tunes really sprung to life in the live setting, but every artist needs to move forward, and by the time of 2022’s ‘Yellowthroat’, his recordings had expanded to include mellotron, piano extra vocals and felt altogether warmer without losing focus of his lo-fi signature sound.
Author Archives: Real Gone
The Real Gone Singles Bar #11
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. As usual, we’ve had an absolute flood of submissions, and it’s been an absolute pleasure picking some of the finest tracks from the material in hand. There’s a rock core, as expected, but in the usual Singles Bar tradition, we’ve tried to mix that with a few other interesting bits in the hope that there’ll be something to entertain a lot of our supporters. Whatever your tastes, hopefully you’ll find something new to enjoy.
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AL PACINOS SISTER – Trans Sister Radio EP
In May 2023, Al Pacinos Sister released a three track EP entitled ‘Trevor’. For those who’d followed the band’s progress to date, its material shared a trio of brilliant punky tunes. ‘Impossible’ applied an unexpected layer of synth noises, but this didn’t dilute the anger in any way. The pointed way in which the synths added to the APS sound merely confirmed any feelings that these anonymous, faceless musicians were among Britain’s best underground noise makers.
KENT HILLI – Nothing Left To Lose
Kent Hilli is one of the best rock vocalists of his generation. Wherever he appears, you’re pretty much guaranteed some top quality melodic fare. He even managed to make Giant’s ‘Shifting Time’ album entertaining, despite a Dann Huff-less Giant being Giant in name only. Such is his vocal gift that he took on a “dead man’s shoes” role and gave it life, offering something on a par with his own Perfect Plan. This solo album, released in August 2023, continues something of a gold run for the Swedish singer. Presenting eleven melodic rock tracks, the featured material makes the very best of a great voice once more.
JUSTINE AND THE UNCLEAN – The Signal Light
From the moment their debut single ‘Love Got Me Into This Mess’ hit the internet in 2017, it was clear that Justine And The Unclean were something special. On that recording, the Boston band’s mix of pop punk and power pop greeted the listener in a fantastically upbeat fashion, and Justine Couvault’s distinctive, curly vocal style was impossible to ignore. As the follow up singles emerged, it was always possible to spot the band thanks to that vocal, and regardless of whatever style the music took, the Unclean continued to sound like a band with a real spirit. A little later, their first full length release ‘Get Unclean’ added some old school hard rock to an already potent mix, suggesting a great future ahead. Naturally, things went a little quiet in the Unclean camp during the pandemic years, but a trio of singles suggested the band had retained their sense of drive, and in 2021’s ‘Scorpion Bowl To Go’, it seemed as if they’d actually upped the ante in terms of catchy hooks.