Sometimes appearances can be deceptive. Sometimes, they really aren’t. If you took one look at the artwork of this album from Gavin Bowles & The Distractions and thought it looked like an early 80s power pop record – aside from the copious facial hair – you wouldn’t be far wrong. Despite being geographically distant from bands like The Nerves, The Look and The Romantics, this Aussie band are totally indebted to a similarly retro sound, and ‘Phoning It In’ is a top grade musical love letter to the much-loved genre.
Author Archives: Real Gone
THE SUMMERTIMES – The Summertimes
During the first quarter of 2023, Australian band The Summertimes introduced themselves via a pair of very enjoyable singles. Both ‘The Perfect Wave’ and ‘Inside’ did a great job of selling the still new band’s power pop/guitar based sound, and on the former, a slice of surf rock embellished a very strong jangle, suggesting that these guys could be capable of a whole range of retro sounds.
THE INCITERS – Boot N Soul / Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)
Over the years, The Inciters have worked hard at injecting a real energy into a soul based sound. The ten piece band’s blend of Northern Soul coolness and mod friendly punch has thrilled audiences since the 90s, and one listen to this double pronged digital release makes it very clear why.
TULIPOMANIA – Dreaming Of Sleep
The word “alternative” gets bandied around a lot in the music world. It’s used to describe all kinds of guitar based music – even stuff that’s found its way into the mainstream long ago – but there are still plenty of genuinely alternative bands out there. It would be hard to consider the dark moods of Decommissioned Forests, or the strange jazz meets metal noise of Kilter as anything but. Tulipomania are another act who’ve wilfully taken their own musical path within a truly alternative niche, rarely concerned about commercial success.
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #26
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 a massive amount of submissions from a variety of sources, and we’ve picked eight of our favourites for your entertainment. This week, the tracks take in strange electronica fused with industrial sounds, some massive blues rock, and a couple of heavily rhythmic tracks that defy easy categorisation. We’re sure you’ll discover something new to enjoy. If so, why not drop by and tell us, or perhaps repost the Singles Bar on your socials? It’s always good to share!
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