Glenn Robinson’s 2013 release ‘Modern Mistakes‘ is an underground classic. On that album, the ex-Prozacs man delivered several first class punk pop nuggets which, tempered with the performer’s love of old school power pop, resulted in a record that kind of defied the passing of time. The Ramonescore influences were channelled through various 90s punk outfits; the occasional nods to skinny ties and power pop borne from something a little older, but whatever the style, Robinson’s energy and enthusiasm always shone through. His following EP – ‘Everything Is Stupid‘, released in March 2015 – perhaps seemed to be that album’s leftovers, but was no less enjoyable for sticking to tried and tested formulae.
Author Archives: Real Gone
Deconstructing The Dame: David Bowie Uncovered
The 10th January 2016 was a dark day in the music world. Singer, songwriter, musical chameleon and legend David Bowie passed away. The strangest thing happened: the people of the internet came together in an outpouring of grief. Grown men cried. Some trolls stopped being angry. From huge fans to casual admirers, Bowie’s death seemed to touch almost everyone in some way. Even people who weren’t fans were more than aware of David’s importance. Love him, like him, hate him: everybody knew something from Bowie’s vast and varied back catalogue.
FAITH ELIOTT – Faith Eliott EP
Released as a stop gap between demo recordings and entering the studio to record something properly, this EP from Edinburgh based singer-songwriter Faith Eliott was recorded live to tape in one afternoon at The Happiness Hotel in Leith. Although Faith recorded these tracks quickly and out of necessity (in her own words, “to archive songs that have been disappearing from setlists”), the organic nature of the recordings really brings out the best in her songs. For here are four tracks that are hugely professional and yet still retain a little of that spirit that lots of great acoustic music needs if it is to remain true to its roots. Various studio overdubs could have made these songs fuller, but not necessarily better.
THREE DIMENSIONAL TANX – Attack
With an inventive approach that combines indie rock with psychedelia and a touch of 70s Krautrock, sci-fi obsessed Lancaster band Three Dimensional Tanks fill their fourth album ‘Attack’ with tunes that can be sharp and upbeat, lax and hazy and sometimes mange to be both at once. For lovers of music driven by retro organ work, it’s a recording that needs to be heard, since the energy these guys sum up is really impressive.
VULTURE WINGS – Funeral Grounds EP
Despite being billed as a death metal band, the material that makes up the bulk of Brazilian outfit Vulture Wings’ debut EP is surprising. Their music is very heavy, but retains almost none of the relentless pneumatics so often associated with the genre. This, of course, has the potential to make ‘Funeral Grounds’ a more accessible listen than most – provided that is, of course, you can get your head around a growling vocal.