A lot can change in ten years. Unlike most DIY punk/alternative bands, though, for Bad Mary, issues with an ever shifting line up hasn’t ever been a factor. Since day one, the unity between vocalist Amanda Mac, her drumming dad Bill, bass playing husband Mike and guitarist David has been unquestionably strong. What has changed in that time, however, is the band’s recording budget and their collective musical skills. The 2024 Bad Mary sound much bigger and much fiercer than their younger selves. With that in mind, they chose not to mark a decades’ worth of work with a career spanning compilation, but to re-record some of the best tunes from their ‘Better Days’ debut disc.
Author Archives: Real Gone
FALOODA – Demo 2024 EP
Greek band Falooda bill themselves as “a noise funk dessert with rose syrup, vermicelli, milk and sweet basil seeds”. If that doesn’t quite make sense from an outsider’s perspective, then it’s with very good reason. This self-titled download – serving as the band’s first demo – is absolutely batshit bonkers. It’s a recording that presents a band absolutely throwing themselves head first into a world of distortion, mangling all manner of influences into the ugliest of shapes. It’s scary, and yet, it’s also fascinating.
RED EYE PARIAH – Tequila King EP
Northern Irish rockers Red Eye Pariah formed in April 2021, during the pandemic lockdown and amid an unsure world. Once things had settled, however, they wasted no time in building a reputation. Within a couple of years, they’d found a solid grass roots audience, and also gained praise and air time from various radio outlets, including BBC Radio Ulster and the popular alternative broadcaster Radio X (formerly Xfm). On the live circuit, they’ve supported artists as diverse as actor Michael C. Hall and the now legendary disco infused alternative rock band Electric Six.The 2022 EP ‘Koala Tea’ introduced even more people to the rocky Red Eye sound, but their second release, ‘Tequila King’, is an improvement in many respects.
Watch: Check out ‘Dark Waters’, the new video from Federale
In July 2024, Federale released ‘Reverb & Seduction’, an album of songs that took the listener on a journey via a world of dark narratives, but also presented some rich and varied musical arrangements. The most complex Federale album yet, the styles covered ranged from goth pop to cosmic country, from occasional indie jangles to a very retro singer songwriter approach with traces of Chris Isaak. It was the kind of album that, no matter where you chose to drop in. would offer the listener something interesting.
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #75
Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the individual tracks that have landed in our inbox over the previous couple of weeks. We think this selection is an interesting one, with something to entertain a broad range of different ears. We’ve got an acoustic based singer songwriter who sounds like they’re heading for big things, some re-promotion for a rock based banger, something with a ska heart that’s almost timeless, a bit of pop infused country, and more besides. As always, we hope you’ll find something new to enjoy!
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