THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #35

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 past few weeks. Despite January being a quiet time, there’s been very little sign of anything slowing down here. This time around, we bring you electronica based sounds, the return of some industrial heroes, some brilliant and slightly kitschy alt-pop, a couple of massive rockers…and more. Hopefully, that means there’s something here for everyone…and if you find something new to enjoy, as always, please drop by and tell us!

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GRAND – Second To None

Grand’s debut album was one of the best AOR albums of 2022. Seemingly out of nowhere, the Swedish band dropped a record that encapsulated some of the very best sounds from an unfashionable genre. The songs shared strong influences from the likes of Work of Art and Lionville, but with the help from a dash of pop and some absolutely killer choruses, Grand made a well worn style feel a little perkier than most.

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Watch: New live clip from Bad Mary

Moving on from their series of cover tune releases, Bad Mary released a brilliant, original work with their 2023 EP ‘Trash & Glamour’. The succint release managed to share their variety of musical styles and all the excitement of 2019’s ‘The Return of Space Girl’ into a much smaller package. For fans, it would be a reminder of how much energy an on-form Bad Mary can muster, and for the uninitiated, a varied introduction to a great, underground band.

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ELLEN MAY – Dying To Live EP

The members of Ellen May met via social media in 2022, and quickly realising their shared musical interests, Matt Matusik and Matt Branton began sharing demo ideas. Seemingly just as quickly, they began working on demos with a plan for a full length release. Despite an album’s worth of tracks being completed, the Ellen May debut features just two numbers, but ‘Dying To Live’s digital single format is actually a perfect way to introduce their emo/melodic punk sound to the masses.

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ADVERSE96 – Clear The Lane

Adverse96 have worked hard to build a following since their formation in 2012. Extensive live work has seen them trek across Europe, sharing stages with 90s legends Dog Eat Dog, ska band The Interrupters and cult punks Against Me. The fact that they’ve managed to support such musically differing rock bands is testament to their huge crossover sound. Their 2023 full length ‘Clear The Lane’ takes in a swathe of melodic hardcore influences, a smidgeon of rap metal and even a few cues from US inspired melodic punk. This huge melting pot of sound often centres around melodic hardcore breakdowns to give the overall sound a common thread, but in terms of whipping up some familiar sounding (and often retro) excitement, it’s clear that this Belgian band know, almost instinctively, how to push all of the right buttons.

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