Combining a love of Americana influenced sounds fused with a dose of soul and a pinch of 70s pop for its overall feel, the current single from singer songwriter Lee Rogers is a genuine joy.
YAWNING BALCH – Volume One
As their name more than implies, Yawning Balch is a musical project that combines the talents of the entire Yawning Man band and Fu Manchu guitarist Bob Balch. Stoner fans have come to expect great music from both parties, but in their respective acts, neither have managed anything quite as drawn out as the sounds that fill half of this debut from the desert/stoner rock supergroup. Fu Manchu, especially, have often represented the accessible end of the stoner spectrum, so this really gives Balch an ideal landscape on which to stretch out.
GODS OF SOMETIMES – Gods Of Sometimes
You might assume that a band featuring Fu Manchu’s Brad Davis on various musical duties would take a stoner rock route, but his Gods of Sometimes – a duo formed with similarly multi-faced studio hand Andrew Gukamakis – paints a much broader musical canvas. Their self-titled album has a hazy desert rock air in a couple of places, but the bulk of the material shouldn’t just be pigeonholed as such. Nor is it an easy love letter to an alternative rock past; there are elements within the arrangements that call back a much earlier time, whilst still sounding relevant at the time of recording.
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #13
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. For this thirteenth batch, we bring you the usual variety and hope you’ll find something to enjoy. Featured in this selection, you’ll find the return of a favourite band, some epic metal sounds, something with a country/roots core, a perfect slice of pop punk, and more besides. This popular feature has opened ears from different fan groups to new sounds, and we expect this week’s bundle to follow suit. Should you find something new that you’ve enjoyed, why not drop in and tell us? We’d love to hear your feedback. Maybe your band has something new that you think we might want to feature! If so, please get in touch.
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VARIOUS ARTISTS – Abbey Road Reimagined: A Tribute To The Beatles
There are several albums that are widely perceived as genuine classics. Albums which haven’t faded with the passing of time, but instead only seemed to become richer. Sometimes you might feel as if you never need to hear these again due to their over familiarity, and yet, a chance encounter with Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of The Moon’; The Beach Boys’ ‘Pet Sounds’, or a favourite Beatles album only serves to remind you how good they still sound, and remind you of why you loved them in the first place.