Ken Newman wastes no time in dropping the listener into an ominous place on his 2022 release ‘What Am I Afraid Of?’ The title cut doesn’t even have the time to deliver couple of muted chords before the singer-songwriter reels off a list of the dark things clouding his mind. And it turns out, rather expectedly, at the time of his writing, he’s concerned by almost everything the real world and its plethora of socio-political demons and societal issues.
LEATHER CATSUIT – Leather Catsuit EP
A long time coming, DJ Kim Olin allegedly first hatched an idea for a rock ‘n’ roll band back in the 80s, but it wouldn’t be until 2022 that Leather Catsuit became a reality. At just five tracks, the band’s debut is too short, but since each of the tracks explores a different avenue, it plays like a complete showcase – enough to win the affections of potential fans without trying too hard.
THE 3 CLUBMEN – The 3 Clubmen EP
XTC’s Andy Partridge is a legend of the alternative music scene. From his former band’s early punk beginnings, through their angular post-punk and dub experiments and, latterly, into a world of epic pop-rock, Partridge’s unique voice always shone through. In terms of grasping off-kilter melodies and making them truly work, he shared a unique talent.
Since the demise of XTC, new music from Andy has been rare, but often very welcome, and this EP from The 3 Clubmen – teaming Partridge with Lighterthief’s Stu Rowe and inventive guitarist Jen Olive – is no exception. It’s a true collaboration, too, giving all three musicians equal space within the arrangements, and feels like something that pushes their artistic agenda into new territory.
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #12
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. In this instalment, we bring you another fine selection, ranging from retro sounds to punk to singer-songwriter fare and even a little rap. As always, the Singles Bar has been a great place to share things a little out of our usual remit, but also celebrate a few upcoming releases from the kind of bands people might expect to see featured at our site. This twelfth Singles Bar is one of our most varied to date, but hopefully people will still find plenty of new music to enjoy, and follow up a couple of the featured artists.
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The Last Waltz: Alternative footage from the classic show
The Band’s Robbie Robertson left the world today. He was a true legend, and along with Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman and Bernie Leadon, a man who could probably claim to have laid the foundations for country rock. The Band’s rootsy sound and image was completely out of step with the psychedelic scene in which they first found fame, but Robertson’s songwriting – along with that of bandmates Rick Danko and Richard Manuel – had a timeless quality that will outlive everyone. His songs had heart, and often a massive sense of narrative, and his gift for a great melody carried right through a career spanning several decades.