When Rattle Bones released their debut single ‘Silver Bullets’ in January 2025, they immediately made a strong impression with their combination of hard edged guitar riffs and lyrical hooks. The band’s sound had a very retro appeal; there were moments during that number where the riffs took on a blues-edged swagger akin to Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Oh Well, Part 1’, but dropping into more of a hard rock bluster, the band conveyed even more of a fiery edge that suggested that these lads had been inspired by the legendary pre-grunge acts that ruled the hard rock airwaves between 1989-1991.
TOOTH GORE – For Losers, By Losers
When Tooth Gore released their ‘No Fighting In Doo-Wop’ single in November 2024, the track immediately stood out among an ocean of digital wares. Unlike a lot of young artists that looked to the past for inspiration, Tooth Gore mainman Kobi Joe had no interest in recycling grungy riffs. Nor did this single draw from punk. Kobi’s interests stemmed from much further back. The song’s verses mixed classic elements of garage rock with a perfect surf rock melody, allowing a vocal to bring something accessible, despite being fuzzed up to hell. The strident tune sounded like early Weezer channelling old Spector works, hitting the listener with a welcome immediacy. In many ways, that would’ve made a great track in itself, but a delayed hook brought an extra element of musical magic. Bursting forth with a classic doo-wop influence straight from a world of pre-Beatle coolness, Tooth Gore hit their potential new fans with a killer melody. Then, by using the title for a final slam-dunk, something that’s massively catchy was left to create that all important last impression. Everything may well have stemmed from three very different ideas thrown into a musical blender, but with more than enough chutzpah applied, Kobi gave everyone a four minute treat that promised a lot more greatness in the future.
TEENAGE FRAMES – Fighting Words / Factory Man
At the time of this release, Teenage Frames have been part of the garage rock underground for the better part of three decades. Their 2024 long player ‘Everything Has Led To This’ shows the work of a band who’ve really not lost their punch over time. If anything, the now veteran band have grown as songwriters, with tunes like ‘Brain Fever’ and ‘Please Don’t Be Stupid Tonight’ being on a par with peak Real Kids material from ‘77, ‘Back To The Beat’ sharing a pleasing, 60s tinged brand of power pop and, an album standout, ‘I Wish I Didn’t Know About You’ balancing the usual wall of guitars with a cheeky keyboard riff that tips the hat to skinny tie new wave bands from ’81. With fourteen catchy numbers packed into a little over thirty five minutes, the album is an old school, vinyl friendly affair that should appeal to garage rock fans everywhere.
THE FIRES BELOW – Crouch End Sessions EP
An act who’ve made steady progress since their arrival on the rock scene in 2022, The Fires Below aren’t shy of a huge riff. On their second EP (2024’s ‘Thorns’), the dual guitar attack from Sam and Smithy attacked with a real edge, and on ‘No Man’s Land’ in particular, a massive buzzsaw-like sound, underscored by Si’s throbbing bass work, made this still relatively new band sound like a force to be reckoned with. It’s no surprise, then, that the band are able to summon an even bigger sound on stage.
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #106
Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the more interesting individual tracks that have landed in our inbox over the past few weeks. This time out, the SB takes in a little country, a couple of arty numbers that cross genres, and also welcomes back an up and coming singer-songwriter. With the return of a much loved ska band and a great pop number also present, we hope you find something new to enjoy!
*