THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #107

Posted on by

With two singles that practically scream “IT’S SUMMER!”, a weird hybrid track that pushes a psychedelic angle into new territory, a slice of atmospheric Scandinavian melody, and something with a dance core, this selection of singles is certainly varied. Regular visitors to the Singles Bar will, of course, find something of interest as they uncover tunes that highlight some of the musical underground’s more vivid talents, and in the case of one of the singles, possibly even discover an instant hit! Sit back with a cuppa – it’s quite a ride…

*

Continue reading →

EMILY SAUNDERS – Moon Shifts Oceans

Posted on by

On her 2011 release ‘Cotton Skies’, jazz vocalist Emily Saunders applied her talents to something fairly traditional. On that album’s selection of (mostly) extended arrangements, she sang beautifully over smooth piano, evoking a smoky late night bar, or allowed her strong vocals to soar over some very melodic, more rhythmic fare, coming across like the missing link between Stacey Kent and Gretchen Parlato. 2016’s ‘Outsiders Insiders’ very much followed suit, cementing Emily’s talent and suggesting she’d be worth keeping an eye on, despite only releasing new material on a sporadic basis.

Continue reading →

Premiere: Rattle Bones share new video for ‘Desert Heart’

Posted on by

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.

Continue reading →

TOOTH GORE – For Losers, By Losers

Posted on by

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.

Continue reading →

TEENAGE FRAMES – Fighting Words / Factory Man

Posted on by

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.

Continue reading →