Across two enjoyable releases, ‘North’ (2019) and ‘Scene’ (2022), San Francisco’s The Morning Line celebrated a very 90s brand of pop rock, with an array of songs driven by jangling guitars and harmonious vocals. Often sounding like a cross between peak Connells and the lighter elements of Soul Asylum circa ‘Candy From A Stranger’, their best songs had the power to uplift, and in the case of ‘Looking Right At You’ and ‘Make Believe’ (very much highlights from ‘Scene’) even shared a nostalgic quality, despite being newly written.
Listen: Silver Dollar Room share final single ‘Black Widow’
Scottish rockers Silver Dollar Room had a very busy two years with their release of their ‘Gilded Echoes’ album and its acoustic counterpart in 2024, and the almost equally enjoyable ‘Can’t Rain All The Time’ and a piano-based reworking of the entire album both appearing in 2025.
With the announcement of a brand new non album single ‘Black Widow’ coming just two weeks into 2026, it appeared on the surface as if the band were setting themselves up for yet another busy year. However, the announcement was coupled with the news that the band were to split soon after, making ‘Black Widow’ their swansong.
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #141
As we head even further into a new year, submissions for the ever popular Real Gone Singles Bar continue to be very interesting. This time around. We’ve got a perfect homage to those 90s classics from the 4AD label, the return of a great retro goth band, some British skacore, and even a lo-fi oddity that proves surprisingly effective. With a couple of rocky tracks along the way and some well played Americana, we hope most people will find something new to enjoy.
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LORD ELEPHANT – Ultra Soul
Occasionally, a band name is all you need to gauge what something probably sounds like. Truckfighters and Acid Mammoth are two great examples. Here’s another: Lord Elephant create an absolutely huge sound throughout their second album ‘Ultra Soul’. The record’s seven instrumental numbers often find the Italian band in a weighty frame of mind, bringing a world of riffs that blend doom, stoner metal and deep psych in a way that invites favourable comparisons with Earthless and Karma To Burn, as well as drawing influence from the instrumental elements of Down and Eyehategod – only making those influences feel more intense.
CAMEL – Earthrise: Live At The Marquee 1974
In 2023, Universal Music released the ultimate in Camel box sets. ‘Air Born: The Decca Recordings 1973-1984’ brought together all of the band’s official releases from their most commercially successful period, and combined them with a wealth of rare and unreleased material. For the fan who must have everything, it appeared to be a beautiful item – especially with new blu ray audio content and surround mixes bringing a new dimension to some much loved tunes.
As is often the case with such a set, a huge price tag would prove a sticking point for those fans without deep pockets. Consolation would soon come from Cherry Red Records, however, who reissued ‘Camel’, ‘Mirage’ and ‘Music Inspired By The Snow Goose’ as deluxe editions (complete with the blu ray content) a relatively short time later.