In a shift from the semi-gothic sounds on their debut EP, Pollyanna Blue opt for a bigger, rockier sound on their current single ‘Vultures’.
Tag Archives: alternative
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #61
Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the more interesting mp3s and individual tunes that’ve landed in our inbox over the previous few weeks. In proper Singles Bar tradition, this week’s column covers a lot of musical ground by taking in country and a couple of singer songwriters alongside some extreme metal. There’s even time to introduce a new rock band. It’s unlikely that everything here will appeal to everyone, but as always, we hope you find something new to enjoy.
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OCTAVIAN WINTERS – Nebula / Velveteen (Mark Pistel Remix)
Following a run of enjoyable digital singles, Octavian Winters released their debut EP ‘The Line Or Curve’ in October 2023. Rounding up the band’s previously available tracks and premiering the excellent ‘Velveteen’, its five songs explored an old school goth sound, but by blending that with a much tougher post-punk influence, the release shared a superbly dark mood laced with very strong melodies throughout. One of the EP’s highlights, ‘Surreal’ managed to bring the cold brilliance of ‘Faith’ era Cure into the realms of the more modern, potentially making it amenable to fans of bands like Lacuna Coil, and the combination of Jay Denton’s huge bass melodies and Ria Aursjoen’s soaring 80s vocals resulted in something atmospheric. With slow but wondrous melodies underscored by ringing guitar, it showed how classic 80s goth rock riffs and melodies could sound just as thrilling forty years on.
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #60
Welcome back to the Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the individual tracks that have landed in our inbox over the previous few weeks. This time around, we’ve mixed the familiar with the new, to bring you something that sounds like a superb tribute to AM radio pop, some contemporary rock sounds, a feel good pop track, a re-working of an old dance classic and more besides. As always, we hope you like what you hear, and discover something new!
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Watch: Pop punkers ZacTheLocust celebrate ‘Lazy Days’
Welsh pop punkers ZacTheLocust have been part of the UK alternative underground since 2019. Although originally conceived as a solo vehicle for guitarist Keryn Isaac, it wasn’t too long before the project had grown into a fully formed, four piece pop punk/emo outfit.