The release of Ecce Shnak’s single ‘Jeremy, Utilitarian Sadboy’ in October 2024 marked a triumphant return for the most cult of art rock bands. Their first new recording in five years, the track shared something almost uncategorisable. Jumping from frenetic beats and rock riffs into post punk sounds, and eventually descending into a choir of voices sharing a warped carny melody, it packed more into three minutes than some bands manage over the course of entire albums. Their subsequent EP ‘Shadows Grow Fangs’ (released in February ’25) proved to be equally as inventive, sharing a half dozen numbers that seemed as keen to bemuse as entertain.
Tag Archives: alternative
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #108
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 previous couple of weeks. This time around, we bring you some pastoral prog from a DIY multi-instrumentalist, a great pop throwback to a pre-Beatle age, a slice of country, a great R&B number…and more besides. As always, we hope you discover something new, and if you like what you hear, why not drop by and tell us? The submissions for the SB are still coming in fast, so there’s a lot more great stuff to come!
*
TEENAGE BUBBLEGUMS – Infamia EP
In a pre-lockdown age, Italian punks Teenage Bubblegums hit their audience with a sound that blended huge influences from the early Ramones catalogue with the musical prowess of a couple of 90s Fat Wreck bands. That approach really came of age when the band cranked out ten numbers in under fifteen minutes on their 2019 “long player” ‘In Limbo’. The record’s chunky riffs and dual male/female vocal created something tough yet melodic, sharing something that could be enjoyed by a broad spectrum of Europunk fans.
Five years on, the ‘Infamia’ EP presents a much more mature and rather different sounding band. Allowing themselves room to stretch out, the five featured tracks take almost as long to play through as twice as many songs from the Bubblegums’ past, but the band’s command of a riff is still great.
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!
*
AROUND 7 – A Tale Of Martyrs & Heathens EP
There’s rarely such a thing as overnight success, but at the beginning of 2025, it almost felt as if Scottish pop punk band Around 7 have been lurking on the underground without a “major breakthrough” forever. That’s certainly not a reflection on the quality of their songs or playing abilities, however – the four tracks that make up their ‘A Tale of Martyrs & Heathens’ EP are absolutely superb.