The early recordings by Dinosaur Jr are among the band’s most critically lauded, but a case could be made for 1993’s ‘Where You Been’ being the band’s finest and most consistent work. The first album to feature bassist Mike Johnson (replacing Sebadoh’s Lou Barlow, following his well publicised falling out with Dinosaur main man J Mascis), its material took on a slightly more commercial edge at times. The word “slightly” is more than apt here, however, since J’s vocal drawl would remain a stumbling block for those not entirely sold on the band’s sound, and a couple of noisier workouts ensured the heart of “older” Dinosaur was never far away. Nevertheless, the album connected with a broader audience than some of the band’s prior works, with ‘Start Choppin’ breaking into the UK top 20, and the album’s promotion including an appearance on the BBC arts programme The Late Show on February 23rd 1993, just two weeks after ‘Where You Been’ hit record shop shelves.
Tag Archives: alternative
CHARLIE NIELAND – Stories From The Borderlines
In the summer of 2025, producer Charlie Nieland released ‘The Ocean Understands’, a four track EP that took him from the realms of the technical aspects of a behind the scenes role and into the performing spotlight. Mixing elements of dark pop, melodic rock, goth and shoegaze, the material took on a grand scope, and despite often sharing a moody edge, managed to remain very accessible. That’s more than can be said for this album’s opening number.
Watch: Margate duo debdepan share new video for ‘Ghost’
Margate’s debdepan shared a superb sound on their previous single ‘Habit’. By blending dance beats, light goth pop and a world of synth-based ingredients, the track sounded like the ultimate alternative club banger. It had the potential to make the listener want to hear more, almost immediately, and to be given the opportunity to lose themselves even further into the duo’s dark and electronica infused world.
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #129
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 selection is potentially amazing, with a track that blends a soul vibe with light psych, a very strong alt-pop number, a genre defying piece from an up and coming singer songwriter, a synth based slice of dream pop – and more besides. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy.
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HARD TO EXPLAIN – Hell To Pay
Northern Ireland’s Hard To Explain emerged in a post-lockdown world, and before long, began what was to become a run of impressive single releases. ‘Hell To Pay’, the band’s debut album (released at the tail end of 2025) makes good on all of the band’s early promise, sharing a collection of varied and hard edged tracks that showcase strong vocals, thoughful lyrical themes, and – above all – a succession of massive riffs.