SAM VARGA – The Fallout

On his debut album ‘Shadow Work’, singer songwriter Sam Varga made the juxtaposition of angst ridden, emo-centric lyrics and radio friendly melodies appear very natural. Despite the fact the record took all of about four seconds for him to confront his audience with the revelation that he felt like he was “rotting from the inside out” and another couple before dropping an f-bomb for extra angst, the album remained very accessible. At its best, tunes like ‘Stories We Tell’ and ‘Apocalypse’ played like the natural successor to the Ryan Adams best-selling ‘Gold’; ‘Up Down’ took the poppy heart of Simple Plan’s more commercial work and transplanted it into more of a singer songwriter sphere, while the chorus of the brilliant ‘Live Up To It’ gave a confident nod to the more contemporary pop rock of Bleachers. All the while, Varga still managed to sound like his own man – a songwriter with an occasionally sharp tongue, but in possession of an even sharper ear for a great melody.

Continue reading

THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #123

Every visit to the Real Gone Singles Bar promises some interesting musical treats, but this time around, we’ve featured what we believe are a couple of the year’s best tracks. We’ve got adult pop from a singer songwriter who’s previously worked with Paul Weller, some fine Americana, the return of one of the UK’s best alternative rock acts, a slice of melodic jazz funk, and more besides. Heading into the last quarter of 2025, the new music continues to be of a superb standard! As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy…

*

Continue reading

ADAM SHERMAN – Nowhere But Here EP

Adam Sherman is a veteran of the Boston music scene. In the early 80s, he was the voice of power pop band Private Lightning, an act that’s been somewhat overlooked in subsequent years – you’ll never find anything from their 1980 LP included on even the most niche of compilations. In more recent times, he’s recorded with The Souls, and also The Nervous Eaters, a band whose 2024 LP captures the spirit of older power pop bands like 20/20 perfectly. He’s even recorded a couple of solo discs that, despite critical praise, didn’t reach beyond a cult following. It could definitely be said that, even though he mightn’t be a household name, he’s kept himself busy over the years.

Continue reading

THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #110

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. In this rather mixed bag, you’ll find old school balladry with an obvious love for Roy Orbison, some great roots rock from the UK, a noisy and slightly avantgarde comeback track, all sitting alongside something clearly inspired by the mighty Mercury Rev. With a folky tune, a solid slab of metal and a number with a light prog influence also present, we hope there’s something here for almost everyone.

*

Continue reading