THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #98

Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we share some of the individual tracks that have landed in our inbox over the past few weeks. It’s an especially strong selection this time around, throwing a spotlight on a new, young band with a perfect take on an old sound; a punchy number straddling the line between indie and punk; a potentially frightening, riff-heavy number; something that falls within the boundaries of blues rock…and more besides. We think you’ll find something – or someone – new to fall in love with, and if so, it’s been more than worthwhile. Grab a cup of tea and dive in…

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MAGANA – Bad News EP

Released during the first quarter of 2024, Magana’s ‘Break Free’ single shared some very interesting musical ideas. Billed as “witchy rock”, the track managed to convey a hard edge, but retain a sense of the atmospheric. With the aid of droning keys and percussive rhythms, the performance conveyed a spooky vibe, but was also unafraid to take detours into harder edged sounds. Like a strange hybrid of 90s goth, classic Cocteau Twins and a deep dive into middle period Lush, it wasn’t for everyone, but for those with a love of various 90s and 00’s alternative sounds, it brought a welcome new slant to genre-specific sounds that often felt familiar.

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THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #89

Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the individual tracks that have landed in our inbox over the last few weeks. Although this selection digs deeply to showcase recent tunes from up and coming talents, there’s one name here that should be familiar to most. We’ve also got a couple of superb singer songwriters, some classic sounding dream rock, and even a superb sounding single from a cool pop act. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!

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THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR: A NEW YEAR’S EVE LOCK IN 2024

Throughout 2024, we’ve featured literally hundreds of new tracks in our weekly Singles Bar column. Never committed to any particular style or genre, the SB has become a haven for any new tracks that have caught our ear, and we’ve introduced people to a whole spectrum of new bands. There wasn’t time to cast a spotlight on everything we loved, however. So, as we get ready to wave goodbye to another great year for music, we’ve brought together a selection of twenty five great tracks that slipped under the radar during the second half of the year. These are more than mere leftovers – every track deserves a loving ear. We’ve got singer songwriters; we’ve got melodic prog; we’ve got a couple of metal-centric workouts, indie bangers, and even a pinch of blues. If you’re a regular visitor to the Singles Bar, we know you’ll find more stuff to love!

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CIAO MALZ – Safe Then Sorry EP

On her 2022 EP ‘To Go’, Ciao Malz presented some interesting alt-pop sounds. It’s finest three minutes,‘Your Winner’, introduced listeners to someone who appeared to meld the Fleetwood Mac obsessions of Lissie with the pop of Chvrches. By centring everything around a superb bassline, the light pop sound also shared a great groove, creating a sound upon which singer-songwriter Malia DelaCruz could certainly build. The late period Rilo Kiley influence at the heart of ‘Around’, in particular, proved this was no fluke.

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