Since the release of their ‘Aloha Moon’ album back in 2012, Magic Wands have been a consistantly reliable source for enjoyable music. Their blend of light electronica and dream pop, at its best, sometimes shares some DNA with the short lived Transister; it sometimes plays like a mix of Garbage, Metric and Elastic Sleep, but wherever the melodies go, they’re always strong – and usually very accessible.
The name Clone might not seem instantly familiar, but this Brooklyn-based post punk act comes with an interesting DNA. Frontman LG Galleon has previously released works with Dead Leaf Echo, Gregg Giufree (not to be confused with Angel legend Gregg Giuffria!) has links with Pilot To Gunner, and the Clone live act includes some extra power courtesy of Namesake’s Paul Liziragga and Alex Cox of The Veldt (the shoegaze legends who finally saw their shelved 1989 debut recording receive enthusiastic press upon its official release in 2024). This musical gathering also attracted the attention of producer Martin Bisi, whose CV includes albums by Sonic Youth, John Zorn, Swans, and…Herbie Hancock.
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.
This visit to the Real Gone Singles Bar sees the return of a couple of familiar names – including one that should be known to almost everyone. The choice of music, of course, should be new to most people’s ears. We’ve got a well arranged indie pop number, some fantastic sounding goth-rock, another country tune from a brand new face, and even a really strong world music offering. With tunes covering a broad spectrum of sounds, we hope you’ll find something new to enjoy!
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Back in 2024, Beauty In Chaos released ‘Made of Rain’, a brilliant single featuring Ashton Nyte that blended the melodic air of 80s goth with a slightly heavier chorus. A year on, the number has been reworked in an “almost acoustic” format, and it is absolutely gorgeous.