THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #105

With two very different jazz numbers, a slice of alternative metal with a theatrical quality, a strong offering from a cult singer-songwriter and a track that’s practically uncategorisable, the selection for this Singles Bar adopts a little more of a “go hard or go home” approach. By casting a light on a couple of the more adventurous tracks from the last couple of weeks, this bunch of tunes might take a little longer to make an impression, but we feel that every one of these artists is bringing something of great interest to the table. What’s more, it’s probably just the beginning of a great, creative period for some of the featured performers, whether genuinely attempting to push boundaries or choosing to share some solidly familiar riffs. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!

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Watch: Aursjoen releases new video for ‘Apollo’

In November 2024, Ria Aursjoen released her solo debut, the excellent ‘Strand’ EP. Although the material shared some common links with the artist’s band Octavian Winters, the six songs explored a lighter sound in places. With Ria adding elements of folk and dreampop to her rocky sound, the EP very much captured an artist sounding a little more mature.

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LOOKING GLASS WAR – Saints Of The Lost And Found EP

Post punk fans paying close attention to the US underground in 2024 might have encountered Looking Glass War. The band – featuring Boston scene regulars Mike Ackley and Pete Ziegler – released a couple of impressive tracks which took their hybrid of post punk and goth sounds, as laid out on their 2023 EP ‘Where Neon Meets The Rain’ EP, and very much improved on them. These recordings demonstrated a much tighter command of a riff, but more importantly, captured frontman Goddamn Glen singing in a way that seemed more sympathetic to Looking Glass War’s needs.

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GOTHMINISTER – Tonight EP

The final part of Gothminister’s ‘Pandemonium’ song cycle/musical saga, the ‘Tonight’ EP plays brilliantly, whether you’re already a fan of the one man Norwegian goth machine, or approaching his music for the first time. These four tracks provide a truly effective showcase for a blend of 80s goth and 90s darkwave sounds, peppered with occasional black metal vocals and even a couple of industrial grooves.

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HISTORY OF GUNS – Little Miss Suicide (25) EP

At the tail end of 1999, round about the time conspiracy theorists thought the turn of the millennium would trigger the end of the world – or at the very least, stop everyone’s computers from working – an independent band from England masquerading under the provocative name History of Guns released their debut EP ‘Little Miss Suicide’. It presented some fairly rough around the edges alternative sounds, drawing from goth, industrial and rock, and would lay the foundations for future endeavours. For those keeping a close ear to the alternative underground, HOG would continue to make interesting musical waves. At their peak of the first part of their career, they were even invited to remix a track by ex-Marillion frontman Fish, bringing together two disparate musical words, proving that – at least to those with open minds – music knows no boundaries.

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