THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #126

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 previous few weeks. As usual, we’ve received a huge amount of submissions – this continues to be one of the most popular aspects of our website – and we’ve picked eight tunes that we feel captures the true spirit of the great sounds floating around the underground as we move squarely into a cold, northern hemisphere autumn. Among other things, there’s a 60s cover from a familiar name; some brilliant indie pop; a pleasingly downbeat number with some great orchestration, and a country influenced track from a superb singer songwriter. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!

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THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #119

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 past few weeks. Highlights this time around include an absolutely gorgeous, stripped down tune from a rising singer songwriter, some really quirky alt-pop, and country tinged pop workout that feels really positive. For those hoping to find something just a little tougher, there’s a pair of numbers that bring the sounds of 90s and 00s emo screaming into the present. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy.

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THE BABLERS – Like The First Time

Back in 1980, at a time when the power pop world was dominated by bands in skinny ties and with names like The Pop and The Look, The Bablers released their debut LP ‘What’s It All About’. The record’s stand out track ‘Imaginary Land’, with its stabbed piano motifs and infectious wordless hook, they sounded like a cross between XTC and Nick Lowe with a Scandinavian accent. ‘What Can I Do’ showed a knack for harmony vocals on something that could’ve been a Hollies deep cut from ’75, and seemingly not caring for fashion, ‘McKinley’s Birthday Party’ applied a McCartney-esque rumpty-tumpty rhythm to a pop tune that sounded at least five years out of date at the time of release. You couldn’t ever call it a perfect album, but at its best, it showed a band with spirit, and one capable of sometimes delivering a great tune, even if the vocals weren’t as sharp as the material deserved.

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THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR SUMMER SPECIAL 2025

During the first half of 2025, our weekly Singles Bar feature went from strength to strength. The daily submissions piled up, and in keeping with the second half of ’24, no matter how many great tracks we highlighted, there always seemed to be a few that slipped through the cracks. This Summer Special shines a light on some of the greatest tunes and more interesting bands that didn’t make the cut. These shouldn’t be considered leftovers, though – everything here is of a hugely high standard. We’ve got blues, country, metal, a couple of interesting twists on a pop sound, a couple of off kilter indie bands…and far more besides. Grab yourselves a cuppa and turn up the volume: these twenty selections are all worth hearing in their own right, and when experienced together, act as a reminder of why our Singles Bar has become one of Real Gone’s most popular features.

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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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