Scottish singer songwriter Stephen McCafferty is one of the best artists to emerge in 2025. He’s released a succession of great singles, showing off a writing talent that refuses to be pigeonholed.
Tag Archives: pop rock
SIDE PROJECT SKIP – The Friday Night Detour EP
Helmed by multi-instrumentalist Chris Dicksheid, Side Project Skip’s debut EP ‘Fast Falls & Hard Landings’ – released in 2021 – found the sometime Mediocre Friends musician sidelining the sounds of late 80s college rock and exploring retro sounds of another kind. The recordings presented stripped back semi-acoustic material that had a very DIY feel, but at their best – as heard on the very strong ‘Sunsets On Rooftops’ – a love for bands like Toad The Wet Sprocket was evident, creating an intimate listen that shone a light on Chris’s songwriting in a pleasing way.
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…
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Watch: Push Puppets share video clip for ‘Probably’
Earlier in 2025, Chicago’s Push Puppets issued their second album ‘Tethered Together’. Largely the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist/songwriter/producer Erich Specht, the record provides a listen that’s much richer than first impressions might suggest. Working from a solid rock pop base, the album takes in elements of old school college rock, strong orchestrations, and even a pinch of classic sounding prog via its guitar work. It’s very much the kind of album that sounds much better over time.
CHIMPAN A – The Air That I Breathe / Karl’s Song
Over the years, Albert Hammond’s ‘The Air That I Breathe’ has been recorded by numerous artists. The Hollies’ recording from 1974 remains its most famous incarnation, but dig through the archives and you’ll discover other notable versions from Dana Gillespie, Judy Collins, AOR band Alien, Olivia Newton-John, Swedish pop band The Tuesday Girls (latterly The Tuesdays), and even Hank Williams, Jr. It seems to be one of those tracks that never really goes away, but few have breathed as much new life into this well worn number than pop-prog collective Chimpan A.