When thinking of singer songwriters, Emily Zuzik certainly won’t be the first name that comes to most people’s minds. However, the Los Angeles based performer has had an interesting career. In addition to releasing work under her own name dating back to the early 2000’s, she’s collaborated with Moby, Enchanted Kids and several other artists. Dip into her back catalogue and you’ll find material from an artist who doesn’t want to be pigeonholed. Her 2006 release ‘You Had Me At Goodbye’, for example, features guitar driven pop-rock that would be perfect for a ‘Trouble’-era P!nk (‘Potential’), tunes that are Sheryl Crow-esque (pop-rocker ‘Subtraction’ and the country tinged ‘Breaking It Down’), light vocal jazz (‘Fascinating’) and even a number that sounds like something from the Morcheeba back catalogue (‘Stand Up Stand Out’). …And yet, Zuzik’s strong vocal presence is such that the material never feels like a musical grab-bag. The album is the work of a performer who not only appears to have sucked up a world of influences like a sponge, but also clearly believes in their art.
Tag Archives: pop
ROISIN McCARNEY – Guess Who
Between 2022 and 2024, Róisín McCarney released several excellent singles. Whether covering other artists in her own image (turning the Spice Girls’ classic ‘Wannabe’ into a swaggering, rock-pop statement that ends up sounding more like something from Sheryl Crow crossed with Shania Twain), or sharing her own voice on newly written songs, the Scottish singer set herself in place as one to watch. Her contribution to DJ Aaron Kennedy’s single ‘All Night’ proved that her voice was also well equipped to handle dance oriented material, and by the time she appeared as a contender on the BBC’s Saturday night TV show ‘The Voice’ – applying her talents to Blondie’s classic ‘Call Me’ – it seemed as if there wasn’t anything that she couldn’t sing with aplomb.
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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THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #97
Featured at the Singles Bar this time around, you’ll find a couple of familiar names. You’ll also uncover a world of eclectic sounds ranging from jazz, to light country, to calypso. There’s also a really quirky piece of pop and an almost unrecognisable cover tune to be found amongst the eight picks. With submissions still coming in at a frightening rate, we’ve certainly not been short of musical choices, but we feel that these definitely represent some of the most interesting sounds to be found at present. As always, we hope you discover a new audio treat or two along the way.
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THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #93
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. This time out, we’ve got the return of a much-loved pop band, a laid back narrative piece from a very familiar name, a great synth oriented workout, some huge riffs from the Medway area in South East England…and more besides. As is often the case with the SB, there’s no genre snobbery; just a spotlight on things we’ve found interesting. Hopefully, you’ll find something of interest too.
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