A well curated covers release can often be fun, but such things rarely come with such a scattershot selection of influences as Blazoner’s ‘Sonic Chambers’. An EP that started out life purely by accident actually plays like a short CV of the US rock band’s chief interests, taking in material by artists as diverse as The Rolling Stones and (the) Melvins.
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THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #139
Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we throw a spotlight on some of the best new tracks that have landed in our inbox over the previous few weeks. It’s quite a rocky selection this time out, with an Irish band fusing some early 90s riffs with a distinctive voice, a groove laden track that takes the bones of garage rock and adds a heavier twist and a rock band reworking a 70s classic in an even harder style, but there’s variety too, with a dash of country and a couple of singer songwriters awaiting your attention. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy…
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REAL GONE’S ADVENT CALENDAR 2020
Between a world of cancelled and postponed gigs and time spent in lockdown, 2020 has been a troubled year, but nevertheless, time marches on. Unbelievably, we’ve reached December and our traditional countdown to Christmas has begun.
SOPHIA MARSHALL – Loose Torque EP
Mixing pop, acoustic singer songwriter chops, a touch of dream pop and a light country steel guitar, Sophia Marshall’s previous covers EPs have delivered at least one track apiece that’s been absolutely marvellous. She’s turned the melancholy of Blur’s ‘End of the Century’ into something even more heartfelt, while The Kinks’ ‘I Go To Sleep’ – already drenched in sadness – became even sadder, with her lilting vocal style dripping from every syllable.
Whilst previous EPs have been themed by artist (The Kinks represented via a cover of a Pretenders cover), ‘Loose Torque’ is themed by subject. The three featured tracks are all concerned with cars – and in a big surprise, there’s nothing included by Gary Numan or new wave legends The Cars. Maybe those synth heavy sounds just wouldn’t translate. Instead, Marshall has chosen three pop and rock tunes from three rather disparate artists which. when applied with her own easy style, results in something that flows very well.
The Great 70s Project: 1973
If 1972 were the year where the 1970s took on its own distinctive image with glam rock flaunting its majesty in a peacock-like fashion, then 1973 was the year the beards fought back. Every up has its flipside and so it goes here. The polar opposite of Bolan’s optimism, 1973’s biggest selling albums included Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of The Moon’ (a lavish concept album about depression and mental stability), The Who’s ‘Quadrophenia’ (a concept album about angst, youth and mental stability) and Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’, arguably the biggest foray into self-indulgent prog rock this side of Yes’ double platter bore-fest ‘Tales of Topographic Oceans’ (also released in 1973).
That’s not so say the great and accessible pop and rock had been swept away, of course. Nor that glam was dead – far from it, in fact. Sweet scored some big hit singles, Bolan told us the ‘Children of the Revolution’ couldn’t be fooled and one time hard rockers Slade escalated in popularity on the back of some great singles.