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. We offer a great selection this time around, taking in power pop, something synth based, some retro sounds leaning towards the goth-esque, a massively talented singer songwriter…and more besides. Hopefully, as usual, something new will catch your ear and encourage you to dig a little deeper!
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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 visit to the SB brings some UK based Americana, a slice of acoustic blues, the return of an industrial legend, an interesting cover tune and more besides. Strap yourselves in…there’s a lot of good stuff here!
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Gay Elvis has been a regular fixture on New Jersey’s underground rock scene for a number of years. You might know him best as a member of Readymade Breakup or The Blakes. You might have encountered him as a member of The Vice Rags, a once raw garage rock band who took a dramatic turn to become a very melodic retro rock band on their second LP. There’s a chance you stumbled across his solo EP, but there’s an even greater chance that you don’t know Elv at all.
The Mediocre Friends was a new name on his CV for 2024, but the roots of the band go back way further. The musical project brings Elvis back into the musical fold alongside his old high school buddies – the guys responsible for him taking his first steps as a musician. Years on, they reconvened to record a bunch of songs, sort of as “unfinished business”, if you will. The four completed tracks were released to Bandcamp in the June of 2024, by which time, personal disagreements had actually split the band of friends once again.
Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we investigate some of the individual tracks that have landed in our inbox over the past few weeks. There’s a really smart selection this time out which, among other things, shares some great instrumental sounds, welcomes back some ska heroes, explores the darker side of an Australian singer songwriter, and even takes an opportunity to introduce someone brand new. As always, we hope you find something to enjoy!
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Following a run of enjoyable digital singles, Octavian Winters released their debut EP ‘The Line Or Curve’ in October 2023. Rounding up the band’s previously available tracks and premiering the excellent ‘Velveteen’, its five songs explored an old school goth sound, but by blending that with a much tougher post-punk influence, the release shared a superbly dark mood laced with very strong melodies throughout. One of the EP’s highlights, ‘Surreal’ managed to bring the cold brilliance of ‘Faith’ era Cure into the realms of the more modern, potentially making it amenable to fans of bands like Lacuna Coil, and the combination of Jay Denton’s huge bass melodies and Ria Aursjoen’s soaring 80s vocals resulted in something atmospheric. With slow but wondrous melodies underscored by ringing guitar, it showed how classic 80s goth rock riffs and melodies could sound just as thrilling forty years on.