In the summer of 2025, producer Charlie Nieland released ‘The Ocean Understands’, a four track EP that took him from the realms of the technical aspects of a behind the scenes role and into the performing spotlight. Mixing elements of dark pop, melodic rock, goth and shoegaze, the material took on a grand scope, and despite often sharing a moody edge, managed to remain very accessible. That’s more than can be said for this album’s opening number.
Tag Archives: rock
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #129
Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the more interesting individual tracks that have landed in our inbox over the previous couple of weeks. This selection is potentially amazing, with a track that blends a soul vibe with light psych, a very strong alt-pop number, a genre defying piece from an up and coming singer songwriter, a synth based slice of dream pop – and more besides. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy.
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DUCK & COVER – No Hounds In The Cluster
Between 2020 and 2025, Boston band Duck & Cover released a succession of digital singles and EPs that showcased their sometimes ragged, sometimes retro, often enjoyable rock sounds very effectively. The material didn’t necessarily reach beyond a cult audience, but the band’s various college rock and noisy power pop influences often struck a chord with those who stumbled across the band’s work.
2025’s semi-punky ‘Bored of The City’ was actually one of Duck & Cover’s finest numbers to date, and this didn’t escape the notice of Rum Bar Records. Taking the digital wares from that six year stretch and adding a previously unreleased nugget, they gave the material its first physical send off at the end of that year with the fourteen track ‘No Hounds In The Cluster’ – a collection that plays brilliantly as an album in its own right.
Watch: Check out ‘A Stone’s Throw’, the new video from Soho Dukes (featuring Spike Gray)
At the beginning of October 2025, Soho Dukes released ‘Sunday Magazines’, an unashamedly British sounding single that celebrated the past with a namecheck for Whispering Bob Harris and a rollocking arrangement that borrowed liberally from Mott The Hoople and early Quireboys. With a vocal hook on loan from Cockney Rebel, it was anything but subtle, but in terms of pushing those “feel good” buttons, the Dukes served up a winner.
Listen: Breeze share new single ‘Song For A Sign’
In a year that saw a much overhyped Oasis reunion and an even more unlikely return for Britpop heroes Gene, Breeze mightn’t have been the most talked about band, but the three lads from Hull began 2025 by sharing one of their strongest singles to date.
‘Devils Hymn’ made an instant impression with its bombastic intro, coupling heavy beats with a huge sounding, blues rock influenced guitar sound. The absolutely crushing groove gave a brief insight into how Royal Blood might sound with a fierce lead guitarist, or if The Stone Roses’ ‘Love Spreads’ were to inspire something with a little more muscle. The song’s verses explored a more melodic sound, taking cues from more of an indie rock influence, dropping more than a hint of Embrace into an already potent mix. It’s no wonder the band had built up a reputation as a live act.