At the beginning of 2024, Sons of Silver released the excellent ‘Tell Me This’, a single which advertised the US rock band with a real sense of gusto. Powering the verse, the track’s stop start riff harked back to a world of classic influences, with its overdriven sounds paying homage in part to ‘Electric’ era Cult, but sharing a retro heart that didn’t feel too far removed from the underrated Izzy Stradlin and the Juju Hounds. With a wealth of musical grit augmented by a pleasingly ragged vocal, it stood proudly as one of the year’s best underground rock tracks. The fact that it could’ve been recorded at any point during the last thirty five years really worked in its favour, too, giving Sons of Silver a tune that – going forward – could help them stand alongside some of the better known names in classic rock.
Tag Archives: rock
MAGNUM – Live At KK’s Steel Mill
In January 2024, much loved British rockers Magnum released their twenty third studio album ‘Here Comes The Rain’. The record captured a typical sound for the veteran band, but mixed the huge pomp sounds of later releases like ‘The Serpent Rings’ with more of the commercial AOR elements of their late 80s work, making it feel a little more well rounded than some of the latter day Magnum releases. The record, although hugely enjoyable, was surrounded by sadness: just a few days before release, founding guitarist and songwriter Tony Clarkin passed away, effectively making ‘Rain’ a poignant swansong.
The deluxe edition of the album was packaged with a full length live DVD – ‘Live At KK’s Steel Mill’ – featuring what was to be Clarkin’s final gig with the band. Fans, naturally, loved this show, but many hoped for an audio release to fill out their already extensive collections. In January 2025, they would get their wish.
GRETCHEN SHAE & THE MIDDLE EIGHT – Inside A Dream EP
Gretchen Shae & The Middle Eight’s ‘Exit Fire’ EP from 2022 introduced listeners to a band with an impressive amount of punch. That release’s best material mixed the slightly punkier aspects of Justine And The Unclean with a bass heavy undercurrent that drew more from a classic post-punk/retro alt-rock sound. What was abundantly clear, though, was that Gretchen knew her way around a catchy hook, with ‘Unnatural Love’ and ‘Red Light Green Light’ (in particular) flaunting choruses that were a match for any similar sounding acts from yesteryear.
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #85
For our first Singles Bar feature of 2025, we’ve brought together an interesting selection of tunes. You’ll find a “typical” Real Gone backbone of rock, but with the help of some great, spiky synth sounds, a couple of singer songwriters, and even a country infused bar room sneer from a familiar musical figure, there’s enough here to attract anyone with a curious ear. As we prepare to embark on another year of great musical discovery, we hope you find something of interest here!
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THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR: A NEW YEAR’S EVE LOCK IN 2024
Throughout 2024, we’ve featured literally hundreds of new tracks in our weekly Singles Bar column. Never committed to any particular style or genre, the SB has become a haven for any new tracks that have caught our ear, and we’ve introduced people to a whole spectrum of new bands. There wasn’t time to cast a spotlight on everything we loved, however. So, as we get ready to wave goodbye to another great year for music, we’ve brought together a selection of twenty five great tracks that slipped under the radar during the second half of the year. These are more than mere leftovers – every track deserves a loving ear. We’ve got singer songwriters; we’ve got melodic prog; we’ve got a couple of metal-centric workouts, indie bangers, and even a pinch of blues. If you’re a regular visitor to the Singles Bar, we know you’ll find more stuff to love!
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