MAGEN TRACY AND THE MISSED CONNECTIONS – At My Age EP

In terms of unexpectedly mixed moods, the opening of the title track from Magen Tracy’s ‘At My Age’ digital EP really makes an impression. The intro shares a bright sounding guitar riff, cast from some classic rock pop sounds, which almost immediately brings an expectation of a similarly perky vocal. Instead, the listener is greeted with a much deeper tone, and an almost dour melody where Tracy appears to be channelling Marianne Faithfull circa 1979.

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The Real Gone End of Year Round-Up 2023

We seem to say it every December, but this year has gone so quickly. We’ve fit a lot into twelve months, of course. Over the last twelve months, Real Gone has picked up a truckload of new followers and regular visitors; we’ve discovered new bands, reconnected with a couple of familiar faces, and given more column inches to old favourites.

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VARIOUS ARTISTS – The Nice Price: The Rum Bar Records 2023 (Free Digital) Sampler

Keen power pop fans and garage rock aficionados who’ve been following the Rum Bar label since their early days will know how seriously they take their music. For head honcho Malibu Lou, the label has been an ongoing labour of love, and his bands are his family. Those bands, in turn, appear to look out for each other, and their social media often shows musicians hanging out at each others’ shows. The Rum Bar ethos values heart over perfection, and often feels as if its giving something back to the Boston music scene. The aspect of “giving back” is also why the label has never been shy of issuing free downloads: their album length samplers aren’t just a way of attracting new listeners to great, DIY music they might not have otherwise found, they’re also a celebration of the scene as a larger construct. The label’s Summer ’21 download – ‘XOXOXO Volume One’ – was one of the best free downloads ever. By rounding up a lot of the label’s better known bands and previewing things to come, it felt like a complete experience, enjoyable for committed followers and the curious alike, but this even bigger selection of Rum Bar wares – orchestrated by the guys at Knyvet PR – is pretty much its equal.

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DANNY THE K – Cigarettes & Silhouettes

Guitarist/vocalist Dan Kopko has been an integral part of the Boston music scene for years. Maybe you’re familiar with him and know his work with bar room rockers Watts – makers of the excellent ‘Black Heart of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ LP. Or maybe you stumbled across him in 2022 with his newer band The Shang Hi Los, delivering catchy power pop. Whatever your experience of Dan’s work, you’ve been guaranteed to find some great tunes along the way.

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THE LEMON DROP GANG – I’m Done! / Johnny Is A Jerk

At the beginning of 2023, Tucson’s Lemon Drop Gang made their overdue return with ‘Sweetie Pie’, a track that re-introduced listeners to their ragged blend of CBGB’s infused riffs and Phil Spector-ish pop. As with the band’s previous works, it was far from sonic perfection, but then this band never pretended they were in possession of Brian Wilson or Todd Rundgren’s song writing chops or studio expertise. For fans, it was the kind of track that signified a fun and welcome return, whilst its digital flip side (‘The Party’s Over’) shared their love of 60s pop in its own brilliantly wonky way.

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