Watch: Max Rael shares new video for ‘Almost’

Posted on September 11, 2025 by Real Gone

Max Rael’s ‘The Enemy Is Us’ is one of 2025’s most interesting albums. Its blend of often melodic electronica and synth based sounds with spoken word, confessional lyrics is really striking. It has taken Rael’s experimentalism with Decommisioned Forests somewhere more accessible, but without feeling remotely in tune with the mainstream.

As part of the album’s ongoing promotion — this really is the kind of album that’ll only reach it’s audience through committed word of mouth — Max has shared a new video for one of the record’s more accessible tracks.

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THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #121

Posted on September 11, 2025 by Real Gone

Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar. This time around we bring you sounds ranging from the ultimate tribute to 90s alternative, to an Americana infused track bristling with harmonies, to a strange synth based workout that blends spiky rhythms with a sly humour. There’s a number with a terrific bassline, and even an underground act outdoing a legendary power pop band. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!

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SILVER DOLLAR ROOM – It Can’t Rain All The Time

Posted on September 10, 2025 by Real Gone

With ‘Gilded Echoes’, Scotland’s Silver Dollar Room released one of the best albums of 2024. The band’s sound wasn’t particularly groundbreaking, but they clearly recognised the value of taking influences and using them very effectively. With strong call backs to Bush, an influence from early Smashing Pumpkins, and nods melodic post-grungers like Moist, the material adopted a solid sound throughout, and with the aid of various thoughtful lyrics – often touching on themes of mental health – a familiar sound still had a great relevance at the time of release.

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VARIOUS ARTISTS – Wish You Were Here: 50 Years Later

Posted on September 9, 2025 by Real Gone

In 2024, Pale Wizard Records did the unthinkable. They pulled together a bunch of underground rock bands and had them each contribute a track to a 50th anniversary tribute to Sparks’ career defining ‘Kimono My House’. Since none of the bands had much in common with Ron and Russell Mael’s distinctive and visionary sound, it shouldn’t have worked. With that record, Pale Wizard managed to pull off the even more unthinkable: they not only masterminded a very different take on an old classic, but they had the balls to know it would work on its own merits.

A year on, could they achieve similar greatness by asking some of the same faces to put their own stamp on Pink Floyd fan favourite ‘Wish You Were Here’? In terms of tall orders, that’s positively gargantuan when none of the clientele come from the school of prog rock. The featured artists don’t even have a “classic” sound in most cases. Nevertheless, everyone gives the material a square go, for better or worse.

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Watch: Push Puppets share video clip for ‘Probably’

Posted on September 8, 2025 by Real Gone

Earlier in 2025, Chicago’s Push Puppets issued their second album ‘Tethered Together’. Largely the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist/songwriter/producer Erich Specht, the record provides a listen that’s much richer than first impressions might suggest. Working from a solid rock pop base, the album takes in elements of old school college rock, strong orchestrations, and even a pinch of classic sounding prog via its guitar work. It’s very much the kind of album that sounds much better over time.

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