Month: January 2022

22 for 22

22 for ‘22

January 6, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

In no particular order…22 bands I’m looking forward to hearing more from, albums I’m looking forward to getting my grubby mitts on, and gigs or tours I’m looking forward to attending (fingers and toes crossed) in 2022

1. The Courettes

The band that never rests is already looking ahead to what’s next. Not one’s to rest on their laurels or take a well earned break after an ecstatically received album in Back in Mono, supported by 71 dates across 9 countries, Martin and Flavia have already been in the studio laying down tracks for their follow up. Let’s hope for some more UK dates this year, Back in Mono (live in Mono!)… Read the rest

Karma Surround

The Ones That Got Away… Karma Surround – Songs Lost in the Meantime – album review

January 5, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Karma Surround is a duo made up of Darren Roy and his brother Michael from Fife, who recently released their debut album, the remarkable Songs Lost in the Meantime. They have been releasing songs over the last year or so via Bandcamp. Towards the end of the year finally putting together their album.

This is a charmingly captivating piece of work, made up as it is of ten sublime jangly indie pop, acoustic folky slices of good karma inducing instant musical sunshine. And what is remarkable is that these were all recorded in a makeshift home studio, mixed and full band songs mastered by Alex Wharton for a sum total of £250.… Read the rest

The Scaramanga Six

The Ones That Got Away… The Scaramanga Six – Worthless Music – album review

January 5, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Yes, I know its 2022 now, and I’ll start to be inundated with new releases (my inbox has already started pinging…) but I still have several albums I want to cover from last year…including this belter from The Scaramanga Six.

Worthless Music may well be the title of this, the tenth, album from The Scaramanga Six but that’s where that comparison ends, this is a thunderously good collection of powerfully strident hard-edged, while sophistically artfully concocted, post punk anthems. Certainly nothing worthless here, no weak links and plenty of compelling melodies.

The band announce their arrival with the blistering defiance of Big Ideas, big on beats, big on rhythm, big on melodies, big on striking song structure.… Read the rest