Anxiety - The Ginger Quiff

Slime City – National Record of Achievement – album review

December 23, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

Slime City have already reached legends in their own lunchtime status in their home city, the shitehole that is Glasgow, with their debut album Death Club so it was clearly time to go interstellar and conquer the rest of the music loving public. And what better way to do it than with the release of their new album, National Record of Achievement. I’m too fucking old to have experienced National Records of Achievement, but I’m willing to put my trust in Slime City (is that wise?) that they were a waste of time and energy, labelling them an utterly pointless exercise as they ascertain that nobody will ever ask to see it. … Read the rest

David Luximon – A Certain Frame of Reference

December 30, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

The previous album from Perthshire (my second home!) lad David Luximon, Duty of Care, was a long term fixture in my turntable, however, like happens so often, events arose to avoid me from writing about it. With the arrival of A Certain Frame of Reference I was damn sure I wouldn’t make the same omission this time around, so here it is, like many of my reviews this year, better mate than never.

Opening with a yearning and atmospheric fiddle, the craving longing at the heart of I’m Taking You For a Drive had me hooked from the off, the song is heartachingly beautiful, a sense of burning desire and love palpable in the sweet melody and adoring lyrics.… Read the rest

Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds – Room 2

October 26, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

If you’re reading this expecting a detailed in depth review of Kid Congo Powers at Room 2, you should probably exit. This isn’t so much a review as the rambling thoughts of an aging music fan with social anxiety issues.

On the way to the gig I posted a throwaway comment on Facebook, (mis)quoting Bill Shankly, “Some people believe music is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.”

That statement, no matter how throwaway it seemed when I posted it, translated in a way I couldn’t have imagined as I headed into Room 2.… Read the rest

Lusty – I’m Going To Make Your Death All About Me – album review

May 27, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

If you check in regularly with the the blog, you’ll be familiar with the music of Alex Lusty. The bequiffed tattooed rapper having appeared many times in his various guises on these pages. Most recently for the farewell from rap/rock/punk crossover band Rats From a Sinking ship, and in a variety of guises from Happy Martyr to Frigid Vinegar and Halfway People..

This solo outing from Lusty, while undoubtedly a Lusty release, is an emotional punch to the guts. Musically, a massive departure from Rats From A Sinking Ship. Stark and minimalistic, with heartbreakingly beautiful arrangements, reflecting the mood and the affecting and impactful nature of the album.… Read the rest

Be the Best Version of You

November 9, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m about done with 2022. In my head there is more about 2022 to say good riddance to (how polite Neil, say what you really mean) than there is to say bon voyage to – no 2022, I never want to fucking see you again. Yes, of course a lot of it is personal and a lot is to do with the way my bastard of a brain computes things, but nonetheless, 2022 can fucking do one. Let 2023 bring forth all it has, unleash the beast, loose the arrows, I am fucking ready for you (or at least I will be after another couple of CBT sessions…)

Of course not all of 2022 has been a car crash of a year, there have obviously been many highs, but my mental health has probably been on the descent more than it has on the ascent, resulting in me focussing on the negatives above all else.… Read the rest

A Walking Contradiction – an exercise in self sabotage

July 5, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

I currently feel like a walking contradiction. That old physics thing about every action having an equal and opposite reaction, well physics and chemistry seem to have got caught up in a mix somewhere with me and I’m not sure the opposite reaction is supposed to happen automatically after every initial action as a matter of course.

With restrictions (if not COVID itself) a thing of the past, I feel like I should be back in a world of near normality, whatever shape or form that may take, but I still feel far from that. The COVID hangover remains, feeling like a different form of the long COVID everyone talks about, but from a mental health perspective rather than physical.… Read the rest

Katherine Aly – Shadows Are Made of Light Too – album review

June 8, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Katherine Aly is on the rise and rise. One of the brightest musical talents Scotland (via Greece) has to offer her dazzlingly glowing light shines through the shadows bringing together glorious singles like Glow & Ignite, Pariah , Rules and Pariah with four other songs including her latest single Hype Up and in doing so creates a glittering prize for the listener.

Shadows Are Made of Light Too is a veritable cornucopia of blisteringly beautiful alt-pop anthems, nothing throwaway here, with addictive pop rock and hypnotic electronic rhythms mixing perfectly and lyrics, both thoughtful and celebratory, tackling a cross section of topics ranging from prejudice linked to race, gender and body image to mental health and then through to celebrations of sexuality and being who you are.… Read the rest

Prioritise Pleasure (with a nod to Self Esteem)

March 15, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Prioritise Pleasure

Contrary to what the title of this blog may suggest, this isn’t a review of the superbly inspirational album from last year, courtesy of the upfront sass of the talented Rebecca Lucy Taylor laying her soul bare for all, with a heavy dose of honesty. (Having said that I did review the album last year and it appeared in my top 5 albums of the year).

The blog does however pickup on some of the themes visited by the album, none more so than that of its title track, Prioritise Pleasure. A mantra that we should all unabashedly live by without feeling guilty, after all if we want to help others, we can’t share from an empty vessel.… Read the rest

Interview: 5 minutes with silken-voiced Katherine Aly

December 1, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Silken voiced Katherine Aly released her latest single, Rules, last week. The single is the follow up to her powerful and compelling previous single, and its equally powerful accompanying video, Pariah.

I interviewed Katherine last month following her thoroughly captivating gig in Glasgow’s intimate Hug & Pint venue.

Katherine Aly

The Ginger Quiff: For anyone who doesn’t know about Katherine Aly, tell me a bit about your background, how you first got into playing music, influences and so on.

Katherine Aly: I’m originally from Greece where I started playing and releasing music but I’ve been an Edinburgh-based artist for some time now.… Read the rest

Positivity – have you had your plus sign today? The daily battle with your demons

November 3, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Positivity

The late musical genius who was Prince Rogers Nelson once sang about Positivity on his Lovesexy album.

“Positivity (Yes!)
Have you had your plus sign today?
Positivity (Yes!)
Do we mark you present, or do we mark you late?”

Being Present

Those lyrics mention “do we mark you present”, to most people this may seem like the norm, they may be generally optimistic people, who have a positive outlook on life, they live for the moment, always in the present, not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. For others it might not always be as simple as that.… Read the rest