Category: Blues

Singles Round Up 2025 – January – Pt 3

January 31, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

A mix of the old and new on part three with established acts such as Gareth Sager rubbing shoulder with the new breed in the shape of Vanderlye and others.

The Yets – Enemy

The duo from South Carolina open up part three of January’s round up with this dreamily ethereal alt rock song. The Enemy channels elements of Medicine and their ilk and wouldn’t have sounded out of place on the soundtrack for the original Crow movie.

The Yets

Vanderlye – Romantic Anarchy

A close second to Tanzana for single of the month is this slice of heaven from another of my hopes for greater things, Vanderlye.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up – 2025 – January – Part 1

January 26, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

2025 has got off to a bang with some singles that I imagine I’ll still be loving in 12 months as we reach the end of the year. As usual there is an eclectic mixes of styles representing in this cross section of what January had to offer, this is Part 1, I’ll include a link to a playlist of ALL of January’s featured singles when I get to the last part…

Voitures – Doesn’t Know It Yet

A great start to the year from Glasgow’s Voitures with buzzsaw guitars aplenty on this addictive slice of psych rock that channels elements of The Beatles and Mansun on the hypnotic Doesn’t Know It Yet.… Read the rest

New Years Revolution 2025 – King Tuts Wah Wah Hut – Martha May and the Mondays, Human Renegade, Count the Days and Marf.

January 16, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

Just under a week on from my last visit to the venue for a varied four band bill headlined by the excellent Tanzana (whose presence was noted at this gig, along with members of the mighty Sister Madds and one of my tips for 2025, Alcatraz (whose appearance in Tuts last week I unfortunately missed) among others) it was time for another visit and another pick ‘n’ mix selection of genres.

Opening act, Marf., started off their accomplished bluesy rock set with a track exuding a smooth jazzy charm. As their set progressed, so did the intense power and energy of their music, all topped with a compellingly potent and soulful vocal from the first Martha of the evening, before closing out their set with an impressive version of Gorillaz Feel Good Inc.… Read the rest

25 for ‘25

January 2, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

I’ve still to finish several reviews for last year and finalise my best of 2024 lists, but here goes for a list, in no particular order, of 25 music related events, bands, gigs etc I’m looking forward to in 2025…

Tanzana – having witnessed them live for the first time in 2024 supporting Death Valley Girls alongside Junk Pups and being blown away by their performance, I’m looking forward to more from Tanzana including their debut single, Covet, released on 9th January.

Tanzana

Xtro Ghost – Rob and Suze from Diablofurs have been posting clips on socials of rehearsals for songs for their new project Xtro Ghost.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2024 – Part 7 – July

August 16, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

I love new music. Simple. New music from new bands. New music from old bands. It never ceases to amaze me when I come across people who don’t like music (at all?!?) or are determined to tell me, all the great music has already been made (really?1?)… Suffice to say, EVERY month there are dozens of quality new sounds and bands that blow my mind…

Top 10

I keep digging a hole for myself by rating things. How hard it is to have a favourite! it’s like, do I prefer eating, drinking or breathing? Anyway… here goes…

Single of the Month

Keeley – Inga Hauser

One of the Ginger Quiff’s 24 for ’24, the peerless Keeley Moss and her band Keeley, continue to go from strength to strength, having wowed me from the off with the songs on their Brave Warrior EP, and literally everything that has followed since, culminating in my finally getting to see this musical tour de force live last year.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2024 – Part 5 – May

July 24, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

I am so unbelievably behind it’ll be Halloween soon and I’ll still be at Easter… I’m still working month’s behind in singles round ups, and about 6 months behind in album and EP reviews. I’m putting that down to shit like life getting in the way, but I’ll also use the excuse that there is so much fantastic new music out there by bands old and new that I can’t keep up with the sheer volume of music to listen to, which to be fair, ain’t that far from the truth.

My May (yeah I know, May, that was like months ago, literally…) round up follows, as does a playlist of all the songs on Tidal.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2024 – Part 3 – March

April 10, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

Another month, another singles round up, and a bumper selection it is too, 61 songs in this month’s list, This month’s selection comes from a range of bands and singers from newer talent such as Dancer, Soapbox and recent BBC Introducing Scottish Act of the Year Bottle Rockets through to established legends such as Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, as well as home grown legends Arab Strap and the continued welcome return of James King and the Lonewolves ahead of their new album The Mortality Arcade.

The Top 25

Single of the Month

Soapbox – Fascist Bob

Several reasons for this being single of the month for March, first and foremost it’s a fucking great song cementing Soapbox as one of the best of the current crop of Scottish bands displaying a punk attitude in the true spirit of the first wave of punk, kicking against the pricks and railing against the right wing.… Read the rest

Junk Pups, Water Machine, Brenda, Dancer… live and awesome

December 10, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Dancer, Brenda & Water Machine photos all courtesy of @Blackmagicplastic

Despite the gig year hurtling apace towards its inevitable conclusion, December still holds some diamond nuggets in its dying embers, with some of Scotland’s brightest hopes and searing hot burning talents still to perform while continuing to gather plaudits, and gearing up for more to come in 2024 with some festive frolics.

Last week I attended my first ever Queer Theory night in Nice n Sleazy, and what a welcoming night and magnificent celebration of the queer scene in Glasgow it was. Kudos to the organisers for pulling together such a slick night, a combination of comedy, poetry, drag acts, cabaret, performance art, and of course, my initial reason for buying a ticket, Junk Pups.… Read the rest

The Bucky Rage – Living in a Cult – album review

August 31, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Do you ever get the rage? Do you need a release for your pent-up frustrations? Then maybe it’s time you did something about it, and what better time than now to try Living in a Cult with The Bucky Rage.

If you’ve ever seen the band live, you’ll know they’ve got a reputation for anarchic chaos, taking to the stage in their luchador mascaras, with a resultant frenzied melee that leaves you in a state of confused bewilderment and elation, wondering just what it was that hit you. Pretty much the effect Living in a Cult will have on you too.… Read the rest

Junk Pups & Tina Sandwich live – Nice n Sleazy

February 27, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

It was the end of a week/weekend where, for one reason or another I missed another couple of gigs that promised much… but so did Sunday night’s Sleazy Sessions in, where else but Nice n Sleazy on Sauchiehall Street, and I managed to make that one. This was a showcase for five artists/bands, but there were a couple in particular that caught my eye, two of my bright hopes for 2023, none other than the formidable Tina Sandwich, and the dynamic four piece that make up the awe-inspiring Junk Pups.

Emma Dunlop opened the night in impressive style, coming onstage just her and an acoustic guitar.… Read the rest