Dead Hope - The Ginger Quiff

November Singles – Pt 4 – Jody & the Jerms, Lambrini Girls, Joshua Idehen, Dancer, two blinks, i love you, Essential Logic, Sade…

December 2, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

Another eclectic mix for Part 4 of Novembers singles featuring the unmistakable vocal of Sade on a very personal song alongside Essential Logic, Jody and the Jerms, Lambrini Girls, the genus single from Joshua Idehen, two blinks, I love you and yet another release from the hard working Dancer.

Jody and the Jerms – Winter Heart

A swathe of strings from Erica Nockalls on the driving rhythm of Winter Hearts adds another layer to the bands sound creating a song which is both upbeat and vivacious and highly emotive.

Jody and the Jerms

Lambrini Girls – Love

From their forthcoming album Who Let the Dogs Out, Love is a song of two parts one part a seething riot of scathing railing against toxic relationships and one part fun of regret and sorrow as a direct result of being involved in said toxic relationships.… Read the rest

November Singles – Pt 3 – Throwing Muses, Nouvelle Vague, David Delinquent and the IOUs, Sister Madds, Jewel Scheme, F.O. Machete, Scorpio Leisure…

December 1, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

Part three of November’s round up sees the return of Throwing Muses with their first single since 2020, Nouvelle Vague with a festive cover with the rest of part three made up of home grown talent including David Delinquent and the IOUs, Jewel Scheme, F.O.Machete, the band I may have seen live most in 2024, Sister MADDs, and GQ favourites Scorpio Leisure.

Throwing Muses – Drugstore Drastic

Kristin Hersh and co. make a welcome return with the understated Drugstore Drastic their first new music since 2020’s Sun Racket album and precedes a tour in Spring 2025 including a date in The Garage in Glasgow on May 20th.… Read the rest

November Singles – Pt 2 – San Jose, Hurtsfall, Vigilanti, Peter Johnstone, Fistymuffs, Ditz, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs…

December 1, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

The second instalment of singles/tracks from November features some home grown talent in the shape of San Jose, Vigilanti, Peter Johnstone and Fistymuffs alongside songs from Hurstfall, Ditz and Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs coming from further afield.

San Jose – Dirty Linen

This sprawling epic song is one of my highlights for November, perhaps the year, it feels like a musical movement rather than just a song due to the several parts that make up the track, which musically sits somewhere between the thoughtful musings of Trampolene and the rakish charm of louche rockers Fat White Family.… Read the rest

November Singles – Part 1 – Guest Directors, Blueboy, Peter Murphy/Boy George, Keeley, Broken Chanter…

November 25, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

A new approach to Singles Round Ups for The Ginger Quiff… a small batch approach, a few songs at a tie making up the months playlist… then I’ll select my pick of the bunch at the end of the month. That’s the idea….anyway we’ll see how it goes.

The first five for November belong to Guest Directors from Seattle, the second single from 90s indie popsters Blueboy on the Precious Recordings of London label, the meeting of music legends Peter Murphy and Boy George, the latest single offering from the indefatigable Keeley and a musicale warning of global warming from Broken Chanter.… Read the rest

Singles, Singles, Singles – August to October 2024 (Part 2)

November 21, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

September…

September seemed to be a fruitful month for singles… nearly 80 songs on the playlist…

Pick of the bunch for September were The Courettes with their take on Northern Soul on Keep Dancing, the return of Jack Elfick and his latest band The Dead Shout with the rollicking Jump Your Bones, while Wax Head‘s offering was the equally rollicking Rusty Cutter. Specky Cult released their best single to date in SWISH, Katherine Aly shared the first of her songs from her excellent 222 EP, FREUD (for the mama’s boy) (what’s with the uppercase names this month?) (and also WHATYAGONDOBOUTIT (for the friends)) The Cure signalled the imminent arrival of their magnum opus in the shape of single Alone and Carol Hodge was The Queen of Fitting In and Amyl and the Sniffers had Big Dreams while Karen Dio couldnt sleep at 3am….… Read the rest

Singles, Singles, Singles…. August to October 2024 (Part 1)

November 21, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

I’m admitting defeat, I can’t keep up the pace with what I’d really like to do with The Ginger Quiff. The Singles Round-Ups are an onerous task… what with adding all the links and videos and the like.

I’m going to have to re-think my approach, after all the reason I want to feature so many singles is because I like them… not because I feel I have to. But I do need to make the process more manageable, and to get the joy back into it, and not have that “oh fuck, I’ve still got another 30 songs to write about” feeling that I currently experience.… Read the rest

Amyl & the Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness Live in Glasgow

November 8, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

All photographs courtesy of Christopher Hogge

A month to the day that I get to go to New York for the first time and I awoke to the news the whole of the sane world was dreading, the USA have re-elected an incoherent rambling fool to be the head of the most powerful country in the world. As if the world isn’t fucked up enough, the UK is being run by a “sir” whose socialist ideals are as far away from Labour as I’ve ever seen, and that after we finally got rid of the moral bankruptcy and increasingly fascist ideals of Tories as well.… Read the rest

Bodega – Brand on the Run tour, Glasgow

October 22, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

All photographs courtesy of Chris Hogge (@chrishoggephotography) • Instagram photos and videos

It feels that there has always been an affinity between Scotland, particularly Glasgow, and New York. It seems that the spirit of the cities live within each other. Perhaps it’s because we look alike, with Glasgow often substituting for the Big Apple in Hollywood blockbusters and then there is New York hosting a Tartan Week, perhaps it’s because both cities have a strong musical heritage spawning some of the worlds best bands and having some of the most iconic music venues, past and present. Or maybe it’s just because each cities people know how party and have a good time.… Read the rest

Sister Madds, The Froobz, Lemon Drink & comfort girl – King Tuts Summer Nights Live

September 1, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

My gig game has been weak recently. I’ve missed several fixtures that should have been easy home wins. For some reason I’ve gone down the route of weak football analogies here, I should point out that as an armchair Aberdeen fan, I may be giddy through their early season success, as I started to write this my team was sitting in the recent uncharted territory of the top of the league.

Personally, I’ve not been match fit recently so my first gig back for a while was an opportunity to test my fitness levels. Not my actual fitness levels, testing them would most definitely not have a positive outcome, but what I mean is my ability to seamlessly slip back into the pattern of play as if nothing had happened.… 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