Feature - The Ginger Quiff

Back, like a bad penny…

December 9, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

I’m back. Like a bad penny.

I’ve been away from the Ginger Quiff for a short while, but still probably longer than I had initially hoped or intended. Like many others, balancing work and life is sometimes a challenge. Occasionally, that constant juggling of commitments ends up in us dropping a ball.

At times though, it must be a conscious decision to juggle with less balls to make it easier on yourself.

Take a break

Initially, it wasn’t a conscious decision to step away from my blog, I just lacked the free time and head space to give it the quality time I wanted to.… Read the rest

Quotes of the Dead – Twist or Stick – new single

September 13, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Today sees the release of the new single and video from Glasgow’s Quotes of the Dead. The song Twist or Stick is a gloriously feisty three and a half minutes of alternative/indie guitar rock with a sinister undertone.

Seemingly telling the seedy tale of several unsavoury characters and their unconventional habits after dark… “welcome to the party where the rooms are painted red, bring a plus one and join me in my bed…” The song is both intensely dark and uncompromising while retaining an upbeat groove. Animated riffing and high-spirited melodies form the backbone to the track as the guitars soar and the resounding roll of the bass verges on ska phrasing on occasion.… Read the rest

Spotlight on Curdle

September 12, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Curdle

Curdle is a 4 piece Glasgow-based band playing their unique blend of riot grrl infused goth horror punk with lashings of 1960s trippy pop psychedelia for good meassure.

The band consists of:

Wiggy – Guitar, Bass, Theremin, Vocals
Sarah – Guitar, Bass, Synth, Vocals
Clare – Drums
Lucy – Guitar, Bass, Backing Vocals

Their mesmerising debut album is receiving a vinyl release later in the year on the wonderful Double A Side records. (I recently revisited this for a review on the site). The band kindly took some time out of their busy schedule to speak to the Ginger Quiff.… Read the rest

Carol Hodge – Hold On To That Flame – album review

September 9, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Carol Hodge (great name ) – and I make no apologies for writing about an album that came out last year. Unfortunately, I only heard it for the first time earlier this year otherwise I’m positive it would have featured in my end of year lists, as it is an album I keep coming back to time and again.

Stop the World…

From the piano of the opening bars of Stop the World in its Tracks through to the affecting close of the deeply personal and raw Bear with Me, I am overwhelmingly emotionally invested in the album. Music is nothing if it doesn’t grab you and fill you with emotion, it doesn’t matter what that emotion is – joy, anger, sadness… anything that engages you, allowing you to lose yourself in the music and feel your skin tingle with raw emotion is alright with me.… Read the rest

ElectraJets Transatlantic Tales album cover

ElectraJets & Fur Dixon – Tarbeach Records new releases

September 2, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Vox

I have just finished reading a disturbing novel, Vox by Christina Dalcher, a frighteningly dystopian view of a future America where men have taken away all women’s rights, limiting them to speaking 100 words per day in the process.

Thankfully, we are currently in a place where strong women are celebrated, a situation reflected in the latest two releases on New York’s own Tarbeach records.

Fur & Cynthia – Bass legends

Bass playing legends of the alternative music scene Fur Dixon (The Cramps, The Hollywood Hillbillys) and Cynthia Ross (The “B” Girls, New York Junk) feature front and centre and as usual both are loud and proud, Fur on a new 7” single, preceding the vinyl release of her magnificent WTFukishima/Return 2 Sender album later in the year and Cynthia on the imminent Electrajets debut album release.… Read the rest

Vore Complex – A Stranger Breed

August 29, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

I was recently sent a link to an album called A Stranger Breed by Vore Complex. A bit of further investigation reveals Vore Complex to be a former solo project by Ben Powers, with a hefty back catalogue of material (check out the bandcamp page). A Stranger Breed is a collaboration with a guitarist (Ed Rose) which in Ben’s words is “generally poppier and more accessible” than his solo projects under the same band name.

A Stranger Breed

A listen to the songs reveals penetrating industrial electronic soundscapes, with carefully selected samples adding to the darkly atmospheric nature of the songs.… Read the rest

Katherine Aly – Sunny Days – new single/video

August 29, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Katherine Aly follows up The Skin I’m Made Of with new single and video for Sunny Day.

Another charming slice of bewitching piano driven pop genius. The initially sparse hypnotizing vocal layered with harmonies and piano, rising to a crescendo this beguiling tune once again showcases Aly’s mesmerising vocal.

I for one am looking forward to an album’s worth of these tunes.

Watch the video here.

Katherine Aly – website

Katherine Aly on Facebook

Katherine Aly – twitter

Katherine Aly – soundcloud

Katherine Aly – Spotify… Read the rest

Tenement & Temple – album review

August 27, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Tenement & Temple aka Smillie and Queen, highly sought after legends of the Scottish music scene, have released what is set to be possibly one of the most heart-meltingly beautiful albums of 2019.

Thrum

In one of their previous incarnations, Thrum, they delighted with songs like So Glad & Illegitimate Clown, and a magnificent cover of Crying (more about magnificent covers later) gigging regularly and generally being an abundantly talented pair, resulting in them being sought after for many collaborations over the years. Recently contributing in no small part to two of my favourite albums of the last few years – Daniel Wylie’s Cosmic Rough Riders Scenery for Dreamers and Reaction’s Keep it Weird Keep it Wired.… Read the rest

Run Into the Night ft Martin Metcalfe Mon Cheri

Martin Metcalfe and Co…

August 23, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

There has been a flurry of activity from Martin Metcalfe and associated acts this week.

The Filthy Tongues

First up, the Filthy Tongues dropped a clip of a new song at the start of the week. Mummy Can’t Drive sounds very Bowie-esque to me. Featuring Marie Claire Lee who has been ably filling Shirley Manson’s shoes on recent Goodbye Mr MacKenzie dates, is this a little taster of what is to come from the third album in the trilogy? I hope so…

Goodbye Mr MacKenzie

Talking of Goodbye Mr MacKenzie, Good Deeds and Dirty Rags finally has an official release date and a flourish of promotional activity announced that this week.… Read the rest

The Kaplans – Sesiones De Primavera – EP review

August 21, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Hot on the heels of reviewing their album, Urban Elephants, for Razur Cuts (street literature magazine) the latest EP from The Kaplans dropped through my letterbox recently.

A very welcome addition to my CD collection it is too. As a recent convert to the music of the band, I find myself lapping up every new tune I hear from them. The three tracks on this EP provide me with much more to love about this band.

Yes Means No

The first track is introduced with a sample from (what I assume to be) an intro on a Mexican radio station to the playing of one of their songs – I base this purely on the words Mexico and Glasgow in the sample.… Read the rest