Feature - The Ginger Quiff

The Destination

May 29, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Even the recent past felt like a lifetime ago. Life had been unrecognisable for so long, being out on the streets was disquieting. On previous occasions when he had ventured out, he had flinched every time another human approached. He wasn’t really sure why, or what he was expecting them to do. Maybe he’d watched too many zombie movies and the eerily quiet streets had unearthed visions of a dystopian future. The words “go for the head” kept repeating over in his mind.

Hearing anyone approaching was a challenge, what with having headphones in and walking along hands plunged deep in his pockets staring at the ground to avoid eye contact with the world around him, the refrain of the song he was listening to – “anytime, anytime, anytime, anytime….illuminate… Read the rest

Starless – Earthbound – album review

May 28, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

The indefatigable Last Night From Glasgow show no signs of letting up in the light of COVID 19. With a bulging release schedule and a roster already bursting at the seams with talent, things are just ramping up.

The latest release from the label comes in the form of a roll call from many of the great and good of the Scottish music scene past and present.

Starless is the brainchild of the eminently talented Paul McGeechan. Writer, composer, engineer, producer and famed around these parts for being part of seminal Glasgow bands Friends Again and Love and Money.

Unfettered Charm & Beauty

Starless are releasing their second album, Earthbound, following on from the unfettered charm and beauty of their debut a couple of years ago.… Read the rest

The Countess of Fife – Live EP – review

May 17, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

The quality lockdown releases are coming thick and fast. With the lack of ability to go crate digging in these times, I’m relying on one of my favourite people just now, the postman, to bring me my regular fix.

This week has seen a few quality releases drop on the doormat including the new 4 track live EP from The Countess of Fife. The EP dropped hot on the heels of their debut online live performance, and arrived with me just shy of last nights second such event. This was one of the best online sets I’ve seen since I started attending remote gigs…

Powerful rich vocal

I first heard the band when they supported Goodbye Mr MacKenzie on their triumphant return to Glasgow’s Garage last May when I wrote: “The Countess of Fife, the band fronted by Fay Fife of Rezillos fame, still drew a substantial crowd.… Read the rest

Lockdown ramblings…

May 12, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

I’ve being doing a lot of internal reflection on the back of the latest seemingly ill thought out random series soundbites and subsequent bumbling backtracking and mixed messages coming from Downing Street, apparently without any real plan or substance to back them up. While I feel that many of us with some common sense have been able to live by the guidelines up until now, these new messages have just caused confusion amongst many. This isn’t really a political post though. The statement and subsequent fallout were merely a trigger.

Home Truths

It brought home a few realisations and home truths.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up

May 11, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

During lockdown, music is one of the things that is keeping many of us going, the postman has been busy delivering some fantastic new albums on CD and LP, but I’ve also been catching up on several cracking singles and EPs – both physical and online releases.

The following is a select few of the tracks and singles I’ve been enjoying, I’ve added them all to my Ginger Quiff 2020 Spotify playlist (if the’re on Spotify of course…) featuring bands and artists I’ve reviewed or featured on the blog or for Louder Than War this year.

Garlands

First Up and it is the sublime indie guitar heroes, Garlands, who have released two singles during the current lockdown period, The New Weird at the end of March and their new one Where Things Belong displaying their distinctive melodic alternative rock.… Read the rest

Smalltown Tigers – Five Things album review

May 7, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

In a time when all the reports and news coming out of the beautiful country of Italy (I’ve spent two of my best ever holidays there) is negative and tinged with sadness, I’m delighted to have something positive to report. That news is, Valli (Bass, Vocals), Monty (Guitar, Vocals) & Castel (Drums, Vocals), collectively known as Smalltown Tigers have released a mini album, Five Things. A release, in more ways than one, that is brimming with bold defiance.

Take the legacy that Currie, Jett, Ford, Fox & West started back in the mid seventies (there is perhaps a nod to them here on a track called Runaway Girl), add a bit Joey Ramone’s swagger, and a slice of sneering Lydon attitude and you’re part of the way there.… Read the rest

SEIL LIEN – Shatter album review

April 14, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

SEIL LIEN (the band fronted by Marie Claire White) release their debut album this week. Those who have been looking forward to this won’t be disappointed, those who don’t know about her/the band, use your lockdown time to check them out. For those interested, the band name means “little lotus”, Marie Claire’s Chinese name, she has a Scottish mother and a Chinese father.

SEIL LIEN – the artist

SEIL LIEN is more than just a band though. Marie Claire is a consummate professional who cares not only about the music, but the entire package that goes with it. She is also an artist in the true sense of the word.… Read the rest

Natalie Pryce – HUMANS_OF_LATE_CAPITALISM – album review

March 18, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Haud the bus (or the train…)

Fuck me, where has this music been all my life…

I got that feeling today.

That one you get when you don’t really know much about a band, but you get their new album to listen to.

You have no expectations one way or the other.

You’ve been sent some info about the release, but you don’t read it.

You press play.

Then that feeling hits you.

That is how Humans of Late Capitalism, the new album by Natalie Pryce hit me.

Innocently standing on the platform at Cathcart station, I was waiting for the train to work, wondering how many more of these journey’s I’d be making before I’d be confined to barracks.… Read the rest

The Bikini Bottoms – Inversion/Mental Records – Graveyard Tapes Vol 2

March 9, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

If you haven’t already made yourself familiar with them, there are a couple of compilation/companion albums you need to get yer lugs round.

The Bikini Bottoms – Inversion

First up, the companion release to one of last year’s top albums, Bikiniland from The Bikini Bottoms. Inversion is available to stream and features seven tracks; demos and live versions of songs that ended up in their polished form on the final cut of Bikiniland.

I’ve been stung before with albums that purport to be a document of the bands’ roots or sold as some amazing unearthed and unheard before demoes. On listening you realise they should have remained unearthed as you vow never to listen again to the grainy tinny shite recorded on a C90 on a battered old mono tape deck.… Read the rest

Singles Round-up

March 5, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Loads of great singles blasting out in the Ginger Quiff towers just now. Where to start…

The Best Bad Influence

One of the hardest gigging bands on the scene just now are the phenomenally talented three-piece The Best Bad Influence. They seem to be ubiquitous currently. Every time I look on social media, I see them announcing more live dates. If someone were to ask me to name one band I want to be huge it is this pack of young wolves, so it gave me a huge rush to see that they hadn’t only announced more live dates recently but had dropped a new single.… Read the rest