Album/Single Review - The Ginger Quiff

Diablofurs – Neon Satellites – review

May 20, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Birdland

In 1989 a band of four young guys, each with a shock of peroxide blonde hair caught my attention and my imagination with their sneering attitude and rage filled punk rock tunes. The excitement and energy displayed by the bands tunes and their live performances was incandescent. Electrically charged songs like Hollow Heart, Rage & White were bursting with vitality and, while the band imploded after only one album, their light radiated brightly and fiercely for that short period.

Diablofurs – Neon Satellites

Fast forward 31 years and another band have caught my imagination with the vivacious punky pop on their debut album Neon Satellites.… Read the rest

Ex- Ex-Tracts – The Complete EPs Collection

May 19, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

I have recently been enjoying the new EP from Meek and Mowbray (see last singles roundup I posted), The “Meek” of the duo is the never resting and highly talented CT Meek, poet, author, raconteur, lyricist, musician, entrepreneur, feel free to add your own descriptions to the list. The man seems to have an inexhaustible creative streak, judging by the copious amount of high quality material he endlessly produces. Countless of his own books and now into editing the 14^th volume of collaborative book of poems and shorts stories, For the Many, Not the Few.

This work rate is also reflected in the output of the band Ex-, with 7 EPs and an album to their name.… 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

Duncan Reid and the Big Heads Don't Blame Yourself

Duncan Reid & the Big Heads – Don’t Blame Yourself -album review

May 16, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Every now and again in your chequered and bumpy journey through life, there are special bands that come along. Ones that help you along that road, helping to smooth the bumps, to make the uphill parts of that journey a bit less exhausting and carry you across the massive potholes and dodge the unexpected sinkholes.

Duncan Reid and the Big Heads is one of those bands.

When music is such a massive part of your life, you have unbounded admiration, even love, for loads of bands, many of them holding a special place in your heart, and you attend countless gigs filling your life with the sights and sounds that bring you pleasure, it is a nigh on impossible task to pick favourites.… Read the rest

Savage Cut – Before the Sea Does the Mile – review

May 15, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

The last gig I attended this year had Savage Cut on the bill. The first time I’d managed to catch the band live, and I have to say I was blown away. It will have to live long in the memory as it may be one of the only gigs I get to in 2020. The band are a three piece with no singer. Instead their songs feature a line-up of inspired choices of guest vocalists or samples.

The gig in Sleazys featured a cast of distinguished guests including the legendary Jimbo McKellar and rapper Hexstacy (review of the gig here).… 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

The Cravats – Hoorahland album review

May 5, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

If you want a crazy twisted fucked up soundtrack for the crazy fucked up twisted times we are living in you could do a lot worse than the Cravats latest offering Hoorahland. 43 years after the bands inception, they remain addictively bizarre, their jazz funk fusion combined with off the wall mind-bending lyrics.

Sinisterly unsettling is another phrase I would use to describe the tunes on this album. Hoorahland is the theme park you wouldn’t want to take your kids to. Like a Disney resort on acid to play on your kids’ deepest fears and darkest nightmares.

The Shend has a voice, and an image, that cannot be ignored.… Read the rest

Fistymuffs – We Fight EP review

April 28, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Feisty feminist Riot Grrrl/punks Fistymuffs have recently released their second EP, We Fight. And I’m delighted to say the four tracks on offer live up to the EP title. The four songs see the trio pulling no punches as they deliver their manifesto in a powerfully incisive manner.

Hey You! is typically vociferous rallying cry. Ashley’s urgent vocal pleading with the listener, over choppy dissonant post punk guitars, to give themselves a metaphorical shake, to wake up and smell the coffee and stand up for themselves. “Listen to me” she implores with increased desperation as the song reaches its climax.

Ashley and her co-vocalist Suky are both performance poets and it is Suky who takes lead vocal on Riots Not Diets.… Read the rest

David Delinquent – You’re So Boring You Make Me Wanna Die

April 26, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Despite not being able to go out anywhere, the bucketloads of time I seemingly should have to catch up on my ever-growing list of tasks doesn’t seem to have transpired. I’m fortunate that work is keeping me busy Monday to Friday, in actual fact, busier than ever. At the weekend, my usual weekend chores keep me busy. To be honest, apart from not having to commute to work and not being able to go to gigs, life hasn’t changed that much. Gigs though…

Online Gigs

I doubt any of us will be getting to any gigs anytime soon, but that hasn’t stopped me enjoying live music.… Read the rest