Album/Single Review - The Ginger Quiff

Goodbye Mr MacKenzie – Good Deeds & Dirty Rags – a celebration

May 16, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

A Celebration. The 1980s was a fruitful time for Scottish bands. The tail end of the 1970s into the early 1980s saw the rise of innumerable post-punk bands like Josef K, Scars, The Associates, Fire Engines and Orange Juice created a scene spawning cult independent record labels Postcard Records. At the other end of the scale, worldwide mega-stardom was achieved by the likes of Simple Minds. There was certainly plenty to celebrate in the Scottish music scene.

Criminally Under-rated Classic

For me, one of the key releases and a memorable highlight happened in 1989. Following a string of underground quintessential singles.… Read the rest

Hard Rock Renaissance – Psychobabylon & The Wildhearts

May 9, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

I read an article recently claiming that heavy rock/metal was on the rise again and is currently one of the most popular music genres in the UK.

One of the key proponents of heavy punk influenced rock/metal in the UK for the last 30 years, The Wildhearts, have just released their first album of new material in ten years in the acclaimed Renaissance Men, featuring their classic line up of Ginger, CJ, Danny McCormack and Rich Battersby. In a tenuous attempt to link the two bands, Psychobabylon, who feature Danny’s bandmate JJ Watt from The Main Grains, also have a new 4 tracks EP out in Is This All There Is?… Read the rest

DELINQUENTS – Sober on Sunday EP – review

April 20, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Dundee’s DELINQUENTS released one of my favourite albums of 2017 in the eminently listenable About Last Night, a raucous selection of punk rock tunes.

This four track E.P. is a step progression from their debut, if anything the four tracks here are a cut above, strong musically and lyrically and a sign of greater things to come. This is the sound of David Hennessey and the band making headway, and signalling their future intent. If About Last Night was Saturday, today it is Sunday, and we know what that means…

The band announce their arrival with full throttle pedal to the metal punk riffing and an ode to drinking too much.… Read the rest

L-Space – Music for Megastructures – Album review

April 18, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Scottish 4-piece L-Space present their glorious opus, Music for Megastructures. An outstanding body of work and departure from their debut album Kipple Arcadia. This release is a most welcome addition to the magnificent and varied output from the burgeoning roster of label Last Night from Glasgow. One remarkable fact about this instrumental album is that it is recorded entirely on synthesisers (save a few bass parts here and there). The resultant futuristic haunting atmospheric sounds had me hooked from the off.

With four sides/themes to the album, it plays out like a metaphoric journey through life. Arriving at this space-age mega-civilisation with part one, Transport, the music conjures images of firing rocket boosters and of air rushing past, of ships horns and space age trains over rails.… Read the rest

Cockwomble – Conspiracy EP

March 29, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Cockwomble continue to impress with their socially conscious pop punk ideologies on their latest EP Conspiracy.

Taking swipes at deserving targets throughout the four tracks on offer here the band are both eminently entertaining and laden with messages for those that should know better. “It was you” is the message they give to those who are convinced that everything is conspiring against them. “Has reality lost its grip on you” is the message as the antagonist of the song is ridiculed.

One track in and I’m screaming for a Cockwomble album to be released.

Sitting somewhere between The Ramones, The Toy Dolls and The King Blues, Cockwomble are the missing link between seriously solemn punk rock and the much-ridiculed pop punkers.,… Read the rest

PowderKeg – new EP

March 29, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Rock music has very much been pushed to the fore in recent weeks with the release of the Motley Crue biopic The Dirt on Netflix. Regardless of how funny/ridiculous/over the top/shocking/tragic (select your own preference) the movie is, it still doesn’t improve the band in my eyes, after all, Vince Neil cannot sing and apart from 2 or 3 songs (in my opinion) the band are awful (Home Sweet Home is a dreadful song). One final word on the impact the band and their chaotic lifestyle had – Razzle.

So, watch the movie, but then move on and listen to some quality home-grown rock music.… Read the rest

Rats from a Sinking Ship – With Love and Violence EP

March 21, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

“…with loves, and hates, and passions just like mine…”

Rats from a Sinking Ship have unleashed their new 7” EP and the words I have taken “on loan” from The Smiths Cemetry Gates sum it up perfectly. Rats have a passion for a cause that shines through on the somewhat confrontational songs on this EP. “I am a pacifist, don’t take that as a sign of weakness”. Lusty makes his point clear on lead track, he won’t mince his words.

The 4-track EP is titled “With Love and Violence” handing out equal degrees of each to the pro- and antagonists in the songs in question.… Read the rest

Red or Dead: Plugged – EP review

March 20, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Red or Dead have a new 4 track EP “Plugged” out imminently

They have ramped things up a few notches with this release. Robin Murray’s love of The Clash shines through on these 4 tracks of punk influenced rock ‘n’ roll. The Clash aren’t the only punk influence on show here with elements of X-Ray Spex apparent on a couple of tracks.

One of these is Decontrol, the opening track on the EP. The track references several punk songs (and ideologies) along the way. Remote/Complete Control obviously, with lyrics advocating the many taking back the power form the few, with lyrical nods to songs of The Damned and The Stranglers, smashing things up and pleading that something better change.… Read the rest

Jason How – Seven Mile Lane – Album Review

March 6, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Jason How returns with his fourth album, here he continues to demonstrate and hone his innate skill for writing addictive melodies and hooks, telling stories and painting pictures that draw the listener into his world.

This time around, he has taken inspiration from his home surroundings and his experiences cycling around the Kent countryside. On Seven Mile Lane he manages to turn the everyday into sunshine soaked harmonies, and intriguing tales as well picking up local myths and legends of the deeper darker murkier tales that often go un-noticed or get forgotten over time.

“Say goodbye to sorrow” is one of the lines from opening track She Can Make Me See.… Read the rest

GIFTSHOP – Big in Astoria

February 22, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Following the two tracks provided for the New York compilation NYC 2019 Vol 1, GIFTSHOP released their new 5 track EP last weekend with what by all accounts was a triumphant, EP launch gig at Coney Island Baby.

Big in Astoria

My favourite of the current crop of NYC bands, though by no means the only one I’m listening to, GIFTSHOP’s EP had me wishing I was at that gig. With such vibrancy in the NYC underground music scene, it’s a shame I can’t just nip out to a gig …the commute from Glasgow is just a little difficult.

Anyway, as track three of the EP, Stacked, says, the “chips are stacked” in favour of GIFTSHOP.… Read the rest