Album/Single Review - The Ginger Quiff

The Media Whores – A Decade of Defiance

February 17, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Mercury Music Award nominated for their last album (read more here), the magnificent work of art that is Dangerous Minds, The Media Whores release this phenomenal compilation as a precursor to their fourth long-player coming later in the year.

A look at the album cover and track listing tells you a lot about the band and their stance on a variety of subjects.

The cover represents a wall covered in graffiti and posters. One poster bearing the legend “Stop Making Stupid People Famous” a salient comment on today’s society and the surfeit of talentless vacuous celebrities (I use the word loosely) who are only famous for being famous.… Read the rest

Turning Black Like Lizards – Spiral Eyes

February 17, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

The lead track on this 3 track EP from Turning Black Like Lizards is fast becoming a go-to tune on my playlists. In fact, all three tracks are.

This EP is yet another reason to seek out what is below the surface noise of the shite that clogs up the majority of mainstream airwaves and the charts these days (for what they are worth).

Don’t settle for what the industry thinks you should be listening to. Get off your arse and seek out music that stimulates rather than that which is designed to torpify.

Spiral Eyes is an awesome anthem that spans countless music influences with great effect.… Read the rest

The Godfathers – This is War! – Live

February 9, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Live music

Live music. It is all consuming. It is a therapy. A great gig can have so many positive effects on the soul, on mental health, it can take away all the shite of the day and help you escape to another dimension where all that matters is the music.

I have come out of so many gigs in my life and uttered something along the lines of “best gig ever”, every gig can be the best gig ever, just because of living in the moment. The euphoria and endorphins released due to the pure unadulterated enjoyment of experiencing everything that goes along with.… Read the rest

The Lee Harveys – Resistance is Not Terrorism

February 2, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

If it wasn’t for a certain Garry Alexander Borland and Danny Mac’s Testifying Times Radio Show, I might never had heard The Lee Harveys. But, as it is, thanks to a recommendation from Garry, and Danny playing and interviewing them on his show, I am the proud owner of all their albums; Still Angry, Gun City and Bullet for the President.

I can now add to that their latest unmissable release Resistance is Not Terrorism. The 6 track EP comes on CD and on extended edition coloured vinyl. Side one of which is the EP with side two collating fan selected remastered highlights from previous releases.… Read the rest

The Super Pumas – Prop Drop

January 27, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Inverclyde 3 piece The Super Pumas release their new single on Monday 28^th January.

The band are Lee on Guitar/vocals, Jim on bass and Div on Drums

Prop Drop is a more than worthy follow up to last year’s addictive hook laden Circles Roaming single.

The bands grungey alt-rock style is represented perfectly on the new single and accompanying video which will appeal to fans of Biffy Clyro, Foo Fighters and Therapy?. Kicking off with staccato drums and guitar, before assaulting the eardrums with full on riffing, the song develops, and rises and falls throughout. Bursts of full on energy assault your senses,
“Prop Drop police they are raging, raging”, before bringing the tempo down with delicate husky vocal and gentle guitar between,“Find your shelter, any which way that you like”.… Read the rest

New Year, New York

January 27, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

New York

The name conjures up so many images in my head. Granted, many are from the movies, but probably more arise from the allure the NY underground music scene holds for me, and the fascinating stories and tragic tales that surround it.

Times Square, New York Dolls, CBGBs, The Ramones, Johnny Thunders, Max’s Kansas City, Blondie, Patti Smith, Suicide, The Chelsea Hotel, Sid ‘n Nancy, Television, The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed…

“New York City is the place where they said: Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side”

Mainstream

In more recent years bands like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Strokes, The Hold Steady and The National (among many others) rose to mainstream prominence having formed in, played their initial gigs or been associated with New York.… Read the rest

The Gold Needles – Pearls: Album review

January 4, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

One of my most listened to albums from later in 2018 finally gets the gingerquiff review treatment.

The Gold Needles released Pearls way back in March, but like a bunch of other albums in my “must listen to” pile, events and life took over resulting in me now having a pile of “still must listen to” albums.

When I finally get around to listening, a lot of this pile has had me kicking myself that I didn’t get to them earlier as they have been a revelation and long-term fixtures on my turntable, CD player or iPod.

Gold Needles album is one of those.… Read the rest

Dumb Poets – All the Ghosts: Album review

December 28, 2018 By neilho27@sky.com

I received this album a couple of months ago after the band were recommended to me by a friend. Unfortunately, for several reasons I didn’t get an opportunity to listen properly and pull my thoughts together, as a result the album nearly slipped under my radar. With the holidays giving me a few days to get my shit together, I’ve been listening to this and several other albums on my must listen list, although it was hard to, move onto then others as I kept hitting the repeat button when this CD finished playing. Dumb Poets, you’ve got me.

Eleven tracks of beauty and subtle addictive hooks.… Read the rest

Aiden Moffat and RM Hubbert – Ghost Stories for Christmas

December 27, 2018 By neilho27@sky.com

As a self-confessed Christmas lover, I like to buy myself a new Christmas album every year.

This year, it was the turn of Aiden Moffat and RM Hubbert and who followed up the exceptional Here Lies the Body with their triumphant Ghost Stories for Christmas. You won’t hear on this any of the saccharin sweet songs that could only be listened to at one time of year and you tire of after a few listens. This may be a Christmas album, and yes, the songs may have a theme of Christmas to them, but I know I will listen to this all year round.… Read the rest

Jonzip/Razor Ramon, EX- and PowderKeg singles

December 27, 2018 By neilho27@sky.com

Over the last few weeks I got my greasy mits on a few new singles/EPs, two from bands/artists I was already familiar with and another from a band who tick all the right boxes in becoming a band I want to hear a lot more of in the future.

Jonzip & Razor Ramon

First up is a new single from the legendary globetrotting Jonzip (of The Zips/Passionate Friends fame). This time feeding my vinyl addiction releasing a new joint 7” release with Portugal’s Razor Ramon (not to be mistaken for the wrestler of the same name).

Three top quality punkobillytastic tracks.… Read the rest