Category: Folk

Singles Round Up 2026 – May – Part 6

August 11, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

Final part of May’s Singles Round Up, I mean, it’s only August after all…

Another mix of genres and styles from across the gamut of new underground Scottish bands and beyond…

Scott C Park – That’s Love

Kicking off with references to ancient Beltane traditions, That’s Love is the second single to come from Revival, Scott C Park’s (the C stands for Caravan) Revival album, and the second song from an Isle of Lewis band/artist in this month’s round up. That’s Love is a joyous blend of lo-fi slacker rock and traditional Scottish folk that explores the little things in the relationships that show the true meaning of love.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2026 – May – Part 5

August 10, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

I’ve been neglecting singles round ups for a while, and as a result I’m STILL on May… and even then, I’ve included some older singles that I’ve missed along the way.

The penultimate May round up has a bit of a leaning towards harder edged/grungy rock in several of the songs, but there is still a good mix of genres, and another hearty dose of Scottish talent.

Fright Years – Never Been Wrong

Fright Years are playing in Edinburgh this week alongside her picture who feature in the final part of May’s round up with their single The Ram. Never Been Wrong is another soaring anthem with a powerful bombast which, as a huge Simple Minds fan, reminds me of their Once Upon a Time stadium rock era.… Read the rest

King Tuts Summer Nights – Limerence with So Boring, Bed and Late Night Getaway Drivers

July 20, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

My third gig of this years Summer Night season (if you count the pre-Summer Nights warm up up with Alcatraz, Awful Eyes & Leisureland) and all bands on the bill were a first for me, buying a ticket having heard great things about so boring. live gigs and being addicted to Limerence’s debut single She Bites since its release.

As always with these gigs… well pretty much any gig… I was in position ready for the first band. That’s one of the things I love about these multi band bills, half hour sets with a quick turnaround between so there’s no hanging around for ages.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2026 – May – Part 1

May 27, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

It’s a small miracle, I’ve nearly caught up with the singles round ups, not quite the end of May yet and here is the first part of the round up for May, with more to come of course…

wojtek the bear are producing some of the best songs of their career just now in my humble opinion, from the response track to Kylie’s Got a Crush On Us, the tongue in cheek kylie’s put a curse on us, through the self deprecating french blue to this, the third single to come from album, i don’t think you want to be here.… Read the rest

Buzz Cutz – March Albums Pt 1- Elgin & the Marbles, Louise McCorkindale & Vitaliy Tkachuk, The Foot and Leg Clinic, The Rotations

May 14, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

Elgin & the Marbles – The Sun Never Sets

2026 has been a magnificent year for lyrical storytelling so far, even just in the last month or so there have been new albums from Sloan Brothers and Heavenly that have had me both charmed and captivated by the microcosms of life encapsulated in their songs. Now I can add to that list The Sun Never Sets from Elgin and the Marbles, who have completely and utterly captivated me with this delightfully enchanting album. The songs have a beguiling elegant grace and beauty within which they deliver lyrical tales laced with provocative and politically charged messages delivered in a deftly astute manner.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2026 – February – Part 1

February 15, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

When you take your eye off the ball for a second… I’ve been guilty of ignoring my inbox and my blog of late, I turn away for a couple of weeks and there is a plethora of fantastic new singles from a gamut of bands and styles… This is just the first part of February’s round up, beyond this initial collection, there is another burgeoning list of new singles for February and it is the usual smörgÃ¥sbord of sounds from across the globe, with a heavy dose of homegrown talent. Within that homegrown talent in Part 1 there is bona fide music legend Fay Fife in her Countess of Fife guise, and new singles from the likes of Broken Chanter through to newer kids in the block who are making quite an impression on the local scene in the guise of bands like heavyskint and Dallas Love Field.… Read the rest

Buzz Cutz – Amy Duncan, Hen Hoose Collective, M John Henry, The Cribs, The Jack Rubies – January Albums

February 15, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

I don’t make New Years Resolutions, but I did kind if make a mental note that I would try to be kinder to myself in 2026, aim to have a better work/life balance and set aside more time to do the things I enjoy… best laid plans and all that…

You guessed it, despite the best of intentions and promising myself that better work/life balance and to be less critical of myself, it’s only February and already I’ve missed more gigs than I’ve been to, I’m constantly metaphorically self-flagellating and I’ve gone down several dark holes which I’m scrabbling to escape from,it feels a bit like those cartoons where you see the character stuck in a hole and as they start to climb the walls, something happens to knock them back down again.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2026 – January – Part 4

January 29, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

The final part of this month’s singles round up runs to 21 songs, bringing the total to 57 brilliant new songs for the first month of the year, 23 of these from Scottish bands/artists, a cracking start to the year I’m sure you’ll agree. Part 4 of the singles for January includes new singles from 3 bands that feature on the forthcoming New Sound of Scotland CD namely Cowboy Hunters, Vanderlye and The Froobz, and with Oedipus and the Mama’s Boys being on Part 3 of the round up, it’s already stacking up to be a great year for new music from the bands on the CD, the next couple of months are shaping up well with singles on the way from pedalo, Martha May and the Mondays and Sister Madds to name but 3…

As soon as I get the CDs delivered, I’ll post details on how to get your hands on one… it’ll be a case of when they’re gone, they’re gone…

First up on this part it’s the somewhat eery and menacing Dr Love from Would Be Goods, be well warned by the spookily haunting melody and don’t let the name fool you, this Dr Love is not there to heal you or mend your broken heart, rather he will pull the rug from under you and rip your heart to shreds.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2026 – January – Part 2

January 22, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

Part two of an already strong month for new singles and another smorgasbord of songs from bands old and new from harmonious folky melodies from Amy Duncan and M. John Henry through to in your face punk from Dropkick Murphys and Gogol Bordello… Part three still to come with some more outstanding songs…

First up in this part is Ghost Reverb, the lead track from the Post Punk No Wave EP from Novelistme the alterego of multi-instrumentalist Andrew Price and in which he leaves behind standard verse chorus verse song structures to create a one take improvisational commentary on life, it’s often a bleak and uneasy listen.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2026 – January Pt 1

January 11, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

A couple of weeks into January and things are already bright in terms of new singles, with plenty of action from bands close to home, a cover from a forthcoming cover versions album and the return of a few indie legends… The first couple of songs in the first part of the January round up are from home grown talent both with French titles.

I’m surprised Fraser McCallum has time to write his own music given his status as sought after guitar for hire in the Scottish music scene, taking on the mantle of a young version of Douglas McIntyre… But indeed he has made the time and the resultant impassioned single where he takes on a persona of Serge Gainsbourg L’eau à les yeux is a masterstroke, a song that is so swathed with affecting pathos in it’s sound and delivery that it could easily be a Morrissey song, in a time and place where Morrissey songs were to be celebrated.… Read the rest