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Brenda – Brenda – debut album review

July 12, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Glasgow is awash with new music talent these days, at the forefront of the bands trading their wares comes the unique synth sounds of Brenda. To avoid any confusion, Brenda is a band, not a person, the coming together of the wonderfully unconventional trio of Litty, Apsi and Flore (also a member of another of the bands at the forefront of the current crop of extraordinary bands mined from this particularly giving seam – Water Machine).

While not exactly shrinking violets or introverted wallflowers, the band are modest in their own descriptions of their talents and musicianship, but in the opinion of this listener, their debut album is up there amongst my favourites of the year to date.… Read the rest

SLIME CITY – SLIME CITY DEATH CLUB – album review

May 16, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Do you want some existentialist fun? Then come on and join the Death Club! The membership benefits are second to none. Don’t worry death isn’t a pre-requisite, although Slime City are here to remind you of the fact that you and everybody that you love will one day die…

On that note it should be pointed out that gallows humour is a matter of course, but just forms a small part of what you get with your membership of this singularly unorthodox exclusive, naw make that inclusive, club. Slime City has something for everyone in their repertoire. Rising from the ashes of the legendary We Are The Physics, Glasgow’s Slime City has been on the go for what seems like aeons now, after a series of audaciously sublime singles, we are finally being treated to the debut album from this sardonically anarchic band.… Read the rest

Blue Aeroplanes – Culture Gun – album review

April 22, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

My tiny mind is blown. I thought Last Night From Glasgow had reached their zenith early this year with Hifi Sean and David McAlmont. Then along came Culture Gun. I must have listened to Side A at least half a dozen times before I even managed to flip over to Side 2, the four songs on the first side offering so much, it was hard for me to take it all in on the first listen. Raw energy. Commentary on the state of society. Impassioned vocals. Tunes which veer from boisterous and rambunctious to beatific and thought-provoking. Lets face it, Gerard Langley and Co.… Read the rest

The Day The Courettes visited Barlinnie Prison – Gig Review

April 5, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

After what has been a full on few months at work, I awoke to a bright & crisp sunny April Monday morning, hailing the start of a week’s annual leave. And what better way to spend my first day of doing as little as possible, than in the company of “the hardest working band in showbusiness”, the dynamic husband/wife duo, The Courettes.

You Know That’s a Prison Don’t You?

This was set to be a day, and a gig experience, to remember. One like I’d never seen never before, or likely to again. The first of a double header of gigs in Glasgow for Flavia and Martin on this most glorious of Monday’s saw them following in the footsteps of a select few performers over the years, including the infamous San Quentin gig from the Man in Black himself, Johnny Cash, by playing a gig exclusively for the inmates of a prison.… Read the rest

Brenda – Band Interview

February 26, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

2023 is Brenda’s year for the taking. With a debut album coming later this year and before that singles in the shape of Cease and Desist and Microscopic Babe with its LA recorded video. I had a chance to shoot the breeze with Flore, Apsi and Litty, and with an attitude as refreshing as their music, there is nothing in the way that can stop this unique trio.

It was a dreich Saturday afternoon when I met the band, but the atmosphere in The Bell Jar was warm and inviting as was the welcome from the three members of Brenda, and the now famous Pat (Flore’s dog, who is also the subject of a song by her other band Water Machine).… Read the rest

Introducing Water Machine – Band Interview

January 7, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

On the eve of their first gig of 2023 and following a series of much talked about gigs towards the end of last year, I caught up with Water Machine to talk about the band, their music, gigs and their upcoming plans. The band were in high spirits when I met them, after a rehearsal prior to their gig with Bikini Body in the Hug and Pint, their good humour and infectious sunny disposition entirely contagious and a much needed tonic, so I was keen to find out more about the band members and how the band came together.

Introducing the Band

Jimmy: I did this solo thing for years called Passion Pusher, we done an album, I wasn’t happy with it, we did a tour and only played one song from the album, I took a long break from music and now I do this and I’ve just started a band called Goodbody with Rachel and we’re going into La Chunky at the end of the month with Paul Thomson to do tape loops and stuff.… Read the rest

23 for ‘23

December 28, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

I may have made it difficult for myself by starting this last year. I’ll need to come up with one more band, album or gig I’m looking forward to next year. Mind you, judging by the sheer volume of amazing new music that is out there, it shouldn’t be too much of a challenge. So here is my list of music related stuff I’m looking forward to next year so far…

In no particular order, but I’ve got quite an easy place to start.

1. Sacred Noise

One of the bands I’d listed in my 22 for ‘22 are back in for my list of great hopes for 2023.… Read the rest

The Filthy Tongues – In These Dark Places – album review

December 23, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

It feels like forever since Back to Hell, the second instalment in The Filthy Tongues dark trilogy exploring the gloomier, murkier aspects of Auld Reekie. The final instalment, In These Dark Places is a flawless ending to the remarkable triumvirate continuing the caliginous tales of the less salubrious side of life in the capital city, but ending with perhaps a chink of light, a certain element of positivity and hope of a rebirth shrouded in desperation and regret?

We’ve been through a rough few years since the last instalment, reflected on the album in singles Gas Mask Blues and Pandemic Pete, both of which display an element of dark humour, which I’m sure we all can relate to in surviving the days of lockdown that felt like aeons, as we all found our own coping mechanisms in getting through.… Read the rest

Water Machine – S/T Demo Tape

December 21, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Water Machine have recently been making waves in the Glasgow music scene, currently bubbling under and fresh from what I gather was a superb support slot at Monorail’s birthday bash supporting Gerry Love, if there is any justice, 2023 will see the band reach boiling point and explode like a geyser.

Enough of the shite water puns. The band’s music deserves better than my lame attempts at humour.

I’ve recently been conversing online with Jimmy from the band, who are a bit of a Glasgow music scene supergroup, and was half joking about creating a family tree to trace all the connections.… Read the rest

LNFG Review special: bis – Systems Music for Home Defence/Lungleg – Maid to Minx (re-issue)

December 10, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Ahead of a very special return this weekend with a gig to support the re-issue of the superb Maid to Minx album from Lungleg with the mighty bis in support, promoting the release of their own latest long player, Systems Music for Home Defence, it seemed appropriate to review both albums in one go…

I’ve always hated the word iconic as I feel it was one of those words that became overused and lost its meaning, much like the word literally, which is literally used incorrectly just about every time I read it somewhere or hear someone say something stupid like “I literally died on the spot”.… Read the rest