Indie - The Ginger Quiff

22 for ‘22

January 6, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

In no particular order…22 bands I’m looking forward to hearing more from, albums I’m looking forward to getting my grubby mitts on, and gigs or tours I’m looking forward to attending (fingers and toes crossed) in 2022

1. The Courettes

The band that never rests is already looking ahead to what’s next. Not one’s to rest on their laurels or take a well earned break after an ecstatically received album in Back in Mono, supported by 71 dates across 9 countries, Martin and Flavia have already been in the studio laying down tracks for their follow up. Let’s hope for some more UK dates this year, Back in Mono (live in Mono!)… Read the rest

The Ones That Got Away… Karma Surround – Songs Lost in the Meantime – album review

January 5, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Karma Surround is a duo made up of Darren Roy and his brother Michael from Fife, who recently released their debut album, the remarkable Songs Lost in the Meantime. They have been releasing songs over the last year or so via Bandcamp. Towards the end of the year finally putting together their album.

This is a charmingly captivating piece of work, made up as it is of ten sublime jangly indie pop, acoustic folky slices of good karma inducing instant musical sunshine. And what is remarkable is that these were all recorded in a makeshift home studio, mixed and full band songs mastered by Alex Wharton for a sum total of £250.… Read the rest

The Ones That Got Away… Annie Booth – Lazybody – album review

December 30, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

I did include this album in my top 25 of the year, but hadn’t got around to reviewing it at that point. Since then I have pretty much listened to the album on almost a daily basis. If I were to be doing my end of year blog now, I would have to say that Lazybody would be in my top five favourite albums of the year. Note to self, wait until it is actually the end of the year before revealing any lists…

I Don’t Mind…Until I Mind

There is a certain stunning unique quality to Annie’s vocal that always manages to hit that sweet spot somewhere between joyous, comforting and an air of melancholy.… Read the rest

A Damaged Christmas Gift For You – Review

December 20, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

There are several Christmas albums that I would consider essential listening for this time of year. The 2000 compilation Its a Cool Cool Christmas for one, with a host of quality songs from the likes of Eels, El Vez, Drugstore no a personal family favourite, Christmas Boogaloo by Big Boss Man. Christmas by Low, whose Just Like Christmas appears on the aforementioned compilation, is another must listen at Christmas, while a modern classic, Ghost Stories fro Christmas (Aidan Moffat and RM Hubert) jumped straight into my all time favourite Christmas albums list on its release a few years ago.

Of course, one of the all time classics is A Christmas Gift for You, featuring the famous wall of sound in contributions from Darlene Love, The Ronettes, Bob B Soxx and the Blue Jeans and The Crystals.… Read the rest

Keeley – Echo Everywhere – EP review

November 24, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Earlier this year Dublin based Keeley released what is possibly one of my most listened to EPs of this year in Brave Warrior. The four songs on the EP were all utterly beautiful and had me transfixed from the off.

Keeley offers an unusual proposition in terms of songwriting in that all of her songs are written with one person in mind. All of her songwriting is written around the unsolved murder of Inga Maria Hauser, a German tourist who went missing in 1988 aged just 18. When she went missing, she was en route to Dublin, one of the destinations she had most been looking forward to visiting.… Read the rest

Broken Chanter – Catastrophe Hits – album review

November 17, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Another Last Night From Glasgow album launch gig beckons this Friday in Glasgow’s CCA, this time around it is Broken Chanter peddling their wares ably supported by label mates wotjek the bear who released their latest album, heaven by the back door, earlier in 2021. The gig is to promote Broken Chanter’s superb new album, Catastrophe Hits, which came out on all the usual streaming platforms and to download the other week, with vinyl to follow (the current world shortage of vinyl delaying releases…)

Is the new album any good or is it a catastrophe? Of course it’s not a catastrophe, but a selection of ten epic new songs demonstrating David’s knack for writing lyrics that can be thought provoking, sentimentally touching and humorous within one song, Add to that immense tunes, driving beats and melodies that soar, filling the air with captivating harmonies.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2021 – Part 11

October 10, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Another bumper batch of singles, demoes, or tracks that have somehow made their way into my slightly detached world . I’ve been trying desperately to keep on top of all the new releases and singles that keep catching my eye/ear, evidently I am only human and there are loads I’ve missed, and some probably included here that have been out for a while but I’m only getting my lugs around them now.

As always, these are in no particular order and where available, they’ve been added to the Ginger Quiff 2021 Playlist.

First up, its a bittersweet song…

The Jazz Butcher – Time

Many of us will have been shocked and saddened by the sudden passing this week of one of independent music’s most highly respected and talented free spirits in The Jazz Butcher iconoclast himself, Pat Fish.… Read the rest

The First Big Weekend…

September 13, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

My return to live music kicked off in style last weekend with Hugh Reed & the Velvet Underpants in the Bungalow Bar in Paisley. This weekend was what you could call the First Big Weekend (copyright: Arab Strap) of my 2021 gig calendar with not two but three consecutive nights of live music. Bring it on. (Not sure if I should be apologising to my family or whether they were just glad to see the back of me for three nights…)

I’m not going to deny, it wasn’t without some trepidation that I was returning to gigs, and not just due to COVID and everything that goes along with that, but also the being around people in general, and social anxiety aspect of it all.… Read the rest

Jackal Trades – At This Point – album review

September 1, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Mark McGhee never rests.

Does this man never sleep? He seems to be constantly spinning plates, managing to keep them all going and letting nothing slip, while keeping up high standards and levels of quality control on everything too …

Live shows with The Girobabies (whose Who Stole Utopia? album remains an absolute revelation), You Call That Radio podcasts, and of course Jackal Trades (and master of them all), whose album At This Point was released a couple of months ago…. Yes, I’m still playing catch up, but that s a good sign – hunner’s of brilliant new music out there…

At This Point is essentially McGhee’s (and a supporting cast of thousands) commentary on the state of the COVID era disunited kingdom.… Read the rest

Weve Met Before Havent We Deer Leader album cover

Deer Leader – We’ve Met Before… Haven’t We? – album review

August 29, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

I’ve only just regained control of my emotions after the stunning Sister John album, then Last Night From Glasgow only go and do it again…

I have to say, this is one of my most hotly anticipated releases of the year having been blown away by each one of the series of singles that preceded its release.

I’m There Right Now

To be honest, this album hasn’t lived up to its promise. It has smashed it. Exceeding my expectations in more ways than I could ever have hoped or imagined. I’m actually apprehensive about reviewing this as I’m not sure I can find the words to do it justice.… Read the rest