Music Feature - The Ginger Quiff

Songs and Snippets

October 31, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

As a lover of albums, one off tracks and singles sometimes pass me by, it would be remiss of me though not to highlight the plethora of quality stand-alone tracks, singles, or album teasers that have been waved temptingly in front of me over the past weeks and months.

In no particular order…

Deer Leader

Deer Leader follow up the absorbing Four Deuces with new single Crocodile. The single is an epic taste of what the band can do and fairly whets the appetite for more from this remarkable trio. An enigmatically engaging elegiac start to the song, hypnotic rhythms, soothing and reassuring, becoming softer and lulling you into a safe quiet place ….… Read the rest

The Cundeez – Teckle & Hide – album review

October 16, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

I’ve been immersing myself in some Dundonian culture lately thanks to Teckle & Hide the latest, and strongest, album from The Cundeez

An Intoxicating Heady Brew

100% proof claims the album cover, and its claims are not wrong. The sixteen tracks served up are an intoxicating heady brew. The Cundeez cementing themselves as a North East Scotland powerhouse. One minute offering an ultimate good time party anthem, guaranteed to have any party jumping as they provide the raw unfiltered craic, once again promised on the album cover. I’m not going to lie though, the party might get messy, there are no guarantees how things might end up.… Read the rest

IDLES – Ultra Mono

September 27, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

I’m not sure if you’d call this a review. Its more me trying to rationalise why I’m finding it so hard to love the new album from IDLES…

I’ve swithered about writing anything at all about this album. It is a total conundrum for me. I’m having a strange relationship with this one. The first time I listened, I was underwhelmed. The second time I began to appreciate some of the tracks. Appreciate – wow even that sounds like damning praise. The next time again, I found myself picking holes. Time and again I changed my impression on various tracks.… Read the rest

More Pandemic singles…

September 27, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

The Filthy Tongues – Pandemic Pete

The real-life apocalypse that 2020 has become has fucked with The Filthy Tongues schedule of recording the third album in the apocalyptic trilogy they started with the darkly magnificent duo Jacobs Ladder and Back to Hell. To keep Tongues fans satisfied the band have just released the second of their global epidemic related tunes, following up Gas Mask Blues with the mighty Pandemic Pete.

The song is a microcosm of everything you could want or would expect from The Filthy Tongues. Colourful storytelling and characterisation. Biting lyrics with a wry dark humorous edge. The opening couplet drolly listing the ways in which an disaster that writes off a whole year might have announced itself…”I wanted zombies and diamond dogs, I wanted triffids and a plague of frogs….”… Read the rest

Lou Kyme – What’s the Worst That Can Happen? – album review

September 11, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Straight out of the deep south comes the melody packed debut mini album from Lou Kyme. I should point out, the deep south I speak of is deepest darkest Southampton. However, you would be forgiven for thinking these seven radiant slices of Americana/country same straight out of the USA.

Chuck magic

In fact, that isn’t so very far from the truth. Despite Lou’s English roots, and wealth of experience treading the boards with her dads’ band, the Okeh Wranglers, there are several American rootsy factors at play here. None more so than an appearance from legendary Green on Red axe man, and general guitar slinging legend Mr Chuck Prophet.… Read the rest

Emperor of Ice Cream – No Sound Ever Dies – album review

August 31, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Hailing from Cork, a breeding ground for such acts as Sultans of Ping FC, Microdisney/Fatima Mansions and Cyclefly, Emperor of Ice Cream is a band out of time. Their debut album has just been released. Some 28 years since the band formed back in 1992 and 25 years after they split having been dropped by their record label. This release should have been rubbing shoulders with releases from contemporaries from The Frank & Walters to Whipping Boy, A House to Into Paradise. Fast forward to the release in 2020 and instead they are rubbing shoulders with the likes of Fontaines DC and The Murder Capital.… Read the rest

Terry Edwards Very Terry Edwards/Stop Trtying to Sell Me Back My Past

Terry Edwards – Very Terry Edwards/Stop Trying to Sell Me Back My Past – review

August 22, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Very Terry Edwards

I’m not sure where to start with this one, or should I say these ones, having received not one, but two Terry Edwards compilations weighing in at a mighty 80 tracks in total. Not only quite a phenomenal collection of tunes, but also a who’s who of just about every musical style you could list or comprehend.

The first, Very Terry Edwards is a career spanning collection of tracks celebrating the 60^th birthday year of this most bountifully talented multi-instrumentalist, with a track for every year of his life. This is an extraordinarily effusive body of work, even more extraordinary when you see the list of some of the bands he has recorded with that don’t appear across this 3 disc set, stand up Siouxsie, Julian Cope, Madness, Tindersticks, Hot Chip and PJ Harvey.… Read the rest

Ty Murray – Treefort – album review

August 19, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Frontman for Chapter 11, Ty Murray had his album Treefort re-released on CD on Astoria, NY label Tarbeach Records last week. Two of his tracks have appeared previously on Tarbeach , with Monkey Don’t Care covering She Goes Her Own Way and the albums closing track, After My Time.

Thankfully (for someone who loves a vast range of musical styles and hates labels) it is hard to pigeonhole/label Ty. His music is good old straight up rock music. Sure, there are influences that can be heard here and there. Opening track Fallen Angel has a Start! rhythm running throughout. While the second track Re-Enactor has its roots somewhere in the world of reggae, mixing this with classic rock riffing.… Read the rest

Rudebeard – Disgrace EP – review

August 13, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Well, I didn’t expect that Rudebeard…

The latest Rudebeard EP was released at the end of July. The last of their lockdown releases. As I DID expect it is packed with their own signature brand of raucous ska that deserves its place on a live stage so you can have a wild no-holds barred skank. As usual their songs and music are a celebration of life. With a substantial injection of dry humour and their wry observations on life.

First you’ve got Disgrace. the tale of a drunken stoner ne’er-do-well, and stories of drunken escapades. Not the sort “you could take home to meet your parents”.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up – Lockdown Summer 2020

August 4, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Over the period of lockdown (and I admit even before that) I’ve been sent a variety of singles/songs/demos for my listening pleasure. Unfortunately, some don’t get past the delete button (not always because they are… well, you know) but because I’m overwhelmed and don’t have the headspace to deal with them.

Over the last couple of weeks when I was on holiday in between day trips (avoiding the crowds and sweating masses) and decorating, I filtered out some of them….

Katherine Aly – God Breed

Following up her previous singles, The Skin I’m Made of, Sunny Days and Misty Me, this time around the silkily angelic-voiced Katherine Aly serves up a slice of absorbing brooding electronica with her latest single, God Breed.… Read the rest