Music - The Ginger Quiff

Keeley – Drawn to the Flame – mini album review

June 9, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Drawn to the Flame… an excellent description of the music of Keeley. From the moment I heard their first track, The Glitter & the Glue, I have been drawn to the hypnotic quality of the indie dream pop music and specifically to the burning passion lead singer and guitarist Keeley Moss has for the subject matter of her songs.

Keeley is an extraordinary and unique recording artist in so many ways. None more so than the fact that the subject of all the songs she writes is German backpacker, Inga Maria Hauser, who was murdered on her dream trip between Scotland and Ireland in 1988, somewhere between leaving Scotland and arriving in Ireland.… Read the rest

The Courettes – Daydream

June 9, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

The ”Fabulous” Courettes hit McChuills in Glasgow this weekend for what is certain to be one of the most explosive gigs of the year. Prepare to be blown away by the wall of sound that is sure to be served up by husband and wife duo Martin and Flavia Couri.

If you haven’t got your ticket yet, or indeed for any of the other remaining dates on the tour, what the hell are you waiting for?

Ahead of the gig, the band have released a video for the lead track on their recent mini album Back in Mono B Sides and Outtakes reviewed here

Flavia Couri: ””Daydream” is a living picture of our state of mind in the last couple of years.… Read the rest

Katherine Aly – Shadows Are Made of Light Too – album review

June 8, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Katherine Aly is on the rise and rise. One of the brightest musical talents Scotland (via Greece) has to offer her dazzlingly glowing light shines through the shadows bringing together glorious singles like Glow & Ignite, Pariah , Rules and Pariah with four other songs including her latest single Hype Up and in doing so creates a glittering prize for the listener.

Shadows Are Made of Light Too is a veritable cornucopia of blisteringly beautiful alt-pop anthems, nothing throwaway here, with addictive pop rock and hypnotic electronic rhythms mixing perfectly and lyrics, both thoughtful and celebratory, tackling a cross section of topics ranging from prejudice linked to race, gender and body image to mental health and then through to celebrations of sexuality and being who you are.… Read the rest

Run Into The Night/Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something – live

May 29, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Sometimes things are worth the wait.

in a week where I personally had an intense release of pressure after finally delivering the pilot of a training programme that has been delayed for years not months due to COVID, Run Into the Night and Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something finally got to play their gig in Broadcast. And what a gig it was to, a celebration of all that is good about live music, a coming together of like minded souls, a common stream of consciousness if you like, basically, with an emphasis on having a good time.

We arrived too late to see the first support Fog Bandit, who appeared to have gone down well with the assembled throng.… Read the rest

Cathal Coughlan – A Unique Talent

May 23, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

I’m getting to that age now, many of the bands and artists I idolised as a young man are going the way of all flesh. Unfortunately many of them have been taken too young, Stuart Adamson, Bill MacKenzie, Joe Strummer, Prince…All of whom I’ve mourned in my own way, as many of us have. People that made music that had a massive impact on us, with songs that take us back to memorable times of our lives.

I’m not a young man anymore, so I was taken by surprise today just how hard I took the announcement of the death of the uniquely talented Cathal Coughlan, ex-frontman of Microdisney and Fatima Mansions, an artist who stood head and shoulders above his peers of the time, and one of those who you could say they broke the mould of when they made him.… Read the rest

The Courettes – Back in Mono (B-Sides and Outtakes)

May 18, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

The undisputed “Band of 2021”, The Courettes, never disappoint. In the run up to their next Scottish dates in June, they have filled a gap in between albums with this essential 10” vinyl, and CD, of outtakes and b-sides from last years outstanding Back in Mono album.

As usual with this vital husband and wife duo, the artwork is the first thing to draw you in, the impeccable retro styling of the sleeve giving a sure indication of what you are going to hear when the needle hits the groove. I’m also drawn to the fitting addition of ”fabulous” to their name on the cover, I find it hard to find enough superlatives to use when I’m describing this band and their music, fabulous will do for starters.… Read the rest

Album Club – debut album review

May 15, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

The first rule of Album Club is…talk about Album Club. Tell all your friends. Shout it from the rooftops if you must. Just make sure as many people as you can muster listen to these songs

The L word had a lot to answer for. Maybe though, this album is something good that came out of it. This was never meant to be a band, as the name suggests, Album Club started as a group of friends, from the music and arts, congregating in the Laurieston Bar to talk about albums (funnily enough!)

When COVID took hold, it put a stop to their monthly meetings and the friends, including Michael from Zoey Van Goey and Emma & Paul from Delgados, started sending each other pieces of music and lyrics they had been working on.… Read the rest

Ramonas/Reaction – Live in Glasgow/Nice n Sleazys

May 9, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

The second gig of the weekend for me was an entirely different affair from the night before, a full throttle punk affair featuring Airdrie’s Reaction and the high octane thrill ride that is Ramonas. Unfortunately due to train cancellations I missed the start of Reaction’s set, but appropriately, when I arrived, breathless from a quick sprint up from the station, they were part way through Faster, a theme which was to be a core principle for the evenings entertainment.

As I sat in the station earlier, and the announcements came over the tannoy about cancelled trains, I almost chucked it and went home, my head telling me “Its Sunday night, maybe you’d be better having an early night – work tomorrow”.… Read the rest

Sister John and The Bluebells – Last Night From Glasgow – CCA – Live review

May 8, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

The oft rescheduled second night of the Last Night From Glasgow double header of Sister John/The Bluebells finally took place last night, and boy was it worth the wait.

The return to live music was apparent across the city with gigs ranging from The Monochrome Set to Vlure, When Rivers Meet to Dead Pony and Atom Age, and not one but two LNFG double headers, the other being St Dukes and The Muldoons in Stereo.

This time around it was The Bluebells kicking off the evening, one which saw both bands on fire both musically and with their on stage banter with the crowd.… Read the rest

Marianne Dissard – Rappel – album review

May 4, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Marianne Dissard’s collection of cover versions recorded in 2020/21 during lockdown, in conjunction with Raphael Mann, and featuring a smorgasbord of talented musicians playing across this extraordinary collection of songs, finally gets a well deserved release as a truly coherent album.

Rappel (which translates as Reminder) is just one of the many projects from the French born multi-talented chanteuse, who now resides in the Dear Green Place, in a career which has seen her take on the role of singer, songwriter, author, film-maker and photographer. Not one to let the grass grow under her feet, despite residing in Glasgow for a relatively short time, Marianne is already in the throes of arranging a photography project/exhibition revolving around the Clyde.… Read the rest