Music - The Ginger Quiff

The Gold Needles Through a Window album cover

The Gold Needles – Through a Window – album review

June 12, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

The Gold Needles, Hull’s purveyors of fine 1960s influenced psych power-pop prove their worth once again with a delightful selection of sunshine-tinged pop tunes, this time released on legendary US-based label Jem Records. The band appear to have taken the time between their debut Pearls and this new album Through a Window, honing and perfecting their blissed-out sounds.

This album is a cohesive solid set of ten beat pop influenced tunes dropping just in time for summer. Through a window will be a great soundtrack to long hot hazy summer days, if we get any. Even on days when the rain traps you indoors, pop this CD on and the sun will shine in your living room.… Read the rest

Southern Approach – Insurrection – album review

June 5, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Now is the time for Insurrection

The title of the new offering from Southern Approach is timely in its title. The dis-United Kingdom is at breaking point – literally, with the shambolic Brexit debacle exacerbating the divides between the people and those in power and that is before we stray outwith these shores…

Southern Approach was the first band to feature on the Ginger Quiff blog and I’m pleased to say that, despite all the shite going on, the band continues to go from strength to strength with the release of their latest rabble-rousing digital album Insurrection.

Beautiful Inside and Out

In a further act of kismet, there is also a mental health link.… Read the rest

Ex- EP 7 review

May 31, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

I’m not sure if Meek ever sleeps. His creative juices seem to flow 24/7 – what with writing many of his own books and compiling the works of others in the “For the Many, Not the Few” series, now onto its 8^th volume, the musical output from him (and the rest of Ex- of course) takes some beating.

The latest EP Ex- 7 is a case in point.

The three tracks here are of the now expected superior quality I’ve come to expect from Ex-, their melodic punk/NY garage-rock sounds complemented by Meek’s satisfying rich burr.

Ex- songs always have an intelligent lyric and an eminently memorable refrain or chorus.… Read the rest

The Spangles – Sweet F.A. – album review

May 30, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Spangles or Chips?

Spangles? Despite having an urge for some old-fashioned boiled sweets, and a bag of chips from the get-go (listen and you’ll know why) I managed to hold off the impulse for 30 odd minutes. Well, to be honest it wasn’t difficult to hold off, the music on offer from Sweet FA is as addictive as the thought of a good old bag of salty, vinegary chips

Growing Up?

I was smitten from the first song. “Everybody’s growing up, I’m just growing old”. Too right. Growing up is over-rated. Live for the moment.

The Only One, the delight that is One Good Reason, these songs are worming their way into my consciousness trying to make me believe I’ve known them forever.… Read the rest

Black Bombers – Vol 4 – mini album review

May 24, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Black Bombers

Black Bombers are a three piece rock’n’roll band featuring Alan Byron on Guitar/vocals, Darren Birch on bass and Dave Twist in drums. Their latest release is a sumptuous 6 track selection of prime deep down and dirty punky/bluesy garage rock ‘n’ roll. There is a nod to Black Sabbath in the monochromatic cover art and the title and its typeface.

So what of the tracks on offer? First and foremost, this a trio of accomplished musicians between them having notched up connections and appearances with several high-profile bands and artists. Lead singer Alan has an instantly likeable gruff raw vocal which is a perfect match for the matching the sound of the band, their fuzzy grungy guitar, sublime bass and thunderous drum sound perfectly.… Read the rest

Goodbye Mr MacKenzie – Good Deeds & Dirty Rags – a celebration

May 16, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

A Celebration. The 1980s was a fruitful time for Scottish bands. The tail end of the 1970s into the early 1980s saw the rise of innumerable post-punk bands like Josef K, Scars, The Associates, Fire Engines and Orange Juice created a scene spawning cult independent record labels Postcard Records. At the other end of the scale, worldwide mega-stardom was achieved by the likes of Simple Minds. There was certainly plenty to celebrate in the Scottish music scene.

Criminally Under-rated Classic

For me, one of the key releases and a memorable highlight happened in 1989. Following a string of underground quintessential singles.… Read the rest

Swervedriver – Future Ruins -live review

May 15, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

What can I say about last night’s gig, nay, experience, in King Tuts? Intense, emotional, jaw-droppingly beautiful, powerful… I could go on and on with other such superlatives. I was expecting to enjoy it, but not nearly as much as I did. It made the fact that it was only a Tuesday night with another three working days until the weekend eminently more bearable.

Cherry Wave

Cherry Wave who are a new one on me, played a blinder. And a deafener to be fair. The three guitar, bass and drum attack meant visceral distortion, fuzz and plenty of whammy bar vibrato in a wall of sound MBV/shoegaze type manner.… Read the rest

Mental Health Awareness Week 2019

May 13, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

This week (Monday 13^th to Sunday 19^th May) marks this year’s Mental Health Awareness week.

I am conscious that I haven’t specifically written about mental health, either my own or in general for some time, other than referencing it in the music I write about. It makes sense then that I throw down a few thoughts to play a small part in raising awareness of this important week.

I do believe we have come a long way as a society in being able to confront social issues often thought of in the past as taboo subjects, including Mental Health, but we still have a long way to go.… Read the rest

Hard Rock Renaissance – Psychobabylon & The Wildhearts

May 9, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

I read an article recently claiming that heavy rock/metal was on the rise again and is currently one of the most popular music genres in the UK.

One of the key proponents of heavy punk influenced rock/metal in the UK for the last 30 years, The Wildhearts, have just released their first album of new material in ten years in the acclaimed Renaissance Men, featuring their classic line up of Ginger, CJ, Danny McCormack and Rich Battersby. In a tenuous attempt to link the two bands, Psychobabylon, who feature Danny’s bandmate JJ Watt from The Main Grains, also have a new 4 tracks EP out in Is This All There Is?… Read the rest

Duncan Reid and the Big Heads at Scotland Calling

Scotland Calling 2019 – a rambling review (of sorts)

April 29, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Having been to every Scotland Calling since its inception, tickets were duly purchased 12 months in advance for this year’s event before really looking at who was on the bill. It may sound strange to say but largely, it hasn’t mattered in years gone by. Not to say that it doesn’t matter at all, obviously the bill will switch off and turn on different people accordingly and of course, being a fan of live music, it is always great to see be at a gig. But for me, Scotland Calling has become an annual day out spent with two of my closest pals.… Read the rest