Category: post punk

November Singles – Part 3

November 24, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

We’re nearing the end of November and the singles keep on coming, with another motley bunch hitting the airwaves since I out pen to paper for the last batch… once again there is sureky somethonh here for every taste, with the young Scottish crew making an impression, and another few songs vying for the title of Single of the Month for November.

First up in this part is the latest single from Jo Carley and the Old Dry Skulls side project Carley’s Wreck and Ruin, Jo’s familiar vocal capturing me under her spell immediately as her bewitching voice repeats the song’s title Devil’s Got The Poison.… Read the rest

Tenement Trail 2025

October 15, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

I’ve not written a blog/review since April… and reading that one back now, the negativity in my tone probably said as much about my state of mind at the time as it did about the event itself.

Maybe I should have noticed the slow decline from then until a few months later when things came to a head and my brain, for want of a better word, imploded and became my worst enemy once again. but hindsight is a great thing isn’t it? Slowly getting back on track means revisiting the things that bring a bit of joy and relief into an insane world and try to regain some sanity and balance, it means bringing some conscious positive habits in to replace all the unconscious negative habits that insidiously creep in.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2025 – February – Part 5

April 24, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

If it was down to me, I’d listen to and write about music 24/7, but unfortunately, that doesn’t pay the bills, it only adds to them! So work has to take priority which doesn’t help when you have to burn the candle at both ends just to stand still…

Anyway if I don’t change the way I do these singles round ups it’ll be July before I’m done with February.

So here goes…

All the way from Brazil, Signo 13 served up another slice of moody gothic post punk with Onironautus while The Faint revival continued apace with an unreleased single, Brokers, Priests and Analysts, from their reissue of Blank-Wave Arcade.… Read the rest

House Guest Festival 2025 – Review

April 14, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

In 2024, the inaugural House Guest Festival was such a roaring success, I had high hopes and expectations for this years event. My hopes were most definitely not dashed as Scottish Music Collective & Crowded Flat pulled off another cracker of an event, planned perfectly and executed with a pinpoint precision, with timings being a major factor in events such as this, everything flowed as gracefully as as a swam gliding across water, but I’m sure this meant no end of unseen frantic exertion behind the scenes. Kudos to all involved.

Count the Days


The Sankaras opened proceedings in Sleazys, but my starter for 10 for the day was a furiously energetic Count the Days.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2025 – February – Part 3

March 29, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

The Mushroom Club – Afraid

Trippy psych sounds abound on February single Afraid from Glasgow based garage rock band The Mushroom Club.

The Mushroom Club

Pales – Uppercut

Uppercut comes from French alt-rockers Pales latest EP, Crush. Both the title of the EP and single are appropriate adjectives to describe the sound of the band, the crushing intensity of the guitar riffs and the layering of vocals and instruments on the single coming together in a glorious melee and rising to a knockout crescendo

Pales

Self Esteem – 69

Perhaps not one to add to your workplace playlists, as Self Esteem celebrates every sexual position imaginable but draws the line at….… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2025 – February – Part 1

March 27, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

Dead Pioneers – Post American

Another incendiary single from the new album from Dead Pioneers, in the form of its title track. Post American is huge attitude fuelled attack on white nationalism and a swipe at “giant toddlers with demands” and the country “built on genocide” and “slave labour”, in a year which beggars belief where one of the first acts the orange one took was to take rights away from just about everyone who isn’t a white cis male. Powerful stuff.

Dead Pioneers

benefits- Divide

Closer to home benefits have plenty to say too, with another attack on nationalism and “patriots” and the divide that continues to grow within British society.… Read the rest

Sultans of Ping FC & Meryl Streek – Live at St Lukes

February 9, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

At 16:00 today my plan was a lazy Saturday night in front of the telly, probably moaning about the shite that was on, probably involving at some point three of the unfunniest people on the planet, Michael fucking McIntyre and the talentless dullards from Tyneside, haudit and daudit who are constantly laughing at us as they gratefully take their millions earned purely for being halfwits.

By 16:15 though, my plans were turned on their head by the gracious intervention of several folks. including Meryl Streek himself, after a fortuitous visit to Mr Tony Gaughan’s veritable music emporium, the mighty Blitzkrieg opposite the best music venue in the world, Glasgow Barrowland.… Read the rest

The Best of ‘24

February 2, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

Life has kind of caught up on me this year and I’ve pretty much missed the boat for “Best of 2024” lists, so this is probably a much abridged version than published in previous years.

2024 was another phenomenal year for music with a myriad of new albums and EPs from bands old and new, a cornucopia of singles (725 in total across the years singles round up playlists (links below)) and a plethora of brilliant live experiences.

For anything not mentioned here, just take a trip through last year’s blogs and you’ll find many other joys to treat your eardrums and warm your souls.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2025 – January – Part 2

January 27, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

Six more of the best music January had to offer with the exceptional debut from Tanzana, an anti-Trump anthem from Smoking Pope’s, Amy adding an extra layer of brilliance to Bob Vylan, another anthem from singles round up stalwarts pMad, Glasgow post rock legends Mogwai and hypnotic trip rock from Heartworms.

pMad – Feed

pMad are more or less a permanent feature in the singles round up, releasing a steady stream of consistently top quality gothic tinged dark post punk singles over the last few years. Feed is no exception, with an anti-capitalist sentiment st its core, “the life of a value is more important than the value of a life”.… Read the rest

25 for ‘25

January 2, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

I’ve still to finish several reviews for last year and finalise my best of 2024 lists, but here goes for a list, in no particular order, of 25 music related events, bands, gigs etc I’m looking forward to in 2025…

Tanzana – having witnessed them live for the first time in 2024 supporting Death Valley Girls alongside Junk Pups and being blown away by their performance, I’m looking forward to more from Tanzana including their debut single, Covet, released on 9th January.

Tanzana

Xtro Ghost – Rob and Suze from Diablofurs have been posting clips on socials of rehearsals for songs for their new project Xtro Ghost.… Read the rest