Review - The Ginger Quiff

Singles Round Up Part 10 – October 2022

November 22, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

We’re well into the last quarter of the year now so it is time to share the third last selection of the best singles, demos and other tracks that have been earworms for The Ginger Quiff during the month of October… as usual I’ve added any that are on the evil corporate musician shafting platform that is Spotify for you to try, then go and buy music, merch and gig tickets from the bands.

Reaction – Bad Trip Express

Much like their forebears The Clash (just as long as we don’t get a Cut the Crap at some point), Lanarkshire punks Reaction have never been a band to stand still, rest on their laurels or become complacent with their sound.… Read the rest

The Countess of Fife live in The Glad Cafe

November 19, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Having had a disappointing gig experience on the previous evening, it was down to The Countess to restore my faith in the re-invigorating nature of immersing yourself in live music. I had every faith in the band to deliver, and deliver they did, a first-class performance to announce the arrival of the stunning debut album Star of the Sea (reviewed here)

The venue was the intimate setting of southside gem, The Glad Cafe, where I was delighted join a sea of friendly faces in celebrating the album’s release. Before the main attraction it was the turn of Kirsten Adamson (as a fellow Fifer, Kirsten is also a member of the headliners) to entertain.… Read the rest

Buzz Cutz Pt 1 – Ian M Bailey, The Bobby Lees, His Lordship & Poster Paints

November 18, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

In an attempt to play catch up with the many outstanding albums I have for review, I’m going for some short cuts to try to cover as many of the albums I’ve been listening to over the last few months as I can. The full quiff has not gone, just proverbially shaved it off for convenience on the short term…

Ian M Bailey – You Paint the Pictures

After their previous collaboration on the sublime Songs to Dream Along To, Ian M Bailey has teamed up with the inimitable Daniel Wylie once again to bring us another collection of retro 60s style jangle pop anthems.… Read the rest

The Countess of Fife – Star of the Sea – album review

November 16, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Those who pledged to Fay Fife & Co’s Kickstarter campaign will be delighted to finally hear the realisation of the fruits of The Countess of Fife’s labours with the release of the CD and digital versions of the album Star of the Sea*, and a launch gig in Glasgow’s Glad Cafe on Friday.

If you haven’t been fortunate to pick up on this project so far from the fireball of frantic energy who is the spirited front woman of the mighty Rezillos alongside Eugene Reynolds, The Countess of Fife is an altogether different proposition from the interstellar punk ‘n’ roll of The Rezillos.… Read the rest

Diablofurs – Dream Skies – single review

November 14, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

In my opinion one of the most overlooked bands of the late 80s/early 90s was Birdland who burst on the scene with their suicide blonde peroxide locks burning briefly but brightly and vigorously with their firebrand energetic shock of punk rock.

Fast forward to now and whatever you do, don’t let Birdland frontman Rob and the rest of his Diablofurs motley crew slip away from you. For those of you who have been unfortunate to miss out so far, or maybe you could just call yourselves lucky that you now get a chance to discover one of your new favourite bands.… Read the rest

The Hurricanes, The Jets, Sugababes, Sacred Noise and Millie Manders & the Shut Up – live in Glasgow

November 12, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

I’ve missed far too many live gigs in Glasgow I had tickets for this year. Thankfully I managed to get to three in the past week, despite nearly blowing one out but relenting at the last minute.

Last Saturday I took my brother back to a venue he hadn’t visited since I dragged him along to an eye opener for him in the form of Agnostic Front at Audio. This time around it was for a night of rock n roll and rockabilly from The Hurricanes and The Jets. Cuttin’ a Rug had been playing too, however, we only managed to arrive when The Hurricanes were already in full flow.… Read the rest

Rats From a Sinking Ship – Now Rat’s What I Call Music – review

November 9, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

When Rats From a Sinking Ship announced they were no more in March 2021, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one that read their post with a sense of disappointment. With five albums and 2 EPs under their belts, they have an impressive back catalogue, so when the band started posting teasers such as images with the legend “Is This What You’ve Been Waiting For?” the appetite was whetted for whatever was going to come…

The resultant release is a career spanning retrospective of tracks from across their fine array of albums from Rise as One in 2015 through to Glamorous Terrorists in 2020.… Read the rest

The Hedrons (and more…) – live in Glasgow

October 23, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

In the mid-noughties The Hedrons burst onto the music scene in a blaze of unfettered energetic punk rock glory but, much to the disappointment of their fervent fanbase, that flame burnt brightly but briefly and within a couple of years Tippi, Soup, Rosie & Gill were gone, leaving us with their sole album, One More Won’t Kill Us to console us.

Thankfully, Past Night From Glasgow has recently reissued the album, remastered and with extra tracks, which culminated in last night’s gig, nay, celebration featuring the remarkable talents of this most fondly remembered of bands.… Read the rest

Vulture Party – Archipelago – album review

October 15, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

A series of unlinked events and circumstances seem to have conspired and culminated in a lack of reviews appearing recently, subsequently my list of unreviewed releases is getting longer.

There was therefore no rhyme nor reason that I picked Archipelago, the new album by Falkirk based synth pop 4-piece Vulture Party ahead of the numerous other releases I have on my list.

Perhaps it was serendipity at play, as several of the songs here seemed to speak to my current circumstances, or perhaps it is just my own subconscious twisting and turning the lyrics and song messages to my own end.… Read the rest

Cloth – Low Sun EP – Review

October 6, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Glasgow duo Cloth are the epitome of minimalism and using space and quiet as an essential part of their overall sound and impact, proof positive that powerful impactful music doesn’t always have to mean loud, brash and boisterous. This hypothesis is corroborated fully by the four tracks that make up the bands new 4 tack EP, Low Sun released on the influential Rock Action label.

The EP kicks off in unassuming but highly effective style with Old Stories, Rachael’s breathy vocal paired with minimalistic synth backing, before effective layering builds multiple textures, and fills the initial spaces and silences with soundscapes which are both somehow huge and restrained simultaneously.… Read the rest