Review - The Ginger Quiff

Def Robot – Sabbatical album review

October 7, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

5 months, 5 albums

I’m playing catch up with a burgeoning inbox of new music, and in doing so I am too slow for prolific band Def Robot. As I prepare to write some words about their 4^th album, Sabbatical, they have announced the release of their 5^th album, Play This When We’re Gone next week.

Based on the album release rate by other bands you may be forgiven for thinking I am way behind with this one, but if I tell you that their first album was released on 24^th of May, with the 5^th due on 18^th of October, you can maybe cut me some slack…

Filler or killer?

… Read the rest

Pixies – Live in Glasgow, O2 Academy

September 23, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

I may recently have been less than complimentary about the latest Pixies album Beneath the Eyrie. I mean, it isn’t a bad album, it just kind of washed over me on the first few listens, it was undoubtedly Pixies, but just didn’t move me.

Sunday night, 22^nd September, Glasgow O2 Academy was an altogether different beast. If you were there and you didn’t feel moved, you are possibly Ed from the opening track of the band’s epic set.

Epic

The set time was listed from 9pm until 10.45pm with a curfew of 11pm. Black Francis and Co pushed the timing to its outer limits, ending their set almost bang on 11pm and I don’t mean, leaving the stage and returning for encores.… Read the rest

The Bikini Bottoms – Bikiniland – album review

September 20, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

What are you up to this weekend? Me? I fancy a trip to Bikiniland…

It just so happens, Bikiniland is the stonking new album from the frantic maestros that make up duo The Bikini Bottoms. The album saw its official release last Friday at the Graveyard Bash in McChuills, by all accounts a rocking great night of frenzied hellraisin’.

The Bikini Bottoms have been around for a while now, building up a cult following , honing their edgy rockabilly sound and creating the full immersive package with their furiously paced live show, trademark fringed cowboy shirts and a sideline in natty merchandise.… Read the rest

The Reverse Cowgirls – Bag O’ Bones – album review

September 18, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Should you have come across the music of The Reverse Cowgirls, you would have been forgiven for assuming their origins were the Southern States of the US instead of the environs of the Dear Green Place.

I am shamefully late to the game when it comes to The Reverse Cowgirls, having recently seen them supporting Reaction in McChuills and being blown away by their set. I have always been aware of the name and been in attendance, in body at least, at a gig where they played before but the less said about how I ended that evening the better.… Read the rest

The Zips – IOU

September 14, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

The Zips , arguably the finest Scottish punk band to emerge from the first wave of punk, and definitely, and defiantly, the most vital and valid to this day, just listen to Hear Hear from Down With The Zips, a more perfect analogy for the debacle that is Westminster you will never hear. Jonzip is a prophet.

Another prophetic announcement arrived this week in the form of the artwork for The Zips new album due later in the year. The artwork is a collaboration of Strummer/Clash fans, the band and local talented artists Stephen Scott. Stephen has produced a number of paintings of The Clash over the years (a print of one of these takes pride of place on my living room wall).… Read the rest

Carol Hodge – Hold On To That Flame – album review

September 9, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Carol Hodge (great name ) – and I make no apologies for writing about an album that came out last year. Unfortunately, I only heard it for the first time earlier this year otherwise I’m positive it would have featured in my end of year lists, as it is an album I keep coming back to time and again.

Stop the World…

From the piano of the opening bars of Stop the World in its Tracks through to the affecting close of the deeply personal and raw Bear with Me, I am overwhelmingly emotionally invested in the album. Music is nothing if it doesn’t grab you and fill you with emotion, it doesn’t matter what that emotion is – joy, anger, sadness… anything that engages you, allowing you to lose yourself in the music and feel your skin tingle with raw emotion is alright with me.… Read the rest

ElectraJets Transatlantic Tales album cover

ElectraJets & Fur Dixon – Tarbeach Records new releases

September 2, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Vox

I have just finished reading a disturbing novel, Vox by Christina Dalcher, a frighteningly dystopian view of a future America where men have taken away all women’s rights, limiting them to speaking 100 words per day in the process.

Thankfully, we are currently in a place where strong women are celebrated, a situation reflected in the latest two releases on New York’s own Tarbeach records.

Fur & Cynthia – Bass legends

Bass playing legends of the alternative music scene Fur Dixon (The Cramps, The Hollywood Hillbillys) and Cynthia Ross (The “B” Girls, New York Junk) feature front and centre and as usual both are loud and proud, Fur on a new 7” single, preceding the vinyl release of her magnificent WTFukishima/Return 2 Sender album later in the year and Cynthia on the imminent Electrajets debut album release.… Read the rest

Katherine Aly – Sunny Days – new single/video

August 29, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Katherine Aly follows up The Skin I’m Made Of with new single and video for Sunny Day.

Another charming slice of bewitching piano driven pop genius. The initially sparse hypnotizing vocal layered with harmonies and piano, rising to a crescendo this beguiling tune once again showcases Aly’s mesmerising vocal.

I for one am looking forward to an album’s worth of these tunes.

Watch the video here.

Katherine Aly – website

Katherine Aly on Facebook

Katherine Aly – twitter

Katherine Aly – soundcloud

Katherine Aly – Spotify… Read the rest

Tenement & Temple – album review

August 27, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Tenement & Temple aka Smillie and Queen, highly sought after legends of the Scottish music scene, have released what is set to be possibly one of the most heart-meltingly beautiful albums of 2019.

Thrum

In one of their previous incarnations, Thrum, they delighted with songs like So Glad & Illegitimate Clown, and a magnificent cover of Crying (more about magnificent covers later) gigging regularly and generally being an abundantly talented pair, resulting in them being sought after for many collaborations over the years. Recently contributing in no small part to two of my favourite albums of the last few years – Daniel Wylie’s Cosmic Rough Riders Scenery for Dreamers and Reaction’s Keep it Weird Keep it Wired.… Read the rest

5 minutes with…The Best Bad Influence

August 27, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

In 2019 so far, one of the bands I am most excited about is a young trio who take their influence from the rockabilly scene, playing a mix of their own songs alongside some classic covers.

I finally got the opportunity to see The Best Bad Influence live in the flesh, and I’m delighted to report that they do live up to my expectations. The buzz around the band is phenomenal, feedback from those who had already seen them was glowing, reaction to their performances on their social media posts including some impromptu busking sessions was through the roof for a young, relatively new unsigned band, the views and shares was astounding.… Read the rest