Uncategorized - The Ginger Quiff

Sacred Noise – EP1 – review

September 16, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

To my great joy and personal delectation, extraordinary Glasgow based quartet Sacred Noise have finally released their long awaited debut EP, cunningly titled EP1. Regular visitors to The Ginger Quiff blog will know that I hold the band in high regard having pretty much followed them since their inception, and had the pleasure in watching them grow both musically and in confidence having now seen them live countless times since their first gig back in March 2022.

Already with a string of quality singles behind them, in the shape of Taste in Men and Part of Me, alongside Radar and Silhouette (which both appear on EP1), the band, who have all honed their skills in other guises across the Glasgow scene, have cemented their place as one of the cities hot musical properties with the six stunning tracks on this superb self produced EP.… Read the rest

SLIME CITY – Death Club album launch with bis & Casual Worker

May 20, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Slime City Death Squad

A night that I had been looking forward to for some time, all three bands having impressed at gigs in premier Southside venue, The Rum Shack earlier this year. Tonight was set to be a special night celebrating the launch of the long awaited debut album from the peerless SLIME CITY, a band like no other, their album Slime City Death Club already going down as a classic in my book. There was a party atmosphere in St Lukes, even Lewis Capaldi made an appearance despite launching his own album today (Michael M -“I’m not saying don’t buy his album, just buy two of ours”).… Read the rest

Reality Asylum – 1312 Overture for the Working Class – album review

July 13, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

With their new album 1312 Overture for the Working Class (if you know you know), anarcho-punks Reality Asylum are angry. No they are incandescent with rage. And they have every right to be. There is a lot to be furious about in this supposedly modern, forward thinking world…

2022 did I say? It is interesting that Reality Asylum channel the spirit of bands like Discharge and Crass (from who I assume they take their name…), and while their lyrics rail against 21st century issues, it feels like all these songs could have been written by those bands who lived through what I previously thought was a low in British politics, the Thatcher era.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2022 – Part 3 – March

April 12, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

March has been a bumper month for singles. hence the delay in getting this published, takes a bit of compiling…

Anyway, as usual, there should be something here to please everyone!

Berries – Wall of Noise

I was delighted when Berries were recently announced as the support band for Jim Bob, of Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine fame, on his upcoming 2022 tour.

Wall of Noise begins with an unassuming bass hum backed by sensitive drums before introducing the hypnotic vocal and mellifluous guitars, all coming together, while building in their intensity to create their very own powerfully melodic wall of noise, before a short instrumental break welcomes in the incisive finale.… Read the rest

Bubbling Under – 2021 – the Rest of the Best…

December 19, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

2021, despite all the negatives, has been another great year for new music. I’ve already published my Review of the Year/Best of lists. But it would be unfair of me not to highlight several albums that I’ve been enjoying throughout 2021 that I didn’t feature in the top 25 or so in my blog,

As well as the albums I featured in the end of year post, I’ve reviewed and enjoyed albums by Jackal Trades, Mickey 9s, Natalie Pryce, Paul Research, CHVRCHES, Girl One and the Grease Guns, The Graveyard Tapes, Duncan Reid and the Big Heads (Live), Randolphs Leap, Maximo Park, The Telescopes, Edweena Banger, TV Priest, Teen Creeps, Brick Briscoe and Kiwi Jr

This blog is all about the other albums/EPs I’ve loved but never got around to reviewing,.… Read the rest

VIDEO PREMIERE – The Scaramanga Six – Big Ideas

November 26, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

The Ginger Quiff is proud to present the exclusive premiere of the new video from The Scaramanga Six for their dark and majestic new single Big Ideas from their forthcoming tenth album, Worthless Music. You can pre-order the album now on their Bandcamp page (link below) with a release date of the 3rd of December.

The band have had an esteemed 26 year career to date, and Big Ideas, the fourth song to be released in anticipation of the album, continues to whet the appetite for what promises to be a huge new album.

Cementing what the band have become known for, Big Ideas is a behemoth of a track.… Read the rest

Ian M Bailey – Songs to Dream Along To – album review

October 14, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

The deeper we get into 2021, the more I’ve come to realise that the only thing I can truly rely on from this increasingly frustrating, nay, infuriating year is that there is seemingly an unending supply of superb new albums around every corner. Certainly enough to distract me from losing my mind over each new headline and sensationalist reporting that comes with it.

As if one high quality album with its inspiration rooted firmly in the past isn’t enough in a week, following hot on the heels of The Courettes Back in Mono is the sublimely beautiful Songs to Dream Along To from Ian M Bailey.… Read the rest

Tom McGuire & the Brassholes – Interview

July 4, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Tom McGuire & the Brassholes have recently released a couple of top quality soul funk singles and on the eve(ish) of their gig this Thursday at the Euro Championships fan-zone in Glasgow Green, I had to the opportunity to pose Mr McGuire some questions.

Oh Savanna

The Ginger Quiff: You’ve returned recently with a brace of stunning singles, most recently Oh Savanna, and prior to that Super Solid Soul Vehicle. I read that Oh Savanna was based on a meeting with a real person, and Super Solid Soul Vehicle is inspired by the wonderful Bill Withers. Tell us more about the story behind Savanna.… Read the rest

Monsterpop – Another Dream EP review

August 25, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Monster /ˈmɒnstə/ (noun)

a thing of extraordinary or daunting size.

Pop /pɒp/ (noun)

a light explosive sound.

“there were a few pops, perhaps from pistols”

(noun)

Commercial popular music. In particular accessible, tuneful music of a kind popular since the 1950s. Sometimes contrasted with rock, soul, or other forms of popular music.

Based on these definitions and to coin an old phrase. Monsterpop does exactly what it says on the tin. And I intentionally left in the example sentence used under the definition of pop.

The new EP (available now on Bandcamp) Another Dream amplifies the explosive pop sound to daunting proportions.… Read the rest

The Best Bad Influence – Rock-It! album review and interview

July 2, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Vibrant and Animated

Last year in a short interview with The Best Bad Influence, I described them as “one of the bands I am most excited about”, that label still stands today. They are one of the most vibrant and animated live bands I’ve had the pleasure to witness in recent years, bringing the raucous spirit of rockabilly to a new generation, much like the 80’s revival did for me. In doing so, they also allow the likes of older music fans like myself to regain some of their youthful enthusiasm for the music. Their bouncing gigs are a melee of old and young.… Read the rest