Singles Round Up 2023 – Part 5 – May

July 1, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

It’s taken me much longer than it should have to get May’s Singles Round Up done. I blame fatigue from the onset of unseasonably hot weather in Glasgow… as well as a general inability to fit everything I need to do into a seven day week.

Apologies to all the featured bands and artists this month for not getting an individual write up, suffice to say, every single song has been listened to and loved. Much kudos to the vast number of great new songs in May from Glasgow/Scottish based bands and artists here. I hate to choose favourites but special mention to “Singles of the Month” from Sacred Noise, Kohla, Pedalo, Parliamo, Quad 90 and Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something….you… Read the rest

KEELEY – Floating Above Everything Else – album review

June 29, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Following a series of unequivocally absorbing EPs and singles, KEELEY finally release their debut album, the all consuming Floating Above Everything Else, an album which manages to be both heartbreaking in its divine beauty and grace and gloriously uplifting as you bathe in the warm textures of the multi-layered soundscapes helping to tell the story of the tragic backpacker Inga Maria Hauser, and keep her memory alive 35 years after her life was cruelly taken from her, a murder for which there has still been no-one charged. This album’s title surely reflects where this album is destined to be in many album of the year lists towards the end of 2023.… Read the rest

Mental Health in music – Lewis Capaldi & Billy NoMates – a reflection

June 29, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Up until last weekend, I had pretty much dismissed Lewis Capaldi as a nice and funny guy, who had a great voice, but whose music was wasted on me, my most used phrase about him was along the lines of, I’d like to go for a pint but I wouldn’t buy his records..

I’m not going to say I’ve suddenly become a fan of his music, its still not for me, though I can hear its appeal, he undoubtedly has an eminently listenable voice. I would say though, that I have become more of a fan of Lewis Capaldi the man.… Read the rest

Guns ‘n’ Roses & The Pretenders – live in Bellahouston Park

June 28, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

It’s not without an element of happy surprise that I’m writing this blog. I’ve never hidden the fact that I’m not what you’d call a hardcore fan of Guns ‘n’ Roses, or more particularly the voice of Axl Rose, having a tendency to lean more towards the guitars in the band, I did have the pleasure of witnessing Slash and Duff several times in their guise of Velvet Revolver. Don’t get me wrong, I think Appetite for Destruction is a classic debut, one that took its blueprint from the likes of Hanoi Rocks and The Heartbreakers and added their own hard rock edge and punk attitude to create the sound that many others would try, and fail, to replicate.… Read the rest

Ex-, 2 Sevens and Buzzbomb – live in Glasgow

June 18, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Second gig of the weekend, and another first for me, this time around, for whatever reason, it was the first time I’d managed to catch Glasgow’s 2 Sevens live, on a triple bill also featuring Ex- and Buzzbomb.

Currently riding high following the release of their recent EP, 13 (count ’em!), Ex- are always a pleasure to witness live, Colin Meek with current line up, Scott on drums, Dave on bass and Tam on Guitar producing an always sublime selection of first wave of punk influenced guitar band sounds, alongside thought provoking and contemplative lyrics, Meek being a prolific and talented writer also having a wheen of books to his name too.… Read the rest

Lambrini Girls & Bin Juice – Live in the Hug and Pint, Glasgow

June 17, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

In a week which ended in a day spent in a sweltering workplace with no air conditioning, a journey home on train full of bams with a lack of any social airs or graces, delivery companies that just don’t deliver, and a thunder and lightning storm that did little to reduce the humidity, I was in need of some light relief. I nearly turned back from the station as I was running late, doubting I would make it in time for the mighty Bin Juice, and I felt like a hideous sweaty mess, even my eyeballs were sweating, and my hay fever was getting the better of me, but I fortuitously looked at my phone to see that Bin Juice stage time was 15 minutes later than I first thought.… Read the rest

Jacoby – Shamanic Ecstasy – album review

June 15, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Following in the footsteps of previous incarnation, The Rising, Tommy Overington continues to soar, riding the breeze and catching the thermals as new band Jacoby revel in Shamanic Ecstasy, their debut long player featuring singles Freedom Ain’t No Sin and Do the Right Thing. But just what is Shamanic Ecstasy?

“In Shamanism, the ecstatic experience connotes a state of bliss, transcendence, and communion with the sacred. Shamans utilize techniques such as journeying, trances, and altered states of consciousness to achieve ecstatic experiences” Bob Waxman (Ph.D.)

When you boil that down, it’s pretty much what I want from music. I want it to take me to a state of bliss, to transcend and alter my state of consciousness taking me on a journey to another place and time in my mind.… Read the rest

Carol Hodge – live house party gig

June 11, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

This year seems to be the year for unusual gig locations. Having seen The Courettes play for prisoners in Barlinnie earlier in the year, this time round it was my namesake, Carol Hodge, playing a private house party to which I was fortunate enough to receive an invite, making up for the fact I missed her gig with Ginger Wildheart the night before due to my double (actually triple) booking of gigs and being at The Beat and Bow Wow Wow in Glasgow Barrowland.

First thing to say is kudos to Carol for doing such a thing. She mentioned it herself, playing a gig like this.… Read the rest

The Beat/Bow Wow Wow – live in Barrowland

June 10, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

For some reason I have never witnessed The Beat live. Just one of these things, the planets never aligned. I assumed with the death of Ranking Roger my chance had gone, but not so, with Dave Wakeling bringing his version of The Beat to Glasgow Barrowland. I’ll admit I had a slight concern about the crowd filling the Ballroom, having seen one of the ticket filler companies selling tickets for around a fiver earlier on in the week. Not great news for those who had already paid full price but the approach seemed to work, while the gig wasn’t sold out, it was a healthy sized crowd.… Read the rest

Teenage Waitress Your Cuckoo

Teenage Waitress – Your Cuckoo – album review

June 7, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Your Cuckoo is the Teenage Waitress follow up to stunning debut album Love & Chemicals, one of my albums of the year in 2020. Three years on and (the young) Daniel Ash has once again pulled out all the stops and created what is highly likely to be my album of the summer, as it is, it has already been an essential soundtrack to the last couple of weeks unseasonably good weather for Glasgow. Maybe this album was a conduit for that…

…if not, it has certainly been a conduit in playing a part in helping maintain my upbeat mood and general positivity, plugging in my headphones and listening to the songs on Your Cuckoo providing the musical background to my working day, not quite making problems disappear but giving me the right attitude to deal with them.… Read the rest

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