Review of the Year – 2022

January 7, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

If I don’t get my arse in gear, it’ll be February before I publish my round up of 2022. To be honest, I’ve still got a (virtual) pile of albums still to review… as a result, some of my favourite records of 2022 will be in the lists but remain unreviewed!

Singles of the Year

I already published my top 15 singles of the year (well actually I published a list of 80 songs…. but my top 15 were as follows:

  • 15 – Dumb Poets – Magic Happens
  • 14 – Dream Wife – Leech
  • 13 – Syvdoh – As I Lay Dying
  • 12 – The Bobby Lees – Monkey Mind
  • 11 – Collars – Baby I’m Bored
  • 10 – Keeley – Shadows on the Hill
  • 9 – His Lordship – All Cranked Up
  • 8 – Brontes – First Hand Arrogance
  • 7 – Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something Easy Peelers
  • 6 – Sacred Noise – Part of Me
  • 5 – Junk Pups – Miss Behave
  • 4 – Horsegirl – Anti Glory
  • 3 – Pizza Crunch – Wilting Youth
  • 2 – Water Machine – Hot Real Estate
  • 1 – Monica Queen – What is Home?
… Read the rest
Water Machine

Introducing Water Machine – Band Interview

January 7, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

On the eve of their first gig of 2023 and following a series of much talked about gigs towards the end of last year, I caught up with Water Machine to talk about the band, their music, gigs and their upcoming plans. The band were in high spirits when I met them, after a rehearsal prior to their gig with Bikini Body in the Hug and Pint, their good humour and infectious sunny disposition entirely contagious and a much needed tonic, so I was keen to find out more about the band members and how the band came together.

Introducing the Band

Jimmy: I did this solo thing for years called Passion Pusher, we done an album, I wasn’t happy with it, we did a tour and only played one song from the album, I took a long break from music and now I do this and I’ve just started a band called Goodbody with Rachel and we’re going into La Chunky at the end of the month with Paul Thomson to do tape loops and stuff.… Read the rest

Singles Round up of the Year – 2022

January 2, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

I published 12 singles round ups for 2022, one per month (OK, so maybe some were slightly delayed…) which amount to a rough total of 350 – 400 songs in total. The fact that I featured the songs meant I liked all the songs in each list, so when I thought – I’ll do a Festive 50 like John Peel used to do, I failed miserably, so here is my Effervescent Eighty, first off, my top 15, then the rest in no particular order…

  1. Monica Queen – Where is Home?
  2. Water Machine -Hot Real Estate
  3. Pizza Crunch – Wilting Youth
  4. Horsegirl – Anti Glory
  5. Junk Pups – Miss Behave
  6. Sacred Noise – Part of Me
  7. Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something – Easy Peelers
  8. Brontes – First Hand Arrogance
  9. His Lordship – All Cranked Up
  10. Keeley – Shadows on the Hill
  11. Collars – Baby I’m Bored
  12. The Bobby Lees – Monkey Mind
  13. Syvdoh – As I Lay Dying
  14. Dream Wife -Leech
  15. Dumb Poets – Magic Happens

The rest (in no particular order)

  • Sloan Brothers – Songs Like This
  • Wife Guys of Reddit – Pig Fat
  • Dead Pony – Bullet Farm
  • Bikini Bottoms – The Game
  • Port Sulphur – Kone Trips
  • pMad – Broken
  • Gentle Sinners – Face to Fire (After Nyman)
  • Earl of Hell – Hang ’em High
  • The Kaplans – Get Inside It
  • Jill Lorean – Black Dog
  • Run into the Night – Common Stream of Consciousness
  • Panic Shack – Mannequin Man
  • Savage Cut – The Debt
  • Sister John – Young at Heart/The Bluebells – Glasgow is a Rainbow
  • Trashcan Sinatras – Lay of the Land
  • Bunkhouse – RIP ie
  • Katherine Aly – Hype Up
  • Tallies – Special
  • Spyres – Honestly
  • Butcher Boy – So Far So What
  • HiFi Sean and David McAlmont – The Skin I’m In
  • Dead Thatchers – Nae Pasaran
  • Jo Jo and the Teeth – Don’t Get Too Heavy
  • London Plane – Come Out of the Dark
  • bdrmm – Three
  • Marianne Dissard – When Somebody Thinks You’re Wonderful
  • The Best Bad Influence – Boomstick
  • Vulture Party – Bad Wolf Moon
  • The Courettes – Daydream
  • Deux Furieuses – Bring Down the Government
  • Cloth – Lucid
  • Simon Bromide – Not That Type
  • Scorpio Leisure – Give Us Our Space
  • The Claudettes – Exposure
  • Suede -15 Again
  • Pete Astor- Fine and Dandy
  • Girls in Synthesis – Watch with Mother
  • Lloyds House – Heather
  • Tina Sandwich – Fast Cars (and Movie Stars)
  • Simon Love – L.O.T.H.A.R.I.O.
… Read the rest

The Claudettes – Go Out – album review

December 31, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

With a title that reflects the long yearned for post pandemic freedom, Chicago’s The Claudettes have once again hit the mother lode with a selection of new songs packed with the extraordinary musicianship I’ve come to expect from Johnny Iguana and co. The ten songs on Go Out pack an hefty emotional punch too, by virtue of the elegantly alluring and impassioned vocal delivery from Berit Ulseth.

Go Out opens in style with a song of unrequited desire and love, the subject of the desirous affection observed from afar. Berit’s wistfully plaintive vocal delivered atop an equally melancholic melody driven by Johnny’s heart-rending piano playing, Michael Caskey and Zach Verdoorn layering gloriously textured instruments to create an incandescently pulsating climax.… Read the rest

23 for ‘23

December 28, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

I may have made it difficult for myself by starting this last year. I’ll need to come up with one more band, album or gig I’m looking forward to next year. Mind you, judging by the sheer volume of amazing new music that is out there, it shouldn’t be too much of a challenge. So here is my list of music related stuff I’m looking forward to next year so far…

In no particular order, but I’ve got quite an easy place to start.

1. Sacred Noise

One of the bands I’d listed in my 22 for ‘22 are back in for my list of great hopes for 2023.… Read the rest

The Filthy Tongues in These Dark Places

The Filthy Tongues – In These Dark Places – album review

December 23, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

It feels like forever since Back to Hell, the second instalment in The Filthy Tongues dark trilogy exploring the gloomier, murkier aspects of Auld Reekie. The final instalment, In These Dark Places is a flawless ending to the remarkable triumvirate continuing the caliginous tales of the less salubrious side of life in the capital city, but ending with perhaps a chink of light, a certain element of positivity and hope of a rebirth shrouded in desperation and regret?

We’ve been through a rough few years since the last instalment, reflected on the album in singles Gas Mask Blues and Pandemic Pete, both of which display an element of dark humour, which I’m sure we all can relate to in surviving the days of lockdown that felt like aeons, as we all found our own coping mechanisms in getting through.… Read the rest

Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something Miffed

Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something – Miffed – album review

December 22, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

If there is one thing for certain, after listening to this album, your feeling will be anything but Miffed, as Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something follow up their 2019 debut, Oh Really, What’s That Then? with this colossal selection of ten astronomically epic and exhilaratingly life affirming songs.

Having been introduced to the music of Jemma and co in 2019 by Ged Babey, the debut album appeared in my top ten albums of that year, and was a fixture on my turntable for some time. I finally got to experience the Jemma Freeman live show earlier this year when they played Broadcast with Glasgow’s very own Run Into The Night.… Read the rest

Water Machine – S/T Demo Tape

December 21, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Water Machine have recently been making waves in the Glasgow music scene, currently bubbling under and fresh from what I gather was a superb support slot at Monorail’s birthday bash supporting Gerry Love, if there is any justice, 2023 will see the band reach boiling point and explode like a geyser.

Enough of the shite water puns. The band’s music deserves better than my lame attempts at humour.

I’ve recently been conversing online with Jimmy from the band, who are a bit of a Glasgow music scene supergroup, and was half joking about creating a family tree to trace all the connections.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up Part 12 – December 2022

December 20, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

The final singles round up of 2022, featuring various singles, demos and tracks that have been caught in my radar in December…

Water Machine – Hot Real Estate

This band are shortly going to get a post of their own (and all being well an interview with the band after the silly season) as they have already had a big impact on me just through my seeing clips of live songs posted on Insta, specifically several clips of this song, Hot Real Estate. They now have music available through their Bandcamp page. I’ve missed all their live dates so far. I will be rectifying that at the earliest opportunity

Bandcamp

Pinkfiz – 318

Having first come across Pinkfiz with her powerful single Did I Ask?,… Read the rest

22 for 22

22 for ’22 (re-visited)

December 19, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

At the end of 2021/start of 2022 I posted a blog about 22 bands/gigs/records I was looking forward to in 2022. I thought I’d have a quick look back on this before I consider the 23 for ’23 blog…

The Courettes

I’m not sure I can say anything about The Courettes that I’ve not said before. Their gig in McChuills certainly did not disappoint and with an album of B-sides and outtakes from the wonderful Back in Mono album to keep us going until the next album proper, the hardest working band in music ticked the boxes once again. Fabulous. Until the next time…

The Courettes – McChuills – The Courettes – Back in Mono (Outtakes & B Sides)

Run Into the Night/Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something

I had been looking forward to the double header from the Glasgow duet and the remarkable Jemma Freeman and her band for ages, and with good reason.… Read the rest

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