The Ginger Quiff - Musings on music and mental health

Mindful March

March 4, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Let’s not sugar coat it. January was shite. If anything, February was worse…

I’m willing to bet I’m not the only person that in any “normal” year hates the early months of a new year. The promise of a buoyant New Year seen through the haze of a Hogmanay dram, usually fades to a miserable grey thought as the realisation hits. It’s January.

I mean, January and February are normally a barren wasteland of dark mornings and dark evenings. Days and nights of nothing much happening after the hustle and bustle of December. 2021 has added a whole new dimension of shite to the mix.… Read the rest

Cup & Nuzzle Productions

January 31, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

I feel it is very remiss of me not to have featured this podcast production company before now, but as the saying goes, better late than never.

Ok, so there is an element of nepotism here. Cup & Nuzzle is a production company co-founded by BBC6 Music presenter, and drummer from Menswe@r, one of my favourite bands to rise out of the awfully named Britpop “scene”, Matt Everitt and of course, and perhaps more importantly, my talented cousin, Graham Hodge.

I know of several people who have spent a large proportion of the last 12 months furloughed due to the worldwide pandemic.… Read the rest

Run Into The Night – band interview

January 31, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Last year, Run Into the Night announced a change to their line-up with Ellie moving on to pastures new and her seat at the drum kit being taken by the sartorially elegant Androo. I had the opportunity to catch up with Christina and Androo at the turn of the year to talk about the future for Run Into the Night

Line Up Changes

The Ginger Quiff: Before I ask about the new line up and plans for the future, I’d like to look back. Christina, tell us about some of your highlights so far with Run Into the Night and Ellie on drums?… Read the rest

New York Junk – Live from The Bowery Electric

January 27, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

It is almost a year since I last attended a real, live gig. Let me tell you, I have missed live music terribly, and things don’t look rosy for a return to sweaty club gigs, or any other kind of gig any time soon. After we entered the first lockdown in those dim and distant days of early 2020 little would we know we would be in the same, or maybe worse situation a year down the line with no end in sight.

Online Fatigue

Over spring and summer last year I enjoyed watching a variety of online gigs, from acoustic guitars in front rooms, to full blown electric sets from bands playing to camera’s in empty clubs.… Read the rest

Nicol & Elliott – The Storm EP

January 24, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

The second EP from the wonderful Nicol & Elliott hit all good streaming platforms on Friday at midnight.

A fitting time, the midnight hour. The black of night, but the start of a new day with all the possibilities that may bring, full of opportunity or dripping in an uneasy uncertainty…

This EP features two of the duo’s (and their band) singles from last year. The EPs title track along with the brooding and sensitive portrayal of abusive relationships that is Dragging Me Down.

If you’ve heard these singles, you’ll not be disappointed with the songs they are joined with on this EP.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up – January 2021

January 17, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Merely two weeks into 2021 and already my inbox is inundated with e-mails – new singles, forthcoming albums, demo’s. Certainly enough to focus my attention on the music and not the ongoing shit-show that 2021 has already shown itself to be.

It is nigh on impossible to listen to everything, but there have been certain songs that captured my attention more than others for one reason or another. Here is a selection of my favourites of the singles I’ve received so far (and I make absolutely no apology for sharing the first three again).

Mark W Georgsson

Theoretically this is a 2020 single given that it was released on Hogmanay, but I’m counting it as one of the first great singles of 2021.… Read the rest

Cathal Coughlan – Song of Co-Aklan

January 10, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Well, that was an interesting first week of 2021. It feels like someone has taken 2020 to a cheap photocopier and the resultant replication is a worse version than the original, and almost impossible to define.

However, like 2020, it seems likely that music will be my saviour. Singles wise, there have already been two magnificent tunes in the shape of Paint & Feathers from Dumb Poets and Forever in My Heart from Mark W Georgsson.

The latest single to have a huge impact on my listening pleasure this year is the first new music in 10 years from the musical genius that is Cathal Coughlan, he of Microdisney, Bubonique (with the late Sean Hughes) and Fatima Mansions fame, following those with five solo albums.… Read the rest

GingerQuiff – Final lists of 2020

December 31, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Following on from my albums of the year list, the following are my final lists for 2021.

I don’t have a top gigs list for 2021 as I only went to a handful at the start of the year not realising what the year had in store. Though The Wildhearts, Backyard Babies, The Interrupters, Savage Cut and Outstandifold & the Wettygrippers were a pretty good start to what should have been a great year of gigs..

Re-Releases

Bob Mould – Distortion (1989 – 2019) – what can I say, Santa was good to me this year. What a fantastic box set this is.

… Read the rest

Last Night From Glasgow – A success story for 2020

December 31, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

My love for certain record labels is well documented with NYC based, while retaining its Scottish roots, Tarbeach Records up there amongst my favourites. A fact that is ably demonstrated by the inclusion of The Cundeez Teckle and Hide and New York Junk‘s Dreaming (shortly to be available for ordering on red vinyl) amongst my favourite albums of the year.

It is probably the only record label that I can say, hand on heart, that I own every pone of their releases. Here’s to another successful year in 2021 from Tarbeach.

Last Night From Glasgow…

This year though, one record label stands out amongst the others.… Read the rest

The Countess of Fife – album pledge

December 24, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Having been fortunate enough to witness this band live, and having watched several of their lockdown performances, I’d highly commend pledging for their debut album.

The Countess herself provides a powerfully emotive vocal backed by a tremendously evocative perfect storm of country punk noise from the band, as demonstrated perfectly on their earlier live EP – reviewed here

There are a few days left to pledge towards their new album campaign. With a fantastic range of opportunities to pledge, from signed CDs all the way through to private gigs.

if you’re still swithering over that perfect Xmas gift…here’s an opportunity. And if anyone fancies getting me a private gig, I’d be more than grateful 🙂

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