The Ginger Quiff - Musings on music and mental health

Fistymuffs – We Fight EP review

April 28, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Feisty feminist Riot Grrrl/punks Fistymuffs have recently released their second EP, We Fight. And I’m delighted to say the four tracks on offer live up to the EP title. The four songs see the trio pulling no punches as they deliver their manifesto in a powerfully incisive manner.

Hey You! is typically vociferous rallying cry. Ashley’s urgent vocal pleading with the listener, over choppy dissonant post punk guitars, to give themselves a metaphorical shake, to wake up and smell the coffee and stand up for themselves. “Listen to me” she implores with increased desperation as the song reaches its climax.

Ashley and her co-vocalist Suky are both performance poets and it is Suky who takes lead vocal on Riots Not Diets.… Read the rest

David Delinquent – You’re So Boring You Make Me Wanna Die

April 26, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Despite not being able to go out anywhere, the bucketloads of time I seemingly should have to catch up on my ever-growing list of tasks doesn’t seem to have transpired. I’m fortunate that work is keeping me busy Monday to Friday, in actual fact, busier than ever. At the weekend, my usual weekend chores keep me busy. To be honest, apart from not having to commute to work and not being able to go to gigs, life hasn’t changed that much. Gigs though…

Online Gigs

I doubt any of us will be getting to any gigs anytime soon, but that hasn’t stopped me enjoying live music.… Read the rest

SEIL LIEN – Shatter album review

April 14, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

SEIL LIEN (the band fronted by Marie Claire White) release their debut album this week. Those who have been looking forward to this won’t be disappointed, those who don’t know about her/the band, use your lockdown time to check them out. For those interested, the band name means “little lotus”, Marie Claire’s Chinese name, she has a Scottish mother and a Chinese father.

SEIL LIEN – the artist

SEIL LIEN is more than just a band though. Marie Claire is a consummate professional who cares not only about the music, but the entire package that goes with it. She is also an artist in the true sense of the word.… Read the rest

Red or Dead – Anarchy is Liberty album review

April 6, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

The new album, Anarchy is Liberty, from North Wales’ acoustic punks Red or Dead is a timely comment on the current state of the planet. It proves you don’t have to scream and shout and thrash on loud electric guitars to make a point as 21^st Century anarcho punks.

I believe I made this comparison before, but the band fills the ground somewhere between Wigan folk punks The Tansads and the now legendary Levellers, with a host of ideals and influences shared with original anarcho punks, Crass and taking influence from the music of Joe Strummer and The Clash.

Zombieland

Take the first track for example, Zombieland, with Rob’s vocal delivery paying tribute to The Clash’ Magnificent Seven complete.… Read the rest

Run Into The Night – Blow a Kiss/Catch a Knife – Interview

March 20, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Run Into the Night. I know I bang on about this band a lot. There is a simple reason for that, they are, quite frankly, wonderful. A dazzling light shining in the dark times we find ourselves in – not only because of their music, but because they are genuine, lovely people too. Since I first saw/heard them they have sustained their glorious ascendency getting better and better each time I see them live.

On the eve of their new single, Blow a Kiss/Catch a Knife (out today), I had the pleasure of being able to ask Christina and Ellie a few questions about the single, inspirations, the current climate and how it is affecting bands and venues, and what is coming next for the band.… Read the rest

Natalie Pryce – HUMANS_OF_LATE_CAPITALISM – album review

March 18, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Haud the bus (or the train…)

Fuck me, where has this music been all my life…

I got that feeling today.

That one you get when you don’t really know much about a band, but you get their new album to listen to.

You have no expectations one way or the other.

You’ve been sent some info about the release, but you don’t read it.

You press play.

Then that feeling hits you.

That is how Humans of Late Capitalism, the new album by Natalie Pryce hit me.

Innocently standing on the platform at Cathcart station, I was waiting for the train to work, wondering how many more of these journey’s I’d be making before I’d be confined to barracks.… Read the rest

The Bikini Bottoms – Inversion/Mental Records – Graveyard Tapes Vol 2

March 9, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

If you haven’t already made yourself familiar with them, there are a couple of compilation/companion albums you need to get yer lugs round.

The Bikini Bottoms – Inversion

First up, the companion release to one of last year’s top albums, Bikiniland from The Bikini Bottoms. Inversion is available to stream and features seven tracks; demos and live versions of songs that ended up in their polished form on the final cut of Bikiniland.

I’ve been stung before with albums that purport to be a document of the bands’ roots or sold as some amazing unearthed and unheard before demoes. On listening you realise they should have remained unearthed as you vow never to listen again to the grainy tinny shite recorded on a C90 on a battered old mono tape deck.… Read the rest

Singles Round-up

March 5, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Loads of great singles blasting out in the Ginger Quiff towers just now. Where to start…

The Best Bad Influence

One of the hardest gigging bands on the scene just now are the phenomenally talented three-piece The Best Bad Influence. They seem to be ubiquitous currently. Every time I look on social media, I see them announcing more live dates. If someone were to ask me to name one band I want to be huge it is this pack of young wolves, so it gave me a huge rush to see that they hadn’t only announced more live dates recently but had dropped a new single.… Read the rest

Jonzip – Blueprint – album review

March 3, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Glasgow punk legend Jonzip has recently been making a name for himself as a talk show host. His genial demeanour and general display of welcoming bonhomie making him perfect for the role, talking recently to IDLES frontman Joe Talbot and Southside musical empresario Alan McGee.

Fans of Jonzip the musician needn’t fear though, following on the heels of last year’s The Zips release Huh? comes a magnificent Jonzip solo release in the shape of Blueprint.

The ten tracks on offer are culled from a variety of sources from his illustrious career, different versions of songs, some appearing before in one format or another, others appearing on CD for the first time.… Read the rest

Carol Hodge – Savage Purge – Interview and Review

February 28, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Roots

Ahead of the release of her latest work of genius, Savage Purge on the 30th of March, I had the privilege to catch up with fellow Hodge, Carol. I don’t often meet other Hodges, so I had to ask about her roots and whether she had ever investigated her family tree…

Yeah, well, funnily enough my mum did, she was into genealogy for a while, so she did our family tree. I was born in Greenock, we lived in Port Glasgow when I was a kid. All my family comes from around there.

Then going back far enough, from Ireland, it was maybe like the 1700s when the first Hodge came over.

… Read the rest