It’s mid July and I’ve got about a hundred reviews semi written, but not finished, so instead of finishing them, why not waste several hours putting together another singles round up while sitting by my home built garden bar drinking some IPA or other..
I’m going to kick off with perhaps my favourite single in the last couple of months, from my most eagerly anticipated album in an age…
Lola in Slacks
Trocchi’s Canal blends the wondrously sultry vocal talents of Lou Reid with Brian McFie’s exquisite guitar playing to create a dark noir pop masterpiece, roll on October for the album Moon Moth. I can’t express how excited I am about this album…
Carol Hodge
“This” is, literally, the new single from the wonderfully named Carol Hodge. This track is from her upcoming new album The Crippling Space Between. Lulling you into thinking this would be a Carol and piano torch song, the song builds, adding a full band and creating an epic many layered beast with suitably thought out lyrics from this star ordinary songwriter.
The Wildhearts
The powerhouse rock quartet from the North East do what they do best, rocking out with a driving riff rock anthem with a pretty fucking straightforward message…
The Lovely Eggs (featuring Iggy Pop)
Independent legends The Lovely Eggs teamed up with the even more legendary Iggy Pop to score their latest smash, I, Moron. Can’t wait to see them live eventually on their re-re-re-re-re-rescheduled dates.
Sister John
Not happy with already releasing some of the years most glorious albums to date, LNFG are set to release the third album from Sister John on 30th July. This is the latest singular offering from the album and if the rest of the album is as unerringly beautiful as this we are heading for one of the albums of the year.
Keeley
I recently reviewed the Keeley EP for Louder Than War but have to include at least one of the songs on my own singles round up. The topic of the EP is the unsolved murder of a tourist visiting the UK and Ireland, and never making it as far as Dublin. Read more about it in the review and Keeley’s blog dedicated to the same subject. The album is set to be a cracker.
The Bongolian
If you fancy getting your arse out of your chair and throwing some shapes around the living room (or the garden based on the extended period of unseasonally hot weather for Glasgow), just press play below…
Manic Street Preachers
The band who once said they would release one album and disappear are onto album number 632 or something. This new song featuring Julia Cumming is suitably grandiloquent and bombastic, a throwback if you like to Little Baby Nothing…with some soaring riffs and ABBA-esque keyboard flourishes.
Vice Squad
Vice Squad have been letting their hair down during lockdown and released this jazz punk re-recording of Princess Paranoia. Unexpected but rather good!
Riot Androids
Moving from the North East and The Wildhearts over to the North West with young rabble rousers Riot Androids who are instigating a riot with their own guitar driven post punk sound. I look forward to hearing more.
Vulture Party
Further north now, over the border in fact. More beats than guitars but still an addictive driving rhythm on this one, the latest from Falkirk’s alt pop four piece, Vulture Party.
Pizza Crunch
We’ll stay north of the border but move west to Glasgow and sample this the latest delicacy from Pizza Crunch. This mob continue to impress with this latest tasty slice of deep fried post punk crunchy riffs following on from their Coma Inducing Gibberish previous single. I just hope listening to their music doesn’t harden your arteries…
Arab Strap
Fable of the Urban Fox was remixed and released as another single from the remarkable Arab Strap comeback album, As Days Get Dark. This is one of my favourite songs from the album with its fox/immigrant/refugee analogies. Just hope that September will see Barrowland opening for their gig…
DSMIV
While Sym Gharial, bassist with Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, impresses with Primitive Ignorant, Guy McKnight doesn’t want to feel left out. DSMIV released this cracking single attacking paedophiles with its superb mix of dance beats, in your face crunching guitars that soar and sing and and a vocal that spits venom while foaming at the mouth with punk attitude.
Telefis
They say you can’t keep a good man down, and so it would appear with Cathal Coughlan. Not content with the astonishing Song of Co-Aklan album, he has collaborated with producer Jacknife Lee to create the song, We Need, complete with video created by manipulating TV news footage, while Coughlan re-words their voices with the huge level of disdain only he can manage. An album is apparently in the offing.
Power of Dreams
Talking of albums in the offing, we’ll stay in Ireland for Power of Dreams comeback album due to be released imminently, and this the last single to be released prior to the album’s unveiling.
Sunstinger
Sunstinger have released their first physical release (available on Bandcamp), this song is the EP title track. More about the EP in a further blog post to come…
The Poppermost
Far from being the laziest fella, Joe Kane is one of the most talented in the realm. This sixties beat pop gem comes from an album packed full of similar gems, Hits to Spare. Seek out…
Book Klub
Just the right amount of angst, doom and gloom (including graveyard scenes in the video) as the song rises and falls, crashing guitars mixed with moody vocals, “would you die for the life of me?”. Maybe not, but I’ll give the song a few more spins…
Tom McGuire and the Brassholes
Try NOT to have a huge smile on your face when you listen to Tom McGuire and the Brassholes. This last two singles have been extraordinarily funky and totally addictive. Read more about the story behind Oh Savanna in my recent interview with Tom.
Deer Leader
I can’t seem to avoid having several LNFG related acts in every one of my single round ups. It either tells you something about me, or about the sheer depth and quality of the acts on the label. Deer Leader are an incredibly complex band, their two previous singles had me trapped under their spell. The Great Northern is no different, totally understated as it starts, spoken word building into an enrapturing melody. Epic and soaring.
LNFG – Facebook
Brian Setzer
Leader of The Stray Cats, the king of 1980s US rockabilly and subsequently big band tunes has a new album due later in the year, hot rods and rumbles abound in the lead single from the album.
Website – Facebook
Sequence 3 6 9
I teased this song in an earlier blog, the full video is now revealed, and the 12” vinyl available from the band.
Dirty Heads
Dirty Heads excellent ska rock single Rage features guest appearances from the inimitable Interrupters front woman Aimee and Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker.
Website – Facebook
Toyah
I can hear the groans now but, if it wasn’t for Toyah, I wouldn’t be into music as much as I am. She was my gateway drug to a life of being obsessed by music. And this song ain’t half bad.
Website – Facebook
As always, I’ve added the songs to The Ginger Quiff playlist for 2021 if available on Spotify.