Broken Chanter - The Ginger Quiff

Singles Round Up 2024 – Part 5 – May

July 24, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

I am so unbelievably behind it’ll be Halloween soon and I’ll still be at Easter… I’m still working month’s behind in singles round ups, and about 6 months behind in album and EP reviews. I’m putting that down to shit like life getting in the way, but I’ll also use the excuse that there is so much fantastic new music out there by bands old and new that I can’t keep up with the sheer volume of music to listen to, which to be fair, ain’t that far from the truth.

My May (yeah I know, May, that was like months ago, literally…) round up follows, as does a playlist of all the songs on Tidal.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2024 – Part 3 – March

April 10, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

Another month, another singles round up, and a bumper selection it is too, 61 songs in this month’s list, This month’s selection comes from a range of bands and singers from newer talent such as Dancer, Soapbox and recent BBC Introducing Scottish Act of the Year Bottle Rockets through to established legends such as Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, as well as home grown legends Arab Strap and the continued welcome return of James King and the Lonewolves ahead of their new album The Mortality Arcade.

The Top 25

Single of the Month

Soapbox – Fascist Bob

Several reasons for this being single of the month for March, first and foremost it’s a fucking great song cementing Soapbox as one of the best of the current crop of Scottish bands displaying a punk attitude in the true spirit of the first wave of punk, kicking against the pricks and railing against the right wing.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2024 – Part 1 – January

February 28, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

A new year for music and (eventually) the first round up of 2024, and what a bumper crop already for January. A massive 62 songs (OK, so some might be from the end of 2023 as I posted end of year posts early…). Anyway, we’re certainly out of the traps and off running at speed, with this list containing some well-kent names, some new kids on the block, as well as the return of some legends. All told providing a wheen of top quality tunes which succeeded in lifting the January blues. If that was January, this is set to be another cracking year for music…

The hazard of deciding to do a monthly singles round up means also trying to find the time to write up the blog… I seem to be caught in a vicious circle of promising myself I’ll spend more time on writing, then disappearing in a world of work, or spending hours overthinking things and getting fuck all done…

I’ve therefore had to make an executive decision.… Read the rest

24 (and a bit) for ’24

December 31, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

When I started doing this little feature a few years ago, I didn’t consider having to add another to the list each year… but hey, there is plenty to look forward to already in 2024, new bands, older bands returning, albums, singles, re-releases and gigs. In no particular order, but starting with the earliest one in the calendar…

Tina Sandwich and Sister Madds – Already having produced one of my favourite single sof both of the last 2 years, Tina Sandwich were part of the line up at my first gig of 2023 at King Tuts New Years Revolution. On 6th of January Tina’s back at the same venue but this time as headliner!

… Read the rest

Singles Round Up Part 10 – October 2022

November 22, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

We’re well into the last quarter of the year now so it is time to share the third last selection of the best singles, demos and other tracks that have been earworms for The Ginger Quiff during the month of October… as usual I’ve added any that are on the evil corporate musician shafting platform that is Spotify for you to try, then go and buy music, merch and gig tickets from the bands.

Reaction – Bad Trip Express

Much like their forebears The Clash (just as long as we don’t get a Cut the Crap at some point), Lanarkshire punks Reaction have never been a band to stand still, rest on their laurels or become complacent with their sound.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2022 – Part 2 – February

February 25, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

2022. Two months in already and not a dish done… that’s now confused half the readers at least.

However, good things come in small packages, and the number of singles that have kept me going throughout February has provided a wheen of good things.

I just need to get around to writing about all the big packages and all the amazing LPs the postman has kindly been delivering over the last couple of months (much to the consternation of Mrs Quiff)

The news of rescheduled gigs and UK tours was coming thick and fast too. None more welcome than from band of the year from 2021, The Courettes, who are returning to Glasgow in June as part of their 2022 tour.… Read the rest

Review of the the Year – The Best of 2021

December 9, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Yet another bumper year for new releases by new artists, classic re-issues and comebacks from some old favourites.

Despite what the salivating broadcasters and media will have you believe, there was so much more to the year than a new album by A****e, the banality of which didn’t even register on the gingerquiff seismograph such was its insignificance in the shadow of so much in the way of superb and exciting music that moved me. (Yes, I know she has a great voice, but oh so dull).

Anyway, no more focussing on negatives, There were so many remarkable albums this year that, once again, I can’t narrow them down to my ten favourites, so before I run down my Top 10 albums of the year, here are those…

In 11th Place (in no particular order)…

It was so hard to leave anyone out this year, I have loved records by so many wonderful and diverse bands and artists.… Read the rest

Broken Chanter/wojtek the bear – Live – CCA Glasgow

November 21, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Friday finally arrived in a week when I felt entirely discombobulated. On a daily basis I had no clue what day of the week or what time of the day it was. All I did know was that was desperate for the weekend to arrive and for it to start with another Last Night From Glasgow launch night in the impressive surroundings of Glasgow’s Centre for Contemporary Arts.

This time around it was a double whammy, with wojtek the bear’s album heaven by the back door released on the label’s Hive imprint earlier in the year (review here), and headliners, Broken Chanter new album Catastrophe Hits seeing the light of day just the the other week (review here).… Read the rest

Broken Chanter – Catastrophe Hits – album review

November 17, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Another Last Night From Glasgow album launch gig beckons this Friday in Glasgow’s CCA, this time around it is Broken Chanter peddling their wares ably supported by label mates wotjek the bear who released their latest album, heaven by the back door, earlier in 2021. The gig is to promote Broken Chanter’s superb new album, Catastrophe Hits, which came out on all the usual streaming platforms and to download the other week, with vinyl to follow (the current world shortage of vinyl delaying releases…)

Is the new album any good or is it a catastrophe? Of course it’s not a catastrophe, but a selection of ten epic new songs demonstrating David’s knack for writing lyrics that can be thought provoking, sentimentally touching and humorous within one song, Add to that immense tunes, driving beats and melodies that soar, filling the air with captivating harmonies.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2021 – Part 12

November 1, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Another round of up of singles, EPs, tracks and demos that have grabbed my attention recently. Kicking off with a few LNFG releases…

Annie Booth – Tropic

Annie releases the second offering from her upcoming album, Lazybody, which is due out on the 19th of November. The follow up to Cocoon, Tropic, is yet another slice of touchingly atmospheric and expressive alt-pop laden with stirring strings and a suitably autumnal video. Annie’s sensitive and eloquent vocal has the usual comforting, protective effect as the song reaches its glorious zenith. Annie is playing a Lazybody album launch gig on the 28th November in the perfectly intimate setting of The Glad Cafe.… Read the rest