Teenage Waitress - The Ginger Quiff

Singles Round Up 2024 – Part 6 – June

August 10, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

I’m not entirely sure I’m ever going to catch up… August is already in flight and here I am sharing my June singles…Anyway. Here they are, with playlist at the end.

Single of the Month

Junk Pups – Spoonfed

The June released singled from their Ball and Chain EP (full EP reviewed here)…

…Spoonfed….“for anyone who misses the off the wall duo, The Bikini Bottoms, this bouncing garage rocker will fill that hole. A hauntingly mysterious melody unfolds into glorious dual harmonies from Jack and Dylan. This mesmerising slice of psych/garage rock, and it’s lyrical ode to dysfunctional relationships, comes replete with some blisteringly face-melting triumphant wah-wah riffing as the song reaches its dazzling zenith courtesy of guitar goddess Ishi.… 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

Albums of the Year 2023

December 30, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Before I list my favourite “Albums of the Year 2023”, an apology.

I have been inundated this year with new music, new albums, requests for reviews and features. First, I’m happy that there is so much great music out there and that I’m party to being able to hear and share that new music, but secondly, a huge apology to many bands and artists whose music I’ve loved and planned to review/feature but it hasn’t happened. I’d love nothing more than to spend my life listening to and writing about music (and the book I keep meaning to finish), but that doesn’t pay the bills.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2023 – Part 9 – November/December

December 27, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

The last singles round up was bereft of any comments from me, damn having to work to pay the bills. I’m not going to make any New Years Resolution to be any more organised for 2024… I already know my schedule for January/February.

Anyway, here’s a smorgasbord of tunes for your delight and delectation.

Jo Carley & the Old Dry Skulls – Little Dead Lovin’

With another catchy spooky calypso melody from their latest album, I’ll Put My Voodoo on You, Jo Carley and the Old Dry Skulls continue to plough their gloriously unique furrow. Just try not to be taken by these captivating rhythms, you’ll be recreating the dinner table scene in Beetlejuice before you know it…

Jo Carley & the Old Dry Skulls

The Elegant Chasers – Running Around the Sun

Running Around the Sun, from the band who brought us Clowns and Car Salesman Smile, previously featured in single round ups, comes this huge riff laden behemoth of tune, a spirited uplifting melody but with a hint of melancholy suggested in the vocal and lyrics.… Read the rest

Teenage Waitress – Your Cuckoo – album review

June 7, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Your Cuckoo is the Teenage Waitress follow up to stunning debut album Love & Chemicals, one of my albums of the year in 2020. Three years on and (the young) Daniel Ash has once again pulled out all the stops and created what is highly likely to be my album of the summer, as it is, it has already been an essential soundtrack to the last couple of weeks unseasonably good weather for Glasgow. Maybe this album was a conduit for that…

…if not, it has certainly been a conduit in playing a part in helping maintain my upbeat mood and general positivity, plugging in my headphones and listening to the songs on Your Cuckoo providing the musical background to my working day, not quite making problems disappear but giving me the right attitude to deal with them.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up Part 9 – September 2022

October 5, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

two thirds of the way through the year and time for another round up of the best singles, demos, live tracks and general goodness that has come my way by hook or by crook throughout the month of September.

bis – Lucky Night

It’s your lucky day, bis returned in September with their new single Lucky Night, a song packed with bis goodness and accompanied by an engrossing CGI video packed with clones of the bis threesome. The upbeat electropop anthem bemoaning dodgy nightclub chat up lines “a boy walked up to me…” It’s bis, what’s not to love?

bis

The Nightingales – Bloody Breath

From their new album The Last Laugh is this slice of Nightingales brilliance, layering addictive driving rhythms starting with an incessant piano riff before adding throbbing bass and adding instrument after instrument to create an insanely hypnotic melee, all topped off with Robert Lloyd’s distinctive low, almost menacing brogue and you have sheer perfection.… Read the rest

The Ginger Quiff – 2020 review

December 23, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Albums of the year

2020 might have been a year to forget for uncountable reasons, a year many would rather forget. However, the amount, and quality, of new music that saw the light of day in 2020 was astounding. So much so, narrowing down my favourite albums of this year to a top ten was a nigh on impossible task.

Even now as I have committed to and published this list, I am still making changes in my head. To say that some of these albums were “better” than others would be to dismiss the quality of said albums. Just know that I appreciate and applaud the time and love that has gone into the recording of all of these albums.… 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