LUGHOLES: Albumz, Songz n Gigz (January 2025)

ALRIGHT YOU LOT???!!! Long time no Lugholes!! But, like Oasis, we’re BACK BABY BAAACK! I won’t lie to yez, the reason Lugholes is back is based on the fact there have been some right corkers coming out this month and it’s got ar Cez all inspired n whatnot. AND WE’RE ONLY 1 MONTH INTO THE YEAR. There’s been angsty albums, rock yer socks off songs and some bloody great artists on our radar already that we can’t blimmin’ well wait to tell yer about. So, as always, grab a cuppa & yer fave biccies, get comfy n cosy (Cez is writing this in her fave adidas trackies) and dive in! 

ALBUMZ

CWWWWWWWWOR, if 2024 was anything to go by in terms of albums, then 2025 is hotting up to be even better (Man)- if you pardon the pun. Well done sir Robert of Williams. We’ve had releases from Ethel Cain, Franz Ferdinand- AND FROM LAMBRINI GIRLS AND BILK WHICH ARE THE ALBUMS WE’RE GONNA TALK ABOUT HERE. 

Who Let The Dogs Out- Lambrini Girls

If yez watched our latest video on the Dead Pop Mag Society YouTube channel (go subscribble if yer haven’t already) you will know that I got a bit excited over the new Lambrini Girls record, “Who Let The Dogs Out”. Hailing from sunny & seagull shit laden Brighton (miss you boo x) Lambrini Girls, are the latest in a long line of riotous girl punk performers who shout about the world we live in. Stuff like sexism in the workplace (‘Company Culture’) , diet culture (‘Nothing Tastes As Good As It Feels’), surviving in a neurotypical world (‘Special Different’) and the art of serving cunt (everyone’s mum just read this and gasped). It’s true, being a big big girl in a big big world can be slightly terrifying and if you ever need the motivation and empowerment to do something that might seem so little to someone else (a personal highlight:  “doing a poo at your friends house), check out ‘Cuntology 101’. That’s cunty. 

Essex Drugs And Rock & Roll- Bilk

Just last week, we also had another release from everyone’s favourite Horrid Henry tribute band, Bilk. Their latest effort, “Essex, Drugs and Rock & Roll” does exactly what it says on the tin: rambunctious “RNR” that fails to resist the temptations of censorship and doesn’t give one shiny shite what you think (even if you’ve been a bit mean to ‘em online). It’s always nice to see a band outta my ends of East Anglia (well, not my end of East Anglia, I’m from Norfolk, but yougetworramean) doing bits and whilst I feel like the majority of the tracks off this record could’ve easily been apart of their first, there’s a few standouts, one of which, “Summer Days” was released as a single last year. It's a summery (well, duhhhh!) Stone Roses-esque tune which sees ‘em going all soppy and the same can be said for tracks like “Beatriz”. If yer fancy a bit of a giggle and like a song with a bit of a story, have a listen to the last track “Band Life Blues”, which gives yer the backstory on all things Bilk. WOCK AND WOOOOOOLL. 

SONGZ

Coming from a coupla yet to be released albums, these songz have got us all hyped for this lots upcoming LPs!

Arms Length- Sam Fender

Awww we love Sam Fender, he’s fab. From his long awaited third record, “People Watching” comes the “lovely” ‘Arms Length’. A swoonsome Fleetwood Mac tinged song with backing vocals from brand spanking new bandmate, Brooke Bentham (who also just so happened to feature on several tracks from 2021s Seventeen Going Under). This ones got us going all gooey.

Angie’s Wedding- Antony Szmierek

It’s the wedding of the century- from quite possibly one of the most exciting new artists of the decade. Antony Szmierek has been a long time fave of ours at Ver Society and from his upcoming debut album, “The Service Station At The End Of The Universe”, comes this uplifting & ambient track, which sounds like it’s been nicked from Aphex Twin’s hard drive, complete with a middle 8 thats straight outta a late 80s rave tune. 

A Question Of You- Inhaler

Everyone’s favourite asthmatic indie boyband are back! Back!! BACK!!! And coming from the follow up to Cuts & Bruises comes “A Question Of You”. Its got a bit of a gospel groove this one, complete with some churchy piano chords and a backing choir that sounds like they’ve been stripped straight from the deep south of ‘MURICA, whilst still as rockin’ and rollin’ as ever. God bless the band x 

How’d You Grow A Girl- Billy Nomates

Guys, gals n non binary pals. If yer like me and yer an absolute SLAG for synths, you need to check out ‘How’d You Grow A Girl’ by Billy Nomates. God I love this woman. Taken from the soundtrack to Mary & The Hyenas (which also doubles up as an album from Ar Bill, considering she’s done all the songs on it), it starts out sounding like the beginning of ‘I Am The Resurrection’ before turning into one of those gorgey ethereal electronic tracks that you stick on when all the lights are off at 2am (well I do anyway, when I’m not sat doing an all nighter listening to the best of S Club 7 or what have yer)

Careless Whisper- Brigette Calls Me Baby

CWOOOOOOR! What a complete n utter classic this is! Hang on- this ain’t saint George of Michael is it? Nope, despite the fact this ‘un sounds straight outta 1984, it’s in fact a brand spankin’ new rendition from Brigette Calls Me Baby, the north american New Romantic revivalists have put a dark and twisty twist on the Wham singers blubbing ballad, the sort yer mum would stick on after her first boyfriend dumped her for a lass with a bigger perm. This time it’s more upbeat and slightly manic, opposed to Michaels mourning approach. It’s like the singer’s about to stab someone. 

Heartbreaker- The Lathums

Another banging band that just so happens to have an album out is Wigan’s finest Lathums (which also happens to be the name of a shop on the Norfolk Broads that sells Wolf fleeces n tat, which also happens to be pronounced Lay-fams, as opposed to LAV-UMS.) This is a proper shitkicking stomper of a choon, one I know will get the bucket hats bouncing in the fields this summer. 

GIGZ

It was Independent Venues Week this week, and I just so happened to be workin’ a coupla the gigs in my local area, doing a lil bit of research for ‘em. I was essentially the twat with the survey you try to avoid in the street, though in a venue aside to shouting at you in the open air. It was alright though, got three free gigs from it and chatted to some v. nice people. One of these shows was The Lounge Society @ Voodoo Daddy’s in my hometown of Nodge (that’s Norwich to you outsiders). Supported by whimsical rock n roller Wazlo & local choonmakers Chest, Ver Society (no not this one, this lot are named after what yer nan calls her front room) brought their synth poppin post punk (though with less synth than I’d hoped for) to the Fine City and got all the Radio 6 Dads raving. Bloody good night it was too. 

THE INBOX:

In the words of the fabulous Fontaines D.C., If you’re a rockstar, pop star, doesn’t matter what you are, get yerself a good car and SEND YOUR TRACKS TO US, WE WANNA HEAR ‘EM, yer never know, someone might just find their new fave band!

This month we’ve been sent a track from Cali-rockers Crooked Teeth. A cover of an acoustic ballad by pop punkers Rise Against. If you never escaped yer teenage emo phase (be honest, some people didn’t) , give this ‘un a listen. Whilst the original sounds like summat that’d be used in a mushy scene in a 00s sitcom (it’s giving BBC three cult classic), this bombastic banger reeks of the stuff you’d stick on after you stormed upstairs after arguing with yer rents, slamming yer bedroom door and screaming “YOU DONT UNDERSTAND ME!” at the top of yer lungs. Ah, memories.

See yez next month x