Sunday 21 July 2013

Ralph's Top Ten Blogged Band Chart 21.7.13


OK bands you know the score.....

the more hits your blog gets by the fans, the higher you go.....

So tweet it, Facebook it.....

and generally expose yourself.....






Now Mr Snuggles and me have been sitting with our heads down counting the hits on each bands blog to see who's got which place.  

So here it is.....

The Top Ten Blogged Band Chart .....








No 1..... Clockwork Noise


Ralph's nipped over the Irish Sea to check out Clockwork Noise as they've recently released an album 'Whethermachines' and it ticks all the boxes. Clockwork Noise are Blathnaid Healy on violins, cellos and vocals - Dylan Nolan on Bass and Vocals - Michael Fenton- Drums and Vocals - Robert Maguire on Lead Vocals and Guitars - Chris O' Connor- Vocals and Guitars.








Snippet aka Johnno Casson is the quintessential English musician.  Prolific, diverse, entertaining, clever, wistful and whimsical (no more so on his recently released mini-album 'DIY' and the track 'Let's Talk About Us' on which he comments on his winkle - and he isn't introducing us to his pet mollusc Brian).  



No 3..... The Bedroom Hour



Ralph's sent his intrepid reporter Malcolm Parry out into the wilds - yes Bathgate no less - to bring you a live review of The Bedroom Hour, and this time he's come back with a corker.  The night was originally advertised as three bands, unfortunately the opening act from Fife - Calm As The Colour had to cancel, but never mind they still had Somerset's indie rockers The Darlingtons 







No 4..... Lost Podenco 


Lost Podenco’s avatar


When Ralph heard his man in Scotland Malcolm Parry was heading to Ibiza for a holiday he couldn't resist getting him to interview Liverpool born singer/songwriter Phil Dobie aka Lost Podenco who's been kenneled on 'The White Island' these last six years. 







No 5 ..... Burning Condors 





Looking for some down and dirty, bluesy and gritty, edgy rock 'n' roll?  The look no further than Burning Condors as they're producing just that in spades!








No 6..... Black Swans


What do you get when you put in five years hard graft to learn your craft and believe in what you're doing - the debut album 'The Life We Chose' by Liverpool band Black Swans of course.  It's recently been released along with the latest single 'Be There' to critical acclaim and looks like becoming one of the best 'breakthrough' albums of 2013.







No 7..... Jess Harwood




With a new EP out in May and some great gigs in the offing Jess Harwood is starting to make a real impact on the music scene.  Jess is a 20 year old singer-songwriter from Blackpool and has been writing and singing her own songs since her early teens. 







No 8..... Wullae Wright



Everybody likes to make a comparison about artistes and Ralph's old man is no exception. He heard Wullae Wright's 'Halo Effect' playing on my laptop and next thing he was wiping the dust of his collection of vinyl, dug out Led Zeppelin I and stuck it under my nose 













Martin Stephenson has been one of the UK’s best-loved musicians for 30 years.  The new album 'California Star' sees him reunited once more with The Daintees, the band he’s intermittently fronted through a string of albums - and hundreds of gigs - since his teens in the North East.  Always popular on the circuit, his 'must see' live performances are an exuberant tour-de-force combining heart-in-your-mouth intimacy with playful humour and warm self-deprecation.






No 10..... Dennis McCalmont




Third and last, but by no means least in Ralph's Irish Trilogy is singer/songwriter Dennis McCalmont.  Music has been stirring in the veins of Mayoman (I'm more of a Salad Cream fan) Dennis McCalmont since he was a lad, but it began to course faster as soon as he heard Paul Kossoff's fiery guitar solo on Free's 'All Right Now'.










2 comments:

  1. I'll be the first to leave a comment. I also saw The Bedroom Hour on their recent jaunt to Scotland. I saw them perform in Glasgow, a Glasgow that was so quiet it was unreal. Only got asked for a fag twice, that's how quiet the city centre was. Anyway, to get back to The Bedroom Hour. Despite there being less people in the venue than my living room on a Friday night, TBH played a blinder of a set. So glad I made the effort to see them. They played with the same amount of passion and commitment as if they were playing to a packed stadium. Can't recommend these guys highly enough. Lovely, angst ridden, passionate lyrics, big anthemic sounds. Would not sound out of place in a stadium actually. Maybe one day.

    Been playing them for ages on my radio show and deservedly so. Oh and real nice guys as well, felt I had to apologise for the turn out. Told them to come back and play (but make it a Thurs, Fri or Sat) also it was the Sunday after the big gig at Glasgow Green on the Sat which also may just have had something to do with the lack of people.

    Which leads me to the lovely Wullae Wright, one of the most prolific song writers I know. Such diversity in his songs, no two are alike. Again, had been giving him the airplay he deserves.

    Martin Stephenson was a headliner at one of the Noizy Indie Social Club nights that are held in Cumbernauld. What a top guy, kept us all amused with his patter and there is no genre that he can't play (which was a surprise as I had only know him during his 'Daintees' days back in the 80s.

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  2. Just found out that Martin is playing in Cumbernauld at The Noizy ISC on Sat.26th October 2013. Get in..

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