Saturday 29 November 2014

Ralph's Top 10 Blogged Band Chart - 29.11.14

OK bands you know the score .....

the more hits your blog gets by the fans ..... 

the higher you go .....

So Tweet it, Facebook it .....

Generally and expose yourself .....






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



The Top Ten Blogged Band Chart is played every Sunday 5-7pm on Radio KC as part of Ralph's Indie Show.













Early 2013 Ralph highlighted the debut album by Cole Stacey & Joseph O' Keefe called On Hire and subsequent UK and European tour. Well since then they've been playlisted on BBC Radio 6 and have played Glastonbury, but that's not the best part as they've now re-invented themselves as India Electric Co and will be releasing a debut single Beirut on the 1st of December, plus supporting Midge Ure on his Breathe Again tour in 2015. To coincide with that India Electric Co will be releasing a debut album in March.





No 2...Peacock Affect

Recently whilst checking out the recently released double A side single by Peacock Affect; which is the alter ego of young Essex musician George Holman, it was interesting to hear his experiences and thoughts on his own struggle with mental health and how music helps him to cope.

George has been writing music from his home in Exeter since he was sixteen. Influenced by the ill-fated Elliott Smith and The Smiths, George's music stems from melodies that he picks on the guitar and lyrics that flow directly from his feelings. 







Little Brother Eli - EP cover art

Ralph's played Little Brother Eli a couple of times now on his Radio KC Indie Show, so it was with great interest that he heard they were crowdfunding the release of their next three singles.  Their bluesy eponymous debut EP was met with great critical acclaim and lead track Animal Blues is a firm favourite here in the kennel.









No 4...MIR





One of Ralph's most Northerly favourites for plays on the Radio KC Sunday Show has been MIR, the ever evolving musical vehicle of ebullient Scottish singer/songwriter extraordinaire Miriam Campbell


Originally formed in 2012, there's now a new line-up about to play their first gig in The Market Bar in Inverness so it's as good a time as any for y'all to take a closer look and a listen to their 'Soul' EP.






No 5...William Stead





There's a plethora of male singer/songwriters at the moment and; as Ed Sheeran recently proved with his dire performance on X Factor, not necessarily all of a standard, but with the release of his Indigo Bird EP, Bradford's William Stead is heading towards the top of the pile. 








No 6...Allusondrugs





'I Should Have Gone to Uni'  sees hotly tipped grunge rockers Allusondrugs articulating the anxieties and pressures of young adulthood as only they can. The band, whose touring schedule alone surely puts them in the running for the title off the hardest working musicians in the UK, recorded and mixed this track as well as producing, filming and editing the video themselves, in a two day break between gigs!











No 7...The Inkhearts


North West band The Inkhearts are due to release two tracks - Temper Temper and Uptight - by digital download on November 17th of this very year.



The Inkhearts formed in 2010 when the members, then young teenagers, were introduced to each other at a music tuition initiative at The Engine Rooms, Skelmersdale.








No 8...Teenage Wildlife






Photo: The new Teenage Wildlife AA SIDE has hit iTunes. Most Beautiful Thing/The Last Great Live Affair. Get it here: 
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/most-beautiful-thing-last/id913694600Ralph played Most Beautiful Thing by Teenage Wildlife (the alter ego of London based musician John Wright) a couple of Sundays ago on the Radio KC Indie Show to some excellent feedback so therefor it's great to be able to bring you news that a new track has been released.


Come On and Shoot is an intricately layered track replete with smouldering vocals and an infusion of electronica - it's tight, smooth, funky yet sultry. 









No 9...Barstow Bats


Ralph's had a soft spot for Dumfries band Barstow Bats for a while now and has given some of their past tracks a spin on the Radio KC Indie Show, so it's good to hear they've just released a new single. It's called 'Partners In Crime' and it's a slight change in direction with its more poppy, zingy, guitar driven Indie sound in a slightly View-esque stylee which should help them make greater inroads with the mainst










No 10...Stanley Odd


Stanley Odd - A Thing Brand New - Cover.jpgIt's not often you get to use dystopian, Scottish and Hip-Hop in the same sentence, however, the third album by Scottish Hip-Hop collective Stanley Odd has some extremely incisive and introspective views on the increasingly dystopian society in which we currently exist. 

A Thing Brand New is shades of  Fear and Loathing in Airdrie rather than Las Vegas as Dave Hook's writing examines not only himself but the 'Scottish Dream'.










Thursday 27 November 2014

Teenage Wildlife

Photo: The new Teenage Wildlife AA SIDE has hit iTunes. Most Beautiful Thing/The Last Great Live Affair. Get it here: 
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/most-beautiful-thing-last/id913694600

Ralph played Most Beautiful Thing by Teenage Wildlife (the alter ego of London based musician John Wright) a couple of Sundays ago on the Radio KC Indie Show to some excellent feedback so therefor it's great to be able to bring you news that a new track has been released.


Come On and Shoot is intricately layered track replete with smouldering vocals and an infusion of electronica - it's tight, smooth, funky yet sultry. A stylish and completely engaging composition that's been on repeat here in the kennel for the last two weeks.








Based in Shoreditch, this multi-instrumentalist has been making music for his own enjoyment "forever", but through his successful career as a respected filmmaker and photographer, regularly working with Sony Music and some of the world's most iconic musicians he received the encouragement he needed to release his music as Teenage Wildlife.

John writes, plays and records drums, bass, guitar and keys in his attic studio, creating stunning sonic backdrops, seamlessly blending hip hop and dance with melodic dub to produce unique genre-crossing soundscapes. 










His compositions have appeared on fashion films for Fendi and Dior and he recently directed Savile Row is Rock N Roll a short film for GQ featuring some of Britain's most iconic musicians, collaborating on its soundtrack with Paul Weller, Johnny Marr and John Taylor of Duran Duran.












The singles released earlier this year, Last Great Love Affair and Most Beautiful Thing, received worldwide airplay and had the likes of Netsky and Harry Styles taking to social media to praise them.  Despite this success, John's background remains his primary motivating force. “I had a pretty rough upbringing” he explains. “I think the term is ‘underprivileged’.  I designed Teenage Wildlife as a vehicle to express myself musically and I use the funds I raise to support charities that help underprivileged young people.”

The impressively crafted and perfectly produced Come On and Shoot will certainly take Teenage Wildlife to an even wider audience, creating huge anticipation for an interestingly titled debut album The Degenerate Art Exhibition which is slated for release in spring 2015.



Come on and Shoot - Behind The Scenes from John Wright on Vimeo.

Sunday 23 November 2014

Ralph's Top 10 Blogged Band Chart - 22.11.14


OK bands you know the score .....

the more hits your blog gets by the fans ..... 

the higher you go .....

So Tweet it, Facebook it .....

Generally and expose yourself .....






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



The Top Ten Blogged Band Chart is played every Sunday 5-7pm on Radio KC as part of Ralph's Indie Show.






No 1...Peacock Affect

Recently whilst checking out the recently released double A side single by Peacock Affect; which is the alter ego of young Essex musician George Holman, it was interesting to hear his experiences and thoughts on his own struggle with mental health and how music helps him to cope.

George has been writing music from his home in Exeter since he was sixteen. Influenced by the ill-fated Elliott Smith and The Smiths, George's music stems from melodies that he picks on the guitar and lyrics that flow directly from his feelings. 





No 2...William Stead





There's a plethora of male singer/songwriters at the moment and; as Ed Sheeran recently proved with his dire performance on X Factor, not necessarily all of a standard, but with the release of his Indigo Bird EP, Bradford's William Stead is heading towards the top of the pile. 










Early 2013 Ralph highlighted the debut album by Cole Stacey & Joseph O' Keefe called On Hire and subsequent UK and European tour. Well since then they've been playlisted on BBC Radio 6 and have played Glastonbury, but that's not the best part as they've now re-invented themselves as India Electric Co and will be releasing a debut single Beirut on the 1st of December, plus supporting Midge Ure on his Breathe Again tour in 2015. To coincide with that India Electric Co will be releasing a debut album in March.



No 4...Allusondrugs





'I Should Have Gone to Uni'  sees hotly tipped grunge rockers Allusondrugs articulating the anxieties and pressures of young adulthood as only they can. The band, whose touring schedule alone surely puts them in the running for the title off the hardest working musicians in the UK, recorded and mixed this track as well as producing, filming and editing the video themselves, in a two day break between gigs!









No 5...The Inkhearts


North West band The Inkhearts are due to release two tracks - Temper Temper and Uptight - by digital download on November 17th of this very year.



The Inkhearts formed in 2010 when the members, then young teenagers, were introduced to each other at a music tuition initiative at The Engine Rooms, Skelmersdale.





Little Brother Eli - EP cover art

Ralph's played Little Brother Eli a couple of times now on his Radio KC Indie Show, so it was with great interest that he heard they were crowdfunding the release of their next three singles.  Their bluesy eponymous debut EP was met with great critical acclaim and lead track Animal Blues is a firm favourite here in the kennel.










No 7...MIR




One of Ralph's most Northerly favourites for plays on the Radio KC Sunday Show has been MIR, the ever evolving musical vehicle of ebullient Scottish singer/songwriter extraordinaire Miriam Campbell






Originally formed in 2012, there's now a new line-up about to play their first gig in The Market Bar in Inverness so it's as good a time as any for y'all to take a closer look and a listen to their 'Soul' EP.







No 8...Stanley Odd


Stanley Odd - A Thing Brand New - Cover.jpgIt's not often you get to use dystopian, Scottish and Hip-Hop in the same sentence, however, the third album by Scottish Hip-Hop collective Stanley Odd has some extremely incisive and introspective views on the increasingly dystopian society in which we currently exist. 

A Thing Brand New is shades of  Fear and Loathing in Airdrie rather than Las Vegas as Dave Hook's writing examines not only himself but the 'Scottish Dream'.







No 9...The Rivertairs




Ralph's recently played English band Rivertairs on his Radio KC Sunday Show thanks to a heads up from Blue Soap Music so thought it was a good idea to investigate their voyage of musical discovery in which they channel influences from rock n’ roll through to psychedelia to create what they describe as - 

"a soundscape of many colours".





No 10...Barstow Bats


Ralph's had a soft spot for Dumfries band Barstow Bats for a while now and has given some of their past tracks a spin on the Radio KC Indie Show, so it's good to hear they've just released a new single. It's called 'Partners In Crime' and it's a slight change in direction with its more poppy, zingy, guitar driven Indie sound in a slightly View-esque stylee which should help them make greater inroads with the mainst























Saturday 22 November 2014

Strange-days in Strange-ways


THE STORY OF JAMES COBURN & THE RUM BASTARDS

Now Ralph's always liked a good story and when it includes a punk theme set in Manchester it's guaranteed to attract his attention. So when he heard about Strange-days in Strange-ways by North West production company Low Flying Geese which is about a punk band formed in Manchester's Strangeways Prison featuring such luminaries as, Shaun Ryder, John Cooper Clarke, John Robb and Clint Boon it was time to take a look.

The film is currently being crowdfunded using Kickstarter, giving everyone a chance to be a part of this Indie film by pledging for one of the rewards which range from just a shout out on Twitter to a part in the film!









Picture © Shay Rowan Photography

This manic story of a band famed more for their antics as opposed to their music is narrated by award winning Salford poet J B Barrington who tells the story through his vivid poetry and sharp wit, depicting their rise and self-inflicted decline into obscurity.







James Coburn and The Rum Bastards
ImageYou don't get more rock and roll than a bunch of 'Rum Bastards' forming a punk band within the walls of a notorious Manchester prison. This is the story of just that. After meeting in Strangeway's prison in the 1980’s and led by Belfast lad James Coburn, these ‘Rum Bastards’ would go on to bring a whole new meaning to chaos and confusion!


Shortly after being released from prison the band were signed to independent record label VI-AGRO; ran from a grubby little butchers in Ancoats by Barry ‘The Butcher’ Burton. It wasn't long before this rabble of no marks were "rocking out with their cocks out" in snide back alley venues up and down the country with noise from their one and only album, ‘Strange-days in Strange-ways’. 



In the words of Nathan Cunningham of Low Flying Geese - "The film as it stands at the moment is brilliant! It's gritty, very Northern, and absolutely hilarious and we can't wait to share it with the world."

"We've been working on this film now for two years whilst juggling our various different day jobs. We're just a bunch of working class lads with a great project on our hands and are so excited to share it with everyone we just need that financial support for the final push to the finishing line."



"Almost 80% of the film is complete and has been funded out of our own pockets but it's now reached that critical stage where we're on the cusp of finishing it but can't afford the time and equipment to get it done as the project has finally rinsed us dry. All the final scenes have been written and locations sought out, everyone's cast and ready to go, we just need money to take the time to complete it with the right equipment to make the film look how it deserves to look."

So if you think you could be a 'Rum Bastard' pledge to Strange-days in Strange-ways now from this link - Get on it!