Names

What's in a name? A set of words by which we are known, addressed or referred to. With Names the question follows their every creative move, what and who are Names? 

A melancholic, electronic, piano based alt pop duo who defy easy definitions and have no intention of succumbing to the demands of pop culture. 

This creative duality is keenly felt throughout Names debut single 'Backs Turned'. Ioan Hazell (vocals / piano) and Joey Robbins (drums) offer a debut single rich in mature insight, a reflection on isolation and urban heartbreak. 

Musically Names follow in the footsteps of post punk pioneers Joy Division, whilst Radiohead and Nick Cave's uncompromising melodies are also inspirations. 

Ralph's playing Backs Turned on the Radio KC Indie Show 

Sunday 14th May from 5-7pm.

JUXTA

If you like your post punk downright dystopian and delightfully dirty (alliteration is my muse) then have I got the album for you.

Welcome To Your Life is the long awaited second album from JUXTA, one of the most important bands on the indie scene right now.

Combining high energy punk rock with dark industrial sounds JUXTA draws on a range of influences from Joy Division to Nine Inch Nails to devastating effect.

Welcome To Your Life will be available to download via Bandcamp and available to stream on Spotify from March 24th and it's on Ralph's 'One To Watch' list for 2017.



JUXTA is primarily one man's industrial post punk journey, whilst using guest musicians and collaborators to explore the daily mental struggles and conflict that people face in their day-to-day existence. Having become a musician late in life, 49 year old front-man JJ writes retrospectively, combining social observation and personal experience from his 20's through to his 40's creatively affording us a vivid insight.

A well needed remedy to the everyday, mundane tedium of commercial radio JUXTA aims to bring back peoples passion for music, and that's why Ralph's Indie Show on Radio KC will be featuring the lead track from the album Welcome To Your Life on Sunday February 12th.

The Bordellos

With Ralph's Get On The Wall event for Musicians Against Homelessness in Zoo Bar St Helens coming up on September 17th it seems only sensible to check out some of the bands and artists playing at the all-day celebration of local music to raise funds and awareness for the homelessness charity Crisis UK.

Timeously in that respect then that The Bordellos have released; via Small Bear Records, their latest EP Gary Glitter. It kicks off in fine dystopian, post-punk style with the almost uncomfortable title track, Gary Glitter. Musically it slots in between The Fall's Mr Pharmacist and Joy Division's Transmission and I'm certain Uncle John Peel would have approved.





Top track for me is Attack Of The Killer B-Sides which thrashes it's way into the inner depths of your brain and stays there pounding away. That's followed by the much lighter Free Download Generation taking a Dylanesque (Bob that is not Thomas) satirical look at the travails of today's unsigned musical scene. Final track Disco Pants is just plain strange, but that's no bad thing.

So if you're in St Helens on September 17th grab a ticket for Ralph's All-Dayer for Musicians Against Homelessness and join The Bordellos along with a stellar line-up of bands over 12 hours.

TICKET LINK

Vukovar

Ralph's ideally placed to find out what's happening musically in St Helens and a quick trip to Kaleidescope Records on Westfield Street proved to be worthwhile as local band Vukovar have produced a gem in the shape of their recently released album Emperor on Small Bear Records.

I may have invented the phrase Bleak Pop just for Emperor as it lays it's foundations in all that's good from the likes of Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground to The Fall and Joy Division. Similaries with Ian Curtis abound in muso musings just out and that's no bad thing as Vukovar explore the depths of socio-politicality in this album.





Vukovar have created an aural joy in Emperor and their track The New World Order could become a bit of an Indie classic. If uncle John Peel were still with us he'd embrace it and play it relentlessly as will I on Radio KC.

The album is disjointed (in a good way - have a listen to The Staircase with it's narrative overlaid with a deliciously jangled soundscape), industrial, lo-fi, dystopian and addictive. 

There's no division in my joy (see what I did there) on listening to it.

The Empty Page

It's always nice when you find a virtually brand spanking new band that sounds like they've been together for years and producing a focused and polished sound. Just such an eventuality is the case with The Empty Page (which it wont be as I've got more to say, otherwise it'd be a short review) from Manchester.

With that in mind Ralph had a quick chat with Jim of The Empty Page with a view to finding out what's driven them to forming the band to bring us their version of 'fuzzy 90's Alt Rock'.

Ralph: The Empty Page sound like a well established band despite only having formed this year, have you all played in other bands previously?

Jim: Yes. Kel and Giz both play in a long standing punk rock band called Obsessive Compulsive and have toured the UK, Europe and America. 

I was the drummer in Boddickers and before that I drummed in LAP (Life Among People) for seven years touring the UK - mainly Scotland. Kel also works with Ginger Wildheart sometimes, some recordings, some live stuff.




Ralph: What's the glue that binds The Empty Page?

Jim: We've all been mates for years and we come from the same musical background. Music comes first, second and third for all of us. We also have a penchant for bad puns.

Ralph: Studio perfection or getting out there live?

Jim: Live is where it's at. We've been trying to recreate our natural 'live' sound in the studio too, oldschool style, more or less recording live and not trying to achieve perfection. There's beauty in imperfections. A lot of stuff is way too cleaned up nowadays, not a lot of soul in that.





Ralph: Pizza or Falafel?

Jim: Both. And sushi. And tacos. And curry. We really like food!

Ralph: Happy with the Manchester scene or will The Emptly Page be looking further afield?

Jim: The Manchester scene is always changing. It's always evolving and it's a great place to find new music of every flavour. We love Manchester but would never restrict ourselves to one city or scene.

Ralph: You're US influenced, do you prefer the American 'fuzzy' sound?

Jim: We all like all kinds of music but there's a definite influence with this band that comes from the early 90s American fuzzy alternative scene yeah.  We love loads of British bands too though, Radiohead, My Bloody Valentine, Joy Division, The Smiths and PJ Harvey.

So there you have it, a new band that has all the hallmarks of having been together as a tight unit for years. Don't miss out on listening to the Ancoats Sessions EP and with that in mind, Ralph's spinning a track next Sunday on his Radio KC Indie Show (5-7pm). 

Y'all should take the chance to catch their assured, driving sound at their next live show - so get yourselves to The Crescent in Salford, Manchester on June 26th!

Vladimir

Riding the crest a wave of up and coming young Scottish bands currently flooding the UK music scene is Dundee band Vladimir. Their industrial yet infectious brand of 'post-punk' is reminiscent of fellow Scots the late lamented Cinematics with a heavier Joy Division-esque vibe. No surprise then that they've been supporting such luminaries as The View and The Fall of late.

Ralph's played Vladimir a couple of times on his Radio KC Indie Show with great feedback and their new single In My Head is on next Sunday's playlist. 

With thanks to Dave Clark Photography

Ralph's also looking at a Liverpool Ralphstock event which he hopes will feature the 'bleak' yet anthemic Vladimir live and loud sound.

That would include of course a rendition of their third single, In My Head which is the lads at their best with it's burgeoning intro leading into mean and moody dystopian vocal.

With thanks to Dave Clark Photography

It's overlaid on driving guitar and throbbing drum with a chorus that will stick in my head (see what I did there) for a long time to come. It's a short, sharp stab in your aural senses that wounds deep and will take a long time to heal.

Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming Vladimir gigs as they're currently planning countrywide tour dates.



Upcoming Dates

The Vaulted Skies

Photo by Pete Bilk

There seems to be a trend just now for bands to lean on the influences of the 80's whilst bringing to that era a modern twist and very much at the forefront of that is Saint Albans band The Vaulted Skies.

The Strange EP, released recently is a concoction of mean and moody vocals over swirling guitars and orchestral synths.








Hardly surprising as The Vaulted Skies list amongst their influences Radioead, The Cure, Muse, Joy Division and many more of that ilk. 

Lead track Vampires thumps into an OMD -esque anthemic soundscape.

Caroline Slipped Across The Sky continues the anthemic vein with soaring vocal overlaid on solid musicality, whilst Hungware is all moody drums, soaring guitar and plaintive lyric.







Versus Heart continues the plaintive mood and emphasises The Vaulted Skies strong lyric writing ability and musicality. It culminates with the bouncier Does Anyone Else Feel Strange which will transport you back to some smoky, beer stained dungeon of a bar with sticky carpets watching Depeche Mode in their formative years. 




The Vaulted Skies are on a roll with this EP and judging by recent reviews are also ones to catch live.  

Upcoming gigs...

Love Music @ The Dog and Whistle - Hertford

• Thursday, April 16, 2015
• 8:00pm  11:59pm
• The Dog & Whistle 

With support from Ned Dylan (Band) and Lawful Rebel

The Doctor's Tonic @ The Green Room

• Saturday, June 13, 2015
• 7:30pm  11:59pm
• The Doctor's Tonic 

Supporting D.M.O.

Hallowe'en @ Trestle Arts Base

• Saturday, October 31, 2015
• 7:00pm  11:59pm
• Trestle Arts Base 

The Phantom Sound

With hints of Siouxsie Sioux and Joy Division running through it, Get To Me, the debut single from The Phantom Sound is ticking all of Ralph's Boxes and he's playing it on the Radio KC Indie Show next Sunday March 1st). 

Working on a debut album, The Phantom Sound aka Californian born (now living in London) Marisa Schlussel strives to create honest, powerful and emotional songs, drawing on diverse influences from the late 70's and 80's including Bowie, Blondie, The Ramones and Duran Duran and giving them a contemporary feel.











To produce the album she's been working with none other than the legendary Ken Stringfellow whose previous work ranges from The Posies and R.E.M. to the reformation of Big Star and a discography of over 200 albums.

Her aforementioned predilection for Blondie is also apparent as their drummer Clem Burke has also played on several of the tracks along with Rilo Kiley's Pierre de Reeder.

Not one to hang around, Marisa composed the album in Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam and finally London, where she's currently settled down. It's available now to download by clicking HERE and the video has just been premiered - you can watch it here and live dates will follow soon - watch this space!

The Black Lamps

Whilst the barrage of music from the 'bright young things' is endless it's always nice when some grown-up music drops into the kennel. So Ralph was delighted when the postman dropped off a copy of the newly released album by The Black Lamps eponymous debut in all its shiny, translucent red vinyl glory before making a quick exit past the 'Beware Of The Dog' sign.








If you're a fan of anyone from Joy Division to Public Image Ltd, The Fall to The Cure then these Barnsley musical luminaries tick all the boxes. 

Describing themselves as a post-rock ambient guitar band, The Black Lamps have created a stunning selection of melodiously crafted 'shuffle and repeat' tracks that John Peel would have been happy to feature on his shows.











Collectively the musical pedigree of band members Liam Stewart (vocal & guitar), Dean Ormston (drums), Greg Firth (bass) and Lyndon Scarfe (guitar & keyboards) is almost as wide ranging as their musical influences.

The Black Lamps have a shared love of The Cure, David Bowie, The Pixies, The Ramones and The Bad Seeds however individualy it's an eclectic mix.

Greg has a penchant for post-punk and the heady days of C86 although more recent leanings are the likes of Mogwai, Sigur Ros and British Sea Power. 

Dean on the other hand has souled out (he regularly DJ's at local Northern Soul Nights) and his particular love is Curtis Mayfield. No bad thing says I.

Liam is very much the wordsmith favouring songwriters such as Nick Drake, Bowie, Nick Cave and Ralph's current favourite John Grant. 





Lyndon however professes an obsession with a multitude of musical delights ranging from elecronica and drone to post-rock and classical. 




The Black Lamps, having drawn on a lifetime of musical experience have created a must have album for any serious music collector. It looks good, it feels good, it sounds good...and by God it does you good! 

Stand out tracks for me are lead track The Archivist and Scissors, Paper, Stone which I've had on repeat all week and playlisted on Ralph's Radio KC Indie Show.

The cover artwork was created by Jamie Briggs from a painting by drummer Dean who is also a noted comic book artist who's work includes 2000AD and DC Comics.

Crumplehorns

Casting the unsigned Indie net wide on Twitter to get some tunes for this weeks show on Radio KC I snagged the slightly elusive yet interesting Scarborough band Crumplehorns.  On first listening I was whisked back to the early days of Wedding Present  gigs and lo and behold on checking their info they've been tagged as 'striking a claim for being the best British Indie band since The Wedding Present'.







They formed in 2013 after a chance conversation between David Yates (artist and musician) and legendary Nightingales front man Robert Lloyd. Their 7” vinyl single 'Simon Says' is to be released on Lloyd's Big Print Records on John Peel Day, Friday 25th October and launched at a free gig in The Spa Pub, Scarborough and the gig will be headlined by The Nightingales.

David, aka Jehan, has been providing artwork for Nightingales album covers for nearly a decade. As with his art, the Crumplehorns' music addresses personal struggles such as alienation, mental illness and loss, as well as wider environmental and social issues.

The songs are grounded in post-punk/DIY ethics of the late 1970's. Bitter lyrics are delivered over fast, catchy guitar and a backbone of bass and drums. Interspersed are keyboards and sax.

'Simon Says' is about a confused and broken relationship. Desperately wanting to please in order to stay with someone who really does not want you.

'Harold's Eye' is a series of still images created with words about injustice in a variety of ways over the years.

Donations at the launch gig and profits from the sales of the single will be donated to the charity MIND.

The Crumplehorns are currently writing and rehearsing new songs for release in 2014, whilst David is working on artwork for the next Nightingales album.  With shades of The Cure and Joy Division winding through 'Harolds Eye' I can't wait to see what next year brings!