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 .....
Culann have made no secret of the fact that they want to make 2013 their year and they made a great start by winning the 'Best Rock/Alternative' category of The Scottish Alternative Music Award earlier this month. Comprised of PJ Kelly - Vocals/Guitar, Sean Kelly - Drums/Vocals, Greg Irish- Guitar, Ross McCluskie- Keys and Calum Davis-Bass, Culann are making rousing folk/rock anthems (sometimes with a hint of prog rock like - 'Beat Your Chest') with almost alarming regularity.
No 2..... The 23's
Ralph's just had the heads up from his man in Scotland, Malcolm Parry about an up and coming young band from Edinburgh called The 23's. Malcolm caught their recent gig at Edinburgh's Electric Circus supported by Lethalise and The Dons who Ralph blogged recently. The 23's are Blair Ramsey - vocals, Scott McPherson - guitar, ben Clark - rhythm, guitar Keiran Smith - bass guitar and Michael Ferguson - drums.
Ralph's search for North West bands continues and who better to look at next than Runcorn based The Fireflys. The current line up is the result of a number of line-up changes, much soul searching and angst but the band have come through the stronger for it. The current line up is founding member, guitar/vocalist Lee Wylding, Stephen Roberts on bass and Andrea Packer on drums. They feel they've found the right mix to drive forward and build on the success of last years critically acclaimed 'Cathedral For Your Ashes' album
What's the connection between Johnny Marr and Edinburgh singer/songwriter Steve Heron I hear you ask? Well I'll tell you...They both play guitar and Steve Heron likes Johnny Marr who's just brought out a solo record and a video after 25 years and Steve's about to release his new single 'Picturesque' and a video at a launch party in Edinburgh's Sneaky Pete's on the 29th of March...what's the chances?
So what do you get when you take an ex-The Fall guitarist, a current bass player with New Order and a top electronic producer? Rubberbear of course...it's the current side-project by Steve Trafford, Tom Chapman and Phil Birchenall. Now given that Ralph only has a 20 second attention span let's not dwell overly on past and current careers elsewhere as Rubberbear are releasing an EP on April 1st and it's no joke!
last year when Ralph joined The Online Festival one of the first tracks he came across was 'Pull Out The Lappy And Type It' by Chris Hallam AKA To Have Is To Hold and it's been a favourite tune ever since. It was just a simple lyrical flow accompanied by a ukuelele, but so striking in it's simplicity and humour it stuck like glue. At that time Chris was just starting out on his musical journey with a view to developing new material and producing an EP under the nom de plume To Have Is To Hold. Well he's done just that and Ralph had a word with him about his new EP '#Acoustic Flows'.
One of the advantages of having a radio show with Radio KC playing unsigned UK acts that's based in France is that it can be a two way street and heading in our direction is sultry French singer/songwriter Cheyenne Doll. She's recently released a five track EP 'Carmen' to great critical acclaim in France and now Ralph brings it to the attention of the UK.
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 muttering....."Babe I'm Gonna Leave You". Chance would be a fine thing some would say, however I had a listen and low and behold Wullae Wright is capturing the same raw intensity of vocals that an early Robert Plant did.
Back in July last year I acquired a taste for fine female voices after listening to Kathryn Marsh so I turned my nose in the direction of Plum, the alter ego of Edinburgh based Shona Maguire.
So what's the latest...well she's just been and gone and won the Best Electronic category of The Scottish Alternative Music Awards 2013.....
The name of the band may be a bit of an oxymoron but Southampton band Welcome Pariah play music you certainly wont want to cast out. You can even use an oxymoron to describe their music as as contemporary psychedelic. There's an obvious 60's influence and it comes to the fore in their new single 'Neither Here Nor There' released on the 26th April in tandem with a video launch party at The Macbeth in Shoreditch, London. From the intro its a psychedelic trip with hints of The Beatles if Paul Weller had joined them to write 'Norweigan Wood'.
