The Moods - Video of The Week

Ralph's favourite video this week is Joy by Manchester band The Moods.

The Moods released Joy ahead of UK tour. Joy is accompanied by a thought-provoking short film starring actor and musician Steve Evets, who found fame in the leading role in 2009 film Looking For Eric, and formerly played Bass for The Fall.

Shot on location in Salford and Manchester, the story follows two wildly different characters as an average day unravels and they both meet dramatic and contrasting fates. As well as Evets, the video, directed and filmed by Croftwerk Productions, features established local actors Nicole Evans, John Mackie and radio broadcaster James Stannage.

Video - www.croftwerk.co.uk

Produced & Released by - www.a1mrecords.com

One Day Elliott

One Day Elliott are a melodic rock band from Kent in England’s south east who draw from a broad repertoire of influences. 

The One Day Elliott soundscape is best described as a collection of massive, poppy choruses, enriched with thick vocal harmonies, mixed with a diverse blend of guitar-based genres; incorporating elements of classic rock, metal, punk and anything else to which they may be listening at the time.

One Day Elliott love writing and performing music, and the plan for the future is continue to do just that. To date they've toured the US and played in the UK alongside the likes of Feeder, Ash and The Fall as well as selling over 15,000 albums.

Currently, in partnership with Engineer Records, they are set to release their new EP Triple A-Side on November 19th.

By way of a taster we've got 100 Voices on the blog for your delectation. It's a soaring anthem with hat-tips to many of their influences contained within...music to drink (loads of) beer by.

Ralph's giving it a spin on this Sunday's (20th November) Radio KC Indie Show.

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.

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 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.

Sonic Hearts Foundation

Seeing as Ralph's heading on a road trip home soon, it's about time a few Scottish bands were featured. The first being Sonic Hearts Foundation from Glasgow, who Ralph gave a spin on last Sunday's Indie Show on Radio KC. They're releasing a new Single 'Afterlife' on August 11th and it's a follow up to their critically acclaimed 'Into Forever' EP.

 The four track EP recorded in their home studio gave a snapshot representation of the bands unique and varied sound. A sound which refuses to be tied down and contains elements of ambient, noise, alt rock and eerie synth lines.



Sonic Hearts Foundation have become somewhat of an enigma aided by their reluctance to toe the line with the norm. This is a reputation reinforced by the bands series of unique gigs from Glasgow to London. Gigs which are high in excitement and unrelenting in ambition from the visual installation events to the impromptu guerrilla gig to 2000 Pete Doherty fans, the latter of which resulting in the arrival of an incensed fleet of Glasgow’s police riot vans. Not even a hefty fine from the procurator fiscal can deter this band on their musical quest.




'Afterlife' is as edgy as the bands reputation, leading in with plaintive vocal and then quirky little electro melody before taking on a more anthemic Alt Rock feel with swirling guitar and pounding percussion. Shades of The Fall as the chorus builds to a crescendo...works for me.


Sonic Hearts Foundation are verging on bigger things...watch this space...

Rubberbear

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!






The EP is comprised of three tracks and they describe them as being  meticulously crafted songs realised through lush, multi-layered pop arrangements.  Kraftwerk electronics collide with baroque orchestral parts, whilst pulsing dance beats melt seamlessly into rock’n'roll guitar riffs.

  

John Robb of Louder Than War commented - "They have that northern ice cool and a ghost like presence and an attractive strangeness which flavours their highly intelligent pop.  There is a  dark humour here but also a romantic pop smartness that flavours these songs with a human warmth amongst the digital melodies."    
I have no idea what either of those statements mean...I do know I like the tracks.  They're catchy, addictive electro-pop tunes at their very best.



They've a whole catalogue of tracks under their collective belt and we can expect an album and tour in the summer.  Ideal as their light brand of music is suited for the sunnier days which are hopefully on the way!  'Steamroller' is just such a track with a hint of the Pet Shop Boys making it ideal radio play material.








'World Of Moderninity' is a moodier, more reflective track with Phill Birchenall's Tribeca electro-beats influence shining through.








Star of the show though is the lead track 'Let's Move Somewhere Else'.  It's a quality pop toon that has summer hit written all over it.  Smooth vocals, smooth synths and an addictive beat makes it shine over the other tracks.  You'll be hearing it on a mainstream radio station near you very soon.  Ralph was fortunate enough to have played it on his internet radio show on Radio KC last week and it's had some of the best feedback of all the tracks played over the last eight weeks.








Lead track ‘Let’s Move Somewhere Else’ will be accompanied by a short-film – produced by Manchester based videographers Jan Dixon and Emily Dixon of WeAreTape and starring the well-respected actor Maxine Peake who is currently starring in the BBC1 costume drama 'The Village'.  The video will be available online, via Rubberbear’s Facebook Page shortly before the release.




What has been refreshing is their use of Facebook and Twitter to promote themselves and the EP, eschewing the mainstream media (they'll catch on eventually) in a manner fashionable with the majority of unsigned Indie artists that Ralph loves so much.  Here's hoping they maintain that homeliness with their gigs too!  Their style is suited to the more intimate venue despite their musical pedigree.

Live from BBC Radio Manchester

The Velocets

Despite Manchester band Velocets describing themselves as being 'relatively new to the scene', 2012 proved to be a very promising year.  After the BBC Introducing picking up on their debut track 'Sophie', the band were constantly gigging throughout the year and went on to play a number of summer festivals including Big Bear, Farmer Phils & ROTR Festival.

They've followed that up throughout 2013 with some prolific gigging, not only on the festival circuit again, but establishing themselves as a major force in many of the pubs and clubs in Manchester.  For such a young band their work ethic is exemplary.











'Naked' is an example of their lyric writing ability belying their tender years.  It's a low tempo, plaintive track full of sweet strings and strong vocals that tear at your heartstrings and stick in your head.

Cheers to Trust A Fox Photography

After headlining a hometown gig at Kraak Gallery in Manchester, they were invited into Blueprint Studios (Home of Elbow etc) to lay down two new tracks so 2013 is shaping up well. It will see Velocets return to Big Bear Festival, as well as playing a very special gig at the National Tattoo Convention (Liverpool) in the Lifestyle Lounge.  In January they returned to Kraak for a headline MPTV showcase gig with support from the excellent Mama Roux and The Gullwings.


Don't miss their headline slot at the Mr Peeps Presents gig in The Castle Hotel, Manchester on the 16th August andThe Bay Horse, manchester on the 23 August with Hull's Just Mammals, they'll be stormers.









'Tell It To Your Kids' is a punchier, punkier drum driven track and looking like a fans favourite at gigs.  Guaranteed to get the 'joint jumping'.

Thanks to Raw Lens for the photos

Velocets are.....

Dominic Allen drums 
Adam Walsh guitar/vocals  
Elliott Berriman bass/vocals.  

They're playing honest in your face rock 'n' roll with just a hint of The Fall sprinkled through it. With tunes like 'Sophie' they're bringing a fresh, clean sound, strong lyrics with anthemic potential.