Ralph's Top 10 Blogged Band Chart - 15.8.15

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 expose yourself .....

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Now Mr Snuggles and I have been sitting with our heads down counting the hits on each blog to see which band's got what 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...Officer

The last time Ralph's keyboard vibrated as he listened to the sounds of London singer/songwriter Officer was when he was bringing news of his then forthcoming album Myriads whilst listening to Glass Ceiling which had just been released as a single back in March. 

Well the wait is over as the album is available now on pre-order prior to it's release.

No 2... 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. 

No 3...The Holy Orders

It's been a while in the making, but well worth it. Hull four piece and long-time Ralph's Life favourites The Holy Orders have released a new single on the indie Mono Sound Records and it's a corker.

No 4 ...Lynn Gerrard

It's not often you get an invitation to go and listen to a gargoyle grumble as well as listen to live music, so Ralph sent out his roving reporter to cover the Lynn Gerrard (aka The Grumbling Gargoyle) live book launch in The Citadel St Helens recently. 

To celebrate signing a four book deal with Wallace Publishing to produce her poetry she took over her local theatre for an evening of music, comedy and spoken word.






No 5...All The King's Men




With a new video out and a headline gig in top Manchester venue the Soup Kitchen coming up on the 7th of August it's all go for All The King's Men at the moment. 


The psychedelic video for rheir debut single Fever brings us a choppy, guitar driven, raunchy vocalising piece of in your face alt rock.

No 6...The Jackals

As Ralph's heading North next week he thought it'd be a good time to check out the new People EP from psych rockers The Jackals who hail from Edinburgh.

A tight knit musical unit who are known for their blistering live performances, the band's sound combines cryptic lyrics with expansive guitars, underpinned with the solid grooves of the bass and drums.

No 7...Mog Stanley

It's been a while since Ralph checked out smooth indie blues man Mog Stanley (three years) and in that time he's been slowly but very surely composing an album of his unique bloozy styled tunes and he's called it Roland.

Preston based and armed with only a vintage guitar and home-made percussion box to keep him company, Mog Stanley uses an old-school, DIY set-up to stand out like the proverbial sore thumb with his catchy blues-fuelled and melody driven songs.

No 8...Fiona Soe Paing




Ralph's long been a fan of the immaculate electronica produced by Fiona Soe Paing and is delighted that she's now developed a new multi-media experience that she's taking to the Edinburgh Fringe in a series of shows in The Capital's Summerhall venue. 

She's combined her stunning live vocals and electro soundtracks with animation from New Zealand artist Zennor Alexander to create a unique and surreal live performance called Alien Lullabies - Songs From A Decaying Future, which will both surprise and delight the Fringe audiences.

No 9...Tony Steele & The Massacre

Third in the mean and moody male vocalists Ralph's been checking out this week is Liverpool singer/songwriter Tony Steele who has returned to music with a new single Starting From Scratch, released on September 25th and showcasing a stripped down folk/rock sound.

Session musicians Charlie Landsborough Jnr, Laura Mackinlay, Peter MacParland and Grant Walker complete the line up of his band Tony Steele and The Massacre.

No 10...Chris Flynn

Manchester singer/songwriter Chris Flynn has spent many years performing with bands, but is now releasing solo material of an extremely high quality. 

His work has attracted a fair bit of high profile attention too, including I Am Kloot's Peter Jobson.

Chris Flynn

Manchester singer/songwriter Chris Flynn has spent many years performing with bands, but is now releasing solo material of an extremely high quality. 

His work has attracted a fair bit of high profile attention too, including I Am Kloot's Peter Jobson.

So Ralph thought it'd be a good time to find out about the changes in his life and songwriting.

Ralph: How's the 'solo' life?

Chris: I've enjoyed the whole band/collaboration thing but 20 years of it has affected my songwriting and I want to bring that almost cathartic process to everyones attention, although writing the album has been a slow (two years) process.

Ralph: The video for Dumped looked fun to make and great to have Maxine Peake on board?

Chris: Yeah it was, it was partly filmed in The Kings Arms, Salford with a lot of mates in the cast, spending four hours in a pub, what's not to like. Maxine was great too, I love what she stands for and the way she supports local artists.






Ralph: There seems to be an introverted approach to some of your tracks, how much has your own life affected your songwriting?

Chris: The new album actually features a lot of 'character songs' with invented scenarious. It's allowed me to be a lot freer with the whole process and it's been very cathartic. There's much more to come too, you've not heard the best yet!




So there you have it, Chris Flynn is like the proverbial great wine, very much improving with age. Dumped is a stylish, well crafted track in the style of Robert Wyatt backed by an atmospheric, well directed video. If there's more and better to come, then we're in for a real treat! 

There are some small acoustic shows coming in September before the album is finished so watch this space.

31/08/15 CHARITY GIG (BURY HOSPICE), GLASTON - BLIND TIGER, BURY, 9PM

14/09/15 ACOUSTICA @ APOTHECA, MANCHESTER, FREE ENTRY