Ralph's Chart 27.4.13

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 .....

No 1..... 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. 

No 2..... Culann

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 3 ..... The Fireflys 

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

No 4..... tohaveistohold

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'.

No 5..... Cheyenne Doll

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.

No 6..... Wullae Wright

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. 

No 7..... Universal Thee

Edinburgh based five piece Universal Thee comprise of James Russell (guitar and vocals), the recently added (ex-Caravan Club) Lisa Russell (vocals) Robin Spivey (guitar) Sean Macdonald (bass) and Kevin Haddow (drummer) are known for their infectious sound.

No 8..... Plum

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.....

No 9..... Rival Sons

Rival Sons are a proper rock 'n' roll band from Long Beach CA comprised of Robin Everhart, Scott Holiday, Mike Miley and Jay Buchanan and they formed in 2008.  They signed with Atlantic but quickly left and self-released their first album 'Battle Before The Fire' in 2009.  Live review of their Edinburgh gig in the blog.

No 10..... Jess Harwood

With a new EP out in May and some great gigs in the offing Jess Harwood is starting to make a real impact on the music scene.  Jess is a 20 year old singer-songwriter from Blackpool and has been writing and singing her own songs since her early teens.  She's a self taught guitarist whose songs have already been played on Radio Lancashire, All FM and BBC Radio 6 to name but a few (yes, Ralph's played her on Radio KC too).

Rival Sons - Live Review

Now normally Ralph brings you news of all that's good in unsigned music, however his man in Scotland Malcolm 'Anorak' Parry was heading for a Rival Sons concert so a live review had to be on the cards.




Rival Sons are a proper rock 'n' roll band from Long Beach CA comprised of Robin Everhart, Scott Holiday, Mike Miley and Jay Buchanan and they formed in 2008.  They signed with Atlantic but quickly left and self-released their first album 'Battle Before The Fire' in 2009.  





In 2010 Rival Sons made a name for themselves by supporting acts such as AC/DC, Alice Cooper and Kid Rock and by performing a televised show at The Indianapolis 500. The British metal label Earache Records showed interest in the band. Liking the idea of “bending the rules” by signing to a traditionally death metal label, they signed with them in Autumn 2010.




In February 2011 they released their self-titled EP, quickly followed by the full-length album 'Pressure & Time' in June 2011. The cover of 'Pressure & Time' was designed by renowned cover artist Storm Thorgerson (the man behind the 'Dark Side Of The Moon' cover, who sadly passed away recently). The album was written, recorded and mixed in twenty days in Los Angeles following a tour.  According to the band, 'Before The Fire' was written and produced in the same way.

In February 2012 they went into Honey Pye studios in Nashville, again for only 20 days, to record their next album with Dave Cobb and Vance Powell, then on to a European  tour. The album 'Head Down' was released in September, garnering critical reviews.  A sold-out tour followed in September and October.  They finished the year by winning the ‘Breakthrough Act of the Year’ at the Classic Rock Awards and the ‘Best New Band’ in Planet Rock’s user poll.

They began 2013 with a short tour of the USA and Canada, before moving on to Europe for another tour across the UK and Malcolm caught their Edinburgh gig.

Malcolm Parry takes up the story from The Picture House in Edinburgh.....

In rock's history we have had some great lead singer stars like Plant, Coverdale, Gillan, Tyler and Rodgers and as the band take to the stage lead man Jay Buchanan oozes the spirit of all.  Tonight we are in good company (not bad company) as full of charisma, cool as a 6 pack of bud on ice he moves like Jagger (as the song goes). 

The band kick in with 'You Want To' from their excellent new album 'Head Down' and as Buchanan sings instantly the range and power of his voice impresses.  I can see why we were given plastic pint's, if glass his octaves would have shattered all in our hands. 

During the opening track I feel like I’m at a early Deep Purple or Free gig, all 70's style riff's and melodies, lot's of rock clichés, like the drummer flipping a drumstick up in to the air and catching it but all the better for it. Tonight we are witnessing a good old fashioned rock n roll band, not alternative rock like Biffy Clyro or Muse, a comment Buchanan makes later. 

Second tune 'Wild Animal' and the vocal style reminds me of the Steve Miller Band and the riff like Wolfmother's 'New Moon Rising'.  Ironically the drummer looks like The Muppet’s Animal in a headband and braces.  We get Jay leaning into the mic all Robert Plant shouting, 'What the fucks going on out there?'  We're witnessing one of the best rock bands since the 70's that's what (OK my opinion).

Lead guitarist Scott Holiday looking like a cleaned up Izzy Stradlin from G 'n' R with a musketeer mustache providing screaming riffs and Bassist Robin Everhart ad-libbing along to the lyrics and keeping things tight.  The set so far runs along almost seamlessly with little chat from front man (I stress so far).

We get - “Do you guys want to hear something from our first record?” - We all nod and shout approval. 'Memphis Sun'  sounds so good and very Free/Bad Company.  Next straight into a new one off the new album we get 'Until The Sun Comes' which is very poppy and uplifting, again with Steve Miller Band vocals making it a live winner. 

Time for a slow one and Buchanan tells us the heritage of the lyrics, he talks about death being a beautiful thing and about losing love ones.  He introduces new album track 'Jordan' with its acoustic intro and vocals like a young Joe Cocker, strangely the song and feel reminds me of 'A Little Help From My Friends'.  The back end of the song he shows us the power of his range by standing two feet back from the mic, voice still clear as slide guitar rings out. 

He then goes all political Bono on our ass telling us about the next song being inspired by the Soldier Blue/Native Indians battle for land in America's history, yawn, your losing us man, we came here to rock, sing us a song? (we're all thinking). They break into the epic 'Manifest Destiny P1' all classic Led Zeppelin and it brings us back, Jay leaves us to Holiday and the band who gives us a guitar solo and licks Jimmy Page would have been proud of.

Jay returns and they go into 'Keep on swinging' all Black Keys bluesy/rock and Plant/Rogers screaming.  Another chat to us telling how he's been up to Edinburgh castle trying out our whisky since he's half Scottish.  For the closing track from 'Head Down' we're left with Buchanan and axe man Holiday with Jeff Buckley style beauty 'Sacred Heart'. This guy is so versatile with a touch of early Queen in there.  They leave us to a drum solo to go backstage swigging from a Jack Daniels bottle (at least that's how i imagine it)

The predictable encore follows with first album's 'Burn Down Los Angeles' another lengthy speech about false relationships (ho hum) and  the set closer 'Soul' sounding all Joplin-esque and very much like Otis Redding's - 'Try A Little Bit Of Tenderness'. Nice slow soulful/blues finish to a quality set.  These guys are destined for bigger venue's and hopefully festival headline slots.  It would be nice to see a band at the top who have their heart and soul firmly rooted in classic Rock n Roll.

Many thanks to whoever I may have pinched the lovely pictures from for this blog, should you require them to be removed for any reason please contact me and I shall do so....if you want to sue me...I'm a Jack Russell with no money...