Formed in Edinburgh in 2012 by four school friends, ThePhantoms released their debut EP This Is How It Should Be in December 2013
and followed this up with a short UK tour.
They are influenced by the likes of Kasabian and Simple Minds and are Colin Simpson on guitar and vocals, Colin Mckillop on lead
guitar, Zach Tarimo Goodhur on bass and Blair Cullen on drums. The Phantoms then
released the single Revolution in March 2014 whose anthemic chorus has become a huge favourite with fans.
The follow up single Wasting Time followed, along with
support slots with Catfish and The Bottlemen, Amber Run and Vant. The band started 2016 with a sold out headline show at King
Tuts Wah Wah Hut and now release the new single Lost on 4th April
2016. It's available to pre-order now on this link: The Phantoms - Lost on i-tunes They've filmed a video out in the wilds of Scotland to match the anthemic, atmospheric nature of the track. The Phantoms trademark driving guitar riffs are now finely honed and come to the fore in this latest offering. They've come a long way in the last three years since they played the Ralph's Life CD gig in Edinburgh's Electric Circus and 2016 is looking to be the start of something big for this ambitious young band.
Earlier this year New York Tourists began recording their debut album which was funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign. In June they played their biggest gig to date in front of 12,000 people as the main support to Status Quo. Well the good news is the kickstarter was successful and the You + Me album will be officially released on April 8th. The You + Me album is composed of 10 tracks of anthemic Indie rock music which should seem them propelled from the local North West music scene to the headier hights of regular national radio play and the bigger festivals in 2017. Speaking of anthemic Indie music, the album kicks of with the impressive and addictive Colours before moving into the choppier and more pop-like Fear. Following on Fools gets meaner and moodier, with a gritty vocal overlaid on driving guitar, what's not to like. It's Call after that with a dirty bass and sleazy vocal which made it a perfect pick as a single previously. Then Adrenaline kicks in before getting heavier again with Two Heartbeats. Then it's the eponymous and aggressive You + Me, and it's got to be a live favourite. On an album of continually strong tracks Lost Love is for me the weakest, but that's me being picky and it's OK as they quickly step it up a gear with the in-your-face A Kick In The Teeth before rounding off with the dreamy and extremely radio-friendly Sirens. With this album Blackburn's favourite sons New York Tourists are making themselves heard and certainly not to be missed live. Speaking of which, check out their gig listings below... New York Tourists Live Dates:
In order to try and keep Ralph's burgeoning International readership happy whilst maintining the UK unsigned integrity, we're featuring The Velvet Rope, a gem of a new single release by Daniel Peterson whose heritage is Antipodean but current location is London. He's also recorded a debut album about the restoration of friendly relations; interestingly entitled, Welcome To My House Bumblebee. Much of the contents is the result of his work with the homeless in London through his current day job.
The Velvet Rope sees Daniel Peterson bring us a seemingly introspective view of life and love which is brimming with a musicality that endears the listener to his distinctive, plantive vocal. It soars gently from verse to verse, using The Velvet Rope to pull us in and feel first hand his chagrin. If I was going to draw a comparison it would be to the emotion John Frusciante has brought to his music since leaving the Chilli Peppers. It's eminently radio friendly and needless to say Daniel Peterson will be getting a spin on Ralph's Indie Show on Radio KC very soon.
The story of Danish born but UK living Nikolaj Bloch who now performs under the pseudonym of Bloch Eyot is as strange and tangential as it is fascinating and absorbing. It leads us to his current incarnation which he describes as, "A new musical journey." Born in Denmark, his mother taught him Danish political folk songs on guitar from the age of 6. he then trained in classical piano at college, and when he left school he joined a touring blues band. In his eary twenties he scrapped plans of studying musical therapy, upped sticks and left for London. A year later he formed the band Subcircus and went on to sign his first record deal. That was his musical focus for the ensuing six years.
Now for the tangential part as Nikolaj's journey has been as disparate as it is compelling. From touring the world with an indie band to ghost-writing in Hollywood. Writing with the late Rick Wright of Pink Floyd and Squeeze mainstay Chris Difford to running a studio in the Lebanese mountains. Last but certainly not least, he's performed with Feeder on Top Of The Popsas well as being on the review panel at the influential Sound on Sound magazine.
Therefore it's no surprise that his debut album as Bloch Eyot has received no small amount of critical acclaim ranging from sounding like Cat Stevens, Johnny Cash, Elliot Smith, Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen to evoking the mystique of Scandanavian folklore and fairy-tales. Magic Folkgrass is a fascinating, eclectic and addictive collection, ranging from the Neil Young-esque Long Highway to the beautifully crafted simplicity of Night Train that bears no comparison. Nikolaj is currently touring as Bloch Eyot but as you'd expect from the man, it's with a difference. He's abandoned the traditional clubs and venues and is almost exclusively performing private house and boat concerts where you invite the audience and Bloch Eyot provides a unique evening of musical raconteuring. He's currently working on a schedule for the whole year and in March will be in Denmark performing as Bloch Eyot. Nikolaj is currently organising his schedule for the rest of 2016 if you fancy getting on board with him.
Ralph has been a fan of the supremely talented Jess Kemp for a while now having played her tracks on his Radio KC Indie show regularly over the last two years.
In that time, her star has very much come into its ascendancy, especially with her video of Stars (one of the Videos Of The Week on ralphslife.co.uk last year) which was one of the musical highlights of 2015. All the more blatantly obvious due to the release of her debut EP Camden which is being launched in Manchester's Academy 3 on the 29th of April.
Mildred's Dairyhave the feel of a grown-upOrange Juice, Aztec CameraandDeacon Bluethroughout this release with well-crafted, well-written tracks immaculately played and produced. Then there's the relatively tongue-in-cheek nature of the sleeve notes and the band's ambiguously anonymous bio. Possibly self-explanatory when you think more about the album's title which is based onThe Helsinki Bus Station Theory.
There's been a plethora of guitar driven alt/rock in the kennel's inbox these last few weeks, however only some have floated their way to the top of the pile. One, in particular, is Bath-based Scout Killers who are releasing their track Rip Me Apart as a single on March 28th.
The band draws its influence from the likes of Rage Against the Machine, Q.O.T.S.A, Pearl Jam and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Their powerful live sets are defined by viscerally expressive vocals, atmospheric and foreboding guitar swells and shadowy rhythmic undertones which shine through when it comes to Scout Killers songwriting.
Some old school rocking it out is on the way from Liverpool band The Roscoes.
They release a double A-side single on Friday and Skin/The Wall is a full on assault on your aural sensibilities. The two tracks have been produced by Pete Robertson, The Vaccines drummer, and mastered by Russell Cottier of the Grammy award winning Parr Street Studios.
It's steeped in Rockabilly and Rock 'n' Roll, which is hardly surprising as it's the work of former Shakin' Pyramids duo Davie Duncan and Kenny McLellan, ably assisted by Shug Jamieson and Laurie Cuff (formerly of the infamous Cuban Heels).
James Holt is a singer/songwriter from Manchester and he is receiving widespread attention for his unique blend of alternative rock and folk.
The twenty-two year old has produced a collection of songs which belies his age. This is a solo record in the truest sense of the phrase, with James Holt having composed the songs, played all of the instruments and recorded and mixed the EP. James has already garnered the attention of world-renowned producer Brian Eno who described his music as “Brisk, funny, exciting. Great drumming....fresh and exciting to listen to”.
Ralph's given Essex based fuzzy post-grungesters HIGH/LOW a spin previously on his Radio KC Indie Show, so his attention piqued when news of a recently released,12 track, second album hit the kennel.
The self-produced AUTOSPY is their first recording as a full band with new drummer Dave Pankhurst. All previous releases were recorded by Guitarist/Vocals Steve Weston and Bassist Lee Yates.
Ralph's got a very short attention span of 15 seconds which he uses as a guide to picking music to feature on the blog. So when a new single drops in the kennel with a title as long as A Time Imagination Forgot To Inspire it might just have missed the cut. However the track by Leeds outfit Cold Summer made the grade due to its burgeoning intro which grabs the attention from note one before daring you to stop listening with driving guitar, punchy drums and commanding vocal.
Formed in the latter part of 2015 Liverpool band Bad Mood have been working hard to release their debut single which was recorded in the city's Crash Studios.
Well, March 26th sees the release; ironically, of May 2nd which is a relatively mean and moody initiation into their work. Doom-laden vocals and menacing guitar make this a deliciously dark listen.
Following on from the release of their Stone Asylum EP back in 2014 and prior to the release of the upcoming Shadows And Noise album next year, Gloucestershire based Clay Gods have decided to celebrate the addition of drummer Max Ganderton to the band with the release of a double A Side single.
The hard-driving Cabin Feverin particular and the slightly lighter Looking For Jerusalem are the epitomy of doom-laden rock, lyrically and musically in the style of Liverpool's excellent Kynchinlay.
The follow up single Wasting Time followed, along with
support slots with Catfish and The Bottlemen, Amber Run and Vant. The band started 2016 with a sold out headline show at King
Tuts Wah Wah Hut and now release the new single Lost on 4th April
2016. It's available to pre-order now on this link: The Phantoms - Lost on i-tunes 
