Rosie Bans

If you were a fan of Sophisti-pop back in the 80's when bands ranging from Swing Out Sister and Prefab Sprout to The Blue Nile and Everything But The Girl ruled the charts, then you're going to love Identify Yourself; the debut album by young, flame-haired Glasgow songstress Rosie Bans.

The album is funded by Creative Scotland and it's ethos falls in line with that of Ralph's Life regarding mental health awareness. 

Rosie Bans states - "I have a strong desire to increase awareness of mental health and write about my own experiences. The album has four key themes; relationships, where you live, mental health and bullying."







Rosie Bans opens with Instincts, a funky pop track with drum grooves by Bren Neil (Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers), exploring the internal dialogue about not ignoring the red flags at the start of a new relationship. 

The sultry Home is her love song to Scotland and has a strong folk-pop feel, lifted by the lush layers of Scots fiddler Jack Smedley (Rura). 

I Won’t Fade Into The Shade has shades of Kate Bush with it's story about her being bullied in school for 'being a ginger' followed by the intoxicating Bloodline; blending the Sitar and piano, is a heartfelt ode to her Grandfather who was an immigrant from India.


There are many instruments on the album but, the most impressive is the voice of Rosie Bans as it draws the listener in from first track to last before demanding you hit the replay button and listen all over again. 

Not being averse to a bit of jazzy pop Ralph's playing the lead track Instincts for your listening pleasure on the Radio KC Indie Show this Sunday from 5-7pm so remember to tune in on rkc.noip.me Internet Radio.

Puppet Rebellion

One of the advantages of being a dog with a blog is the that every now and again a bit of a gem drops into the kennel's inbox. 

In this instance it's Chemical Friends an album by Puppet Rebellion, one of the first bands I saw live when I arrived to take up residence in the 'sunny' North West of England. It was nearly 5 years ago in Manchester when I was invited to an all-dayer and a nascent Puppet Rebellion took to the stage and played an absolute blinder.  

Time moves swiftly on and the band are now releasing their debut Chemical Friends album on November 17th after a hectic year of both touring and working in the studio with Gavin Monaghan no less.

Puppet Rebellion are Oliver Davies on vocals, Dave Wimbush on guitar, Craig Gibson on guitar, James Halliwell on bass and Henry Rogers on drums. Together they've put together an album of well crafted alt-pop that should see them ascend the musical firmament not only in their native North West but UK wide. 

The energetically fueled Chemical Friends may be their fist full-length studio album but with tracks like the nicely choppy, guitar driven Hey Now to the bouncier Test Pilot and Impact, it certainly won't be their last.

Ralph will be spinning one of his favourite tracks from Chemical Friends on this Sunday's Indie Show on Radio KC, so make sure you tune in from 5-7pm UK time to hear the highly addictive ear-worm that is Slave.

Upcoming live dates include...

Saturday November 4th in The Islington, London

Saturday November 11th in Partisan, Manchester for the album launch

Friday December 19th in 
The Lamplighter, Northampton

Lindisfarne Festival

I've been a fan of crowdfunding since raising £5,000 using crowdfunder.co.uk on Twitter to produce the 40 track Ralph's Life CD which enabled Ralph to present funds to Rethink Mental Illness and put on two reward benefit events in London and Edinburgh.  

No surprises then when my attention was piqued by an attempt to raise a world record beating £70,000 by Lindisfarne Festival to ensure their event goes ahead successfully in 2018.

Lindisfarne Festival takes place on Beal Farm on Northumberland and next year sees a stellar line-up including a jaunt southwards by some of the very best in Scottish indie bands; including long time Ralph's Life favourites, Bombskare, Colonel Mustard, Mickey 9s, Girobabies and Have Mercy Las Vegas. 

But the great thing about the crowdfunder is, you'll be able to have a say in who takes part in Lindisfarne Festival 2018!

Renowned for their eclectic range of performers - from Thursday evening through to the early hours of Sunday, their 8 unique music venues will once again play host to another incredible variety of both local and world renowned talent. With over 100 acts, spanning almost every imaginable genre - the only problem you'll have is deciding who to go and see next at Lindisfarne Festival 2018.

They have their collective eyes eye on some unbelievably brilliant acts for 2018 and if they smash this world record breaking crowdfunding target they'll be able to land the strongest lineup yet!

HAVE YOUR SAY - tell them who YOU want to see on the line up HERE. 

Just donate

• £10
• £20
• £30
• 
  

Or choose a reward

Pledge £49

EARLY BIRD TICKET (Sat - Sun) // ***SAVE £10 on your 1 day festival ticket!*** FREE camping included.

1 claimed so far49 more availableSelect reward

Pledge £69

EARLY BIRD TICKET (Fri - Sun) // ***SAVE £20 on your 2 day festival ticket!*** FREE camping included.

77 claimed so far23 more availableSelect reward

Pledge £79

EARLY BIRD TICKET (Thurs - Sun) // ***SAVE £20 on your 3 day festival ticket!*** FREE camping included.

96 claimed so far

Ralph's Indie Show Replay - as played on Radio KC - 22.10.17

Ralph's Indie Show Replay

As played on Radio KC

Sunday 15th October from 5-7pm GMT

Internet Radio on rkc.noip.me

Played in 161 countries 

Worldwide on 2 satellites

Website: ralphslife.co.uk

Music Blog: fruitbatwalton.blogspot.co.uk

Submissions: ralphslife@mail.com

Twitter: @fruitbatwalton

PLAYLIST :

Click the band's name to follow them if they're on on Facebook:

SHEAFS - This Is Not A Protest
Paves - Baby
The Magic Es - All Of Your Gods
Deep City Diver - Everyone Is Alone
Shambolics - Love Collides
Grace Solero - Electro
Anna Tosh - Weightless
NUUXS - Water
Itchy Teeth - Brian Wilson Is Still Alive
Multiplier - Insurrection
Glass Mountain - More Than This
Chocolate - Ninth Cloud
The Immediate - With The Fireflies
Made Of Eyes - Brickwork
L.A.D Music - Dancefloor
Lectures - Your Whatever
Fond Of Rudy - To Be Mine
CHILDCARE - Getting Over You 
The Riff - Weekend Schemes
Courtyards - Everything
The Opera Comic - Fantasise!
Orange Bomb - The Best Place I've Ever Been
Akiva - M.O.D
Animat - Life In Cinema
Ceiling Demons - The Rose
Nick Ellis - Music - Clock Watching

CHROMA

South Wales trio CHROMA set to release their explosive new single Vampires October 27th via Datod Records with the track already available to download.

Vampires is their first release since playing the BBC R1 Introducing Stages at Reading & Leeds Festival 2017. Needless to say Ralph's giving Vampires a spin on the Radio KC Indie Show so tune in on Sunday 5th November for the Bonfire Night Special from 5-7pm UK time.

CHROMA has seen plays from Huw Stephens plus Inclusion on The Best Of BBC Radio 1 Introducing playlist; a feature in Metro Newspaper; 5 weeks Playlisting on The New Rock Show on Planet Rock, BBC Radio Wales; BBC Radio Cymru; Amazing Radio; Hoxton Radio and Roundhouse Radio.

CHROMA are a three-piece bilingual band from the South Wales valleys which formed in the summer of 2015. They won the Cardiff Music Award for Best Breakthrough Act 2017 and C2 BBC Radio Cymru's Brwydr y Bandiau 2016 as well as reveling in Katie Hall's obvious love of big woolly jumpers.

Vampires is the second cut off their self-titled 2016 EP, is a ferocious offering from the young, Welsh upstarts and is driven by a angry, noisy thundering bass riff and the powerful vocals of Katie. So much so, it's been on replay here in the kennel all week.

The pacey new CHROMA single sits comfortably alongside the big hitters in the world of indie and alt rock. In fact you’d be forgiven for thinking that there is more than just three members to this frenetic young band.



LIVE

Debut Headline Show - Le Pub, Newport - November 10

Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff - supporting ESTRONS - December 9

Bud Sugar - Video Of The Week

Ralph's favourite video this week is the Bud Sugar 'Masterpiece' of their fans fave track VIRAL. They hijacked 25 of the most iconic online VIRAL moments from recent years to create an unexpected collaboration with their viral heroes! A We Made This production:

Directed/filmed/edited by Bacary Bax & Stan Hill.

Bud Sugar is online at... Patreon - patreon.com/budsugar
Website - budsugar.co.uk
Facebook - facebook.com/BudSugar
Twitter - twitter.com/Bud_Sugar
Instagram - instagram.com/bud_sugar

Ralph's Top 10 Chart - as played on Radio KC - 22.10.17

Click here for the Ralph's Life website

Tracks from the Top Ten Blogged Bands are played 

every Sunday 5-7pm on Radio KC as part of 

Ralph's Indie Show.

LISTEN TO THIS WEEK'S TOP 10 HERE

AS PLAYED ON RADIO KC - 22.10.17

RALPH'S BRAND NEW TOP 10 CHART 

Published on 21.10.17 and as played after 

RALPH'S INDIE SHOW on RADIO KC - 22.10.17 - from 5-7pm

No 1: Sugarmen

Ralph's favourite video this week is the excellent and trippy Push Button Age by Liverpool band Sugarmen.

The track is on their soon to be released debut album Local Freaks which sees it's launch party in The Sebright Arms, London on October 5th.

No 2:  Lucie Barât

Multi-talented artist Lucie Barât is set to release her new single Take Me Away on 24th November via Alya Records. Being the sister of Carl Barât , of The Libertines fame, music is firmly embedded in Lucie’s blood.

Having always performed in bands, combining a love of writing and performing, Lucie has recorded with legendary David Bowie producer, Mark Plati and more recently with The Au Revoirs.

No 3: Violet Youth

Ralph's favourite video this week is She Said by Blackburn band Violet Youth and you can find that on their recently released debut EP Primary Nature. 

The four songs on the EP were written between 2013 and 2016 and they describe them as "The sounds of Violet Youth in it's infancy." 

No 4: Lover

The bones of London band Lover was formed towards the end of 2015, and they started on their debut album, Human Geography in early 2016. 

The album was completed just before they embarked on a mini UK tour supporting Earl Slick / Bernard Fowler’s Station to Station Tour. On tour the band started building a following and garnered great feedback from the public and industry insiders.

No 5: Purest

Yielding more swagger than a Kevin Shields customized Jazzmaster, the intense sounds of Sheffield guitar bandits Purest have come knocking firmly at the door of mainstream radio with new single Waiting For to be released later this month.

The Sheffield 4-piece’ debut made such an overwhelming first impression on Gary Powell of The Libertines that he, along with label partner Wayne Clarke, signed them to their label 25 Hour Convenience Store Records for their second full release. 

No 6: Himalayas

HIMALAYAS release their new single, Sigh On A Hurricane on 27th October via Peepshow Records, available on all the usual download suspects

Earlier this year the band released the incendiary Thank God I'm Not You which brought them exposure to global audiences; featuring on numerous Spotify curated playlists amassing over 1.86m streams and over 330k monthly listeners, as well as multiple plays on network radio.

No 7: The Jade Assembly

Whilst Manchester is brimming with indie-rock bands, long time Ralph's Life favourites The Jade Assembly purvey a brand of rock and roll that stands out from the crowd, full of raw charisma and plenty of determination. With energetic rock to lift your feet off the floor, these Bolton lads perform with fearsome energy and zealous honesty.

Top news just in is the release of a new single in the shape of Got My Star and it's a banger so needless to say Ralph's giving it a spin on the Radio KC Indie Show Sunday 15th October.

No 8: The Actions 

The Actions announce their forthcoming Single Let’s Talk released 14th September via igiveyougive.com

All the income raised will go entirely to MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctor Without Borders), Save The Children and Greenpeace.

No 9: Snippet

Colchester's favourite son Johnno Casson aka Snippet is the uncrowned king of feelgood pop-esque music and his latest album Human Good isn't bucking that trend. 

Johnno takes you on a journey of "people-rich" stories that encompasses a wide array of characters including fraudsters, pimps, prostitutes, drinkers, users and abuser’s and simple everyday folk just trying to make sense of this world. 

No 10: Names

Limb by Limb by Pembrokeshire-based duo Names is the follow up single to Backs Turned, a song that has already been played on Ralph's Indie Show on Radio KC. It has been described elsewhere as “a wintry soundscape with all the fluency, space and atmosphere of the Mogwai Les Revenants soundtrack”. 

Where do you go after creating such an assured artistic statement with your debut single? Limb by Limb is the answer. Names have shed any creative ego to create a raw, emotionally rich song devoid of self-indulgence and over reaching dramatization.