Wednesday 31 August 2016

The Blet Project


Scotland’s four-piece electro pop outfit The Blet Project return with their third single Eight Till Ten. A light-hearted look at modern working life and the pressures it puts on relationships; set to the sounds of 90’s R&B girl groups.

The band was formed in spring 2015 by Stephen Dennis (synths/backing vocals) to create thought-composed, three-minute pop songs with socially conscious lyrics. 







Joined by guitarist Gavin McDairmid, drummer Colin MacGregor and lead vocalist Maisie Hutt, the quartet recorded an eleven track concept album based on Stephen's personal experiences and reflections on the modern world.
The Blet Project released their first single Mr David Harris in February of this year, a snapshot of modern life with echoes of 90's anthems. Needless to say Ralph gave it a spin on his Radio KC Indie Show.

Second single The Anthem, released in June this year recieved numerous plays from Radio KC and other internet shows whilst online blog The Local Music Scene highlighted the - "incredibly poignant writing; tackling the themes of self-righteous attitudes towards politics." and heralded the band as - "one of the country's most unparalleled electronic acts at the moment."


The Blet Project has performed regularly  since November 2015 supporting Kirsten Adamson and Errant Boy album launches, before supporting The Mirror Trap in May 2016 and they will release their Debut Album Now Live in November.

Gig Listings
Friday 16th September – Caberet Voltaire – Edinburgh (Single Launch)

Friday 18th November – The Mash House – Edinburgh (Album Launch)

King Canute



Less can often be more; so they say, but in the case of Essex based King Canute more is definitely more. Their burgeoning post-punky alt rock sound has increased expotentially since they increased from a two piece to a three piece.

King Canute have toured relentlessly, bringing their brand of raw punk rock to as many venues as possible in the UK.

Their forthcoming debut album has been honed to make the loud much louder and this stunning three-piece are ready to flood the UK with a tidal wave of Alt-Rock. 






The album was recorded without ever setting foot in a recording studio, and debut single Glory Days has been winning the boys huge radio play, and was even picked up by BBC Introducing, showcasing the King Canute sound and energy. 

Drive is a revenge story, wrapped in a righteous punch of punk rock energy and it delivers the goods. It's in your face from the off and certain to be a favourite at their upcoming gigs in November, plus it'll be getting a spin on Ralph's Radio KC Indie Show on September 11th.


Tuesday 30 August 2016

Empathy Test



Empathy Test press shot
If there was an actual empathy test other than in the dystopian future of Blade Runner, then the new double A side single: Demons/Seeing Stars, by London based electro popsters of the same name passes with flying colours. 

The soon-to-be released Empathy Test track Demons shines bright in the musical firmament as they explore the nature of jealousy in the human condition. It's available on September 9th and is a precursor to their much vaunted and eagerly awaited debut album.







Macintosh HD:Users:GavDuffy:Documents:Freelance:Empathy Test:Pics:ET_Demons.jpg
It's swirling synths and infectious beats create an understated anthemic electro soundscape and Empathy Test further lure the listener in with a cleverly written web of evocative lyrics that tells of passion and infatuation.

“and now she wakes up, every day and she invites, all of my demons to play.”

Isaac Howlett and Adam Relf formed Empathy Test after discovering a mutual love of eighties sci-fi soundtracks, nineties guitar bands and underground dance music. With echoes of CHVRCHES and Purity Ring, their sound has been described as Future Pop, Dark Wave and numerous other variations along similar themes.

Saturday 27 August 2016

Ralph's Top 10 Blogged Band Chart - 27.8.16

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 .....


ralphslife.co.uk


                                         

Click here for the Ralph's Life website






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.



Tracks from the Top Ten Blogged Bands are played 
every Sunday 5-7pm on Radio KC as part of 
Ralph's Indie Show.








No 1: Sam Simmons



The lead singer of popular Cleethorpes band The Loving Memory (who are coming over to St Helens on September 17th to play Ralph's Musicians Against Homelessness gig) Sam Simmons is flexing his solo muscles and releasing More Than Yesterday, Less Than Tomorrow; an album of his own work, on Saturday August 6th.

The album kicks off in fine style with Closest Thing To Heaven with its Americana-esque lyric overlaid on some nifty guitar work in the stylee of the late great Stuart Adamson. He slows the pace with the melodious and poignant Guess before How Can I Move You pulls on the heart strings a little more.







Ralph does a Video Of The Week on ralphslife.co.uk

and this week it's 'All You Got' by young Scottish singer songwriter Billy Mitchell who hails from Dundee.

The Video is by James Calderwood and the single is currently available on i tunes.












This has to be one of the strangest collaborations on paper, but it really works. The electro synths of Liverpool's Kids On Bridges meets the New Orleans Funk of Zigaboo Modeliste from legendary band The Meters, producing Say OK, a perfect feel good summer track.

Described as Beck meets Prince and so fresh you could eat it, the track has already had over 88,000 plays on Spotify thanks to Kids on Bridges' growing reputation as one of the UK's most exciting emerging bands through their top 25 iTunes hit Something in the Water and Hype Machine Number 1 When The Needle Drops.





No 4: Barstow Bats



Barstow Bats

Title track from the Barstow Bats 'Vixen' EP.

iTunes store:
smarturl.it/Vixen-pre-order

Apple Music:
smarturl.it/vixen-applemusic









No 5: wojtek the bear



Self-confessed Frightened Rabbit fans wojtek the bear have released their debut single Dead From The Waist Up and proclaim "It marries quintessential indie-pop songwriting with melodies and hooks as big as mountains".

Hailing from Glasgow this four-piece have indeed come up with a wee cracker of a debut release. It's nicely crafted and evocative soundscape gels nicely with a seemingly retrospective lyric.








No 6: The Society


Displaying Begging Official Single Cover.jpgNorth West Indie popsters The Society are creating quite a stir in Manchester and it's no wonder with a cracking debut single Begging on the way plus a headline show in The Soup Kitchen soon. Begging is a tight, melodic track guaranteed to fill the dance floor.


After playing in a handful of previous bands Lew Whalley and Harry Beresford met and instantly developed a strong musical bond, later forming the foundation of The Society.









Gary Glitter e.p. cover art
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.








No 8: The Pottos




The Pottos are Colin Clegg and Misto Viscuso, a duo that work with a range of other musicians. School friends since the age of fifteen, Colin and Misto have played together under a number of guises, settling on The Pottos in 2012 when they released their first album Imaginary Monologues















Welsh singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist The Indigo Palms (Johnny Boon, previously known as The Lost Embers) is soon to release his brand new single, Live It Up. 

Live It Up is the first taster of The Indigo Palms forthcoming new album Future Proof which is set for release in September. 










No 10: Mt.Doubt

In Awe of Nothing cover art

After giving the Mt.Doubt single Afterglow a spin on Ralph's Radio KC Indie Show a few weeks back it's about time we had a shuftie at the album from whence it came. Entitled In Awe Of Nothing it's the follow up to My Past Is A Quiet Beast, one of the best debut albums to come out of Scotland last year. It was released by Edinburgh based Leo Bargery as a solo project prior to the Mt. Doubt moniker and is a joy to listen to.