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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.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: James Holt
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”.
No 2: Jess Kemp
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.
No 3: Clay Gods
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 Fever in 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.
No 4: The Phantoms
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.
No 5: Mildred's Dairy
Mildred's Dairyhave the feel of a grown-upOrange Juice, Aztec Camera and Deacon Blue throughout 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 on The Helsinki Bus Station Theory.
No 6 New York Tourists
Ralph's been spinning tracks on his Radio KC Indie Show on a regular basis by Blackburn band New York Tourists who are interestingly described as QOTSA meets Foals
Their debut EP received rave reviews from some of the UK's most respected music media outlets and Chew Me Up, Spit Me Out was selected as one of BBC Intro's top 10 tracks of 2013. Support slots followed, with the band bagging appearances alongside the likes of The Subways, The View, The Sunshine Underground and The Buzzcocks plus a headline slot on the Alt Stage at Blackburn Festival
No 7: Daniel Peterson
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.
No 8: Bloch Eyot
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.
No 9 Alkanes
With their debut EP A Different Kind Of Perfect lined up for release on March 18th it's looking like 2016 will be a good year for Aberdeen based outfit AlkanesFollowing the demise of Inverness band Purple Divide in 2013, guitarist Dale looked to challenge himself with a new project. After experimenting with his song writing, he set his sights on a project a little heavier than Purple Divide
No 10: Skellums
The EP Clarion Call by Skellums, received worldwide airplay; including of course, Ralph's Indie Show on Radio KC and was championed by BBC 6 Music's Steve Lamacq. Following its success, Skellums return with a double A side single Art of Dying Young / Do Me Wrong. Both tracks boast sharp, dextrous lyrics delivered with passion and personality, and accompanied by strong, ridiculously catchy melodies.
