the higher you go .....So Tweet it, Facebook it .....Generally and expose yourself .....
Now Mr Snuggles and I Have Been sitting with our heads down counting the hits on each blog to see who's got bands which place. The Top Ten Blogged Band Chart is played every Sunday 5-7pm on Radio KC as part of Ralph's Indie Show.
No 1...Faerground Accidents
Especially when that underdog is the extraordinarily out-there Faergound Accidents who; digitally on 9th February, are releasing the single She Makes Me Want To Die accompanied by a gorgeously glammed-up video. If Robert Smith and Jarvis Cocker have conceived a bastard son then Faerground Accidents extravagant front-man Bomar Faery is the result.
No 2...The Phantoms
Ralph's been a big fan of Edinburgh band The Phantoms since he covered them back in April last year after they played a set at the Ralph's Life CD Launch in Electric Circus for the Rethink Mental Illness charity. They've since played a succession of gigs including the one and only King Tut's in Glasgow.No 3...Fold
Oil Powered Machine uses the powerful ecological messages from the ill-fated American journalist and political activist Michael Ruppert. As his diatribe builds so does the addictive hook of Fold's electronic musicality. No 4...Neutronic
Now Ralph's more of a guitar band animal, however after having covered Liverpool's The Little Secrets and SeaWitches recently he's been showing his mellow side. So much so, he had a listen in to the low-fi electronic vibings of Chester duo Neutronic
No 5...Fiona Soe Paing
Fresh from London’s global festival of music ideas, Music Tech Fest, and a show at Cineworld for Aberdeen International Film Festival, Fiona Soe Paing will perform her show Alien Lullabies combining tracks from her forthcoming album with projected animation by New Zealand artist Zennor Alexander in a hypnotic combination of cinema and live gig.No 6...Seawitches
Based in Liverpool, Jo Herring and Laura Caldwell met in 2007 through friends; a meeting that resulted in an explosion of creativity where songwriting, musicianship and visual art collided to create SeaWitchesThe band gig regularly in Liverpool, where they've played Sound City, Music Week and interestingly, the Green Party Conference as well as hosting their own nights supporting other well known bands like Eagulls and Giant Drag
No 7...The Black Lamps
If you're a fan of anyone from Joy Division to Public Image Ltd, The Fall to The Cure then these Barnsley musical luminaries tick all the boxes. Describing themselves as a post-rock ambient guitar band, The Black Lamps have created a stunning selection of melodiously crafted 'shuffle and repeat' tracks that John Peel would have been happy to feature on his shows.
No 8...The Old Border
Courtesy of Amar Chauhan
It's the first track off their soon to be released debut EP Rehearsed In The Mirror and reflects their musical influences nicely.
No 9...Jay Stansfield
Variously described as - original, affecting and a tad bonkers, North West musician Jay Stansfield has consistently provided us with an eccentrically pleasing back catalog of music. He's recently added to that with his third; and for me, best album Birth And Death
No 10...Plum
Building on the impetus of her SAMA Best Electronic Award Plum (aka Shona Maguire) has released a new EP 'Betsy Thunder'. Just after releasing the EP she played a gig in The Pleasance, Edinburgh supporting Conquering Animal Sound so in order to introduce Ralph's former man in Scotland, Malcolm Parry as a fully fledged blogger (Scottish Sounds) in his own right, here's his review of the EP and gig...
