Well it's finally here, St Helens band TITORS INSIGNIA are releasing Get Yourself A Name - their long awaited,11 track follow-up album to Fair City Riots tomorrow. It includes their rock it out classic track Beg, Plead and Pray which featured on the Ralph's Life CD for mental health charity Rethink. The sleeve picture is the work of none other than the near legendary photographer, graphic designer, art director, video director and band manager Brian Cannon, whose best known work was the cover for the Oasis debut album Definitely Maybe...quite a coup for TITORS INSIGNIA! You can pre-order the album by clicking HERE...

Photo courtesy of AliKat Photography

1. Kiss like a Rattle snake

2. Lay it on the Line

3. Closing Time

4. Wake up Wake up

5. Forgiving Kind

6. I Need the Real Thing

7. Movin on

8. Beg, Plead & Pray

9. Get yourself a Name

10. Born this Way (but that's ok) 11. The Sky's The Limit

Now it's no secret Ralph's always up for a laugh and that he has a soft spot for raising mental health awareness after the Ralph's Life CD, so it's no surprise that when he heard there was a project in St Helens using comedy to help end mental health discrimination he quickly checked it out.

The Stand Up To Stigma project in St Helens is funded by Time To Change and they have established a Comedy Course in conjunction with The Comedy Trust alongside a number of events in the offing that are aimed at ending mental health discrimination through public interaction and the medium of laughter. This will culminate in an evening of stand-up comedy in St Helens at a venue and time that will be announced soon.

What's the connection between Ralph and mental health? Well Ralph's a dog and depression is sometimes called Black Dog and there's a big black dog in a very funny video by Time To Change called Wolfpack. That and the Ralph's Life CD to raise funds and awareness for Rethink Mental Illness of course!

Time to Change is England’s mental health anti-stigma programme run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness and funded by The Department of Health, Comic Relief and Big Lottery Fund. The programme is distributing grants to local community-led projects as part of its drive to improve public attitudes and behaviour in relation to mental health.

Stand Up To Stigma, which is led by people with mental health problems, will use the grant to establish meaningful and open conversations with others in the local area. The aim is to bring people who don’t have mental health problems into social contact with those who do. Evidence suggests that this kind of contact is one of the most effective ways of breaking down stigma and discrimination.

The project will run a series of short stand up comedy courses that use a variety of creative techniques to help develop the skills and confidence of people living with mental health problems. Each course will culminate in four comedy events taking place in local libraries across St Helens, where course participants will engage audience members through their stand up routines and one to one conversations which will enable them to talk about their mental health issues. The Stand Up To Stigma project will be delivered in partnership with Addaction, St Helens Mind and St Helens Council.

Picture courtesy of Andy Hollingworth

Stand Up To Stigma comedy events are the finale to the six week comedy course involving people with lived experience of mental health issues. The events will showcase the routines written and performed by our budding comedians and will be compered by Liverpool stand-up, Sam Avery. There will also be a chance to chat to the participants about their own experiences after they have performed. So please do come along, have a laugh and help us ‘stand up to stigma’. Comedy events are free.

You know that thing where you're waiting for a bus for hours and nine come along all at the same time? Well Folkstock Records have done just that, with not just one extremely talented female folk singer, but nine and all on the same album, Femme Fatales of Folk. Folkstock Arts Foundation cic nurtures, mentors, produces and promotes original acoustic talent. They support committed independent passionate performers in an environment of creative self expression, collaboration and hope.

There's the Joni Mitchell-like Kelly Oliver who has two tracks on the album. Here own composition, The Witch Of Walkern and a gentle rendition of one of Ralph's long time favourites Caledonia by Dougie McLean. Kelly is a folk singer/songwriter, guitarist and harmonicist, influenced mainly by acoustic music and traditional Irish folk music. After graduating, working for a year, and then travelling around Europe, Argentina and Brazil, she decided in April 2013 to pursue her enjoyment in music.

That's followed by a Marina Florance track The Path he Chose which is very much in the style of the American folk protest songs with its strong message of the futility of sending young men to war. Based in Norfolk she's been writing popular folk and acoustic tracks for many years. About five years ago she found herself in demand as a performer of her own material and somewhat reluctantly stepped into the limelight.

45 Fever by Zoe Wren has a much more contemporary feel, with a poignant lyric simply and beautifully sung, strong stuff for one so young. A native of London's Camden she's been performing regularly across the South of England, charming audiences with her confident style with hints of Janis Ian or Buffy Sainte-Marie.

Fourth artiste on the album is Daria Kulesh and the delightful Fake Wonderland. This singer songwriters soaring, evocative vocal on the track takes the listener on a musical journey and her Russian roots are reflected in her music. Intertwined with multicultural influences she has experienced on her turbulent and exciting journey through life, Daria performs and records both solo and with her band KARA.

Next up we have the youthful Kaity Rae and again she has a more contemporary feel to her acoustic track It Is. The 17 year old, now based in North London also has an EP of her own on the way which I'll be keeping an eye and an ear open for.

She has just finished studying vocals at the Institute in London, is about to start a songwriting degree and won a Best Songwriter Award at the Love Folk Live Showcases in early 2014.

The Minnie Birch track Wise Words is another with an 'up to date' folk feel to it. Subtle and simple, it's a musical delight. Originally from Watford she's now based in Hemel Hempstead and has not only had radio plays on her local station but also attracted the attention of Radio 1. Word on the street is she'll be supporting Joan Armatrading again on her next tour!

German born Roxanne De Bastion brings us the unusually titled Here's Tom With The Weather. There's a certain musical darkness to the track which is almost offset by her silky vocal. Roxanne arrived in the UK having bought a one way ticket from her native Germany in 2007. A somewhat independent character, she has been touring the UK and more recently Europe and is a full time musician with her debut album The Real Thing gained her a lot of respect.

The Helen Chinn track Second Chance is made notable by her crystal clear vocal and the musicality of her simple acoustic guitar.

Helen has much experience playing in Folk Clubs (and similar events and venues) as a support and main act. Her influences include, Sandy Denny, Kate Bush and Joni Mitchell.

The final track on the album, Blue Spiral Screams by Fay Brotherhood is probably the most vocally distinctive, yet traditional sounding on the album. It almost has hints of early Jethro Tull and for me the standout track. Musically, Fay is renowned for the strength, dynamic range and individual sound of her vocals alongside her sometimes punchy, sometimes haunting, earthy melodies and distinctive home made stage attire.

Ralph's been a fan of Edinburgh singer/songwriter Kat Healy since hearing her track 'The Haunting' which featured on her debut album back in 2012, Be Still Gentle Kind. The good news is she's releasing a new five track EP today (11th August) called When You Are Gone on digital download and a limited edition CD. Once again it's produced by Gary Boyle at Edinburgh's Depot Studios and it coincides with tour dates commencing in Glasgow on the 14th of August and onwards until Stuttgart in December.

Kat Healy is a singer songwriter with a striking ability to take an audience on a heartfelt journey with her music; singing songs filled with catchy hooks and phrases that stay with you long after you've stopped listening.

Her stage presence mixes vulnerability with good humour whilst still allowing her voice to stand out amidst her songs; songs which have the ability to touch even the hardest of hearts, establishing her as distinctive songwriter, who has style and a unique vocal ability that is as striking as any of her female contemporaries.

When You Are Gone is a short but delightfully reflective collection of beautifully crafted songs that delight the listener. Lead track No Heroes is a gentle ballad that flows seamlessly into Fly, Little Bird and the slightly countrified Sorry. That vibe continues with the retrospective feeling Weatherman and poignant final track When You Are Gone. The EP is a tribute to Kat Healy's songwriting and her bands consummate musicality.

Tour Dates 14/08/14 - Glasgow - Broadcast 20/08/14 - Edinburgh - Sophi's Bar 31/08/14 - Glasgow - The Record Factory 07/09/14 - Dublin - The Sunday Roast 10/09/14 - Dublin - The Zodiac Sessions 04/10/14 - Birmingham - Cafe Ort 23/12/14 - Stuttgart - Sideways Bar

Ralph's recently been listening to a lot of 'proper' music for 'grown ups' and in this category comes the recently released EP King Of Crows by Sheffield band Braver Than Fiction. It's a collection of four live tracks that set off vocalist Mel's bluesy infused vocals against some snazzy Steampacket-esque Hammond organ-ising. It's music for the headphones on, with a glass of red and being transported to the Monterey Jazz Festival back in the day when Johnny Otis would put on another of his infamous discoveries (like Etta James).

The EP is a mini classic of atmospheric retro styled, blues soaked, soulful tracks written and sung by Braver Than Fiction's Mel whilst ably assisted by the musical stylings of Adam (bass), Jason (keyboards), Paul (drums), Martin (guitar). Obvious similarities will be drawn to early Fleetwood Mac, although I'm more drawn to the comparison with a young Elkie Brooks in her Vinegar Joe days.

From the start of lead track Candle Blind, with its thrumming bass leading into that Hammond organ and sultry vocal through the more upbeat Mr Jones (Fear Of Falling) to the excellent, classy Once Bitten, Twice Shy it's evocative of the best of the 60's blues bands but with a more current edge. The eponymous King Of Crows is available only on the EP if you're downloading from Braver Than Fiction's Bandcamp and it rounds off the release in style with its soulful, uplifting sound being all the more enjoyable having been recorded live (yet with no loss of quality).

Take your chance to experience the tracks live as Braver Than

Fiction are gigging from next week so keep an eye on their Twitter for updates. In the meantime all current dates are below...watch out for

Ralph at their gig on The Wirral.

Sunday August 24th, 2014

Dove and Rainbow, Sheffield

Wednesday September 10th, 2014

The Green Room, Sheffield

Saturday September 13th, 2014

Magners Original Sessions, Manchester

Wednesday October 8th, 2014 The Washington, Sheffield

Friday October 17th, 2014 The South Sea, Sheffield

Wednesday November 19th, 2014

International Guitar Festival of Great Britain, Wirral

Ralph's Pinterest

OK bands you know the score.....

the more hits your blog gets by the fans.....

the higher you go.....

So Tweet it, Facebook it.....

and generally expose yourself.....

Now Mr Snuggles and me have been sitting with our heads down counting the

hits on each bands blog to see who's got which place.

So here it is.....

The Top Ten Blogged Band Chart .....

No 1..... Wullae Wright

Ralph's previously blogged Wullae Wright and it's proved to be the most well read of any over the last couple of years. Needless to say it was good news when Wullae Wright got in touch to say he was releasing 'Superhero' as a single. The story of the song is no less poignant than Wullae Wright's plaintive vocal which, overlaid on subtle acoustic guitar with an orchestral background is just as heart wrenching as the single's message.

No 2.....The Low Countries

Back in October of last year it was with a heavy heart that Ralph reported on The Invisible Ray, an album that was to be the swansong of The Low Countries (mainly comprised of Nigel Parrington and Els D'hooge). Ralph had a chat with Nigel at the time and he reported that he felt 'all songed out'.

No 3.....Villiers

Ralph's been keeping an eye on Lancashire lads Villiers for a bit now

and, with the imminent release of a Double A Side single (You're Not

Alone/Nowhere Left To Run) as a follow up to the excellent 'Dancer',

this seemed as good a time as any to spread the good musical word.

They're very much in the same mould as London electro

boys Thumpers or Resonate from Sheffield, but with a bit of a mean

and moodier edge as shown on 'Dancer'.

No 4... Sonic Hearts Foundation

Seeing as Ralph's heading on a road trip home soon, it's about time a few Scottish bands were featured. The first being Sonic Hearts Foundation from Glasgow, who Ralph gave a spin on last Sunday's Indie Show on Radio KC. They're releasing a new Single 'Afterlife' on August 11th and it's a follow up to their critically acclaimed 'Into Forever' EP.

No 5....Broken Witt Rebels

Ralph's featured Birmingham band Broken Witt Rebels a couple of times now on his Radio KC Indie Show and always to some great feedback, so it was with great interest that he checked out their newly released EP Howlin'. Released this week, it's five tracks of bluesy, gutsy and downright nasty rock 'n' roll in the style of Bad Company or Family from back in the day. Lean, mean, punch you in the face and buy you a drink after tunes, proper music for grown ups.

No 6....Jane Allison

It's no secret Ralph's a fan of crowdfunding and when he heard that Welsh singer songwriter and actress Jane Allison Stanness would be releasing her debut solo Americana album “Just Another Girl” under the name Jane Allison using Kickstarter it was time to investigate.

No 7.....Braver Than Fiction

Ralph's recently been listening to a lot of 'proper' music for 'grown ups' and in

this category comes the recently released EP King Of Crows by Sheffield

band Braver Than Fiction. It's a collection of four live tracks that set off

vocalist Mel's bluesy infused vocals against some snazzy Steampacket-

esque Hammond organ-ising.

No 8.....The Bedroom Hour

Ralph doesn't usually put blogs out on a Friday, what with the weekend being sacred and all, however when he heard that The Bedroom Hour were releasing their new album Hinterland on the 11th of July he made an exception and wound up the turntable. There's a couple of old favourites on there in Nocturnal and Heart Will Haunt, but it's the new material that intrigues.

No 9.....TITORS INSIGNIA

Well it's finally here, St Helens band TITORS INSIGNIA are releasing Get Yourself A Name - their long awaited,11 track follow-up album to Fair City Riots tomorrow. It includes their rock it out classic track Beg, Plead and Pray which featured on the Ralph's Life CD for mental health charity Rethink.

No 10..... Kat Healy

Ralph's been a fan of Edinburgh singer/songwriter Kat Healy since hearing her track 'The Haunting' which featured on her debut album back in 2012, Be Still Gentle Kind. The good news is she's releasing a new five track EP today (11th August) called When You Are Gone on digital download and a limited edition CD. Once again it's produced by Gary Boyle at Edinburgh's Depot Studios and it coincides with tour dates commencing in Glasgow on the 14th of August and onwards until Stuttgart in December.