Ralpheene

Ralpheene consistently performs an amazing live show. On March 2, they played in Sunland Park, N.M. at Ardovino's Desert Crossing with DixieDeer and Low Luster League. They always manage to get crowds cheering and leave them plenty pumped-up for the follow-up band. This definitely makes Ralpheene a tough act to follow. Their songs are jagged, yet graceful, snapshots of youthful angst, heartache and longing, accompanied by speaker-busting power chords. Read more on Last.fm …read full bio

Ralpheene consistently performs an amazing live show. On March 2, they played in Sunland Park, N.M. at Ardovino's Desert Crossing with DixieDeer and Low Luster League. They always manage to get crowds cheering and leave them plenty pumped-up for the follow-up band. This definitely makes Ralpheene a tough act to follow. Their songs are jagged, yet graceful, snapshots of youthful angst, heartache and longing, accompanied by speaker-busting power chords. Ralpheene is a band that people can identify with because, who doesn't feel or experience the harsh shortcomings of love or silly crushes? The trio hails from the Lower Valley of El Paso and is made up of Peregrino, his younger brother Michael Isaac on drums and Ray's girlfriend Michelle Delgado on bass guitar. Their sound combines the early rock 'n' roll sounds of Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison, along with the power-chord fuzz of alternative '90s music. What makes Ralpheene stand out is the strained heart-wrenching vocals of Peregrino, which add a certain gravity, laced with bubbly-eyed innocence and gives the group's songs an indie-pop rock structure that many bands are struggling to find and figure out. The fantastic rhythmic foundation of bassist Delgado's steady groove and melodic acrobatics and the snarl and punch of Michael Isaac's drums guarantee that fans and newcomers to the band's sound will be moving and shaking their hips and feet. At night, these three individuals transform into a powerhouse of slashing guitar chords, with sensual, yet compelling bass and bravado-laced rock 'n' roll drumming. During the day, however, they become regular people participating in every day life. By day, Ray Peregrino washes cars at Enterprise Rent-A-Car's airport location. Delgado is a senior history major at UTEP and a substitute teacher with the Ysleta Independent School District. She also designs and sells wallets and handbags. Michael Isaac is a full-time junior English major at UTEP with a minor in education. The group first formed in 2004 and named themselves "Closure for Emily". Ray Peregrino and Delgado had both played in a Deftones cover band, but Ray grew tired of emulating their songs and began writing and developing his own. He had been playing in bands since he was 12 years old, learned how to play the piano at age 10 and was able to pick up the guitar with ease. "My dad bought me a chord book and I basically taught myself," Ray Peregrino said. Delgado learned how to play bass when she was in middle school. She had always participated in the school band and one summer she became interested in the bass. She quickly became adept at the instrument and played in her middle school and high school jazz band. Her transition from formal jazz recitals to full-blown rock 'n' roll music and performance was not easy. "At first, I wouldn't know what to do up on stage," Delgado said. "I wasn't nervous, just really shy and now I feel really comfortable. I could get up on stage and play, but I still can't speak in front of people." Michael Isaac began playing drums when he and a friend each chipped in half to purchase a drum set from Wal-Mart. He learned how to play by following along to Misfits records and other punk music. Like most rock 'n' roll drummers, he provides the anchor for the group, but has a reserved personality. Although he is loud and bold during shows, he is soft spoken in nature and has only one worry while playing live. "I try not to drop the drumsticks. That's the main thing that's going on in my head," Michael Isaac said. Michael Isaac and his friends tried starting a punk band, but the group never materialized. The drum set Isaac and his friend had purchased remained at the Peregrino's house and inadvertently provided the seed of Ralpheene's growth. "He began developing his sound and he sounded good, so I brought in my guitar and amp and started playing along with him." Ray said. The trio soon congealed into a sound rock 'n' roll group and began booking shows. Ralpheene's Influences: Pixies, Fugazi, Misfits, Radiohead, Elvis Costello and The Attractions, Stiff Little Fingers, (early) Weezer Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.

…shrink me down again