We are delighted to exclusively reveal details of the sophomore album from The Redneck Manifesto, who are getting better by the day and becoming one of the hottest local tickets around. Less than a single year after last summer’s outstanding debut ThirtySixStrings they are poised to unleash Cut Your Heart Off From Your Head. It is believed to be a very different beast to last year’s offering with sources close to the band remarking that both the recordings and songs are absolutely stunning. Production duties were yet again handled by Alan O’Boyle of dEcal fame. Richie, Mattie, Mervyn, and Nially have also signed up for a publishing deal with none other than Rough Trade, home of The Strokes and all things cool and loud.

Dublin’s newest power punk four piece Delorentos have made their debut EP We Are Machines available from Road Records. Not just one but two tracks from said EP were shortlisted in the hotpress/Bacardi 100 best songs of the year. If you can’t drop into the Fade Street emporium then get online at delorentos.com.

Bargain of the fortnight comes from Embers who have a two-track demo available from Road for the grand total of one measly Euro.

How’s this for original gig promotion? Deputy Fuzz launch their album with The Dudley Corporation at an all-ages afternoon show on the Saturday of Paddy’s Weekend in Whelan’s. You only pay four euro in if you present a flyer or a picture of James Dean. Their debut long-player Music for Toys will be handled by Catchy Go Go and support comes from the intriguingly named Clancy and the Buckle Bunnies who have contributed a track to the Rockets Are Heavy compilation CD. Meanwhile, the Dudleys, or The Corpo if you prefer, have no less than a whopping five seven inches on the way.

The forthcoming EP from Limerick quintet Woodstar called Time To Bleed is on heavy rotation on the Homework Sound System this week. Winners of the hotpress/Bacardi Plugged competition 2001, their debut release combines Beach Boys-style harmonics with a delicious alt-country suss to form a cracking five-track package. It’ll be in all good shops from mid-April on Regal Recordings who also have the ever-brilliant Beta Band on their roster.

The Shades are the latest five-piece ensemble to keep an eye and ear on from Cork. The central writing duo includes Graham White and Raymond Scannell (formerly of Smooth), who are joined by bassist Kieran Curtain (Bass Odyssey), Michael Heffernan on flute and scratch artist DJ Colm Kennifick (Go Deep). Undoubtedly the most enticing line-up of this, or indeed, any other fortnight. Keep on jamming in the free world!