Martin Finke has returned to Ireland after four years in the States. In America he played with Katell Keinig, Glen Hansard and Mundy in Boston, Northampton and New York. A native of Clifden, Co. Galway, Martin’s debut album Let It Ring is available now on Mango Music. He intends to release another studio album later this year.

Limerick noiseniks Giveamanakick (sic) and Mr. Creosote have just released a split single on Rockhopper Records. For more info, visit the Limerick based Aspersion Music collective online at theamc.net. The long awaited ‘The Fear Is Here’ 12” features the talents of Deasy (aka Dave Cleary), Droid, Slug and Ambulance within an exquisitely simple and eye-catching package.

And as yet un-named Dublin supergroup including members from The Things, The Subtonics, Listo and Miles Judge are responsible for a new 24 hour party people anthem entitled 8 Miles To The Nearest Spar – a thumping ode to being cold, hungry and skint after an all-nighter in the middle of nowhere. As they put it themselves; “You root through your pockets only to find out that the crisp E10 note you thought you had was actually a crumpled up flyer for Switch with the phone number of DJ Phat Balls on the back, a lesser known tune spinner from Carlow who you spent all night chatting to but wouldn’t be able to identify in daylight if the safety of the state depended on it. You can only look at your friends at this point because the sheer thought of starting another conversation is giving you a worry rash on your brain.” Yep, think we’ve all been there...

The Evangelists are smack bang in the middle of a launch tour for their new CD This Is A Real Rabbit with dates in Buncrana, Derry, Strabane, Dungannon, Belfast and Dublin. Longford hardrockers Saibhir have also released their debut album called Truth Or Dare.

Future Kings Of Spain certainly aren’t Spanish, but they are rather special. A trio including Joey Wilson, Tony Wilson and Bryan McMahon, they have already supported the mighty legend J. Mascis. Earning their live stripes with JJ72 and TenspeedRacer, the threesome are poised to unleash their debut single ‘A Place for Everything And Everything In Its Place’. They do a single launch party thingy in the TBMC alongside the hotly touted Berkeley, Boxes and Roscoe on Wednesday September 4. Make way for the new rawk royalty.