Tyre are a brand new two bass player hard rock machine that feature Brian Bradley ex Holemasters, Richie Egan of The Redneck Manifesto/Jape/David Kitt band, Al Power ex Black Belt Jones and drummer Graham Hopkins formerly of Therapy? and currently with the Gemma Hayes and Kittser touring bands.

Hi-Rise are due to go into the studio next month with Alan O’Boyle to record their third single. They also support The Walls at the Ambassador, which will be the Galway outfit’s biggest headliner yet. In response to persistent requests from their fans, they are planning to re-release classic album from The Stunning Paradise in the Picturehouse on their Earshot Records imprint...

Babelfish have just released their second EP Conversations With Robots featuring four new tracks including a co-production with Jimmy Behan of Kin Recordings fame. Chris Agnew who was responsible for a mix of U2’s ‘Elevation’ has requested to remix the lead track ‘Addicted’. Babelfish are also on the tracklist of Phantom Volume One - a compilation featuring Phantom FM favourites from national and international acts including Therapy?, The Walls, The Frames and Turn....

The Connect4Orchestra follow their highly successful date with Fugazi with the release of their debut album entitled Chisel to the Hip on Greyslate. The Wormholes crawled out of a rather lengthy hiatus with a gig with The Dudley Corporation and Swearing at Motorists this week. Let’s hope there are a few records in the pipeline...Heard their lost classic debut Chicks Dig Scars in a record shop lately and it sounded sublime...

A spilt 7” from Australian band Ninety Nine and local band Estel will be released in the coming months...The Holy Ghost Fathers are putting the finishing touches to their debut album Cock of the Walk...Dublin rock legends Female Hercules play with Columbus, Ohio band New Bomb Turks this week…

The Evangelists have just made it onto a compilation in association with the Nothern Irish Music Industry Commission. Metal Hammer will include the Evangelists track ‘Microwave Man’ on a compilation to be distributed on their NU-BREED tour of the UK. The track list also includes Northern bands Payola, Zerotonin, Nil, Corrigan, Clearshot and Riff Master General….

Happy first Birthday to the Helter Shelter crew who break the b-day bubbly at the end of this month. Helter Shelter have been keeping dancefloors safe for rock n’ roll and good wholesome music for the last 12 months… On an indigenous hip-hop tip, Creative Controle have shows with Blackalicious and Dalek lined up in the near future.

Finally, the real comeback of November is an exclusive live set from Jimi Shields fomerly of Rollerskate Skinny and brother of Kevin of My Bloody Valentine fame. Jimmy will play with Mercury Rev flautist Suzanne Thorpe at Whelan’s later this month alongside the legendary J Mascis…