All CDs are €10, with post and packaging free for people in Ireland, €2 for people in the EU (UK included) and €3 for the rest of the world [€10 is approx: $11 or £7 GBP]

And watch this space for further offerings as the month goes on. Stake a claim to your key choices from this lot, and then stay tuned.
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The Mysterious Chords are a melodic acoustic three-piece from Dublin and their debut album Harrington Street features 10 songs rich in melodic content written by lead singer Pat Fagan. Recorded in Dublin at Resolution Studios and mixed at Peter Gabriel’s Real World studios in Bristol by Goldfrapp cohort Greg Freeman, this album is a must for fans of compelling acoustic guitar stylings and rich vocal harmonies. 

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Small Mercies is the fourth solo album from former Jubilee Allstar Barry McCormack. Considered a tireless Dublin eulogist since his days with the Allstars, Barry’s new record continues to chronicle his hometown’s fortunes. Recorded by Choice award-winning producer Stephen Shannon, the album finds Barry playing with a full band for the first time since he went solo and features some of the best local indie talent backing him up.

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Hailing from Co. Cork, Zombie Computer have quickly gathered a cult following on the strength of their no-holds-barred live performances. Their eponymous debut sees them collaborate with former Motown songwriter Leon Ware (him of Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye and Quincy Jones fame) and push their melodic and rhythmic sensibilities to the limit.

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The Minutes’ debut album Marcata takes its name from the upstate New York recording studio where the band nailed the record in a five-day blowout under the watchful eye of Kevin McMahon (The Walkmen, Titus Andronicus). James Felice of The Felice Brothers guests on a couple of tracks, with further contributions to the heady brew coming from John Goodmanson (Jaguar Love, Fight Like Apes, Catheters).

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Electro-pop peddlers Sleep Thieves have received high praise from every publication and blogger you can think of over the last 12 months, but now that their debut album has finally hit the shelves, these three Dubliners can really give themselves a pat on the back. Heart Waves builds on the Dublin trio’s already adored sound – it’s a feverish mix of killer dance beats, cleverly-programmed bleeps and dirty synths.

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With glowing endorsements from the likes of Paul Weller and Eddi Reader, among others, not to mention a huge following at home and abroad, you have to wonder why O’Rourke hasn’t broken through internationally. On the glorious Mag Pai Zai, his vocals are stronger than ever, reaching a sort of transcendence on ‘Be Brave And Believe’, and evoking the crooning sound of Tony Bennett and Peggy Lee on ‘Dancing Song’. A stellar collection.

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Yeh Deadlies’ The First Book Of Lessons is currently garnering generous praise from all corners for its sweet harmonies, cheery disposition and catchy hooks, but this is an album that also bristles with the melancholy of growing pains. Highlights include the punk pop wordplay of 7” single ‘Magazine’; the swing-band-meets-Lizzy strangeness of ‘Sophomore Evil’; and the droning kraut-rock of’Learning Chinese’.

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Powerhouse melodies, instrumental mayhem and all-out shriek rock dominate on this snappy 38-minute debut by Richter Collective grindcore outfit Hands Up Who Wants To Die. Clumsy and loutish in all the right ways, but also intelligently written and overflowing with heart – there’s no two ways about it, Buffalo, buffalo... is a brute of a record. We love the smell of Napalm Death in the morning.

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Through A Window In The Sunshine Room is the third album to be released by A Lazarus Soul, following 2001’s Alsrecord and 2007’s Graveyard of Burnt Out Cars. Featuring long-time collaborators Joe Chester and Tony Hegarty, his latest work also includes guest performances from Ger Griffin (Rollerskate Skinny) and Martin Kelly (Sun Bear/The Ruby Tailights).

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There are some really solid ‘Blue Monday’-era New Order moments on this ambitious debut by Cork’s Exit: Pursued By A Bear – ‘You Got Burned’ is a full-on techno floor-smasher, 'Amédée’ is blessed with a genius zigzagging blip interlude and closing track ‘Squirm’ has a charming apocalyptic flow. Elsewhere, ‘Charter Of Basic Principles’ is a groovesome mash of hefty percussion, jolting guitars and ricochet-ing bleeps. A genuine groove sensation.

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Replete with Beatle-esque pop melodies and heavenly Beach Boys-inspired harmonies, Duncan Maitland’s Lullabies For The 21st Century is a homegrown power-pop gem. The lo-fi delights on this stunning debut are sure to woo fans of sunny retro rock. Duncan is touring Ireland in March, with dates in Cavan, Dundalk, Dublin and Cork, as well as UK and Spanish dates.

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The 13 Dalis is the first release in 15 years by Patrick Campbell Lyons of '60s psychedelic art-rock outfit Nirvana (no relation to Kurt Cobain et al). Recorded in London, Spain and Morocco, the 13-tracker includes a special appearance by his Nirvana cohort, Greek multi-instrumentalist Alex Spyropolouss. From the shimmering 'Sunset City' to the nostalgic 'Flowers For Friday', The 13 Dalis will surely please fans of '60s favorites The Zombies and The Kinks.

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A fiesty record with bags of old-school rock 'n' roll charm, Sweet Jane's Sugar For My Soul was release last July to critical acclaim. The Irish Time dubbed them a "remarkably good live band, who blend loaded psych-rock and a sweet natured dream pop disposition with a clear affinity for the rockier sludgier end of Americana". Sweet Jane have been invited to play at SXSW in March, and release their first single in the UK, 'Close Your Eyes', on February 28.

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You won't find any new-age doohickeys on the credits of this LP, but Marc O'Reilly still serves up real flashes of brilliance. The hushed French mumblings on 'La Question; are hopelessly hip, the breakneck guitar on 'Tell Old Joe' is rather trilling and our master of ceremonies deserves massive props for managing to segue from Afro rhythms to near classical guitar so effortlessly on 'An African Day'.

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With swelling rhythms, delicate strings and a gorgeous, understates vocal, Aliens is a Latin-infused gem from Dubliner Owensie. José González is clearly and influence, but elsewhere 'Dark Place' chimes with Bossa Nova swing that could have come from the pen of the legendary Antonio Carlos Jobim and 'Tied To A Name' recalls the Moore brothers (Christy and Barry) in their most experimental moments.

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A burly, shaggy man with a big growly voice, Stefan Murphy writes gold-toothed Cathoholic blues tunes, ballads, shitkickers and swamp rock shanties, some of them odes to folk like Johnny Thunders and Jeffrey Lee Pierce. On TMS & the Baptists, his third album, Stef bellows protest songs, love songs, Saturday night out-of-it songs and Sunday morning coming down songs. Strong stuff.

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For the uninitiated, POP Scar is the moniker for an anonymous, mask-wearing musician based in Dublin and this is his debut album. Part of an increasingly popular (and nameless) genre where anything goes, Popscars calls to mind the inventive lunacy of the likes of Jinx Lennon, and our hero flits between Spanish influences (‘That Gypsy Grin’) and stark, spoken word pieces (‘Love On Colours’) with ease

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Bill Coleman released his debut album in 2003 back when he still had a real job. Since then he's performed regularly, both in Ireland and the UK, with various people (David Kitt, Heathers, Declan O'Rourke and Grant Lee Phillips to name but a few), on various stages (Oxegen, Electric Picnic, Castlepalooza) making waves with a guitar, a laptop and a whole load of live-recorded loops.

He released his second album 'You Can't Buy Back Your Life' in October of this year. Hot Press says it's "...a hugely satisfying collection of songs ... dynamic, punchy and sonically rich ... A triumph and a sure-fire hit!".

To individualise each album cover Coleman put 1,000 together and spray-painted them with the name of the record. This means each cover is unique, and numbered, making each one a little bit more personal and special than your run-of-the-mill record. Ideal Christmas stocking material!

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Clocking in at a snappy 34 minutes, the second album from Dublin one-man outfit Neosupervital seems to have been made with the dual intentions of making you shake your groove thang and leaving you hungry for more after the mirrorball stops spinning. Topped and tailed with a pair of blippy ‘Hello’ and ‘Goodbye’ tracks, disco anthem ‘Do What You Feel’ is a clear standout, boasting a bassline Chic legend Bernard Edwards would be proud of.

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Classically-trained cellist Vyvienne Long first came to our attention as a musical cohort of Damien Rice, but with debut album Caterpillar Sarabande, the Dublin lass finally has a chance to shine in her own right. You’ll already know the hopelessly cute ‘Happy Thoughts‘ from the even cuter Easy Singles ad, but rest assured the rest of her stunning debut is just as enticing.

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Dublin based band Tupelo are a lovely lil mix of bluegrass, folk, rhythm and roots, and their 11-track debut album Dirty Money is a fantastic feel-good album, including live favourites ‘Firefly’ and ‘Bad Man.’ The banjo has never been so cool.

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Clara Rose is a raw, original, Irish Roots musician. Her unique blend of raunchy blues, mesmerising folk and sultry roots are hard found in these troubled times.

Clara Rose is now joined by a 7 piece backing band. With Clara Rose on lead vocals and guitar they form, ‘Clara Rose & The Relatives’. Their much acclaimed show at Flat Lake Literary and Arts Festival (2009 & 2010) hurtled them onto the scene and they have since supported Don Baker in The Lost & Found in December 2009 and played at her album launch McKenna's Brewery in Monaghan and a stellar Dublin Album Launch in The Odessa Club on 10th September.

Throughout her career to date Clara Rose has played with such Irish legends as Horslips’ Johnny Fean, Brian Downey, Henry McCullough and Rob Strong.

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Led by versatile guitarist and songwriter Joe Cleere from Carlow, Cleere is a band with a renewed appetite for hard-driving virtuoso guitar rock. ‘Road To Nowhere’ is a stormer of an opening track, all free-range guitars and thundering drums, while ‘Sick Day (All A Joke)’ is superbly bolstered by the bold trumpeting of Ben Dooze.

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Avoiding using diva-esque lead guitarists and singers not only saves bands from getting bottled by angry fans at concerts (not that we’re thinking of anyone in particular), but it also allows them to focus on their slamming drum and bass section. Thread Pulls’ debut album New Thoughts is a sparse but spectacular futuristic album that lives up to the Dublin band’s live performances.

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Holy acoustic albums, Bat Kinane has been busy! The guitarist with hard rock outfit Glyder used the little free time he had to record A Lifetime to Kill, an eclectic mix of pastoral folk, blues and prog-rock that has touches of Thin Lizzy and Johnny Cash and is well worth a listen.

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Bringing some much needed oestregen to Irish electro music, Babybeef, aka Sarah Carroll Kelly’s debut album is a blend of 1980s plastic pop and dark electronic beats. Babybeef has already made several Ones To Watch lists in the Irish press (including making it onto HP’s own shortlist at the start of the year), and her irresistibly catchy album is sure to live up to the hype.

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A contestant from You’re a Star actually making a decent album? Never thought I’d see the day… Getting rave reviews in the US, My Sweet Elixer is an infectious and undiluted pop offering reminiscent of Paul McCartney and James Taylor, and is so sweet it may well induce a toothache.

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Belfast-native Stephen Maguire’s been a very busy boy these past three years, touring the length and breadth of Canada, but luckily, the folky crooner has managed to find the time to record his debut album Irish Soul. Honest, reflective and passionate, Irish Soul is chocked full of just that.

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Seraphim (debut) has been described by music industry insiders as the ideal album with which to soundtrack the coming Winter. Apart from sublime vocal performances from Bass herself, it comes with lush harmonies and an adventurous mix of songs from several genres, including rock, pop, classical and traditional. Bass’ high-class vocals on Seraphim are augmented by some of Ireland’s leading musicians, including arranger and pianist Peter Roycroft, Dave ‘Doc’ O Connor, and Leonie Bluett, whose clarinet became one of the central talking points on ‘Life On Mars’. Rebecca Rodgers and Orla Mulreid turned in delicious backing vocals too. The album was engineered and mastered by Niall Daly, and produced by Andrew Bass.

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Raw, powerful and uncontrived, It’s A Shame ... is a cocktail of old and not-so-old songs from blues vixen Gemma Ray. The LP, Ray’s second, includes covers by artists as diverse as Gun Club, The Cookies, Ella Fitzgerald, Obits, Mudhoney, Etta James and Buddy Holly. It’s a shame? It’s a masterpiece!

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The genre-straddling Liz is Evil have finally unleashed Failed Philosophy - an eclectic and electric slab of wax that reminds us why we fell in love with the Dublin band in the first place. Essentially a bit of a musical pick ‘n’ mix, they flirt with cowpunk (‘Mount Molehill’), 50s-esque rock ‘n’ roll (‘Beached’) and Primus-like, jazz inspired noodle-ry (‘If’) while also giving everything their own unique stamp.

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Trees is a record of 11 lovingly crafted songs exploring the intricacies of growing up, falling down, getting back up, smiling and reflecting upon it all. Positive, fun and just a little bit quirky, Keane’s left-of-centre approach shines bright on songs like lead single “Alice”. “Saw a Wave” and the hook-heavy “Microscopic” point to a brand new talent unafraid of experimentation, of blurring boundaries, but radio-friendly and accessible just the same.

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Spanning a career most guitarists would kill for, Snowy White presents In Our Time...Live, a unique chance to experience the Brit blues maestro doing what he does best. The Snowy White Blues Project have shared the stage with the likes of Thin Lizzy and Pink Floyd, and this album captures them at the height of their powers, playing at De Boerderij in Holland.

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After gaining a reputation for a carnivalesque live show, Dublin alt. poppers Grand Pocket Orchestra finally unleash their debut album on the universe. Building on two solid EPs, The Ice Cream is a ramshackle collection of eighteen charming lo-fi pop songs squeezed into a preposterous 36 minutes. As HP’s own Celina Murphy puts it, it’s a “bewildering, experimental, vicious little gem of a record.”

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The Candidates are a nine-piece band with a 4-piece raging horn section. Whilst collectively penning their own, home grown, funk instrumentals, dance floor busters and lyrical nuggets, they also sprinkle their live shows with some classic tunes and rare B-sides from 60’s and 70’s acts ranging from the likes of James Brown and Aretha Franklin to The Meters and Funkadelic.

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With a raw energy few artists can convincingly convey, Black Soul Strangers have already won the praises of many a reviewer, as well as comparisons to big hitters ike Coldplay. Tracks ‘The Haunting’, ‘Lies’ and ‘Animate’ convey a plethora of sounds, incorporating everything from a crashing drum across a studio floor to a 50-strong choral harmony.

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Best known for their subtle blend of acoustic rock, Frantic Jack follow the successes of two Top 20 chart singles with debut album Independence. With influences ranging from Dire Straits to Dave Matthews Band and Pearl Jam, the band has seamlessly molded their own unique sound and captured the attention of audiences across the country.

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Four years after the release of critically-acclaimed debut Smile...It Confuses People, Million-selling Scottish troubadour Sandi Thom is back with sophomore album Merchants and Thieves. Retaining her penchant for a kicking power melody and a trenchant lyric, the record adds a new blues

sensibility to the Thom repertoire.

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A kind of wonderful breezy jive dominates this, the debut LP by sunny instrumental foursome Enemies. Yet, the seven-minute epic ‘Creamist’ ends with a decidedly hardcore flourish, while the LP’s most thrilling track ‘Fierce Pit Bosses’ carries a sneaky funk underbelly. Sure, this is post-punk kept light and fluffly, but they’ve shaded it in in all the right places. An unwaveringly gorgeous first outing.

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Clocking in at a delicious 39 minutes, the first album from Jogging is relentless, gushing and ten times freer than your average debut. Tracks like ‘Fostered Foes’ and ‘Shape Up Shakedown’ keep the vocals to a minimum but opener ‘Threadbare’ uses Ronan Jackson and Darren Craig’s sporadic bellowing as a more of a focal point. Take note: this Dublin trio have real soul, teasing us from beneath a mass of dizzy guitar work and ferociously barked vocals.

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Following the acclaimed Poor Horse and We’re Smiling, Scott’s third album is her most personal to date. Twice nominated in the female category at the Meteor Awards, Scott’s songs vary from barebones acoustic sketches to grander piano –led material. She explores jilted folk, melodic blues and kitsch pop over the course these fourteen dark songs

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Finding inspiration in everything from Joyce and Wilde to The Smiths and The Pogues, A National Light is the debut LP by one of the most underrated acts around. Crammed with intricately arranged and lyrically resonant compositions like ‘Razors & Ropes’ and ‘A Mirror To A Woman (Is A Bullet In A Gun)’, The Rags are persistently mournful yet ultimately uplifting - this is one of the most head-rushingly potent Irish records in recent memory.

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The evocative, summery strains of ‘Long May You Reign’ was featured on the Northern Ireland Tourist Board ad earlier this year but that’s not to say it’s the only weapon in John Shelly And The Creatures’ rock arsenal. With a heavenly piano arrangement and distorted electronics, ‘Marley Street’ is almost ethereal, while ‘Heavyweight’ the album’s final salvo sounds like The Byrds-meets-Nirvana.

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The follow up to his mightily impressive Holy Shakers album of a few years back, Myna Birds was put together last year while Gavin Glass toured the US as part of Lisa Hannigan’s band. Steeped in Americana and recorded on analogue tape i Nashville, it features a cast of impressive luminaries, including members of The Jayhawks and Wilco. Terrific tunes like the powerful ‘Just Like Rome’ up the ante, with Glass’ distinctive vocals cutting through like a knife.

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The debut album from Dublin-based drag artist Veda, Stars Edge recently hit the top ten on Irish iTunes Album Chart and No. 2 on the Tower Album Chart. Veda continues to perform her camp, cult show at The George every week. On record, her upbeat, high energy electro pop draws its influence from the likes of Steve Strange and Boy George, as well as more recent acts such as MGMT and Patrick Wolf.

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An irresistible and powerful debut album from Navan lad Simon Fagan, Outside Looking In includes live favourites ‘Damn Honey’ and ‘Water’s Edge’ as well as the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) winning gem ‘Never Really Cried’. A classically-schooled musician, Fagan does well not to let his obvious muso credentials get in the way of penning quality pop songs.

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Thirteen years and seven recordings on from their internationally-acclaimed eponymous debut, Lunasa are back with their marvellous seventh LP. Lá Nua (New Day) sees inventive arrangements and bass-driven grooves steer the Celtic fivesome into surprising new territory.

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Irish band Glyder began their musical journey in 2004 at the annual Phil Lynott tribute gig Vibe For Philo. Three albums and two EP’s later, Glyder have developed a very distinguishable and unique sound, blending their classic rock influences with a truly modern sound. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow features a guest solo by one of rock’s finest guitarists, Dave Menketti from Y&T.

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Green Light Go is the debut album from Walter Mitty And The Realists, a band built to fill dance floors. Known for their a frenzied adrenalin- fuelled live shows, the winners of Indie Week Canada have managed to capture this energy in the studio, and thensome! Produced by The Cranberries sticks-man Fergal Lawler, this first offering from The Mittys is already being hailed as a masterpiece.

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One of Ireland’s leading session singers, Karen Coleman has spent two years writing and recording debut album No Secret. Recorded in two lake houses in the Irish

countryside with some additional sessions in Trieste, Italy, the album showcases Coleman’s definitive blend of jazz, soul and R n’B.

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Now a staggering 32 years in the business of making albums, we reckon Kildare singer-songwriter Luka Bloom is more than capable of summing up his tender new record himself. He says of Dreams In America; “I’m allergic to nostalgia...And yet, perhaps it’s ok to press the pause button for a moment, and reflect a tiny bit on experiences over a period of time. Not dwell too long; just feel it again, pay respect to the places and the people.”

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Described as an “all singing, all dancing extravaganza” by your humble publication, Gentlemen’s Club is the blistering, energetic debut album from Sligo-born pop-punk masters The Dead Flags. Produced by Karl Odlum, the album takes you on a journey from manic rockers to hooky pop-songs to reflective bawlers and full-on rockabilly work-outs.

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An alumnus of the Conor Oberst/Ryan Adams school of songwriting, Keith Mullins’ debut LP is a record of surprisingly pleasurable twists. Subtle strings, clever production and gentle backing vocals courtesy of Ciara Delaney all represent a fantastic support system for Galway man Mullins as he sings his sad little heart out, and the results are good enough to triumphantly set him

apart from the rest of the singer-songbots.

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Your humble publication has called Dubliner Brian “a huge talent” and there’s no better way to sample his infectious brand of pop-rock than on debut album ‘You’re An Electron I’m An Electron’. Possessing a wicked sense of humour and some seriously unique songwriting skills (if you don’t believe us check out a tune called ‘Carol Vorderman Counting Me Down’), this Canavan lad is one to watch.

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Long regarded as one of the finest and most uncompromising songwriters of his generation, Martin A. Egan presents The Tune, an album recorded between 1992 and 1997 and featuring performances from Donal Lunny, Keith Donald, Peter O’Toole, Don Baker, the late Jimmy Faulkner and other Irish musical luminaries. Released as a Special Limited Edition on his own Slinky Vibe label, the album represents for Egan “a triumph of the human spirit over the ghosts of the past”.

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Formed in 2007 after a change of personnel, attitude and clothes, The Last Tycoons evolved from highly acclaimed Dublin band Porn Trauma. Hailed as one of the hottest new things on the Dublin scene; with vintage sounding guitars, liberal use of harmonica and soulful backing vocals, there is

plenty to get excited about on Speed.

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Fresh from taking home the Best Traditional Artist gong at the Meteor Music Awards, Sharon Shannon’s eighth studio album Saints And Scoundrels is further testament to Shannon’s prowess not only as a musician and band leader, but also as a writer and producer. The multi-platinum selling accordion player has contributed new original instrumental compositions to the album and has co-written a song, ‘Shifting Summer Sands’ with Carol Keogh.

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Christie Hennessy’s death in 2007 left an enormous hole in the traditional music scene but daughter

Hermione is keeping his memory alive with Songs My Father Taught Me. A classically trained pianist, Hermione’s debut showcases a performer whose entire life has been steeped in the poetry and music of Ireland, with vocal stylings that remind of the likes of Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, right up to the beautiful and dramatic style of Ute Lemper.

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This fivesome first came to the public’s attention when they won Deis Roc on TG4, performing in front of a panel which included the legendary Jim Lockhart from Horslips. Named after the less than flattering nickname given to their local bus service, the 39, the Dubliners’ debut album Start Screaming Start Dreaming is brimming with infectious guitar-led rock.

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Jude Shiels is the son of Brush, who actually produced this album and added guitar and bass here and there. However, Shiels Junior is an inventive player in his own right – with an accomplished jazz-inflected Latin-American/bossa nova style that adds lustre to Without Silence. The drumming of Mack Hynes bring a sensitivity to the party that highlights Shiels’ expressive qualities as a guitarist and songwriter of style and taste.

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With elements of Sigur Rós and Elbow, Dublin/London foursome Pilotlight have already been hailed

as Ireland’s answer to Radiohead. The cerebral outfit have created an incredibly polished debut album in The Post War Musical, which is chocked full brooding and sweeping alt. rock that oozes confidence.

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Soisín is the ninth studio album from traditional/fusion band Kíla, Portraying a softer side to the band, the album is entirely instrumental and features violin, saw, guitar, mandolin, flute, uilleann pipes, double bass and percussion. Usually famed for their boundlessly energetic live performances, Soisin is music to rest, to reflect and even to cry to.

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Your humble publication has called Dubliner Brian “a huge talent” and there’s no better way to sample his infectious brand of pop-rock than on debut album ‘You’re An Electron I’m An Electron’. Possessing a wicked sense of humour and some seriously unique songwriting skills (if you don’t believe us check out a tune called ‘Carol Vorderman Counting Me Down’), this Canavan lad is one to watch.

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Dublin’s Unsigned... The Best Of, is a compilation CD of 14 tracks from 14 of Dublin’s most established unsigned artists. The compilation combines a plethora of genres from contemporary folk right through to electronic pop, showcasing the immense and varied aptitude of the current music scene. Released by Fatfux Records, Dublin’s Unsigned was created to showcase the individual quality of each act and to expose their music to a larger audience, in doing so encouraging the growth of our homegrown music scene.

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Sounds of System Breakdown are an electro-post-punk three piece who use guitars, drums, synths and a theremin to concoct a weird and wonderful brew of head-thudding riffs and danceable beats. Already legendary for their live performances, their self-titled debut album announces the arrival of a major new force in Irish electro.

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Dundalk five-piece Redtwelve have a well deserved reputation as a potent live force. That they’ve managed to capture their power and glory in the studio on this impressive debut bodes well for the future. From the buzz-saw guitar of opening cut ‘Unopposed’ to the Cure-like jangle of ‘Afraid’ and the low-key, almost pastoral acoustic folk of ‘Caught Inside’, their versatility is unquestionable.

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The Jades’ debut album is a collection of original songs written about life, love and everything in between. Renowned for a rollicking live show, Amber Skies is just a snap shot of what these girls

can do (you don’t find an all singing, all playing, all songwriting threesome everyday, not in Kilmuckridge anyway). With a show at this year’s Oxegen festival behind them, support slots with

the likes of The Bangles, The Saw Doctors and Damien Rice, a four star rating from Hot Press’s

very own Jackie Hayden, this is definitely an album to set to repeat.

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Described by our critic as ‘beautifully downbeat Americana’ that ‘wraps the listener in a ghostly embrace’, Texas outfi t Georgia’s House offer an album of sonic treats featuring bleak and menacing tracks like ‘Bugg Super Love Song’ and ‘Bloom’. The beautiful debut record features haunting vocals by frontwoman Teresa Maldonado, adding perfectly to the album’s haunted feel.

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Dublin outfit Vasco Junior have made an excellent debut with this album of dynamic rockers. The impassioned vocals, thumping bass and taut drums combine to make an irresistible sonic cocktail. Throw in lyrics fi lled to the brim with observational gems about everyday life and you have a mightily impressive debut album.

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Former Almighty frontman Ricky Warwick shows us he still has what it takes at the ripe old age of 42, with this, his most important work yet. Musically strong, the record is raw and honest, and marks the fi rst time where Warwick writes openly about his hometown. The powerful 11-track LP features tracks like the Waterboys-esque ‘The Arms Of Belfast Town’ and the anthemic ‘Punchin’ Thunder’.

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Described in a recent issue of Hot Press as “stonking Mexican-Irish stadium rock”, Simplifi res’ Why People Make Countries is an epic record, which has earned the group a four star review from HP’s Edwin McFee, along with shining recommendations from Rolling Stone and others. The group, made up of 3 Mexicans – Shine, Rodrigo and Alex – and one Irishman (lead singer daveO), have previously opened for bands like Ratatat, and have generated quite the buzz across the pond, playing a four week residency at a New York club n late 2008, where they wowed industry peeps and won many a new fan.

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