Mysterious three-piece Rollers/Sparkers (pictured) have just made available their debut release ‘Geography For The Leaving’, a gorgeously packaged affair that boasts a painting by Gavin Duvet and design by Dylan Roche. The outfit also appears on Lazybird Vol. 2 & 3 Live and Improvised Studio Selection from the Lazybird Sunday sessions at the International. Other artists in the stew include Formika, The Wormholes, The Jimmy Cake and Ambulance. www.lazybird.org.uk will provide all your information needs and details of forthcoming attractions.

Bacardi/hotpress Band of the Year finalists 2002 The CrayonZ have just released their third single ‘Anything That Can Fly’ on Rachel Records. They recorded a Fanning Session last year and were featured on the unsigned band slot on XFM. The CrayonZ also managed to get both sides of their ‘Bringing The Conversation Down’ single in the top ten playlist at Phantom FM.

Scribble released their debut album entitled Thought For The Day before Christmas with a Magical Mystery Tour in the Cork area, culminating in a gig with Niall Connolly & The Token Mellow Band in the Half Moon.

Martin Finke has just finished recording his new album in Scotland with Joss Moorkens of The Dudley Corporation and Joan of Arse and Richie Egan of The Redneck Manifesto and Jape. Expect a late February release…

Kid Icarus have put out another EP called Kodak Colour Moment. Go to www.kidicarus.net for mp3’s, info etc.

3 Miles is a bona fide collector’s item compiling the three singles lifted from Gemma Hayes’ all conquering long player Night On My Side - ‘Hanging Around’, ‘Let A Good Thing Go’ and ‘Back of My Hand’. Her 2003 activities resume with a tour with the Counting Crows.

Stephen Hero aka Patrick Fitzgerald will be playing shows with Jack L in Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim and The Soft Boys in Dublin this month. One Little Indian will be releasing a two-disc best of from Patrick’s former band Kitchens Of Distinction. He is also recording some new Stephen Hero material and rehearsing his Volcano Theatre Musical, This Imaginary Woman, with Fern Smith for performance in Cardiff and London.

Thumped.com raised over €900 for The Irish Cleft Lip and Palate Association at their Christmas beano that starred The Rednecks, The Chalets, The Dudley Corporation and Large Mound alongside a host of thumped and thumping party people playing records. Fair play for displaying the self-depreciating humour to christen the event The Scene That Celebrates Itself. I’m sure 2003 will see a lot more self-celebration, good times and good music.

Forward The Revolution is the first of a number of tours in 2003 to introduce four bands at the cutting edge of Cork independent music to the Irish gig circuit. The first line up will comprise of Fred, The Rulerz Of The Planet (from the ashes of Semi and The Shanks and fronted by Leeside Messiah Barry MacAuliffe), Rest and Army Dreamers featuring ex-Cyclefly drummer Jean Michel Cavello. Cork, Limerick and Dublin are first up in January and the rest of the world in February.