This fortnight's Hot Press is our Electric Picnic special to celebrate we've teamed with O2 to put together a collection of the best Irish talent to grace the festival in a 16 track free CD. There’s something here for everyone; in fact, it’s the perfect picnic spread! Not only that, but we've got some of the bands in question to preview the festival for you (and us!!)

Dark Room Notes, One Day International, Vivienne Long, Rollers/Sparkers, Alphastates & Boss Volenti tell us about their song on the cd and what they're looking forward to at EP

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Un-Laoised features the following crackers! 1. The Flaws - 'Out Tonight' From Carrickmacross in Monaghan, indie four-piece The Flaws have built up a devoted following on the back of their critically acclaimed 2007 debut album Achieving Vagueness. The album was nominated for a Meteor Award and the Choice Music Prize, and the group have landed slots at Glastonbury, Indie-pendence and Castle Palooza. The 2008 Electric Picnic will see Paul Finn and the boys making their second appearance at the festival.
2. BOSS VOLENTI- 'Shake The Taste' n Featuring former Therapy? member Graham Hopkins on drums, Dublin rockers Boss Volenti first made an impact in early 2006 with their top 40 debut single, ‘Deeper Than Deep’. Later the same year, the band released their eponymous debut album, and 2007 saw them nominated in the Best New Irish Act category at the Meteor Awards. They’ve also notched up an impressive array of support slots, playing with the likes of The Frames, Republic Of Loose and We Are Scientists.
3. DARK ROOM NOTES - 'Shake Shake My Ceiling' Since forming in Galway in 2004, Dark Room Notes’ dark electro-pop has earned them comparisons with such luminaries as Joy Division and Interpol. Last year saw the group release their debut EP and embark on a nationwide tour, while they recently topped the Viewers’ Choice Poll on series six of Other Voices. Of late, the band have been hard at work on their debut album.
4. ALPHASTATES- 'Human Nature' Alphastates caused quite a stir with their 2004 debut album Made Of Sand, a supremely accomplished collection of electronica, pop and rock. The group subsequently won several awards, played festivals across Europe and made numerous TV appearances. To Un-Laoised, the band have contributed ‘Human Nature’, the title-track of their eagerly anticipated second album.
5. RÓNÁN Ó SNODAIGH- 'Row Away' In addition to his work with folk stalwarts Kíla, Rónan Ó Snódaigh has also had a successful career as a solo artist. To date, he’s released four albums; Playdays, Tonnta Ro, Tip Toe and The Last Mile Home (from which ‘Row Away’ is taken). A man of many talents, O Snodaigh has also written several volumes of poetry and collaborated with artists such as Soul Flower Union, Nina Hynes and Dead Can Dance.
6. KORMAC- 'Kormac's House'' Last year saw Dublin hip-hop producer Kormac release his debut solo record, The Scratch Marchin’ EP, which was lauded by the likes of DJ Food, Bonobo and DJ Yoda. He’s since released a second EP, The Good Lord, and made numerous live appearances, both as a DJ and with a full band line-up. Kormac recently completed two film soundtracks, and plans to release his debut album next year.
7. ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL- 'Sleeping On Trains' Dublin five-piece One Day International have played with the likes of Crowded House, Elbow, Richard Hawley and Josh Ritter, and performed at Hard Working Class Heroes and CMJ. Their debut album, Blackbird, recorded in Nick Seymour’s Dublin studio and mastered by legendary engineer Greg Calbi, will be released on October 3.
8. MARK GEARY- 'Angel' Mark Geary debuted in 2003 with 33 1/3 Grand Street, before making a big breakthrough with the following year’s Ghosts, which received widespread critical acclaim and went gold in Ireland. Earlier this year Geary released the follow-up album, Opium, another superb record from one of Ireland’s most gifted singer-songwriters.
9. ROLLERS/SPARKERS- 'Cie Action Figures' Dublin experimentalists Rollers/Sparkers first came to prominence four years ago with their album Second Level Crossing, a mix of post-rock, dream-pop and general musical weirditude. The group recently got around to releasing the follow-up, Hames, another superb collection of off-kilter gems that shows they still haven’t lost their appetite for deconstruction.
10. AUTAMATA- 'Watching The World' The brainchild of producer Ken McHugh, Autamata debuted in 2004 with the album My Sanctuary, songs from which popped up in many an advertisement and film. The follow-up record, Short Stories, proved equally as popular with ad execs and movie directors, and also saw the band embark on a European tour. Earlier this year Autamata released Colours Of Sound, a record distinguished by the kind of imagination and diversity that has become McHugh’s hallmark.
11. KÍLA- 'Boy Racer' Kíla have been one of the most popular and influential Irish folk acts since debuting in 1991 with the album Groovin’. They’ve since released a string of superb albums and earned widespread acclaim for their powerful live performances. The group recently released the concert film Once Upon A Time, which has been praised by the likes of Bono, Kevin Godley and Neil Jordan.
12. CHEQUERBOARD- 'Toy Winds' The lush and textured soundscapes of producer John Lambert, aka Chequerboard, have earned him a devoted cult following. Last year, Lambert received a music fellowship from the Model Arts & Niland Gallery in Sligo, where he spent the year working on his latest album, Penny Black. A meticulously crafted record of guitar-led atmospherics, it was released in February to widespread critical praise.
13. VYVIENNE LONG- 'Late, Always' Cellist Vyvienne Long is renowned for her contributions to Damien Rice’s hit albums O and 9, but has increasingly been making a mark in her own right. Having performed a superb cover version of The White Stripes’ ‘Seven Nation Army’ for Even Better Than The Real Thing Vol 2, Long released the Birdtalk EP in 2006. In recent times, she’s been busy working on her eagerly anticipated debut album.
14. ADRIAN CROWLEY- 'Walk On Part' Adrian Crowley has to date released four albums, including the Steve Albini-recorded When You Are Here You Are Family and the Choice Music Prize-nominated Long Distance Swimmer. He’s opened for the likes of Jose Gonzalez, Howie Gelb and Badly Drawn Boy, and is a favourite with both critics and fellow artists, including Ryan Adams, who namechecked him in Rolling Stone.
15. FISH GO DEEP AND TRACEY K-'Lil' Hand' Vocalist/lyricist Tracey K first teamed up with Corkonian production duo Fish Go Deep for 2006’s ‘The Cure And The Cause’, a record which found favour with many a DJ worldwide. Since then, the trio have toured extensively and worked on an album. If recent single ‘Battery Man’ is anything to go by, it should be a cracker.
16. The Japanese Popstars - 'Total Distorted Mayhem' Derry electro-dance act The Japanese Popstars have been generating a huge buzz, winning a slew of awards, remixing a number of big-name artists and securing a series of high-profile DJ slots. Their recently released debut album, We Just Are, received huge critical acclaim and the group have been attracting comparisons to the likes of The Chemical Brothers, Underworld and Justice. As well as the Electric Picnic, this autumn the boys will be visiting Ibiza, Australia and – of course – Japan.

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