Ten Speed Racer have just emerged from an eight month hiatus ensconced in a secluded farmhouse in the West of Ireland with a brand-new EP entitled Girls And Magazines to be released this week. They’ve just signed to UK label Red Flag Records and have another single and a second album in the pipeline for the very near future.

Dublin outfit Speedman’s forthcoming second single is called ‘Best Sunday Suit’. If you can’t wait to hear it then download it from www.speedman.ie. The song has already been played on BBC Radio Ulster and the BBC Radio 1 Evening Session. Their first single, ‘Lovelost’ is still no. 4 in the Phantom FM Irish music chart and no. 10 in the station’s overall chart. Speedman have also just added former Daddy’s Car bassist Paddy Fagan to their ranks. ‘Best Sunday Suit’ will be available in early summer.

Judging by the sweet, sweet sounds included on an advance copy that has reached this deck, the sound of the summer will be the sophomore album from the Gary Lightbody-led Reindeer Section collective which numbers just about nearly every single band from Northern Ireland and Scotland in its ranks. Entitled Son of Evil Reindeer, the 12-track albums contains a multitude of jewels that have potential hit single written all over them, the first of which is the gorgeously addictive ‘You Are Joy’ which will be released on May 24th on Brightstar Recordings. The album follows on June 7th.

Another Irish musical genius, Kevin Shields from Dun Laoghaire, has handled production duties on the forthcoming as yet entitled Primal Scream LP alongside Andrew Weatherall and Jagz Kooner. A first single entitled ‘Miss Lucifer’ will be available in early summer. Kevin’s favourite MBV influence, The Sun Ra Arkestra, return to these shores on May 12th for a double header with The Jimmy Cake in the Red Box, aptly billed as “a sonic mix of the old and the new of sound experimentation.” Get your tickets pronto because the last SRA date was more than a little bit special.

The Frames are currently back in their studio in Kerry where they conceived much of the brilliant For The Birds album. Glen Hansard is just back from a solo tour in the Czech Republic. Meanwhile, the boys took time out from a recent US tour to record some more material in the Steve Albini-owned Electrical Audio studio in Chicago. ‘Headlong’ will be the next Frames single and will feature their best video yet – an animated tour de force from the Del-9 collective that stars a host of local characters including the late and sorely missed Mic Christopher.

Finally, whether you are Frames, Hives or White Stripes-bound for the May Bank Holiday, please make an extra special effort to attend The Sabbath on Sunday May 6th in Whelan’s as previewed in the last issue. Your £10 goes to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre while you get to see half a dozen or so of the city’s best acts. No excuses – just be there.