Dirty mitty things

Limerick is the scene of much creative activity at the moment… Walter Mitty and the Realists are applying the finishing touches to their debut album, due for release this summer whilst bluesy rockers Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters launched their ‘Homeward Bound And Gagged’ single last week in Baker Place, with Hot Sprockets and Last Days Of Death Country supporting. The track is taken from the forthcoming EP Congress Of Oddities, and downloadable from www.myspace.com/foxjawbountyhunters.

Since their eponymous debut EP in 2007 FJBH have shared the stage with Against Me, Giveamanakick, Ham Sandwich and Concerto For Constantine. They were also invited by the KXLU 88.9FM Los Angeles (famous for breaking Rage Against The Machine and Red Hot Chili Peppers) to play an hour-long set when they were on the road in the States last year. Since then they’ve enjoyed regular airplay on the station. They’re one of the many local acts who’ve featured on the excellent indielimerick.blogspot.com. Before leaving the Treaty City, a quick plug for the latest Live 95 FM Green & Live Session, which takes place on June 25 in Dolan’s, is recession-bustingly free and features Sixteen Layers, Silo and The Buzzmonkeys, the latest in a long line of simian-referencing guitar abusers... Dublin’s Noise Control have confirmed the imminent release of their Addiction EP. The band’s trajectory is firmly in the ascent as they can lay claim to being the first ever unsigned Irish act to have their music picked up by Disney Interactive – for the award winning video game Pure, which was released worldwide on XBOX, PS3 and PC. Their debut album is due for release this September – will keep you posted...

Indie combo The Spikes (pictured) prepare to rock the Academy 2 on July 17 and Castle Palooza on August 1. Since their formation in 2006 they’ve released four singles and built a strong live following. It’s been all change recently with the band recruiting a new drummer, taking on Audio Networks (Aslan, The Coronas, Damien Dempsey etc.) as their live bookers and enlisting the services of photographer Patrick O’Leary as their manager...

Hot on the heels of The Blizzards’ residency there, fellow Mullingar acts The Aftermath, Ronan Casey and Greg Perle are all London-bound over the coming weeks. Perle joins Dire Straits founder member John Illsley in Oxford Street’s legendary 100 Club on Tuesday June 23. They’re promoting Beautiful You, their second album together having met at an Illsley gig in Mullingar a couple of years back. Prior to the 100 Club they’re playing a private birthday gig in the rock royalty company of Eric Clapton. Support both nights comes from The Aftermath who, sticking with the Mullingar theme, appear the following night at the UK launch of Ronan Casey’s Joe Dolan biography in Highgate’s Boogaloo Bar...

Halves hold court in Whelan’s on June 19 – definitely one for the diaries. It’s been an excellent few months for the band with them topping the Other Voices Viewers’ Choice Poll, playing Canadian Music Week and releasing a split vinyl-only single, ‘Blood Branches’, with Subplots. They’ll be testing out new material from their debut album, which they’re recording in Montreal with Godspeed You Black Emperor!'s Efrim Menuck, a self-confessed Halves fan. Support comes from fellow Dubs Chequerboard whose patented brand of goth electronica can be sampled at at www.myspace.com/chequerboardmusic...