Empire strike back

They haven’t gone away you know. Ireland’s premier electronic activists Decal will release a new album entitled Brightest Star on Andrew Weatherall’s Rotters Golf Club label in summer 2003. A 12” called ‘Freekin’ Empires’ will precede it on April 28 also on RGC, and another twelve called ‘Burn From the Inside’ will follow on New York electro label Satomile in late summer.
The Slow River School are one of Dublin’s newest bands and have released an eponymous debut EP. Having already cut their live teeth with Settler, El Diablo and Adrian Crowley, the band will play their first ever hometown headliner in late May. Another new band is The Spiders who have just launched their website with two mp3’s for download, and played at the last Ballroom of Romance shindig.
The Dead Elvis and a Hunka Lisa Marie label will shortly end a lengthy sabbatical since 1999 with the release of new material from The Wormholes. Johnny Pyro and the Rock Coma have changed their name to the shorter and snappier The Republic of Loose. They are currently recording their debut album and negotiating a record deal.
There is a plethora of new activity from the cpu records web site, including fresh tunes available from Think, The Subtonics, Indigo Fury, Moses Guest, St. Marks Electrical Choir, Miles Judge and many more. Listo are going back to the studio to record an EP to follow up to last September’s ‘Pass the Highs’.
We can reveal that those stars of the Heineken Green Energy small screen The Transformers are Ray Ruddell, Patrick McHugh, Anto Patterson and Andrew Rooney. The lads used to be in a band called The Antibiotics and Anto and Andrew still play together in the acclaimed Hi-Rise. The IrishUnsigned online radio ‘stream’ is up and running so check it out at Irishunsigned.com.
The Subtonics have their debut album in the can and two singles ready to roll. They play the Ambassador with Jerry Fish And The Mudbug Club.
Easter in May? I know, it doesn’t sound right but Easter Soup is the name of an all dayer that local electronic whizz kids Chequerboard, Karl Him and Jimmy Behan are staging with Murcof from the esteemed Leaf label. It promises to be “a lazy day of accessible ambient acoustic/electronica.” Watch this space.
Dave Turpin has been writing and recording his debut album for the last 18 months and is currently jamming with a range of musicians to get a live thing together. Stay tuned.
Galway band Starglow have just released a live recording of a recent gig in the Taibhdhearc theatre. The live album is available exclusively at ‘Bell, Book and Candle’ in Galway and you can also purchase it by clicking on: www.starglow.net
Finally, need a driver? The Bandwagon is for hire to all bands. Rock friendly driver and van available for gigs, rehearsals and moves of any kind all over the country for very keen rates. Contact JP at [email protected]