The inside track: 10 April 2003

Fed up with trying to describe your own unique sound? Then take a leaf out of the Dudley Corporation songbook and invent your own genre! Apparently, the Corpo sound is best categorised as an exercise into “the quixotic and intoxicating field of stop-start Mamrock™.” What’s more, us journos will love you for it because you’d make our lives even easier… Anyways, the Corpo are set to release a split 7” on their new Scientific Research imprint with a shower of Japanese cults called Boris who will play some Irish dates this month in support of the release. Another spilt with The Tycho Brahe will follow in the summer.

NPB (or National Prayer Breakfast back in the day) are currently transit vanning it around the UK with labelmates Deputy Fuzz and Querelle. The Catchy Go Go Records UK tour includes a date in the prestigious Rota Club run by Rough Trade in the Notting Hill Arts Centre.
The debut album by Jape will be released on April 25 on Volta Sounds and is entitled Cosmosphere. Expect a delicious Stereolab/Yo La Tengo flavoured pop treat… Polar are currently in the studio working on new material including ‘Untitled’ and ‘Butterflies’ which they hope to have available by the end of the month to follow up the highly successful ‘South’ release which was voted the 12th best song of 2002 by Phantom FM listeners... Greg, a Dublin based singer/songwriter has just released his second album entitled Stay. Two eurodollars of each copy sold will go to the Irish Anti-War Movement. Go to Greg.ie for details.

Estel will release their eagerly awaited second album in May. Meanwhile, the band are involved in an unusual Chicago vs. Dublin theme night. Many commentators would opine that the Chicago scene based around Tortoise/John McIntyre/Steve Albini shares a lot of affinities with the current Dublin avant-crop. The following bands will dust down their imports and play tunes based around the Windy City connection; Settler, Neosupervital, Playground Psychotic, The Holy Ghost Fathers, Capratone, Michael Knight, Mumblin’ Deaf Jo, The Corpo, The Tycho Brahe and Thomas Dunning & Your Boyfriends. Consequently, The Frames are currently in Chicago itself rehearsing and recording for their fifth studio album, which I’m sure that more than one of you is looking forward to! Watch this post-rock sounding space…

The much-toured Sonora have split, but frontman Patrick Quigley has just completed some solo recordings... Ross K from Cherri reckons the band will be recording new material soon for their Eyes Of A Drowned CD. They have sold nealy 300 copies of the 7-track CD Once Upon A Night and their airplay-only CD ‘Drain The Last’ Earned them live outings on near FM and South Dublin Radio... That second single from Mayo-based Definitely Blue is long overdue... Returned singer-songwriter Niall James Holohan has been spotted around Dublin with a Daniel Johnson album under his arm...

Emma Cunningham has been attracting good vibes for her version of Suede’s ‘Wild Ones’ as well as her own fine songs. ... The Irish rock duo Everyst have posted an article on their website retailing their adventures at the recent South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas... Northern band Leya are lining up their debut album Watch You Don’t Take Off for imminent release...Singer songwriter Kieran Ring from Macroom is hoping to make his entree on the live front soon... Drummer Brian “Boo Boo” McGowan is celebrating his first year as drummer with Sligo band Jockee... Carlow singer-songwriter Aidan Comerford pulled off a smart move inviting the soulful Sandra Stevens to handle vocals dutIes on his most recent demo...