The Inside Track: A Certain Ratio

2011 is off to a rocky start - freezing temperatures, water shortages and hospital overcrowding! And that’s just production weekend at Hot Press! But fear not dear reader, solace as always comes in an aural form and there are plenty of gigs and releases to see out the winter.
The Certain Three Tour (featuring the stellar line-up of We Cut Corners, The Ambience Affair and Windings) is winging its way to a venue near you imminently. Gigs kick off on January 13 in the Roisin Dubh in Galway and finishes on January 29 in Dolan’s. Check hotpress.com for full dates.
You can also look forward to albums from both The Ambience Affair and We Cut Corners this year. The Dundalk troupe are currently in the studio working on their debut long-player with a view to a spring release and the former JD Set winners spent much of last year toiling with Jimmy Eadie (Jape, Valerie Francis) on their opus that’s also due in 2011. Limerick combo Windings are of course still basking in the glow of the plaudits heaped on their recent confection It’s Never Night...
Another live event also in its second year is First Fortnight which combines music, art and discussion to challenge mental health prejudice and discrimination. The show takes place in The Button Factory on January 15 and boasts the impressive bill of ASIWYFA, Codes, Dark Room Notes and Le Galaxie.
The gig will be preceded by a discussion exploring attitudes and behaviours towards people with mental health problems in the venue at 1.30pm. Entrance to the discussion is free and tickets for the gig are available at www.firstfortnight.com...
The Vibes and We Go Go also hit the road together in January for a tour that will see them peddling their wares on the road until the end of April. The first show is in The Workman’s Club, Dublin on January 31. Check hotpress.com for full listings.
Leitrim’s The Vibes are also gearing up to unveil new single ‘Different Way Out’ at the end of April with all proceeds going to Aware. Meanwhile Mullingar’s We Go Go are currently working on their debut EP, set for a spring 2011 release. It will be distributed online through iTunes and all good retailers. 
A double-header definitely worth catching!.....
Another band on the go go are Donegal/Galway act Go Panda Go who play Sal’s, Waterford (January 18); The Workman’s Club, Dublin (19) and Auntie Annie’s, Belfast (20).
The act released their self-titled debut EP on Bluestack Records last November to rave reviews (available to download on iTunes, all good online retailers and stores throughout the country)...
In other news, Limerick’s Theme Tune Boy (ex-Hitcher and Cranberry Saw Us man Niall Quinn) has captured the public mood on his current track ‘January Drabs’. It’s available as a free download while hard copies can be bought on Bandcamp. The CD also includes previous singles ‘Rose’ and ‘Tailrace’, as well as an acoustic version of ‘January Drabs’...
Former Picturehouse mainman Duncan Maitland releases his debut solo single ‘Terry The Toad’ on February 4. His album Lullabies For The 21st Century follows hot on its heels two weeks later.
The album has been available in the US since last year and received glowing reviews, reaching Number 2 on Absolute Powerpop’s Best Of 2010 List...
Also coming our way is the new single from Sweet Jane, ‘I’ve Been Waiting’, which hits the streets on February 4. The band have a busy year planned which includes pitstops at SXSW and Music Matters Asia. Catch them in Crawdaddy on February 5 before they depart!