The Inside Track: Plot's the big idea

2010 is off to a cracking start for Subplot Records who have just released the debut album from Cork’s Fingersmith, The Annexe. The band, formerly known as Silo, have already received much airplay and critical acclaim under their previous moniker and hope to improve on that in their new guise.
The album was recorded with producer Neil Calderwood (Fighting With Wire, The Answer) at Manor Park Studio and includes a re-recorded version of the single ‘Unlucky For Some’.
The group completed a highly successful slew of nationwide dates last month. 2010 will see them bring their live show to the UK and US in the latter half of the year whilst a six-track EP is also in the works.
In other Subplot news Ladydoll unleash their hotly-anticipated debut The Knife Thrower And His Wife on the February 5. The first single from the album, ‘You Know’, will be launched on January 14. The long-player was mixed by Adrian Busby, who engineered Muse’s latest opus.
The label will also be releasing Stone Throwing Youths as-yet-untitled debut soon. We’ll keep you posted!
Galway’s Blasterbra unveiled their debut six-track EP Soon at the end of 2009 and marked the occasion with a storming show in the Roisin Dubh, supported by The Ambience Affair and Elk.
Last year the band released a two-track demo which received rave reviews and resulted in their participation in the Road To V Festival Battle of The Bands.
You can catch them live in Fred Zepplin’s, Cork on January 15 and Baker Place, Limerick on January 16.
John Shelly and The Creatures unleash their stunning new single ‘Long May You Reign’ on February 5. The track is taken from upcoming debut album Dinosaur and will be familiar to many as the soundtrack to Discover Northern Ireland’s ‘Explore More’ campaign.
The band head out on the road during February and March for a slew of dates including the official album launch in Auntie Annie’s, Belfast on March 4. Hoarsebox kick off 2010 with a live show in Crawdaddy on January 16. The last 12 months have seen the band continue their upward trajectory, touring the US for a second time with pitstops in established New York venues such as the Mercury Lounge, Arlene’s Grocery and Pianos.
In addition to glowing comments from Rolling Stone and Music Connection the guys were also selected as Clear Channel’s ‘2009 Artist to Watch’.
Back in their hometown they played two shows as part of the Arthur’s Day celebrations and became the first Irish band to have their own dedicated iPhone application – check it out at iTunes.
The end of the year saw them working on new material ahead of their album recording sessions in Mississippi this February with Dennis Herring of Modest Mouse and Ben Folds fame. Watch out world!
Following the success of debut album Kaleidoscope in 2008 Carosel will digitally release their new EP Star in February. This follows on from download single ‘Easy As It Flows’.
The duo are currently in France roadtesting material from their forthcoming album. Impressively, in their short lifetime they’ve shared the stage with the likes of The Waterboys, The Maccabees, Patrick Wolf, Jason Mraz and Wallis Bird.
This year also holds much excitement for Tiny Magnetic Pets, who release album Return Of The Tiny Magnetic Pets in the UK in February and then pop over to St. Tropez to record their second LP with Krautrock legend Hans Joachim Roedelius!
The band rounded off 2009 with stellar tune ‘Control Me’, having signed to Universal in The Phillippines, played to 3,000 people in the Dublin Docklands and received much acclaim for debut single ‘Girl In A White Dress’! Who knows what the next 12 months will bring.