The Inside Track: Reasons to be Cheers-ful

Professing no connection at all to Ted Danson and company buzz band du jour The Cast Of Cheers are causing quite a stir. The Dublin outfit are hitting the road for some shows in The Roisin Dubh, Galway on March 18, Crawdaddy, Dublin, March 26 and Auntie Annies, Belfast on April 7. Debut album, Chariot, chock full of robot rock goodness, gets an official release in April. It is currently available to download at www.thecastofcheers.bandcamp.com
They say the best things are worth waiting for. Well sometimes you have to wait a little longer... Sweet Jane's debut album Sugar For My Soul, due to be unleashed next month, has been delayed until summer due to corrupt soundfiles. The discovery was made by Ryan Van Kriedt (Sunsplit / The Dead Skeletons / Asteroid No. 4), currently mixing the album in LA. Luckily the band had plenty of copies and were able to send another one out to him post haste! Word from the camp is that the initial mixes sound very promising indeed.
Fans will be happy to hear that lauded EP Blackboots and Blackhearts will be available from Reekus in late March. Catch them live in the Spirit Store Dundalk on March 10 supporting The Power Of Dreams, headlining in Kelly's in Galway on March 11 and supporting TPOD in Whelan's on Friday March 12. That should tide you over until the summer...
Dublin ensemble Jupe release their début single "Real You", produced by Gareth Mannix and re-mastered in Abbey Road Studios.
The track will be launched at a gig in The Odessa Club, Dublin on March 13. Admission is free and support will be from The Shoos.
All proceeds from the song and the show will be donated to the Concern Worldwide Emergency Haiti Appeal.
Galway's Declan Snowden And The Amazing Travelling Bears (in reality just Declan, no animals!) have released their excellent self-titled debut album, written, performed and produced by Snowden at his home studio tucked away in a small village outside of the City of The Tribes. The DSATATB live act involves Declan with an acoustic guitar, harmonica, ukulele and whatever instruments else he can lay his hands on. Will keep you posted on upcoming live date...
Cork outfit John Blek And The Rats will be wowing local fans in Cyprus Avenue on March 13 and popping up to Dublin for a show in Whelan's on March 15. Currently recording in an abandoned dentist's surgery in West Cork, John Blek and the Rats' peddle a delightful brand of folk infused with the Americana sensibilities. Check them out...
Instrumental overlords The Jimmy Cake make a welcome return to the live circuit when they play Whelan's on March 20 in advance of the summer release of their new album which follows on from 2008's critically acclaimed Spectre And Crown...
Fresh from supporting Mick Flannery on his a nationwide jaunt, Dublin songstress Jennifer Evans releases her EP Salient Point on March 26. You can catch Jennifer at the Twisted Pepper, Dublin on the same date, at the Ruby Session in Doyles on March 30, in Cleere's in Kilkenny on April 10 and at the Sitting Room Sessions in DeBarras in Clonakilty on April 14...
Fellow Dubliner Fiach has released his beguiling long awaited debut So I . He will be playing around the country in March and April including a date in Whelan's, Dublin on Thurs 25 March...