will be looking forward to hearing Hybrasil's first album

PQ

I hate to say it but i find these things pretty ridiculous. Its never these bands that get listed by people who make an impression

Nah, your right, everybody just lists their current pet favorite band.

I'm curious to see which Irish bands will make a break through this year, if you search through Myspace etc, there's a lot of Irish bands hoping to release debut albums this year.. I think the fact that downloads now register in the charts will bring a lot more exposure to indie type bands/artists, which can only be a good thing.

I'm looking forward to Delorentos' album, plus wondering how Director will go down in the UK.

Ahem.. Plus of course I'm looking forward to our own album finally getting out! ;-)

Strangegravy

http://www.myspace.com/vestavarro

I wonder how the Delorentos will go down, I've seem them live a few times now, and always enjoyed them and thought they had a lot going on, but to be honest their records do very little for me, it will be hard to capture their live essence I think, especially as the music is so slick, a lot of the life could be oozed out in a studio.

I think that yes they are probably more than good enough to "make it" and I think that'd be great, but I just don't know if they have the edge anymore?

Maybe im just getting cynical, nothings ever gonna beat The Band for me!

A lot of the Delorentso album they recorded live in the studio so hopefully it'll retain that energy.

aye hopefully, they're quite a good band, but i found the difference between hearing them live and on record to be huge so far, from really liking one to relative dis-interest in the other

Is it Marc Carolan, Muse's live engineer working with them? He did some of their earlier demos I think.. If anyone could you'd expect he'd be able to capture a bands live energy in a studio setting!

if it is he didnt do it on their earlier stuff!

mind you thats im not usually into that type of music really anyways, so i'm always gonna be looking for something different in a recording. Therefore my opinion on the matter is probably inconsequential.

I think the quality of the demo I have is very good, sounds big and punchy, similar to their live sets I thought! But saying that I haven't seen them live in a while.. I'll take notes at their next gig down my way and get back to you! ;-)

ha, i'll hold you to that Strangegravy!

Nah, could well be that my musical tastes have just changed a hell of a lot since I first heard em, and most definitely what I look for in a song, and a recording is completely different.

So probably me movin away from that type of music more than anythin else.

Distractors, releasing their first single in August. Definately going to be one to watch for this year!

Since no-one else has mentioned them yet, Dark Room Notes - www.myspace.com/darkroomnotesireland - they've had one single out, "Love Like Nicotine" and apparently have an EP coming out in the Autumn. Gossip has it that they're already the centre of a heated Record Company scramble from across the water, so I'd expect big things of these guys soon.

Also, somebody else mentioned Hybrasil, and I love that single they have out at the moment.

love like nicotine - i love that tune

PQ

It's a really good tune alright. My tip for the year to come is the wonderful Fight Like Apes.. "Lend Me Yr Face" is probably the best Irish band released track since Panda Kopanda's "Ocean's of Fire".

Dry County are also good. Fight Like Apes I don't expect to be around that long, its a bit gimmicky / shouty without any real substance.

Now I come to mention it I've seen Star Belgrade a few times (including an IMRO thingy) and I've got to say, they've got some good tunes too.

It seems to be the electronic-y Irish bands that are making the best steps forward - Hybrasil, Dark Room Notes, Star Belgrade/Dry County etc

"Fight Like Apes I don't expect to be around that long, its a bit gimmicky / shouty without any real substance."

I completely disagree. Their EP is one I just keep on going back to. Battlestations is one of the best songs released by any band anywhere this year.

Speaking of Hybrasil, I just saw the 'Ticket' review - 2 stars seems a bit harsh.

Just had a listen to that Fight Like Apes song "Battlestations" as recommended by Una. Yeah, they've got something there alright. I'd really like to hear what they'd come up with if they had more time in the studio - I was just reading that they recorded that EP for €300.

Bands outside of Ireland:

Blitzen Trapper
Menomena
Man Man

I saw Menomena in concert recently - very energetic and inventive:I was impressed. Not too dissimilar to TV On The Radio, and perhaps a bit too abstract for pop kids like me, but still worth seeing live if they visit Eire.