The Ruby Sessions Doyle's Pub (first floor) Tuesdays 9pm €4 (dublin simon community) www.rubysessions.com - 11 June Pugwash Alice Jago Jimmy Broder Mark Murphy - 18 June Stefan Hanvey Louise Byrne Richard Cotter Alan Dee - 25 June Suzanne Rhatigan Margaret Healy Rory Faithfield - 2 July Eugene Brosnan Illyad - 9 July Susan Enan Annet Buckley - 16 July Sean Needham James Gilmartin - 23 July Stewart Agnew Sean Molloy (the Pale) SEAN NEEDHAM - May 21 Seán Needham returns to The Ruby Sessions with his Debut EP 'Tired Sleeping' on Tuesday the 21st of May. This is the ideal opportunity to sample the powerful performance and to take some of the magic home with you. The EP has four tracks, the title track 'Tired Sleeping' is an infectious upbeat song that you will go home singing. The second track 'Dearest You' was described by Stephen Clark of Elan magazine LA as "a classic song of love and truth". Funny How We, takes a stand back look at life as he says "funny how we, are working so hard to try to find peace of mind, funny how that's what we had at the start why are we so blind". The forth song When Will We Be One is coloured with the haunting low whistle of Oisín Christy. PUGWASH - June 11 Pugwash release there new album on June 14. Since releasing his debut power-pop album, 'Almond Tea', Thomas Walsh, aka Pugwash, has become an instant favourite of Irish and British music critics alike, many of whom nominated 'Almond Tea' as their album of the year 1999. The Hotpress rated it - only 4 weeks after its release - as one of the Top 30 albums of the Millennium (actually #23, ahead of Suede, Orbital and almost everybody else!) As a result, Thomas Walsh has been singled out by many critics as one of the most talented new songwriters to emerge on the Irish scene in recent years. 'Finer Things In Life,' (April 2000) was voted Single of the Fortnight in both The Hotpress and The Dublin Event Guide, and A-Listed on both national and local radio (FM104, Phantom etc.), and while the video, produced by Enda O'Looney (Planet Rock Profiles etc.), featured on No Disco and 2TV, the band appeared live on The Late Late Show and other top shows on RTE, BBC & TG4. Thomas Walsh has since become a regular guest celebrity on The Vinyl Curtain (John Kelly, Radio One). ALICE JAGO - June 11 After spending the last year supporting the likes of Roger Mc guinn (the byrds) Miles Hunt (the wonderstuff & Damien Dempsey this dublin based musician has already built up quite a following. Gigging constanly in the likes of Whelans,the Shelter, Issac butts and on the singer/songwrter circuit her music has reached many audiences.The ditinctive voice and melodic style of writting is what holds any listener, a style that is uniquely fresh and raw,she has already been approched by professionals in the music industry to cover some of her songs,no greater compliment for any musician. Jago will start working on her debut album next year with the assistance of producer Ger kiely, who has worked with the likes of Sharon Shannon, Nanci Griffith, Hazel O'Connor, Clannad, and many more, keeping it country of course! STEFAN HANVEY - June 18 Steafán Hanvey released his debut single, "Desperation" on Friday, April 5th. Steafán is the latest hopeful to emerge from Downpatrick, Co. Down. The product of a musical family, he grew up in a house surrounded by instruments and music, often singing along side the likes of Dominic Behan and Tommy Makem. In his teens, Steafán began crafting songs with his friend Kenny Papenfus (from Relish) and formed the band 50/50. Having showcased 3 times for CBS, they felt on the verge of something exciting. It wasn't to be. He moved to Helsinki where he completed an Msc. After demo-ing a selection of his own songs, he decided in earnest to record a promo EP, which was completed in February 2002. The result was a 5 track record entitled "Sole". "Sole" has received extensive radio play in the north and has become one of Gerry Anderson's (of Radio Ulster) favorite CDs having now made it on to his playlist. It has also made it on to Downtown radio's play list with Lisa Flavell playing it regularly on her show. Last summer saw Stef warming up for The 4 of Us & Relish. He is due to support both bands again soon. After 2 years of testing his material around Finland and Estonia Stef feels he is ready to get his music on to the Irish airwaves. SUZANNE RHATIGAN - 25 June "Rhatigan's sharp, intense little vignettes will swoop and growl their way into your bones." - TIME OUT Suzanne previously played Ireland supporting Radiohead and Yo La Tango at the Olympia. RORY FAITHFIELD - 25 June ....Songs that uplift the human spirit and encourage individualism as in "Dance your own dance and sing your own song". That's Rory Faithfield in a nutshell..... John O'Regan ROCK'N'REEL Magazine ...a strength that will inspire and move you with jolts of positive energy. This is great rock and roll music that has character, purity, and mindfulness that is rarely found in recordings today. The spirit of humanity is written all over this CD. Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck- MUSICDISH ...an immense talent and a collection of songs that simply blew me away. I've heard this style of music from independent artists all over the world. Most of it is bland and many times boring for lack of originality. Rory Faithfield is an exception to that experience. Michael Allison - TheGlobalMuse.com ....with singer-songwriters 10 a penny, it's refreshing and rather rare to find one who actually seems to know what he is doing..... ......this is really rather promising, remember where you heard it first. Will Fulford-Jones - TNT Magazine, London ....aside from the inherent message, you will hear an artist capable of conveying immeasurable emotion and power. Sounding a bit like Brian Ferry of Roxy , Rory Faithfield shows much more than mere promise....It would be impossible to listen and not believe that here is an artist ready to break loose. Rory Faithfield is an artist I will be following closely. Jack "papa" Baer - BIGBAER.com MARARGET HEALY - 25 June Last September, having chosen the album option, Margaret jetted off to London to work with Nitin Sawhey. Nitin heard some of Margaret's songs while he was performing at the Trinity Ball last summer and immediately expressed an interest in some sort of collaboration. Back in Dublin, Margaret joined forces with Pat Farrell (of Ten Speed Racer fame) and Ken Burke and together in a secret location in sub-zero temperatures ocer the course of late 2000/2001 they produced "margaret healy...and you are?"