XOVA- Digi dancehall with a crisp soul vocal all done with genuine feel and vibrant arrangements and pulsating riddomatic playing.  True working class heroes from multi racial and generational backgrounds, XOVA are the UK’s best Pop/Reggae outfit currently rocking the circuit.  Masters of their vibrant and muscular sound, their vision nods the cap to their musical and social roots, whilst keeping a modern and current stance on urban socio-political unrest issues; and taking fire from affairs of the heart.  They fuse ska, pop, dub, motown, blues and folk with protest, pain – and hope. XOVA (pronounced ‘Cross-Over’) hold a strong sense of community.  Their film called ‘The Sound of Birmingham’, features UB40, The Beat, Wonderstuff and many more talking about the Birmingham music scene people and sense of humour. New single ‘Your To Blame’ see’s XOVA collaborate with Dee from Benefit Street (C4), featured in a double page spread in the Daily Star. This is to be followed by an EP called ‘Little Lion’, with proceeds going to Crohns UK Charity after singer Wayne’s sister was diagnosed with the disease. They are no strangers to the hardships of life: Close friends have been killed in unwanted wars in Iraq, and drummer Skins’ son was mistakenly shot dead during the Birmingham gang wars. These hard experiences have left their mark – and the band are determined to use their music as a way for bringing some light to the dark.  Sangally- French black dude soul singer with a nice crisp style somewhere between Prince and an Afrobeat Paul Simon….lots of classic soul resonance and a nice guitar style (played by him in an Afro pop manner)..very different, very good in fact. Unknown Report- ’funky leanings, a dated thick and pungent sound that contradicts what you think is ‘New Wave’.  A Blues rock guitar, soulful bass accompained by electrofying tinkle of keys and raucous drumming lead by six octaves of vocal madness and hormonal rage’ …their fine wordage, not mine… yeah- add slinky pop reggae…quite a whacky pop rock concoction that has all kinds of fine resonances and even weirdly reminds me of 10cc! Crackity Flynn- alternating between big overlayered fuzz guitars and indie pop verses that lay off the gas this French band are in groovy abeyance to all things alt American- Pixies, Pavement, Weezer… a bit of MBV but not much and just a touch of punkus popicus. Keening wide eyed vocals and a nice bit of angst.

We’re proud to welcome back again Magic Brothers … The Dublin Castle of course being The Ancestral Seat Of Madness…  The nutty apple don’t fall too far from the Madness tree for sure but there’s a symphonic side to the ska and soul tinged pop here that has great beauty and depth, perhaps most obviously seen in the ‘Rise And Fall‘ Nutty Boys era. Wonderfully crafted pop songs like ‘You Don’t Have To Hide Your Love Away’ and ‘Do What You Wanna Do’ also recall artists as diverse as  The Colourfield, Dusty Springfield and Elvis Costello, and certainly wont disappoint fans of Woody’s other superfine pop act Voice Of The Beehive. Beautifully orchestrated but still gritty and dance friendly and certainly not to be missed in the bijoux sweatbox pheremone rich atmosphere of the Dublin…  Madness drummer Woody Woodgate and his younger brother Nick truly are Magic Brothers.

The BlueStrip- corking bar room rocknroll with a bit of new wave tood sang in Croatian what them being Croatian…Stones rendered rockers, raw rocknrolling guitars, bashed out piano…Wayne County And The Electric Chairs gone Euro rawk- stonkingly well done hence their powerful profile back home. Almanacs- a raw riffing garagey style combo, could be compared to Kings Of Leon in places, but also references 60′s garage, without sounding like anyone in particular, rousing sing along choruses. All played with plenty of conviction. Blooom- putting a big ‘ooo’ intp proceedings, formerly The Band from Oddworld… a fabulous psych rocknroll concoction embracing a who’s who of influences whilsy always sounding like themselves..so.. Deus/Floyd/Prince/REM/PiNk Floyd/Nirvana!!….all with a wonderful song craft and an adventurous roving sense of musicality.SexWax-Dreamy, lo fi indie, Really nice. Sounds like a lot of the stuff coming out of Birmingham. Ie Peace, Jaws, Swim Deep etc. Very mature sound, well produced, great!  Subtitle- mad for it clattersome alt rock with wonderfully wayward intensity pitching up in some strange but beautiful place where Pere Ubu, Queens Of The Stone Age and punk rock classique coalesce.

The Effect- punk rock and grunge elements combine fitfully- so, a bit Ruts cum Damned but then again a healthy dollop of Nirvana plus a little late ’60s blues rock wigging out in the Free/Cream bracket- great band. The Tennysons- The Tennysons are a indie rock trio from Leicester, and describe themselves as “Laddish guitar music in an angry f*ckin’ Rock ‘n’ Roll style”. Their tracks are oozing with angular aggression and pay homage to The Clash and Oasis, with hints of Courteeners….. Bird Head- intense dentist drill synth and sharp cyclical guitar patterns make out with perky motorik drums and probing bass to produce a prog cum post punk metronomic groove rock thing with plenty of intensity- something of Nought or Public Broadcasting or Plank plus some unhinged sparse yelpy vox…great stuff..Krautrock reborn with balls. Murmur-  Bloc Party and post punk influences chime with some mellower nigh on balladeering moments and Killers type anthemics.

Warme- classic Americanoid rawk n roll- Tom Petty, Green On Rd, Ryan Adams, Lone Justice (but a geezer)- nice work… Their last single was played on BBC Introducing last month and has been picking up plays on local radio, no wonder, it’s effortless, slinky fare with bite. Bouts- Noisey but highly melodic alt pop in the vein of Pavement, but with lovely Beach Boys harmonies, really memorable tunes. Connor Stephens- U.S. sounding alt rock, think Gigilo Aunts via something a bit more Brit orientated… there’s a biot of an Oasis swagger to proceedings and a dash of Americana, and Mr Stephens sure does have tunes. Aaron Douglas- Nick Drake and John Martyn  resonate beautifully here with that jazzbo element in the riddim section complimenting the soaring vocal and silk spun lyrics very well. 

Ukrainian Revolution Presents:  Ukraine protest victims benefit event.  Bloom Twins-   2 young girls, twins indeed, playing a downbeat, dark and dusky piano led melancholic pop. Growing up in a small Ukrainian town outside Kiev, this remarkably gifted pair were immersed in music before escaping its’ confines, fiercely determined to head into the outside world and make an impression. 
They moved to London to improve their art and the culture they found shocked them. 
Coming from such a different background, one would fear that they might become enchanted by the big city life. Instead they felt disconnected to the materialistic, narcissistic lifestyles of most people their age, and grew more and more committed to each other and their music.
 These eighteen year olds have steely drive behind the gossamer intimacy of the music. Having already mastered the keyboard, flute and harmonica, they are now turning their hand to the guitar and  drums to match the electronic beats. Here tonight in support of the victims of the shootings recently in their homeland...RadioLA-  Ukrainian five piece band united by music, and built by life.  New – Ukrainian product for the modern Ukrainians from all over the world. A modern Ukrainian music – ‘To be interesting and desirable for Ukrainians from Argentina, Brazil , Russia and United States , Canada, Great Britain , Germany and New Zealand ….. to get a chance to unite Ukrainians of planet Earth with emotions and feelings of our music’…

U.K.I.D- ripping it up with klaxon blast soundalike synths and a bit of an Arabic scale to the tunes, this is one bangin’ party band. At times they sound like a punky ramalama band in the style of early Damned but then the synths sear across the riffology and it’s rather 90s dance rock.. EMF meets Pendulum via punk…The Wicked Venetians-  Melodic emoto-pop rock with props to Chris Isaak, Radiohead, The Smiths and The Verve….  inspired by love, death and everything in-between from the depraved writings of the Marquis De Sade to Nietzsche and Palahniuk.  ’A bit like Muse on barbiturates’ RAW RAMP MAGAZINE My Cock Your Problem- Bunch of ne’er do wells as the controversy bating name suggests! All fixed up in weirdoid fancy dress and sounding like the more outre end of Butthole Surfers MCYP (inevitable acronym) have developed a freeform psychedelic swamp rock that makes The Fat Whites sound like Bombay Bicycle Club. A Mouth Full Of Matches- Wafty keyboard FX and metal riffing combine in a post emo rawk pop setting with a nice bit of ’80s noir about it.  Wheatus meets Duran Duran?!…

GM Records Presents This is GM Records Presents’ launch night at The Dublin Castle, with a selection of fantastic live acts to enjoy listening to on a Wednesday evening. The Fireflies – Buzz, Light up, Take to the air. Their songs set soaring soulful vocals over woven guitars… Tara can promise pretty angst, melody, backbreaking backbeats and the riffs. Tara bring the Root of Rock n’ Roll. Imagine Motörhead meets Fela. The Limited started with a few to many drinks and a couple of acoustic guitars, but realised the morning after that they really did have something that someone needed to hear. Hannah Dorman - With the emphasis on pop rock, there’s a dusting of country to be heard in all her songs. Lyrically mature, honest and relatable, Hannah delivers her songs with her distinct raw vocal power and a personable presence. This dedicated singer will draw you in with catchy melodies and a driven rhythm section.

Lovers- All girl indie pop outfit with hooky riff driven tunes and a nod to the Bangles but with an edgy sometimes melancholic feel reminiscent of The Smiths. Silhouettes- Trippy shoegaze oriented electro gear.. some cyclical guitar underplaying the electronic drift…sort of in the Wild Beasts area.  Bit of Talking Heads in here too. Very Byrne like vocally… Released debut single “Gold Tag” through Integrity Records on 25th November 2013. Fake DIY made it a Track of the Week. ‘With their ranks swelled for live shows by a drummer and violinist, expect a cleansing wash of swirling delays, cavernous reverbs, fizzing synth and nostalgic beats’….Ben Russell & The Charmers- pop reggae originals and covers with melodic female vocals swinging the tunes beatifically. Done with authentic vibes aplenty. Vivyd Dream- She has a great voice- a bit Goldfrapp-y but a nice minimalist beats/electro affair with a good funky rnb root to things. Nice drifty feel and good delivery on the vocals at all times that do some interesting things…the music is spacy dubby electronica narcotically charged, would sound great er, under the influence.  

Casitas- 1980s pop with funk-soul touches with a fetching electric mandolin (?) throughout, a brittle backbeat and an understated vocal….China Crisis meets Underworld with the post E psychosis excised…catchy, funky bass lines, nice feel. Good and groovy. Advanced Plastics Group- Lovely mix of male and female vocals recalling Japan and OMD… and analogue synths sounds that swing…a bit of Kraftwerk aloofness, some New Order riddims and an expert air of knowing cool. Rosenthal-Brand spanking new Danish band Rosenthal release their debut track ‘Afraid Of Stairs’ this week. Produced by Ole Gundahl Sorensen at Safelandings Studio in Copenhagen, where they have dreamed up these new sound formations together, the band mould a sound which merges indie pop with hints of industrial psych to create something pretty unique. Howard J Foster- invoking a little Rick Wakeman/Keith Emerson old school progadelik Brit rock classicism, this one man keyboard whizz wears his cape well. Gunner Who- Engaging skuzzed up indie punk outfit with a certain rough-hewn charm. Sounds a bit like d.i.y indie from the late 80′s, thrilled skinny or pre-blur Seymour

Treacherous Dogs-  an eclectic mix of 70s garage rock infused with Northern Soul beats and punk/surf rock inspired guitars. Their influences are said to range from The Strokes, New Order, Dick Dale, The Smiths, Arctic Monkeys and Northern Soul natch. Great stuff. From the ashes of  The Jude who were pretty wonderful  too..Royal Youth- Funk infused rock ,so yes it’s a seering rock band backed up by electro beats and swathes of synths. Like Muse reimagined by N.E.R.D via Prince. Sweet. Secondhand Sonnets- noisy rumbunctious rocknroll coming on like The Only Ones via Oasis…nasty delivery but nice nice nice…it’s all about the tood dood. No Mataras- Berliner indie punkers who include a blistering cover of ‘Our House’ in their set and generally pump it up nicely with high octane drums and prowlsome bass thru East Bay Ray style guitars…Dead Kennedys meets Die Toten Hosen via Theatre Of Hate (twangy guitar and angst)

Camp Stag- Sweet and whimsical dream pop. Along the lines of Noah and The Whale, but better in my opinion. Nice builds ups with atmospheric string section, Arcade Fire-esque. In a sweet place just the right side of twee in places but the production is great. I’m a fan. Cosmopolitan Quartet- Chamber quartet from the Royal College of Music doing cool covers ranging from Aretha Franklin to contemporary stuff like Adele, very good as you’d expect and they’re playing’s pretty dramatic and dynamic, assured entertainment with eye opening awe attached.  The Crooked Brothers- Fresh from The Great Escape, super cuddly Canadian folk , blues and country coolsters. Banjo and guitar both plucked beautifully with some marvellous harp blasting and groovy early Grateful Dead cum John Prine like vocal..a rustic overtone at all times and a winning warmth accordingly. Glory Glory- also fresh from The Great Escape- Canadian cohorts of yer Bros Crooked above but contrastingly doing an underplayed synthpop cum cold wave that bursts into 1980s pop delight with something of a techy sugar coated Steely Dan about it- so see also China Crisis and Talk Talk.

Callum Rafferty is a young man with a huge talent, he performs with just the accompaniment of a guitar and loop pedal and is causing a storm with various radio and TV jumping on him with shows supporting the likes of Emma Stevens this spring. With his voice is verging on uber pop friendly mainstream appeal but with intelligent tunes that are reallystrong, think Paolo Nuttini ……Divine Paiste- low key intriguing noodlings from an boho Parisian outfit… each track they issue accompanied by an arthouse film of their own making. Further investigation suggests post punk style….a bit Killers, a bit The Rapture, a bit Bloc Party….they do manage to get pretty funky too. Boy Mercury- melodic as fook with harmonies and a forceful punk pop sound that is very post emo and sugar coated anthemic radio friendly in that manner. French Vacation- sexily sloppy indie rock… French groupe numero2 ce soir…from that Libertines school with a dramatic Beatles element…Buggerbear likes it better when they go for a choppier new new wave Strokes meets Joe Jackson type thing….pretty hot.

Sienna-  Groovy jazzy house flavours with a Japanese female vocal suggesting Roni Size via stabs of Jimmy Smith organ and dislocated brass and general ambience. They  have also collaborated with the living psychedelic legend from Norway Nils, Petter Molvaer and the late British legend and Japan bass ace Mick Karn, just to name a few… With a vastly multicultural background, electro avant-garde nu-jazz phenomenon Sienná have roots spreading from Europe to Japan. Frontlady Sienná hails from Kyoto, Japan. She now resides in Norway, where she met band mates Hallvard and Fredrik. She hasn’t forgotten where she comes from, especially after recent events in Fukushima….   The band bring their positive vibes to the UK in May, including a showcase at Brighton’s prestigious Great Escape Festival, after releasing the new single ’Gion’ on Monday 5th May. Karmakoma- twangy bass, beefy drums and piping synth action from this 1980s informed band. INXS meets Duran Duran romo rock. Have a lot of muscle amidst the ace tuneage too. Slow Earth-  evident in their approach to music and their social attitudes that they are looking to break out of a country that gave us Chernobyl, a place that exists on the decaying infrastructure of Soviet technology; where industrial pollution often makes it hard to breathe and right now as they prepare to pack their bags to tour their debut UK release their fellow people are in the middle of a military incursion.  It is no wonder that they are looking multi-nationally with their music – and trying to shake the shackles of conformity that come from developing as people within a recent history of old communism. ‘Latitude and 023’ reflects this.  Recorded in Prague, the EP has been post-produced in Los Angeles by Dan Leffler (Muse/Red Hot Chilli Peppers/U2).  For the artwork they employed he talents of legendary designer Storm Thorgerson. This tough, thought driven band are the full artistic package – epic stadium rock leaning on indie and smooth ambient melodies with catchy phrases. The Silence- urgent up for it punky rocking indie- fast ad furious with a smattering of schlock metal, it works well- pop punk metal with commercial nous. She sounds great, the band rock hard and fast.

Kaisei- Dark, mournful indie rock with a nod to post rock in that there’s a sigor Ros vibe to the Glacial guitars. Forensics-Dark soul searching indie with a subtle post-rock undertow, quite a unique and interesting sound, bit like Deus at times

Inego- Low slung New Order shaped fare…think stuff like Lonesome Tonight by them, very Hooky like bass and synth colour though the vocal is more moderne pop sounding than Barney like, but this still Joy Division/New Order is your first thought. Wonderfully casual and cool. Idol bones- bit of a grower this one, subtly infused with funk and stabs of soul , like an indie Doobie Brothers in places, but each track’s a little bit different one for example recalls The Blow Monkeys but has a Clash like energy…neato. Santa Semeli And The Monks- With the ansgt punk delivery of an X Ray Spex, this female fronted experimental art rock outfit are fronted by a poetess and certainly have a thoughtful array of material with hipster attracting properties. Dry Lunch Club- snotty post punkishness embracing Wire, The Scars, Magazine and the like. A Devoto-ish vocal, eery guitars, prowling ominous riddim section. Very 1979, very good.Ragweed- playing hard and fast and suoercool with a Nurvana meets System Of A Down template.  Dynamic rocking gear.

The Apocryphalites- gotta luv this ten-piece reggae-ska extravaganza and their bonkers unpronounceable name! Have a refreshing metrosexual angle on the old pork pie hat adorned Brit ska skool….plenty of Beat, Selecter and Specials nuances to enjoy. Old school ska tunes influenced by the Skatalites, Toots & the Maytals, and Desmond Dekker also. Peachy! The Two Tones- 9 piece ska/two tone band playing a range of covers from the likes of The Specials, Madness, The Beat, The Selector, Toots and the Maytals ….gonna be skanktastique ce soir…. Dirty Skankin Love Hornets- combining noisy metally punk guitar attack with frantic skanking, a ska- rock band with elements of the Brit Two Tone thing (Specials) but mainly taking cues from them yanker bands, Rancid blah…a dead cert for a good time live, loads of frantic energy….shoutalong songs, yip.

The Mojo Slide- Nicely honed acoustic folk pop with overdone Americana vocalising..The Band meets Mumfords-it’s good ya get me. The Jet Pilots-  Foo Fighters by way of The Police, strange but true. Leo and the Seraphim- Jeff Buckley influences on his sleeve,  some lovely soulful folk songs and he can certainly sing as well as the Kiwanuka’s and Harvieu’s of the hype list…. Steve Winch- Heartfelt emotive singersongwriter, has been described a s the bastard son of Bob Dylan and Billy Bragg or “born with a guitar in his hand”, must’ve been a shock for the mid-wife…heh heh…good stuff for sure.

Terry Emm- Singer songwriter backed up on recordings with strings in the style of Nick Drake though his oeuvre recalls more Beatles alike stylings and may hap yer chap outta The Beta Band..strong material Smokin’ Durrys - Garage Blues duo. Nice and scuzzy like early White Stripes and a little Band of Skulls. Done a lot better than most who try this.

Simon Kent- A band rather than merely an individual it seems-  a good stab at turning the Coldplay style into something a lot more biting, care of a genuinely fresh and impassioned vocal style- coming on somewhere between Jon Anderson and Julian Cope a la falsetto…nice vocal, highly accomplished music played by top musicians and will sound sweet busting out of BBC Radio 2. Random Sound- 80s blue eyed soul synth pop rock with cute harmonies. Who remembers Curiosity Killed The Cat!? Stevie Wonder meets Aha, sounds nice..Malign Fiesta- a slinky, techy blues vibe and a screamtastic female singer above slide guitar and prowling bass… AC/DC for chicks but less ramalama…pure blues rawk really. The girl singer sounds damn good. Jeremy Neale- a humorous combination of pop metal and powerpop with bits of Queen, Bon Jovi and The Darkness in the mix as well as an element of classic ’70s pomp rock- Boston, Kansas etc. Done well, all delivered with an idiosyncratic joyous vocal.

MILA-alt rock done with plenty of edge and some hard ass drumming taking in some grunge u like elements and singalongable qualities aplenty via taut riffing and good playimg all round. QOTSA meets Foo Fighters I guess but with some originality and spice. Hoatzin-Jazz infused indie rock, quite an interesting and unique Soft Machine via Kid A era radionoggin with some nice Beachboy-esque harmonizing, works really well. Kaisei- Post rock infused indie, with some intricate glacial guitar that reminds of Sigor Ros-The Harry Macintosh Project-Math rock via pronk with moments of Jazz and a general off-kilter bonkers vibe. Sounds like they dig the cardiacs, Beefheart and Slint with vocalson a Butthole Surfers via Bongwater tio. Minimum-A mesh of interlocking keys and proggy guitar sounds with indietronica pop nous and a little heavioisty on board. Klaxons get rocked up a la Enter Shikari ..epic sounding stuff

Dogstate- doing a cheeky run of DC Freakonomy Thursday shows to promo their hot new disc, you gotta love the dirty, low-slung groove rock of DS…with a nod to Blue Cheer and Fu Manchu not to mention Zep, Sabbath and other monsters of rawk. White Line Diaries- Four piece band from Hertfordshire incorporating an eclectic sound drawing influences from blues, jazz, funk, and hip hop. Think Jason Mraz feel-good pop meets Smash Mouth‘s upbeat catchy groove with some rapping thrown in the mix, plus a little fierce Maiden style rocking out. In contrast.. Lifecycle- ‘UK Tribal fusion band’ Lifecycle have recently been out on tour across the UK with The Crazy World of Arthur Brown..…free form jazz workouts abound, free drumming, flutes etc- picture the end part of that track off Satanic Majesties…The more outre bits of Airforce or Graham Bond…Rip Rig And Panic even…but it is a full band…bass player is a dead ringer for that girl who plays for Bowie- surely not?….alluring stuff anyway, all instrumental, a groovier, funkier Tortoise kinda ting. Masiro- Heavy post-rock instrumentals, Math rock with a laid-back prog groove, pretty accomplished, able to go off at tangents without collapsing in on itself. Engaging stuff.

The Sosos- Produced by/played with Boz Boorer…it’s a softly psychedelic retro pop thing with Byrdsian vox and swells of Strawberry Alarm Clock keys and stuff, very much in a Nuggets series pop issue vein, and likeably so. Gets on an Electric Prunes post Paint It Black tip too- you can see where this is at.High Tide- fine men of Kent doing acoustic folk pop strumalummading dong lofi pop. Eugene Ripper-Ex guitar slinger for The Fleshtones, now playing barbed, fast n furious folk, with a punk stance and a lyrical nod to Johnny Cash. Great stuff. Trash Green-Classic indie referencing the smiths in particular but also elements of suede and my life story, nicely hooky. The Merrions- Psych tinged indie rocknroll outta Leeds.

Lost Trends- biscuit tin riddims, nice trashy space age guitar and proclaiming vocals- fuck me it’s Age Of Chance! Sound a lot like them ’80s nearly weres it really does…so dancey electro -rap cum indie rock- see also Sigue Sigue Sputnik , Bis and Pop Will Eat Itself. Intriguing samples, good ideas, and a nice primal feel throughout.Finding Albert-Really catchy electro infused indie with an impressive stadium filling sound, hints of Kasabian and Maximo park and high profile supports in their native scotland with the likes of Biffy Clyro and Newton Faulkner. Random Patrols- after a difficult year Bugbear are very pleased to welcome Random Patrols back to the DC to kick our collective butt with their magnificent anthemic indie rocknroll. Last Of The Dogs- some jangle and some angst and plenty punknessness…a bit of Gun Club post garage U.S styling but largely reminiscent of KOL had they got on to some good drugs and upped the ante with some Dead Kennedys and Saints elements. Mighty good. Finding Albert- Really catchy electro infused indie with an impressive stadium filling sound, hints of Kasabian and Maximo Park and high profile supports in their native scotland with the likes of Biffy Clyro and Newton Faulkner.

Hillbilly Water- Country blue-grass from the U.S Guitar, Mandolin and Bass fiddle. Really up-tempo tunes with a great authentic sound, great players too. Peccadillo- Soulful male singer songwriter. A bit jazzy in places. A fair bit of piano action. Reminds of Gnarls Barkley or Aloe Blacc. Samsara- a post grunge lunge into rocknroll areas habitated by the likes of White Denim and Steve Miller

The Devil’s Rejects- acoustic punk with fiddle or steampunk as they used to call it or wss that something more quasi industrial- anyways, sounds not unlike The Men They Couldnt Hang and Blyth Power…. Chris Sagan- singer songwriter of an indie, folky hue. Mumford & Sons meets Kings of Leon. Only powered up with a highway rolling Americana band so also see Eagles, Ryan Adams, Mellencamp etc.

Violence By Braille- One man tornado of punk informed acoustic angst and irreverent humour….more Patrick Fitzgerald than Billy Bragg but very much his own man is VBB… The Little Things- groovy whacked out dance music somewhere between The Avalanches and Bentley Rhythm Ace and Moby at his most perversely playful…and we’re reliably informed it flies live too. Minimal Bouge- Here’s an alluring concoction…percussion clacking away as a guitar twonks like a shamizen and a French fellow- for they are from Bordeaux- intones a haiku. French Japanese? The Asiatic percussion and wilfully arty experimenting builds and builds and takes you to what sounds like a Japanese garden on melty drugs. ‘Doublebass, bombo, steel drum, keyboard, guitare, charango, voice.’…still, always one to encourage experimentors here at Buggerbear so enjoy…

Altered Sky- female fronted punk pop tiur de force. Laden with amaze balls tunes this lot make Paramore sound like Patrick Moore (ask yer Gran) Silent Crowd- Alt indie rock in the vein of Biffy Clyro and Twin Atlantic with a Deaf Havana pop punk esque. Good Guy Dies- Rocked up electro, but with instantly infective pop hooks, there’s a sassy female vocal backed by a plethora of interesting samples, good stuff. Glass Owls- Vocals sound very Julian Casablancas. Spikey early Arctic Monkeys guitar work. Nice build ups. The percussion carries it really well, gotta luv it.

Grace Diesel- bluesy soul diva type vox and a neatly raw and funky rock backing…Skunk Anansie sans the metally bits..Joss Stone…lots of Janis and Zep in here. Damn fine work.  Jupiter’s Carnival- Funk and rhythm n blues playing tinged this alternative psych rock outfit, but it’s mainly about the lead guitar which is Randy California, BB King and Johnny Winter rolled into one lick mongous doobie.  A flood of multiple crushed notes fluttering forth over a skittering drummer and solid bass. Classic blues rock 3 piece then. Though they span out into neo surf Dick Dale type fare too. Good fun assured.

Plastic Pop Records kick off their DC curating New Britpop Revival weekender this evening  in conjunction today with Merc Clothing.

Plastic Pop Records are at the forefront of the New Britpop Revival and Bugbear are overjoyed to welcome them back to the DC for this May Bank Holiday extravaganza in conjunction today with Merc Clothing. With their ace face roster rehearsed and suited n booted and well and truly in the place to be we kick off at 4pm this arvo, so arrive nice and early to get the most out of this fine, fine music. Going right through til 2am with Djs Dave Edwards and Alan May (6 Towns Radio)

The Corderoys-Very Beatles via The Kinks with heaps of Fratellis… Bright catchy guitar fuelled songs with singalong choruses The Remnants- Outta Bournmouth and born to boogie in a post Fabs fashion…yes, these fellas admire The Beatles in all their guises for sure but their beat n rnb is all their own, suitably sleek of trouser and suave of shoe..The Exploding Sound Machine- Britishly psychedelic like The Pretty Things of SF Sorrow…plus some Procul Harum, Ogdens era Small Faces, early Purple- that English dolorous end of psych… A fuzzed out, Hammond drenched, 60s inspired psychedelic band dripping in paisley and crushed velvet playing tones of purple and orange majestically covered in oil wheels…….The Tones-  Jake Cunningham, Daniel Foreman, Joem Opina and James Morris are The Tones: A mod rock band, with roots such as The Who and The Small Faces while adding modern influences like Oasis and The Arctic Monkeys. “Might give Weller a run for his money” – Vive le Rock. The Franklys- all girl internationale punk pop band with elements of psych and post punk making out with dark tunesmithery- sound as the kids say amazeballs. Like Hole and the Jefferson Airplane in a cool clinch.

The Poor Things- agreeably sloppy USA inclined punky pop with an equally agreeable ramshackle Replacements type vibe via a little Buzzcocks meets Ramones punk n roll and some of that wide eyed rnr romanticism seen with bands that tie scarves round their knees. Good kit. The Raptors- Rough hewn but charming indie-punk, dead good hooky tunes with great shoutalong choruses, Johnny Moped via a fledgling Libertines, great stuff.

Scream Baby Scream- Horror rock outta Italia, with band rocking a goth zombie look and sounding like an alt-metal version of Ministry with snatches of prog and techno, brilliantly bombastic… The Dead XIII- Horror punk end well and truly kept up by the UK tour support here,  with a discernible Misfits influence a nod to early USA  hardcore, goth  and more metally stuff like Rob Zombie. Nicely nasty… Bi:Lingual- Estuarine UK rap rock..might well wear shorts during January. Bonzer and ballsy grungy rock sound, punky delivery, groovily gruff semi MC-ing vocals. Nirvana meets Spearhead kinda ting.

Young Jude- scratchy guitars fall away as a fey yet sonorous male vocal rides the riddim rambunctiously. ..raw six string work prefaces a blend of Arctic Monkeys, Foals and something a lickle more mainstream…they can rock out well for sure. ZenthetiX- Alt rock with an impressively epic sound, pretty melodic too, insistently hooky guitar lines, soulful vocal, all good, sounds a bit like a grunged up Placebo via Tool. Rootwork- Alt rock with melodic neo psych passages via some blistering blues tinged psych rocknroll lead and a little of that nouveau proggy Mars Volta type shizzle. Powerful music with some good West Coasty harmonies.

The Silver Bayonets- Anthemic rock, big sound, a little grungy in places. Along the lines of Feeder. Lorra Manics in here too, impassioned singing, fizzy Bob Mold/Buzzcocks guitars. Circus Wolves- strummy acoustics and a kind of indie soul featuring a great lead vocal, pitching itself somewhere between The Beatles and The Smiths in ballad mode… ‘We recently changed our name to Circus Wolves from Plastic Rabbits, a guise under which we received both local and national radio play with our single ‘Lisa’‘…… Ligre- electronic/rock band from USA/Mexico (border cities) ..neat n crisp edgy post punkish BTs with a vocodered weird vocal…a strange blend of Death From Above 1979 and something off one of The Stranglers‘ later oddball albums.…Apollo Junction- Much fancied hot to trot Leeds based electro popping new new wavers with a refreshing super poppy aspect.

Shoot The Moon- ska with brass but not remotely 2 Tone- it’s quite possibly beardy hipster ska with indie rock overtones although there is a hint of The Specials…grand brass, dang decent tunes, have their shit well and truly sorted, excellent band beards or no beards. Ben McKelvey- pleasingly raw toned indie pop with a bright Wedding Present meets something like The Rifles up for it energy and positivity…good work. Oliver Coates- Meloncholic, but meaty, acoustic singer songwriter. Interesting melodies. Nice vocals. Gets a bit spacey in places, which is very welcome but there’s sweet dusting of melodic sugar to keep the more mainstream mothers happy.

Lectrolips-electro pop with loadsa old school references, especially the throbbing georgio moroder bass lines, vocodered vox and stabbing synths, have hooky tunes too.Practical Lovers-biscuit tin riddim box, Joy Div basslines and a vocal that has post punkness written all over it and is also Ian Curtis like but with an odd and rather endearing slight wrinkle in it…like he has a half eaten pork scratching in his mouth. Nice perky little keyboards too. Reminds me of early OMD too though not as electro – really charming and ‘Textbook romance’ is a great tune. Lion The Weak-Electro tinged indie in the vein of MGMT and Hot Chip bu with some interesting prog/lo-fi moments giving it a soundscapey post rock feel at times. Replaced By Robots- Synth driven, hooky new wave / electro pop, a lot of 80′S influences at play

Truly Ford- is an 18-year-old dynamo! Not only does she write and compose all her own material, she also has a sensational voice and is a captivating live performer. Musically drawing inspiration and comparison to artists such as Tracy Chapman, Laura Marling and Lucy Rose, her unique vocals, both sultry and melancholy, have been compared to those of Florence Welch and Amy Macdonald Michael Reeve-Soul-searching singer songer with West Coast leanings and backwoods imagery.Has been receiving airplay from BBC 6 Music The BeauBowBelles- Citing musical influences that span gypsy and western folk, country, blues and classical, their close-part harmonies, driving rhythms and soulful melodies have attracted a dedicated fan-base and have seen them great success on both the festival circuit and the London alternative music scene. Sam Kelly Trio-A unique fusion of Irish and English roots music and American traditional music. …  Seth Lakeman meets Horslips sans the prog rock bits.

Fanlights- Seductive dream pop. Confident Ana Calvi style female vocals, a hint of Lana Del Rey too. Very stripped back sound. Lyrically heavy. Some of the guitar work reminds me of The Kills. Good. Friend Of Friends-Nicely optimistic sounding alt rock with dreampop tendencies and plenty of indie rock de pop nuances from all over the shop such as We Are Scientists, Manics, Bloc Party and Fall Out Boy

Satsangi-“Satsangi are a British indie rock band with roots in Kerala, India. They have gigged extensively, including with The Kills, The Primitives, The Moons. Their sound has been described as blending rock ‘n’ roll, new wave and punk riffs to tripped out jazz & psych. Rolling Stone magazine describes their music in the feature ‘Satsangi Come To India’ as, “charged by guitar romp and fiery vocals, the sound is fresh, crisp and aggressive, Menon offers a compelling mash of vocal styles; rewind to Dolores O’Riordan, Grace Slick, Sinead O’Connor and fast forward to the likes of Bjork and Karen O and add to that the bizarre temperament of the likes of Tori Amos and Regina Spektor.”

Article 10- Metaled up hard rock with a twist of grunge.  Skid Row meets Black Sabbath with some early Metallica like guitar shreddings via a finely placed pop sensibility. Blooom- formerly The Band from Oddworld... an effortless laconic indie rock happening that explodes now and then into ferocious rock action think Deus/Floyd/Prince/REM/Pink Floyd. Glass Host- cyclical riffs with delay FX, clattering drums, a sort of 90s Floyd meets The Police vibe musically via  female vocal in the Fleetwood Mac/Haim area.  A little bit of early 80s King Crimson perhaps? Suits me Sir. The Dirty Mojo’s- classic blues / rock and roll- so they say and we concur. Chased By Karma- ex members from Understand and Pepperman from the 1990′s. ‘An original blend of melodic alternative rock’…yay… Pearl Jam meets Pink Floyd,  not half.

Spizz Energi- Great to welcome back Spizz and his fabulous current kick ass punk n roll band to the DC, home of a fair few legendary, packed and punktastic Spizz shows now…so book early for assured funtime in this the 35th anniversary Spizz tour. And yes…it’s a Spizz Summer’s Night Dream….expect the fantastical! Faerground Accidents- a winning blend of massively over driven immense guitars and ambient noise with a mannered psych punk vocal and a bit of a Buzzcocks pop punk sensibility via shoegaze- great songs with nigh on Bacharach type melodies, great changes, a huge wash of noise. Fine…different and memorable. Like these a lot. Healthy Junkies- Female fronted punky rock outfit, recalls Luscious Jackson at times and has some hard on Led Zep moments but overall it’s charming wasted rocknroll of alluring stripe.

 Hands Off Industry- 80′s synth pop with a rather grandiose sub industrial sound coming on very Depeche Mode but definitely their darker druggier schtick via a dose of Sisters Of Mercy, swimmingly well done as it goes. Emperor Yes-supercharged electro popwith a stunning video (‘Cosmos’) in which cartoon ants make out wiyth the band dressed in big fluffy suits….sort of like Mercury Rev meets overdriven rather proggy modern dance music a la yer man David Getta And Or Not-Hailing from UK, Portugal and the US of and or A, And Or Not play dirty Numanesque synth rock with driving drum and bass lines, gutsy girl vocals and guitar that punches you in the gut. Nitzer Ebb dunking a Blondie biscuit in a cup of QOTSA

Back at the Thatch-Going-Increasingly- Gaga end of the 1980s, when DLT still roamed the earth, a fabulous comedic punk country duo called The Panic Brothers were a regular feature in The Dublin Castle. Pre-dating the sizzling stand up career of one Rich Morton and the singer songer workings of the other bruv Reg Meuross, The Panic Bros created the 1987 mini LP ‘In The Red’ and made some high-profile TV appearances, notably on ‘Friday Night Live’ , Channel 4‘s highly influential flagship comedy vehicle of the time. Later we saw Rich on TV with the likes of Jack Dee and Jools Holland whilst Reg garnered plaudits on the live scene- Rich likewise still rocking a cheekily plucked guitar in many of his routines. The Panics- if I may be so bold- opened for such diverse musical icons as Chuck Berry, John Martyn and Richard Thompson and also acted as tour support for comedy stars like Lenny Henry, Harry Enfield, Jeremy Hardy and Mark Steel….their comedic rockabilly punk pop shtick resonates beautifully today, hence they’re back together and you lucky bleeders get to go wibble wobble wibble harp strings a plucking back in time to the source of so many fantastic Panic Brothers shows, The Dublin Castle. What a wonderful thing. Crafted songs that make you grin broadly, jig about a bit and then belly laugh your way into a full on ’80s style chicken dance…. See you down the front. Porky The Poet- Those of you who attended numerous indie and post punk shows in the 1980s, often featuring Go Discs artistes natch may know instantly who this is in support mode tonite. A big star of TV and stage and not one to be at all bothered by The Buzzcocks, oh no….