Distractors launch their new double A-side single this Saturday at Crawdaddy! Released on Friday 16 and featuring brand new songs Conversation Killer and Poet or Prophet, the Dublin four-piece are well-prepared to take on any contenders to the crown of 2008’s summer stormer.

Recorded in Kilkenny’s Melody Ranch with Leo Peason (U2, Elvis Costello) and Jim Spencer (Johnny Marr, The Charlatans), the songs are deeper and darker than the previous Distractors sound, a literal kick-back to their trying start to the year. Expect to dump your expectations and be driven to distraction…

BUY Conversation Killer/Poet or Prophet from 16 May
SEE Distractors at Tower Records, 1 o’clock, 16 May
GO to the Crawdaddy launch gig, 17 May….

The Flaws - Bank of Ireland National Student Music Award @ The Village - 24/04/08

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Here’s a little bit o’ fun and games! The nice people at Club AC30 Dublin -whose awesome Chequerboard, Airiel and Ulrich Schnauss show blew up the Button Factory on Friday night - have whipped together a sweet collection of good stuffage for two lucky souls. To celebrate the AC30 Dublin/BoomBoomRoom’s massive pairing of And So I Watch You From Afar and Tracer AMC, pinnacles of Belfast’s stellar post-rock scene, we’ve been bouncing around all sorts of high-faluting notions! One such display of extravagance concerns The Utter Freebie Madness of the AC30 camp who want to give away signed posters and albums from each band along with two pairs of passes for the May 16th gig.

All you have to do is concoct your own mock post-rock tribute band and spoof album cover. To get you started, we’ve thrown a couple together ourselves! Most contrived band name or downright zany cover wins. Send yours to rockeroffher[at]gmail[dot]com…Entries close at 6pm on Wednesday night. Now, where did I leave my psuedonym?

The Coronas - Dublin Castle - 05/04/2008

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Welcome to the Cusp, GiveAManAKick’s new album, launches this Friday at new favourite venue, ALT…Andrews’ Lane Theatre, for those of you who are still uncool. Yes, they launch their new album with a storming gig with support from Dry County…and it’s FREE!

Doors: 8pm. Late club after. Dress code: massive capacity for fun.

Catch GAMAK at Tower records Dublin on Sat May 3rd at 5pm.

Women of all imaginable shoe-sizes and talents will be celebrated over 25-27 April with an epic arts line-up at LadyFest Cork 2008. Music comes from a variety of appealling souces and every base is covered: Bela Emerson, DIT, Happy Homemakers, Suicidal Birds and The Monday Club deliver an exotic twist, DJs lxindamix and Tacky Onassis bring it all together from opposite ends of the scale. Our own females and friends in Clare O’Mahoney, Estel, Janey Mac, Korridor, OhMyGodItMightBeHim!, Ophelia, Party Weirdo, Queen Kong, The Radio, Tap Tap Click Click, We Should Be Dead, You’re Only Massive and Zing will be on hand and home turf… Check out all the music listings!
As if those performances weren’t enough to keep even a dour chauvinist happy, there’s more poetry, drama, workshops and comedy than you can shake your eggs at. An art exhibition in the old ESB building opposite Cyprus Avenue launched the event last night with a wide array of photography, print, painting, graphic design, video and sound installations.
Tap Tap Click Click will close the show on Sunday night with a live set in the gallery.

Tickets are priced €10 (daily) or €27 (weekender) and are available at Tickets.ie or on the door. More info…

Along with championing the celebrity of feminity, as a community-based, not-for-profit venture, Ladyfest Cork aims to raise awareness and funds for local charities and places emphasis on quality over quantity. Everyone is welcome to attend with many interesting preferences covered in the schedule to appeal to just about anyone. I personally love to see small ventures like this in communities around the country and wish the organisers and everyone involved a cracking weekend. If anyone has any photos to share, drop me an email (rockeroffher[at]gmail[dot]com)!

If I was a cool mutha, myself and the kids would be hopping into a VW bus and beetling bare-foot down to Cork for sure. Alas, I’m not cool and the closest I’ll get to beetles will be taking the bins out on Sunday.