Check out nsma.hotpress.com for a full down of the grand final, complete with photos!

Tuesday night saw HotPress/Tisch Spring 2008 videos premiere in a new home: Temple Bar’s Button Factory. Established events of the Irish music calendar, the premieres celebrate a series of short music video collaborations. Ten bands across Ireland work with student directors from New York’s Tisch School of Arts for a stunning audio/visual showcase of creative potential. The latest batch of bands to find themselves on the silver digicam screen were:

The Coronas
Sinéad O’Connor
& Republic Of Loose
Future Kings Of Spain
Pamela Connolly
The Brilliant Things
The Mighty Stef
Halves
Not Men But Giants
and Choice winners Super Extra Bonus Party

I was snapping on the night for a great laugh with the bands and their directors:

Ian Whitty and the Exchange with director Jenna Yost (centre)

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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.

Ham Sandwich have been confirmed to play Electric Picnic in Stradbally, Co. Laois at the end of August.
Brilliant news for the bready heads as they’ve yet to play such a large-scale event. With a Meteor award, a debut album, countless tv appearances and constant radio airplay along with a string of packed-out live performances, this is the year the Hammbos cap the process of ‘making it’ from unsigned obscurity to a force to be reckoned with.
They’ll make good acolytes in the shadow of My Bloody Valentine, The Sex Pistols and Use. Let’s keep our eyes peeled for more shock announcements from POD….

Evil Harrisons have lost a member:

Unfortunately we must announce that Barry has parted ways with the group. Myself, Nick and Ronan would like to thank him for all he’s done for us over the years and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
All is not lost though as we are soon to lock ourselves into the studio once more to record “the album”. Don’t want to give away too much at this point so stay tuned for further developments.
Paul
EH

Read their blog.

Good luck to Barry! Here’s hoping everything’s as cordial as it sounds…all mention of the man Baz has been wiped from the band bio…

A right stink was kicked up by one lone dissenter on the official Road To V messageboard regarding the inclusion of Galway band Blasterbra in the final 14 of the festival competition.

Apparently as the band are Irish and non-resident in the UK, they were not eligible to participate, despite the previous inclusion of the new-defunct The Immediate. V representatives contacted Blasterbra in search of a loophole to ensure they retained their place in the final but efforts proved fruitless and Blasterbra were dropped.

Read the band’s MySpace blog for more…commiserations guys

To be honest, it’s a fecking farce that V allowed willingly allowed the band to enter despite their Irish status. Or is it another example of British people forgetting Ireland’s a republic?