NI Chart

NI rockers LaFaro have been the daddies of the Northern Ireland music scene for a long time now...so it's about time they gave us their debut album! The self-titled record will arrive on the 10th May on the Smalltown America label.

To celebrate the release the band will head out on tour with And So I Watch You From Afar at the end of April.

Fighting With Wire have announced that they will play a special show in Sandinos Bar, Derry on Thursday the 4th March. The gig will be a warm-up for their forthcoming trip to the South-By-Southwest music festival in Texas later in the month.

Lurgan based folk rock band Captain Kennedy have announced details of their next single which will be a double A-side. 'Stretch That Penny / Sweetest Friend' will be available for download from 5th April 2010. Sweetest Friend is often regarded as the band’s signature tune and a firm favourite with Captain Kennedy fans, but will be given a fresh new sound on this latest release.

The band will then release their debut album 'See You When I See You' later in the year.

General Fiasco seem to be going from strength to strength these days, and hopefully all their hard work will come to fruition on the 28th March when the band launch their debut album at the Mandela Hall, Belfast. 'Buildings' will be available to buy from the 22nd March. Support on the night will come from Team Fresh and More Than Conquerors, both of who have tracks available for FREE in our downloads section. Tickets are priced at £12 and are available to anyone over 14!

Before the big day, the band will have a short European tour calling at the likes of Munich, Amsterdam and London.

Belfast band the Varionis have made it through to the last 20 acts in a Europe wide music competition. Over 2500 bands applied for The King of the Mountain competition (in which the four eventual winners will play at the Austria based Snowbombing festival along with bands like the Doves and the Editors) but only 20 bands made it through to the final round with the Varionis being one of the final bands selected.

The best magazine in Northern Ireland is undoubtedly AU Mag, who bring you the best in international and local music. They are now into their 63rd monthly edition and what is most surprising this time round is that it is totally FREE!!

It's amazing that a magazine of this standard can be picked up for £0! We're very impressed. The AU team plan to do this from now on, pushing the mag out to those unlucky enough not to be regular readers.

In this months mag you can find local acts such as Two Door Cinema Club and The Dangerfields as well as international acts such as Vampire Weekend, Yeasayer, Field Music and more. There is also a lovely article on our favourite local award winning photographer, Graham Smith!

You can get your FREE AU Magazine at loads of different venues, coffee shops, retail outlets...and loads of other places. Hunt down your FREE copy now!

The Glasgowbury Festival managed to bag 4 out of the 5 awards that they were nominated for in this years Irish Festival Awards. The festival, which takes place every summer in Draperstown won Best Small Festival, Best Line-Up, Best Family Festival and Best Service!

One of this weeks new downloads is 'Dragonfly' by Belfast based rock band Sister Marko. They have released the song for FREE in our downloads section in celebration of their latest EP 'Just Let Go'. The band are currently touring the release with notable dates including the 11th March at the Pavilion Bar, Belfast.

There's no need to go out and get a Valentines gift this year...just head on over the Bandwidth Films website HERE and get her a FREE mixtape!

The 'Bandwidth Valentines Day MixTape’ features the music of acts as diverse as Kula Shaker, Elvis Presley, Don McClean and Glenn Miller covered by Northern Ireland acts like Kitty And The Can Openers, Panda Kopanda, The Jane Bradfords and A Plastic Rose. There's even some lovely covers to print out!

It's certainly been a busy week for local music videos! Here's another two for your viewing pleasure. First up is A Plastic Rose with their latest single 'Kids Don't Behave Like This' (released on the 26th March). The video was directed by local photographer Matthew Patton.

Yakuza have also released a new video for their forthcoming second single 'What Were They, Psychos?'.It reminds us of that Ipod advert...if it had been directed by Chris Cunningham! This video was shot and directed by Darren McNaney.

General Fiasco have released the video for their upcoming single 'Ever So Shy'. The video was shot in New York by American director Adam Neustadter. The single will be released on the 8th March with their album 'Buildings' following on the 22nd March.

We love music videos here at NI Chart (see our music video section for over 100 local music videos) so we were chuffed to see the latest vids from Not Squares and Black Bear Saloon this week. Both videos are top notch but a special mention has to go to BBS as it is really beautifully shot.

It may be still cold outside but the summer feels just that little bit closer today as we hear of the second annual Willowstone Arts and Music Festival! Although no bands have been announced as yet, the organisers have set the 3rd July as the date that the festival will take place at Delamont Country Park, Killyleagh...so get it in your diaries now!

Heliopause are back in town (after having moved to England last year) and to celebrate they will be giving their latest EP away for FREE! The alternative band are well know as one of the most creative and experimental bands that have came out of the city in recent years, so we're dead excited to get our hands on some of their new material. You can get you're hands on 'Let The Silence Go' for FREE by heading over the band's website HERE.

Heliopause will be playing the Two Step Club night in the Limelight, Belfast on the 18th Feb along side Continuous Battle Of Order and Before Machines.

On Sunday 31st of Jan 50 NI acts joined together to raise money for the people affected by the recent disaster in Haiti....and the event was an amazing success, raising over £40k for the cause. If you miss out on the day can watch his lovely film by RedCap Productions' Sean Duncan... and then donate some more money HERE

Bangor three-piece Two Door Cinema Club have exclusively released there next music video to the NME website. Undercover Martyn is the latest high-end production video from the band, and although it doesn't quite match the video for their previous single (see our music video section) it really did catch out eye, bring back memories of an old Supergrass video.

The Lowly Knights have made some hard decisions in the past few months and have cut their numbers down from about 12 to 6 members (the Belfast soundmen will be happy). We hoped that the new line-up will mean that the band will do more tours and that's exactly what they are planning for 2010. They will take to the road next week with rockers Six Star Hotel in a small UK tour.

They have also finished the recording of their second EP! 'To the hum of distant voices – The Hollow EP' will be available on We Collect Records from the 22nd Feb.

The Lowly Knights and Six Star Hotel have free songs available in our downloads section.

Our best buddies at Féile Fm are changing their legendary radio show... and we're super excited! You'll now be able to catch Vinny and the team on Monday nights from 7-9.30pm for the best in local and international music... and the best craic you'll find on the radio in the country.

As many of you will know, the show counts down the weekly NI Chart FREE downloads chart, giving the number one some much deserved radio play (a first for many of the bands in the chart). The show will now give the number one artist the chance to appear on the show themselves for a quick interview! A great chance for any local band to plug their material.

As well as the NI Chart countdown, the show has some great features such as James' movie reviews, as well as some great tunes and a whole load of laughs!

You can tune into the show every Monday from 7-9.30pm at 103.2FM or listen online HERE

Another band that have announced details of their latest release are NI Chart favourites The Bonnevilles! The Lurgan based garage blues band will release 'Santa Muerte Murder Songs' as a 7" vinyl on Eruption records with Thee Phantom Herd on the 12th Feb. The special edition vinyl will be limited to 300 copies but you can pre-order your copy now from their website.

If you can't wait until then you can catch the band when they play Auntie Annie's, Belfast on the 28th Jan when they support Team Fresh at the NI Chart Birthday Bash. Doors 8.30pm. Entry £5.

A Plastic Rose have are due to release their latest single 'Kids Don't Behave Like This' and have given us new track to get your ears ready! You can download 'Mother It's Time' (taken from their latest EP) for FREE in our downloads section!

'Kids Don't Behave Like This' will officially be released to the world on March 29th with a party gig in The Stiff Kitten March 26th with Axis Of as support. It's an early show doors are 8pm.

In other news the band are promoting their regular gig night Skinny Love. This time round it is headlined by the excellent Kowalski with support coming from Katie And The Carnival, and Elspeth. It takes place on the 3rd Feb at Auntie Annie's. Door 9pm. Entry £5.

General Fiasco have released details of their next single with a little 'making of' video diary to heighten our excitement further. 'Ever So Shy' will be released on the 8th March and precedes their debut album 'Buildings' which will follow on the 22nd March.

Thanks to your votes (and many others!) And So I Watch You From Afar have reached the last 10 acts for the Xfm New Music Award! There will be stiff competition from the likes of Mumford & Sons, Florence & The Machine and Little Boots to name a few.

The band are also Paddy Powers's 3-1 favourites to lift the Choice Music Prize (the Republic Of Ireland's answer to the Mercury Prize) ahead of acts such as The Duckworth Lewis Method and The Swell Season.

ASIWYFA play The Cellar Bar, Draperstown on Friday 22nd Jan followed by The Square Peg, Warrenpoint on Saturday the 23rd Jan.

50 NI acts will join forces on Sunday 31st of Jan to raise money for the people affected by the recent disaster in Haiti.

Bands such as The Answer, General Fiasco, In Case Of Fire, Panama Kings, Cashier No.9 and many more will play The Limelight, Spring & Airbrake and Katy Dalys, while dance acts such as Phil Kieran, David Holmes, Boxcutter and The Japanese Popstars will play The Stiff Kitten.

Our favourite local photographer Graham Smith (who's photos we use for our lovely banner above!) has won the coveted Lex Van Rossen photography award! The award is an annual prize for young European music photographers.

“Smith is a photo-journalist who documents what he sees. This is always a good starting point but as well as being highly skilled with the camera, Graham Smith’s work has a very genuine and passionate vibe. He has a real empathy with musicians, and is a very good all-rounder.” - LVR Award Judge

Photos of Graham Smith and of nine other nominees are currently being exhibited in the Photogallery Noorderlicht (Groningen, The Netherlands) till the 28th of February 2010. Afterwards the show will go to London.

Graham is currently working on two books, one of which will be dedicated to his time touring with And So I Watch You From Afar (pictured above).

The submissions period for the Glasgowbury Music Festival 2010 is now officially open.

To be considered for this year’s festival, please send your band/act’s most recent press pack including a biography along with an example of your work (cd/demo/album/EP) to: Glasgowbury Music Group, Unit B1, The Business Centre, Tobermore Road, Draperstown, County Derry, BT45 7AG.

The submissions period will close at the end of March 2010. For more information, email submissions@glasgowbury.com

The team behind the small but massive festival are also offering one lucky person a pair of tickets to the 2010 festival when they fill out their online survey.

The survey aims to get the views of all those people who attended the 2009 festival to get their honest views and to help them improve things for this year's event.

As well as releasing a new song in to our FREE downloads section (get it HERE), Furlo have announced details of their new EP. 'Signature' will be released on the 6th Feb at a special headline slot at the G Sessions in Draperstown. Following this, the North-West based rock band will go on a 10 gig tour across the country. Notable dates include the 26th Feb in Auntie Annie's, Belfast and the 27th Feb in Sandinos, Derry. You can find out when they're coming to a town near you on their myspace HERE.

The EP is officially launched in The Cellar Bar, Draperstown on the 6th Feb. Support comes from Colenso Parade, The Q and Pretty Child Backfire. Doors are at 8pm. Entry £5.

Neil Hannon has been nominated for three major awards this week. The Duckworth Lewis Method (Neil's cricket themed side-project) album has been shortlisted for the Choice Music Prize as well as Best Irish Album in the Meteor Awards. Neil has also been nominated for Best Original Score for the Irish Film and Television Awards for his work on 'Wide Open Spaces', a recent film starring Ewen Bremner (Trainspotting) and Ardal O'Hanlon (Father Ted).

We were also excited to hear that And So I Watch You From Afar have also been nominated for the Choice Music Prize. The North-Coast instrumental rockers were in our news recently for their XFM award nomination. You can get your vote in HERE.

The Vals have announced details of their next single taken from their recent album. 'Things Will Always Be The Same' will be released by the Belfast based band in March of this year and has already been receiving some airplay.

The band also announced that they are planning another European Tour soon, with dates in England and Germany already organised for the summer. Looks like 2010 might just be their year!

Two of our favourite local acts have decided to release their debut singles right here at NI Chart for FREE!

First up are The Alice Kona Band, who release their debut single 'Police'. The band have been describe as a mishmash of doo-wop, garage and punk and are definitely one of the coolist bands in town.

Axis Of have also released their debut single for FREE download, though many of you may have noticed that the song 'Brobdingnagian' has been available for a few weeks in our downloads section.

Both bands will join forces when they play the official Axis Of single launch which will be held at Auntie Annie's on Tuesday 12th Jan at 8.30pm. Entry is £3/£4 with CD.

Not content with being one of Northern Ireland's premier music photographers, Matthew Patton also regularly airs is views on his popular blog. Recently he interviewed Gerry Norman of A Plastic Rose about the band's plans for 2010. They chat about their upcoming single plus the plans for their next video. You can read the whole interview HERE. The band will release 'Kids Don't Behave Like This' on the 29th March.

Yes it's another epic headline for our favourite North-Coast post-rockers ASIWYFA. This time we're asking you to get your voting boots on. The band have been announced as one of the 'contenders' for the XFM New Music Award, and will be competing against the likes of La Roux, The XX, Peter Doherty and many more. You can get your vote in HERE.

In other news, the band have announced two new NI gigs. They will play The Cellar Bar, Draperstown on the 22nd Jan and then The Square Peg, Warrenpoint on the 23rd Jan.

Bulbous Head are the latest NI Chart act to put their full album up for FREE download. The Portstewart based band reached the dizzy highs of No.3 in this weeks chart. Their music can range from alternative electro to cheesy pop to absurd noise...but they is certainly never a dull moment!

Babysweet Films have once again delivered some video goodness to our inbox. This time it's their latest music video for 4 piece indie alternative rockers Kowalski. The band have released Get Back as their latest single and have put it up for FREE download HERE.

It looks like it's going to be a busy year for Omagh's Colenso Parade. They have just announced details of their next TWO singles! First up will be 'Find Your Mother' at the end of February, then next up will be 'Fall At Your Feet' both with accompanying videos.

Their year kicks off with the band headlining the infamous Two Step club night at the Limelight bar on the 21st Jan. Support comes from The Good Fight and Uber Gliteratti.

The Christmas season may be leaving us but the NI music scene is a gift that just keeps on giving! Our favourite alternative electro showgaze madman Geoff Topley is giving away a whole album away for FREE! You can download all 10 songs from his band Cruz HERE

Geoff is also famous for his other two projects, Team Horse and Foamboy Deluxe Arkestra, both of which have FREE songs in our downloads section. They all have wonderfully different sounds but this has to one of our favourite tracks from his darker side. It's 'Mustang' by Team Horse

This year we will have our very own Shockwaves NME Award gig. Brighton based alternative rock band the Maccabees will play the Mandela Hall, Belfast on the 22nd of Feb 2010. Supporting them will be two of our very best local acts - Two Door Cinema Club and Panama Kings.

The gig is a run up to the NME Award show which will take place on the 24th Feb in Brixton. You can place your vote for a number of categories HERE so get over and let everyone know about your favourite local bands!!...we don't have to tell you who to put as your favourite website!

Local acts have been obviously feeling very generous this Christmas and we bring you word about another FREEBIE. You can download Skibunny's festive tune 'It's a Wonderful Life' for FREE from their website HERE.

"We’ll be back in the new year with news of a new release and lots more shows." - Skibunny

After the roaring success of their first FREE download compilation album (curated by NI Chart), Bandwidth Films have released Mixtape vol. 2, a Christmas album! There are original compositions from the likes of The Jane Bradfords and Pocket Promise, plus covers from others such as Joe Echo and Rachel Austin.

Kowalski have released their latest single 'Get Back' as a FREE download from their myspace site. The Bangor based band have been off our radar for a couple of months but it turns out they were doing a small reshuffle and recently acquired a new guitarist in the form of Paddy Conn. They have also been writing a new EP which is to be recorded in the beginning of 2010.

The band will play the Good Templer Hall in Bangor tonight (21/12/09) and play Auntie Annie's, Belfast on the 23rd Dec. Here's a wee preview of the single which was recorded by our friends at Babysweet TV.

Last Christmas one man had a vision - an unofficial chart for the abundance of local NI music talent - and so www.nichart.com was born.

Since that fateful day, the site has developed and expanded and now features over 150 Free tracks from local artists, as well as the Photo of the Week, News, Gig Guide and Reviews.

We’ve also started the NI Chart Monthly Podcast which has already featured local legends Herb from LaFaro and Rory Friers from And So I Watch You From Afar.

On Thursday, January 28th, in Auntie Annie's, Belfast, we would like you all to join us for a night of frolicking, revelry and of course some of the best bands NI has to offer with Team Fresh, Mojo Fury and The Bonnevilles all performing to help us celebrate the first anniversary of the chart's birth and to say a big thank you to everyone who has helped us over the last year. Doors open at 8.30pm and entrance is £5. Presents are optional!!!

Those with one eye on our More Free Stuff page will have noticed the release of our latest audio podcast! This month we went down to the sunny north coast to talk to Rory Friers of And So I Watch You From Afar! He picks a few tracks to play from our downloads section plus a few of his own (one from their next EP!). We also got Rory to design an exclusive t-shirt for our monthly competition - download the podcast for more details.

The guys are back in town for what surely will be one of the biggest gigs of their lives, which will take place on Friday (18th Dec) night at the Ulster Hall. If you haven't got your ticket, get it soon as they are going like hot cakes.

In other news, fans can apply to be in an ASIWYFA photoshoot which takes place on the 22nd December. If you're 16-30yrs old and what to appear in the photograph that will be part of the band's promotion for their second album then head over HERE.

Strait Laces have confirmed that they will attend next years South By South-West (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas. The festival is one of the biggest industry based events in the world, so it's great to hear that the lads from the North Coast will make it over to the showcase in March 2010.

The band will be joined by fellow North Coast rockers And So I Watch You From Afar and Derry's very own Fighting With Wire! A great line-up in any country.

Now that X Factor has ended for another year, don't fret - there's another vote you can get all excited over. For the second year running, the small but massive Glasgowbury festival has been nominated in several categories at the Irish Festival Awards. Last year Glasgowbury picked up the Best Service Award and Family Festival Award, but this year the team want to go one better.

After the sell-out success of Glasgowbury 2009, the festival has been nominated in six categories including: Best Small Festival, Best Line-Up, Best Service, Best Toilets, Best Family Festival and Social Responsibility and now they are calling on you, the people who make Glasgowbury so special, to vote and help them to win their categories.

Festival Organiser Paddy Glasgow said Glasgowbury’s nominations were testament to the success of the acts and the people who make Glasgowbury so special every year. “It’s the second year in a row that we’ve been nominated in the Irish Festival Awards and we’re all very proud that Glasgowbury is being recognised on a national scale,” he said.

“Winning another award from the Irish Festival Awards would be the icing on the cake of a successful year for Glasgowbury so far. It’s a great achievement to still be here after 10 years and the group has diversified in many ways over that time.

Plans are already underway for the ten year celebrations of the festival in July 2010 so keep an eye on the Glasgowbury website for the latest news, but Paddy is asking their supporters to help round off this year on a high.

“For now, we’d really appreciate it if the supporters of Glasgowbury could take the time out to vote for us in the Irish Festival Awards and help us be recognised as one of Ireland’s leading music festivals.”

You can vote for Glasgowbury in six categories by selecting the festival from the drop down menus at www.irishfestivalawards.ie so get voting!

Last month we ran the story that AU magazine were running a poll for you to vote for your favourite Irish album of the decade...well the results are in!

As well as features on the likes of Snow Patrol, ASIWYFA, and The Japanese Popstars, this month's mag (available in shops now) has the list of your top 50 albums, and we can reveal the top 10 for you now!!

Other notable albums include the likes of Adebisi Shank, Three Tales, Robyn G Shiels, Jetplane Landing and Duke Special, who all make the top 50....but you'll have to buy the mag to find out how they fared.

We were very surprised to hear today that Oppenheimer are to quit. The band are one of the most popular in the country and the last news that we heard was that they were working on their third album. It looks like the album has turned into what the band are calling a "farewell EP" which is set for digital release in 2010.

"Shaun has realized that in order to fulfill his hopes and dreams he needs to take a new and different path in his life. Rocky's ideas, dreams and notions for writing, recording and touring are more alive and vibrant than ever. Due to these changing circumstances, we have decided to part ways." - Oppenheimer Website.

It's sad news for the Northern Ireland music scene as the band were one of our most popular musical exports, with thousands of fans across the world. The band will play their last ever gigs on the 19th December at the Spring and Airbrake, Belfast (an early all ages show at 2.30pm and and evening performance).

Axis Of have announced details of their new single 'Brobdingnagian'. The band will launch the single on the 13th January at the Menagerie Bar, Belfast...and the exciting news for us is that you can currently get the song for FREE in our downloads section! Of course you will be able to get your hands on a lovely CD version of the single (with 'Swine Flu vs Bird Flu' as a B-side) on the night, or from the band's website HERE.

Support on the night comes from The Cities We Captured and Alice Kona Band. Entry is £4 (with CD!!) and doors are at 8.30pm.

Two of the most popular bands in our chart this year have been The Good Fight and A Plastic Rose, so we were delighted to hear that they have decided to release a split single together! Out on the 14th of December, the single is to be on the Di Di Mau record label which an indie label based in Belfast (and home to other NI Chart favourites Dutch Schultz).

Both bands are currently touring the single with dates in Galway (14th Dec), Omagh (18th Dec) and Strabane (19th Dec). You will be able to get more info and your hands on the single at - The Good Fight and A Plastic Rose websites.

Not only have Bangor popsters Two Door Cinema Club made their way onto Kanye West’s blog in recent weeks, they’ve now made the ‘longlist’ of BBC’s Sound of 2010. They join 14 other acts, including Rox and Stornoway,who will be wittled down to just five by January, when the overall winner will also be announced!

The artists have been picked by 165 ‘tastemakers’ (or experts to you and me). Previous winners and top five contestants, such as Florence and the Machine, Adele and Little Boots, have went on to much bigger and better things. Here at NI Chart we’re sure Two Door can go even further!

Albrecht's Pencil have recorded their debut album and will launch it this Friday, December 11, in the QUB Music Department at 8pm. The guys have pulled out all the stops and say they chose the venue because "We decided not to have it in a bar so that we could try and have a different sort of feel to the evening."

As a result you are all invited to bring along rugs and cushions (if you like) as there will be no structured seating and the space will be decorated in a 'bohemian' style. The gig will also be totally unplugged to encourage a more intimate atmosphere.

The guys also want anyone attending to dress extravagantly for the occasion, explaining that if you picture 'the Mad Hatter holds a masked ball in Salvadore Dali's house' you can't go far wrong. Of course if you don't want to go all out you can simply smarten up a little if you like but why not take the opportunity and have a laugh.

Support for the evening will be provided by local harpist and singer Lucy Kerr and the £10 ticket price includes the new LP so get down to McMordie Hall at Queens for a memorable musical evening.

Tim Wheeler from Ash has presented the Oh Yeah Centre with his iconic Flying V guitar, after he dropped in to see their music exhibition during a visit home last week.

The guitar has accompanied Ash through a memorable career that has resulted in two number one albums in the UK and 18 top 40 singles. On recent festival appearances, Tim set the guitar on fire at the start of the shows.
The Belfast Music Exhibition is open to the public on weekdays, noon until 3pm and the exhibition now features the 'Celt' guitar that Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol used to write 'Run' and 'Chasing Cars', a biker jacket Mickey Bradley of the Undertones wore on the 'Teenage Kicks' photo shoot and the jacket that Henry McCullough wore onstage with Paul McCartney and Wings.

It also features lots of other memorabilia from the illustrious history of NI music so if you haven't seen it yet, make sure and get yourselves down to check it out!

Indie darlings Panama Kings will make their triumphant return to the Belfast stage this month when they play Radar this Thursday, December 10, at the Speakeasy, just two months after their huge Mandela Show in October.

The 4-piece will play a special pre-Christmas show to celebrate the end of their mammoth 26 date A to Z UK tour with Northern Ireland rock legends Ash, which took them the length and breadth of the UK and then some.

The last time the band took to the stage in the Speakeasy doors were closed due to demand so expect a huge groundswell of support for this unique one off appearance. Support will come from lo-fi garage rockers The Alice Kona Band, who have been causing chaos across Belfast in recent months, and Bangor indie act Napoleon.

Local Indie popsters Cutaways have launched their new band website which you can have a look at HERE. The site has all the latest pics and info on the group, who have been locked away recording new material for the last few months. As a special treat for all their loyal fans they have a brand new recording and track We were closer in the Wintertime on the site. The track is available to listen to until this Monday and the band want to hear your views so get listening and commenting!!

We have an early Christmas present for you- a FREE Northern Irish music compilation album! NI Chart has teamed up with Bandwidth Films to bring you our favourite up-and-coming NI artists together in one easy FREE download. Artists include Team Fresh, Robyn G Shiels, Axis Of and loads more of our favourite Northern Irish artists!

Yes Cadets launch their self-titled EP this Tuesday evening (24/11/09) at Auntie Annie's, Belfast. The record was made at the Start Together studios with producer Ben McAuley, and includes the band's recent single 'Canada'. The band have been attracting some attention of late and have received airplay on Radio 1, 6music and 1xtra!

Support on the night comes from Before Machines and The Flora, The Fauna. Doors are at 9pm. Entry £4.

The sad news reached us today that the Bruised Fruit offices were broken into last Tuesday night. The thieves stole 2 computers, a digital camera, ipod and cash. Bruised Fruit is a 'more-than-profit' organisation that aims to promote the local music scene here with providing general advice, PR, gigs and a whole load more.
You can donate some money to help them get back on their feet HERE

Three Tales have made their new EP available FREE for download and we've been listening to it all day! 'The Hidden Possibilities In All Things' is three track internet-only EP and follows on from one of our favourite local records, the self-titled 'Three Tales' album. Get you hands on it HERE

To celebrate an amazing 20 years in the Northern Ireland music scene Andrew Johnston and his band Dangerfields play Auntie Annies tonight (18/11/09). Andrew has been in a few bands in his time, some of which will make a special one-off appearance tonight. Doors are at 8pm and entry is £5.

It's our favourite time of the month again - AU magazine time! In this months mag you can findfeatures on the likes of Air, Biffy Clyro and The Clash, and there's also room for local artists such as Two Door Cinema Club, Mojo Fury, Yes Cadets, Oppenheimer, The Answer, Phil Kieran, Rams Pocket Radio...and loads more!

There's also news of an exciting poll that magazine are holding - Irish Album Of The Decade! All you have to do to cast your vote is to compile a list of up to 20 Irish albums (North and South) released since Jan 1, 2000. Just the band and album title will do, in order, from your favourite at Number 1 right through to 20. Then email your list to chris@iheartau.com

It's been a strange day for the NI music industry today (13/11/09) with the announcement that NIMIC (the Northern Ireland Music Industry Commission) has closed down due to the bizarre explanation of "irreconcilable issues within NIMIC's board, Invest NI and other potential partners".

The organisation was established in 2001 to help the music scene here develop by offering business advice, seminars and showcasing for both artists and music industry organisations, and were supported by the likes of Invest NI, The Department for Culture Arts and Leisure, PRS and others. It now seems that the links between the NI music scene and these organisations has been broken.

Our friends at Bandwidth Films have announced details of an amazing competition - they're looking to record their next session at your place! You could have Albrecht's Pencil (+special guests) performing in your bedroom, living room, garden or even your workplace (if you can sneak them in past the boss!).

Six Star Hotel have released 'Kid Go Get It' as a free download from their website. The download also includes a music video for the single... and it's great! All you have to do is head over to the Six Star Hotel website and put in your details!

Panama Kings are currently away on the A-Z Tour tour with Downpatrick legends Ash (they are now at Q for Queens Park), but they haven't got too big for their boots just yet. We're happy to announce that the band have sent us another epic tune available for FREE in our downloads section! 'Judas' was recorded for the Strummerville Oh Yeah sessions and is only currently available to buy at gigs.

Panama Kings return to Belfast on the 26th November to support Ash at the Spring & Airbrake, Belfast. Tickets are £16.50. Doors at 8pm.

If you happen to visit the little known myspace website today (9/11/09) you may see some familiar faces on the homepage. Two Door Cinema Club have just released their video for 'I Can Talk' and it looks set to be their biggest tune to date! The song is the first single through the Kitsuné Maison record label with an album due in February 2010.

It has been an epic year for the Bangor based band so far. They are currently touring relentlessly with future dates planned in the likes of Amsterdam, Berlin and Tokyo. They return to Belfast on the 17th November at the Mandela Hall for a FREE show, with support from Pulled Apart By Horses (England), Twin Atlantic (Scotland) and Save Your Breath (Wales).

Tickets for the concert are available from HERE or calling the BBC NI ticketline on 0370 9011227.

The Answer have released the video for their next single 'Comfort Zone', which goes on sale on the 23rd November. Then on the 25th November the band will embark on their latest headline tour of the UK, calling in on many of the major venues and finishing off on the 14th December at the Ulster Hall, Belfast.

The band have spent almost a whole year touring the globe with AC/DC (encompassing both arenas and
then stadiums worldwide and playing to over 2 million rock fans) – “It’s been a fantastic experience playing to huge AC/DC audiences and we can’t wait to hit the road again to do our own headline shows”, says guitarist Paul Mahon.

Having only just released details of a split single with Hereford based band, Talons (see the story entitled T is for Tiny CDs below), And So I Watch You From Afar have announced details of their upcoming EP. Due for release on the 22nd February 2010, the 4-track EP will be called 'The Letters' and will include the tracks 'S Is For Salamander', 'D Is For Django The Bastard', 'B Is For B-Side' and 'K Is For Killing Spree (Ode To)'.

ASIWYFA will head off across Europe in the coming weeks, calling into the likes of Germany, Austria, Poland, and Hungary! They will be back in town on the 18th of December to play the Ulster Hall, Belfast. Support comes from LaFaro, Adebisi Shank and Cashier No.9.

Oppenheimer have announced that they are running a competition for teenage bands from NI, with the winners to play a support slot at Oppenheimers all-ages gig at the Spring & Airbrake on the 19th Dec!

"It's a real attempt to reach out to younger musicians and music fans in our city and country and show the folks who sometimes struggle to get into live music here, how much fun it really can be. We know there aren't enough opportunities for under 18s making music in Northern Ireland and we want to try and turn that around!" - Rocky (Oppenheimer).

All you have to do to enter the competition is to email a MP3 or website address to supportoppenheimer@googlemail.com with details of your band.

Tickets to the gig are priced at a very reasonable £6. Further support comes from The Key Of Atlas. Doors are at 3pm.

Both Oppenheimer and The Key Of Atlas have songs available for FREE in our downloads section

A few weeks ago we announced a competition by Northern Bank and Cool FM who were offering the chance for an unsigned local act to play the support slot for two of the most popular acts in the UK. Pixie Lott and Taio Cruz have been very popular in the UK charts with both hitting the number 1 spot this year, and i'll be another number 1 band that will be joining them!

Goodbye Pluto have hit the NI Chart number one spot in recent weeks, so we are super excited to see them winning the competition with an enormous 59% of the votes!

Pixie Lott, Taio Cruz and Goodbye Pluto play the Spring and Airbrake, Belfast on the 13th November with FREE entry (for the few hundred competition winners). Go to www.freedomlive.co.uk to find out how to get your ticket!

We came across this lovely new music video from The Lowly Knights while browsing their myspace recently and we were so impressed that we thought that we'd share it with you. The video is for the song entitled "You Can Tell A Man By How He Lifts His Hands" was made by Blue Calf.

But this isn't all the band have been at - "We plan to release our second EP by the end of the year if all goes by plan. The title will be - To the hum of distant voices: The Hollow EP. We're super excited about releasing this. I definitely think these six songs will outshine the previous ones." - Jon (The Lowly Knights)

The Lowly Knights have a song available for FREE in our downloads section. For more local videos go to our music video section.

Our friends at Bandwidth Films have picked up 3 nominations at the Irish Music Television Awards- two for Best Live video (ASIWYFA in the Waterfront Studio & the Lisa Hannigan session in Derry), and one for Best Director (Will McConnell). Those with one eye on our More Free Stuff page will be familiar with the work of the Belfast based film organisation who continue to build up a huge catalogue of work. The winners will be announced on the 27th November at the Sugar Club, Dublin.

Two Door Cinema Club have announced details of their FREE gig in the Mandela Hall, QUB. The gig is in association with 'BBC Introducing in NI with Rory McConnell on Radio 1' and takes place on the 17th of November. Support will come from Pulled Apart By Horses (England), Twin Atlantic (Scotland) and Save Your Breath (Wales). The concert will also be broadcast on BBC Radio 1!

Two Door Cinema Club seem to have been touring endlessly over the past year, across the global. Future dates for the Bangor three-piece include the likes of Berlin and Tokyo! Just in case you've forgotten how good they are here's a wee video to remind you.

Tickets for the concert are free and will be available from HERE or calling the BBC NI ticketline on 0370 9011227.

A new monthly club night called Skinny Love will kick off on the 4th November at the Menagerie Bar, Belfast. The gigs will focus on local music, with even the DJs playing the best in Northern Irish talent at times. First up are Kasper Rosa and Jumping Orbit... plus a secret headliner to be announced on the day of the gig! Doors are at 9pm.

The NI Chart team brought Herb from Belfast rockers LaFaro, into the NI Chart studios to talk about the upcoming release of their debut album - though he does get some bad news from our resident reviewer! Herb also chats about his favourite local bands and plays some tracks. There's also the chance to win an exclusive LaFaro designed T-shirt! Expect good music and plenty or craic.

And So I Watch You From Afar are to release a split single with Hereford based band, Talons. Currently touring the UK, ASIWYFA will release 'D Is For Django The Bastard' on the single, which will be released on limited edition (of 100) 3" CDs via Big Scary Monsters Records on November 23rd.

Featuring "two violins and crushing guitar riffs", Talons are planning to release 3 separate split singles with their favourite bands. You can check them out HERE. The two bands plan to tour the UK together in Spring 2010... we'll cross our fingers for a Belfast date.

ASIWYFA will be back in town on the 18th of December to play the Ulster Hall, Belfast. Support comes from LaFaro, Adebisi Shank and Cashier No.9

In Case Of Fire are back on home turf on the 17th December to play the infamous Two Step club-night at the Limelight bar, Belfast. It's the first Northern Irish gig that the band will have played since winning the Kerrang! award for ‘Best British Newcomer’ in August.

The trio won the MTV2 'Spanking New' competition, coming out on top of acts such as Adele, Foals, Black Kids and Lykke Li to be the "viewer's choice of bands to watch out for in 2008". Soon after this they were given a coveted slot on the 2009 Kerrang! Tour supporting Mindless Self Indulgence. Their musical style has been described as, ‘alternative rock with progressive and hardcore influences’ and they have been compared to the likes of Muse, Queens of the Stone Age and Mars Volta.

NI Chart was devastated to learn today that Dublin Instrumentalists and all out epic rockers Adebisi Shank have had to cancel their Big List Big Gig appearance this Saturday at the Spring and Airbrake in Belfast.

The band were forced to decline their slot because of a flight booking error ahead of their Japanese tour. The line up now features Here Come the Landed Gentry, We Are Resistance and North Coast punk act Axis Of.

HCTLG have been throwing their rockabilly weight around Northern Ireland and beyond, with appearances at Glasgowbury, an upcoming slot at the Hard Working Class Heroes Festival, and a host of other festivals and major shows across the country.

Known for their huge performances and even bigger sound, HCTLG are as unmissable as they are irrepressible.

We Are Resistance sound like a montage of sketches by Bootsy Collins, Rage Against the Machine and Prince while on a rampant night out. Each song is a cavalcade of sound and celebration of circuitry, with vein pounding groove at its heart.

Their live performances are full throttle dance-athons that no crowd is impervious to. Expect to be on your feet, punching the air along with everyone else.

Axis Of are the politically motivated clenched fist of youth. With intelligence and social insight as the back bone of their driving punk foundations, it's impossible not to be gripped by their skill and passion, with furious, frenetic thrashing one moment before slowly rolling explosive dynamical twists in the next, Axis Of are a band to behold.

Here Come The Landed Gentry and Axis Of have song available for Free in our downloads section

The Lobotomies are a hardcore punk band from Belfast who seem to have been gigging non-stop since they were formed back in 2005. They will release their debut album 'Big Bang Hangover' on Friday with a gig at the Pavilion Bar, Belfast with support from Only Fumes And Corpes, Axis Of, Cut The Reins and Snitch!. The album can be purchased from their website HERE

The Thrones Of Roll are to release their 'Video Store' EP at the Black Box bar, Belfast, also on Friday the 23rd Oct. They were in the NI Chart news section recently when they sent us word of their fantastic music video for the title track, so we're happy for the opportunity to show you it again! The EP can be purchased from their website HERE

Entry to the Black Box is £3. Doors are at 8pm. Support comes from Indigo Fury and Delirium Tremens

The Thrones of Roll and Delirium Tremens both have song available for FREE in our downloads section

Back in December 2008, Duke Special headlined a concert at St.Georges Market, Belfast. Besides the faint smell of fish in the air, the show was an amazing success and kicked off a series of gigs in the building this year.

NvTv were on hand to capture the show and have now uploaded it to their infamous video podcast for your viewing pleasure...and it's all free! See our More Free Stuff page for more details

Tickets are still available for the special ‘Take Back The City Hall’ show on Saturday 17 October, featuring Oppenheimer, Mojo Fury, A Plastic Rose, The Benjamins and newcomers Key Of Atlas. The event is being hosted as part of the City Hall reopening celebrations which take place from the 17th-30th Oct.

Doors open at 7pm and the gig finishes at 11pm on Saturday, 17 October. Tickets cost just £3 and are available from HERE

Oppenheimer, Mojo Fury, A Plastic Rose and The Benjamins all have songs available for FREE in our downloads section.

NI Chart favourites, The Bonnevilles, are heading off to sunny Portugal for a short tour, from the 21st-25th October. Its the second time the Garage-blues band have been invited to Portugal, the last time seeing them play a one night stand in Lisbons legendary Wonderland Club last November.

Although the band will be playing "the firm crowd pleasing, block rocking favorites" from their debut album Good Suits & Fightin' Boots they will also be debuting some tracks from their new album, due for release early 2010.... we're very excited!

The legendary Ash have announced that they will return to Belfast on the 26th November and play the Spring and Airbrake venue. The band have just released their latest single 'True Love 1980' which kicks off their A-Z series project. This will see the band tour the UK through towns and cities which start with all the different letters in the alphabet, starting with Aldershot on the 19th Oct and finishing in Zennor on the 23rd Nov. They also plan to release a single every 2 weeks for 26 weeks!!

The A-Z tour will be supported by local lads Panama Kings who have announced a secret gig in preparation for the 26 dates. Go to their website to find out more HERE

It's that time of the month again...when good ole AU drops into our letterbox. As well as Biffy Clyro, this months mag also features the likes of Yo La Tengo, Maps, and Nick Cave.

But as well as the international stars there's plenty of room for plenty of local action. There's Continuous Battle of Order album news, Strait Laces in-studio interview, a feature on Pocket Billiards, tour update from The Answer, plus reviews of material from Sullem Voe, Thrones of Roll and Uber Glitterati.

Northern Bank and Cool FM are offering the chance for an unsigned local act to play the support slot for two of the most popular acts in the UK at the moment. Pixie Lott and Taio Cruz come to the Spring and Airbrake, Belfast on the 13th November with FREE entry (for the few hundred competition winners). Both acts have been very popular in the UK charts with both hitting the number 1 spot this year.

"Freedom Live also offers an amazing opportunity for one local act to open the show for the headliners. Unsigned talent across Northern Ireland is being invited to log on to www.freedomlive.co.uk now to register. A panel of industry experts will shortlist five of the best unsigned acts to go forward to an online vote. The eventual winner will be determined by the Northern Irish public and will instantly become Pixie's support act for the night."- Freedom Live Website

Local superstars (or at least they will be soon) General Fiasco are to play a special in-store session and sign copies of their latest single 'We Are The Foolish', at HMV (Donegall Arcade, Belfast) on Monday 19th Oct at 5.30pm. The band have been touring the UK recently but will return to Belfast for the in-store session and then head off to Auntie Annie's for a DJ set (with Skip Moses and The Queer Giraffes performing live) at 8.30pm.

It's all in build up to one of the most exciting gigs of the year, when they headline the Ulster Hall on the 31st October!

Monday 5th Oct saw the release of the debut album from The Vals. The band signed with German record label Unique/Electrique Mud in late 2008 and it was in Germany that the band were pleased to get some TV coverage as their music was featured on a popular soap opera with 6 million viewers!

They've also been touring in Europe over the summer playing festivals such as The Haldern Pop Festival, Golzheim Festival and The Dinopen Air Festival in Dinslaken... and from the looks of their latest music video, they enjoyed every minute of it!

Details of where 'Sticks and Stones' can be purchased are on their website HERE.

We're chuffed and very excited this week that 3 of our new FREE download tracks are from exciting records that have yet to be released!

Axis Of have put up Brobdingnagian from their forthcoming EP which is to be released later this year. Recorded in the Start Together studios in Belfast, this preview has us very excited about the rest of the tracks. The North-Coast punk band are currently on a short tour of the UK where they will play a few dates with And So I Watch You From Afar. They play Radar in Queens Uni on the 15th October - entry is free. Brobdingnagian is available for FREE in our downloads section

Next up are Mojo Fury who have been working hard on their new album over the summer. The Lisburn based rock band have been around for some time now so it's quite surprising that this will be their debut album release. The band play the opening of the City Hall, Belfast on the 17th October. Bones is available for FREE in our downloads section.

Last and certainly not least are Pocket Billiards. The ska-punk band are set to release their debut album on the 10th October at the Black Box, Belfast, with support from Team Fresh and Axis Of and Aggressors BC. Entry is only £5 and doors are at 8pm and we're really looking forward to it! Drunken Waster is available for FREE in our downloads section.

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