NI Chart

Two Door Cinema Club have announce that they will be releasing a special edition version of their fantastic debut album Tourist History on the 20th Sept. The record will come will a additional DVD disc featuring a new documentary shot by local filmmakers Babysweet, and a bonus disc of remixes.

There have been rumours flying about in the past month about the future of the Panama Kings and it now looks likely that the band are to split. They were one of the most popular bands in the local scene over the past couple of years and were one of the acts that were most influential in making our scene what it is today. We hope that the guys will get it together, but sadly it looks like the their last gig will be at the Speakeasy Bar on the 4th November.

Local music photographer Matthew Patton will be part of an exciting the new artists collective called Crystal Blue In Other Wavelengths. The group (which includes other local artists Andrew Dunbar, Claire McKervey, Don MacGregor, Dave Common, Mickey McCullagh to name but a few) have their first exhibition this evening (23/09/10) at 20 Ireton Street.

On display from 6pm onwards (FOR JUST ONE NIGHT ONLY) will be five photographs from this year's Glasgowbury Music Festival, showcasing just a few of the moments that happened up the mountain this year.

Also on show sonically will be some of the artists in print, individually playing short acoustic sessions with include members of bands such as A Plastic Rose, Chocolate Love Factory, Like Statues, John D'Arcy and The Great Bunch of Lads, Team Fresh and The Rupture Dogs.

Show Me The Green have now announced the full line up for their charity gig next Tuesday, August 24, in the Retro bar, Portrush.... and we couldn't be more excited!

ASIWYFA, Fighting With Wire, LaFaro, Axis Of, Team Fresh and Bomb City 7 make up what has to be one of the best line-ups that we've seen in quite some time.

The gig has been organised to support a friend of the bands' who was recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and to help support him and his family.

Entry will cost a suggested donation of £7. It is not a ticketed event, but if you wish to attend you can email showme_thegreen@yahoo.com to get your name on the paying guestlist.

Bangor electro-popsters Two Door Cinema Club have given their fans a very special treat today with a free download of one their never before released demos.

Head here to download Hands Off My Cash, Monty from the band's website and also for your chance to get a sneak peak of the forthcoming Babysweet documentary on the boys' adventures in gay Paris 'You Think You Know, You Don't Know.'

The documentary will be released with a deluxe edition of Tourist History on September 13.

Lisburn based rock act Bandwagon have just released their debut single 'Get Used To It'. Not only is it a great tune, but the band are giving it away for FREE in our downloads section! The band have also been getting a lot of attention for their latest video with it being voted up to number 10 in the www.bethesource.tv video chart!

Another band that have recently released their latest single are Yes Cadets. They are definitely one of the bands to watch at the moment. This video was made by the very talented Gregg Houston and Kevin McKeown.

Having conquered the rest of Europe with their recent tours, epic instrumental rockers And So I Watch You From Afar are about to take on North America with 25 dates planned in September and October of this year! The band will be on the road with two great acts - Trash Talk and Evny.

We here at NI chart are very proud to announce the release of our first compilation album - ‘NIchart presents We’ve Got It Covered’ – a project born of love and sweat in the summer of 2010. It saw 9 local acts come into the studio in Belfast. Their task – to record cover versions of their favourite local acts.

The project has exceeded all our expectations and the bands have outdone themselves both in terms of their choices and the finished versions of the songs chosen. Nowhere else will you hear Mojo Fury take on Alloy Mental, Skip Moses sing Bap Kennedy or Cara Cowan tackle Dutch Schultz.

Whether you’re an NI music fan or new to the scene we really do hope you enjoy this compilation. We know we've enjoyed creating it and working with all those involved.

The album is £8 (+ p&p) and will be available to pre-order here and will be on sale at festivals and gigs throughout NI over the summer and beyond. Keep an eye on the site for updates of the forthcoming launch gig as well.

The Oh Yeah Music Centre has launched a competition to find a ‘wildcard’ for their forthcoming showcase CD, which is being part funded by the Arts Council for Northern Ireland. The compilation follows on from the 2008 Carling sponsored ‘Oh Yeah Sessions’ CD which features several artists that went on to do greater things, including And So I Watch You From Afar and General Fiasco.

The new CD which is due for release later this year already features 10 acts that were chosen out of a whopping 50, nominated and selected by an industry panel, after lengthy discussion, and a voting procedure. While 50 nominations is an incredibly encouraging indication of the strength of local music, there are still many young singer songwriters and bands out there that are yet to be discovered. Therefore the search has been extended to find a ‘wildcard’, a band or act with little or no profile with a great track that will be selected by a panel to be included on the new collection.

If you are a young band or singer song writer, and would like to be in with a chance of exclusively recording your track to be included, then please send a demo to the address below, or alternatively e-mail an MP3 of the track you would like to submit to charlotte@ohyeahbelfast.com

Please include your name/name of band, contact details, telephone number, website (if you have one) and the name of song you would like to enter.

Oh Yeah Contenders: New Music Compilation
Oh Yeah Music Centre
15-21 Gordon Street
Belfast
BT1 2LG

Panic Dots.com and the legendary I Am Fighter team have joined forces in recent months to create the fantastic Audio Picnic podcast, which is full of great international music and craic. To celebrate this partnership, the guys have put decide to organise what will surely be one of the best nights out this summer.

At the Stiff Kitten on the 15th August you will find, not only 2 of our finest local acts in Rams' Pocket Radio and More Than Conquerors, but also a BBQ and an exclusive screening of the latest I Am Fighter video!

Each year it seems to get bigger and better and this year it's no exception...Glasgowbury is almost here! It all takes place on the 24th July at Eagles Rock Valley with a huge line-up of local bands. Headline act Fighting With Wire are joined by the likes of LaFaro, General Fiasco, Mojo Fury, Duke Special and loads of other top acts. Find out more at the Glasgowbury website HERE.

To celebrate here at NI Chart.com, we've put up a special section on our Downloads section with over 20 FREE tracks from the acts playing.

We love out local music videos here at NI Chart.com and are always surprised at the high quality of filmmaking involved. The latest two videos that we have to show you are no exception.

First up we have the fantastic Mojo Fury with their new track 'Deep Fish Tank'. The most surprising fact about this video is that it was made by their guitarist James Lyttle!

Next up we have the new single from Two Door Cinema. The band have become known for their great videos and they continue their great run with 'Come Back Home'. The song is released on 12th July 2010 on 7" vinyl and digital package, and is backed by remixes from Is Tropical, Myd and Keith & Supabeatz.

Virginia born but Belfast based singer song writer Rachel Austin has announced the release of her new EP, ‘Age of Wisdom’, and is available for purchase from 5th July 2010.

Limited edition copies of ‘Age of Wisdom’ EP will be available from www.rachelaustinmusic.com. This will consist of a CD, an 8 page booklet and a handmade, stamped, fabric bag with badge attached. Digital download will be available on iTunes and all major download sites from the 05th Rachel is playing a series of house shows across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to promote the release of the EP. Details will soon be available on her website. July 2010.

Downpatrick band Ash have agreed to play a special fundraising event on the eve of their Oxegen festival appearance. The band will play to 300 people with the aim of raising funds for future all ages gigs at the Oh Yeah Music Centre.

Volume Control is a monthly music event, organised and driven by young people. Volume Control is aimed at the 14-18 year old group and allows young performers and audience members to enjoy live, original music. Along the way, the Volume Control team will learn about promotions, marketing, media relations, poster design, stage production, event management and project financing. Based in the Oh Yeah music centre, this project equips a new generation with the skill sets to make their own mark on arts, business and music culture.

Volume Control member Don Greene states, “It’s surreal that we can attract an act so huge and successful as Ash it’s going to be an incredible experience!”

The gig takes place at the Oh Yeah Centre, Belfast on the 9th July with support from More Than Conquerors and Key Of Atlas. Entry is £10.

NI rockers LaFaro have released their second single from their self-titled debut album and it's a fine track indeed! Their previous single was a huge success with nationwide radio play, which included the backing of Radio 1's Zane Lowe. 'The Ballad of Burnt Dave' is available to download now from itunes....where you can also get your hands on a FREE LaFaro iphone app!

There have been many classic albums recorded in recent years by local acts but rarely do the general public get the chance to see the magic that happens behind those sound-proof studio doors. Tom McShane and his band hope to change all that with this special recording of his next album. Using "old-school recording techniques from the 50's and 60's" producer Rocky O'Reilly (Start Together Studios) will record two open-studio sessions with the best tracks making it onto Tom's album... but interaction doesn't stop after the gig has ended. You will also have the chance to give your say on everything from album artwork to the album's title, and receive demo versions via email throughout the post-production process!

Tickets are £9 (and include a copy of the finished album) and can be purchased from the Waterfront Hall Box Office. It all takes place SAT 3rd JULY at 2pm & 7pm at the Oh Yeah Centre, Belfast.

Team Fresh aren't you're average Rap-Rock band. With a rock riff base and a hard hip-hop core the band successfully stay away from the Limp Bizkit comparisons and are well known as one of the best live acts in the country. The North Coast band release their debut single (and it's been a long time coming!) on Friday the 25th of June at the Stiff Kitten. Support comes from Pocket Billiards, and Under Stars and Gutters. Expect one hell of a party!

Music fans heading out in Belfast have now got the latest gigs and music news at their fingertips with the launch of the new BelfastMusic.org website. For the first time, potential gig goers will be able to quickly find hundreds of music events across Belfast, from intimate singer-songwriter nights to classical recitals to rock concerts.

Web users can also listen to tracks from the latest bands and watch exclusive music videos, as well as signing up for regular e-bulletins to make sure they don’t miss a note. The new website has been produced by Culture Northern Ireland in partnership with Belfast City Council, as part of a series of new tourism initiatives to profile Belfast as a cultural tourism destination.

David Lewis, director of Culture Northern Ireland, said: “The Belfast music scene is alive and kicking, but sometimes it can be difficult keeping up with what’s going on. Audiences are increasingly switched on to the digital world. It’s now second nature for many people to find information on their computer or mobile phone. BelfastMusic.org is simply responding to that need.”

The site also features an online version of the Belfast Music exhibition at the Oh Yeah Centre. By clicking on memorabilia such as Ash frontman Tim Wheeler’s Flying V guitar and a shamrock-shaped Horslips LP, tourists will get a taster of Belfast’s exciting musical heritage before they arrive.

The NI festival scene just keeps giving and giving! The latest announcement comes for the Forfey Festival which is based on Forfey Farm, near Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh. The festival originally started as a performing arts festival August 06, aimed at promoting grassroots bands, musicians, artists,and poets but has recently turned into one of the major NI music festivals while still retaining the artistic twist.

Acts that have been announced so far include the excellent Adebisi Shank (ROI), NI Chart favourites Axis Of, Iain Archer, LaFaro, Katie And The Carnival, Strait Laces and Skibunny, to name just a few.

The festival takes place on Saturday the 7th August (with camping available all weekend). Full weekend passes are on sale now for £35. To find out more, head over to the Forfey Festival website HERE.

If you're out sunbathing this evening and fancy a little bit of background music then we recommend you get the latest EP from the excellent Patiosounds. The band are have released their latest record for immediate download with an official launch on the 17th June at the Pavillion Bar, Belfast.

Put this Friday (11th June) in your diary as Kasper Rosa are set to launch their latest EP at the Spring & Airbrake. The instrumental rock band have teamed up with UK based indie label Field Records for this latest release. The band will then set out on a short UK tour with dates in the likes of Cardiff and Edinburgh. Support on the night comes from Axis Of and Rams Pocket Radio. Entry is £5.

One of the top up-and-coming acts have just released their latest single. Yes Cadets release 'Lies' for download today (Monday 7th June) and celebrate the single with a launch gig at the Stiff Kitten on Wednesday the 7th June. The single was recorded by Smalltown America's Andrew Ferris.

One of the top stories this week was the amazing support slot that And So I Watch You From Afar landed - a 3 date European tour with supergroup Them Crooked Vultures (featuring legends of rock Josh Homme, Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones). But things nearly turned soured for the North-Coast rockers...

The packed lineup includes headline act Fighting with Wire, LaFaro, Axis Of, Panama Kings, A Plastic Rose, Lowly Knights, Team Fresh, Here Comes the Landed Gentry and many many more.

Tickets for the small but massive festival went on sale on Monday 24th May and are available from HMV, HMVTickets.com, HMV Call Centre and from a number of local independent retailers.

To see the full listings and for more info on the festival head over to their site HERE.

The first of the NI music festivals takes place this weekend and to celebrate we're bring you a special treat. Over on our downloads page you'll find a special section where you can download 15 tracks from artists that will be performing at the festival. It all takes place on Saturday the 29th May in Killinchy. For more info head over to the Pigstock website HERE.

We love our music videos here at NI Chart so we're glad to see that there seems to be more and more great local videos coming out these days. This week three great videos arrived in our inbox. First up is this beautifully shot promo from Clown Parlour which was directed by Darren Lee.

...And last but not least we have Derry based rock band Furlo who are currently putting the finishing touches to their third EP.

Those of you who check out our More Free Stuff page will be well aware of local filmmakers Babysweet TV who regularly upload their latest programmes to our site. The month the guys have gone to extra lengths to bring you the best local sessions, traveling to Paris to film Two Door Cinema Club. The performance was filmed as part of a full length documentary that Babysweet are currently filming - we can't wait!!

Co.Armagh band Captain Kennedy will be officially releasing the second single to come from their forthcoming album See You When I See You on 24th May. No Friend of Mine, recorded and produced by Mudd Wallace, will be available to download exclusively from the band’s bandcamp website.

All proceeds from sales of the downloads will go to the Brian Kerr Wish Foundation - a very good cause indeed. You can read Brian's story HERE.

One of the most surprising stories to come our way this year is the news that Thin Lizzy are to reform with local lad Ricky Warwick on vocals! The line-up also includes Scott Gorham, Brian Downey and Darren Wharton (all of whom played in Thin Lizzy with Phil Lynott) plus Def Leppard's Viv Campbell (guitar), Bassist Marco Mendoza (Whitesnake, Ted Nugent) and The Almighty’s Ricky Warwick on vocals and guitar. The band will start touring the UK in January of next year.

Alongside the new lineup, Universal Music has committed to a series of re-issue, deluxe and special releases of classic Thin Lizzy material over the next 18 months.

The Beat Poets are back at it with the eagerly anticipated release of the first single ‘One by one’ in the build up to their debut album. The single, which has just been added to the Cool FM playlist, follows on from the band's EP ‘The Making’ released on November 30th 2009. With recent TV performances on The BBC and UTV the band’s latest tracks are now licensed with the BBC, Channel 4 as well as MTV and are currently on the latest series of MTV One shows ‘The Hills’ & ‘Girls of Hedsor Hall’ (2009) in the US, adding to the band's growing reputation.

The single, ‘One by one' is available from itunes and all major dowload sites now or you can head over to the band's website HERE!

The Irish Recorded Music Association (IMRO), who are an organisation that "administers the performing right in copyright music in Ireland on behalf of its members", have made moves to force some websites in Ireland to pay and online license to stream or provide free downloads. It seems a strange move for the organisation as these sites are provided with their music straight from the artists (or their management etc) that IMRO claim to be working in the best interest of.

The move has cause uproar for some bands, so much so that Dublin based band The Cast Of Cheers have pulled out of a planned IMRO showcase performance. You can show your opposition to the move by signing the online petition HERE.

Local station Queen's Radio have put the call out for local bands to send in material for airplay. The station which is based at Queens University Belfast, can be listened to online at their website HERE. All you have to do to get involved is send your music to music@queensradio.org

Niall and Ewen from Axis Of join Chrissie and Donkey to shamelessly plug their upcoming single. There's also the chance to win an unique Axis Of designed T-shirt and get yourself free entry to the launch gig on the 5th May! Music comes from Robyn Shiels, Pocket Billiards and Bulbous Head.

We've been overloaded with music videos this week and it's made us go a little crazy. First up are General Fiaso who are releasing 'I'm Not Made Of Eyes' on the 14th. The video is directed by the Oscar nominated Sean Ellis.

Next we have local punks Axis Of who release 'Port Na Spaniagh' on the 5th May at The Limelight Bar, Belfast. The video is made by NI Chart's very own Tristan Crowe!

Finally, we have the legendary Neil Hannon with one of our favourite Divine Comedy songs for a while.'Indie Disco' is released on the 23rd May.

Not satisfied with being in two great Northern Irish rock bands, members of Mental Deficiency and Darkest Era have teamed up to create Northern Ireland’s newest zombie horror flick - Deadville!

The soundtrack also keeps with the local music theme with songs from the likes of Roysta, The White MCs, Ben Slater...and of course Mental Deficiency themselves.

On the 25th of May at the Menagerie Belfast, The Good Fight release their second single Hats on Sticks on Di Di Mau Records with support from Clown Parlour, Captain Cameron and additional special guests. Limited tickets are available from we got tickets HERE

As you may have heard from previous news items, the best NI based music mag has now become the best FREE magazine EVER! This month sees the second edition since AU decided to go FREE and we're glad to see that the quality has not dropped in the least.

In this months AU you can find an exclusive interview with LCD soundsystem, and features on other international acts such as The Redneck Manifesto and Pavement. Local acts include the unstoppable General Fiasco and Two Door Cinema Club.

Northern Irelands fastest growing outdoor music festival, 'LARK IN THE PARK' have announced details of its return in 2010 to Moira's Demesne Park on the weekend of April 30th & May 01st 2010, with two spectacular days of live music, entertainment and a fun day out for all the family. April 30th, will see one of Irelands best, THE SAW DOCTORS headline the evening and May 01st is headlined by the unstoppable Northern Ireland supremos GENERAL FIASCO plus guests.

Other bands that will play the festival include The Beat Poets, The Varonis and Microlip. For further details visit HERE.

Bandwidth Films have announced a new collaboration between themselves and State Magazine – called ‘State Intervention”, it’ll be a series of flash gigs organised around Ireland norther and south, with established acts.

They’re all free, and you’ll be able to come along to any one of them by keeping up to date with State’s twitter and facebook, where the gig will be announced on the day.

So first up, here’s Bandwidth’s favourite son, And So I Watch You From Afar playing the Music Maker store in Dublin to a select group of 30 or so.

Axis Of have announced further details of their upcoming single launch. 'Port Na Spaniagh' will be released on the 5th May in the Limelight Bar, Belfast. Having filled the Auntie Annie's venue to breaking point during their previous single launch we're excited to see what they have in store for us this time round...and by the looks of this promo they're hungry for more as well!

Support acts have been announced as Robyn G Shiels, Pocket Billiards and Visceral Attack. Entry is £5 and if you're lucky you'll get a FREE CD on entry!!

Axis Of have a FREE song available in our downloads section...as do Pocket Billiards and Robyn G Shiels.

NvTv (Belfast Community Television) have released their latest music documentary.

"How a disparate group of young people got together in the time of Thatcher and urged others "don't accept your lot in life". Rediscover the A Centre, Giros, the Belfast Youth & Community Group, Warzine and the strands of the punk movement, which continued throughout the 1980s to build resources and non-sectarian space in Belfast city centre. The experiment lasted 17 years and contributed to building the foundations of the music industry in Northern Ireland." - NvTv

You can find out how to tune in to NvTv HERE or download their music series vodcast in our More Free Stuff section.

Two Door Cinema Club this week released yet another great music video, this time it's for their upcoming single Something Good Can Work. The song is the third single to be taken from the band's debut album 'Tourist History', and is out on 3rd May 2010.

The Panama Kings have announced that Luke has left the band and has moved to London for his dream job.

"As someone with creative input and as a mate, he'll be sorely missed, but in terms of our progress as a band we've found a new way of doing things and it's business as usual. Just to be clear, before you start dusting off the old Squier, we aren't looking for a replacement bassplayer and are looking forward to our Mandela Hall show as our first proper gig as a trio." - Panama Kings myspace.

The band will play the Mandela Hall, Belfast on the 24th April. Support comes from Ed Zealous, Cashier No.9 and Before Machines.

North Coast hip-hop band Team Fresh are regulars to our Top 10, so we were happy to hear that we'll know get to dance to some of their favourite music as DJ Chops (and friends) bring you Belfast's newest club night.

Team Fresh Soundsystem is a new weekly club night in QUBSU, Bunatee bar, every Friday night. The night will showcase the best in local DJ talent and act as a platform for young DJs and Emcees to get involved in the local scene.

Local director Sean Duncan is looking for you to star in his latest project - a music video for Omagh's very own Colenso Parade. The shoot will take place at the end of May and features a party in which there will be a need for some fun loving extras - "expect balloons, cakes and water pistols!".

To join in the fun just head over to the facebook page HERE and register your interest. In the meantime, here is some of Sean's previous work.

Former NI Chart No.1 act No Mean City are in the running to top another chart but this time it's for their live performance on the Redbull Bedroom Jam website. The site lets viewers vote for their favourite acts across the UK and Ireland who have entered videos, and the winner will get the chance to perform at major festivals such as Download and T In The Park.

Some of Belfast's hottest arts and music businesses have come together to offer the opportunity for young acts / solo artists to share the bill with established bands at `Festival goes to the Waterworks' - a large scale, outdoor family event in the Waterworks Park, North Belfast on 22 May 2010 from 12pm – 8pm. The event will be part of the citywide Belfast Children's Festival.

Curated by Oh Yeah (patron Gary Lightbody) on behalf of New Lodge Arts, Young at Art – organizers of the Belfast Children's Festival and Westland Community Group, successful acts will have the opportunity to play to up to 10,000 people in the live music arena at this free family event in May.

So if you're in a band or you're a singer/songwriter under 25 years of age and you want your talent to be recognised, enter this open call and you could be selected to perform to thousands of people live on
stage.

To enter you must complete an application form - available from HERE and provide a 15 minute demo

The Divine Comedy will release their tenth studio album on the 31st May! 'Bang Goes The Knighthood' was recorded in London and Dublin during 2009 and will be released on Neil's own label, Divine Comedy Records.

Panama Kings have announced their first headlining gig in Belfast in 5 months...and it's going to be HUGE! The guys are booked to play the Mandela Hall on the 24th of April with support from Ed Zealous (more acts to be confirmed in the coming weeks). The gig will be an early launch for their upcoming sing 'One We Are Many'.

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