neil brogan

:: Heliopause – Runaway (single, self-released) IT'S been an absolute age since Noise Annoys (or anyone else, for that matter) last heard any new music from Heliopause, aka Belfast's own maestro of gentle, electronically-enhanced indiepop magic, Richard Davis.

WE KICK off this week's Noise Annoys in fine style with a new anthemic duet from Belfast singer/songwriter extraordinaire Rory Nellis and his long-time collaborator, Phil d'Alton

THE good weather that used to arrive with the early days of May finally made an appearance this week, and the upbeat indie pop jangle of Neil Brogan seems tailor-made to soundtrack the ongoing spell of hot sticky sunshine.

:: Neil Brogan – Christmas EP IT'S the last Noise Annoys before Christmas so there's no better way to begin than with a Christmas themed collection from a local artist who has started to build up a rather unlikely repertoire of 'festive' favourites.

:: The Dangerfields – 21st anniversary gigs TONIGHT sees Belfast punk 'n' roll institution The Dangerfields celebrating their formidable legacy of loud, tour-mad debauchery with the first of two shows at The Barge in Belfast.

:: FRUITY – UPS (single, self-released) DAN O'Rawe, aka FRUITY, is back with a new tune from his forthcoming eponymous debut EP: those who enjoyed his pleasingly noisy/wonky/woozy lo-fi pop/rap number Pigeon Heart on the Bangers N Breakups compilation will want to be checking out UPS.

:: Neil Brogan – Weird Year (self-released) IT'S been well over a month since Sea Pinks bandleader Neil Brogan released his debut solo album Weird Year – apologies for the delayed review, Neil, things have been kind of weird around these parts too lately – but though it was apparently crafted during 2020's lockdowns as "a raft of sanity" for the Belfast-based singer/songwriter/lo-fi jangle-pop specialist to cling to, its existential, stasis-addled yet grimly optimistic vibes could not be more 2021 even if it had just been recorded while I was typing this very sentence.

:: Jim Bob – Pop Up Jim Bob (Cherry Red) JIM Bob's new solo LP finds the sarf Lahndan troubadour in fine form with a set of socio-politically aware songs on which he's backed by his band The Hoodrats.

BELFAST indie trio Sea Pinks return with another album of effervescent jangle pop.

AS YOU stare glumly at the unrelentingly wet, grey beginnings of 2016 through steamy, rain-streaked windows, keeping a copy of the Sea Pinks' new LP Soft Days on the turntable should help soothe the existential angst that goes hand in glove with early January.