For those of you in Dublin Alphastates are playing Upstairs in Whelans this Saturday 19th April. Support from Sub Rosa, tickets from the WAV Ticket Office or on the door on the night if you're into the last minute thing...

We (Alphastates I mean)have put a selection of songs from our first album, Made From Sand, up at http://www.downloadmusic.ie/index.ph...
Amazingly, by merely going to said address, you are brought straight to the point of purchase without even breaking a sweat or wearing out your keyboard or nothing. The songs are available for download only, I'm new to the site and not ready to get physical. Yet. Oh my...

For those of you not familiar with the album, here's the review from Hot Press to give you an idea of what the reviewer from Hot Press thought, it includes swearing but in a good way...

"While nobody was looking, a silent revolution happened in the Irish music scene. Out of the singer-songwriter pact and shoegazing electronic posse, a cross breed sprang up, and among these wonderful mongrels are Cane 141, Random, The Tycho Brahe and Automata. At the centre of this accident of cross-fertilisation were Alphastates, a prototype of sorts.
Despite their healthy live presence, a rather unjust fate had befallen Alphastates, where success has seemed to be always just around the corner, slightly out of reach. They have been on the edge of the action for quite some time, eliciting neither feverish acclaim nor big advances. All that looks set to change. Buckle up kids, and get ready to embrace your new favourite band.
The first string to their well-crafted bow is the startlingly unique vocal style of Catherine Dowling. Delivered in a strangely emotional and engaging, yet nonchalant way, Dowlings vocals are breathy, catching in her throat as she delivers knowing and worldly tales about kissing girls and the like. It's as sexy as fuck.
Add to that a multi-layered, delicately creative and innovative musical backdrop, and we're really talking about something special. Addicted and Sometimes are both prime slices of accessible, lovingly crafted indie pop, and Good Stuff, as all great songs are wont to do, sticks in the head long after you've switched off the stereo. One small step for Catherine Dowling and her cohorts, then ... one giant leap - in the right direction - into a new dawn for the Dublin music scene.

Hi there,
We like a laugh and a joke as much as the next guy. Which is why we had no compunction appearing on Podge and Rodge tonight playing a cover of an odious disco nightmare performed at some horrible time in the not too distant past by Sarah Brightman and Hot Gossip. Sometimes, you eat the bear. And sometimes, the bear eats you.
I think we ate the bear, metaphorically speaking. If you are having any trouble following the gist of what I'm on about (as often happens) just email me and I'll explain that in this case the bear is the song, and we, by beating the horrible racket into some passable shape, refused to be overwhelmed (eaten) by the song. So in a sense we ate the bear (the song). And it tasted like sh*t, believe you me. We performed it live! in front of a studio audience. We were all wearing white shoes, which means that white shoes are no longer cool, and probably haven't been for ages. And I just bought two pairs dammit!
In other news there is no other news, just tune in and watch us breathe life into the metaphor I've been rambling on about for thirty confusing seconds.
I don't know what time it's on, but that's what the tv guide thing on your remote is for. Or Aertel, or whatever.