Becky Unthank isn’t saying that Milton Keynes isn’t as impressive a place as Manchester in so many words, but you do get the sense that her current location is not quite as exciting as some she has visited recently. On tour with her sister Rachel and the rest of the musicians that make up The…

It seems as though Julian Casablancas was the subject of an April Fool’s joke on Friday night, as Elvis Costello joined the band onstage for a version of ‘Taken For A Fool’, much – it seems – to the singer’s surprise……

This Friday sees the release of Heart Waves…, the debut album from Dublin electro poppers The Sleep Thieves. You don’t need to wait that long to give it a listen, however, as State is delighted to bring you an exclusive stream of the record. See the band live too when they play the following

The three headliners for this year’s Belsonic with Absolut Vodka festival in Belfast have been announced, as well as some other tasty additions to the bill. Elbow, The Specials and Primal Scream’s Screamadelica… performance are the main attractions, with Plan B, Katy B and Dizzee Rascal also announced.
The full line-up is as follows:
Wednesday

Tuesday night saw Arcade Fire play an unannounced show at the Hotel Oloffson in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. The band’s set contained a number of cover versions, including the two captured below. Thought you’d never hear Arcade Fire sing Cyndi Lauper? Think again….…

In a world where we are constantly invited to take interest in a singer’s back story (well on X-Factor anyway), the life and times of Alynda Lee Segarra is more interesting than most. Certainly leaving your Bronx home at 17, riding freight trains across the US and joining an outfit called The Dead Man Street…

The Radio 1 Live Lounge slot has thrown up some odd over versions over the years but this has to be one of the least expected. We quite like it actually, although for many Pulp fans the world appears to have gone into meltdown……

Villagers are set to perform their biggest headline show to date on Saturday 23rd July under canvas at Marlay Park, in one of the first of a new series of concerts to be staged at a venue called @ The Park. Joining Conor O’Brien and co as special guests for their Marlay Park performance will…

Well nearly. Starting next week, BBC4 will start screening classic episodes of the iconic music show at 7.30pm on a Thursday evening – the classic time slot for the programme, as all older State readers will know. The first show will feature the equivalent date from 1976 and run likewise for at least a year.…

Top Gear and Man Lab… presenter James May is looking for now defunct bands to get back together for his latest project. Groups need to have been out of action for at least five years and not been professional. A slot at a major festival and the mentor skills of a famous musician awaits. We’ll

The line-up for this year’s Sea Sessions was announced last night and it sees the award winning festival up its game once more. Heading the bill in Bundoran from 24th – 26th June are Ziggy Marley, The Go! Team, Grandmaster Flash and Bell X1, with a supporting cast that includes Norman Jay, Ham Sandwich, Codes…

For many on the Irish scene, Le Galaxie’s forthcoming debut album Laserdisc Nights 2… is shaping up to be one of the year’s most anticipated releases. Lead single ‘Midnight Midnight’ doesn’t do anything to dampen that enthusiasm, distilling the band’s dynamic live show into a radio friendly electro pop epic. It’s available to download from

Yo La Tengo head the list of new additions to this June’s Forbidden Fruit festival, taking place at the Irish Museum Of Modern Art over the bank holiday weekend. All the latest names will appear on the Saturday, with the New Jersey trio and The Phoenix Foundation, as well as Irish acts Spies, Bipolar Empire,…

We’ve come to expect any from The Minutes to combine a belting tune and stylish visuals and ‘Black Keys’, their debut single for Model Citizen Records, is no exception. Shot at the Warriors Thai Boxing Gym by Biba Logan, this sets up their forthcoming album very nicely……