Gavin Glass is finally getting the breaks he deserves on the Irish music scene.

Last week's News Of The world devoted a full page to Gavin and his band The Holy Shakers, naming him their Top Tip for 2008. This follows hard on the heels of his recent Top Ten Irish hit with The Faces song "Ooh La La" which was recorded for the Meteor mobile phone advert. His recent album was voted CD of the week in both The Sunday Tribune and In Dublin magazine and Hot Press gave it a rare (9/10) rating. The album includes a duet "Rag Doll" with lady of the moment Cathy Davey, and also features Clarence Clemons from Springsteen's E Street Band on two songs. The latter resulted from Bruce and Clarence discovering Gavin playing his songs on the piano at the Merrion Hotel after their concert here last year. Gavin Glass & The Holy Shakers headline the first Friday Club of the year at Electric Avenue this Friday 18 Feb with support from The Minutes and Dali. Admission is free before 10pm and ?10 after, and The Friday Club DJs will be playing the coolest mix of indie and alternative tunes until the early hours.

Gavin Glass & The Holy Shakers (www.myspace.com/gavinglass) There are few people in Ireland today who can craft songs as expertly as Gavin Glass. He and his band, The Holy Shakers, have that ability to create songs that feel like they've been around forever.

Lovers of Ryan Adams will fall for "Older Than My Years" and "Ragdoll" from his new album, while fans of Duke Special will definitely find something to love in the excellent finishing track "Wrecking Ball" "Beneath the country veil and sliding guitars of this second album from Gavin Glass and the Holy Shakers lies a collection of songs that will find themselves in many people's top ten lists come December. It is truly a breathtaking album" Hot Press Magazine (9/10) "If Southern Comfort weighs in with The Band circa Big Pink, it's probably deliberate; if Underneath The Stars sounds like Gavin Glass is being backed by The E Street Band, that's because he really did record with Springsteen's crew. Cathy Davey adds fine detail to Ragdoll, while Wrecking Ball ends with a hellfire sermon from Rev WC Butcher". The Irish Times

The Minutes (www.myspace.com/theminutesireland) This hotly tipped rock/pop 3 piece from Dublin have quickly established themselves as one of the capital's best new live acts in 2007, and they ended the year with a raucous sell-out show at The Village on a double bill with The Chapters. Their single "Ukraine" has been a constant on radio playlists all over the country last year and an appearance at the SXSW event in the US has already led to a record deal.

Dali

(www.myspace.com/dalimusik) Dali have emerged in 2007 from the exciting alternative scene cultivated by Eddie Murphy's fine venue in Thomastown. Fronted by songwriter Deirdre Doyle on vox and rhythm guitar, brother Sean on lead, Micky Cullen on bass and Brian Dempsey on drums, the four piece have spent the winter headsodown recording their first EP with producer Le- Pearson at the controls!