Lavery's fortnightly musical showcase uprising returns to the Bunker next Monday, with a cracking line-up of some new and well-established Irish acts.

Headliners Driving By Night have been around the local band scene for years in one form or another, emerging almost intact from their former incarnation, Tiler.

Hailing originally from Cookstown, the Belfast-based five piece recently finished a recording session in the famous Parr Street Studios in Liverpool - if it's good enough for Coldplay and Doves, why not?

DBN have supported Keane, The Tears and Arctic Monkeys and are planning a tour of Ireland and the UK to support their first single release in the near future.

Also on the bill are the hotly-tipped Ideamotion, a quartet of Dublin lads currently based in London, known for their original sound which combines intricate guitar lines and soaring melodies, with driving rhythms and sweet harmonies.

Indie-rock four-piece Heathrow Yesterdays from Warrenpoint open the show - any band who cite acts as diverse as 10CC, Hanson and Sonic Youth amongst their musical influences have just got to be worth hearing.

- Downpatrick gets the blues this weekend with the 2006 Annual Blues Festival kicking off at The Mill, tomorrow afternoon.

The town's very own 18 Roses will be joining a truly international line-up which includes Belfast's only Zimbabwean drum and calimba duo, Talking Drums.

Young indie wonders 18 Roses have, in their short career, supported Woodstock legend Ritchie Havens and are due to release their debut album towards the end of the year.

- Congrats to local band Velma who have had six of their tracks included on the playlist of internet and Sky satellite station, Pulse Rated.

The station's website, which receives almost 5 million hits a month, specialises in playing the music of new and unsigned bands.

If you haven't yet managed to catch any of Velma's excellent live performances around the country, it's good to know that some of their music is now only a mouse click away!