It’s almost February, the weather has been miserable of late, and we’re all broke after Christmas. So thank the music gods that there are some stellar new releases out there to keep our ears warm and happy at least.

* Lie-Insrelease their debut album, Death to Lie-Ins, on the Popical Island label on February 2nd, and in true Popical fashion, the band features a number of members of other bands from that DIY stable. Lyrically, the songs are heartfelt and quirky, and the band's ramshackle indie pop is the perfect antidote to the winter blues. lie-ins.bandcamp.com

* Ana Goghave been working away for a number of years, and their debut album, Making Trails, shows the band have thought long and hard about their sound. There's something bombastic about them, but they are as at home with earnest folk as they are with huge choruses. The record is released on February 1st. anagogmusic.com

*  Nippons'album Shit Demons will blast away whatever New Year cobwebs are still hanging in your brain. The addition of trumpet and saxophone to their wonderfully dense, proggy sound makes their tracks really stand out. nippons.bandcamp.com

*  Belfast's Empty Lungsworked with Rocky O'Reilly (one of Ireland's finest young producers) on their EP Stand Up, and if anthemic punk rock songs are your thing, they're the band for you. emptylungs.com

* Swimmers'sunkissed indie-pop brought me straight back to the 1990s, with Laguna a particularly great track from them. Their debut three-track EP can be downloaded for free at swimmers.bandcamp.com

* Last,but by no means least are Rest, the Out On A Limb-signed instrumental Cork band who have finally brought out their second full album, I Hold the Wolf. The epic title gives a clue to what we should expect here, with 10-ton, metal-esque riffs to the fore. outonalimbrecords.com