Desert Hearts, a trio from Belfast, Ireland, play a brand of indie rock that is just as prone to bursts of guitar-generated noise as it is soft, quiet, melodic pop. Traces of just about any band of worth have been identified in their songs (to name a handful: Television, Joy Division, My Bloody Valentine) but when all is said and done, they sound like a band that would have toured with the likes of Versus in the mid-'90s. The band -- bassist/vocalist Roisin Stewart, drummer Chris Heaney (also an engineer for the likes of U2), and guitarist/vocalist Charley Mooney -- debuted on the Rough Trade subsidiary Tugboat in 2000 with the No More Art single. They finally delivered their debut LP, Let's Get Worse, two years later. Chiefly produced by Andy Miller (Arab Strap, Mogwai), the group was also aided by instrumental help from Life Without Buildings' Robert Johnston and Will Bradley. ~ Andy Kellman