As festival season heats up, most
of us are laying our hats in music fields across the UK. But when it comes to
scouting out the latest artists and bands, sometimes there just aren’t enough
hours in the day. Festival line-ups are
a minefield and when you don’t recognise any artists on the bill it’s often a
case of “that band's name sounds pretty, let’s check them out.”
That’s why we’ve compiled a who’s
who list of must-see bands and artists, so you can rock up to the venue and
catch the highlights. From racy solo artists to infectiously good breakthrough
bands, stay up to date on all things music with the help of Nica.
Kurt Vile
Playing at: Jabberwocky,
Green Man, Pukkelpop
Sounds similar to: Neil
Young, Bob Dylan
Best song: Walkin’ on
a pretty day
Those looking for intense guitar riffs
peppered with powerful lyrics won’t find it in Kurt Vile’s music; he’s as laid-back
as they come. Allow yourself to get carried away by his charming tunefulness
and nostalgic words which are effortlessly complemented by down tempo psychedelic
folk. It’s a sound that will make you feel awash with happy nostalgia- ideal to
listen to on balmy summer days alone or with friends.
Blood Orange
Playing at: Way Out West
Sounds like: The best
party you’ve ever been to
Best song: You’re not
good enough
Blood Orange is the side project
of British cool cat turned New Yorker Dev Hynes- a slicker than your average
musician who has worked with the likes of Florence and the Machine, Solange, and
Mutya from Sugababes (remember her?).
Now with his latest release, Hynes
has spanned the genres to craft 11 outstanding tracks with each one as contagious as
the last. From the rap centric High
Street to breathy love song Clipped
On right down to the supremely stylish You’re
Not Good Enough, the Cupid Deluxe
album is a tour de force of dance hall beats and ultra-smooth hits.
With the lion share of Blood
Orange festival dates already over for this year, you might have to settle for
singing into your hairbrush while watching live clips on YouTube. But if you’ve
yet to organise a festival for this summer, latecomers can head to the uber
stylish Way Out West Festival in Sweden to catch Blood Orange alongside music
superstars Robyn and Little Dragon.
Wolf Alice
Sounds like: Sweet bon
bons seasoned with fizzy cola bottles
Best song: Heavenly
Creatures
On stage front woman Elle Rowsell
has the demeanour of cutesy girl next door but there’s a fiery underbelly to
this English rose which might come as a surprise to those unfamiliar with their
sound. The 4 piece make intoxicatingly sweet melodies doused in grungy riffs
and bitterness. Still relatively new on the scene, Wolf Alice are yet to
release a feature length album which is refreshing for new listeners because it
won’t take long to get acquainted with their 2 (brilliant) ep’s.
We’ll let you into a little secret
too, Wolf Alice have been known to perform a particularly lovely rendition of
Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game live. Catch
them on tour at Benicassim, Reading, Leeds or Bestival.
We’re always on the lookout for
fresh new music to add to our Nica office playlist. Leave us a comment listing
your favourite bands or tweet us your recommendations @Nica_Handbags.
No comments:
Post a Comment