Summer Festival Guide

Chic feat Nile Rodgers, London Grammar and more for Unknown Croatia

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This summer's Unknown Festival has revealed a another batch of artists joining the bill.  Unknown will be the first Croatian visit for Chic feat Nile Rodgers.  The Summer Festival Guide has the rest of the latest lineup news for this years event below:
 
Rising above the competition, Unknown offers the most eclectic programme of live and electronic acts in Croatia. Talent from across the musical spectrum will perform unforgettable shows across the festival's intimate forest and waterside stages including London Grammar, Clean Bandit, Disclosure, Chvrches, Wild Beasts, TEED, Erol  Alkan and Moderat. Unknown's idyllic beach stage will also provide the perfect scene for the incredible and timeless sounds of Chic Ft. Nile Rogers, who make their Croatian live debut.
 

Brand new to 2014, Unknown will be returning with a series of island parties hosted by the likes of Young Turks and Numbers. Taking place on secluded private islands and accessible only via a short boat ride, these amazing additions will offer revellers the chance to party with their favourite artists, in a truly unique setting. Elsewhere there'll be exciting new collaborations with top club promoters Bugged Out, Secretsundaze, Zutekh and Drop The Mustard, not to mention boat parties hosted by Resident Advisor and Hot Chip. Also new for 2014, Unknown will be opening the main stage for an entire extra day, allowing for even more surprises set to surpass the success of last year's sell out debut. 

Tinie Tempah, Robin Thicke and 19 more artists added to Wireless lineup

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With Wireless Festival being hosted in both London's Finsbury Park and Birmingham's Perry Park this summer, we can now reveal another massive 21 artists that will join headliners Kanye West, Drake and Bruno Mars.

Tinie Tempah, Robin Thicke, Sean Paul, Naughty Boy, Labrinth, Kid Ink, Wilkinson, Meridian Dan, Lizzo, Jon Bellion, Schoolboy Q, Javeon, Elli Ingram, Blonde, Rixton, Alec Benjamin, Say Lou Lou, Sinead Harnett, Indiana, All About She and Sasha Keable join the bill for what will be one of summer's biggest music festivals.

Dreamscape returns to the Milton Keynes National Bowl

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Legendary Dance music promoter ESP are delighted to announce that DREAMSCAPE will be returning to Milton Keynes, its city of origin this August 16th 2014.

It is 25 years since DREAMSCAPE launched with the pioneering dance music event moving to The Sanctuary in Milton Keynes on December 9th 1991. The DREAMSCAPE brand soon became one of the biggest phenomenons in Dance Music history, with thousands of dance music enthusiasts making the pilgrimage to enjoy some of the biggest and best parties of the 1990’s.

“It’s so exciting to be bringing ESP and DREAMSCAPE home for the 25 year reunion. Our fans have never left us throughout the years and we couldn’t ignore their requests for a reunion or let this monumental anniversary slip by without marking it in some way.” Explains Jim Tang, ESP Promoter.

LOCAL ECONOMY

“We have the original team behind this event with many DJ’s who have performed at DREAMSCAPE throughout the ages literally gagging to get involved in the new dance festival. We haven’t even announced the headline acts yet and the tickets are selling like hot cakes. Word from the tourist board is that there isn’t a hotel room that hasn’t been booked already for this weekend. We are bringing 20,000 festivalgoers into the area which can only be a great thing, impacting positively on the local economy. The event itself will provide part time work for temps actually at the National Bowl.”

As well as 1990’s favourite DJ’s like Top Buzz, Grooverider, Mickey Finn, Seb Fontaine and Jon Pleased Wimmin, The Big Reunion will also have 4 arenas for DREAMSCAPE, Whizzkid Presents a Fastrack to Rollers, Accelerated Culture and of course MK’s longest running house night, UltraVegas.  

ULTRA VEGAS

Marc Carter, UltraVegas owner says “I am humbled and very proud to be involved with such an iconic brand as Dreamscape and with an event as important as Dreamscape The Big Reunion @ The Bowl, as Dreamscape has come home, so as UltraVegas – back to our roots. The UltraVegas arena will provide 12 hours of sumptuous house music from 3 decades… delivered to you by residents and headline artists all focused on one thing – rockin’ the house!!! – This will be a day and night to remember for all the beautiful people” 

Ultra Vegas favourites will include Richie Long, Bruce B, Pat Bedeau, Lawrence Daffurn, Jason Hodges, Tom Antenucci, Johnny G, Sonny Wharton, Doorly and Codec and DJ Spatts of The Criminal Minds.

Rock Werchter 2014 completes its lineup

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The Rock Werchter 2014 programme is set and includes 79 names. Fourteen new names complete the picture. Radkey and Bombay Bicycle Club have been added to the line-up on Thursday, July 3. Coely, Puggy and Paolo Nutini have been added on Friday, July 4.  Altrego, Jonny Lang, Twenty One Pilots, tUnE-yArDs and Ozark Henry will perform on Saturday, July 5. Oscar & The Wolf, Kuroma, Royal Bloodand Lykke Li complete the programme on Sunday, July 6.  The time schedules will be announced soon. 

Here is an alphabetical list of the 79 names that grace the Rock Werchter 2014 line-up: Agnes Obel, Altrego, Angus and Julia Stone, Arctic Monkeys, Arsenal, Babyshambles, Bastille, Biffy Clyro, Birdy, Bombay Bicycle Club, Chase and Status, Coely, Crystal Fighters, Damon Albarn, Daptone Super Soul Revue featuring Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires, Antibalas, The Sugarman 3 with special guests Saun and Starr and Master of Ceremonies Binky Griptite, Dropkick Murphys, Eels, Ellie Goulding, Foals, Foster The People, Franz Ferdinand, George Ezra, Gesaffelstein, Haim, Imagine Dragons, Interpol, Jack Johnson, Jonny Lang, Katy B, Kings of Leon, Kodaline, Kuroma,  London Grammar, Lykke Li, Major Lazer, Melanie De Biasio, Metallica, Metronomy, MGMT, Midlake, Miles Kane, Milow, Moderat, Oscar & The Wolf, Ozark Henry, Paolo Nutini, Parov Stelar Band, Parquet Courts, Passenger, Pearl Jam, Pixies, Placebo, Puggy, Radkey, Reignwolf, Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Royal Blood, Rudimental, Sam Smith, SBTRKT, Skrillex, Stromae, The 1975, The Black Keys, The Naked and Famous, The Opposites, The Strypes, The Subs, The Temperance Movement, The Wombats, Trentemøller, Triggerfinger, Trixie Whitley, tUnE-yArDs, Twenty One Pilots, Valerie June, Warpaint and White Lies.

18 more bands set for Download Festival

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The Summer Festival Guide can reveal 18 more acts which are added to this years Download Festival lineup which takes place this July.

Seminal punk act Against Me!, fronted by the phenomenal Laura Jane Grace, will make their debut at Download, bringing with them their signature crunching guitars and soaring choruses accompanied by thoughtful ruminations on the ideals of social justice.

Legendary grime rockers Monster Magnet will make their first Download appearance in a decade, while atmospheric post-grunge pilgrims Chevelle, whowere due to appear at the very first Download in 2003 but had to pull out at the last minute, finally return in 2014 to claim their birthright.

For Monster Magnet this performance has been a long time coming: We're really happy to be performing at Download 2014. We've haven't played a festival in the UK for ages!

Another act which has a long association with Donington – hard-edged Geordie rock quartet The Wildhearts – return having made their debut at rock’s seat of power in 1994 and who last performed at Download in 2008.

Guitarist CJ reflected on the band’s relationship with the mythical stage: Well they just can't get rid of us. It's only 20 years since we first played Donington and in 2008 they turned the power off on us. Who knows what will happen this year…Bring it on!  

These latest additions to the line-up also provide plenty of heavy riffage, in part through Italian power metal demons Arthemis. Lead guitarist, Andy Martongelli, shared his delight at returning to the festival:

Arthemis at Download Festival 2014! Hell yeah! Do we need to say more? There's nothing better than playing in front of the massive Download crowd. Last year we had a blast and it's such a true honour for us to be back! We'll deliver a very special, face-melting-show for this event so make sure you're there to share the awesome moment with us: Arthemis strikes back!

British juggernaut Orange Goblin also add to the heavy factor, while local Nottinghamshire boys Lawnmower Deth add a sharp dose of good old fashioned thrash metal to the party, with singer Pete Lee taking the opportunity to reflect on the band’s history with the festival:

Back again! Damn do we love Download. Damn do we love Copping. Our 4th time. You do realise them puppies Metallica have only officially managed 3! We’re in pole position baby. And to boot, Twisted Sister and the mighty, mighty Quo are playing on the same day. Is it only March? Come on already June.

On the other side of the rock spectrum, fellow Midlanders Page 44 will also return to add some passionate, stripped back post-punk to proceedings.

Making their first appearance by the racetrack is one of the most exciting young acts on the British music scene, Brighton blues rockers Royal Blood, who have recently been nominated for BBC Sound of 2014 award.

Other home grown talents taking to the Donington stage include symphonic punk rockers, The Dirty Youth, whose singer Danni Monroe is relishing another visit to Download, saying: We're over the moon to be invited back to Download festival for the third time. It has always been our favourite festival! Cannot wait to rock the second stage!

This sentiment was shared by melodic math-punk newcomers Marmozets, who said: We’re looking forward to playing at Download 2014. It was a blast last time and it opened a few doors up for us as a band. 

Meanwhile, further Download debutants announced today are Japanese hard rock duo VAMPS (JPN) (not to be confused with The Vamps. Ever), Irish disco blues punks Kid Karate, ska merchants The Magnus Puto, Irish troopers No Hot Ashes, punk rockers Colt 45, hardcore punks Drones and Bristol rock’n’rollers Tax the Heat.

Drones looked ahead to following in: We are over the moon to be playing the hallowed ground of Donington and the legendary Download Festival, where so many of our heroes growing up have performed. We can't wait to tear it up and cause some chaos, see everyone in the pit!

Tax the Heat said: We’re absolutely ecstatic to be playing such a great festival and with such a great slot too. We look forward to being one of the first bands to play Download this year. See you there!

 

South West Four adds Laurent Garnier and more to lineup

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London's premier electronic music festival South West Four reveals another batch of artists for this years summer festival at the iconic Clapham Common.

Hot on the heels of the last announcement, the latest additions include Laurnet Garnier, Maya Jane Coles, Heidi, Claude Vonstroke, Catz N Dogz and Kim Ann Foxman.

Having enjoyed a meteoric rise up the electronic music ladder since 2011, Maya Jane Coles returns to South West Four this year. Her deep and enticing sounds have resulted in huge interest in her underground productions and performances at the world’s most discerning nightclubs. With an ability to seduce the mind into unchartered territory, Maya’s work as a DJ, producer, audio engineer and artwork designer has been echoed around the planet. The 2013 release of ‘Comfort’ backed this up to dramatic effect, as did her superb ‘Easier to Hide’. This will be Maya’s first performance at SW4 since 2012 and her first set in London in seven months. When it comes to females leading the charge in electronic music, Maya is definitely at the forefront. We cannot wait to welcome her back.

As one of the finest musicians to have ever graced the world of dance music, it’s an honour to welcome back the legendary Laurent Garnier for his third performance at SW4 in four years. Laurent has kept the world grooving for nearly thirty years with one of the most celebrated back catalogues of electronic productions known to exist. After destroying Clapham Common with an exquisite set last year, every effort has gone into bringing this SW4 favourite back for another dose of his enthralling techno. Garnier’s ability to keep his sets as fresh and original as possible can be is reflected by his relentless quest to unearth the very best new music. Returning to SW4 in a London festival exclusive for 2014, we cannot wait to welcome this godfather back for another masterclass.

As one of most respected and influential figures over the past decade, Dirtybird Records boss Claude VonStroke returns to our hallowed turf on Sunday 24th August for his first SW4 performance since 2008. Born and raised in Detroit, Claude’s electrifying sounds, combined with his contagious personality, makes him one of the industry’s most exciting players. Having relentlessly toured every major city, festival, basement and after party around the world, last summer witnessed the launch of his Dirtybird residency at Sankey Ibiza where he hosted one of the White Isle’s most popular weekly parties. Building on thisremarkable success for 2014, Claude’s status as a pioneering game-changer will again be illustrated via his outstanding multi-deck wizardry at SW4.

Whether it’s through performing at the scene’s most dominant clubs and festivals, her worldwide Jackathon parties or her BBC Radio 1 residency show, it’s clear that Heidi’s hard-hitting grooves will go down a storm when she makes her SW4 debut this summer. As a firm favourite on the White Isle, 2013 witnessed Heidi play at Space for Carl Cox’s ‘The Revolution’, Richie Hawtin’s ‘Enter’, and ‘We Love’, in addition toSolomun’s party at Pacha and Jamie Jones’ ‘Paradise’ at DC10. With releases on Jackathon Jams and Get Physical, Heidi’s sets are a mixture of the freshest house, techno and disco around, with her South West Four debut on course to be one of the weekend’s most memorable highlights. SW4 get ready to Jack, as we welcome Heidi for a performance you simply won’t forget.

As we continue to keep things as fresh as possible for 2014, Clapham Common will welcome one of the dance music’s favourite duos for their SW4 debut and exclusive London festival performance. After heightening their esteemed reputation even further throughout the past twelve months with pivotal tracks ‘Evil Tram’ and ‘Hush’ gaining monumental support from the likes of Eats Everything and Justin Martin, we can confirm that Pets Recordings bosses and Dirtybird favourites Catz N Dogz are finally on their way to South London. With an insatiable appetite for success, Catz N Dogz are one of house music’s most dominating forces, with huge interest in their talents. As the pair look forward to an even bigger twelve months, backed up by the recent release of ‘Bones Shakin’ and ‘Booty Comes First’, we are delighted thatSW4 has been selected as their London festival of choice. 

Recognised as one of the most sought after up-and-coming DJs in dance music, we are delighted to announce that the formidable Kim Ann-Foxman will also be joining us this August. Having made a name for herself in her hometown of New York, Kim’s natural ability was quickly picked up as vocalist for the Hercules & Love Affair’s two hugely successful albums. She has since gone onto tour the world’s finest clubs and festivals as a solo artist. Boasting some of the most intense grooves you are likely to hear at SW4 this summer, this will be the first time that Kim returns to London after her stellar performance at Eats Everything’s XOYO residency. Her production ability is improving by the hour with her latest track ‘Burning Bright’ alongside long-term friend Maya Jane Coles receiving unconditional support, whilst her remix duties are also being exercised to the max.

Ella Eyre & Foxes join Norfolk’s Sundown lineup

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Foxes have been added to the main stage line-up on Saturday, 30 August, while Ella Eyre will join the Sunday line-up

Both artists featured on massive tracks by Rudimental, with Ella providing vocals for the UK #1 Waiting All Night and Foxes on Right Here, ahead of their own single releases. Foxes also featured on Zedd’s Clarity, viewed more than 62m times on video sharing site YouTube, as well as Sub Focus’s Until the End and Fall Out Boy’s Just One Yesterday

Following Foxes collaboration success, her debut single Youth became a Top Twenty UK Singles Chart hit, while her follow up single,Let Go For Tonight, reached #7, both from the forthcoming May 2014 album release, Glorious 

Ella has also worked the vocals for the likes of Tinie Tempah, on Someday, and Bastille, on Free and No Angels, before releasingDeeper from her EP of the same name

Sundown Festival, recently the focus of BBC Three’s Festivals, Sex & Suspicious Parents special episodes, now boasts a main stage line-up of Chase & Status, Tinie Tempah, Zane Lowe, Katy B and Foxes on the Saturday, with Ellie Goulding, John Newman, Clean Bandit, Neon Jungle and Ella Eyre on the Sunday, with more to be announced in the coming weeks and months

Elsewhere, Sundown’s dance-orientated Stage 2 will be hosted by House specialists Defected Records on the Saturday night, with Shadow Child newly confirmed to be joining the previously announced DJs MK, Breach and Sam Divine, while drum and bass label RAM Records take over for the Sunday, with Andy C, Wilkinson and Calyx & Teebee and now Delta Heavy confirmed so far.

Lightning Seeds will headline Friday at Chagstock

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Lightning Seeds are a Liverpudlian band fronted and formed by Ian Broudie. They’ve had 12 top 20 UK hits including Pure, Change, Sugar Coated Iceberg,You Showed Me and 1996 football anthem Three Lions. Ian Broudie and the Lightning Seeds have released seven studio albums to date – six as Lightning Seeds and one Ian Broudie solo album.

Also on the bill are million-selling alt-rock legends, The Waterboys, who will headline the main stage on Saturday night.

Formed 30 years ago by Mike Scott, The Waterboys became famous for their powerful live performances and majestic albums such as A Pagan Placeand This Is The Sea, which included their biggest hit The Whole Of The Moon. 

Chagstock is one of the Westcountry’s best-loved festivals. Set in 70 acres of farmland on the edge of Dartmoor, Chagstock is renowned for its stunning location, diverse line-up of artists and non-corporate, family friendly atmosphere. Chagstock showcases the very best music, food and entertainment that the Westcountry and the UK have to offer.

After selling out the entire allocation of early bird tickets in record time, all tickets, camping options and vehicle passes for this year's festival are now on sale at www.chagstock.info 

The first acts confirmed for 2014 are Saturday headliners, The Waterboys, legendary 2-Tone band, The Selecter; Alt-Folksters, The Moulettes and award winning Canadian band The Stanfields, who blend hard rock with traditional atlantic folk. The wonderfully chaotic high-energy Balkan folkstersSheelanagig will headline the marquee stage on Friday night. Also on the bill are hotly-tipped English blues-rockers Sam Green & The Midnight Heistand local Okehampton rockers, Downfall. Chagstock’s house band, New Crisis also perform their traditional main stage slot.

This year’s Fancy Dress Theme will be ‘The Wild West!’ 

2ManyDJs and Sleigh Bells lead Blissfields 2014 lineup

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Following a landmark festival headline set from Bastille and selling out over 2 months in advance for last year's event, the biggest Blissfields ever also featured a remarkable wealth of breaking and established talent including London Grammar, Clean Bandit, Sam Smith, Mystery Jets, Bondax and more. Blissfields are today pleased to announce its first wave of acts for 2014, continuing a tradition of breaking the best new talent and hand-picked established names… now increasing it’s capacity to 4,000 tickets against the grain of a tremulous time for music festivals. Reflecting the loyalty and strongly independent and rising nature of the festival, tickets for 2014's event have already been selling at a faster rate than ever before, even ahead of any music acts being announced. 
 
2ManyDJs and Sleigh Bells lead the announcement that includes 2014 Critic’s Choice BRIT Awards nominee Chloe Howl who makes her second visit to Blissfields following a triumphant year that found her shortlisted for the BBC Sounds of 2014 – which also saw Luke Sital Singh and Nick Mulvey nominated, who both join the line-up. Critically acclaimed US carnival-pop act Tune-Yards will no doubt boast hints of the forthcoming third album Nikki Nack in their performance, while 6Music Blog Sound of 2013 Winners Wolf Alice will show why they were the “most blogged artist of 2013” across the UK [Hype Machine].

Set to follow in the dance/pop cross-over footsteps of Disclosure and Bondax,Snakehips and TCTS play late night slots on the newly renamed Hustle Den stage, as Blissfields showcases sets from breakthrough acts Dan Croll, Ry X, Famy, and more, bringing the most exciting up-and-coming artists from around the world to Hampshire.
 
At the top of the bill, and blurring the lines between pop, dance, disco, house and indie/rock, festival favourites Hercules and Love Affair and 2ManyDJs will close out the Saturday night of the festival, while New York dance-rockers Sleigh Bells will top the Friday night party bill, highlighting the more international nature of the festival this year, reconfirming Blissfields as one of the most eclectically billed boutique festivals in Britain.
 
Once more it boasts an impressive legacy of fun festival acts as well, presenting fan favourites Dub Pistols as its Thursday night headliner, and welcomes Gentlemans Dub Club, Melt Yourself Down, Monki, and Gypsy Disco to ensure that Blissfields’ spirits are kept high, and that frivolity reigns throughout what was last year dubbed “the festival where it never rains”.
 
There’s many more acts to announce as well across all stages, but this year’s line-up so far is;

2ManyDJs – Sleigh Bells
Hercules And Love Affair – Chloe Howl – Tune-Yards – Dan Croll
Nick Mulvey – RY X – Snakehips – Gentleman's Dub Club – Wolf Alice
Melt Yourself Down – Luke Sital Singh – Famy – Monki – Dub Pistols
Subgiant – Cosmo Sheldrake – Flyte – Gypsy Disco – TCTS
Chris T-T – Electric Swing Circus – Beans on Toast
Alex Walker – Ally Wolf – Animal – Bela T Chase – Bellyeyesmile – Ben Goddard – Ben Paul
Benny Page – Beth McCarthy – Bigtopp – Bitr8 – Black Kat Boppers – Bombs – Bonsai Pirates – Buddhist Punkz Burning Idols – Charlie Ayliffe – Cholombian (DJ set) – Dale Allen – Dave Miatt – Dead Proud – Deadbeat Disco
Dr Meaker – Echotape – ESPA – Fauxlo – Firefarm – Fish Hook – Folkgeek Presents: Alex Vargas, Franklin & James, Fawn – Freeway Mad – Gentleman's Dub Club – Ghouls – Giles Whiteley – Headsessions Soundsystem
Hentai Babies – Jimi Needles – Josh Savage – Jungle Doctors – Juturna – Lex – Listening Party – Luke Ferre
Luke Sital Singh – Mary Miss Fairy – Maths and the Moon – Matt Jarvis – Matt Perriment – Matty LAH
Maxin' DJ's – Mem & Kamikaze Love (Shorebitch) – Morgan Hislop – New Desert Blues – Nick Mulvey
Nick Tann – One Step Too Late – Paul Diello – Paul Sawyer (EJ Underground) – PolyBlank – Psychedelia DJ's
Sai – Sam Brothers – Sam Cotton – Science Of 8 Limbs – Sworthy – Tacit Tone – The Boy I Used To Be
The Great Malarkey – The Great One – The Raged – The St. Pierre Snake Invasion – Thequickandthedead
Tom Lowman – Transgressive Soundsystem – Uber-Tone – Will Tun & the Wasters – WILLOW – Youngskin

Band of Skulls to headline 2000Trees

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Band of Skulls are a UK three-piece who could be heading for big breakthrough success with the release of their third album Himalayan on March 31, which frontman Russell Marsden has described as “a coming of age record”.

He said: “We are thrilled to be headlining 2000trees, we’ve heard it is an awesome festival for people who really love music, so we cannot wait to get there. It’s an exciting year for us and this will be a real highlight.” 

2000trees organiser James Scarlett said: “We book exciting and interesting bands who bring something new to the music industry and Band of Skulls are exactly that. We are delighted they will be headlining our festival and today’s announcement shows the greatest ever strength in depth of our line-up, there really is a lot of talent and we’ve still got much more to announce in coming weeks.”

Line-up so far:

Band of Skulls, Dan le Sac vs Scroobious Pip, Public Service Broadcasting, The Bronx, Jamie Lenman, The Blackout.

Wolf Alice, Kids In Glass Houses, Tall Ships, Cerebral Ballzy, DZ Deathrays, Maybeshewill

Canterbury, Baby Godzilla, Three Trapped Tigers, Arcane Roots, Itch, Blitz Kids

The Computers, Turbowolf, Hawk Eyes, Gnarwolves, Darlia, Lonely the Brave

LOOM, Johnny Foreigner, Natives, Decade, Nordic Giants, Verses

Heart in Hand, LostAlone, Palm Reader, Dad Rocks!, The Cadbury Sisters, Dolomite Minor

Boy Jumps Ship, Brawlers, Oliver Wilde, &U&I, Dave McPherson, Slaves

The Virginmarys, Dancing Years, Ben Marwood, The Dead Formats, The JB Conspiracy, God Damn

Andy Oliveri, Kill Chaos, Youth Man, Crazy Arm (Acoustic), The Bronze Medal, The Retrospective Soundtrack Players

Oxygen Thief, Radstewart, Winter Villains, Verse Chorus Verse, Joe Summers, Kitten & Bear

Sam Green & the Midnight Heist, Harry George Johns, Boat to Row, Lonely Tourist