Sigur Rós

PJ Harvey, Sigur Ros and more announced for NOS Primavera Festival

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NOS Primavera Sound has released the full line-up for its fifth edition. After announcing the presence of French duo Air, authors of remarkable work such as “Moon Safari” or the original soundtrack to “The Virgin Suicides”, the festival reveals the names that will be at the Parque da Cidade in Porto, between June 9th and 11th.

Among the confirmed acts are such stand-outs as rock icon PJ Harvey and the dreamy experimental rock of Icelandic band Sigur Rós, besides Brian Wilson in a special performance of “Pet Sounds”, the chief pop oeuvre of the 20th century.

Added to these, are names which are key to understanding the most current music: the dream pop of Americans Beach House, the return to pop by Animal Collective, the post rock of Explosions In The Sky, the showcase of the latest album by German supergroup Moderat, Deerhunter led by Bradford Cox, Ty Segall and the Muggers’ rock’n’roll steamroller or Julia Holter, author of one of 2015’s most impressive albums.

As usual, the festival also saves some room for acts born in the nineties. The return to the stage of mythical hardcore band Drive Like Jehu, the always fit Dinosaur Jr., the instrumental and untethered rock of Tortoise, Mudhoney’s electrical discharge, the noise metal of the legendary Unsane, out rock pioneers Loop or the live “life insurance” policy that is Shellac are among the highlights of NOS Primavera Sound 2016.

Some names which are very much current will also be at the Parque da Cidade. The hip hop of one of the MCs of the moment, Freddie Gibbs, Savages’ battle rock, the synthpop of the mighty Chairlift, the ethylic odes of Titus Andronicus, Dan Bejar on board Destroyer to showcase the recent “Poison Season”, the emotive ball of Kiasmos, the Portuguese cult band Linda Martini, Parquet Courts’ post-punk aromas, Holly Herndon’s experimentalism, or the jazz tinged electronica of Floating Points are some of the hippest names in this edition.

The long list doesn’t end here and continues to showcase names filled with substance and quality: pop seen form a different perspective by Wild Nothing, Car Seat Headrest, Roosevelt, Autolux, Empress Of or Manel, the guitars of Protomartyr, Royal Headache, Neil Michael Hagerty & the Howling Hex or Algiers, djs Fort Romeau and The Black Madonna, the experimental electropop of Sensible Soccers, and electronic alter-ego of João Vieira with the project White Haus, the refined simplicity of Cass McCombs, BEAK>’s kraut rock, the psychedelia of Bardo Pond or the obscure sounds of Mueran Humanos, round off a wide ranging and diverse line-up.

LINE-UP NOS PRIMAVERA SOUND 2016

Air . Algiers . Animal Collective . Autolux . Bardo Pond . Battles . Beach House . BEAK> . The Black Madonna . Brian Wilson performing Pet Sounds . Car Seat Headrest . Cass McCombs . Chairlift . Deerhunter . Destroyer . Dinosaur Jr. . Drive Like Jehu . Empress Of . Explosions In The Sky . Floating Points (live) . Fort Romeau . Freddie Gibbs . Holly Herndon . Julia Holter . Kiasmos . Linda Martini . Loop . Manel . Moderat . Mudhoney . Mueran Humanos . Neil Michael Hagerty & the Howling Hex . Parquet Courts . PJ Harvey . Protomartyr . Roosevelt . Royal Headache . Savages . Sensible Soccers . Shellac . Sigur Rós . Titus Andronicus . Tortoise . Ty Segall and The Muggers . U.S. Girls . Unsane . White Haus . Wild Nothing

Best Kept Secret Festival 2013

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Its a very rare occasion that you get to experience a new festival without hearing the experiences of others, and I wasn't sure what to expect from Best Kept Secret, but I was pleasantly surprised by the site, the friendliness of others and sheer organisation, this is definitely a top European festival to be reckoned with.

Not only is it situated on a safari park, but it is surrounded by a beautiful lake and a white sandy beach. Revellers have the opportunity to kick off those shoes, get their feet wet and go swimming whilst listening to some great bands that are were offer. And don't worry if you're not a great swimmer, there are life guards on patrol looking out for your safety.

For the foodies out there, a great selection of both meat dishes and veggie delights were on offer at a reasonable price. And although the weather wasn't on our side, this didn't stop anyone from grabbing a free poncho, throwing it over themselves and making the most of what was on offer. Like most European festivals, BKF operates on a token system, and have a great incentive to ensure you don't litter. For every cup you return to the bar you receive half a token, 2 tokens gets you a free beer, so before you know it, you'll be receiving a free beer for your efforts.

Best Kept Secret Festival

Friday saw the doors open at 5pm, and within easy walking distance you had a choice of 3 stages. Most of the artists had only a slight overlap, so if you wanted to check out a number of bands, then it was easily done. On the bill were Swim Deep, The Maccabees, Bloc Party, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Fuck Buttons and closing the main stage were the Arctic Monkeys. Not only did they pull in biggest crowd, but they played an hour and a half set including their classics which had everyone jumping up and down.

Day 2 saw the likes of Two Door Cinema Club, Alt-J, Allah-Las, Koreless and Damien Rice take to the stages. Damien Rice entertained the crowd with his hits and it wasn't long before everyone was singing canon ball in unison.

The final day ended with the Local Natives, Everything Everything, Palma Violets, Kurt Vie and the Violators, Portishead and Sigur Ros. Not only was there a great selection of established bands on offer, but also some exciting new bands to watch out for. One band that stood out were Autre Ne Teut, hailing from New York, these guys provided a packed out tent to a mixture of way out musical styles mixed with some great beats to match. Sigur Ros closed the festival with an incredible set and atmosphere to match. They also donated some used signed drum heads and drum brushes, all proceeds donated to Unicef. For anyone looking for their next European festival, I would strongly recommend BKF, you won't be disappointed.

Sigur Ros @ Best Kept Secret

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BEST KEPT SECRET FESTIVAL

Hurricane and Southside Festival Preview 2013

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In recent years more and more Brits are heading out to European Festivals. Sometimes it's for the experience of visiting different country, often for the (usually) better weather and line-ups, but surely the major reason is most European festivals are much better value, with tickets often half the cost of their UK counterparts.

Hurricane/Southside festivals are twin three day music festivals and takes part from Friday 21-23rd June. Hurricane is a long established fixture on the European Festival calendar and his has been held near the picturesque town of Scheeßel in Northern Germany since 1997. It's slightly smaller sister festival Southside, located in Neuhausen ob Eck in the very south of Germany, has been held since 2000. Reading and Leeds festivals would be the obvious UK comparison, with the line up being shared between the two twin festivals, their size, the variety of bands playing and the fact they're all about the music.

Hurricane is a cheap festival to get to from the UK. Although located in a rural area, Hurricane is located near the cities of Hamburg, Bremen and Hannover which makes getting to the festival relatively easy thanks to Germany's super efficient train system, and also means you can extend your trip with a visit to one of the cities before/after the festival.

Whereas many European Festivals don't get going until the evening and run right through the night, Hurricane/Southside's timings are more similar to the British festivals and start at midday, running throughout the day, with the head liners (This year The Arctic Monkeys, Sigur Ros and QOTSA) playing from 10pm until midnight.

The line up is quite possibly the best in Europe this summer and features many UK and international bands, as well as local German bands and includes:

Arctic Monkeys/ Queens of The Stone Age/ Sigur Ros/ Smashing Pumpkins,/The National/ Kasabian/ Bloc Party, Alt J/ Portishead/ NOFX/ Rammstein/ The Gaslight Anthem/ The Vaccines/ Editors/ Tame Impala/ Peace/ I am Kloot/ The Hives/ Modest Mouse/ Frightened Rabbit/ Frank Turner/ Chase and Status/ Darwin Deez/ Of Monsters and Men/ Gogol Bordello/ The Maccabees/ British Sea Power/ Miles Kane/ Ska-P and Steven Wilson..

The full 4 stage clashfinder for it's 4 stages has been published at http://www.hurricane.de/de/line-up/#!programmation=timeline$ to allow you to plan your weekend already, though with so many great bands playing, clashes are inevitable.

Weather:

Hurricane being situated in Northern Germany, has suffered from the odd downpour in previous years so wellies, and waterproofs are recommended, just like with UK festivals. Southside being situated near the Swiss border, usually has slightly warmer, drier weather.

Bars/toilets:

Friends who have frequently attended Hurricane in previous years report minimal queues for the bars, toilets etc and the whole festival run with German efficiency! It's not a gourmet boutique festival but the usual festival grub of noodles, burgers, falafel etc is available.

Transport

Both Hamburg and Bremen are relatively close to Hurricane Festival with Easy Jet and Ryanair having cheap flights to Hamburg and Bremen from many UK cities. (My Manchester to Bremen return flight has cost less than £50 !). It's slightly more expensive to fly to Hannover but is well served by Flybe and German Wings. Train-wise advance group tickets are available (Länder-Ticket) for transport on all transport systems for up to 5 people anywhere in the region for a day for a bargain 22 to 38 euros)

Tickets:

Hurricane Festival's tickets were priced at a great value 137 euro (around £117). Reading and Leeds's weekend tickets by comparison are £202 this year. Both Hurricane and Southside's tickets have sold out already, which is testament to their fantastic line up and reputation.

 

 

The Walkmen added to End of the Road Festival lineup

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The Walkmen top yet another twenty-band announcement for the End of the Road Festival, joining a bill topped by Belle and Sebastian, Sigur Rós and David Byrne & St Vincent.

In A – Z order, the following artists are confirmed today: Anna van Hausswolff, Andy Shauf, Black Yaya, Braids, Broken Twin, Crocodiles, Daniel Norgren, Duologue,  El Perro Del Mar, Evans the Death, Filthy Boy, Frontier Ruckus, The Graphite Set, Jessica Pratt, Landshapes, Tiger Cats, Trembling Bells and Mike Heron, The Walkmen, Wall and William Tyler.

See the website at www.endoftheroadfestival.com for full lineup info and more.

“One of the most unique and special propositions in the British festival calendar.” – The Line of Best Fit

“Uncut’s favourite festival.” – Uncut

Winner of Best Small Festival at the 2011 UK Festival Awards, End of the Road is an intimate festival in a peacock-strewn former Victorian pleasure garden offering a carefully crafted music lineup plus art, atmosphere, workshops, comedy, cinema, a woodland library, games, a healing field and the finest food and drinks, hand-picked and hand-decorated by a small team.

Eels + 20 more acts join End of the Road lineup

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Eels lead today's twenty-band announcement for the End of the Road Festival, joining a bill topped by Belle and Sebastian, Sigur Rós and David Byrne & St Vincent.

In A – Z order, the following artists are confirmed today: Bob Lind, Charlie Boyer and the Voyeurs, Eyes and No Eyes, Deptford Goth, Doug Paisley, Dutch Uncles, Ed Harcourt, Eels, Fossil Collective, Futur Primitif, Houndmouth, Ichi, Julianna Barwick, Parquet Courts, Rachael Dadd, Ralfe Band, Rm Hubbert, Seventeen Evergreen, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings and Valerie June.

See the website at www.endoftheroadfestival.com for full lineup info and more.
“One of the most unique and special propositions in the British festival calendar.” – The Line of Best Fit

“Uncut’s favourite festival.” – Uncut

Winner of Best Small Festival at the 2011 UK Festival Awards, End of the Road is an intimate festival in a peacock-strewn former Victorian pleasure garden offering a carefully crafted music lineup plus art, atmosphere, workshops, comedy, cinema, a woodland library, games, a healing field and the finest food and drinks, hand-picked and hand-decorated by a small team.

Support acts for Live from Jodrell Bank announced

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Sigur Rós, the celebrated ambient / post rock band from Reykjavík are a pioneering force in a creative and vibrant Icelandic music scene.  Their immensely beautiful songs are pure, honest and timeless and their live shows have received international critical acclaim.  The band has released 6 studio albums and with an expansive sound and gargantuan visual light show they are the perfect band to immerse the audience and venue in their cinematic soundscapes.

Setting the scene for the headline performance will be Minnesota four piece Poliça who’s bass and rhythm heavy, electronic pop is unique and hugely captivating and their dynamic live show is anchored by two drummers, a melodic bass player and lead singer Channy Leaneagh’s ethereal vocals.  They will be performing tracks from their 2012 debut album ‘Give You The Ghost’.  Nik Colk Void is the guitarist / electronicist / vocalist of post-industrial artists Factory Floor and she showcases her own particular brand of beautiful noise as will 4AD act Daughter.  Their sound and architecture masterfully blends fluttering, heart on the sleeve, acoustic ballads with brooding ambient soundscapes and their debut album ‘If You Leave’ is a thing of great majesty.
 
Other shows taking place in 2013 as part of the Live From Jodrell Bank series include New Order curating an exclusive show with Johnny Marr, The Whip, Jake Evans and Hot Vestry and The Australian Pink Floyd who perform a celebration show to mark the 40thAnniversary of the release of the seminal Pink Floyd album, The Dark Side Of The Moon.  Previous sold out shows at this stunning location have taken place with Elbow and The Flaming Lips.
 
The Live From Jodrell Bank series sees some of the most innovative artists performing in this unique and dramatic setting, marrying science and music and bringing the audience superlative sounds from earth and beyond.
 
Before the spectacular evening concerts and throughout each day, attendees will be able to participate in a fantastic range of hands-on experiments and workshops on site at Jodrell Bank.  With full access to the magnificent Discovery Centre included in every ticket, this is a great chance to find out more about the mind-blowing research happening at Jodrell Bank and beyond.  Explore the wonders of the universe and find out for yourself why stargazing has enjoyed a massive resurgence in the past few years.
 
For over five decades, the University of Manchester's giant Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank has been part of the Cheshire landscape and an internationally renowned landmark for astronomers.  Since the summer of 1957 it has been exploring the depths of outer space in a quest for knowledge.  It remains one of the biggest and most powerful radio telescopes in the world, spending most of its time investigating cosmic phenomena that were undreamed of when it was first conceived. 

Jessie Ware, Bloc Party and more announced for Rock Werchter

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New on Thursday 4 July are Airbourne and Netsky (live) on the Main Stage, Jessie Ware in the Marquee and Bloc Party and Sigur Rós in The Barn. Volbeat and Green Day had already been announced for the Main Stage that day. On Friday 5 July Two Door Cinema Club, The Script and Phoenix will be joining the earlier announced Kings of Leon and Blur on the Main Stage.  C2C will build a party in the Marquee. And with Richard Hawley the tone is set immediately in The Barn. For Saturday 6 July so far only one name had been announced: Rammstein. Graveyard can now be added to the Main Stage, Disclosure to the Marquee and Django Django to The Barn. Depeche Mode and Editors will finish Rock Werchter 2013 in style on Sunday 7 July. But before we come to that, A Day To Remember, Band of Horses and Thirty Seconds to Mars will perform on the Main Stage. Passenger and Asaf Avidan have already been confirmed for the Marquee and Alt-J and Of Monsters and Men for The Barn. On www.rockwerchter.be, all names that have already been announced for the 39th edition of the festival can be found in a handy overview. The bill for Rock Werchter 2013 will be completed further in the weeks to come. Stay tuned!

Rock Werchter 2013 will take place in Werchter (Belgium) from Thursday 4 July until Sunday 7 July. For four days the festival grounds will enable you to see and hear the best on offer on three stages. Well-established names, heroes from past and present and the majors get – as usual – their spot on the Main Stage. The Marquee focuses on electronic music in all its danceable forms on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday and Sunday its line-up will be completed with up-and-coming talent, (more) intimate concerts and dance beats in the early hours.  In The Barn we welcome back familiar names, but it is also thé spot to discover tomorrow’s heroes. The better concert hall on a festival.

Sigur Rós confirmed to headline Live from Jodrell Bank

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Previous Live From Jodrell Bank shows with Elbow and The Flaming Lips have sold out and the events have been euphoric affairs, marrying science and music in this stunning location.

Elbow's Guy Garvey and The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne have cited the shows as among the most amazing they have ever played. Elbow will release a full length version as their first ever live DVD later this year.

Sigur Rós follow in their footsteps and the much celebrated ambient / post rock band from Reykjavík are a pioneering force in a creative and vibrant Icelandic music scene.  Their immensely beautiful songs are pure, honest and timeless and their live shows have received international critical acclaim.  The band has released 6 studio albums and with an expansive sound and gargantuan visual light show they are the perfect band to immerse the audience and venue in their cinematic soundscapes.

The Live From Jodrell Bank series sees some of the most innovative artists performing in this unique and dramatic setting, marrying science and music and bringing the audience superlative sounds from earth and beyond.  The bands will even project visuals onto the 76 metre Lovell telescope.

Before the spectacular evening concerts and throughout each day, attendees will be able to participate in a fantastic range of hands-on experiments and workshops on site at Jodrell Bank.  With full access to the magnificent Discovery Centre included in every ticket, this is a great chance to find out more about the mind-blowing research happening at Jodrell Bank and beyond.  Explore the wonders of the universe and find out for yourself why stargazing has enjoyed a massive resurgence in the past few years.

For over five decades, the giant Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank has been part of the Cheshire landscape and an internationally renowned landmark for astronomers.  Since the summer of 1957 it has been exploring the depths of outer space in a quest for knowledge.  It remains one of the biggest and most powerful radio telescopes in the world, spending most of its time investigating cosmic phenomena that were undreamed of when it was first conceived.

Further transmissions to be announced…

 

Sigur Rós and Belle and Sebastian for End of the Road Festival 2013

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Also confirmed in this early lineup announcement are:

Angel Olsen
The Barr Brothers
Damien Jurado
Daughter
Horse Thief
John Murry
King Kahn & The Shrines
Palma Violets
Pokey Lafarge
Serafina Steer
Strand of Oaks
Woodpecker Wooliams

See the newly redesigned website at www.endoftheroadfestival.com for more info.

“One of the most unique and special propositions in the British festival calendar.” – The Line of Best Fit
“Uncut’s favourite festival.” – Uncut

Winner of Best Small Festival at the 2011 UK Festival Awards, End of the Road is an intimate festival in a peacock-strewn former Victorian pleasure garden offering an amazing music lineup plus art, atmosphere, workshops, comedy, cinema, a woodland library, games, a healing field and the finest food and drinks, hand-picked and hand-decorated by a small team.

Ticket prices for End of the Road Festival 2013:

Tier 3 tickets (currently on sale) are priced as follows:
Adult weekend (incl. camping): £150
Youth 13-17 years (must be accompanied by an adult): £120
Child 6-12 years (must be accompanied by an adult): £50
Child 0 – 5 years (must be purchased in advance & accompanied by an adult): Free
Campervan / Caravan pass £50

Nicolas Jaar, Miike Snow and more added to this years Berlin Festival

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These new acts join an explosive bill of artists that includes Grimes, Sigur Rós, Franz Ferdinand, Orbital, Little Dragon, Friendly Fires, The Killers, Metronomy, SBTRKT and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. The who's who of indie and electronic music will take to the stage at Berlin’s historic Tempelhof Airport on September 7th and 8th 2012.

Now one of the most talked about artists of his generation following the release of his crotically acclaimed album 'Space Is Only Noise', New York-based musician Nicolas Jaar will conquer the stage at Berlin Festival with one of his acclaimed live performances challenging the genre boundaries of electronic music. 

The hugely talented Stockholm-based three-piece, Miike Snow will also perform at Berlin Festival. Whether they’re working with Madonna, Kylie or Britney, it’s hard to disagree that Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg make very addictive music and they're certainly no stranger to the indie crowds. We can't wait to see them whip the crowd at Tempelhof into a dancing frenzie with tracks from their sophomore album Happy To You.

Mike Snow

The Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble will be the first act to play at Berlin Festival this year. TheBerlin-based trio will play a matinee show with a techno orchestra in tow before performing a live set at Club Xberg the same night.

Next up, Crocodiles. Massive guitar sounds the forte of the San Diego-based combo, formed by various punk band members which certainly explains the heavy noise pop influences.

Great melodies crash with ecstatic feelings when the boys from When Saints Go Machine lure the crowd with sophisticated electro pop and „avant-garde dance“. The band from Copenhagen will perform at Club Xberg.

And finally, as part of the current wave retro trend, the Brooklyn-based duo Light Asylum is one of the hottest newcomers around. With singer Shannon Funchess' unique voice and edgy synth sounds, the band will surely mesmerize the crowd on 8th September.  

All confirmed acts so far…

Friday, 7th September

Berlin Festival @ Tempelhof Airport

Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble * Clock Opera * Daughter * Friends * Frittenbude * Grimes * The Killers * Miike Snow * Michael Kiwanuka * Nicolas Jaar * Little Dragon * Major Lazer * Kate Nash * Of Monsters And Men * Orbital * Sigur Rós * Tocotronic * We Have Band and more

Club Xberg @ Arena Berlin

Brandt Brauer Frick * Crookers * Dada Life * Dumme Jungs * Etnik * Metronomy * When Saints Go Machine and more

Saturday, 8th September

Berlin Festival @ Tempelhof Airport

Bonaparte * Jamie N Commons * Cro * Crocodiles * Django Django * First Aid Kit * Franz Ferdinand * Friendly Fires * iamamiwhoami * I Heart Sharks * Junip * Paul Kalkbrenner * Kraftklub * Morning Parade * SBTRKT (live) * Sizarr * WhoMadeWho and more

Club Xberg @ Arena Berlin

Junior Boys * Light Asylum * The Magician * Modeselektor live * Slagsmalsklubben * Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and more