Monday
1. Julia Holter
(Undergrowth Stage, 3.15pm)
Exstasis is the most recent album from this Los Angeles musician, at once dreamy, elegant, its threadbare synth atmospherics is held together by Holter’s choral voice. This will be a good start to the day.
2. Chairlift
(Undergrowth Stage, 4.15pm)
Another of the best bands I saw in Austin, Chairlift’s live show is all about Caroline Polachek’s magnetic stage presence and stage moves. It was so good that week I saw them twice. I look forward to hearing songs from their Something album once again.
3. James Vincent McMorrow
(Original Stage, 8pm)
The sun is due to be out when James and his band takes the stage. No Irish musician is making fans across Europe more than this guy so this will be nice homecoming show of sorts.
4. Mazzy Star
(Undergrowth Stage, 8.15pm)
Pure nostalgia dripping in reverb, a set from the recently reunited pair of Hope Sandoval and David Roback will be cherished by many a ’90s kid. They’re also recording new material having released a double A-side last year so there’ll be new songs aired too.
5. Chromatics
(Undergrowth Stage, 10pm)
A Chromatics live show doesn’t come cheap I hear so I’m relishing the prospect of this, especially as Johnny Jewel puts so much effort into his records that I can’t see him being any different with the live shows as he suggests here. Kill For Love is also one of my albums of the year so far. A rare treat.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
Grimes is just awful for my money. Toby Kaar and LE Galaxie though good, play very regularly locally so why go see them when less regular players are in town. Same goes for JVM. Wilco are a must see, easily one of the best live bands I have ever seen.
Looking forward to Austra, Real Estate, Wilco, Leftfield and the Field most
Why Local bands? because they’re as good as international acts and I’m sure a lot of people reading this will be going to the festival with people who aren’t going to gigs every week. Variety is the fruit of festivals.
looking forward to grimes, austra, purity ring, peaking lights….. sunday is synth heaven.
don’t want to be knocking home grown acts, but can someone post a good track from mmoths, toby kaar, la galaxie? really don’t know what the fuss is about, mmoths and toby kaar sound like competent but uninspiring 90s electronica/dance music and la galaxie sound like simian mobile/electro revival 5 years too late.
please someone prove me wrong……
You don’t like the Toby Kaar tracks above? Admittedly, Toby’s best work is live at this point as he hasn’t released any original tracks in a while.
Mmoths is great for me but maybe not for every one, he’s only had one release out and again, his live shows are getting more varied in tempo.
I can see that Le Galaxie comparison, I really like them myself. Live, they also deliver.
Have seen la galaxie and sure they get the place worked up, and some of their album’s like the blade runner soundtrack which can only be a good thing, but hardly going to change the world are they?
toby kaar tracks are good, but same thing not going to blow anyones mind. Maybe if someone is hearing this kind of stuff for the 1st time it sounds great to them, but I have heard it all before the 1st time round in the 90s, all the great warp roster, american house music, german techno and detroit elctronica. so surely it should all be measured against that and be moving things forward not repeating the past? listen to the actress album and see where things can go, hints of dubstep, pole, basic channel and his own take on it, brillant album.
Mmoths is a young guy so hopefully he’s only beginning and finding his sound, would love to see someone like him or toby kaar blow up worldwide. sorry to sound like a begrudger but just because they are local lads doesn’t make it great, it has to cut it on an international front.
I agree, why Grimes? Check out Cloud Nothings though – awkward, punk energy that just deserves to be seen. Wilco is a no-brainer. Real Estate has had a heckuva tour so far and are at the top of their game. See them
Cos her album is brilliant. Wilco aren’t really for me and they’re prety much headliner material as I outlined at the top I wasn’t going to cover. Would be interested in Real Estate though two Cloud Nothings album have done nothing for me, not my thing.
I like Beirut, Andrew Bird, Wilco and Field Music.
I am more relevant than the person who read this a split second ago.
Grimes (to me) sound like a Vietnamese girl doing some bad karaoke.
Looking forward to seeing Andrew Bird for the first time too.
actress is playing today, sh*t never knew that…..
He cancelled. Missed his flight.
Supposedly. I heard no mention that the Bloody Beetroots was going to be a DJ set in advance. Meant 2 of the 3 acts on stage at the end of the night were just DJing.
Great round-up, fair play Mr. Nialler
Really nice. I never heard about it. Live performances on the move.
Theres something wrong with all of your heads.That isn’t fuck’in music at all.its NOISE!