I Am Kloot
Our festival headliner, the majestic I Am Kloot. As I write this, we've seen them
every night for the last week as we've been flyering their current UK tour and if
you are not an obsessive Kloot convert, as we've become, a great place to start
is last year's Mercury nominated album 'Sky At Night'. An exclusive headline festival
appearance this year and the only place you'll see them under a night sky, we're
working very hard with the band to make this their stand out show of 2011.
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The Go! Team
Cop show car chase music, Snoopy style electric piano, double dutch skipping chants laid over hip-hop beats and augmented
with live instrumentation is the standard biog description of The Go! Team - the exclaimation mark is very apt. With a
party style absolutely all of their own this 6 piece from Brighton continue to build on their Mercury prize
nominated successes with their third album, Rolling Blackouts, released earlier this year. The single Buy Nothing Today never
fails to fill us with energetic and optimistic warmth.
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Frankie & The Heartstrings
In a recent issue of the NME annoyingly dedicated almost entirely to The White Stripes sits a redeeming feature
on Sunderland's finest from which we'll quote. 'They're the perfect band for times like this, showing that being daft and fancy-free
doesn't come at the expense of being engaged and caring about your fellow man'. Working class to the core and here to save indie
from the doldrums we present Frankie & The Heartstrings
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Caitlin Rose
A country starlet headlining our In The Dock stage singing songs about smoking, amongst other things - capturing the
joys (of smoking) that long ago got replaced by health concerns for those of us over 21. Great stuff. Non ex-smokers
will no doubt find other virtues in her music, for there are many. Caitlin is a major new talent, her album Own Side Now
appears to have been Album Of The Week in every broadsheet in existence. Listening to this album you get the idea that even
in her early twenties she has an old head on her shoulders and a country authenticity that only comes from a bona fide
Nashville upbringing.
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The Leisure Society
Proving that to hail from Burton-Upon-Trent is not actually an unsurmountable hurdle to success we present The Leisure Society.
We've about worn out our copy of their first album The Sleeper, good job their long awaited second long player
is out in May. The first record earned the band two Ivor Novello songwriting nominations and scooped Rough Trade's album
of the year in 2009 (they also do a cracking mandolin heavy cover of Gary Human's Cars.) Roll on May.
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Track 1: The Last Of The Melting Snow
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PLAY STOP
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Track 2: A Matter Of Time
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PLAY STOP
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Erland and The Carnival
Roll up, roll up. Erland And The Carnival are a folk/indie-rock supergroup formed by Simon Tong (The Verve, The Good,
The Bad And The Queen), singer Erland Cooper and Paul McCartney-collaborator David Nock (but we won't hold that against him.)
They are certainly eclectic and sometimes sightly creepy (bizarrely invoking images of old fashioned funfairs) but very
entertaining and totally captivating live. When we saw them they reminded me of The Moody Blues - a view shot down in laughter
as I remember, but I knew what I meant.
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Admiral Fallow
Some of the time booking a line-up is hard, draining work - though not as hard as plucking chickens.
But occasionally you stumble across a band like Admiral Fallow, who you immediately fall in love with, who
are available and you don't have to think too hard about the decision - you love them and they're booked. Easy.
Everyone else seems to love them too, Edith Bowman, Fearne Cotton, Guy Garvey. They've recently signed to a new über-cool label
which involved all their tunes disappearing from Spotify, surely a sign if any other were needed that they are destined
for bigger things.
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Marcus Foster
Where to start with this guy. Charles Saatchi is a massive fan of his sculpture. He has had over a million
plays on his MySpace, tens of thousands following him on Twitter, he has co-written the Twilight soundtrack's hit tune
Let Me Sign. If you have teenaged girls in the house you'll know how massive these vampire movies are. He's just signed to
Geffen in the US. He's a word of mouth internet sensation and all the gals in the office are (secretly) looking forward to his
appearance with his band very much.
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Tom Williams & The Boat
Following a year which has seen them grace festival stages from Glastonbury to Latitude, support Stornoway across the
UK and put in countless miles on their own headlining shows, Tom Williams And The Boat move into 2011 with the release
of their debut album, 'Too Slow'. In the process the band have seen crowds grow exponentially through word of mouth and
become a fierce live proposition with The Fly moved to praise 'an unexpected dark dynamism and an all round righteous fury'.
Spot on, we love 'em.
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Matthew and The Atlas
Another someone and the somethings band on the line-up, you might well have seen Matthew and The Atlas
supporting Mumford and The Sons on their last UK tour. Signed to the hyper-cool Communion Records, Matthew and the Altas map the
ground between woozy, day-dreaming Americana and a distinctly English folk sensibility. We're very much looking forward to them appearing in July
when we'll finally discover whose hat is whose.
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Lanterns On The Lake
Once more into Bella Union's hip roster of bands we go. Luscious, swoonsome loveliness that tugs at the heart-strings
according to the NME. Lush, grand and atmospheric they have gained a reputation for their beautiful live performances.
A band that play music that would be very easy to lose yourself in after a couple of pints of authentic Yorkshire fine ale,
if not before. God knows we should all chill out more and with Lanterns On The Lake there is no finer soundtrack.
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Laki Mera
Glaswegian band Laki Mera and their gloriously atmospheric clash of sinister electronica and fragile folk beauty
will play the In The Dock stage before joining their Just Music label mates in the Big Top on Sunday.
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Arthur Rigby & The Baskervylles
Arthur Rigby & the Baskervylles are an 8-piece Orchestral Pop band, based in Leeds. The sound the band creates is a
genuinely beautiful mixing pot of lush orchestrations, poetic lyrics, romantic melodies and powerful energy.The music is
the invention of front man and guitarist Benjamin, scoring songs for violins, piano, bass, trumpet, trombone, saxophone
and flute. Strongly influenced by Neil Hannon I'm sure you'll agree.
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Digitonal
We love a bit of electronic minimalism. Digitonal produce a delicious after hours ambience, pulsing in the
best traditions of Steve Reich, Philip Glass and our hero William Orbit. But their undoubted strength is the
ability to play their material live which they will be doing for your relaxation as part of the Just Music Café on
Sunday morning.
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Echaskech
Experiencing Echaskech play live will re-define your expectations of what an electronic act can achieve
in a performance. Their unique style of melodic dance rhythms blend a spectrum of flavours from the warm
chord progressions of Brian Eno and Urlich Shnauss to the filthy subs of Modeselektor, all strung
together within a seamlessly building set. Their real-time mixing and structuring from sequenced parts has
lead to a set often compared with the finest moments of Orbital live.
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Tigers That Talked
Steve Lamacq's one time new favourite band, no doubt drawn in by the broody ebb and flow of their music. Following
on from a series of exceptional singles, Leeds art-rock four-piece Tigers That Talked finally self-release their debut album
The Merchant this year and receive plaudits from all corners of UK press & radio including The Times, Lauren Laverne, Zane Lowe,
Dermot O'Leary and Tom Robinson.
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Spokes
Spokes are an alt-indie band based in Manchester. Critics have praised them for their grand sound, buoyed by bittersweet
joy and devastating lows - organising festivals seems to encompass a similar range of emotions. Intense stuff. While
drawing upon folk, shoegaze, slowcore and post-rock their music is always distilled down into something distinctly
their own.
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Let's Buy Happiness
Something of The Sundays here crossed with the Sugar Cubes (but without that annoying bloke rapping over everything.)
Delicious - our top-draw-band-describing word only used on very special occasions. The DIY approach to their destiny
has lead to a BBC Maida Vale session, playlistings on Radio 1, 6 Music and an appearance on the John Peel stage at
Glastonbury in 2010. 'One of the most thrilling new bands I’ve seen in years' according to Sean Adams from Drowned In Sound.
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The Neat
Having looked at some YouTube footage of these guys from Hull it reminds us that there is a certain attribute that
great bands share - Oasis, The View, The Stone Roses all have SWAGGER, as do The Neat. Despite the obvious venom spitting
comparisons with The Fall there is something very refreshing about this band especially in times when lots of bands are
propelled by banjos and waistcoats. Compelling listening.
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Just Handshakes (we're British)
Seemingly fighting a losing battle against the tide of continental customs coming ashore Just Handshakes (we're British)
probably also have affiliations with the apostrophe police. So
with an eye on our punctuation we introduce Clara, Michael, Edward and Jim from Leeds who play indie pop. One of
the best indie pop bands around according to Rough Trade, often compared to other Leeds girl fronted band Sky Larkin
(although we're immediately transported back to 90's Dubstar.)
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Yonderboy
A bright indie pop 4 piece outfit from Leeds/Manchester. Uplifting and enthusiastic with the odd math rock/proggy
interlude, but not so much as to frighten off the girls. They apparently aim for a fusion of Talking Heads, The Smiths
and Radiohead but we feel somewhat more upbeat after listening to them than we would after listening to those
influences. Catch them early doors on the Key stage.
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Hope And Social
In our part of the world these guys get great gig reviews. We had them play on our busking stage
last year and everyone said that they deserved a slot higher up the bill on a bigger stage, so here
they are, back by enormous popular demand. A good time band for Friday night, blue blazered, and one
of the bands you should see before you die according to The Duchess music venue in York.
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Track 1: Pitching Far Too High
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Track 2: A Darkness Is Now Coming
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Two Spot Gobi
From the stony beaches of Brighton, via the sunny shores of California, Two Spot Gobi create
irresistibly laidback summery anthems. On the forthcoming album frontman James Robinson says, "The underlying
message with this album is positivity. We wanted people to relate to the subject matter, but after that
it's all about feeling good. We wanted to put smiles on people's faces with The Sun Will Rise, like
the ones that we all had when we were writing and recording it."
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ABC Club
Leeds 5 piece the abc club are all restless drums and nonchalant, femme-fatale drawls, faded tales zipped
together with morse code guitar. They released their debut single, 'Thieving Magpie', on London's Things To
Make and Do earlier this year and Rough Trade told all their friends it was 'one of the most exciting of 2010's debuts'.
Artrocker joined in the chorus hailing it 'exhilarating but intimate, this single is just a glimpse into the band's
excellent DIY pop catalogue', while backing vocals came from Clash Music, for whom 'Thieving Magpie' was Track of The Day,
and NME Radio and BBC 6 Music who propelled it out across the airwaves.
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My Forever
We get lots of requests from bands to play, as you might imagine, but none are as shiny as My Forever.
The only 'local' band (from Thirsk) to penetrate the inner defences this year - we can't help but love them.
No banjos and slippers here, no sir. Heart says 'let's jump in the Volvo estate and cane it up the A19
with the windows down and see how fast this baby can go', whilst head remembers the appearance in Loughborough
magistrates court when a similar mood prevailed. To be young again.
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Sam Airey
Sam is a 23 year old folk artist originally from the Isle of Anglesey but he managed to escape to Leeds.
Drawing influence from contemporary and traditional folk music along with country and Americana.
Gaining an increasing amount of plaudits, including Steve Lamacq (Radio 2), his live performances have
garnered comparisons to such notable songsmiths as Nick Drake, Conor Oberst and Fionn Regan. Sam will be joined by
Holly Taymar to entertain you in a relaxed fashion on Sunday morning.
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Holly Taymar
Holly has truly earned her reputation as one of the North's most respected acoustic performers.
Delicate, finger picked acoustic guitar, a repertoire of unpretentious songs and a naturally warm stage presence and
rapport with accompanist Christopher Bilton (mandolin, cajon, banjo, guitar) - over the last few years, Holly has
honed her live show and performed extensively in the UK, which within the space of two weeks in March 2011 earned her
national airplay from BBC Radio 2 presenter Steve Lamacq and a prestigious place in the Glastonbury Emerging Talent
2011 longlist.
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The Glendale Family
The Glendale Family are a collective of musicians based in the North West, with members ranging from Scotland to
Australia and a number of places in between. They can most aptly be described as a modern folk band, influenced by
sea shanties, heroic figures, tall tales and the natural world. They are the purveyors of good vibes, with a clear
motivation to share the energy they create whilst maintaining a gracious approach to their performance. These guys were
the last men standing after the Wedding Present finished last year.
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