Ten Artists You Dare Not Miss at Beacons
With an amazing line-up that includes acts like Wild Beasts, Toots & The Maytals, Roots Manuva, Patrick Wolf and GhostPoet – you always knew that you were in for a surfeit of musical deliciousness at this splendid boutique festival set in the stunning Yorkshire Dales. But with such a huge variety of music to choose from, what else should you be looking out for? Well, here is our list of 10 artists you dare not miss !
Wachs Lyrical
Greendales Stage – Friday
Wachs Lyrica (Liam Wachs) is a producer and DJ of underground dance music. Based in Leeds - he is a resident at Vagabondz and Disrupt:on.
He also composes bespoke music for adverts, corporate videos, television and films.
Wachs Lyrical mixes the ground shaking sounds of Dubstep along with Drum & Bass & Electronica to eager audiences all around the country.
Track ‘Feral’ whimpers and sighs. Percussion irritably itches and scratches. The elements of the keypad will start gnawing at your skirt. You will feel conscious of the fact that the deep bass sounds are lurking. And amidst all this there are yawning, cavernous gaps in the floorboards. You can slip at any moment. Then slide into the sleaze.
Link:
http://www.facebook.com/wachslyricalmusic
Pins
Noisey / Vice Stage – Friday
PINS is an all female four piece from Manchester consisting of Faith Holgate (vocals, guitar), Lois McDonald (guitar), Anna Donigan (bass), and Lara Williams (drums). Their deep basslines and jangly guitars make for noisy pop mixed with sultry vocals. Your be hearing a lot more about these over the next twelve months, so get on board now.
Track ‘You Don’t Need To Be’ is ghostly. Wind howls through the bare limbed trees. Cool moon-beams flicker on a wintry night. You can hear an anxious clomp-clomp sound coming towards you through the fallen leaves. Frosty branches of sound gradually loom into view. And the abstract, almost illuminous, spectral vision of Faith’s cool voice wisps around in the darkness. Cymbals stir as the last leaves that cling stubbornly to icy branches, are left dancing in the cold night air. Crisp and magical.
Link:
http://www.wearepins.co.uk/
Splashh
Noisey / Vice Stage – Saturday
This Hackney, London based Garage / Dream Pop outfit is already causing a big – er … splashh… on the circuit down South
‘Headspins’ has a gorgeous corset-twanging bass vibe and some rousing chords that create textured layers of sound. The clean shimmering vocals from Toto Vivian (vocals), are an inviting revelation. This whole work is a passionately drawn artifact, it may well remind you of the skills and qualities of ‘Blur’ and the nostalgic peculiarity of the ‘Smith Westerns.’ Take in. And enjoy !
Secret Sirens
ELFM Caravan of Love – Saturday
‘Secret Sirens’ is a Pop/Indie music project created and fronted by singer/songwriter/musician Narelle Frances alongside multi-instrumentalist and music visionary Andrew Siron and a bunch of other collaborating ‘secret’ musicians to create a full live band line up.
Based in Leeds, Secret Sirens produce their music to capture images of fantasy, mythology, love and hate, to create grandiose catchy pop songs with an emotive feel and large sweeping soundscapes. Northern for sure, but their roots are not just set in the beautiful sweeping landscapes of Yorkshire. Their music takes you on an imaginary exploration around the world and deep within your mind and heart…
‘Black Heart’ has a weighty nature- a heart of stone. Waves of rhythm are launched at you. The power-vocals of Narelle shine brightly in the darkness. That voice anoints the stonework, like so much sacrificial blood. This song is romantic in the truest meaning of the word. Gothic, natural, shocking and dark. Earthy love.
Links:
http://www.facebook.com/secretsirens
http://youtu.be/2ZvfzTytYDQ
Goodnight Lenin
Stool Pigeon Stage – Sunday
Formed in the autumn of 2009, Goodnight Lenin’s songs are reminiscent of the singer songwriters of the 1960s & 1970s, whilst still being relevant to the modern day listener. Inspired by Dylan, Young and Simon & Garfunkel, they constantly strive to deliver honest, experience based lyrics that flow along into their carefully crafted sound that seamlessly crosses genres.
‘Wenceslas Square’ has a simplified form. But, like work from ‘Simon & Garfunkel’, the lack of obvious complexity should not put you off. This song soon grows into an enormously expansive piece- embracing ambition and wild space. Luxuriant vocals are perfectly suited to the lofty and grand arrangements.
Link:
http://www.goodnightlenin.com/
Frankie & The Heartstrings
Stool Pigeon Stage – Sunday
This Sunderland band are idealist and romantic about pop. Embracing 50′s glamour and 60′s sounds, they are a living, breathing rock ‘n’ roll artwork in their own right.
‘Everybody Looks Better (In The Right Light)’ has a racy rock ‘n’ roll pace. The vocals from Frankie Francis may remind you of a light ‘Gene Pitney’, but this is a fun, wise-cracking band so don’t a expect serious lament. This is a singalong, feelgood toe-tapper. What a cracker !
Link:
http://www.facebook.com/frankieandtheheartstrings
Admiral Fallow
Stool Pigeon Stage – Sunday
You should have heard Admiral Fallow by now. If you haven’t, then you are in for a treat !
Admiral Fallow is a Scottish musical group formed in 2007 by singer/song-writer Louis Abbott and based in Glasgow. They write and perform folk/pop.
New album “Tree Bursts In Snow” is out now on Nettwerk. Q Magazine gave it four stars in June 2012.
‘The Paper Trench’ has that rolling rhythm we expect from Admiral Fallow. Vocals are shared and dispersed amongst the rustling folk sounds. The chorus is a holy thing. Held up like a candle, it will enchant you.
Link: http://www.facebook.com/AdmiralFallow
http://youtu.be/v9Hj8bVqcig
XXXY
Greendales Stage – Sunday
Hailing from Manchester, Rupert Taylor, aka xxxy, is one of bass music’s most forward thinking producers.
Having spent his youth in various bands xxxy finally decided to hang up his guitar and mic and began producing electronic music fuelled by his love at the time of drum and bass and techno.
‘Bash’ overlaps and undulates. Booms blossom in the magical air. Grasp the handrail, because this is gonna be a long, hard night. Chirrups of sound flicker into view. And all the time that feverish beat clamours and haunts. Addictive.
Link: http://www.facebook.com/triplexy
The Wave Pictures
Noisey / Vice Stage – Sunday
The Wave Pictures are an indie rock band consisting of David Tattersall (vocals and guitar), Franic Rozycki (bass guitar) and Jonny Helm (drums). Their homespun byronic ditties have been delighting fans since 1998 (The Blind Summit days.)
Track ‘If You Leave It Alone’ is a wavering, quavering lament. Lightly accompanied by tatty drums and an elegant bass. It’s the vocals from David Tattersall that will entice you. Half ‘Morrissey’ and half ‘Anderson’ – the voice daintily sprites about like a lost foal. This song is whimsically lyrical and, at it’s core, broken-hearted. Sad, long-faced and moody.
‘Sugar Maple Charcoal‘ is more hoppy. It is still as naively cute and as squeaky clean as Sunday school may-polers, and it has that trademark rubbery bass that doesn’t so much thump along – as stumble along. This is stripped-down pop and the clean lines and the clear vision are almost hypnotic.
Link:
http://www.facebook.com/thewavepictures
seas-of-green
ELFM Caravan of Love – Saturday
Seas of Green are a lo-fi Indie Pop four piece from Leeds.A young DIY musical collective formed in 2009 with the current incarnation of the band playing together since September 2011. Seas-Of-Green are positively genre schizophrenic, an ever changing, mutating, disbanding, reforming band who pride themselves on their pop hooks and being a little odd.
‘Bearpit‘ – This is joyously jangly. Percussion is flamboyant and driven. Waves of gorgeous paper-thin chords are strewn into the air. The voice is emotional and picturesque. The pace changes to a softer rhythm. Then tiny sparks of guitar create a party of fireflies – it is then that the foot-tapping chorus starts to really sink in. Invigorating and clever.
Link: http://www.facebook.com/seasofgreen
http://youtu.be/_otarAyXxgo
