Bestival 2015: The festival's must see acts

Summer is reaching it's demise, school, college or University beckon for many, and the greatest season of them all - Festival Season - is coming to an end.

But fortunately - for the lucky few who have decided to make the lengthy treck to the Isle of Wight - there is still one major festival left to enjoy.

So, if you are heading to Bestival 2015 this weekend, here are It's All Indie's Top 5 must see acts.

1. Sleaford Mods: The Big Top, Saturday, 9pm

Although the anti-establishment growl of their twitchy mouth-piece has, at times, racked-up more column-inches over the last year than their musical output, Nottingham-duo, Sleaford Mods are the most lyrically sincere and genuinely exciting bands to challenge Torrie-Britain and the status-quo since The Sex Pistols. 

Driven by angst, but backed by a juxtaposing minamilistic stage set-up of a mere laptop-come-beat-machine, accompanied by a beer-wielding counterpart, Sleaford Mods are a formidable festival force, who's live set is surprisingly, yet utterly entertaining - and every concoction of words that Jason Williamson spits at you, will be the truest you'll hear all weekend. 

And with fellow punk-duo/Radio 1 golden boys, Slaves, appearing on the same stage just prior to them, expect to be treated to a list of comedic expletives fired at their Big Top predecessors as soon as Williamson grabs the mic. 

2. Animal Noise: Caravanserai, Friday 12.40am 

They may have been in the game for a few years now, but Colchester's swampy-funk sweethearts, Animal Noise - in the wake of signing to Sony Europe and being playlisted on Radio 1 - are finally starting to reach out to the audiences and obtain the acclaim that their left-field acoustic-folk stomp warrants. They may be new to the prestigious festival circuit and many of the ears that will hear them this weekend, but the spark that they'll ignite amongst the abundance of arm-yielding festival-goers upon finding their scatty rhythm, will leave you declaring them your new favourite band. 

3. Charli XCX: Main Stage, Friday 6.15pm

Having somewhat lived in the shadows of the megastars that she's been writing hits for over the past couple of years, the past 12 months has finally seen Charli XCX blossom into the sultry and commanding popstar that her infectious song writing ability would have you suggest. And after a series of high-profile and critically acclaimed festival slots to her name already this year, expect her Bestival set to be the best possible way to wave goodbye to her and your festival season.

4. Tame Impala: The Big Top, Friday 11.30pm

Despite playing the festival's graveyard shift, Kevin Parker's acid-draped gang of psych-mind-manipulators will prove a hit with all those tripping at the sight of the bands kaleidoscope on-screen visuals - entirely soundtracked by the swirling, time-travelling phaser-draped perfection of their new album, 'Currents'. 

5. The Bohicas: Invaders of the Future, Saturday 11pm

With little in the way of gritty, straight-up guitar bands at this years Bestival, Domino's latest exports, The Bohicas will be looking to turn heads and capitalise on the indie-loving festival-goers, yearning for a piece of 2006. Who knows, it might just be their crowning moment - and it might just be the incarnation indie's next leather jacket-heroes. 

WORDS: GEORGE HENRY KING

Field Day to Glastonbury: The Female Resurgence

It’s only July, and it’s fair to say that this year has lived up to its predictive billing as the decade’s ‘Year of the Woman’. 2015 has seen solo veterans appearing once more, in the form of Patti Smith, PJ Harvey, Roisin Murphy and Bjork; as well as the revival of the riot grrrl movement due to the likes of Babes in Toyland and Sleater Kinney. On the wave of this exciting and varied time for female musicians, the real impact in 2015 was to be measured on the festival circuit. For the first time this decade, the UK festival schedule boasts an array of female headline slots including St. Vincent (at Green Man), Portishead (at Latitude), Belle & Sebastian (at Festival No. 6), and the recently triumphant Friday night Glastonbury set from Florence & The Machine. However, the real resurgence in female musicianship comes in the encouraging uprising of female acts which include Hinds, Girlpool, Tei Shi and Alvvays, to name but a few.

The increased wealth in female talent has been well broadcast so far at this year’s major festivals. Glastonbury and Field Day, two festivals to which I have followed and visited respectively, have showcased an abundance of female talent and have had extremely successful outings. This year’s East London mecca, Field Day Festival, displayed a much more acceptable margin of gender difference – some would say, a step in the right direction. Despite the male dominance at the top of the festival bill (with the likes of Caribou, Django Django, Run The Jewels, Chet Faker and Ride), the highlights of the weekend came from some major players in this female resurgence.

Savages' headline performance on the Shacklewell Arms stage on the Sunday summed up the varied timetable Field Day offers and to why the festival’s strike rate remains unrivalled. The all-female band’s disciplined attack of cult-ish punk noir included a healthy mix of old and new. Jehnny Beth fronted the show in increasing confidence, holding the crowded tent in the palm of her hands. Classics from debut ‘Silence Yourself’ maintained their giant, twisting, bolshy rock; while one-off release ‘Fuckers’ was dedicated to anyone who was unhappy with the Conservative general election win – showing that it isn’t just Kanye West who can bring controversy to a festival line-up. Patti Smith’s ‘Horses’ was a jumble of garage, reggae, and lyrical sensibility. Performing with heart, anguish and cynical humour, she shows that class has no expiry date. Moments included jubilant renditions of The Who’s ‘My Generation’ and ‘Because The Night’, as well as a touching reflection in ‘Elegie’ by dedicating it to lost loved ones everywhere (specifically with her own references to Jimi Hendrix, Fred Sonic Smith and Lou Reed).

Saturday acmes came in abundance, but more surprisingly in the early afternoon. Between overhearing murmurs such as “I think my drugs are wearing off” (at 2pm) and “I want to get a Shoreditch House membership – just for the pic’n’mix”, Jagaara played one of the best sets of the entire weekend. With a laid back attitude, and ever increasing following, the three music obsessed sisters (Cat, Jane and Ruth) effortlessly laid down an atmospheric and almost cinematic sound. By drawing influence from folk music, as well as electronica and rock, they are certainly a strong part of the uprising not just in female acts, but in re-establishing musical genres.

Jagaara played:

Heartbeats

Feel It

Better

Faultline

In The Dark

Marble Arch

On the same stage, the visibly humbled Tei Shi performed to a packed-out tent. Dancing around the stage, flying between the centre-stage mic and sampler padded desk, she flawlessly translated her complex sound to her live show. Closer ‘Basically’ boasted mounting high notes and pop dynamics – and eventually had to come to an end despite herself and the whole of Field Day not wanting her to leave the stage. A more brief dissection of Field Day included huge performances from Ex Hex, Shura, TĀLĀ, Sylvan Esso and Tune Yards.

For the past year, FKA Twigs has led the resurgence in female spectacle with her perfectly refined live show. Her live show is now at the point where she is able to put on one-off spectacles more than once (I know that’s not possible, but you know what I mean). In contrast to the above mentioned bands, FKA Twigs strongly emphasises performance over music. Despite the risk in festival performances, where not everything is within your control, she delivered some shocking and powerful performances at Field Day and Glastonbury. The imagery and enactment of her debut ‘LP1’ was deviously mysterious, profoundly meticulous and thankfully lived up to the big billing. Despite her sound’s obvious complexity, it is restrained and performed in a minimalistic and dark manner. Backing this up with some sweet, synth-tinged beats and vogue-nodding elegance, many would have been kept up in late night chat. ‘Two Weeks’ remains a powerhouse, and sends quakes to the system (one friend told me it “melted his brain and turned him into an ice cream”).

The resurgence in female ‘power’ was solidified at Glastonbury; firstly in the backing of Florence & The Machine to headline the Pyramid Stage, and secondly in the maturation and national success of Wolf Alice.

After Foo Fighterspulled out following Dave Grohl’s injury, heads turned to Florence Welch to see if she could step up to the top spot. Dishing out an eclectic mix of old, new and a cover of ‘Times Like These’, Florence repeatedly won the crowd’s affection and attention. The band’s performance showed that they could have been on the top spot all along. On top of the obvious effort and celebratory joy shown by Ms Welch, it helps that the band have a healthy store of undeniably great songs. Ranging from old classics such as ‘Drumming Song’ to new anthems such as ‘How Big How Blue How Beautiful’, the infectious enthusiasm ended one of the best days in the festival’s history.

It’s been a hell of a year so far for the North London four piece Wolf Alice. Fresh after kicking off Glastonbury with a secret set on Thursday at the William’s Green tent, they followed this up with arguably one the best shows of the weekend on the Park Stage on Friday (note: voted the 4^th best set of the weekend by NME readers). In the same week that their debut ‘My Love Is Cool’ initially hit number 2 in the charts (pipped by Florence), the band rocked Worthy Farm and won over an ever-increasingly busy, and rain-soaked audience. Full of energy and ferocity, the band managed to make every moment feel inclusive and resonant; an example came in the run through of new era classic ‘Fluffy’. Ellie, Joff, Theo and Joel were able to pull off the most intimate of moments in a rain drenched Somerset field by curating a nostalgic rendition of revisited new single ‘Bros’; while also providing laughter during ‘The Wonderwhy’, where singer Rowsell’s mic stand collapsed and she battled on the floor to continue to deliver the song - aptly, the line she was trying to voice was “don’t leave me here”. It is clear to us all that the band will continue to rise up the ranks and find themselves at the top of the bill in years to come.

Other explorative and memorable performances at Glastonbury came from the increasingly bizarre Charli XCX, the raw Courtney Barnett, the sublime Sharon Von Etten, and the perfect Jessie Ware. Domination continued with Hinds, Lianne La Havas, Kate Tempestand a masterclass from Mary J Blige.

Having seen the international appraise that Glastonbury and Field Day (and most likely Bestival) have received for their balance in gender, it is still shocking to see the Reading & Leeds festival line-up. The huge gender imbalance has been broadcast across the globe in the form of an edited line-up poster, which upon inspection boasts a grand total of nine acts over the weekend (now boosted by the inclusion of Charli XCX and Ms Dynamite) which have a female member – and only one act on the main stage (this being Marmozets).  (See poster below)

Thanks to @crackintheroad

The whole debacle, in my opinion, is summed up perfectly by Siobhan Smith in her Overblown article:

“It’s not about tokenization, or female members being booked above their male counterparts in a positively discriminating way, it’s about recognising that great female musicians there are out there and addressing a disparity so glaring that it should be completely unacceptable. The first step is to start questioning it. It’s about being aware the problem exists. The music industry, including festival bookers, has to shoulder some of the responsibility.”

While, last year Blood Red Shoes’ Laura May Carter, in an interview for NME, explored the issue in saying:

“This isn’t just a problem with festivals not booking enough women. We need to look at the way society as a whole looks at female artists. If the audience still see women in rock bands as something of an oddity, that’s where the real problem lies.”

Long live the resurgence.

[GLASTONBURY]
[FIELD DAY] - Early bird tickets already on sale!

Written by Richard Maver
@richmaver

6 Ghastly Glastonbury Clashes to Avoid

It's the inevitable nightmare of Glastonbury every year. You can double-check your clash finder as many times as you wish, triple-check the official Glastonbury app, but there's just no way of avoiding the gargantuan of clashes.

The saying "Well I could watch them and then catch the end of those?" will not do. Glastonbury is huge and with 170,000 people walking in every direction, you're stuck in the mud. So we've compiled a list of the worst clashes over the weekend and tips on how best to avoid them.

Friday

Jungle 4:30pm, Other Stage 
Wolf Alice 5pm, The Park Stage
Peace 5pm, John Peel Stage

No, what did we say? You can't catch the start of Jungle and then get to the others in enough time! Jungle drew one of the biggest crowds last year at the John Peel Stage, and could throw an even bigger show this year. Wolf Alice and Peace are chummy so may be quietly competing on winning the crowds over.

Our tip: Wolf Alice. This band are about to get huge and their debut album is just about to drop. You can always catch Peace at the Rabbit Hole the same night at 8:30pm.


Florence And The Machine 9.30 (ish), Pyramid Stage
Mark Ronson 9pm, Other Stage
Jamie XX 9.30pm, The Park Stage
Hot Chip 10.15pm, West Holts

If three acts clashing wasn't bad enough, try four. This raises a few eyebrows and a few utterances of "who the fuck booked these time slots!?" but that's the brilliant variety of Glastonbury. Florence has been bumped up the order and there's only one way to find out if she's headliner material... Elsewhere Mark Ronson, Jamie XX and Hot Chip are all bound to bring party vibes, with Hot Chip going on into the night.

Our tip: It's got to be Florence. It's going to be a landmark performance and could go down in Glastonbury history for better or worse. The rest you'll be able to catch at other festivals, and with Jamie XX on the up, expect many more chances to see him.

Saturday

Slaves 2pm, John Peel Stage

Everything Everything 2.30pm, William's Green

The John Peel Stage is infamous for blowing up acts. Last year Royal Blood, George Ezra and Jungle all propelled their career from there. Slaves could just about do the same this year. Everything Everything on the other hand are about to release their third album. It's big, big enough to fill William's Green that's for sure.

Our tip: Take your pick! Both bands are playing two sets each so you can catch Slaves the same night at the Hell Stage or Everything Everything on the Other Stage on Friday.

Pharrell Williams 8pm, Pyramid Stage

Ben Howard 8.40pm, Other Stage

Pharrell Williams will be hoping to keep the sunshine out for his Saturday evening performance and it's a rare chance you'll get to see one of the biggest names around right now. If you fancy something more unexpected though, go for Ben Howard.

Our tip: Ben Howard. He's become a masterfully moody musician who has the ability to switch at any time. Hopefully his performance will live up to Glastonbury folklore rather than turning his back on thousands and telling them to 'f off'.

Sunday

Alt-J 5.45pm, Pyramid Stage
Charli XCX 5.50pm, John Peel Stage

Two opposite ends of the spectrum here, but each are bound to put on two of the best shows of the festival. Charli XCX has proved she's a worthy pop star with rock star attitude, whereas Alt-J have just kept being themselves and put on one of the tightest live shows around.

Our tip: Alt-J. It's always good for bands to put on a decent show but Alt-J take it to new levels. Their show is crisper than their records and more gooey than the mud beneath your feet. How? You'll have to go and see for yourself.


The Who 9.45pm, Pyramid Stage
The Chemical Brothers 9.45pm, The Chemical Brothers
Mini Mansions 10pm, Rabbit Hole

No one saw this one coming. The Who headline Glastonbury on the 50th year of their career. It's huge for them, but for the majority of the audience? We're not convinced. The Chemical Brothers will look to put on the final party of the weekend whereas Mini Mansions will burrow themselves in the Rabbit Hole. Could they be accompanied by a certain Alex Turner? It could happen.

Our tip: It's the last night so choose wisely. Mini Mansions towing in Alex Turner could be a long shot and The Who are your dad's favourite band not yours right? Go for The Chemical Brothers. Past and present work point all indicators towards them to seal the deal on the Sunday night.

Aside from the clashes though, there's tonnes of other acts to go and watch. Make sure you do download the official Glastonbury EE app. It'll come in handy when your up to your eyeballs in times, stages and obscure band names.

(@JJShreeve)

Here's the Lorde-curated The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 OST

It's quite an amazing thing! There is a massive amount of talented musicians here, with brand new music from Chvrches, Lorde, Charli XCX, Haim and long time favourites of mine The Chemical Brothers.

Scroll on down to check out the track-listing and some tracks lifted from it too!

1. Stromae - Meltdown (feat. Lorde, Pusha T, Q-Tip, Haim)
2. Chvrches - Dead Air
3. Tove Lo - Scream My Name
4. Charli XCX - Kingdom (feat. Simon le Bon)
5. Various Artists - Track 5
6. Raury - Lost Souls
7. Lorde - Yellow Flicker Beat
8. Tinashé - The Leap
9. Bat For Lashes - Plan the Escape
10. Grace Jones - Original Beast
11. Lorde - Flicker (Kanye West Rework)
12. XOV - Animal
13. The Chemical Brothers - This Is Not a Game (feat. Miguel)
14. Lorde - Ladder Song