The Musicmetric guide to The Great Escape

nick — Thu, 13 May 2010 15:43:52 +0000

Another festival. Another Top 10.

After the success of our SXSW chart we decided to do one for Europe’s answer to SXSW – The Great Escape.

This festival has around 300 acts and as you can see our Top 10 throws up an eclectic melting pot of artists. That’s because it’s made by clever little server robots who track the online buzz and fan activity of the artists.

So, if you’re going to The Great Escape – make sure you check out some of these bands. We definitely will be…

#1 Sarah Blasko

Like your music, magical, timeless and ethereal? Then this Australia born singer song-writer could well be your new favourite artist.


							The critics’ have been drooling over her but don’t let that put you off. Her new album As Day Follows Night has the potential to inject some much needed life into your dinner party playlist. Currently supporting fellow Aussies The Temper Trap on their European tour, she’ll be hoping some of their success will rub off on her.

Sounds like: Indie dinner party music.
File between: Norah Jones and Martha Wainwright

#2 Tunng

At number 2 in our chart these guys are proving that 2010 is the year of “experimental future folk”. Or something like that…

							This duo decided to scrap their lucrative career writing soft-core porn soundtracks and formed Tunng. Live they expand to a six-piece to included programming, percussion and turntables alongside their more familiar guitar and vocal elements. Their name maybe hard to pronounce but their music is even harder to categorise…

Sounds like: Folk. (with a touch of glitchy experimental electronica)
File between: Caribou and Mumford & Sons

#3 Band of Skulls

Foot stomping rock ‘n’ roll. That’s what they do, and heck they do it well.

							These guys came to the fore after appearing on the soundtrack to some film about a bunch of vampires? Apparently it was quite popular. Originally from sunny Southampton, they spent the majority of last year touring the U.S, they’re now set to tour the UK, Europe and Australia world domination beckons.

Sounds like: Straightforward, four to the floor rock ‘n’ roll baby!
File between: Rock and Roll

#4 Best Coast

Ever wondered what the Beach Boys would sound like if they were a lo-fi band fronted by a women? Well wonder no more my friends.

							While at college in New York Bethany Cosentino longed for the sunnier climes of L.A. So naturally the first thing she did when she got back to California was form a band and write about how much she loved L.A. She also used to be in Pocahaunted a band that described themselves as “The Olsen Twins of blessed-out drone.” Riiiight…

Sounds like: Lo-fi sunshine pop.
File between: The Beach Boys and Early Strokes.

#5 Darwin Deez

Someone, somewhere dubbed this guy the Michael Jackson of indie rock. Well I suppose he dances, sings and plays indie rock.

							Apparently as well as being the indie Michael Jackson, Darwin is a follower of the spiritualist Meher Baba… whose mantra was “Don’t Worry Be Happy”. Go see Double D and his band live and set the hippy in you free. Just don’t try and copy the synchronised dancing. It’s not big and it’s not clever.

Sounds like: Really indie rock…
File next to: Michael Jackson and Julian Casablancas

#6 Revolver

Their music is described as “Pop de Chambre”… which is basically French for Pop music with a cello.

							Formed in 2006 they were originally a three piece consisting of two guitars and a cello, they have now expanded to a four piece to include a drummer. Their latest LP Music for a While has seen them move towards a more traditional rock sound, but worry not “Pop de Chambre” fans they still have their cello.

Sounds like: “Pop de Chambre” obviously…
File Between: Vivaldi and The Beatles

#7 Naive New Beaters

If you prefer your French music with less cello and more rap then you’re in luck. Hell, they even throw in a sprinkling of electro for good measure.

							They first appeared on the radar, if you will, in 2007 after their video for single BANG BANG became a YouTube hit. Then they disappeared… sort of. Now they’re back with a new EP Live Good and a European tour, proving that YouTube fame is no substitute for good old fashioned hard work.

Sounds like: Electro rap-rock
File inbetween: The Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Klaxons

#8 Broken Social Scene

More a collective than a band, on any given night these guys could turn up with anywhere between six to nineteen members.

							If you’ve been anywhere near Hype Machine in the last 6 months you will have heard about this collective. Their latest album Forgiveness Rock Record has been a smash on the blogosphere, and if the blogosphere like it then it stands to reason that we should to. I’d go and see them just to witness nineteen people on one stage…

Sounds like: Baroque Pop…apparently
File Between: Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear

#9 General Fiasco

These guys were nearly called General Music and flirted with the name Marley Jedrejak Fiasco. Thankfully sense prevailed and they combined the two.

							They’re from Northern Ireland you know, from Magherafelt to be precise, try saying that six times fast. Their music is probably classified as “indie” and they have toured with such behemoths of the genre such as The Wombats, The Pigeon Detectives and The Enemy. Plus they were formed by brothers… well it worked for Kings of Leon.

Sounds like: Indie innit.
File between: The Wombats and The Enemy

#10 Blood Red Shoes

Steven Ansell and Laura-Mary Carter are like a younger and more attractive version of Meg and Jack White. And no they are not “an item”…

							They consider themselves to be a punk band in attitude and ethos, although their music may not be immediately classified as punk. Apparently their name is a reference to Ginger Rogers who allegedly had to redo a tap dance scene so many times that her white dancing shoes ended up with blood on them. Niiiiice…

Sounds like: Two person punk.
File next to: Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The White Stripes.

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