By 
Tom Vek
We are the happiest festival on earth right now to be able to bring you the man who has been missing from the musical jigsaw for the past 6 years. He’s recently released his second album and thank god its jaw droopingly amazing. Tom will be closing Beacons on sunday night on the Stool Pigeon stage after The Twilight Sad. As if the festival want brilliant enough eh?
Willy Mason
Willy Mason has become rather mysterious of late. After quietly stunning the UK scene with ‘Oxygen’ he managed to create an underrated masterpiece with’s ‘If The Ocean Gets Rough’. Blending old country with smooth emotional melodies each song is as sweet as the last. He was first discovered on Martha’s Vineyard radio by Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst and has since spent his time supporting the likes of Radiohead and Death Cab For Cutie. Now working on new material he brings his country twang with the modern twist to the Yorkshire Dales.
The Twilight Sad
Because The Twilight Sad have such a reputation for being one of the world’s loudest live bands, it’s sometimes easy to forget that they’re also one of the best. Fronted by James Graham’s thick Scottish accent, The Twilight Sad cascade torrents of abrasive post-rock and shoegaze texture over the top of more conventionally rustic instrumentation. More recently exploring the territories of prog and krautrock, The Twilight Sad are a band that are constantly expanding and broadening their sonic palette. But there’s one thing which doesn’t change about The Twilight Sad: their ability to deliver a blisteringly intense live performance.
The Cave Singers
The Cave Singers spend a good deal of time beyond the darkened edges of Seattle, in the midst of mystic, among the wolves and redwoods. And their songs, at least on record, have always been like beautiful, faded greyscale photos of this hinterland. Now, these photos are injected with hot blood and technicolour, a ferocity and bite we’ve yet to see from the band.
Polar Bear With Jyager
Gaining critical acclaim after a Mercury nomination in 2005, Polar Bear have won over sceptics with their unusual jazz flare. With chugging drums, firey saxophone solos and a blend of smooth rhythms, Polar Bear bring their improvisation into a live environment. The release of their new album, Peepers, adds a new upbeat dimension to the group who were only previously known in core jazz circles. For this performance they will also be joined by MC Jyager, offering a unique mix of hip hop and contemporary jazz.
Emmy The Great
If you’ve never seen Emmy The Great live, just make sure you set your phone to silent before entering the tent. As soon as Emma-Lee Moss opens her mouth, acoustic guitar in tow the audience falls silent gripped by her enchanted storytelling. With whimsical lyrics and a cute smile to match Emmy is a ray of sunshine.
Anika
Self-titled debut, Anika, produced by Geoff Barrow of Portishead. Out on Stones Throw Records Political Journalist isn’t a credential we usually have in musician’s bios, but this is exactly what Anika was doing while living between Berlin and Bristol earlier this year when she met Geoff Barrow. The producer was looking for a new singer to work with his band Beak>, and it was immediately clear they shared the same musical vision, including a love of punk, dub and 60s girl groups. Just a week later Anika and Beak> (Barrow, Billy Fuller and Matt Williams) went into the studio to begin recording material. The resulting album was recorded in twelve days, live, with the four together in one room. Dub with no overdubs. The collaboration is political, trashy, dub, punk, funk … a cohesive sound, and and experience in uneasy listening. In the tradition of short-lived but deeply influential 99 Records and the NYC’s 80s No Wave nexus, the nine songs on Anika run the gamut from experimental rock (Yang Yang, Officer Officer) to covers of folk (Masters of War) and pop songs (Terry, I Go to Sleep), while showcasing reverb-drenched ancient drum machine rhythms.
Demdike Stare
Linked to Andy Votel’s Twisted Nerve label, Demdike Stare are a Manchester based duo with an absorbing talent. Generating a cult following for their live audio-visual performances their sample led tracks blend the line between, DJ, artist and producer.
Tom Williams And The Boat
For those of you who think that the nu-folk brigade is descending way too far into the realms of the twee and the vapid, Tom Williams and the Boat inject a much needed dose of swagger and snarl into the genre. Sure, the jaunty harmonicas, the weeping strings and the rustic feel are all present and correct, but a more aggressive low-end, and a gravelly vocal delivery from Williams give the band a dynamic edge which a lot of their contemporaries lack. Combining a storytelling lyricism with swelling and menacing instrumentation, Tom Williams and the Boat’s debut album is a must-hear for.
Andy Votel
You may not have heard of Andy Votel, but he’s been secretly operating the best in underground music for years. As part of a collective along with Belle and Sebastian and organising events alongside Jarvis Cocker, Votel is a DJ and producer in his own right, creating Twisted Nerve records, home to Badly Drawn Boy, Cherrystones and many others.
Benjamin Francis Leftwick
As the sweet tones of Benjamin Francis Leftwick rolls over you, it’s impossible not to find yourself transported into a dreamlike world. With intricate acoustic rhythms, rough vocals and a sense of relaxation, Leftwich is an opportunity to pause and soak up your surroundings. And in the Yorkshire Dales that’s a pretty wonderful thing. Having just released his debut EP Benjamin supported Noah and the Whale on their national UK. Now turning the attention to himself this is definitely an artist to watch. Catch him at Beacons and you won’t only be overwhelmed, you’ll be proud to see him before anyone else.
The Liftmen
Formed in Bristol nearly ten years ago, The Liftmen turn the simplicity of the drums-guitar-bass set up to the advantage of their meandering grooves. Male and female vocals hamonise languidly across smoky grooves, giving their music a laid back, jammed feel. But don’t let the apparent effortlessness fool you: this is a band firmly in control of their sound. Assured guitar work smoothly bends the music from bluesy riffs to frantic chord hammering, whilst Rasha Shaheen’s pretty vocal lines engage the ear in different ways.
Serious Sam Barrett
Serious Sam Barrett’s name offers little in terms of light entertainment. But with his smooth acoustic melodies, caked with a rough, country edge, you can’t judge by a name. As one of the local acts, Barrett is the ying to Mr Scruff’s yang, the closest to easy listening at the festival. A unique talent to be cherished.
Runners
RUNNERS play drums, Pure-Tone Analog Frequency, digital keys and other electronic devices. RUNNERS is a filtered-funnel with the scope of a galaxy and the focus of a molecule to produce a natural chemical compound stimulant; an oscillating time-line of event horizons teasing honeysweet blossom from the dark crevaces in the interface of society and space. RUNNERS has respect for, though does not strictly adhere to, the philosophies of ‘four to the floor‘ and ‘geometric order ruling the chaotic universe‘. In January 2011, someone found their way to our blog having searched the internet for the phrase ‘simple progressive rhythm in art‘, which seems a little odd as those words didn’t exist here at the time, though it could potentially be regarded as an accurate literary representation of our sounds. This is the internet home of our musics, adventures and excited wafflings about other musics getting stuck inside our ears. Welcome.
Napoleon IIIrd
Leeds’ own Napoleon IIIrd used to be a twee pop sensation slowly bubbling away in a self made studio. Now James Mabbett has retreated and emerged with a low-fi burning synths and layer after layer of Animal Collective inspired vocals. But his pop background still shines through with each track bubbling away into a splurge of instruments and crisp beats. Having released his second album, Christina last year, it’s a chance to see the one-man-band find his true calling.
The Horn The Hunt
The Horn The Hunt are a pop duo from Leeds. With an aim to sex up lo-fi indie rock, with loop samples and wailing synths to create a pop mess. It’s insanely addictive and it’s lo-fi you can dance to- who would have thought it?
Nope
Nope is comprised of a rolling cast of musicians based in Leeds and Bradford, usually featuring members of such great bands as That Fucking Tank. Mucky Sailor, Cowtown and Monty Casino. But whatever the line up, Nope always create stunning, elongated jams of Kraut flavoured psychedelic grooves. Using repetition to hypnotise rather than alienate, Nope create hazy textures of murky guitars and powerful beats which slowly unfurl over ten minute periods – transporting their audiences through their transcendental force.
Picture House
Harry Benson began DJing when he was 18, promoting nights with a friend back in the leafy county of Hertfordshire, after discovering Leeds’ club nightlife and a chance encounter watching Moodymann in Berlin, he started a new musical project called Picture House, focusing on disco and deep house, with the key element for the music being soul. Buying up vinyl like there’s no tomorrow (which there may not be for vinyl) he began to dig through and play forgotten gems, re-editing and sampling. A remix for Crystal Fighters soon followed, and through the past 12 months he has gone strength to strength playing throughout the UK, with his first 12 under the Picture House moniker due in the summer and remixes for a variety of acts soon after.
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