Festival guide Eurosonic Noorderslag 2013 by Margreet Kievit

9 10 11 12 JANUARY 2013

GRONINGEN, THE NETHERLANDS

FESTIVAL guIdE 1

Welcome About Eurosonic Noorderslag Practical Maps

COLOPHON This festival guide was created by Stichting Noorderslag Translation: Gary Smith Graphic design: Rocket Industries Rights to alterations reserved. Photos: Rene Keizer, Ben Houdijk, Mike Breeuwer, Patrick Visser, Aico lindeman, Joost Nuijten Eurosonic Noorderslag is organized by Stichting Noorderslag. The Eurosonic Noorderslag Conference is organized by Buma Cultuur in association with Stichting Noorderslag. We owe great thanks to the De Oosterpoort for their hospitality and support, and Eurosonic Noorderslag would not be possible without the dedicated efforts of all our music loving employees and freelancers. Special thanks also go out to the wise men on the Advisory Board.

Management: Dago Houben: managing director, Peter Smidt: creative director, Peter Sikkema: manager festivals, Hans Jansen: head of production, Marije Jansen marketing manager, Janke Brands: policy officer, business manager ETEP

BOARD AND MANAGEMENT EuROSONIC NOORDERSLAG: Supervisory Board: Pierre Ballings (chair), Michiel Buitelaar, Henk Pijlman, Stef Oosterloo

W t N

Index

3 4 6 8

Side programme Eurosonic Noorderslag in the media Artist bioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Partners

10 12 16 60

Welcome to Eurosonic Noorderslag Welcome to Eurosonic Noorderslag and a warm welcome to the city with the most live music venues per square metre in Europe, groningen! Our aim is to help to increase and improve the circulation of European music within Europe and to try to bring the best and most interesting upcoming European and dutch acts to groningen to be seen and heard by local audiences, alongside over 3,000 music industry professionals, and hundreds of media representatives. 3FM will be broadcasting live every night from Groningen as will Le Mouv, Pure FM, the BBC and P3 Finland. Later on 25 other broadcasters in Europe will broadcast material from Eurosonic Noorderslag. Dutch program 3voor12 will also cover many of the shows as well as items from the daytime conference, all live and diect at 3voor12.nl. Alongside that, Rockpalast will be broadcasting in Germany, and on January 19th, Ned 3 will broadcast the whole of the European Border Breakers Awards show recorded on Wednesday, January 9th. Eurosonic Noorderslag is about discovering new talent, but this year we’ll also be presenting some well-established and

interesting Dutch artists at Eurosonic Air. We’ve also continued investing in the festival centre at the Ebbingekwartier. By adding a small second stage – also accessible for free – and with better-equipped festival grounds, we hope to create more of a meeting place from where you can head to the many music venues. Finally we should remind you that we’re once again using the digital wristbands that were introduced for the first time last year. They helps us enormously in terms of collecting insight into how people move around the festival, and will enable us to reduce queueing times in the future.

We wish you a fantastic Eurosonic Noorderslag 2013. Dago Houben, managing director Peter Smidt, creative director Peter Sikkema, festival manager 3

Eurosonic Noorderslag is the springboard for European musical talent...

Eurosonic Noorderslag Since its inception, Eurosonic Noorderslag has been the festival that kicks off the musical year with around three hundred bands from thirty countries taking over groningen, fervently hoping to impress both audience and music professionals. This 27 year-old festival gives you the opportunity to see the European stars of tomorrow performing in intimate venues across groningen, alongside a selection of the best and most adventurous established dutch bands on one dedicated evening in the de Oosterpoort. And it seems that everyone wants to be part of this celebration of musical talent, because just like last year the festival sold out in record time.

But Eurosonic Noorderslag is not just a festival of live performances. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where the EBBA Awards are handed out, to name just one amongst several award ceremonies, and there are three-days of daytime music conferences in the De Oosterpoort featuring lectures, debates and discussions about the most pressing topics of the European live scene. Eurosonic Noorderslag is also part of the European Talent Exchange Program (ETEP), which means that there are representatives of four hundred European festivals looking for bands to fill their programs. On top of that, every aspect of the event is covered live by several European media outlets.

The focus of Eurosonic Noorderslag 2013 is Finland, a country that is home to so many brilliant acts including Disco Ensemble, Astrid Swan, LCMDF, French Films, Reckless Love, and Mirel Wagner and name just a few. There are, we believe, plenty of very good reasons to focus on the robustly healthy Finnish music scene during Eurosonic Noorderslag 2013.

Where the talent ends up after leaping off the springboard we provide depends on which opportunities the band is offered, but this festival undoubtedly provides a number of options. For our audiences, to be able to witness that leap as it happens is exactly what makes Eurosonic Noorderslag such a special and popular event.

Eurosonic Noorderslag is the springboard for European musical talent. It is said that talent will always prevail, but in order for it to do so it first needs to find an audience, and that is exactly what Eurosonic Noorderslag provides. 5

Practical guide getting started

getting around

Collecting your wristband Anyone with a ticket for Eurosonic on Wednesday, a passepartout or a ticket for Eurosonic on Thursday and Friday needs to exchange their ticket for a wristband in order to gain access to the venue. This can be done at the box office on the Ebbingekwartier, which is open from Wednesday thru Friday, from 15.00 to 00.00 hrs. If you have a Noorderslag ticket, you won’t have to exchange it for a wristband, simply take it to the De Oosterpoort where it will be checked at the door.

Taxi direct: +31 (0)50 - 577 77 03 Taxi Noord: +31 (0)50 - 5494940 Taxi VTg: +31 (0)50 - 535 00 88

Checking in and out Eurosonic Noorderslag festival wristbands will again include an RFID chip this year. This chip ensures that each wristband is valid, helps to cut down on queues to get into venues, and at future editions of the festival it will also allow a range of interactive possibilities. The wristbands can be collected from the box office as usual, and to use them, ticket holders will need to scan in and out of each venue. Please do not forget to scan out as you leave a venue, or you won’t be able to scan in at the next one. No personal information is held on the wristband, but it will allow us to make many improvements to the festival. Staff at venues will be able to assist you with any questions, and scanning in and out of each venue is a very simple process. Venue Capacity Eurosonic Noorderslag is a showcase festival where acts from all over Europe present themseves to the approx 3,000 professionals. Since those professionals might take a career to the next level, they have a separate, rapid entrance to the venues, but all venues have limited capacity, so please be on time in order not to miss the acts of your choice. Once maximum capacity has been reached, visitors will be let in on a ‘one out – one in’ basis. Please note: you are not allowed to bring cameras, recording equipment, alcohol, drugs, cans or plastic bottles into the venues.

getting served Eurosonic Menu Several restaurants are serving a special Eurosonic menu on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. If you make a reservation or go to the restaurant before 18.30 hrs you’ll be sure to be back at the festival from 20.00 hrs. A list of participating restaurants can be found on the map in this guide. We would advise you to always make a reservation so you won’t miss any acts.

getting dressed Merchandising Interested in official Eurosonic Noorderslag merchandise, including cool shirts, (woolen) hats, hoodies and other tasteful, warm festival clothes? Look out for the festival shop of THANX merchandising at the Ebbingekwartier and the De Oosterpoort.

getting informed

getting interactive

Mobile app use your mobile phone as a guide to Eurosonic Noorderslag. Together with mobile app creator Mobile Roadie we have developed a navigation app for iPhone and Android which contains the Eurosonic Noorderslag programme by date and location. It also displays background information on artists/speakers, up-to-date festival information, the latest news and useful tips. The app can be downloaded through the App Store and Android Market or you can also use this QR code:

Social media Share with us and others what you’re up to at Eurosonic Noorderslag through Twitter and Facebook. use the hashtags #esns13 and #ebba13. Your tweets, messages and pictures will appear on the digital screens and our websites www. eurosonic-noorderslag.nl and www.ebba-awards.eu.

Win 5 years access to Eurosonic Noorderslag Step 1: Buy an official Eurosonic Noorderslag t-shirt at THANX merchandise

Step 2: Get yourself photographed at one of the European music festivals that are part of the European Talent Exchange Program (ETEP). The further away the better and the photo must show the festival you’re at.

Step 3: Send the best photo together with your name and email address to info@noorderslag.nl , stating ‘Greetings from Europe’, before 1 October 2013

Step 4: Keep and eye your inbox around 1 November 2013, you may have won 5 years access to Eurosonic Noorderslag. Don’t forget to get the update just before Eurosonic Noorderslag.

A list of all ETEP festivals (such as Sziget, Exit, Glastonbury, Lowlands) can be found on www.etep.nl

M 11

SIMPLON

BOX OFFICE

PLATFORM THEATER

CATHEDRAL ENERGY STAGE

MACHINEFABRIEK

6 1

KRUITHUIS STADSSCHOUWBURG PLATO COFFEE COMPANY

2 SUBSONIC

12 DER AA KERK

EUROSONIC AIR

TE GRORKT MA

MUZIEK SCHOOL VINDICAT GRAND THEATRE

NEWSCAFE

15 CAFE HUIZE MAAS KOSTER DE BEURS WALRUS

13 16

DE SPIEGHEL SHADRAK

VERA

USVA MINERVA ART ACADEMY

BUCKSHOT 4 CAFÉ GRONINGER MUSEUM

DE OOSTERPOOR

FORUM IMAGES

Ebbingekwartier Centrum Kunstkwartier

Map groningen Eurosonic Restaurants 1

5 6

Het Heerenhuis Spilsluizen 9 Good food, nice price in a musical atmosphere 0031 (0)50 312 04 38 www.hetheerenhuis.com ‘t Feithhuis Martinikerkhof 10 City café. Dish of the day e12,50 incl drink. 0031 (0)50 313 5335 www.feithhuis.nl Cantina Mexicana Vismarkt 50 Original Mexican Food 0031 (0)50 312 0131 www.cantina-mexicana.nl grand Café groningen Gedempte Zuiderdiep 56 International menu with local products 0031 (0)50 364 0081 www.grandcafegroningen.nl News Café Waagplein 5 International 0031 (0)50 311 1844 www.newscafe.nl House Of Spice Turfsingel 18-20 Mediterranean food with a local touch 0031 (0)50 311 1726 www.houseofspice.nl

de Sleutel Noorderhaven 72 From Dutch stamp till prawncurry 0031 (0)50 318 1454 www.cafedesleutel.nl 8 Bla Bla Nieuwe Boteringestraat 9 Vegetarian 0031 (0)50 313 20 88 www.bla-bla.nl 9 de Biechtstoel Damsterdiep 22-24 French - delicious meals with the Saints 0031 (0)50 313 82 46 www.debiechtstoel.com 10 Brussels Lof Akerkstraat 24 Fish and vegetarian 0031 (0)50 312 76 03 www.brusselslof.com 11 Voilà W.A. Scholtenstraat 39a French Table d’hotes 0031 (0)50 280 11 08 www.restaurantvoila.nl 12 Café Soestdijk Grote Kromme Elleboog 6 A Royal bar for a perfect steak, fries & salad 0031 (0)50 314 50 50 www.cafesoestdijk.nl

Eurosonic venues Buckshot Café Zuiderdiep 58

E OOSTERPOORT Café Koster Hoogstraatje 7-9 Cathedral Tent Ebbingekwartier

rtier

13 Het Pakhuis Peperstraat 8-2 International 0031 (0)50 311 02 19 www.hetpakhuisgroningen.nl 14 Tekinev Gelkingestraat 24 Fine Turkish Cuisine 0031 (0)50 311 1230 www.tekinev.nl 15 Tapasco Haddingedwarsstraat 3 Tapas until late 0031 (0)50 311 13 00 www.tapasco.nl 16 Bij Jansen Hoogstraatje 3-5 Traditional, Pure and Local Products 0031 (0)50 311 05 20 www.bij-jansen.nl 17 Spices Westersingel 23 Indian 0031 (0)50 360 0078 www.spicesgroningen.nl 18 Opera Poelestraat 17 City café with restaurant worthy food 0031 (0)50 313 1181 www.deopera.net

Platform Theater Boterdiep 46-48 Plato groningen Oude Ebbingestraat 41-43

Shadrak Peperstraat 19

de Oosterpoort Trompsingel 27

Simplon Boterdiep 69

de Spieghel Peperstraat 11

Stadsschouwburg Turfsingel 86

de Walrus Pelsterstraat 25

Stadsschouwburg, Kruithuis Turfsingel 86

Eurosonic Air (grote Markt) Grote markt

Stedelijke Muziekschool St. Jansstraat 7-9

Forum Images Hereplein 73

Subsonic Grote Markt 21A

grand Theatre Grote Markt 35

The Coffee Company Oude Ebbingestraat 39 •

groninger Museum

uSVA Munnekeholm 10

Huize Maas Vismarkt 52

Vera Oosterstraat 44

Machinefabriek Bloemstraat 38

Vindicat Grote Markt 27

Minerva Art Academy Zuiderdiep 179

With Tsjalling galerie Oosterstraat 26

Newscafé Waagplein 5 9

Side programme The Independent Label Market Eurosonic Noorderslag’s Independent Label Market takes place at the Ebbingekwartier in Groningen on Saturday, January, 12th where independent labels get to present themselves and sell their goods directly to the public from 11.00 to 16.00 hrs. Admission to the market is free. According to the organizer, the Label Market is ‘a celebration of independent pop culture.’ “We want to show all the special releases that are being made these days. CDs of course, but first and foremost a lot of beautiful vinyl, special releases, books, posters, and a host of other exclusive products will be on display. You should see it as a mix between a record fair, an exhibition, and a farmer’s market.” The Label Market also features DJ sets and acoustic performances.

Finnish music and film

Museum

Each year, Eurosonic Noorderslag highlights one European country with a flourishing musical scene, and at this 27th edition of Eurosonic Noorderslag, we are spotlighting music from Finland.

Groninger Museum Museumeiland 1, Groningen Open: 10.00-17.00 hrs

The focus on Finland is organized by Music Finland (Music Export Finland and Finnish Music Information Centre Fimic) in co-operation with YleX, the Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux, the Embassy of Finland in The Netherlands and Eurosonic Noorderslag.

The Punk Syndrome. This film is about the band Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät, Finland’s most kick-ass punk rock band. The band members, Pertti, Kari, Toni and Sami, are all mentally handicapped but they play their music with attitude and pride. The film follows the musicians on their journey from obscurity to popularity. We see them fight, fall in love and experience a range of strong emotions.

If you’d like to remain in northern atmosphere you should consider visiting Groningen’s nr.1 art museum. The exhibition ‘Nordic Art 1880-1920’ is a tribute to the peoples and cultures of the Nordic countries, and provides an overview of 19th and 20th-century North European painting. The splendid landscapes, portraits and scenes from everyday rural life display both the similarities and the differences between the Nordic countries. The exhibition focuses on the time when movements such as Realism, Naturalism and more divergent styles such as Symbolism and upcoming Modernism existed side by side.

Pop-up shows There’s a good chance that you might simply bump into one of the pop-up music performances happening in popular public places in the city of Groningen. We hope that these short performances will surprise and delight you.

Platosonic / Coffee & Music

MetMichiel New Year’s Reception

Record store Plato and the Coffee Company will be hosting Platosonic 2013 and Coffee & Music, the official daytime in-store festival (January 10 – 12) featuring free shows by dozens of Dutch and international Eurosonic Noorderslag acts. Visit www.platomania.eu for details.

Location: Platformtheater Thursday January 10, starting at 06.30 pm, live broadcast from 19.00-22.00 hrs.

It has become a tradition over the last 7 years for dutch public radiostation 3FM to kick off the musical New Year at Eurosonic/Noorderslag with the MetMichiel New Year’s Reception.

Programme (Programme is subject to change)

Plato groningen

COFFEE & MuSIC

Location: Oude Ebbingestraat 41

Location: Oude Ebbingestraat 39

Thursday 10 January

Ewert & the Two Dragons Trixie Whitley SX Little Green Cars LCMDF Bastille Balthazar Andy Burrows Fenster Elle Alpha TBA Audio Adam

Kensington Adrian Crowley Kodaline Staton Jan Henk de Groot Frankie Chavez Asgeir Trausti Yellow House 21 Phantom

12.45 h 13.30 h 14.10 h 14.50 h 15.30 h 16.10 h 16.50 h 17.30 h 18.10 h 18.50 h 19.30 h 20.10 h

Jacco Gardner John Coffey 77 Bombay Street The Royal Concept Highasakite Girls Names Young Dreams Satellite Stories MØ

Will and the People

Electric Tears Palio Superspeed Donkey Qeaux Qeaux Joans The Kik The La La Lies Daily Bread Douwe Bob Mozes & the Firstborn

Sea+Air

12.00 h 12.40 h 13.30 h 14.10 h 14.50 h 15.30 h 16.10 h 16.50 h 17.30 h 18.15 h

Saturday 12 January

Friday 11 January Bombay Show Pig Treetop Flyers

Friday 11 January

13.50 hrs 14.30 hrs 15.10 hrs 16.00 hrs 16.40 hrs 17.30 hrs 18.30 hrs 19.10 hrs 20.00 hrs

12.00 h 12.40 h 14.00 h 14.40 h 15.20 h 16.00 h 16.40 h 17.10 h

Rover Linnea Olsson Nina Nesbitt Anna von Hausswolff Villagers Zazi

12.10 h 13.00 h 13.50 h 14.30 h 15.10 h 16.00 h 16.50 h 17.30 h 18.10 h

Saturday 12 January Town of Saints iET Mister & Mississippi Carlo Wijs Janne Schra TBA Sunday Sun Tangarine Maison du Malheur

12.00 h 12.40 h 13.20 h 14.00 h 14.40 h 15.20 h 16.00 h 16.40 h 17.20 h

DJ Michiel Veenstra, host of the number 1 evening radio show MetMichiel, will be looking back on the past year in music and forward to the coming year - what are the bands to watch, the festivals to go to, and the releases to look forward to? He will be presenting some of his favourite new bands and welcoming a few faces from the music industry such as bookers and CEO’s of the big summer festivals, to talk about the musical year ahead! This year Michiel invites Dutch rockers Kensington, hiphop artist Kraantje Pappie and the Dublin fourpiece Kodaline...plus a surprise guest! The New Year’s Reception is open to everyone with a Eurosonic festival ticket. Not coming? No problem, you can follow us live on 3FM, 3fm.nl and 101.tv.

Line-up: doors open 18.30 hrs. 19.00 - 20.00 hrs. Kodaline 20.00 - 21.00 hrs. Kensington 21.00 - 22.00 hrs. Kraantje Pappie More information: www.metmichiel.nl

E N

o t

Eurosonic Noorderslag on radio, tv and internet = RAdIO

= LIVE STREAM

= TV

Wednesday 9 January

Thursday 10 January

Friday 11 January

18.00-19.30 EBBA Awards (www.youtube.com/ EBBAAWARDS)

16.00-18.00 YLE Finland

13.45 – 17.00 RuV Iceland

18.00-19.00 Radio Serbia

16.00 – 19.00 YLE Finland

19.00 – 22.00 3FM / 101.tv 20.00-22.00 Pure FM Belgium/ Radio France

18.00 – 19.00 Radio Serbia

20.00-02.00 Rockpalast.de/WDR

19.00 - 22.00 3FM / 101.tv 22.00 – 01.00 3FM / 3voor12

18.00-19.00 Radio Belgrade 21.00-21.30 RTE Ireland

Subject to change

21.50-22.15 WDR / 1Live

23.00 - 02.00 RTE Ireland

22.00 – 01.00 3FM / www.101.tv 23.00-02.00 RTE Ireland

22.10 - 22.30 WDR / 1Live

21.30 - 01.00 NOS/NTR

14.00-17.00 BBC Radio One

20.00 - 22.00 Pure FM Belgium/ Radio France

22.00 – 01.00 3FM / 101.tv

18.00 – 02.00 Radio 6

Saturday 12 January

18.30 – 19.30 100.7 Luxembourg

01.00 – 04.00 3FM / 101.tv 01.00 – 04.00 3FM / NL3

15.00-18.00 P6 Beat/ Radio Denmark

18.00 – 02.00 3FM / 3fm.nl

Saturday 19 January

21.00 - 21.55 Documentary Rockin’ Europe (NTR) 22.00 - 23.00 Rockin’ Europe: Adele (NTR) 23.05 - 00.35 Rockin’ Europe: Ebba Awards 2013 (NTR)

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

eurosonic wednesday 9 january 2013

BaBy guru (gr) Plays at de sPieGhel: 21.30-22.15

BasTille (uK) Plays at Vera: 21.30-22.00

Icelandic singer-songwriter Asgeir Trausti is only 20 years-old but last summer he made his mark on the Icelandic music scene with his two singles, Sumargestur and the smash-hit Leyndarmal. Both singles are taken from his debut album Dyrd i Daudathogn, which was released in September. Digital pre-sales on Icelandicmusic. com a week before the release broke records and showed clearly that Asgeir Trausti has already created quite a name for himself. An English version of the album is currently in the works with lyrics written by American musician John Grant.

Greek band Baby Guru are masters at blending completely different styles of music from krautrock to swinging african rhythms. Not to mention the psychedelic influences that regularly crop up in their music. They are also fond of proto electronics and garage punk, producing impressive covers of Candy Says and The Queen Is Dead on their second album Pieces, which also features social commentary on the current situation in Greece. There is plenty to love about Baby Guru.

If you want to induce a brain ache, try to categorize Bastille’s music. Somewhere between indie and pop, with a dark edge, a bit of r&b, some electronics and a very special singer, the male version of Florence + the Machine, or Coldplay meeting Friendly Fires? Dan Smith’s project is so fluid and hard to pin down that it’s best to just describe it as beautiful music. These days Bastille is a four piece band with a sound so good that even without a first album they are already selling out venues. Once you hear their singles, you just know. Good news travels fast.

BernhofT (no) Plays at huize maas, main: 20.15-21.00

BirTh of Joy (nl) Plays at huize maas, main: 21.45-22.30

DansKie (nl) Plays at subsonic: 23.30-23.50

Jarle Bernhoft is a household name in Norway. His career started in Explicit Lyrics, which later became Span. Bernhoft was known as a rock singer, but on his solo material he became a true soul man. However, taking a big soul band on tour would clearly be a financial disaster, but thanks to his presence on stage, once described as “a giraffe high on PCP” and “the thinking man’s The Hives” he manages to mesmerize audiences all on his own. His music has an 80s feel, with something of The Roots, and the sound of 2020. This is the soul of Norway.

Birth Of Joy is full-on, no-nonsense, headsdown boogie. This Dutch trio is influenced by psych, blues and rock & roll with nods to MC5, The Doors and even Pink Floyd, but they also know the stoner rock of the last twenty years. With a mad drummer, a pounding organ player and crazy guitarist they give a whole new dimension to the word wild. And believe us they can keep this going for hours. We’ve seen steam baths with less steam than these three produce.

One of the most promising young Dutch rappers of this moment is without a doubt Danskie. Although he was born in a small village in the province of Drenthe, he considers Groningen to be his true hometown. Here, he picked up his rapping skills and performed a lot at the venue Simplon, supporting major Dutch hip hop acts like Kraantje Pappie, Fresku and Mr. Polska. Danskie recorded his first EP ‘Voor Nu’ (‘Until Now’) with the help of major Dutch hiphop magazine State. Right now, he’s working on an album called ‘De Losse Tracks’ (‘Loose Tracks’).

DeaTh hawKs (fi) Plays at huize maas, front: 22.30-23.15

eva & Manu (fi) Plays at de sPieGhel, uP: 22.15-23.00

fensTer (De) Plays at de sPieGhel, uP: 23.45-00.30

Don’t try to find any dubstep influences in the music of Death Hawks, the Finnish band that is inspired by the best music of the 70s, including the Tony Iommi school of ominous riffage, at which they are the best kids in the class. But riffage is not all they do. You can hear a trombone on their debut album Death & Decay, which features musical storms alongside warm summer breezes. They take the best of all worlds and eras.

Eva & Manu are cosmopolitan. Finnish Eva and French Manu met in Boston at the Berklee College of Music. After graduation they traveled to Europe to play, write songs and to work at farms in exchange for a place to sleep. While on the road they composed melodies with hints of folk and indie rock, melodies which are light and lively, and combine the crystal voice of Eva and the dark voice of Manu. Lyrics about love, travel and the life ahead can all be heard on their beautiful debut album.

A German, an American, a French and a Greek wanted to make an album....no, this is not the start of a bad joke, it was the start of Fenster, four musicians from Berlin who share a love for adventurous but strange music. The album Bones was recorded in eight days with the help of some unusual instruments, and during that time a window (in German: Fenster) fell on bass player JJ Wheil’s head. Their live show pulses with stark minimalism and moments of noisy improvisation.

wednesday eurosonic

Ásgeir TrausTi (is) Plays at Grand theater, main: 21.30-22.15

wednesday eurosonic

franKie Chavez (pT) Plays at huize maas, front: 21.00-21.45

fre4KnC (nl) Plays at subsonic, front: 03.15-04.00

frenCh filMs (fi) Plays at Vera: 23.30-00.00

It’s all about the guitar for Frankie Chavez. The Portuguese has them in all shapes and sizes, and more importantly, in a range of different tunings. He loves to mix traditional Portuguese guitar music with American blues, which has led to references to Jimi Hendrix, Robert Johnson and Ry Cooder. However Frankie Chavez has a unique voice and guitar sound which give him his own place in the musical spectrum. With his guitar effects and one foot on a bass drum he plays as a one man band. Since 2012 he has been travelling the world, and Eurosonic in Groningen just had to be his latest destination.

Fre4knc (pronounced: Frequency) may be young, but he is far from being a beginner. He is known for his raw, deep and techy drum & bass, and is a resident DJ at multiple drum & bass nights. He also has his own radio show, a label and a string of releases on Subtle Audio, Translation Recordings and Demand Music. There is a great future ahead for Frea4knc and anyone interested in going deep into drum & bass should go and see this guy.

Even those of us who arn’t so young will feel like kids after listening to French Films. The EBBA winners from Finland make an upbeat mix of garage, surf rock, post punk and new wave, music to which it is impossible to remain indifferent. And it seems like everyone wants to hear them play since they started in their hometown Helsinki, quickly followed by shows around the rest of the country, then Europe and even Japan. Soon the economic crisis will be forgotten, thanks to French Films’ optimism which will conquer the world.

honig (De) Plays at huize maas, front: 00.00-00.45

JaKe Bugg (uK) Plays at huize maas, main: 23.15-00.00

KoDaline (ie) Plays at Vera: 22.30-23.00

With just a ukulele and his voice Stefan Honig can silence a crowd. So it’s hard to imagine he was once part of a metal band, after which he went looking for a quiet place which he found in his own head. The German musician is a true craftsman in arranging stripped down songs, but whatever he does alone, he can also do with other musicians or even an entire orchestra. On his debut album Empty Orchestra he collaborated with a bunch of musicians and it paid off. He already won over the crowd at the Haldern Festival, Eurosonic is next.

Remember the name Jake Bugg. The singer songwriter from Nottingham is on a roll and barely 20 years-old with prestigious support slots for Noel Gallagher, The Stone Roses, Lana del Rey and Michael Kiwanuka. Raised on a steady diet of the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and the brothers Gallagher, English singer/songwriter Bugg blends the melodious, working-class swagger of The La’s and the primal bluesy simplicity of the White Stripes with the wry, weathered romanticism of Jens Lekman.

Irish band Kodaline is often compared to acts like U2, Coldplay, Elbow and Mumford and Sons. But the music of these four childhood friends from Dublin hasn’t yet been heard in sold out stadiums or conquered the US, it’s just that their sound is so very good. They have found the recipe for the perfect pop song and are constantly polishing this rough diamond. A rare thing indeed to find a new band this good.

Menhir (nl) Plays at de Walrus: 21.00-21.40

MiKhael pasKalev (no) Plays at Vera: 20.30-21.00

MoniCa helDal (no) Plays at Grand theatre, main: 20.00-20.45

For those who forgot what a menhir is: cartoon character Obelix – from the Asterix series – always carries these huge things around. They are enormous, very heavy and most of all rock solid. Just like the sound of this heavy rocking three-piece from Groningen with the name Menhir, that just put out an EP on Bandcamp. A band originated about a year ago ‘from between a rock and a hard place’, as the members say themselves. Expect to be blown a way by a mean mixture of southern and stoner rock, ‘like a big-ass monolith rock in stereo.’

Mikhael Paskalev, a Norwegian with a moustache, makes pop music with its roots in indie and alternative country rock. He is inspired by artists such as Paul Simon, The Shins, Edward Sharpe, The Mamas & the Papas and The Everly brothers. Paskalev’s set varies from songs accompanied only by his acoustic guitar, to a six-piece band featuring trumpet and a riot of energy. Paskalev writes exceedingly catchy songs like I Spy and Jive Baby (check the video). As The Guardian wrote: “Mikhael Paskalev is most likely to become Norway’s first international success since Annie or a-ha.”

Norwegian singer songwriter Monica Heldal is just 21. Even before she started to write her own songs, she was offered a record deal, and whoever it was that gave her the contract was damn right. Heldal’s unique voice, her guitar technique and charisma are all that she needs to break through. Ben Howard apparently thought the same and asked her to support him on tour. If you listen to her first recordings, you can’t help but get very curious about her. Even when she covers Something Fine by Jackson Browne, the song fits perfectly with her own songs. Which says it all.

MoviTs! (se) Plays at Grand theatre, main: 00.30-01.15

Mulu (nl) Plays at subsonic: 23.00-23.20

According to founders Andy Godderis and Igor Shumlyanskiy, their project Mononoid is all about connecting art and music, resulting in a mixture of cinematographic and melodic techno. In 2006, they discovered that their sound was evolving constantly, after experimenting more and more with deeper sounding productions. Soon they released their first remix for Microtrauma’s ‘Emilia’, which got great feedback. In May 2012, Traum released their first EP, followed by a second release in September of 2012: the EP ‘Concept Of Cures’. The EP stormed the techno releases charts, resulting in a solid top 10 position on dance community Beatport.

Movits! is a trio hailing from the Swedish Arctic circle. Brothers Anders and Johan Rensfeldt have teamed up with saxophone player Joakim Nilsson to combine jazz, hip hop and swing and make music that gets even robots to dance. Their breakthrough was debut album Äppelknyckarjazz (translated: Applestealingjazz), which got them a performance in the TV-show The Colbert Report., and Movits! now play everywhere, throughout the US and all across Europe. New album Ut Ur Min Skalle (Out Of My Head) gives them a great reason to go on tour again, and they come with the ambition of making Groningen dance.

The hip hop scene of Groningen is getting more vivid and creative every day. After Kraantje Pappie and Danskie, Mulu is yet another young MC that’s ready to make his way up into the whole Dutch scene. As a kid, he already stood out during freestyle and rap battles in his neighborhood. Soon, he started to produce his own tracks and write his own intelligent lyrics. Mulu is not your average rapper: he writes in Dutch about life experience, social taboos and human intolerance. In the fall of 2011, he reached the finale of the most important live completion of the Netherlands, in the category hip hop. This is going to be his big year.

nangDo (nl) Plays at subsonic: 01.00-01.45

niTTy wow (nl) Plays at subsonic: 22.30-22.50

orTega (nl) Plays at de Walrus: 23.20-00.00

DJ and producer Nangdo is a true music addict: he has been dj’ing and collecting hundreds and hundreds of records for over ten years now. Also, he created tons of beats in the past eight years. For Nangdo, his productions are all about chopping up sounds of seventies soul, break beats, hip hop ‘or whatever stuff.’ New music by Nangdo should come out very soon. Make sure to out numerous tracks or mixes on his Mixcloud and Soundcloud pages.

Nitty Wow is a well known DJ in the Groningen hip hop scene. If there’s a major hip hop show or party in the city, Nitty Wow is usually there. If he isn’t spinning records, he supports Dutch rappers Kraantje Pappie or Boef en de Gelogeerde Aap during their extensive tours. During Grunnsonic, he’s your guy for the best hip hop party during the weekend.

Groningen four-piece Ortega has been in the dark metal and doom game since 2007. Their debut album ‘1634’ came out in 2010, recorded with producer JB. van der Wal, known for his work with Herder and Aborted. A concept record which tells a dark, visual tale about the sea. This year, Ortega released a new album called A Flame Never Rises On Its Own, quickly followed by new EP that represents their darkest work to date. The Serpent Stirs contains their longest song so far, clocking over 18 minutes of psychedelic doom. The new recording is set to be released as a limited cassette by Tartarus Records.

pasCal pinon (is) Plays at de sPieGhel, uP: 20.45-21.30

phanToM (fi) Plays at de sPieGhel: 00.30-01.15

pipes anD pinTs (Cz) Plays at shadrak, uP: 00.00-00.45

Pascal Pinon is the band of twin sisters Jófríður and Ásthildur from Reykjavik, Iceland, who, at an early age started to make music in their bedroom. When they were barely teenagers the offers started to come for them to perform live their mixture of acoustic neo-folk and low-fi pop, music which offers an enjoyable journey through what it’s like being a teenager. Still not yet twenty, but undeniably more mature, a new album will be released at the beginning of 2013. Enchanting music.

Soon after they first met, experienced musicians Tommi Koskinen and Hanna Toivonen wrote a song together. A very good song. Then they received an invitation to play at SXSW, but they only had six weeks to turn that one song into a set. They managed, and that one set became five sets due to an enthusiastic response by the audience. The xx became fans of the Finnish duo and their downtempo electro filled with catchy and bittersweet melodies, often compared to Massive Attack, Portishead and The xx. To see them live, with a MIDI theremin in the shape of a UFO, is quite an experience.

Hey, it’s punk from Ireland. Wait a minute, not Ireland, the Czech Republic. Prague to be exact. Punk with bagpipes, and it sounds great. A bit like Rancid on a drinking spree with the Dropkick Murphy’s and Flogging Molly after a Pogues concert. The raspy voice of American singer Syco Mike is tougher than the roughest sandpaper, and Pipes and Pints has the energy and the catchy tunes to incite the urge to crowdsurf after hearing just ten seconds of a song. The second album is about to be blown out of the bagpipe.

wednesday eurosonic

MononoiD (nl) Plays at subsonic: 01.45-02.30

wednesday eurosonic

posiJ (nl) Plays at subsonic: 02.30-03.15

raKeTKanon (Be) Plays at shadrak, uP: 21.00-21.45

rangleKloDs (DK) Plays at Vera: 00.30-01.00

If musicians were cyclists then Groningen would be more under suspicion than Lance Armstrong. Noisia, Dope D.O.D. and Posij all from the same city? That can’t be a coincidence, and all such talented producers with banging beats. Posij (pronounced Pose-eye) is the latest talent from Groningen. He was discovered by one of the Noisia-guys, then the young studio wizard started working with them, and made a name for himself remixing Noisia. He recently also did a remix of Two Fingers, and his first album is on its way, with songs that go faster than a cyclist filled with EPO.

The band Raketkanon are often compared to The Melvins, and there are many worse bands to be compared to, but the other observation most regularly made in the many raving reviews about debut album Rktkn #1, is that this band knows how to mix all kinds of heavy styles. Raketkanon consists of members of Waldorf, Black Harvest, Tòman and Kapitan Korsakov, and you can see and hear their collective experience during their wild shows. So, get wild and don’t forget your earplugs for Raketkanon.

On the one hand there are David Bowie and The Doors, on the other hand there are James Holden and The Field. In between is the music of Rangleklods, the stage name of Danish musician Esben Andersen. His voice is like a younger version of Bowie, but his beats are the kind you want to hear at big festivals, which probably explains why his concert at Roskilde was so popular. Andersen does concerts on his own, sometimes completely acoustic, sometimes with the support of Tikki Hasselriis Jensen on guitar, Pernille Smith-Sivertsen behind the synths and a drummer. Rangleklods make big audiences go wild. A versatile talent.

roBerTo Tan (nl) Plays at de subsonic: 00.00-00.20

roelie vuiTTon (nl) Plays at subsonic: 00.30-00.50

siinai (fi) Plays at Grand theatre, main: 23.00-23.45

In his first year as a solo artist, Roberto Tan was asked by famous Dutch rapper Kraantje Pappie to accompany him on his club tour of The Netherlands and Belgium. On top of that his songs are now played frequently on national hip hop radio shows. Tan has released one EP called De Aftrap and his work is also included on a sampler from the Herman Brood Academy. It may be early in his career but Tan has found his own voice, rapping with fierce pride, and telling great stories with his characteristic flow.

Roelie Vuitton is both an MC and a graphic designer, which is not such a strange combination because they’re both about style, and Vuitton knows a lot about style. He started out with his group Blocnotes, bringing the Detroit sound from Groningen to the rest of The Netherlands, and now he releases mix tapes decorated with topend graphic designs. The music, where he raps in a relaxed style about women, being courageous and the high society lifestyle is, of course, very classy. An artist whose reputation is evolving rapidly thanks to the fact that his projects are never, ever average.

In 2011 debut album Olympic Games was released featuring a synthesized wall of sound and huge krautrock hymns with giant hooks. Siinai is not afraid of big gestures, it’s a bit like the opening ceremony of the Olympics put to music, but with a dark twist. These Finns are masters of building up songs that reach an ecstatic climax, and, if there were medals for music, Siinai would have won Gold.

splashh (uK) Plays at de sPieGhel: 23.00-23.45

TalBoT (ee) Plays at shadrak, uP: 22.30-23.15

TeMples (uK) Plays at de sPieGhel: 20.00-20.45

“If someone asks us, we say they have the energy of the early Supergrass, and after that we will quickly mention we sound completely different.” To quote The Guardian Splashh are like “Washed Out in a blender with Dinosaur Jr”. While the description “myriad floating, fuzz laden grunge pop tunes with a punk twist’ is even more accurate. Splashh is a four-piece band from England who write two songs a month without a sweat. Impossible not to love.

Talbot is like being punched in the face by a mammoth, and you won’t find music much more crushingly powerful than this as Magnus Andre on bass guitar, synths, vocals and Jarmo Nuutre on drums, vocals and other gadgets create a musical storm. After the EP Tundra there was debut album EOS in 2010 featuring music where the bass is much more upfront than the guitar. So anyone who uses the term ‘heavy shit’ must have been forced to listen to Talbot, otherwise how would they know what it is? This is how is must have been when Thor used his hammer.

The official description is neo-psych but you should probably know that Temples has been compared to The Beatles, The Turtles, The Kinks and The Stone Roses. To be precise: interesting guitar music. The British band has made a big impact in a short time and now things are moving very fast. They are the support band for the Mystery Jets, they have been presented as the buzz band in NME and have already played in the Netherlands at the London Calling Festival. Guitar music like it should be.

wolvon (nl) Plays at de Walrus: 22.10-22.50

The name of the band spells out how their crowds feel because The Excitements bring the temperature of every venue to boiling point. And they do it night after night, because the Spanish band tours almost non-stop. With their soul and classic R&B these seven musicians from Barcelona are comparable to Ike & Tina Turner, James Brown and Etta James. But to make a more up to date comparison, this is Maye Hawthorne meets Charles Bradley. Their new album is expected in the spring of 2013. But first Eurosonic!

WOLVON are rugged rockers from the underground in Groningen. Literally, because their first gig took place at Vera Downstage, the cellar of the club . The bearded band members bring forth a sound that is hard, noisy and raw. But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not all there is to it. At keenly timed moments WOLVON transform their sound into dreamy postwave. Hereby creating a dynamic which is comparable to a good story. WOLVON is a tale bearded men fiercely battling the crowd and subsequently making love to their instruments.

wednesday eurosonic

The exCiTeMenTs (es) Plays at huize maas, main: 00.45-01.30

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EuROSONIC THuRSdAY 10 JANuARY 2013

thursday eurosonic

A.G. Trio (AT) Plays at simPlon, uP: 01.15-02.00

AdriAn Crowley (ie) Plays at Grand theatre, uP: 20.45-21.30

Andy Burrows (uK) Plays at GroninGer museum, Ch: 21.25-22.10

They have been called the Austrian Justice. A.G. Trio are favorites of DJ’s like Groove Armada, The Crystal Method and Kissy Sell Out, because they know a track by this act can drive a dance floor wild thanks to their trademark memorable tunes and raspy bouncing beats and bass. But there’s more to A.G. Trio, they also make subtle music for home listening as proved by their double album featuring a range of different styles of songs on the first CD, plus a bunch of remixes on the second. This is a band that has a lot to say.

According to Ryan Adams he is the best songwriter that no one’s heard of, which is not entirely true because Adrian Crowley has made quite a name for himself in his thirteen years on the job. The Irishman is regarded in his own country as one of the best singer-songwriters, and it’s true. Crowley’s songs are powerful and impactful, and he describes his sound thus: “A heartbroken steam engine whistling Tennyson’s ‘In Memoriam’ as set to music by Leonard Cohen.” Truly a musician you should see, hear and discover.

Andy Burrows’ career would make any musician jealous. Drummer in Razorlight, drummer in We Are Scientists, founder of I Am Arrows and half of Smith & Burrows (who gave the audience at their concert in Paradiso last year the best Christmas of their lives). And now the time has finally come for Burrows to release music under his own name again following his 2008 foray. More experienced and no longer obliged to make his music during time off from Razorlight, the new album Company has had excellent reviews. Burrows is bringing both his talent and his music to Groningen.

ÁsGeir TrAusTi (is) Plays at stadssChouwburG: 22.55-23.35

Avery PlAins (nl) Plays at de walrus: 23.30-00.15

BABy Guru (Gr) Plays at de sPieGhel, uP: 23.00-23.45

Avery Plains is a brand new indie band from Groningen, that actually started by the name The Black Hills. Even though the first proper Avery Plains gig only was at the end of august at the Noorderzon Festival in Groningen, the seven (!) members of this band have been around in the local music scene for ages. They played in nationally well-known bands from Groningen and surroundings, like Vox Von Braun, The Serenes, Moonlizards and Benjamin B. With Avery Plains, they focus fully on playing melodic, jumpy and noisy power-pop songs and major guitar epics. A bit like Dinosaur Jr. still does.

BAlThAzAr (Be) Plays at GroninGer museum, Ch: 22.50-23.35

BAsTille (uK) Plays at simPlon, main: 21.30-22.15

BernhofT (no) Plays at Forum imaGes: 23.00-23.40

A love for pop music does not automatically mean a place in the hit parade, because the twists that make certain pop music so interesting are often also the reason that the music is not going to be featuring on the charts. Certainly this seems to be the case for the Belgian band Balthazar whose five musicians, with their unusual instruments and wayward mindset, plus the dark-edged voice of singer Maarten Devoldere, produce very special kind of pop music. Be warned: Balthazar is the sort of band that can induce an instant crush.

BlAudzun (nl) Plays at Cathedral: 21.15-22.00

BoloGnA violenTA (iT) Plays at de sPieGhel, uP: 00.30-01.15

It can be very cold in Moldavia, especially in the mountains where temperatures drop below freezing regularly, and in that situation you can just sit by the fire or make some music to keep you warm. Bingagroove chose the latter option. Singer Ana-Maria Surguci and the four magnificent musicians of Bingagroove play a mixture of soul, funk and pop, sung in English and Moldavian. Anything can happen with Bingagroove, but there is always a groove. Just like everyone likes it.

The undisputed most popular album in the Netherlands in 2012 was Heavy Flowers by Blaudzun. The album was unanimously hailed as a masterpiece, while the concerts Johannes Sigmond and his band gave were always spot on, the band always 100 percent motivated. It’s pop, rock and folk with a twist. After their enormous success in the Netherlands, the band have been performing in Germany, Belgium and France. And while we would like the whole world to enjoy Blaudzun’s amazing music, we want Sigmond to return regularly to the Netherlands to perform, because we can’t go very long without him.

Nicola Manzan is not afraid to make difficult choices. He is the sole member of Italian act Bologna Violenta, and his main instrument is the violin, although he can play a variety of instruments. He started off in 2006 with a heavy sound where melody was hard to find, with rhythms, soaring guitar riffs and synthesizers having the upper hand. Il Nuovissimo Mondo (2010) was based on art house movies and featured (fictional) movie quotes. Recently the album Utopie e Piccole Soddisfazioni was released, with the music ranging from classical to extreme noise. Remarkable artist, remarkable music.

C2C (fr) Plays at Cathedral: 23.00-23.45

CAse MAyfield (nl) Plays at GroninGer museum, ad: 22.10-22.50

CAshMere CAT (no) Plays at PlatForm theater, Patio: 01.15-02.00

They won the World DJ Championship for teams four times in a row, but now they’ve moved away from the tricks and the technique with samples of voices and sounds they blend together. These eight hands now make a mix of jazz, soul, blues, electro and hip hop, as heard on both the EP Down The Road and the successful single of the same name, as well as on the recent debut album Tetra. Even without the turntable acrobatics C2C remains interesting, but seeing them live, like a Hindu DJ god with eight arms, is even more impressive.

Case Mayfield is a phenomenon in The Netherlands. The singer/songwriter was born in Volendam and has become very popular in a short time thanks mainly to his passion and sincerity. After releasing his first album The Many Colored Beast in 2011 he was described as the most talented Dutch singer/songwriter in years. Then, just eight months later there was a second album, called 10 which was recorded in ten days, with ten songs and released on 10/10 which was also the score it got from reviewers. Case Mayfield is now a household name and a festival favorite.

Razor-sharp-but-soft-and-furry paws characterizes Cashmere Cats, the moniker of young Norwegian Magnus August Høiberg. After producing remixes under his own name, Høiberg is now becoming notorious as Cashmere Cat. With his special take on seductive R&B, futuristic hip-hop and bass music he attracts the same crowd as Hudson Mohawke, Rustie, Busy P and Nguzunguzu. You can hear his style on the Mirror Maru EP, but you should also check out his edits for R&B-artists like 2 Chainz and Jeremih. You simply have to hear this.

ChAMPs (uK) Plays at GroninGer museum, Ch: 20.00-20.45

ChvrChes (uK) Plays at minerva art aCademy: 23.00-23.40

CiMBAliBAnd (hu) Plays at Grand theatre, uP: 23.45-00.30

The Isle Of Wight is much more than the island where the famous festival takes place, the birthplace of Level 42’s Mark King or the island of The Bees. Now there’s another band from there called CHAMPS. The dreamy first single St. Peters is beautiful, vulnerable, dreamy folk topped off with the very special singing of David Champion, a truly remarkable voice. They won’t be able to keep up the mystery angle though. Once their debut album is out at the beginning of 2013 a lot of people are going to want to know everything about CHAMPS.

The Scottish trio Chvrches have only released two songs but journalists at Fader, The Guardian, Pitchfork and Gorilla Vs. Bear have been singing their praises ever since. No surprise, because these three musicians have found the perfect electronic pop combination,making the listener yearn for more, and more and even more. Of Lauren Mayberry’s singing, it has been written that it is “able to soar straight over electrobeat clutter and still sound delicate” and that her “neon sing-song vocals make Chvrches stand out.” A very special band with a very bright future.

Balázs Unger has been described as the Chuck Berry of cimbalom due to the wild way he hits the stringed instrument. The Hungarian musician has founded an upbeat multi-cultural band called Cimbali Band, with a Hungarian fiddler, a Croatian tambura-player, a Gypsy bassist and Unger himself, a Germanian-Hungarian cimbalist. The eight-piece band mix Hungarian folk music with classical music, jazz, folk music from the Balkans, south slavic folk music and rock & roll. Any style works in music that is nourished by deep roots. And it is always fun!

thursday eurosonic

BinGAGroove (Md) Plays at muzieksChool: 00.15-01.00

thursday eurosonic

dAMe flux (nl) Plays at with tsjallinG: 21.00-21.30

deATh hAwKs (fi) Plays at de sPieGhel: 23.45-00.30

dJ fiTz (ie) Plays at vera: 02.00-04.00

Jan Hammer is hot again, Chromatics made one of the best albums of the year. It’s the era of the returned synthesizer, Don Johnson riding through Miami in his pink blazer would not be outdated anymore. This return of the electronic eighties can be found in the duo Dame Flux from Groningen. Their new album will be called Champagne and how it’s going to sound can be heard in their performance in Groningen. She has got more to offer than just synthesizers and songs with great Dutch lyrics. She also provides great animations while Corneel Canters even plays the good old Glockenspiel. Very special.

DJ Fitz knows more about music than you do. It’s cool dude. No big deal. If a Turkish disco diva, a Nigerian record producer, and a Brazilian cabaret dancer all got together circa 1976, Fitz would be playing their party. And he’ll play yours, too.

don Johnson BiG BAnd (fi) Plays at Grand theatre, main: 20.00-20.45

doPe d.o.d (nl) Plays at simPlon, main: 02.00-02.45

efTerKlAnG (dK) Plays at stadssChouwburG: 00.20-01.00

The smallest big band in the world, that’s the Don Johnson Big Band. Four Finns who mix hip hop with jazz, dub, funk, electronic influences, country and multifarious other genres. They started in the smallest way possible by selling their debut album from their backpacks, and have gone on to top the charts with gold and platinum records. Currently on their fifth album they have an amazing live reputation, and they claim that they unite hip-hop fans, hard-core metal heads, and soccer moms of all ages in concert venues. Sounds like something you’ve got to see.

Dope D.O.D. is a band that combines tension and danger in both its sound and appearance. Dope D.O.D made two triumphant appearances at the end of last year in their home town of Groningen, performing at both Eurosonic and Noorderslag, and both times the crowd went wild to their mixture of dubstep, drum & bass, rave and hip hop. Their dark, menacing music also landed them support slots for Limp Bizkit and Korn and now, just like Noisia, they travel the world and are the latest Dutch band to really make it big internationally.

Since starting in 2000, Danish trio Efterklang has created its own very personal universe. The only thing you can really say about their music is that it’s definitely Efterklang! And you need to hear it to know how unique these men are because they do everything differently. For example they made an album that’s a movie as well. And for the latest album Piramida, released this year, they traveled to a ghost town called Pyramiden on the freezing island of Svalbard to make field recordings and record the album. A band that is almost impossible to explain, and one that has to be seen to be believed.

elle AlPhA (nl) Plays at shadrak, Floor: 23.45-00.30

ePiC rAin (is) Plays at huis de beurs: 21.25-22.10

evA & MAnu (fi) Plays at usva: 21.00-21.40

What has 2013 to offer? One thing we know for sure and that is the band Elle Alpha, a band we will hear more of this year. The group of singer Ella Stoffers makes music in the style of Anouk, Beth Hart and Skunk Anansie. With her band she forms a tight group that share the same goals: aiming for a breakthrough. It might be this year. After winning the POPgroningen Talent Award a show at Eurosonic was guaranteed. This will be the second year in a row at Eurosonic. Catch them at one of the three shows they are playing this year.

Epic Rain started off playing hiphop, but have since widened their horizons and explored various music styles, including cabaret, dark folk, country and blues, as can be heard on the recently released album Elegy. It’s like Tom Waits taking a stroll through an old carnival after taking some hallucinogenics. Various friends from Iceland help out in the music of Epic Rain which ranges from hip-hop and rock to symphony orchestra sounds. Just watch their videos in order to know what to expect. It is never boring or static.

ewerT & The Two drAGons (ee) Plays at maChineFabriek: 20.00-20.45

fensTer (de) Plays at usva: 23.00-23.40

The baroque indie pop of Evripides Sabatis is music of a very special kind. The Greek left for a life in Barcelona and got together with the Tragedies, to make piano driven pop, which is sometimes sunny and sometimes dark, filed with vocal harmonies and a rich instrumental sound. It varies from Bach to Beach Boys, from Rufus Wainwright to Jonathan Richman, with elements of 60s girl groups lke the Shirelles and the Shangri-Las. Sabatis knows how to put an opera into a pop song. A unique artist.

Ewert & the Two Dragons prove how beautiful music from Estonia can be with their trademark indie folk, music that is both romantic and organic. After a strong debut album called The Hills Behind The Hills, the four-piece then surprised their fans with an even better second album called Good Man Down. It has now been two years since that last album, but the wait for the next one will be going on for a while longer as the band is currently touring the US. The names of Mumford and Sons and Travis have been mentioned when describing Ewert & the Two Dragons, but we think it’s better to simply say: beautiful music from Estonia.

frAnKie ChAvez (PT) Plays at news CaFe: 23.45-00.30

frenCh filMs (fi) Plays at muzieksChool: 22.50-23.35

friGhTened rABBiT (uK) Plays at maChineFabriek: 21.30-22.15

You won’t find a better band motto anywhere: Let’s keep pop music alive by getting it out of that dress and into a sweater. Such a statement couldn’t come from anyone other than Scottish band Frightened Rabbit with their ‘take it or leave it’ approach to music. We aren’t even quite sure how many band members there are besides founder Scott Hutchison, but what is sure is their amazing music; indie folk and rock with an enormous power and strength behind it. You just need to hear ten seconds of Frightened Rabbit and you’ll be drawn in, and then they won’t let you go.

GAëTAn sTreel (Be) Plays at huize maas, Front: 20.00-20.45

GhosTPoeT (uK) Plays at GroninGer museum, Ch: 00.15-01.00

GnuCCi (se) Plays at huize maas, main: 02.15-03.00

You might know Gaëtan Streel from Leuven through his former bands Me And My Machine, Piano Club and Jeronimo. He has decided to return to his first love: light and pleasant folk, a bit like the soundtrack for a movie that doesn’t exist, influenced by Nick Drake, Badly Drawn Boy and Elliott Smith. On stage the Belgian musician is accompanied by The Magnificent Seven, all experienced musicians, so don’t expect a man alone with a guitar on a barstool. On his debut album One Day At A Time Gaëtan Streel included a song caled Happy Place. The exact description of where Streel’s music takes you.

With his guest appearances for Micachu, Kwes and Dels it’s clear where Ghostpoet belongs. On his debut album Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam the British musician raps over self-produced beats somewhere between underground hip-hop, grime and dubstep. Ghostpoet has been written about enthusiastically by the international press and his album was nominated for a Mercury Prize. His show in Groningen is consolation for the fans who are impatient for the soon to be released second album.

Last year Ana Rab set the venue Subsonic on fire when she was called Gnucci Banana, now it’s just Gnucci. In energy and charisma there have been no changes, but her music got a whole lot better, as indeed it should with any artist that is looking to the future. With her bouncing beats, catchy tunes and remarkable singing and rapping, Gnucci can take any party to boiling point. Visitors who start off leaning against the wall can be seen later hanging from a disco ball under the influence of Gnucci. That is what the Swedish musician and her music do.

thursday eurosonic

evriPides & his TrAGedies (es) Plays at news CaFe: 20.45-21.30

thursday eurosonic

hAMferð (fo) Plays at vindiCat, Front: 20.45-21.30

hArM’s forK (nl) Plays at CaFe koster: 22.45-23.30

hATeM (es) Plays at simPlon, uP: 23.45-00.30

Faroe Islands music featuring the slow, crushing funeral march of doom metal. Hamferð is a Faroese term for the living images of dead sailors appearing before their loved ones. First the band appeared on Iceland’s airwaves, later on the Dead Tyrants Tour through Europe, then Wacken and now they have an international management deal and a debut album is on its way. The world is about to encounter Faroe doom.

Ever heard of the genre ‘ecstatic freak gospel?’ No? Could be, because this Groningen based charismatic organist named Harm Wierda invented it himself. Think about Captain Beefheart, but also Joe Cocker, David Eugene Edwards and Arthur Brown. His debut album consisted of intense organ drones. Harm’s Fork collected a motley group of musicians around him. The seven-piece band consists of Klaske Oenema, Janke Brands (ex-Meindert Talma) and Martine Rademakers (Sexton Creeps). The band already performed at various festivals, including the Jazz Summer Bike Tour, Noorderzon in Groningen and Winter Prosperity.

Hatem (Hola A Todo El Mundo) once featured several instrumentalists, including a prominent place for the violin player, but since their second album Ultraviolet Catastrophe this Spanish band is all about synthesizers. The earlier influences like Sufjan Stevens are still there although now you could also add Animal Collective, and the second album is based on a poem by Roy Tiger Milton where music tries to offer a way out of an unreal world. The best escapism we know.

reCommended by:

his ClAnCyness (iT) Plays at stadssChouwburG/ kruithuis: 23.35-00.15

holy MounTAin (uK) Plays at vera: 23.45-00.30

honeyBird & The Birdies (iT) Plays at usva: 22.00-22.40

When your debut album is just over thirty minutes long, why waste days and weeks in the studio? Scottish band Holy Mountain recorded that first EP in just 17 hours. Loud and impressive with a dominant muddy layer of bass, they combine the riffs of Black Sabbath, the frenzied energy of Lightning Bolt and the attitude of the MC5. People who love loud music are most usually lost for words when trying to express how much they like Holy Mountain.

Officially Honeybird & the Birdies is an Italian band, but one of the three members is from Los Angeles. And just after playing a Brazilian song it’ll be followed by a dark soundscape or some churning funk. Everything is possible for this trio, with one woman on drums, the other on charango (the South-American guitar) and the guy on bass. Having just released the album You Should Reproduce they will be showing why they are so popular in Italy. And they will, of course, be totally different from everything you expect.

iiris (ee) Plays at muzieksChool: 21.25-22.10

inGe vAn CAlKAr (nl) Plays at shadrak, Floor: 20.45-21.30

insTruMenTi (lv) Plays at huize maas, Front: 21.30-22.15

Iiris is the pride and joy of Estonia, and the Estonians are absolutely right. The singer has a voice resembling Mette in the Asteroids Galaxy Tour, although the music by Iiris is completely different. As NME wrote: “Iiris make strange soundscapes and alt-rock with delicate but bold vocals, and it works.” Names like Björk, Kate Bush, Regina Spektor and even Florence & The Machine have been mentioned as influences. However, Iiris is above all unique, possessing a personality which means you can’t take your eyes off the stage once she is performing. Iiris has got it all, go and see.

The songs of the Inge van Calkar, singer from Groningen, contain a lot of pop and folk. That is combined with the type of songwriting you can find by an artist like KT Tunstall. The great voice of Van Calkar combined with her ability to write great songs with very catchy melodies got her a record deal at B2music where some renowned Dutch artists are signed. They know what to sign over there. Inge van Calkar already played on national television and at the important radio shows. Her influences range from Heather Nova and Feist to Nick Drake and Radiohead. This could well be the start of a great future.

Latvian duo Instrumenti know what it takes to put on a good show. The classically trained two-piece band recorded their debut album True in 2011 in Iceland, an album with beautifully orchestrated music somewhere between indie pop and electro. Shipsi’s amazing falsetto voice adds even more to the very special music of one of the best live bands from the Baltic states. True was presented in 2011 with a magical show in Riga, and was recorded and released on DVD, because Instrumenti is music and theatre. And they are good at both.

Canadian Jonathan Clancy was at Eurosonic last year with his Italian band A Classic Education. The group, from Bologna, have been praised by Pitchfork, Gorilla vs Bear and The Fader. Alone, Jonathan Clancy is called His Clancyness, and he is a favorite with influential bloggers. To console us for the time it will take to finish the follow-up to the debut album Always Mist, His Clancyness recently put out a cover of I Can’t Talk About It by El Perro Del Mar online. Listen to it! His Clancyness is the master of dreamy lo-fi. You really should refer to him as ‘His Classyness’.

JAKe BuGG (uK) Plays at Cathedral: 21.45-22.30

JuAn zelAdA (es) Plays at Grand theatre, uP: 22.15-23.00

Young artist Jacco Gardner from the Netherlands makes neo-psych/baroque pop, with psychedelic effects. It’s like Syd Barrett jamming with Revolver-era Beatles, with a side order of The Zombies, The Beach Boys and Bo Grumpus, but with a distinctive Gardner twist. Despite being so young, he has already released two 7-inch singles and Jacco Gardner is an artist you should get to know at this edition of Noorderslag.

Zelada has become part of British culture without losing sight of his Spanish roots. Tons of gigs in London did not go unnoticed. His music, and the fun he has performing and singing, managed to get attention in the music business and by media. BBC Radio 2 named debut single Breakfast At Spittafield the Record Of The Week. His music has been compared to Paolo Nuttini and James Morrison. He says Paul Simon, James Taylor and Ray Charles have always been on his mind. Those are the kind of artists he tries to emulate. Both Zelada himself as his music are so infectious that there is enough to emulate.

Juveniles (fr) Plays at simPlon, uP: 22.15-23.00

KAdAvAr (de) Plays at vindiCat: 22.15-23.00

Kin (nl) Plays at de walrus: 20.30-21.15

Juveniles have been described as sounding like Metronomy eating New Order. If you ask them what they do, they’ll say: pop music. They won’t deny however, that they are influenced by the Manchester bands from Factory. Their name is Juveniles, their hit is called We Are Young, and this French trio really is young and has signed a contract with Kitsuné. A perfect band for festivals, in the style of Hot Chip or Cut Copy.

“You can’t reinvent the wheel, but you can roll it!” That is exactly what the Berlin trio Kadavar is doing. In contrast to their name, they put life back into old music. Musicians Lindemann, Mammut and Tiger are not naive enough to say you can’t compare their music to the bands of the past, and indeed anyone can hear the influence of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Hawkwind and Witchfinder General. And live you’re better of with Kadavar than with reunion shows by once great rock bands.

KIN was originally formed in Manchester, but is now a Groningen-based band, including members that also play(ed) in Sexton Creeps, The Swains and Groningen indie darlings Vox von Braun. Front woman is Kim Foster, whose very rhythmic and sometimes complex songs are filled with staccato guitars, electronics and always a certain nervous tension, sometimes without really building up to a climax. The band released a debut album called Flickering this year, that can be streamed on Bandcamp. If you can’t stand the tense atmosphere of the music, just close your eyes and dance.

KodAline (ie) Plays at maChineFabriek: 23.00-23.45

KrAuse (nl) Plays at enerGy staGe

KrisTA (BG) Plays at muzieksChool: 20.00-20.45

Krause (Susanne Clermonts) released her Noisia produced debut album ‘No Guts No Glory’ in 2009. A record filled with spicy electro pop, with which she stormed the Dutch venues and festivals in the following two years. For her new album ‘Tenderfoot’ Krause collaborates with a variety of talented producers such as Dem Slackers, Mason, Fellow, Riptide and Sjam Sjamsoedin (Nobody Beats The Drum). With the latter, she produced her first single of the new album, called ‘Something Smells Fishy’. The song will be released together with an iPhone game on the 17th of December 2012 with Basserk Records.

Bulgarian singer Krista is an acclaimed artist in her own country, where she already won won the National competition for vocalists, beating 176 other contestants. Krista grew up in a family of musicians and at the age of six she knew more about music, technique and theory than many musicians know at 40. She can do it all, from traditional Bulgarian folk to the pop she is currently making for the Stereo Room label owned by Bulgarian singer Maria Ilieva. Modern pop with a distant Bulgarian touch. Nice one.

thursday eurosonic

JACCo GArdner (nl) Plays at huis de beurs: 22.50-23.35

thursday eurosonic

Kwes. live (uK) Plays at PlatFormtheater, main: 00.30-01.15

lAurA MvulA (uK) Plays at Forum imaGes: 21.40-22.20

lCMdf (fi) Plays at huize maas, main: 22.15-23.00

To get attention as a producer in South London, you have to be very special, and Kwes. did just that. The young producer, songwriter and musician played with Leftfield and Jack Peñate, but at the same time produced songs for Dels, Ghostpoet, Micachu and Bobby Womack. When he makes music under his own name, it’s unique, just one of the reasons he is signed at the renowned Warp label. Strange sounds, weird rhythms and peculiar compositions is what Kwes. is made of. A truly original mind making great music.

Music that makes your heart skip is what The Guardian wrote about the song She by Laura Mvula. If your heart doesn’t skip you probably don’t have one, because it can’t be possible for a human being to not be moved by the music of this young lady from Birmingham. Thanks to her classical training she’s a master of arrangements, and she makes wonderful songs. To quote The Guardian again: “It’s like hearing Billie Holiday with the Beach Boys.” She just released her first EP and looks set to become huge.

LCMDF stands for Le Corps Mince de Françoise (the slim body of Françoise), although the only slim bodies to be seen are those of Finns Emma and Mia, with no Françoise to be found. These two Finnish ladies are fascinated by the internet which inspired their new record Mental Health, an album on how people choose to cope with things on the internet, and an underlying message that you shouldn’t take it all too seriously. LCMDF retain their own mental health by making great pop music inspired by Weezer, TLC and Chemical Brothers, and sometimes like Hanson on mushrooms. Everything is possible with LCMDF.

lesCoP (fr) Plays at minerva art aCademy: 21.45-22.25

liesA vAn der AA (Be) Plays at stadssChouwburG/ kruithuis: 20.45-21.25

liTTle Green CArs (ie) Plays at stadssChouwburG: 20.00-20.45

It is a battle to make French pop different, and to unite all the contradictions Lescop loves in pop music sung in French. Lescop worked with the producer John who is living in London with his partner Jehn (who happens to sing in the band Savages), and made an album that mixes French pop with punk and Bowie with Yves Simon. A fight against boredom, or controlled chaos, anyway it’s pop and new wave with a razor sharp edge and beautiful French singing. Tres belle!

Liesa van der Aa from Belgium is an actress, violin player, and singer whose first opera will premier next year. Her classical background took a whole different direction when she discovered The Velvet Underground, Prince and Chet Baker, and since that period she has played the violin with effects, a bit like Jamie Lidell used to do with the loop effects on his voice. On her album Troops you think you hear all kinds of instruments, but it is always her violin, with a bit of help from Boris Wilsdorf, the studio technician for Einstürzende Neubauten. Just like the Belgian media wrote: “Liesa van der Aa likes to hit and caress, often in the same song.”

Irish five-piece band Little Green Cars is not just a bit talented, they have loads of it. They got a record deal with Young and Lost Club, who have a keen ear for talent as proven before with Noah And The Whale, Everything Everything and Young The Giant. Now there is an album and the world is ready to be conquered. But first it’s the US, the same place where Mumford and Sons and Arcade Fire became a success, so why wouldn’t it work for Little Green Cars? See them now in order to see a great band at the beginning of a marvelous career.

MAn froM The souTh (nl) Plays at usva: 20.00-20.40

MAsh uP inTernATionAl (se) Plays at huize maas, main: 03.00-04.00

MesAK fT. ClAws CosTeAu (fi) Plays at PlatForm theater, Patio: 23.45-00.30

The Man From The South made the album Koblenz and left it sitting on a shelf unreleased until a friend heard it and said that the rest of the world should get to listen to it. So he put the music online and ever since tens of thousands of people have listened to and loved an album that puts the difficult to describe feeling of discomfort to music. The Man From The South has started playing his music live, performing at Incubate, Let’s Get Lost and the Naked Song Festival in The Netherlands. Now The Man From The South will head north.

Cold in January? Mash Up International is the perfect way to heat things up. It’s like visiting the Brazilian carnival with the kuduro, the kwaito and dancehall in the tunes of Mash Up International. These three men come from a very cold town called Uppsala in Sweden, also the home of their oft-featured guest singer, Gnucci. The colder the surroundings the bigger the longing for warmth, and that can always be found in the music of Mash Up International. New EP Lava Cabeza drove temperatures to a new high, so anyone looking to break sweat at Eurosonic now knows where to go.

Skweee may sound like some hip South-African dance style, but its origins lie in Sweden and Finland. The word comes from ‘to squeeze out’, referring to squeezing out the best sounds of vintage synthesizers and other machines. In combination with funk, R&B and soul, the sound has been incorporated into dubstep by other cutting edge artists like Hudson Mohawke who uses skweee in his sets. Label-owner Meska is also a musician and DJ, and whether it’s his own songs or skweee by others, whatever he does, it’s skweelicious.

MiKhAel PAsKAlev (no) Plays at stadssChouwburG: 21.30-22.10

Mile Me deAf (AT) Plays at de sPieGhel, uP: 21.30-22.15

Michael Monroe is a living Finnish rock legend thanks to his band Hanoi Rocks, a huge international success in the 80s and a major influence on Guns N’ Roses, who Monroe worked with on a song for Use Your Illusion I. After some solo work and a reunion of Hanoi Rocks, Monroe is now back performing with his own band. On the album Sensory Overdrive he rocks like he’s still a kid, although you can hear his experience as well. Lately his band has been joined by guitarist Dregen (Hellacopters, Backyard Babies). Michael Monroe is Finnish rock history ready for 2013.

Wolfgang Möstl is known by some as the noisepop whizzkidd of Vienna, an image he probably got from his earlier bands Killed by 9V Batteries and Sex Jams. His solo-project Mile Me Deaf is more alternative pop than noise, dealing with his obsessions with 90’s guitar tunes, quirky pop melodies and Jim Carrey movies. It has been written that “Mile Me Deaf lie in a guitar-pop realm between Yuck and Girls”. Mötzl and his band recently supported The War On Drugs and U.S. Girls.

MMoThs (ie) Plays at PlatForm theater, main: 23.00-23.45

MoniCA heldAl (no) Plays at news CaFe: 22.15-23.00

MonKi (uK) Plays at subsoniC: 02.00-02.45

On the day he received his exam results, Jack Colleran signed a contract with XL Records. And that is not long ago. The Irish musician is not even twenty years old. Not quite what you expect when you hear the music by Mmoths. It sounds like someone has been working and looking for the perfect sound for over twenty years and finally found it. Luckily Mmoths works a bit faster. He made a fantastic first EP. The young Irishman was complimented for it by Flying Lotus. Mmoths adds sublime sounds and beautiful songs to electronic music. There is only one way to say it, with the title of the first song on his EP: Thnx!

As a 12 year-old radio addict, Monki was glued to the speakers, knowing she wanted to do something like that herself, and that is why a twenty year-old is included on the roster of Annie Mac’s touring club night AMP. Monki has grown into a leading DJ at Rinse FM, making crazy mixes of music by acts such as Crystal Waters, Zombie Nation, Hot Chip, Cassius, Baby D, Scuba and Zed Bias. Not to mention the unique and wacky remixes she finds. Monki is the sound of the future and a fun DJ from right now.

Mr. riChArd (nl) Plays at buCkshot: 21.00-21.45

new Cool ColleCTive (nl) Plays at eurosoniC air: 21.30-22.15

niCK Mulvey (uK) Plays at Forum imaGes: 20.30-21.10

Brother and sister Teake and Geertje Damstra, together with Anne de Vries and Peter Kuipers, make folk music that comes straight from the heart, in a similar vein to Glen Hansard, Fleet Foxes and Bright Eyes. Beautiful melodic music with no drums, but with a rich, textured sound, alternating lead vocalists and lovely songs. The band from Groningen is about to release its first EP.

Words can’t describe how amazing New Cool Collective is. This Dutch band lead by saxophone player Benjamin Herman has played all over the world. Jazz is their background, but it is just the starting point for music that ranges from pop to hip hop to dub to electro to Afrobeat to Cuban music. Every member can play a solo to make you gasp for your breath and together they can do wonders. These horns blow amazing tunes. They have won over jazz crowds, hip hop crowds and pop crowds, performing in all kinds of places, winning every kind of award. This is the Reincarnation of Cool.

After studying in Cuba piano and percussion player Nick Mulvey founded the Portico Quartet with some friends back in England, and their debut album was nominated for the Mercury Prize. After two albums Mulvey, who has since decided to go solo, is still influenced by Paul Simon, Nick Drake and the music of Cuba, Congo and Mali. After a first EP, the debut album is on its way and in the meantime his reputation as a performing musician stands as firm as a rock.

thursday eurosonic

MiChAel Monroe (fi) Plays at Grand theatre, main: 23.00-23.45

thursday eurosonic

noisiA (nl) Plays at eurosoniC air: 22.45-23.45

o-BAT & The undeAd (nl) Plays at CaFe koster: 21.15-22.00

orelhA neGrA (PT) Plays at Grand theatre, main: 21.30-22.15

One band after another comes from Groningen these days, ready to conquer Holland and then the world. But which act started all this? Noisia! The near-legendary drum & bass trio has been involved in both the breakthrough and the sound of Dope D.O.D., Kraantje Pappie and Posij. And their own winning streak continues with Deadmau5’ label re-releasing their album Split The Atom, Skrillex wanting them to remix his work and Korn commissioning three songs. Meanwhile Noisia continue to tour worldwide, from Coachella to Amsterdam for ADE, and finally back in their hometown Groningen during Eurosonic.

Obed Brinkman is a trombone player from Groningen who previously played with Jammah Tammah and Zebra, but now in O-Bat & the Undead he is blowing his own songs, which vary from reggae to rock with some interesting psychedelic influences. With the help of 27 colleagues he recorded debut album Festival des Zombies, and since then he has put together the smaller live group called O-Bat & the Undead. Next year the second album Brains for Breakfast will be released, but first up is his show here in Groningen with special guests including Jammah Tammah singer Eddy ‘Speedy’ Huizing.

These five men from Portugal like to keep it instrumental. As far as they are concerned, singing is not necessary when you have drums, bass, synths, samplers and a DJ. Orelha Negra (trans: black ear) use a lot of music history, ranging through the roots of black music such as jazz, soul, funk, groove and hip hop, and a dose of Portuguese culture, in all of their music. These influences, the irresistible urge to dance they invoke and a fresh collective sound makes Orelha Negra unique.

PAsCAl Pinon (is) Plays at stadssChouwburG/ kruithuis: 22.10-22.50

PeGAsus (Ch) Plays at GroninGer museum, ad: 23.35-00.15

rAnGleKlods (dK) Plays at simPlon, main: 23.00-23.45

Swiss band Pegasus did what many bands want to, but are afraid to do. In 2011 they broke with their old sound. It gained them a lot more fans. The first foreign festival where Pegasus played was Eurosonic in 2011. In the same year the band released the album Human Technology where they decided to add influences they used to neglect. Dance and epic rock are present on Human Technology where the influences of The Beatles and Coldplay can still be heard. This new album is a big hit in Switzerland and will be released worldwide, a return to Eurosonic is part of that.

rAnGleKlods dJ seT (dK) Plays at subsoniC: 01.15-02.00

rATs on rAfTs (nl) Plays at simPlon, main: 00.30-01.15

roBoT KoCh (de) Plays at subsoniC: 00.30-01.15

One day after their album The Moon Is Big was released on CD, the Rotterdam based band Rats On Rafts performed at Eurosonic. 2011 was good, 2012 only got better. Following The Minny Pops and a sort of revival of the Ultra music in The Netherlands, Rats On Rafts embarked on a (inter) national tour. A few decades earlier they would undoubtedly have been signed by Factory Records. Their post punk, new wave and C86 sounds combined in music of the 21st century has touched many. And once they have a foot in the door, they will not leave anymore.

XLR8R wrote about Koch that he inhabits “a middle ground between the far-out experimentation of Brainfeeder and the futuristic pop of artists like Jamie Lidell, The xx, and Jimmy Edgar.” Robot Koch is a producer from Berlin, described by The Low End Theory (the hangout of Brainfeeder) as: “one of the finest Europesn producers of the beat generation.” In the last three years he has released four albums, two EP’s and numerous songs, amongst them the recent Cosmic Waves. The German producer cannot really be summed up in words, so perhaps you had better go see him at Eurosonic this year.

rosCoe (Be) Plays at de sPieGhel: 20.45-21.30

sAlisBury (nl) Plays at shadrak, uP: 23.00-23.45

If a musician can convince Joe Goddard (Hot Chip, 2 Bears) to release his music on Goddard’s Greco-Roman label it is clear he has huge potential, because there aren’t many artists on Greco-Roman, and they are all very good. German musician Roosevelt mixes chill wave with italo and pop music, and in his home town of Cologne he already sells out large venues, and is resident at the club Total Confusion, as well as playing in Paris, London, Brussels and Liverpool. Roosevelt is at a place where dance and pop come together, the ideal music for festivals.

Roscoe listen to The National and The Virgin Suicides so this is not happy happy music, but we can’t blame them. All that shallow fun in music lasts just as long as the summer in The Netherlands, in other words not very long at all. This Belgian band made a beautiful debut album called Cracks, they played all the big Belgian festivals last summer and then toured the country’s main venues. But they hardly ever play outside their own country, generally not even venturing as far as the Netherlands, and that from a band who named one of their singles Lowlands! Now, finally we get to see them here at Eurosonic.

Salisbury is the band of the Dutch-American singer songwriter Kristian Salisbury. They like to describe their music as ‘ingenious pop for now people’. It has been compared to Jeff Buckley and they would like to add the rock side of Radiohead to that description. Their music can be a bombastic bomb at one time and the next time you may hear just some whispering. Band contests and a lot of shows gave the band much publicity in the east of The Netherlands. Now it’s time to conquer the rest of the country.

sAnTA fé (nl) Plays at de walrus: 22.00-22.45

seA+Air (de) Plays at GroninGer museum, ad: 20.45-21.25

seMAnTiK PunK (Po) Plays at de sPieGhel: 01.15-02.00

Google may direct you to the car Hyundai Santa Fe, and that is where the algorithms of the search engine go wrong. Because if there is one thing this band from Groningen is not, than it is a South-Korean plastic car. Santa Fe is like a big American car. With the organ, the dark voice and the high speed energy this band makes you long for American highways where this music can go on repeat. This much fun can a Hyundai never give you.

For years Daniel Benjamin and his wife Eleni Zafiriadou performed under his name but after 1200 shows all over the world something changed in 2010. As the support act for Whitney Houston, they managed to silence huge crowds with their minimal, fragile orchestrated songs. So they changed the name to Sea+Air and made a debut album called My Heart´s Sick Chord. It is music by two musicians whose voices fit perfectly, who are completely in harmony and who can also play three instruments at the same time.

The history of the band semantik punk probably started with its debut album around 2012. The title isn’t bad: „abcdefghijklmnoprstuwxyz”. The album was produced with Ross Robinson (who apparently isn’t bad either!). No one has heard the record yet, although some claim they have and say it’s ok. The producer is the one who talks about the band the most, and if the internet is to be trusted he supposedly voiced this opinion: “SP goes beyond any band I’ve worked with in that, they look beyond sound/language – discovering they are the ‘nothing, pure radiance... Listen and you’ll understand.”

shAKA PonK (fr) Plays at Grand theatre, main: 00.30-01.15

siinAi (fi) Plays at vera: 01.15-02.00

sKiP The use (fr) Plays at vera: 22.15-23.00

Shaka Ponk is completely unique. A project conceived in 2000 by French graphic designer Frah together with guitarist CC that blends rock, electronics and visuals, with an important role for the animated monkey Goz. Shaka Ponk is a band where fun and hormones are just as present as in the movie American Pie, as you can see any time on their online channel Monkey TV, but to see this all come together on stage is so special nothing can compete with it.

Rock, punk, ska and disco... apparently you can mix them as long as your name is Skip The Use, who all grew up with these normally disparate styles. The French band, fronted by the incredibly charismatic, high-voltage lead singer Mat Bastard, is a high energy dance machine. These five musicians from Lille started out as a punk band, then drifted away from that style but stayed true to the energy and feeling of punk. If you like music you have to like Skip The Use. Their songs and their shows are simply great.

thursday eurosonic

roosevelT (de) Plays at PlatForm theater, main: 02.00-02.45

thursday eurosonic

sKiP&die (nl) Plays at huize maas, main: 01.15-02.00

sKunKfunK (nl) Plays at shadrak, uP: 20.00-20.45

sofie leTiTre (nl) Plays at enerGy staGe

Politicians always say it is not possible that all the many different global cultures could live together, but SKIP&DIE has proved them wrong. The band of Jori Collignon and Cata Pirata toured South Africa, the land where Cata Pirata was born, and there they found all the influences that merge magically on their new album Riots In The Jungle. Dubstep with cumbia, kwaito with hip hop, the album has it all and the title is just as exciting as the music. Live SKIP&DIE is a riot. A good riot.

Why choose between funk and old school hip hop if you can mix these styles together into one big, boiling melting pot? That was exactly the thought of the nine guys who formed SkunkFunk. Two MC’s are backed by a smoothly playing funk band with three trumpet and sax players and a firm rhythm section. In the past year, they played a lot of festivals and won several band competitions. Their secret weapon? A strong belief in an exchange of energy with the audience. Skunkfunk is fanatic, energetic and… smelly. In the best way possible.

Sofie Letitre has a way of doing everything slightly different than everyone else. After her first piano chord and when her mesmerizing voice kicks in, you are guaranteed to go on a blissful journey with sharp emotional edges. Influenced by artists like Fiona Apple, Radiohead and Sia, Sofie takes you from bombastic cynicism to fragile melancholy and back. Curious? She even managed to take this approach to her rendition of Deadmau5’ I Remember, which the DJ/producer himself called “Bloody Amazing!” How about that?

sPlAshh (uK) Plays at huize maas, Front: 23.00-23.45

sProKKelhouT (nl) Plays at buCkshot: 22.15-23.00

sTABil eliTe (de) Plays at simPlon, main: 20.00-20.45

After playing in the national finals of the band contest for young musicians: the Kunstbende, and performances at Noorderzon, the Gideon Festival and all other places in Groningen where there was an opportunity to play, Sprokkelhout is now ready to take the next step in their career. Indie, jazz, rock and even orchestral songs make it hard to pinpoint this former school band. The five musicians are inspired by dEUS, Pavement, Modest Mouse and Death Cab For Cutie, amongst others. The versatile tastes of the different musicians makes sure their music is never the same.

Not only krautrock of a very high quality, also made in the region where the style initially developed. Stabil Elite are from Düsseldorf, and they fuse disco, ambient and surf pop, with Nikolai Szymanski singing his german lyrics in a sort of cut-up style. The bass lines are magnificent and the sounds from the synthesizers made Stabil Elite a huge hit at the C/O Pop Festival in Cologne for which they made the song Gold, followed by the album Douze Pouze. A band not to be missed by anyone who loves krautrock or german musical history.

sTeAMinG sATelliTes (AT) Plays at vera: 20.45-21.30

sTuBBorn heArT (uK) Plays at huize maas, main: 23.45-00.30

swinder (nl) Plays at with tsjallinG: 20.00-20.30

Steaming indeed. Steaming Satellites compare themselves to a spaceship running on worn out underwear. Their goal is to boldly go where no one has gone before using the lead weight of Led Zeppelin, the spherical reach of Pink Floyd and the relevance of Bob Dylan, all pimped-up with some electronic stuff. Up to date rock that knows how to honor the past, and the live energy of a steaming locomotive.

Why not use of a whole half century of music history? Stubborn Heart mixes dubstep, some would say post-dubstep, with soul from the 60’s and 70’s, electronic music from the 80’s, house from the 90’s and classic pop hits like those of Timbaland and Hall and Oates. The high-pitched singing voice of Luca Santucci has seen this duo from London compared with SBTRKT, Mount Kimbie and James Blake. This is stripped-down very soulful music, and just as easy on a dance floor as on your headphones. Almost music of the future.

Bas Schröder is the man behind Swinder, a singer-songwriter singing in Groningen dialect, the language of the region he was born in. A dialect that’s even hard to understand to most Dutch people, but it makes his warm songs even more charming and honest. Swinder moves between melancholy pop songs and up tempo folk rock. Since the summer of 2012, he has been playing live a lot in the cafés of Groningen, accompanied by three guys on drums, bass and keys. His first single about a girl named Annemarie is getting popular fast. Schröder has planned to put out his debut album as Swinder in the summer of 2013.

TeMPles (uK) Plays at huis de beurs: 20.00-20.45

The exCiTeMenTs (es) Plays at Forum imaGes: 00.15-01.00

The KyTeMAn orChesTrA (nl) Plays at eurosoniC air: 20.00-20.45

ThoMAs Azier (nl) Plays at minerva art aCademy: 20.30-21.10

ToMMiGun (Be) Plays at de sPieGhel, uP: 20.00-20.45

Kyteman did what many hoped or suspected. He proved to be a force to be reckoned with, he made an album that contained everything to put on magnificent shows and he dared to dream in his own Kytopia in the Dutch city of Utrecht. Kyteman likes big gestures, yet his enormous band is also capable of touching the smallest nerves as well as to make thunder like a hurricane. The Kyteman Orchestra elevates the audiences to a higher level with their jazz, pop, blues, dance and classical music. Maybe they reach the sky, they will definitely go somewhere without limits or borders.

Thomas Azier returns to Eurosonic/Noorderslag, after a year in which he has grown as a musician after a move to Berlin. He has released two EP’s and the last part of his Hylas trilogy is on its way in the form of his debut album. The recently released second EP features electronic pop with a touch of darkness, music that was made after a long process of introspection. It has been a year of change and many live shows for Thomas Azier, and his return to Groningen is not only accompanied by new music, but also by new-found maturity and experience.

There is a lot of good tension in the music of Tommigun, like a couple that is about to break up sitting in the backseat of your car. You can characterize the music of this Belgian band as ‘heartbreakhangovertunes’, with the melancholy of Chris Isaak and T-Bone Burnett and the drive of The Pixies. The alternating lead voices of Thomas Devos and Kaat Arnaert give the music an extra layer, and they played as the support and backing band of Daniel Johnston, about which Humo magazine wrote: “If he can hear how good they are, why can’t you? What’s wrong with you?”

Town of sAinTs (nl) Plays at shadrak, Floor: 22.15-23.00

TurBoweeKend (dK) Plays at huize maas, Front: 00.30-01.15

vAnderBuysT (nl) Plays at vindiCat: 23.45-00.30

Harmen Ridderbos, Heta Salkolahti and Sietse Ros are a Dutch Finnish trio who met at a songwriter workshop in Innsbrück, Austria, perhaps the first sign that Town Of Saints would become a much-travelled, truly international band, and they have since played all over Europe. After a show at Eurosonic in 2012 they went to Finland to record The Silent Sea EP, which has a rich and elaborate sound, varying from orchestral strings to danceable indie folk, comparable to Arcade Fire and Fleet Foxes. But the touring just keeps on going, and there’s a debut album ahead, plus a show at Noorderslag!

Turboweekend is four Danes who mix the sexy parts of Danish underground rock and pop with the country’s very specific dance sound. On their fourth album Fault Lines you hear the myriad electronic influences, and their sound has brought them success with their songs reaching the top of the local charts, resulting in bookings at the major festivals like from Roskilde and Spot. Eurosonic is for many a great weekend, but with this band it’s gonna be a Turboweekend.

To keep life fun you should listen to Vanderbuyst on a weekly basis. Unfortunately though, Eurosonic is just a once a year thing, so we had to book them again after their amazing performance last year. Vanderbuyst just released new album called Flying Dutchmen and, with their Gibson Flying V’s, sizzling hard rock and monstrous guitar solos, they performed an impressive number of shows in 2012, opening for Thin Lizzy and Judas Priest in The Netherlands, playing Hellfest in France and Bang Your Head Festival in Germany. Although that said, every show by Vanderbuyst is a ‘bang your head’ festival.

thursday eurosonic

TAlBoT (ee) Plays at de sPieGhel: 22.15-23.00

thursday eurosonic

viMes (de) Plays at simPlon, uP: 20.45-21.30

wAllACe vAnBorn (Be) Plays at huis de beurs: 00.15-01.00

we BuTTer The BreAd wiTh BuTTer (de) Plays at vindiCat: 01.15-02.00

So there really is more than just techno in Cologne. Not that Vimes is a guitar rock band, yet it is different to what many producers in that German city are doing. The voice of Azhar Syed is a key element in the sound of Vimes, as are the melancholic electronics underpinning it by Julian Stetter. The band were also noticed by Hot Chip, who asked Vimes to be the support act on their South American tour. A new song called Upstairs has just been released, and the two are currently working hard on their debut album.

The steamroller is back. Lie down please. Wallace Vanborn were overwhelming at Eurosonic 2011, now they have a second album out and so we have another reason to unleash some terror on Groningen once again. These three Belgians have been busy since the last time they came here, in 2011 they played Sziget as well as Eurosonic and another 100 shows across 11 countries. Their new album Lions, Liars, Guns & God has seen them booked at Pukkelpop an Dour, alongside another doing 40 shows around Europe. Rocking guitars, catchy refrains with tasty hooks, and very danceable too.

It is now two years since Der Tag An dem die Welt Unterging by German deathcore band We Butter The Bread With Butter and the fans keep speculating what the follow-up will be like, how it will sound and most importantly when they are going to get to hear it. If it is anything like the last one, there will be metalcore, electro and death metal. But drummer and singer Tobias Schultka left, just as guitarist Kenneth Duncan did. But on stage the band has already found their new dynamic and direction, but as to when this can be heard on an album is still keeping the fans speculating.

wilhelMfreddie (nl) Plays at shadrak, uP: 21.30-22.15

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weird, great and overwhelming! An original act you have to keep watching, this has to be seen at festivals!â&#x20AC;? Those were the remarks of the jury after the band contest De Doorbraak was won by Wilhelmfreddie. Now their funky orgelsaxbasdrum-trash can be heard at Eurosonic. They already played the major venues in their part of The Netherlands, just as the local festivals in their area. They have been compared to the punkfunk of Gang Of Four and LCD Soundsystem. Yet Wilhelmfreddie always remains true to themselves. They plan to show it at Eurosonic.

eurosonic friday 11 january 2013

friday eurosonic

77 BomBay Street (CH) Plays at Grand theatre, main: 00.30-01.15

a toyS orCHeStra (It) Plays at muziekschool: 21.25-22.10

aaafterparty (invitation only) Plays at news cafe: 00.45-03.00

So it is possible! A band made up of brothers who don’t constantly fight each other. 77 Bombay Street is four brothers who grew up in a Swiss family of nine children and who named themselves after the address of the house they lived in when they moved to Australia for two years. They sound like The Beatles in their early days crossed with the Beach Boys after a night on the booze, with, of course, hints of healthy mountain air, together with lots of live experience, humor and folky lightness. A band of brothers who should go far.

A Toys Orchestra are among the trailblazers of credible Italian indie-rock. Their sound covers a broad musical horizon with its roots on the coast of Southern Italy, taking in Europe and the US, elements of their punk rock background, some American indie/alternative rock of the 90s, the eclectic unexpectedness of Bowie and Kurt Weill, with nods to The Beatles and Pink Floyd. They released their 1st album “Job” (Fridge Recs) in 2001, which made a mark in the Italian scene. National awareness came with the awardwinning clip “Peter Pan Syndrome” from their second album in 2004.

0.45-1.00 uur DJ Paullie (Hangmatpop) 1.00-2.00 uur Agents After Allstars 2.00-3.00 uur Chef’Special Soundsystem

aBBy (De) Plays at huize maas, front: 21.30-22.15

aCID SympHony orCHeStra (fI) Plays at stadsschouwburG: 20.00-20.45

agent SIDe grInDer (Se) Plays at minerva art academy: 23.00-23.40

Since Abby released their first EP Welcome Home in 2011, fans have been longing for more. The tracks Evelyn and Monsters were proof that they had a feeling for hits combined with slick indie moves. The singer sounds like he is from London, and the band, who love to experiment with electronics, already have the sort of reputation for their live shows that more experienced groups would envy. Abby are energetic, catchy and great to dance to....and there are never enough bands like that.

Ten blokes, each with a Roland TB 303 on his lap. One conductor, with a 707 or 808 and a mixing desk, and it’s he who decides what sounds the audience gets to hear from the Orchestra. He is the true improviser who is also the famous Finnish producer and DJ Jori Hulkkonen. Acid has made a comeback in recent years, but Hulkkonen is giving it a different twist with this project. Acid Symphony Orchestra has been performing occasionally for a while now, but due to the difficulty of getting the ten famous producers together they give very few concerts. A chance to see them that simply cannot be ignored.

Industrial, post punk and electro topped with the apocalyptic crooning of singer Kristoffer Grip sums up the sound of Swedish band Agent Side Grinder. They are often compared to Kraftwerk, Einstürzende Neubaten and Depeche Mode with the German edition of Vice magazine daring to write: “One of the few bands actually in a position to deal with the legacy of Joy Division.” Stylistically these Swedes can go in several different directions, and on their third album Hardware, released early 2012, they chose a bigger and more textured sound. But one thing is for sure, they will never be bubblegum pop act.

alunageorge (uK) Plays at simPlon, main: 23.00-23.45

amenra (Be) Plays at machinefabriek: 20.00-20.45

The internet is full of hormones and dirt, but it is possible to find a meaningful relationship on the web. Even one that is just based on a shared love for the same music, which is what happened to Aluna Francis and George Reid. Their musical compatibility was awesome with her remarkable voice and his magnificent beats a perfect match. They caught the ear of BBC DJ Rob da Bank and one of their first songs made it to the American version of the TV show Skins. An album is on its way, featuring dance music you can listen to with a singing voice that is influenced by soul.

It must be rather agreeable to be one of the fans of Amenra because the Belgian band never disappoints, and now these five musicians from Gent are gaining more and more notoriety thanks to their mix of doom and sludgecore. They attract huge crowds to their shows, as headliners or recently supporting Neurosis. Instead of always choosing the obvious, Amenra do a lot of things differently, like recording an acoustic album, releasing a book, or a live CD. And we are about to hear their fifth album Mass V, released by Neurot Records, Neurosis’ label. Metal the way it should be.

agentS after allStarS (invitation only) Plays at news cafe: 01.00-02.00

Friday, an ABC the News Café: Agents After All artists, Beer & croquettes and Circus! The Agents After Allstars have been established especially for this occasion and feature: Bram van den Berg (Krezip / Guild of Stags), Joost van Haaren (Krezip / Guild of Stags), JP Hoekstra (Krezip / Guild of Stags) and Gertjan van der Weerd (Bertolf / Typhoon). This band will accompany different Agents After All-vocalists, but who these ‘stars’ are we won’t tell yet ... Only Hits of Holland’s best musicians and AAA artists!

anna von HauSwolff (Se) Plays at stadsschouwburG: 22.55-23.35

auDIo aDam (nl) Plays at enerGy staGe: 22.30-23.00

Tim Peters van Ton learned the tricks of the trade at the Institute of Modern Music in the UK. Back in his hometown Groningen he decided to put it into practice together with his mate Fedde Döbken. Assisted by Lesley Baker and David Wolgen they form Animal Antics. Mixing pop with funk and classic rock, these four men know how to make catchy rock tunes which can be performed acoustic as well. Just listen to their acoustic cover of The Kooks’ Jackie Big Tits. This is the kind of band that makes the singing and composing of fun songs look as easy as eating a sandwich.

How do you make name for yourself when your father is a renowned recording artist in Sweden? Anna von Hausswolff knew she had to come up with something special, and she did. She had a top five hit debut album with Singing from the Grave in 2010, and this summer her second album Ceremony was given the maximum score in Norwegian and Swedish reviews, with comparisons to Kate Bush and Antony Hegarty, among others. But comparisons will soon be made to Anna von Hausswolf herself, surely a household name of the future.

With the new album This Is Our Home just released and the knowledge that playing for fellow citizens of Groningen was a success last year at Eurosonic as well, the Dutch band Audio Adam returns to Eurosonic. Last year we wrote that 2012 could become a great year for this band. And it did! They won 10.000 euro at a contest and spend it on the recording of an album. They are regular guests at Dutch radio station 3FM where their sound has been called a mix of Gavin DeGraw, Keane and Snow Patrol. We are going to write it once again: this could become a great year for Audio Adam.

BomBay SHow pIg (nl) Plays at minerva art academy: 21.45-22.25

BRNS (BE) Plays at Huis de Beurs: 21.25-22.10

BroKen twIn (DK) Plays at stadsschouwburG / kruithuis: 20.45-21.25

How to get a big sound as a duo? Bombay Show Pig know how. That said, the two-piece from The Hague and Amsterdam didn’t quite do it on their own on debut album Vulture/Provider. They recorded it in Kytopia studios in Utrecht, a place filled with talented musicians, many of whom gave a helping hand. The press was loved its references to The Kills, Death From Above 1979, Beck and PJ Harvey. Bombay Show Pig, a.k.a. Mathias Janmaat and Linda van Leeuwen, are in fact more poppy on stage, but they still maintain that big, big sound.

BRNS, pronounced ‘brains’, are four multiinstrumentalists from Brussels who make music for anyone who likes anything from Animal Collective to Fugazi. At the same time their music has been described as an over-exposed pastel colored Polaroid of California. Oh well, if you lost track there, just listen to their hit Mexico. Brns, who have already shared the stage with Suuns, Django Django and Cloud Nothings, weave together tunes that are mystical, moody and insanely catchy.

Drawing upon the eerie sounds of the Northern hemisphere and musically related to acts such as Feist, Nico and Anthony and the Johnsons her simple setup of bass, piano, guitar, vocals and percussion intertwines in a whirlwind of creaking pianobenches, floating vocals and cantankerous guitars. With ease this 24 year old Dane creates sensations that move the listener, taking them through a maze of emotion, nostalgia and even lonesomeness that one cant get out of, while simultaneously unconsciously not wanting to.

CaptaIn Capa (De) Plays huize maas, front : 00.30-01.15

CHef’SpeCIal (nl) Plays at eurosonic air: 21.30-22.15

CHef’SpeCIal SounDSyStem (nl) Plays at news cafe: 02.00-03.00

Hannes Naumann and Maik Biermann grew up in the small town of Bad Frankenhausen, in central Germany, raised on video games and garage punk. It was inevitable they ultimately decided to pool their resources to get their hands on sequencers and synthesizers, and the result was high speed, super catchy pop. Influences include nu-rave, electro and a voice that has elements of emocore and Britpop. Captain Capa combine the energy of electronics working at full speed, with furious guitar and melodic, emotional singing. The energy that can’t be found in Bad Frankenhausen is all present in Captain Capa.

Chef’Special is a Dutch band that has proved where hard work and fun can take you. The five piece band from the city of Haarlem started when they discovered a sound where funk, reggae, hiphop, rock and pop played tag, with singer Joshua Nolet’s charisma being their crowning glory. After releasing the album One For The Mrs, every Dutch venue, festival, radio show and television program has welcomed Chef’Special, because they always make the audience smile. And why would Eurosonic deny its visitors that same smile?

As a band Chef’Special smashes many festival and pop venue with their tunes, now they will with a strong DJ set. Solid Grooves to pumping basslines, from nostalgia to sounds from the future. Chef’Special Soundsytem doesn’t make concessions and spin records they are themselves inspired or motivated by. There is one rule: it must be danceable!

friday eurosonic

anImal antICS (nl) Plays at buckshot: 22.00-22.45

friday eurosonic

CHIna ratS (uK) Plays at huize maas, front: 23.00-23.45

CompupHonIC (Be) Plays at simPlon, uP: 01.15-02.00

ConCrete KnIveS (fr) Plays at de sPieGhel: 23.45-00.30

Barely one year since they formed and China Rats, a young band from Leeds, have already played the Benicassim festival two days in a row, with the first night being before the official festival started in front of a mad-for-it crowd. When Bat For Lashes had to cancel the next day, China Rats took their spot and won over even more fans. The four piece makes lively pop, inspired by a love of punk rock, 50’s pop and classic British guitar bands. Songs that are great to sing along to, but with a rough guitar edge. 2013 will be a lot of fun for China Rats and its fans.

Maxime Firket started his electronic career by putting together mixes on a Roland Compuphonic synthesizer, hence the name. Previous to that, the musician from Liège, Belgium studied music theory and classical music and chose the cello as his main instrument. This classical background has served him well ever since in his search for originality, simplicity, efficiency, emotion and some sort of positive take on melancholy. It is a unique and personal version of house music. He will release his debut album in 2013, but until then you can hear his message on the dance floor.

Is it just us or does everyone like those songs you can sing and shout along with? That’s exactly how Concrete Knives stole our heart. Boys and a girl who sing together and have a lot of fun on the upcoming album Be Your Own King. They have been called the heirs to the B-52’s and the hip bands from New York from the decade they call the noughties. Music where great bass lines, winks to the eighties, sing alongs, enormous fun and great energy come together. Music that is fun with a capital F.

DaKHaBraKHa (ua) Plays at forum imaGes: 00.15-01.00

Dan San (Be) Plays at de sPieGhel, uP: 00.30-01.15

De rooIe neger (nl) Plays at vera: 02.00-04.00

Dakhabrakha is a four piece band with a singer who possesses an impressive falsetto voice, alongside three female musicians in traditional Ukrainian dress. They can start a song as r&b and it’ll end up as Ukrainian folk, or start with traditional folk and end up with house. They describe themselves as melding soulful Ukrainian folk with the jazz and trance sounds that typify world music. Dakhabrakha means give/take, and the group gives music and takes all kinds of different influences to make beautiful, long, mesmerizing songs.

According to the band information Dan San is from Liège, but the musicians in Dan San are more fond of the countryside around the Belgian city than the urban parts. The band loves to sing about the birds and the bees in their indie folksongs, it’s folk with a light touch, in the mould of Grizzly Bear, Syd Matters and Fleet Foxes, where instruments like the violin, cajón and mandolin play an important part. Their name means thank you in Cantonese which makes it very easy to show your appreciation. You just shout their name after the gig.

‘It’s my party and I draai what I want to’, that is what De Rooie Neger could have tattooed on his belly, yet he didn’t. This ginger DJ made such an impression at Eurosonic last year that Vera Groningen asked him back in the summer, to wait a whole year to see him again was too long. At Speedfest, Paaspop and Incubate De Rooie Neger was also one of the top acts. He spins the hits and nothing but the hits, however he never forgets the best songs with heavy guitars. Always red fireworks.

DeSert DeaD CopS (nl) Plays at cafe koster: 22.45-23.30

DISCo enSemBle (fI) Plays at machinefabriek: 23.00-23.45

eartH Control (nl) Plays at with tsjallinG: 22.00-22.30

Recalling The Netherlands rich musical history and classic beat groups like Q65, The Motions and The Shoes, Desert Dead Cops want to take us back to those heady times. In their hands, and combined with a thoroughly modern approach, the music becomes a kind of beatfolk. They have recently done well in several local talent contests and played at a couple of international motor race meetings at the TT Assen circuit. Desert Dead Cops have a great sound, good songs and all the charisma they need to go far.

Even those who love disco are welcome at shows by Disco Ensemble. They love the confusion, especially since they started out as the punk band DisCo, influenced by Refused and Snapcase. They have been performing now for twelve years, and those sharp punk edges are gone as evidenced by their fifth album Warriors. But these four Finns are still able to make a lot of noise, like the pumping song I’ve Seen The Future. They may be older and wiser, but they are also better as well.

When Earth Control’s appearance at last year’s Eurosonic was announced, the one thing you could be sure of is that there would be no other band playing that weekend who sounded even remotely like them. And this year is no different. Because their electro punk is combined with highly original lyrics in Dutch about shopping trollies, or advice about not getting tattoos or piercings, or buying a sweater with a zipper, then discovering when you get it home that there’s something printed on the sleeves.

elepHant (uK) Plays at de sPieGhel: 22.15-23.00

epIC raIn (IS) Plays at GroninGer museum, ad: 22.10-22.50

‘Enough’ is the title of the debut album by Eisenhower, the rock band from Groningen. A deceptive title because it is just the beginning for these four men. They are spotted by the national phenomenon Cortonville where talented Dutch rock acts get a lot of attention and help. Perhaps they will win even more time in the studio because of the support of Cortonville. Eisenhower already played at festival De Affaire, supported Y&T and almost won a talent award in Groningen. The energy you hear on their debut album is a even more apparent on stage. They conquer and are unstoppable just like their name giver.

Elephant makes the kind of dream pop that talks of feverish dreams on hot, muggy nights. There is tension in the music of the French-born and Yorkshire-bred singer Amelia Rivas and the man behind the machines, Christian Pinchbeck, partly because they were a couple who broke up but who still work together. These mixed emotions have been expressed beautifully in music with sounds where days and nights merge, and sleep becomes a friend and an enemy. In the two years they have been making music, they released some excellent and much-praised EP’s. And now the wait is over for the muggy dream debut.

floex (CZ) Plays at Grand theatre, uP: 23.45-00.30

florIan wolff (nl) Plays at enerGy staGe

foxeS (uK) Plays at simPlon, uP: 22.15-23.00

There are two sides to Tomáš Dvořák. First of all he is a composer of soundtracks, with his music for the game Machinarium selected as the best 2009 soundtrack by PC Gamer. In Floex his clarinet is the main instrument, combining its beautiful sound with electronics to bridge the borders between nu-jazz, electronic and modern contemporary music, and it sounds so good, he could easily be part of the thriving electronic scene in Berlin. On his latest album Zorya he explores acoustic music (especially classical minimalism), soundtrack music and contemporary electronica. Refreshing and impressive.

Florian Wolff is determined to leave the world two things: a vast catalog full of beautiful songs and ... nothing. Despite his small shoe size, Florian wants to leave the smallest possible footprint. With his album The Nature Of Things, he made a great step in the right direction: the songs on the album sound so hot you can turn off the heat in your living room. His playful and beautiful music brought him to all the major venues and some big festivals in the Netherlands, including Lowlands. Another example of Wolff’s creativity: he decided to wrap his album up in a painting-like piece of artwork, suitable for everyone’s living room.

The record label Neon Gold has a nose for talent, releasing early works by Ellie Goulding, Marina and the Diamonds and The Naked and Famous, and once again they have found great talent with Foxes. In 2011 Foxes was better known as Louisa Rose Allen, a young woman who left Southampton to study in London, who realized while there that making music was much more fun. With rich synth sounds, industrial percussion and by-turns a searing-and-soaring voice, she has a sound all her own. You can hear it on her second EP Warrior. A talent to remember.

gaBrIel BruCe (uK) Plays at usva: 22.00-22.40

garDa (De) Plays at de sPieGhel, uP: 23.00-23.45

gaSmaC gIllmore (at) Plays at vindicat: 01.15-02.00

Too bad The Voice is already used as a nickname for Frank Sinatra because it would be apropriate for Gabriel Bruce as well. The singer from London is, according to The Fader: “One part Leonard Cohen, a little bit Nick Cave and some Johnny Cash doing Hurt.” His voice is deep, warm, yet flexible enough to go different ways, and is always supported by a Farfisa organ and rich orchestration. The influences of Dylan and Springsteen on the lyrics make sure there’s no problem in that area. It’s great to go deep with Gabriel Bruce.

You can describe the music of German six-piece band Garda as indiefolk, yet singer Kai Lehmann had a better answer when he was asked to compare new album A Heart Of A Pro with an animal. “A gorilla.” he said, “because it is also huge, sad and hunted.” Garda have made an album that is sometimes huge-sounding, with a dark edge and the scent of danger. Garda are not afraid to use strings and brass, but can also go alt.country when needed. A gorilla to be looked at closely.

You probably wouldn’t know what to think of a description like ‘balkan folk metal’, so just go and listen to Gasmac Gilmore. The band has been described as a mixture of Gogol Bordello, System Of A Down and Pantera, where klezmer, balkan and metal alternate in this upbeat music. We don’t know quite how they do what they do, but it’s great music to dance to. Vienna has a tradition of being a melting pot for different cultures and kinds of music, and Gasmac Gilmore fits this tradition perfectly with a style of music you have never heard before, but that is undeniably a brilliant discovery.

friday eurosonic

eISenHower (nl) Plays at buckshot: 23.15-00.00

friday eurosonic

gIrlS nameS (Ie) Plays at huis de beurs: 20.00-20.45

grImuS (ro) Plays at huize maas, front: 20.00-20.45

HanDSome poetS (nl) Plays at eurosonic air: 20.00-20.45

They said Girl Names captured the sound of Belfast in 2011 with their record Dead To Me, although in fact the band sound takes a lot from London and the US. That first album was inspired by surf and indie pop, but a year later they have shifted their sound towards krautrock and psych, and even Echo and The Bunnymen, The Birthday Party and David Bowie during Low. This new sound can be heard on the album A Troubled See. The band everybody is talking about.

Stylistically Grimus are looking far beyond their own country of Romania, making music that is a mix of U2, Radiohead, The Killers and Muse. That is what took them to a lot of countries alongside a constant desire to play and tour, so they now have 350 live shows to their name, from Sziget to Exit and a series of shows in the UK. They once played after a lecture by Salman Rushdie, the man who wrote the book where they found their name. Grimus is a hungry and experienced live band, who will soon be releasing their third album. Eurosonic better be ready.

If you write songs as easily as Handsome Poets do, then it’s not a bad idea to record one song every three weeks, a regime that led rapidly to their debut album in 2011, featuring hits like Blinded and Dance (The War Is Over). Dutch band Handsome Poets has the word catchy all over its music with a sound that mixes Simple Minds, U2 and Coldplay. And if you’re looking for a reason to cheer, they are about to release a second album with first hit single Sky On Fire already released. Very promising indeed.

HatHorS (CH) Plays at muziekschool: 22.50-23.35

HerreK (nl) Plays at GroninGer museum, ad: 20.45-21.25

HIgHaSaKIte (no) Plays at vera: 20.45-21.30

It is the sound of a garage where oil stains remain forever on the floor and where the pin up girl on the poster dates back to the 70s. Swiss band Hathors have three cars in their garage; they roar like a mighty Cadillac, have the force of a Chevrolet and the untamed freedom of a Pontiac. The band is named after the ancient Egyptian goddess Hathor who embodies death, love, peace, beauty, dance, art and music. They describe their musical work as “Brain Fucked Garage Rock by Traumatized Problem Children”. We, on the other hand, would just like to describe it as GREAT.

Herrek is how people from Indonesia pronounced the name of Gerrit van der Scheer when he lived there, and his music is a dark and folky attempt to capture Gerrit’s childhood years spent on Papua. Van der Scheer, by the way, is also the front man of Bonne Aparte and used to be guitar player in Adept. There are currently only two songs so far recorded by Herrek, but the music of this five-piece band from Groningen hypnotizes listeners. If there’s one band that will play their own city fully prepared, it’s got to be Herrek.

Pop music, yet not quite as you might expect it because Norwegian band Highasakite does everything with a distinctive twist. Singer Ingrid Helene Håvik is supported by a drummer and a wall of synths while she accompanies herself with a zither. Debut album All That Floats Will Rain gave the band the opportunity to perform at the big festivals like the Øya and their talent did not go unnoticed. Not only the audience, but also other artists were impressed, with Bon Iver tweeting “Holy shit this was a crazy band! I loved it!” To see if he was right, go and see Highasakite.

HologramS (Se) Plays at vindicat: 20.45-21.30

HonIg (De) Plays at usva: 21.00-21.40

Huoratron (fI) Plays at huize maas, main: 01.15-02.00

Punk with a synthesizer? No problem for Swedish band Holograms. The five-piece formed just over a year ago has a very distinctive sound mixing punk with influences like Joy Division and other Factory greats, not to forget The Units and Suicide. This year they released an eponymous debut album featuring singer Anton Spetze’s special voice, which sounds as if he was from the streets of a grey industrial city in England in the 80s. Don’t forget to see Holograms.

It started with two Game Boys, but Finnish Aku Raski had other plans. It led to the stunning album Cryptocracy in 2012. An album that made a fan say: “ I was never scared for my speakers until I played Huoratron. The acid lines, beats and synths with that perfect crunchy sound are hard, confrontational and relentless. Not to mention unpredictable. So it is not surprising that a member of MSTRKRFT described Raski the Electro Metal Mozart. This is a hurricane you want to witness.

JupIter (fr) Plays at news cafe: 23.45-00.30

KarIn parK (Se) Plays at huis de beurs: 00.15-01.00

It’s probably the best year in Søren Løkke Juul’s life. The musician from Copenhagen played his first show in February this year, and released his first single as Indians two months later. Now he has a record deal with 4AD and is touring through the US as support of Other Lives. His melancholic indie mixed with electronics makes us want to hear that debut album and makes us want to see him do a headline show. The album is scheduled for release in January.

It is not a huge surprise that Amelie and Quarles met on an empty dance floor where funk classic Mama Used To Say was playing. Jupiter love disco glitter and electro funk, they love the time when carelessness was king on the dance floor, and you can hear it on debut album Juicy Lucy, especially on the singles Saké, Starlighter and One O Six. The French-British duo like to go retro with the keytar and the disco ball, but they are also influenced by the recent electro house from the Ed Banger label. Jupiter’s shows are dance parties where you don’t have to wear mini skirts or flaired trousers to have a great night.

Karin Park’s big breakthrough was in 2004 in Norway, since then her music has become darker and more electronic. Fredrik Saroea of Datarock produced her album Ashes To Gold in 2009, and this year’s High Wire Poetry was produced by Christoffer Berg, known for his work for The Knife, Fever Ray and Massive Attack. Park’s voice can in fact be compared to that of Karin Dreijer Andersson, but her music is very different, with a distinct feel and tempo. Live she delivers startling performances together with her brother David.

KenSIngton (nl) Plays at cathedral: 20.30-21.15

lau nau (fI) Plays at Grand theatre, uP: 20.45-21.30

leSlIe ClIo (De) Plays at simPlon, main: 21.30-22.15

There is hardly a venue in the Netherlands that hasn’t hosted a sold out show by Kensington. The band has been evolving so fast in recent years, it’s hard to keep track. After the successful debut album Borders in 2010, this year’s album Vultures - recorded in Berlin, mixed in London and mastered in New York - paved the way for a major breakthrough. Dutch media and magazines were effusive, with the LP being named the best Dutch album of 2012. Kensington has a very British sound with elements of the best Britpop, but it remains very much their own sound. Quite an accomplishment.

Finnish Laura Naukkarinen, better known as Lau Nau, is not the kind of artist that does extensive tours. Her huge musical talent and adventurous spirit allow her to make beautiful albums and do impressive shows, even so, she doesn’t perform often. But when she does, she makes an big impression, The Wire added a 2005 concert by Lau Nau to their list of the 60 Concerts that shook the world. She makes folksongs with an ethnic vibe, full of isolation, mystery and of course beauty. After a break from working she is now back with new music and a few select shows.

Blue eyed soul, German soul, whatever you call it, it is soul music with no stylists or image builders for Leslie Clio. Soul is about feeling and for the young German singer it is an honest feeling, with traces of post punk and the darker side of trip hop added to a modern, but classic, soul tradition. If you don’t grab the opportunity to see her live, you are going tomiss something great, and in that case we can only quote her hit: “Don’t say I didn’t, I told you so, I told you so!”

lInnea olSSon (Se) Plays at GroninGer museum, ch: 20.00-20.45

luKaS graHam (DK) Plays at huize maas, main: 22.15-23.00

luKe SItal-SIngH (uK) Plays at forum imaGes: 20.30-21.10

Probably 98% of all singer-songwriters accompany themselves on the guitar or piano, but luckily there are always people who dare to do things differently. People like Linnea Olsson, a Swede who sings and plays the cello. Olsson is one of the many talented musicians from the backing band of Ane Brun (alongside Nina Kinert and Jennie Abrahamson). Olsson’s debut Ah! has just been released, and as a highlight of 2012 she got to be the support act of Peter Gabriel and play in his band on a tour of the US and Canada. Linnea Olsson, someone with a unique sound.

Graham’s very first two songs became enormously popular on YouTube, then it was the same story for his debut album wich overtook Madonna in the charts and sold more copies than the whole of the rest of the top 10 combined. Irish/Danish singer Lukas Graham Forchhammer and his Danish band make a combination of soul, funk, hip hop and pop music that Lukas describes as ghetto-pop, because it is a combination of so many genres. After success in their own country, now the rest of Europa can get a taste of ghettopop, and it will taste good.

He has been named the British Bon Iver, and with just guitar and voice he still manages to stand out from the many other singer/songwriters. That is because he sometimes multi-tracks his voice so many times that a choir forms. On the beautiful Fail For You, Luke Sital-Singh has such a special voice and timing that it only takes a few second to be sucked in. Sital-Singh - still unsigned - is currently doing a solo tour after numerous supports slots, and Eurosonic will be one of his first gigs outside of the UK. Don’t miss it.

friday eurosonic

InDIanS (DK) Plays at forum imaGes: 21.40-22.20

friday eurosonic 44

-m- (fr) Plays at Grand theatre, main: 23.00-23.45

maaSK (nl) Plays at shadrak, floor: 23.45-00.30

mø (DK) Plays at simPlon, uP: 20.45-21.30

In 1978, age only six, Matthieu Chedid recorded his first hit single when he sang on the chorus of the song T’as Beau Pas être Beau by his father Louis Chedid. In order to be free from the association with his father and poetess grandmother Andrée Chedid, Matthieu decided to use just ‘M’ as his artist name, and he has been working under it since 1997. European audiences may know him from the movie The Triplettes of Belleville, where he sang the song Belleville Rendez-vous. New album Îl is filled with French pop rock of the best kind, and M is a consummate and dynamic live performer.

MAASK (Joost Maaskant) from Leeuwarden, Friesland will be the most special and wild one man band you ever saw in your life. He is a voice artist who creates a full band sound with his human beat box skills and a self-developed audio loop program. During his strange and very spontaneous live shows, boundaries between pop, dance, dub step, hip hop or even jazz music are nowhere to be found. But a major party in the audience sure is. Last summer, he already worked on a special performance with Typhoon, one of Holland’s most popular rappers. This year, he’s planning his debut album and more gigs.

There is some mystery surrounding Danish singer Mø. She is from Copenhagen and she has released two singles, but there is not much more we know. But the question really is, do you need to know more when you hear those singles (Maiden and Pilgrim)? The ice cold voice of Mø combined with both minimal sounds as well as big brass in Pilgrim is what makes the sound of Mø so special. She is often mentioned alongside Grimes and Jessie Ware, yet even with a mere two songs released she is strong enough to stand on her own two feet.

molotov JuKeBox (uK) Plays at GroninGer museum, ch: 00.15-01.00

monopHona (lu) Plays at news cafe: 20.45-21.30

mutIny on tHe Bounty (lu) Plays at vera: 01.15-02.00

Besides being an actress playing Osha in Game Of Thrones and Nymphadora Tonks in Harry Potter, Natalie Tena is a gifted singer and accordion player who plays all over the world with her band Molotov Jukebox, from Brazil to the big European festivals. The trumpet, accordion, and violin give Molotov Jukebox the vibe of a seedy club, partly thanks to the dark, edgy voice of Tena. Sometimes the music reminds us of our very own singer Caro Emerald only with more Balkan influence, and a tempo and feeling that explain why South America loves Molotov Jukebox. This is a band that fits in all over the world.

When you put a folkrock singer-songwriter together with a turntable wizard and drum & bass producer, you can expect either a big fight or beautiful music. Happily, the latter is the case for Monophona. This group from Luxembourg creates beautiful music for your headphones, preferably to listen at home alone late at night. It also works with a bigger audience, where drummer Jorsch plays an important part between singer-songwriter Claudine and programmer Chook. Music to dance to or to listen to with your eyes closed, everything is possible with Monophona.

They used to prefer a full-frontal attack, but the times are a changing and Luxembourg band Mutiny On The Bounty have changed. They haven’t turned their back on mathrock, but after doing ten tours and over 400 shows, change creeps up on you. Their mathrock now has more synthetic and electronic elements and their songwriting is more varied and melodic than in the past. MOTB have also accentuated their geekier side which sees them categorized alongside bands such as Battles and Foals, with whom they share a love for creating music that is not only cerebral but also danceable.

my frIenD televISIon (nl) Plays at with tsjallinG: 21.00-21.30

nelSon Can (DK) Plays at de sPieGhel: 01.15-02.00

netSKy lIve (Be) Plays at huize maas, main: 23.45-00.30

There are never enough serenades celebrating love, nature, friendship and death. So luckily, we have My Friend Television to play more of these delicate, mostly instrumental folksongs, slightly psychedelic and bluesy. If you have difficulties with big age differences, My Friend Television might be an unlikely duo to you. Because Ricky is 51 years old, while Merijn is 21. They already put out a bunch of songs on their Bandcamp-page. Besides music festivals, they also played an important poetry and performing arts festival earlier this year. A first 10” is expected soon on the partly Groningen based indie label Subroutine Records.

Once the ladies Signe and Selina were in the band Niels På Dåse, but after a few years of nothing and with the addition of Maria Juntmen they are now Nelson Can. Music with just bass, drums and Selina’s voice because ‘we do not make things more complicated than they are’ is their motto. The White Stripes, The Gossip, The Black Keys and Bikini Kill are inspirations. After Roskilde and a warm-up slot for The Black Keys they are now heading to Groningen. Something you will not forget quickly.

Boris Daenen is a musician who likes to crowd surf during his shows. His music is so good that the young Belgian is carried around and treasured by the likes of Fabio, Friction and Hype. He has made remixes for Jessie J, Swedish House Mafia and Rusko that are pure 2012 drum & bass, with a lot of influences from bass, electro and pop. Suitable for the dancefloor, charts and the living room, Netsky is all round. Let him jump, our hands are already in the air.

noBoDy BeatS tHe Drum 333” (nl) Plays at cathedral : 21.45-22.30

orange SKylIne (nl) Plays at de walrus: 21.00-21.45

Nina Nesbitt is the kind of person who spots a chance from a mile away. She has been making music since age twelve, and now, is still only 18. She got her first guitar three years ago, and a year later she started performing live. Now she has finally finished school, she can really work her music, in this case quite literally because all the major labels want to sign her. When she met Ed Sheeran by chance she played him one of her songs, and he promptly offered her to be his support act. This young Scottish lady will release her debut album in 2013 and will become, without a doubt, very famous.

Nobody Beats The Drum conquered the world with their Amazing 333” Tele Novem Automatontour. Not only did the Dutch act play everywhere for a packed audience in their own country, they also toured the US and Canada last summer. NBTD is more than the production skills of Sjam Sjamsoedin and Jori Collignon who produce a kind of electrohiphopdancebangingbeat. There are also the visual skills of Rogier van der Zwaag who projected his images on nine screens with a diameter of 333 inch, hence the 333”. Once they start playing the people start jumping and dancing. Groningen will not be different.

Orange Skyline makes rock the British way. Like The Who, Oasis and The Libertines did, with an attitude and an explosion of energy. They work from Groningen where they have received a lot of praise. Songs of their first demo appeared on sampler albums and reached ahigh position in different indie charts in The Netherlands. Not strange when you consider Orange Skyline is a very professional sounding band, with a great guitar sound and a singer who sounds like Mick Jagger. Finally a Dutch band with the Gallagher approach.

oSCar anD tHe wolf (Be) Plays at usva: 23.00-23.40

perttI KurIKan nImIpÄIvÄt (fI) Plays at vindicat: 22.15-23.00

pHantom (fI) Plays at de sPieGhel: 00.30-01.15

The effects used on the voice of singer Max Colombie give the music of Oscar and the Wolf an even more dreamy feeling than there was in the first place thanks to the sound and the structure of the songs. First EP Imagine Mountains included references to Bon Iver, Isbells and Fleet Foxes, but then the band chose to change direction, so they contacted Robin Proper-Sheppard (front man of The God Machine and Sophia) to produce the second EP Summer Skin, which has a sound altogether heavier. Their own country loves them and The Netherlands is about to, will the rest of the world follow?

Difficult name? It just means Pertti Kurikan’s Name Day. Pertti Kurikan is mentally handicapped and decided to form a band during a workshop for adults with disabilities. Kurikan is a hardcore punk, so there was no other option than to form a punk band inspired by Finnish punk bands from the last millennium, such as Karanteeni, Ratsia, Sensuuri and Pelle Miljoona. The band became very popular very quickly helped by the movie The Punk Syndrome, about punk and how handicapped people rebel against the mainstream. It is impossible not to love these guys.

pHantom lImB (uK) Plays at GroninGer museum, ch: 21.25-22.10

pInK Holy DayS (It) Plays at huis de beurs: 22.50-23.35

puBlIC ServICe BroaDCaStIng (uK) Plays at forum imaGes: 23.00-23.40

You don’t have to be able to predict the future to know that the album The Pines by Phantom Limb will rate high in the 2012 album of the year lists. It was one of the big surprises of 2012 with its mix of country with soul, a heady mix so good that it even attracts people who don’t like either style. Just listen to the album’s title song, one to sing along at the top of your lungs. They managed to win over the crowd at the Lowlands Festival in Holland, so Groningen, you have been warned, they are going to do the same at Eurosonic.

Pink Holy Days is a dirty Italian duo somewhere between Justice, T. Raumschmiere, Underworld and early Nine Inch Nails, although they are more electro than industrial. They have toured with Crookers, Chemical Brothers and Chicks On Speed and new album Twenty Eight Minutes was recorded over a mere fifteen days, after which they finished the production over twenty nights working in the studio. And you can hear the discipline, there’s no senseless knob twisting, just pure strength and energy. Pink Holy Days bangs like the hardest groups in electro. A band for the mosh pit.

It may not be the first thing you think of when confronted with old public information films, archive footage and propaganda material, but this material is a goldmine for great concerts. At least it is once it is placed in the hands of the British duo Public Service Broadcasting. They are J. Willgoose on guitars, banjos, other stringed instruments and electronic things, and Wrigglesworth on drums, pianos and electronics. They use old electro, breakbeats, synth pop and even some indie rock, basically whatever fits the information films. Public Service Broadcasting is completely unique and very impressive.

friday eurosonic

nIna neSBItt (uK) Plays at Grand theatre, uP: 22.15-23.00

friday eurosonic

reBeKKa KarIJorD (no) Plays at GroninGer musuem, ch: 22.50-23.35

renée (Be) Plays at de sPieGhel, uP: 21.30-22.15

rICKy reHaB (nl) Plays at de shadrak, uP: 20.00-20.45

There is a haunting feeling in the music of Norwegian Rebekka Karijord due to her use of short piano pieces in combination with complex rhythms and her very special voice layered over the top. It’s a combination that creates a lot of tension, and Karijord knows plenty about the effect music can have and how it can influence listeners thanks to her other career, writing movie soundtracks. On fourth album We Become Ourselves, Karijord sings about love, but not the simple kind of course. Her music goes deep and touches even those who call themselves insensitive.

At the beginning of 2012 her debut album Extending Playground was released featuring just voice and a music box on the opening track. Belgian singer Renée makes porcelain whisper pop, the kind of music in which you can hear influences by Feist, dEUS, Cat Power and José González. Her past, and also her present, is heavily bound-up with film music, and she actually graduated as a film maker, but since then has made more soundtracks than films. Extending Playground is not accompanied by a movie, yet it will give listeners the urge to close their eyes and just listen while Renée whispers in their ears.

Ricky Rehab is rock with a greaser haircut. They make the kind of music Elvis would have made if he lived now and was in his twenties. Two guitarists, a bass player and a drummer. It doesn’t get more simple than that. It all comes down to energy and conviction and that is what this band from The Netherlands has lots of. The band from Emmen won the band contest in their region Drenthe which give them lots of opportunities to play. Now they have the chance to spread their sleazy rock & roll in The Netherlands. Groningen be warned. The rock, energy and guitars of Ricky Rehab is coming your way.

rover (fr) Plays at de sPieGhel, uP: 20.00-20.45

ruBIK (fI) Plays at Grand theatre, main: 21.30-22.15

ruDImental lIve (uK) Plays at simPlon, main: 00.30-01.15

Disappointment can lead to new opportunities. Because of visa problems Timothée Regnier was thrown out of the Lebanon, so he returned to France where he started making and recording music. Regnier, who moved to New York with his family as a child, absorbed the language and culture of that city and this has hugely influenced his music, which resembles the Beach Boys, with flashes of Bowie or even Interpol. Regnier named himself Rover, not only after one of his first cars, also because he loves to travel, or to rove, as they used to say.

Rubik have been called the Finnish Radiohead because of their emotional lyrics and twisted sounds, but the differences are probably greater than the similarities. Their indie rock is full of catchy choruses and energetic, dynamic beats topped off with Artturi Taira’s completely unique voice. After ten years and three albums Rubik have loads of experience and were the first Finnish band to play Primavera. They have a reputation as am amazing live act, and it seems a major breakthrough is near since their highly acclaimed last album Solar. Seeing them perform is the recipe for becoming an instant fan.

The four members of Rudimental from Hackney have already made one of the most beautiful songs this summer, the amazing Feel The Love, but this band is no mere one trick pony. Just listen to Spoons, it’s completely different, soul on top of a beat with some UK Funky and 2-step in the background. The first impossible to label album will be released in 2013, because, like they say themselves: “We are Sly and the Family Stone, Todd Edwards and Dr. Dre in a cheeseburger!”

rum & SKunK (nl) Plays at shadrak, uP: 23.00-23.45

S o H n (uK) Plays at simPlon, main: 20.00-20.45

SaInt lou lou (Se) Plays at minerva art academy: 20.30-21.10

It’s like hip hop should be: keeping it real. That’s the style of RUM&SKUNK the trio from the Dutch city of Zuidlaren. No posing, no made up stories or being fake. They just say what they think, and they do it like they are pro’s. That might be because they are in the game for ten years now. There is not much to learn for them in technique. And with a great DJ delivering fine beats, it is only getting better. They came very far in the local band contest and we will probably hear from them after their gig at Eurosonic. That is the thing with real talent, it will always come to the surface.

Hype Machine listed S O H N, as being in the top 3 most blogged about artists behind Crystal Castles and Frank Ocean. That is partly due to a great song called The Wheel featuring his trademark crazy click rhythms and powerful singing, but all his songs are both minimal and soulful. There’s a good chance this music will become a new style in a few years, and he will be known as the pioneer. Definitely a must see.

If you like music, especially the electronic kind, you should always keep track of the Kitsuné releases, because there are more often than not brilliant discoveries to be made. Number 14 in the series was Saint Lou Lou, the track was called Maybe You, and it was not made by an American chillwave producer but by the Swedish twins Elektra and Miranda Kilbey. These sisters are very young, very beautiful and capable of making music full of tension. They have been written about enthusiastically by both Vogue and The Guardian, and they are ready for a breakthrough.

SatellIte StorIeS (fI) Plays at muziekschool: 00.15-01.00

SIn CoS tan (fI) Plays at news cafe: 22.15-23.00

The most important music magazine in Belgium wrote they had ‘not heard a better, more forceful and multi-functional voice’ about the debut album Ferritales by Italian-Belgian singer Sarah Ferri on which she shows the countless possibilities of her vocal range. Initially influenced by jazz queens Simone, Holiday and Fitzgerald, then seventies folk and gipsy jazz swing, you can hear it all on Ferritales. But it’s mainly the restrained use of that voice makes her music and album so impressive.

Satellite Stories have been mentioned several times as the great promise of 2012 and that wasn’t just because of the young age of these four blond Finns who grew up in a small town near the Arctic Circle. It’s because they play as if the summer had just begun, and due to the fact that there is such a lot of fun in their energetic, upbeat music, alongside hooks that won’t leave your head. They name The Wombats, Vampire Weekend, Phoenix and Two Door Cinema Club as influences yet they sound very much like themselves.

Juho Paalosmaa and Jori Hulkkonen are best known as Villa Nah and Processory, but together these Finns are Sin Cos Tan. Just like Chromatics they look back to a time when synthesizers were everywhere in pop music, somewhere in the early to mid 80s. But they also use guitars, and of course the voice of Paalosmaa filled with a sort of tragic desire, and there you have Sin Cos Tan. As they say themselves: a synthesized duo of great promise, broken dreams, and long nights.

SnorrI HelgaSon (IS) Plays at usva: 20.00-20.40

Sven HammonD Soul (nl) Plays at Platform theatre

Sx (Be) Plays at Grand theatre, main: 20.00-20.45

Snorri Helgason started out by forming the band Sprengjuhöllin, who had hits played all over the world, but since 2009 the band has been on hiatus and in that period Snorri has recorded two solo albums. He has been compared to singersongwriter greats like Paul Simon, Harry Nilsson and Neil Young, but you can hear everything in his music from soul to Britpop to glam-rock. Mainly though, you hear yet another huge talent from Iceland. A unique musician playing at the highest level.

Is there a better instrument than the Hammond organ? It’s the instrument at the center of the band Sven Hammond Soul, whose music, despite the name, is so much more than just soul. It can go from 60s pop to deep R&B, from funk to laid-back chill, and from a spaghetti-western soundtrack to a cover of Smack My Bitch Up. And that’s just some of the songs on the astonishing third album The Apple Field. A must-see band, with a dynamic brass section and amazing vocalists. Sven Hammond Soul is breathtaking.

SX is a hypnotic indie pop band from Belgium featuring Stefanie Callebaut and Benjamin Desmet. Together with drummer Jeroen Termote they make ethereal indiepop featuring keyboards, reverb-drenched guitars, enchanting drums and a painfully beautiful voice, their fluid, vibrating sound creating live performances that just keep on building.

tangarIne (nl) Plays at GroninGer museum, ad: 23.35-00.15

teaKe DamStra (nl) Plays at with tsjallinG: 20.00-20.30

terrIBly overrateD youngSterS (De) Plays at simPlon, uP: 02.00-02.45

Once you hear them play, you won’t be surprised that twins Arnout and Sander Brinks name Simon & Garfunkel as influences. With their soft, melodic voices they make a perfect team, just like that other legendary duo. It took four albums for this duo to got the recognition they clearly deserve, and now, after much praise and a fifth self-titled album, the brothers are busy performing in the Netherlands and increasingly around the rest of Europe. Because good music is appreciated everywhere.

When you look at Terribly Overrated Youngsters on YouTube you will be completely surprised by these eight German musicians who mash up Daft Punk, Mr. Oizo, Justice, Boys Noize and other floor fillers. Of course you’ve seen DJ’s do that before, but have you seen it done by a band before? By a brass section, an incredible drummer, a guitar virtuoso, plus bass and keyboards? This is the ultimate mixset 2.0, without a DJ or sampler in sight. You may think it’s impossible until you see them do it. And with their instrumental skill, they have more power and control than any mixer ever will have. Seeing is believing.

friday eurosonic

SaraH ferrI (Be) Plays at stadsschouwburG / kruithuis: 23.35-00.15

friday eurosonic

tHe flIgHt (nl) Plays at shadrak, uP: 21.30-22.15

tHe future’S DuSt (nl) Plays at shadrak, floor: 20.45-21.30

tHe gooD tHe BaD (DK) Plays at vera, floor: 22.15-23.00

The Flight is a very young band from the Dutch city of Assen. They name John Mayer, Mark Knopfler, The Script and Kings of Leon as influences, just as Rigby, Di-rect and Young The Giant. You may add some bands who performed at the original Woodstock festival. Bands that are probably unknown to The Flight and that proves how good music works. Great minds think alike and can 55 years later come up with the same kind of sound and music. This band is doing very well, they were the opening band at the TT races and festival in their city, were praised by renowned Dutch radio DJ’s and have almost finished their EP.

Young five-piece The Future’s Dust doesn’t even try to hide its major influences. Without copying their beloved examples, it’s not hard to hear that this band from Leeuwarden loves the dark, atmospheric soundscapes by James Blake and The xx. And they also listened a lot to the songs of Bon Iver and darlings of 2012 Alt-J. The Future’s Dusts creates its own compelling sound from these influences, full of echoing drums, resonating basses, atmospheric guitars and dreamy synths. A solid core for already beautifully haunting songs. A first EP is expected to come out soon.

Psych-surf trio The Good The Bad hail from a nuclear bunker in Copenhagen, and it’s perhaps due to this strange setting and, perhaps a little too much radiation, that they have created a sound which literally rejuvenates everything in its wake. Oozing sex appeal and effortless cool, their high-energy, instrument shredding pushes the boundaries of this genre with tremolo lead licks, vivacious snare shots, brass rushes, organ grooves and electrifying walls of sound which leave you begging for more of their unrelenting, merciless tidal wave of seductive musical prowess.

tHe monroeS (nl) Plays at de walrus: 23.30-00.15

tHe oppoSIteS (nl) Plays at eurosonic air: 23.00-23.45

tHe puSSywarmerS anD réKa (CH) Plays at stadsschouwburG / kruithuis: 22.10-22.50

Two boys, two girls. Pop songs drenched in surf, garage and Americana. That is what The Monroes from Groningen have to offer. The songs are written by Josje Kobès who fronts the band with her special voice. The Monroes have ten years of experience, did 200 shows, supported Dan Auerbach, Detroit Cobras and Claw Boys Claw. Their last album was produced by Heavy Trash-guitarist Matt Verta-Ray and recorded in the US. This band transforms influences like 50’s and 60’s rhythm & blues, soul, surf, The Cramps and The Raveonettes into an attractive Dutch band right now.

The Opposites is a rap duo from The Netherlands, seemingly complete opposites, yet bound by the desire to make the best hip hop possible. With their amazing lyrics and big production style Willy and Big 2 not only gained the respect of other musicians, they also achieved massive success in the charts. They have released three official albums since 2005 and have just put out two EP’s in anticipation of the fourth album. Their sound cannot be compared to anything else, especially American hip hop, so come see them perform to know what they do.

The Pussywarmers are from the Italian speaking part of Switzerland and not the US during the 1920’s, which is where you might think they’re from when you hear their album My Pussy Belongs To Daddy. With banjo, accordion, trumpet, trombone, tuba, double bass these five Pussywarmers can make a party anywhere, on the street or at a crowded festival. With upbeat bangers and haunting ballads, The Pussywarmers can do it all, as proved on a short tour they previously did of The Netherlands. Now it’s time to return to for this little freak circus orchestra.

tHe royal ConCept (Se) Plays at huize maas, main: 20.45-21.30

tHe SIgn of leo (nl) Plays at buckshot: 20.45-21.30

tHe tIgHtropeS (nl) Plays at cafe koster: 21.15-22.00

The Royal Concept, four Swedes who gained their experience in the backing bands of Robyn, Tove Styrke and Veronica Maggio, are already conquering the US after just one EP released. The support of Perez Hilton may have helped, but Perez is absolutely right in supporting them because the music by The Royal Concept is so infectious and fun that it is impossible to stand still when they perform. Comparisons have been made to Phoenix but The Royal Concept is very much its own thing. They are the fire starters, they get the party going.

The Sign Of Leo is a band from Groningen formed by guitarist, singer and composer Martin Erich. The band has multiple influences from Bowie to Talk Talk, to Neil Young and Tears for Fears, and what they do very well is to take the best from the 60s, 70s and 80s and put it all in a modern context. You might even hear hints of the classic poprock of Crowded House in their melodic indie rock, and you can hear the craftsmanship in all the songs. A ‘sign’ that it’s really very good.

The three guys that formed The Tightropes in 2011 share a profound love for legendary guitarists as Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Scott McKeon. So it’s no wonder the influence of these legends can be heard in their rock songs spiced up with lots of blues and funk. After winning several band competitions in the north of the Netherlands, they premiered their first single Babies in august. These guys know how to mix their driving drums, pounding bass, whining guitars and distinctive vocals into a unique sound that’s nostalgic and modern at the same time.

treetop flyerS (uK) Plays at de sPieGhel: 20.45-21.30

trIxIe wHItley (Be) Plays at stadsschouwburG: 21.30-22.10

The band is named after a tape recorder, they perform with two guitars, a drummer and a singer, and they sing in their own language, which frankly was the right decision. Tonbandgerät is an upbeat pop band with the bass guitar mixed upfront. Does anyone remember Wir Sind Helden? They had the same fresh energy as Tonbandgerät, a very refreshing sound indeed. A smile at their concerts is guaranteed.

“Pure Country Soul” is a fairly accurate description of the music of Treetop Flyers. Guitars and voices blend to create stunning harmonies just like their influences The Band, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Midlake and My Morning Jacket. So far they have only released a couple of EP’s but already they get booked at the biggest festivals, including Glastonbury, because their music mesmerizes audiences, even people who haven’t heard the band before. And when you can do that, you have gold in your hands.

Belgian-American singer Trixie Whitley released her first EP when she was only 21 years-old, but already by then she had lived the life that most musicians can only dream of. As the daughter of Chris Whitley she lived between Gent and New York, and collaborated with artists like Marc Ribot, Robert Plant and Marianne Faithfull, to name just a few. After her first EP Daniel Lanois contacted her and she became part of his band Black Dub, and the experience and inspiration she found there influenced her debut album Fourth Corner, due for release in early in 2013.

valerIuS (nl) Plays at Platform theatre

vIllagerS (Ie) Plays at stadsschouwburG: 00.20-01.00

wIll anD tHe people (uK) Plays at cathedral: 23.00-23.45

Once you hear the single She Doesn’t Know by Dutch band Valerius, you’re unlikely to forget them or the song, one which the entire country can sing along to. Of course it’s dangerous having such a huge hit, as many acts have found, but Valerius decided to take advantage of their success by touring all over the world, even becoming famous in Indonesia. After that it was time to reinvent themselves, as demonstrated by the new song I Cannot Put Us Back Together. Brothers Jesse and Kay Nambiar have made a new album filled with alternative pop, and Valerius are very much back!

Villagers front man Conor O’Brien knows the way to your heart, which can sometimes be somewhat disturbing because O’Brien isn’t always the most light-hearted person. After a series of successful shows, plus several nominations for debut LP Becoming A Jackal, O’Brien and Villagers are back again. The new album – called {Awayland} - features a whole new sonic dimension for Villagers with electronics giving the music more tension, a different shape and new sounds. If the band was already popular thanks to its debut album, {Awayland} is going to make Villagers much bigger.

They are in Holland, once again. The place where Lion In The Morning Sun was a huge hit, while they still were part of the underground with their mix of folk and reggae in their own country England. Will And The People crossed the entire Netherlands in their crazy van. Giving every festival and venue a bit of their happiness, party and fun. They are always ready to start a good party. You have to dance, jump and shout every time you see Will And The People. If there is one band that has to be at Eurosonic, it is Will And The People.

yellow HouSe 21 (nl) Plays at shadrak, floor: 22.15-23.00

young DreamS (no) Plays at machinefabriek: 21.30-22.15

Za! (eS) Plays at vindicat: 23.45-00.30

The beginnings of the Dutch band Yellow House 21 can be found in Ireland. Perhaps remarkable but it was there that singer and guitarist Marco Buffing and drummer Luc Wessels found the new musical direction for the band. Singer and flute player Anne Gerlin Struijk and bass player Tim Schuurman became part of that direction. The result was popfolk that is highly appreciated. They played at the local festivals Noorderzon and Freeze and won the main band contest in their region. Next stop is Eurosonic, and after that is a second EP. A busy schedule for the talents from the north of The Netherlands.

They call it symphonic trance pop psychedelia, yet The Guardian describes Young Dreams as a cross between The Beach Boys and Fleet Foxes. And they are both right. This Norwegian Band has that beautiful vocal sound that Brian Wilson’s band once had, and mixes it with a range of musical styles. Young Dreams will be touring Europe with Tame Impala, and will release their debut album in the beginning of 2013. These Norwegian guys are living the young dream.

Two musicians and seven instruments, that is Za!. Papa DuPau (guitar, trumpet, kalimba, percussion, voice) and Spazzfrica Ehd (drums, keyboards, drum machine, clarinet, voice) from Barcelona combine African beats, noise, thick distortion, vocal loops, free jazz, sounds from the shepherds of Tuva, Balinese polyrhythms, math rock, dadaism, and drones. In the past Za! have joined forces with noise acts (Lightning Bolt, Zu), rock bands (El Guincho, Delorean) and free jazz artists like Peter Brötzmann. One of the reviews of their album Megaflow summed it up perfectly: More experimental. More mature. More captivating.

friday eurosonic

tonBanDgerÄt (De) Plays at muziekschool: 20.00-20.45

friday eurosonic

ZaZI (nl) Plays at Platform theatre There are not many Dutch bands touring internationally without having an album out, but Zazi is different, like for instance the fact that they look like three models who just happen to be making music. They won the Concours de la Chanson and since then things have been moving rapidly for these multi-lingual singers. They were the support act for Katzenjammer, played for the Dutch Queen and have recently toured the American West Coast. Even Cirque du Soleil loves their brand of pop folk with a bit of chanson and a slice of jazz. Consequently, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quite some expectation building in the lead-up to the release of their debut album.

noorderslag saturday 12 january 2013

saturday noorderslag

AlAscA (nl) Kelder hosted by theFactor.e: 21.00-21.30

BlAudzun (nl) Grote zaal hosted by buma cultuur: 20.30-21.15

BROEdER dIElEMAn (nl) Patio: 19.45-20.30

AlascA has a lot of famous fans, amongst them guitarist Jan Akkerman and producer Alan Branch (Jeff Beck, U2, Blur, Cat Stevens, NIN). Branch produced debut album Actors & Liars by these four men from the Dutch town of Volendam. On that debut you can hear how their love for music of the 60s and the 70s comes together in a folk sound where melancholy and close harmony singing play a major part. Their fame has already gone beyond the Dutch border after tours in Italy and Germany, and the band are currently working on a release in the UK. AlascA are on a roll.

Broeder Dieleman (‘Brother Dieleman’) is the musical moniker of Tonnie Dieleman, born and raised in the Dutch province of Zeeland. The beauty of the region where he was born and his Christian education are returning themes in the delicate folksongs on his first album Alles Is IJdelheid (‘All Is Vanity’). Critics have compared Broeder Dieleman to Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and even David Eugene Edwards (16 Horsepower, Wovenhand), because of his use of acoustic guitars or a banjo, often combined with religious references in his lyrics. Lyrics which are sung in a pure ‘Zeeuws-Flemmish’ accent.

BROkEn BRAss EnsEMBlE (nl) muze: 23.30

cIRquE VAlEntIn (nl) Foyer Grote zaal hosted by heineKen: 01.00-01.45

dAIly BREAd (nl) Kleine zaal hosted by 3Fm: 00.30-01.10

There are many downsides to dying. One of them, especially in The Netherlands, is that there are no New Orleans Brass Bands to play at the funeral. Unless Broken Brass Ensemble wants to take the gig, but then again, it’s better to see them live, while being alive. Because besides New Orleans jazz/blues, the band from the city of Leeuwarden mixes their music with hip hop, balkan, funk, blues and fanfare. The band likes to walk around, one of the reasons the band was so successful at outdoor festivals this summer. Wherever they go, we will follow.

Guitarist Valentijn Bannier is just 22 years-old, but he already played in Dutch bands Zuco 103, Giovanca, Steye, Charlene and Liquid Spirits. But he also has something to say for himself, based on a combination of his love for the Muppets, Our Gang, Michael Jackson, The Roots and the early Red Hot Chili Peppers. What comes out of this is a crazy funk band called Cirque Valentin. The gene pool of Bootsy Collins and John Frusciante mixed with some Valentijn Bannier, accompanied by two great female singers. Circque Valentin is a terrific addition to the Dutch music scene.

Daily Bread is Kimberly van der Velden (leadvocals), Atser Damsma (synths and vocals), Chris Mulder (bass, synths and vocals) and Stefan Stoer (drums). Since the group wanted to release as quickly as possible, the decision was made to give away an EP, titled ‘ The Present’ at the end of March 2012. The new sound was supported by 3FM and the band was awarded the title ‘Serious Talent’ on the national pop channel. The songs on new album “Iterum” are an ode to love, freedom and life, reflecting the predicaments of our daily lives; how we get sucked into them and how we can free ourselves from these predicaments.

dEWOlff (nl) Grote zaal hosted by buma cultuur: 00.15-01.00

dOuWE BOB (nl) Kleine zaal hosted by 3Fm: 21.30-22.10

EIns zWEI & thE PARAllEl cInEMA (nl) binnenzaal hosted by centercom: 20.15-21.00

This bunch of teenagers practically grew up on stage and it’s hard to imagine that the young band has been up and running for 5 years already. The reviews were ecstatic when they released their debut EP in 2008, and once they started performing the praise only grew thanks to great music with influences of The Doors, T-Rex and Led Zeppelin. It was amazing to see them play when they were young, but you should see them now, after they played every (sold out) venue in The Netherlands as well as Pinkpop, Lowlands and Sziget. DeWolff is young, but a class act nonetheless.

Music has always been the most important thing in life for Douwe Bob Posthuma. The 19-year old singer songwriter from Amsterdam had his first piano lessons at the age of six, and when he turned 14 he decided to learn to play the guitar. It was Multicoloured Angels, dedicated to his father, that won him the competition to find the best singer/songwriter in The Netherlands, broadcast on national television. Since then Douwe Bob has been a star with sold out shows everywhere, and right now he is working on a first album in the style of Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and James Taylor.

In a remote village in India musician Stefan van Maurik found the whole population watching a Bollywood movie projected on to bed sheets. He became fascinated with Bollywood and its counterpart, the more underground Parallel Cinema, and this led to the merger of his own band Eins Zwei Orchestra and the band How To Throw A Christmas Party. It’s a band with twenty musicians, including two drummers, a sitar, a choir, dancers and of course movies. A big show from India expressed through Dutch and western music. Unique already.

fREsku (nl) Foyer Grote zaal hosted by heineKen: 23.30-00.15

fs GREEn (nl) binnenzaal hosted by centercom: 01.30-02.15

You can call him Fresku, or Frisse, or even Gino Pietermaai, or if you want just ‘the man behind the hit single Heddedruksop’, as long as you know how good his music is. When Fresku released his album Maskerade in April critics were already predicting it would the best Dutch hip hop album of 2012. Thanks to the production of Teemong and others, and the sublime raps by Fresku, it is an amazing album. The MC from Eindhoven is a great personality with a magnificent flow and painfully true lyrics. And he knows how to take the sound of the album to the stage.

Look for the name FS Green on any Dutch hip hop album and you know you are looking at a great album. And if this man produces just one track on an album you just know it will be good. He has made beats for renowned Dutch rappers Jiggy Djé, Kempi, Winne, Murda Turk and Zwart Lichtm but alongside producing phat beats, FS Green makes moombahton as well as electronic bangers, and now he even DJs. There is nothing the man cannot do.

full cRAtE & MAR lIVE (nl) boVenzaal hosted by 3Voor12: 22.00-22.30

GuERIllA sPEAkERz (nl) binnenzaal hosted by centercom: 02.15-03.00

hAndsOME POEts (nl) Kleine zaal hosted by 3Fm: 22.30-23.10

Producer Full Crate and singer Mar are gaining more attention worldwide than the news about the ban on selling weed to tourists in Amsterdam. These two combine hip hop and electronics with great soul music, like Flying Lotus and D’Angelo teaming up. That talent is appreciated outside of Holland as well. They played at the afterparty of an Erykah Badu concert in Madrid and performed at sold out shows in London, New York and Los Angeles. Their album, to be released in 2013, is like the soundtrack of Drive with Frank Ocean.

They used to do guerilla attacks on boring parties, storming the DJ-booth and making it their own event. Now everyone asks them to come and spin records. They started at the Boycott night in Amsterdam club Bitterzoet, and later on they were asked to host Fuse at Utrecht club Tivoli De Helling. Mixing UK garage, grime, electro, house, dubstep, hiphop and electro, they are guaranteed fun, and they make their own music, fusing hip hop with grime. Respected in the underground, accepted by the mainstream. Can’t get any better than that.

hEf (nl) boVenzaal hosted by 3Voor12: 01.00-01.30

hydROBOyz (nl) binnenzaal hosted by centercom: 01.00-01.30

JAccO GARdnER (nl) marathonzaal hosted by de VolKsKrant: 22.45-23.30

Dutch rapper Hef Bundy burst upon the scene in 2010 with his debut Hefvermogen. His flow, his lyrics, his love for his neighborhood Hoogvliet, his language and his charisma turned him into a phenomenon. And Hef only got better in the last two years as evidenced by his new album Papierwerk. His stories are raw, his raps are great and his name is on everybody’s lips at the end of 2012. And Hef has got the fireworks ready for a party.

This is as raw as rap can be in The Netherlands. Hydroboyz grew up in the Bijlmer area of Amsterdam, where they learned to survive on mean streets and that’s what they rap about, so don’t expect songs about playing tennis in the suburbs. Hydro, RQS and MocroManiac got famous with the hit Hindabuilding, which got them on the show 101Barz where presenter Rotjoch was so impressed he added them to his label Mucho Dinero. Besides Hindabuilding, which is also the name of a mixtape they released, there is the latest hit Bel Me, with the EP Bodem Naar de Top to be released soon.

Electric Tears singer Niels de Wit, who is also the main songwriter, used to be a punk rocker. That was until he decided he needed some pop, so he teamed up with three musicians in his hometown of Hoorn in the north of Holland. Hoorn is also the hometown of famous Dutch musician Tim Knol who endorsed the band and was hugely enthusiastic about their first single Bloodshed Eyes, and Don’t Ask Me Why. To play at Noorderslag is a first dream to come true.

saturday noorderslag

ElEctRIc tEARs (nl) marathonzaal hosted by de VolKsKrant: 19.45-20.30

saturday noorderslag

JAnnE schRA (nl) cbK hosted by radio 6 soul & Jazz: 22.00-22.45

JOhn cOffEy (nl) Kelder hosted by theFactor.e: 02.00-02.30

JunE nOA (nl) cbK hosted by radio 6 soul & Jazz: 01.00-01.45

To the rest of the world Janne Schra is known as the singer from Room Eleven, but in The Netherlands we also know her from the project Schradinova. There are not many Dutch singers whose voice has touched so many people in so many countries singing jazz, pop, chansons and everything in between. Currently playing songs from her past as well as all her latest songs on a tour of theaters, which are the very best places for fragile songs. Janne Schra is world class, from The Netherlands.

“The best loud Dutch album of the year. No, of the last several years.” That was what was written about the album Bright Companions by Dutch band John Coffey. All the critics were unanimous in their praise for the second album of the band from Utrecht, who are often compared to Refused and Ignite. During last year’s show at Eurosonic the band was noticed by the German label Redfield Records, and it got them the record deal that brought us this great album. A year later they’re back to play at Noorderslag, making it full circle. And we are damn proud of them.

June Noa was raised on a diet of soul, but alongside the Motown, she also loves James Bond soundtracks, with Shirley Bassey a major inspiration for the Dutch singer. There was a first EP this year, full of soulful pop, but it’s just an appetizer for a full length album to be released early 2013. Her music is euphoric, regularly causing outbreaks of goosebumps because June Noa can do it all, a magnificent voice made all the better by some great songs.

kEnsInGtOn (nl) Grote zaal hosted by buma cultuur: 01.45-02.30

kRAAntJE PAPPIE (nl) Kleine zaal hosted by 3Fm: 01.30-02.10

MAIsOn du MAlhEuR (nl) Patio: 00.15-01.00

Last year the venue the Oosterpoort swayed from left to right when MC Kraantje Pappie asked the audience to do so. When the rapper played his home town, having just released his debut album, he had the venue in the palm of his hand, with the energy at maximum. In the months after Noorderslag, Kraantje became more famous and more renowned, performing everywhere in Holland, and he even became popular in Belgium. He recently showed a different side of his talent on the mixtape FTG 4, and now Kraantje Pappy is ready to give the Oosterpoort some energy once again.

It is almost as if they walked straight out of Boardwalk Empire or O Brother, Where Art Thou. Maison Malheur makes a kind of pre-war jazz and blues with double bass, banjo, clarinet, tuba and all kinds of different acoustic instruments played by the talented musicians surrounding singer J.P. Mesker. It makes you wonder if there might really be such a thing as a time machine. How else can the sound on the album Waiting for Trouble to Come be from Amsterdam in 2012? Maison du Malheur is classic fun.

MAttAnJA JOy BRAdlEy (nl) entreehal hosted by 3Fm serious talent: 19.45-20.30

MIlkBAR (nl) entreehal hosted by 3Fm serious talent: 22.45-23.30

MIstER & MIssIssIPPI (nl) Patio: 21.15-22.00

There is one thing certain: life is never boring when you are near Mattanja Joy Bradley. Whether it’s an angry scene at US customs, or a show opening for Amy Winehouse in St. Lucia, the life of the Dutch singer was always interesting. But now she is less impulsive and more structured, as shown on the single Beautiful Imperfections, a Dutch radio favorite. And that’s just the first episode in the combination of soul, pop, jazz and blues, and there will be a new single in January. The adventure has just started.

Milkbar is a pop rock band from Amsterdam, who have worked hard since their debut in 2011 and have had their fair share of success in a short period of time. Debut single Accident got good airplay on national radio in The Netherlands, and the band have built on that through great shows on TV, radio and of course on stage; in short, they played their asses off. The five-piece band led by Irish-born singer Chris Murphy have just released their debut album Monday Club. This is Dutch rock that can match the best US and UK bands.

Mister & Mississippi comes from an assignment at the Herman Brood Academy. Four students were put together to compose three songs, and in doing so they found they had such good chemistry they decided to form a band called Mister & Mississippi. Of course they passed the assignment, because what they did was more than good, it was very special. They were then asked to support Blaudzun and have recorded a debut album inspired by Bon Iver, Sigur Rós and Fleet Foxes. And, as far as we’re concerned they have graduated.

They have the skills to make it to our front door, that is what Mozes and the Firstborn sing on I Got Skills on an EP released in 2011. Influenced by the Rolling Stones and sixties-style American garage, this four piece band from the Dutch city of Eindhoven are often mentioned in the same breath as Black Lips. Their skills make Mozes and the Firstborn a great band on stage and those same skills will take them very far when that second EP is released very soon.

ORGEl VREtEn (nl) Kleine zaal hosted by 3Fm: 02.30-03.10

MR. POlskA (nl) binnenzaal hosted by centercom: 00.20-00.50

nAVAROnE (nl) Foyer Grote zaal hosted by heineKen: 22.00-22.45

Mr. Polska is without doubt the most popular Pole in The Netherlands. Some Poles come to do manual labor, Polska came to entertain a whole country, and he succeeded with his album Waardevolle Gezelligheid, a real treat. Wherever Polska is, there is also the collective Nouveau Riche, including producer Boaz v/d Beatz who has recently been working with Major Lazer. Even though the album of Mr. Polska was only released this year, he recently recorded a new single called Hausa Wausa with Boaz, full of bouncing and bubbling beats. If you’re looking for a party, try and find Mr. Polska.

“I haven’t heard a better Dutch rock record in years”, wrote Dutch newspaper nrc.next about A Darker Shade of White by the band Navarone. “An instant classic where the entire history of rock seems to come together,” wrote the paper likening them to The Black Crowes and Wolfmother. And we couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Although we would like to add that we once saw singer Merijn van Haren sing an AC/DC-song better than the late Bon Scott. You have to see it to believe it. This band does it all, on record and on stage. Rock the way it’s supposed to be.

PAlIO suPERsPEEd dOnkEy (nl) marathonzaal hosted by de VolKsKrant: 21.15-22.00

PIEn fEIth (nl) boVenzaal hosted by 3Voor12: 00.00-00.30

Let’s be honest, in many bands the organ is the most important instrument. Yes Jim Morrison was great, but where would The Doors be without the organ? That’s like Obama without Michelle. So why not have the organ as the main attraction of a band? That’s what Orgel Vreten (trans: organ eater) do, and the two players who fight the battle of the Hammonds are big shots in the Netherlands. Robin Piso of DeWolff and Thijs Schrijnemakers of Stereo are the players in question and it’s fireworks on the keyboards with guests and classic songs. Guess what? I got a fever and the only prescription is more organ!

Believe it or not but the guys of Palio Superspeed Donkey were eight years old when I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor was released. The reason we mention that particular song is that they have the sound of the Arctic Monkeys, as well as a dash of Pixies and Pavement in their music. These four boys from Amsterdam may be young but they are so very talented. Every label wanted to sign them, so now they have a record deal we can’t wait to hear the first EP. Palio Superspeed is a promise about to be fulfilled.

Pien Feith bridges the gap between an actual live band making pop music and the studio wizardry of electronics on the acclaimed 2011 debut album Dance On Time. During the process of composing the songs for the new album the Dutch artist listened to Chromatics, Nicolas Jaar and Julia Holter, followed by a recording session in Soma Studio in Chicago which gave the album an extra sonic edge. Pien Feith and her amazing voice have proven her star quality already, and her adventurous spirit means that how her new album will sound is a going to be a big surprise.

POPPRIJs Plays at shadraK, uP: 00.00-00.45

POsIJ (nl) binnenzaal hosted by centercom: 22.00-22.45

qEAux qEAux JOAns (nl) Kelder hosted by theFactor.e: 20.00-20.30

The Popprijs (The Pop Award), the most prestigious award for Dutch pop music, will be awarded on Saturday January 14th during Noorderslag. The award is the most important prize for pop music in The Netherlands and the presentation is an integral part of Noorderslag. The prize consists of a statuette by Theo MacKaay and a voucher worth 10,000 Euro. The popprijs is an initiative of BV Pop and is awarded by Buma Cultuur with support from Sena performers. Last year the Popprijs for 2011 was awarded to De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig.

Qeaux Qeaux Joans describes her music as alternative rhythm & blues. On the debut album of this artist from Amsterdam you can hear influences like Amy Winehouse, Antony Hegarty, Feist, Billie Holiday and Solomon Burke. Even when Qeaux Qeaux was at the conservatory she always preferred playing live over studying, whether it was a jam session with blues musicians, a tour with Beth Hart and Keith Caputo, or jumping on stage with Seasick Steve, which got her a support spot. Qeaux Qeaux is known for going straight for your heart with her music, and once there she won’t ever leave.

saturday noorderslag

MOzEs & thE fIRst BORn (nl) marathonzaal hosted by de VolKsKrant: 00.15-01.00

saturday noorderslag

RE:fREshEd ORchEstRA (nl) cbK hosted by radio 6 soul & Jazz: 20.30-21.15 You might well lose count of the number of people on stage, because Re:Freshed Orchestra consists of fifteen young musicians drawn from several Dutch groups, as well as from the Codarts Conservatory, and that’s not including guests. What binds them together is a love of hip hop, jazz, soul, funk and afrobeat, and that shows in their highly original take on music. Their adaptations of Jay-Z songs, where the orchestra is as important as the rapper, are amazing. Music doesn’t get any fresher than this.

There were never genre restrictions while listening to music for Dutch musician Rilan Ramhane. From AC/DC, to Bach and Cohen, to Xzibit, Yardbirds and Zappa, his is a versatile musical background, and you hear that in his music where soul, rock, hip hop and a bit of funk make regular appearances. It is mainly very groovy music played with great spirit, and Rilan’s backing band The Bombardier can make even a retirement home go crazy. A musical feast is guaranteed.

RInA MushOnGA (nl) Patio: 22.45-23.30 Rina Mushonga blends folk with rock, blues and reggae while she strives to give the best of what she loves from both her European and Zimbabwean backgrounds, and you can hear it in her music. There are quiet moments, alongside passionate, fiery and energetic passages, Mushonga displaying a dynamic range much wider than most of her fellow artists who use just voice and a guitar. Her debut album is released at the beginning of 2013, and her new tour kicks off right here at Noorderslag.

ROnnIE flEx (nl) binnenzaal hosted by centercom: 23.40-00.10

sAM A lA BAMAlOt (nl) binnenzaal hosted by centercom: 21.15-21.55

sJAAk (nl) binnenzaal hosted by centercom: 23.00-23.30

He was named as The Rookie Of The Year in The Netherlands, and he has a big chance of winning the country’s main hip hop talent show. Rapper and singer Ronnie Flex has had a breakthrough year in 2012, and 2013 is starting off pretty damn well with a show at Noorderslag. The young musician from Capelle aan de IJssel mixes hip hop with grime, dubstep and dancehall, and he can be heard on some songs by Mr. Polska, plus he makes his own songs with Boaz v/d Beatz, which will be released in 2013, a Flex year.

Sam Verstraten has been involved in music his whole life, first as a guitarist and bass player, and now as a producer/live act. Known for his off-beat drums and weird textured synths he creates a wide variety of sounds, sometimes with vocals on top, sometimes with bass heavy patterns that have been played-out by DJs such as Joe Kay, Lefto and Gilles Peterson.

Gangstarap and ragamuffin inspired Amsterdam inhabitant Mehdi Chafi to write rap music of his own. Embracing the typical Dutch name Sjaak as his musical alias, he appeared as a guest on lots of hiphop tracks and in videos by Dutch artists like Appa, Ali B., Yes-R, Dio, The Partysquad and many others. In 2008 alone, he produced one mixtape and thirteen singles of his own. In 2011, he was signed by major Dutch hip hop label TopNotch. He has been working on a full debut album ever since, which is expected somewhere in 2013. The beginning of a new year also marks Sjaak’s return to the stage.

skIP&dIE (nl) Foyer Grote zaal hosted by heineKen: 02.30-03.15

sOul sIstER dAncE REVOlutIOn (nl) entreehal hosted by 3Fm serious talent: 00.15-01.00

sundAy sun (nl) entreehal hosted by 3Fm serious talent: 21.15-22.00

Revolution! And it’s about time. Not the assault on the Bastille this time, but wherever Soul Sister Dance Revolution takes us. This young band from The Hague really knows how to get the audience on their side, with their mix of Queens Of The Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian and De Staat, which can be heard on single Hold The Line, and now it’s about time they recorded an album. Or play a show at Noorderslag.

Working on the perfect pop song is what Dutch band Sunday Sun like to do best. This four-piece makes concise pop songs with a story, and not a moment of boredom, and preferably in just under three minutes. Song-crafting the way The Beatles, The Shins, Tom Petty and Crowded House did. Sunday Sun is the perfect name for musicians who love what they do and who make highly optimistic music.

RIlAn & thE BOMBARdIERs (nl) entreehal hosted by 3Fm serious talent: 01.45-02.30

tEnEMEnt kIds (nl) Kelder hosted by theFactor.e: 01.00-01.30

tEssA ROsE JAcksOn (nl) boVenzaal hosted by 3Voor12: 21.00-21.30

“Music for adventurous folkpunk fans as well as those who like Drive-By Truckers,” is what was written about the second album of Tenement Kids. These four men from the Dutch city of Utrecht started out as a punk band, then they decided to do something else and have been compared to Springsteen, The Gaslight Anthem and The Hold Steady. They have an American sound and are just as professional as the biggest names in the game.

Tessa Rose Jackson grew up in Amsterdam as the daughter of Anglophone parents. Not only did she learn to speak two languages, she also learned about Dylan, the Beatles and the Beach Boys, favorites of her parents. At age 15 she moved to London to attend the BRIT School where Adele, Jessie J, Kate Nash and many others had previously been pupils. Now she’s back in Amsterdam, studying at the conservatory and making her own music, producing and arranging everything herself. She describes her music as a cross between Feist, Fleet Foxes, Ray Lamontagne and Edward Sharpe, but mainly it’s lots of Tessa Rose Jackson.

thE dOn’t tOuch My cROquE_ MOnsIEuRs (nl) boVenzaal hosted by 3Voor12: 02.00-02.30

thE hORsE cOMPAny (nl) Kleine zaal hosted by 3Fm: 20.30-21.10

thE kIk (nl) Kleine zaal hosted by 3Fm: 23.30-00.10

The Horse Company is a four-piece band from the Dutch town of Zwolle who recently released their third album Calypso. Previous to that Brothers Arjen and Vincent Hilberdink, plus Arjen Pronk and Jeroen Hobert went to Texas to record their second album, and although America is still present in their music, Calypso is evidence that The Horse Company make music that is simply not made by anyone else in The Netherlands. We need them badly.

The Kik is a Dutch band with a 50s and 60s sound, and their looks also date from that period. Their sound has elements of The Beatles and The Kinks, and they are hugely loved in The Netherlands, and all of that success happened in just one year. Front man Dave von Raven used to be singer in The Madd, and after quitting the group he decided to sing in Dutch, which was a great decision because album Springlevend became a huge hit. Once you see them play, you will love them. Fun guaranteed.

thE sIlhOuEttEs (nl) boVenzaal hosted by 3Voor12: 23.00-23.30

tIM VAntOl (nl) Kelder hosted by theFactor.e: 00.00-00.30

The Silhouettes is a band from Amsterdam made up of Ben Rider and Marthe Jellema. Even though these two have worked together for years, this is the first year for The Silhouettes. Rider brings the sounds of the 60s, Jellema adds the electronics, and their sound is somewhere between the Beach Boys, Wavves, Ben Coast and Tame Impala. But since they added a drummer and bass player, there is more energy and freedom in their music and shows. The Silhouettes are ready for bigger venues and a major breakthrough.

Tim Vantol used to be a punk rocker. Well, we say used to be, but really he still is. He used to be a bass player but now he has just as much fun singing alone accompanied only by an acoustic guitar making acoustic punk folk, which works perfectly with the raw voice of this Dutch musician. Enough reason to go and see Tim van Tol.

They came by ferry from North Amsterdam to Central Amsterdam without leaving their self esteem behind. Best.Band.Ever. That’s the statement they made and now they are going to have to live up to it with typical (Northern) Amsterdam bravado. The Don’t Touch My Croque_Monsieurs say they make neo-indie punk hop for beautiful, young people, sung and rapped in Dutch with a prominent guest part for Ome Omar, who claims to have seen and heard it all. You should check-out TDTMCM, because these gentlemen have found their own particular style. A.Must.See.

thE lA lA lIEs (nl) Foyer Grote zaal hosted by heineKen: 20.30-21.15 The La La Lies is a four piece band from the Dutch city of Alkmaar who got great support on national radio for their sound which combines the best bits of 60s and 70s influenced guitar music with a modern twist. The Who with a bit of The Black Keys on the side is how they were described on a Dutch TV-show. They have played all the venues in The Netherlands, as well as the big festivals and soon there will be a debut album. World dominance is just a step away.

saturday noorderslag

tAnGARInE (nl) Kelder hosted by theFactor.e: 23.00-23.30

saturday noorderslag

tIM WEs (nl) cbK hosted by radio 6 soul & Jazz: 23.30-00.15

tOWn Of sAInts (nl) Kelder hosted by theFactor.e 22.00-22.30

Tim Wes is just 18 years old. He started on the recorder, then switched to clarinet, after that the soprano saxophone and finally stuck with the tenor sax. Wes knows and loves the jazz classics which he references when he plays, but he never looses sight of the fact that it’s 2013 by mixing hip hop, electronic music, soul, funk and pop in his music. Dutch jazz radio chose him as the Soul & Jazz Talent of the year and they can’t stop playing his album On My Way. Tim Wes is on his way? It’s getting even better? Promising!

tRAuMAhElIkOPtER (nl) marathonzaal hosted by de VolKsKrant: 01.45-02.30 This trio from Groningen perfectly understand the renewed appreciation and love for garage rock. Traumahelikopter plays in an extreme style, and after signing a contract with Dutch label Excelsior they went straight in to the studio because there was so much to say and they needed to say it fast! To see them play in their hometown Groningen will be a fantastic experience.

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our alumni and students create, play, record and publish open door day 2013-02-02, 11.00 www.conservatoriumvanamsterdam.nl

we wish you a great festival

www.eurosonic-noorderslag.nl

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At the Eurosonic Air stage on the grote Markt in groningen (access free of charge) on Thursday 10th and Friday, January 11th, you can check out a selection of both well known and upcoming dutch acts.

thu 10 january 20-24h the Kyteman Orchestra new cOOl cOllective nOisia fri 11 january 20-24h handsOme POets chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sPecial the OPPOsites