James’ Pick of Friday at Green Man:
Lucy Rose: Walled Garden
Having already surfaced as the delicate female accompaniment in many a Bombay Bicycle Club track, I first encountered Lucy Rose’s music on an, albeit rather dubbed, episode of ‘WatchListenTell’ filmed two years ago now, and was instantly taken aback. Rose is certainly riding on the continual wave of popularity at the moment, playing a whole heap of UK festivals this summer. Her music brims with all the intricacy, brittle touches and shimmering grace that you would expect from any performer taking up the age old endeavour of the acoustic guitar and voice. Need we any reminding that it is often the most raw and direct approaches that prove to be the most potent?
The Respected Press Say: ‘Lucy Rose makes people’s eyes brim with emotion, their arms tingle with an unstoppable desire to cuddle. She seems to affect everyone in the same way – boys and girls, ladies and men, mums and dads, uncles and aunties, firemen and nurses – Lucy makes them all melt. Perhaps we should be worried, then, that this demure young lady is still in the earliest stages of her career. Will there be any sentient beings left once she’s finished? Or will the streets be filled with piles of hugging couples surrounded by puddles of their own tears?’ The FLY.
Lower Dens: Far Out Stage
The (relatively) new project of Jana Hunter, this group has emerged as a real favourite on both sides of the Atlantic after the release of debut album ‘Twin-Hand Movement’ in 2010. There’s is a Lo-Fi approach, with each song taking up a continuous and often quite tired tread. Under this more effervescent electronic beats quietly pulse, while Hunter’s vocals hang with a slightly chilling trail. Lower Dens will also be heading all across North America with Grizzly Bear this Autumn, (or Fall, as our Transatlantic cousins like to say).
The Respected Press Say: ‘Lower Dens immerses [Jana Hunter’s] elastic alto tone into a colourful mix of electric guitar, bass, and drums, yielding unhinged, dreamy rock with just the right mix of flourish and understatement.’ Pitchfork.
Junior Boys: Far Out Stage
It’s fun, it’s energetic, you can often dance to it, and it is also actually crafted with a great level of craft and finesse. It’s hard to believe the Canadian electro pop duo started back in 1999. Their set at this year’s Green Man will be the beginning of an extensive European tour, with shows also penned for London, Brighton and the Yorkshire Beacons Festival in the UK. Of any day on any stage, I have to say it was the Friday on the Far Out Stage that really caught my eye at first glance. It gives Green Man quite a unique appeal over a lot of other similarly sized festivals this year; new and refreshing artists at a good place between established and still relevant. One of the things that impresses me about this line-up in particular, and what I think works very well about the medium sized festivals in general, is the mix between great British acts, consistently appreciated by these fans but often overlooked at the likes of Reading et al, accompanied by a lot of exciting artists truly at the forefront of their music from across the world.
The Respected Press Say: ‘The glassy synth and acid squelch, a patina of indie to reaffirm your relevance.’ NME.
Mogwai: Mountain Stage
And then of course, Mogwai. One of the great champions of the instrumental post-rock genre, and masters of sonic performance, they are in many ways the perfect choice to headline the Friday, perhaps the day most forward thinking in its music acts. The Scots have been no strangers to the live circuit in the last couple of years, headlining The End of the Road Festival last year, as well as also playing Brixton Academy. Their 2012 EP ‘Earth Division’ came straight off the back of ‘Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will’ and demonstrates their continual and assured ability to make ethereal and absorbing music for the modern man(/woman) that lasts. Their live show, whilst taking you out of the comfort with which you may often unfold when normally consuming their music in the early hours, can not only be intensely atmospheric but also help bring the communal euphoria out of some of their material, often passing you by at home. A spectacle that we hope the outdoor setting will only enhance.
The Respected Press Say: ‘There are those who despite a voracious appetite for live music will not go and see this band, because there is none of the interactivity you get at many gigs: words are so few and far between you can’t sing along, there will be little in the way of banter, and you won’t go home soaked in the sweat of strangers. That’s not Mogwai, though. The greatest of “post-rock” bands are more akin to watching a classical music performance, and nobody calls out the Halle because their cellist keeps his shirt on; the involvement comes from complete absorption in the sound, from letting it soak through you and out into the universe beyond. It’s not for everyone, sure, but if it is your thing then it’s a joy to report that Britain’s finest and longest established purveyors of such are right back at the top of their game.’ Louder Than War.
‘Everything about them is based on their ability to build up a song from nothing but 2 or 3 notes, and by the end, make it feel like an orchestra and their families had joined in. Each song sets a story for the listener to piece together from what images the flowing riffs and beats conjure up.’ Sputnik Music.
