13th, 14th and 15th May, 2010 – Brighton, UK

THE GREAT ESCAPE UNVEILS FIRST WAVE OF BANDS FOR 2010

DELPHIC / CHASE AND STATUS /

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE / MARINA & THE DIAMONDS /

ELLIE GOULDING / CRYSTAL FIGHTERS / SLOW CLUB /

COLD CAVE / ESBEN AND THE WITCH / HURTS /

JAPANDROIDS / REAL ESTATE / TIMBER TIMBRE /

DARWIN DEEZ / BEST COAST / THE CHEEK / WILD PALMS /

THE RUBY SUNS

www.escapegreat.com

The Great Escape, Europe’s most anticipated new music festival and Industry conference event is pleased to announce the first wave of acts for its landmark fifth annual Brighton outing. Taking over 30+ venues throughout the city and hosting over 350 bands playing across three days, the event will once again bring to light the most vibrant new bands getting those in the know hot under the collar, as well as giving you the opportunity to see some of the most loved bands around in pleasingly intimate surrounds.

Opening the 2010 festival season in style and running from May 13-15th, this year’s Great Escape is ecstatic to confirm that Manchester’s finest young sons Delphic will be bringing their much lauded indie-rave hybrid to southern shores. Tipped as ones to watch by all and sundry in 2010 and already garnering almost universally high praise for the debut album ‘Acolyte’, this may be the last chance you get to see the band before they make the leap to filling the stadiums that their anthemic warehouse-pop deserves. Also confirmed for this year’s event are Drum ‘n’ Bass overlords Chase & Status. Having built a reputation as one of the most blisteringly on-point live acts in dance music, it’s guaranteed to be nothing short of breathtaking to witness them dropping the heavy bass pressure.

Canadian über-group Broken Social Scene, who are currently putting the finishing touches to their fourth album, will be crossing the Atlantic to join the action with their incredibly engaging baroque-pop. The festival will also be set alight by quirky new wave bliss from the sublime Marina & The Diamonds, hooky electronica from the BBC’s top tip for 2010 and BRITS Critics Choice winner Ellie Goulding, cutting edge Basque folk funk from Crystal Fighters, intergalactic rockabilly-esque folk from Sheffield duo Slow Club, experimental synth sounds from Philadelphia’s Cold Cave, Brighton’s very own Esben & The Witch, lush and icy electro-pop from Hurts, garage rocking duo Japandroids, psychedelic surf rock from Real Estate, swampy ragged blues from Timber Timbre, indie rock with a side of calisthenics from Darwin Deez, hazy bedroom pop from Best Coast, punky power-popsters The Cheek, primal soundscapes from Wild Palms and psych action from Kiwi band Ruby Suns.

Early bird tickets, that not only get you in to see all the bands but will also get you access to outdoor gigs, afternoon shows, club nights, after parties and much more, are on sale now from www.escapegreat.com for a mere £45.00.

Words by Brendan Monteiro

Every year the great magazine’s of this fair country concoct albums that represent the year of noteworthy bands from their perspective. This time around it’s the indie fueled NME magazine that delivers this mammoth double album that is stacked to the rafters with great songs.

The first disc opens up the sonic mind assault that is Muse, setting an exceptionally high standard for the rest to follow. Other names that glitter this first part of the album are White Lies who have dominated the radio waves all year long, Their dark fusion of emotive lyrics and sound make for a great mid section in the album and Death is probably one of my favourite tracks on their album. Oddly enough Watford punk outfit Gallows have also made the cut with I Dread The Night, I almost fell off my seat when I saw this as I thought that NME were blatantly indie only.

The second disk is started off with Scotland’s finest, and Biffy’s new material is definitely something to be excited about. As can be expected with an NME album in includes the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Maximo Park, The Maccabees and many others that constantly grace their covers. I guess other than the inclusion of Gallows which would probably be more at home on a Kerrang! album is the fact that The Arctic Monkeys are not present, especially since they have they’re latest record released this year.

This is probably the hardest review to ever write, firstly how do you manage to tip a hat to so many great bands on the album without ranging in a word count of 32 560. Secondly I hate compilations, I have never bought one and feel that if you like a song go and buy the bands album or use itunes and download your own unique compilation.

Full tracklisting for NME The Album 2009:

CD1
Muse – Uprising
Kasabian – Fire
Friendly Fires – Kiss Of Life
The Temper Trap -Sweet Disposition
Yeah Yeah Yeahs -Zero
Jamie T – Sticks ‘n’ Stones
The Big Pink – Dominos
Maximo Park – In Another World
The Enemy – Be Somebody
Franz Ferdinand – Ulysses
White Lies – Death
Passion Pit – The Reeling
The Maccabees – No Kind Words
Gossip – Love Long Distance
Jack Penate – Tonight’s Today
Peter Doherty – The Last of the English Roses
Esser – Headlock
The Virgins – Private Affair
The Cribs – Cheat On Me
Gallows – I Dread The Night

CD2
Biffy Clyro – That Golden Rule
Paramore – Ignorance
Green Day – Know Your Enemy
The Prodigy – Warrior’s Dance
Enter Shikari – No Sleep Tonight
The Horrors – Who Can Say
The View – 5 Rebeccas
Ian Brown – Stellify
Bombay Bicycle Club – The Hill
Howling Bells – Into The Chaos
Little Boots – Remedy
Marmaduke Duke – Je Suis Un Funky Homme
Marina & The Diamonds – Obsessions
Animal Collective – My Girls
Dananananaykroyd – Black Wax
Golden Silvers – Please Venus
Phoenix – 1901
Manic Street Preachers – Peeled Apples
Graham Coxon – Dead Bees
Glasvegas – Flowers & Football Tops

How do you make sense of a whole year’s worth of music? A whole year’s worth of new bands, new tracks, and new releases from all the world’s hottest acts. Well, you should look no further than NME The Album 2009…a guided tour through the coolest breakthrough acts and the bands that you need to hear. Exactly as you’d expect from the pioneers of all things cool, The NME has its finger on the pulse so you don’t have to, presenting an eclectic mix of the hottest bands in Rock and Indie.

Spanning two spectacular CDs, NME has sifted through the trash and put together a compilation jam packed with all the biggest names of 2009. CD1 boasts tracks from Muse with their spectacular come back single ‘Uprising’, Kasabian with the huge ‘Fire’ and the stunning indie-electro crossover ‘Zero’ by the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s. Meanwhile, CD2 combines the stunning ‘That Golden Rule’ by Biffy Clyro, Green Day with their huge ‘Know Your Enemy’ and a plethora of new and exciting Brit-talent from the likes of Wild Beasts, Dananananackroyd and The Horrors.

Hand-picked by the UK’s most respected music magazine – and without a doubt the coolest compilation of the year, NME The Album 2009 really is the essential album for 2009.

CD1

1.       Muse – Uprising

2.       Kasabian – Fire

3.       Friendly Fires – Kiss Of Life

4.       Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition

5.       Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Zero

6.       Jamie T – Sticks & Stones

7.       The Big Pink – Dominos

8.       Maximo Park – In Another World

9.       The Enemy – Be Somebody

10.    Franz Ferdinand – Ulyesses

11.    White Lies – Death

12.    Passion Pit – The Reeling

13.    The Maccabees – No Kind Words

14.    Gossip – Love Long Distance

15.    Jack Penate – Tonight’s Today

16.    Peter Doherty – Last Of The English Roses

17.    Esser – Headlock

18.    The Virgins – Private Affair

19.    The Cribs – Cheat On Me

20.    Gallows – I Dread The Night

CD2

1.        Biffy Clyro – That Golden Rule

2.        Paramore – Ignorance

3.        Green Day – Know Your Enemy

4.        The Prodigy – Warrior Dance

5.        Enter Shikari – No Sleep Tonight

6.        The Horrors – Who Can Say

7.        The View – 5 Rebeccas

8.        Ian Brown – Stellify

9.        Bombay Bicycle Club – The Hill

10.     Howling Bells – Into The Chaos

11.     Little Boots – Remedy

12.     Marmaduke Duke – Je Suis Un Funky Homme

13.     Marina & The Diamonds – Obsessions

14.     Animal Collective – My Girls

15.     Danananananakroyd – Back Wax

16.     Golden Silvers – Please Venus

17.     Phoenix – 1901

18.     Manic Street Preachers – Peeled Apples

19.     Graham Coxon – Dead Bees

20.     Glasvegas – Flowers & Football Tops