Now that the mud has dried and the portaloos are but a distant memory, here are a few personal highlights from the Electric Picnic. Like most people I missed as many acts as they saw, but the swampy ground did not lend itself to moving at any great speed! ...

Lykke Li took to the stage Friday evening like a demented Scandinavian Stevie Nicks. She captivated the Crawdaddy tent, whirling around in a swathe of black scarves and complementing tracks from her ‘Youth Novels’ album with numbers by Lil’ Wayne and Kings of Leon.

Rhode Island multi instrumentalists The Low Anthem impressed with their sepia-toned, intricate Americana on Saturday afternoon, lead singer Ben Knox Miller coming off like a wide eyed young James Taylor. They played a selection of songs from their album ‘Oh My God Charlie Darwin’ to a reverential hushed Cosby tent.

Whitest Boy Alive brought a massive grin to everyone’s face when they played a euphoric set Saturday evening in the Cosby tent. Lead singer and King-of-Convenience Erland Oye was clearly in his element, unleashing his jazzy-disco-funk side project, and some awesomely bad dancing. Throwing in a smattering of cover versions including Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game’ and 90s dance classic ‘Show me Love’ by Robin S, we’ll forgive them for the few bars of U2 (shudder)...

Despite flagging a little in the middle, the nutty boys Madness did a solid job of headlining the main stage Saturday night, aided by an impressive backdrop spelling out their name in giant lit letters.

Florence and the Machine’s Florence Welch pleased a bursting-at-the-seams electro arena, delivering songs from her album ‘Lungs’. The leggy redhead was clearly taken aback at the adulating crowd who roared along with every line.

Passion Pit played a stormer Sunday night. Lead singer Michael Angelakos has really evolved as a front man recently and bounded about the stage, name-checking Irish folk singer Mary O’Hara, the source of the sample on their massive tune ‘Sleepyhead’ and making a decent stab at pronouncing her original track ‘Oro mo bháidin’. Closing number ‘The Reeling’ nearly lifted the roof clean off the Cosby tent.

The Flaming Lips rolled out their usual epic stage show and festival friendly good vibes as the weekend began to wrap up, and wowed the Electric arena with lasers, streamer rocket launchers and giant balloons. Other highlights included Cap Pas Cap, Halfset, Fleet Foxes, The Sugarhill Gang, Flock of Seagulls (really!), and Dinosaur Jr.

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Hype-tacular Massachusetts band Passion Pit may not have blown me away at their recent Whelans show, but Chunk of Change was still one of the best releases of 2008, and most of the music-listening world will be waiting with baited breath for their next offering. Thankfully it won't be a long wait, as Manners, their debut LP (cover art above), is set for release on May 19th. First listen below... (or on the band's myspace page)

'The Reeling' is along similar lines to what we've heard on the EP, but featuring a children's choir on the chorus. A few more crazy ideas like that and Manners could be quite an interesting prospect.

Passion Pit play the Academy on May 7th, and tickets are onsale here for 15.50.

Passion Pit- The Reeling

Manners Tracklisting:

01 Make Light
02 Little Secrets
03 Moth’s Wings
04 The Reeling
05 Eyes as Candles
06 Swimming in the Flood
07 Folds in Your Hands
08 To Kingdom Come
09 Sleepyhead
10 Let Your Love Grow Tall
11 Seaweed Song

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Two of the bands most widely tipped for success in 2009 are set to grace the stage of Whelans on March 1st.

Passion Pit (above) & Hockey will perform a double-headliner, giving us a chance to see for ourselves whether the all this hype is justified. This will be all about Passion Pit for me. While their Chunk of Change EP still sounds amazing, Hockey seem pretty weak when one ventures past the (admittedly great) single, 'Too Fake'. Further examination of this phenomenon in the readmore.

Regardless, it should be one of those 'shows you won't want to miss', so be sure to grab a ticket quick. They go on sale this Wednesday (Jan 21st) for a very reasonable 15 euros a pop.



Hockey- Too Fake (good)


Hockey- Um, pretty much the rest of the songs on their myspace (a bit razorlight-y)

Passion Pit- Smile Upon Me (awesome)

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The best of 08's are barely compiled and everyone's already looking ahead to the next year and trying to identify who'll provide the soundtrack. While many a list is floating about, some artists are popping up more often than others.

Here's an attempt to provide a one stop shop for you to find out what ya likes, and what ya don't.

A veritable feast of youtube linkery in the readmore.

White Lies
Who: Interpol-y three piece from London.
Listen: To Lose My Life



Florence & The Machine
Who: Artsy British lady and her band. Doing quite well already.
Listen: Kiss With A Fist



Dinosaur Pile-Up
Who: Loudish Leeds band, declared by some as the bringers of a new grunge era.
Listen: Your Harley (not a lot of youtube content, I suggest wandering over to their myspace).



Passion Pit
Who: Talented Bostonians (pictured at the top of the post) who released what was probably the best EP of 2008. Track it down, it's awesome. Tipped for greatness by almost everyone. Including me.
Listen: Sleepyhead



Hockey
Who: Funky, dancy, poppy, Oregon band. Released their debut album 'Mind Chaos' in 2008 to much hype, and hype well deserved. These guys are good.
Listen: Too Fake




Little Boots
Who: Blackpool songstress who can use the power of pop for quirky electro proposes. Almost everyone is tipping Boots for fame & fortune in 09. We like her too. She made us a mixtape, which was nice.
Listen: Stuck on Repeat (Live)



La Roux
Who: Awesome english electro-pop lady, who briefly found a home with cult french label Kitsuné, through whose compilations I first discovered the below track. She's now been snapped up by Polydor, and will no doubt be big.
Listen: Quicksand



Chairlift
Who: Poppy three-piece born out of the mystical Williamsburg scene in NYC. Currently making it big thanks to landing an ipod commercial featuring the song below.
Listen: Bruises



Gary Go
Who: Middlesex piano man who is all over youtube doing covers and whatnot. Much touted by movers and shakers such as HMV.
Listen: Heart & Soul



Villagers
Who: Conor of The Immediate has returned and now the Irish music scene can feel a little less sad at the loss of his original band. The songs are excellent, and the fledgling Villagers may be the Irish act of 2009. Check out their first headline show on Feb 21st at Crawdaddy.
Listen: The Meaning of the Ritual (live, acoustic. Check out the amazing full version on myspace)



Titus Andronicus
Who: Jersey lads who sound like the Clash with Conor Oberst on vocals. It aint half bad though...
Listen: Titus Andronicus



The XX
Who: Schoolmates of Hot Chip, Burial, etc. Sounds reaaaaly good.
Listen: Stars (only remixes on youtube- nice'n'mellow original on myspace page).



Empire of the Sun
Who: 80's-tastic aussies. Easy pitch? Try 'the new MGMT'.
Listen: Walking on a Dream



The Big Pink
Who: London duo who shoegaze, in a madchester kinda way. Have impressed TV On The Radio & Crystal Castles enough to earn support slots.
Listen: Too Young To Love



General Fiasco
Who: Belfast trio providing the 'choppy guitar pop' entry for the year. Not to shabby, and apparently great live. The kinda thing I can see doing quite well.
Listen: Rebel Get By



Temper Trap
Who: More Aussies, this time radio-friendly pop-rock. Not in a bad way.
Listen: Sweet Disposition



Vivian Girls
Who: Strange, Brooklyn all-girl, indie-rock band, who released a highly acclaimed lo-fi album in late 2008. Predicted to take off big style.
Listen: Tell The World





At the end of all that, I would be staking my money on Little Boots, Villagers, Hockey & La Roux to do well in 09. And if Passion Pit don't become huge I shall buy a hat and eat it.

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