Kult Country // Friday

Our Friday night openers, and one of our favourite new bands to appear from a thriving Manchester scene, Kult Country are like nothing you’ll see or hear at this years Tramlines. With upcoming shows with Wooden Shjips and A Place To Bury Strangers these guys promise to be an explosive start to the weekend. Stream one of their first tracks ‘Ensomniac (Lay Down)’ below.

‘FROM THE ASHES THAT BORE THE PHOENIX, CAME A HEART BLEEDING LOVE, FROM THE PLANETS WHERE LIFE WAS OUTCASTED, THE KINGDOM OF GOD WAS BESTOWED WITHIN ALL OF US. THE BEING OF WITHIN IS SEEING. THE LAW OF ONE IS CALLING.’

G R E A T W A V E S // Friday

Our last show at The Bowery saw one of our new favourite bands G R E A T W A V E S grace the stage as support for Sunless ‘97 with a stunning set accompanied by live visuals. If it’s half as good at Tramlines, then it’s entirely unmissable. This drone-pop duo are making waves in 2012, stream ‘Are Calling’ below and look out for their debut physical release on Manchester-based label SWAYS in the coming months.

‘Drop it from the heavens.’

∆ (alt-J) // Friday

∆, or alt-J, were the first name of ours to appear in the official announcements at the end of March. Having hosted shows for them at The Bowery twice before, we’re welcoming them back as our Friday night headliner following their debut album release on May 28th via Infectious Music. Listen to ‘Breezeblocks’ below.

‘You’ll have first heard about Leeds-based (now Cambridge) quartet ∆ (pronounced Alt-J) with their debut release of ‘Bloodflood’ / ‘Tessellate’ in October 2011. Released on 7” via Loud & Quiet, it sparked a wave of interest in their brilliantly unique and compelling sound.

Radio support came through almost instantly from Radio 1’s Huw Stephens, Zane Lowe and Nick Grimshaw while the BBC Introducing team didn’t hesitate to get them booked in for a live session, which was broadcast on both Huw Stephens’ and Steve Lamaq’s shows. More recently they were selected to perform as part of Radio 1’s Festive Festival to showcase new, exciting acts for 2012 alongside Emeli Sande, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosuars, Jakwob, Dot Rotten and others. Previous artists to be given the same accolade have included Katy B, The Vaccines, Wretch 32, Plan B, Mumford & Sons, The xx, Florence & The Machine and Chase & Status.

Now signed to Infectious Music for their debut album (due May), next up for ∆ is the release of two tracks that are sure to cement the early love shown to boys whilst also drawing in a wealth of new fans and supporters for 2012. ‘Matilda’ is a beautifully penned ode that gets under your skin and refuses to leave while ‘Fitz Pleasure’ brings out the raw, inspiringly inventive side of the bands music. Two impactful pieces that illustrate the spectrum of their influences and forward thinking approach to music for the year ahead, both polished off with Joe’s brilliantly distinctive vocals.’

Foreign Hands // Saturday

We were first introduced to Manchester’s Foreign Hands last year when we heard 6 minute epic ‘Waves’ for the first time. They’re the band to set the tone for our Saturday, with an amazing sunny, surf-orientated sound. Make sure you listen to their latest track, ‘Winter’s Sun’ below.

 

This Many Boyfriends // Saturday

This Many Boyfriends play some of the best summery, blissed-out indie-pop that you can expect to hear. They’ll be playing Saturday afternoon at The Bowery for us, and these guys will undoubtedly put you in that festival mood like no-one else. Czech our favourite track of theirs ‘Young Lovers Go Pop!’ below.

‘It’s been natural that the past couple of years has seen most artists shy away from making certain statements about themselves. This Many Boyfriends aren’t really like most artists, though. Unashamedly indiepop, if you’re searching for a band to obsess over and potentially change your life, you’re in luck.

As any fan of Beat Happening might be able to surmise from their name, TMB wear their influences on their sleeve. Their track Paul Simon was named after… well, you get the idea, and their debut EP ‘Getting a life with…’ brought to mind everyone from Orange Juice through to Hefner, and got Angular Records interested enough to put out their irrepressibly joyful debut single ‘Young Lovers Go Pop!’

Declared as one of the acts to look out for in 2012 by NME, they’ve already won over the heart of Ryan Jarman – who subsequently invited them to tour with The Cribs – and Steve Lamacq, who rushed to get them on his show as his new favourite band. Just don’t call them twee, or they’ll knock your block off.’

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BLESSA // Saturday

We’re psyched to welcome back local-favourites Blessa to The Bowery on Saturday afternoon. Fresh from a writing breakwe’ve been told to forget anything we thought about them in the past, definitely one of the most exciting new Sheffield-based bands around. 

‘Doe-eyed and fresh from graduating, five-piece Blessa come to Tramlines with a more articulated sound. Casting off their shoegaze skin for a more psychedelic, lo-fi pop milieu, catch them at the start of what promises to be a busy summer.’

Childhood // Saturday

Probably our favourite self-proclaimed ‘Hot boy band from London’, Childhood play for us Saturday evening. Everyone knows we have a real soft spot for these guys, they’re the best at what they do. Making waves this year, with shows coming up supporting Alabama Shakes and the like, it’s safe to say you can expect big things.

‘Childhood formed in early 2011, originally as a two piece, making demos in a bedroom. The founding members were Leo Dobsen and Ben Romans-Hopcraft who initially came together over a shared love for psychedelic and indie guitar music. The intention was not to write songs with one distinctive sound or direct influence, rather, musically the songs came to represent a shared pool of interests drawing on influences from early the Creation records sound, Soul, Americana and shoegaze. After generating a musical vibe in these early demos, the band formed a live outfit with the help of Daniel Salamons on bass and are now playing around the country in preparation for their first ever release.’

Hookworms // Saturday

Hookworms are another band we’ve wanted in for a long time, and they’re playing on Saturday evening. With influences in psychedelic rock, these guys had everyone wet following their debut EP release ‘S/T’ at the end of last summer. Stream it below.

‘Leeds’ Hookworms released their cacophonous debut EP last year, the spirit of three-chord rock and roll, shrouded in a wall of sound, so dense, the vocals are set to ‘scream’ in order to pierce it. There’s something addictive about the noise they create, which sets them apart from other ‘buzz’ bands of the moment. A hypnotic rumble of bass and guitars that truly howl, they do psychedelia on a razor’s edge, in a world where melodrama and delay pedals collide.’

Best Friends // Saturday

It’s no secret that we’re in love with these guys. Best Friends play the best high tempo, sunny, DIY hits in the north, and we’re psyched to have them play Saturday night. This one will be crazy busy, listen to ‘Wasting Time’ below and prepare to fuck some shit up.

‘Best Friends released their first E.P. in the summer of 2011, garnering a considerable amount of attention and released their most recent E.P. ‘Throwing Up’ this spring on Art is Hard Records.The bands sunshine inspired melodies manage to break through the encasing fuzz and provide the perfect soundtrack to the summer. Their songs are short, fast, memorable and upbeat, soaked in reverb and full of sunshine.’

Peace // Saturday

Peacewere another of ours you may have spotted in the first festival announcements, and chances our you’ve seen these guys play for us before. Whether it was for the first ‘Proof’ back in February or last week at our Mystery Jets show, you’ll know why they’ve cemented their place as one of our favourite bands we’ve had over the years. They play right before Theme Park on Saturday night, and you can listen to their forthcoming single ‘Follow Baby’ below.

‘As rave culture reached its peak and Brit-pop conquered the world, Harrison Koisser, Samuel Koisser, Douglas Castle and Dominic Boyce were born in the West Midlands of England. Drawn together through the most ordinary circumstances (two are brothers and they went to the same college) they eventually began to make extra-ordinary music in late 2010. Since then they have existed as Peace, a band who are tipped to lead the way for an exciting new generation of British guitar music.

The task of defining Peace’s sound has provided no end of difficulty for critics in the wake of their recent rise in popularity. The buzz generated around their demo ‘BBlood’ garnered a string of comparisons to various contemporaries and the genres of Math Rock and Afropop, which seem to have been applied to many bands across the last few years.

The band’s live performances added further confusion to all this when audiences were suddenly faced with elements of dance music, walls of noise and the pop appeal that attracted fans to them in the first place. This culminated in the Fly’s recent comment that their sound is “pretty intangible”: perhaps the most appropriate response thus far.

This dynamic in their music results from teenage forays into experimental music, an intelligent approach to genre-referencing and endless partying across the UK. A love of arty rock staples such as the Velvet Underground and the Talking Heads showed them the possibilities of combining approachable and exciting music with avant-garde sensibilities. The band’s party mentality gave birth to the pulsing 4/4 kick drums and intricate percussive elements that borrow from dance music, which plays a major part in their immersive live shows.

Despite the complex influences and references, the message is simple – this is real, give Peace a chance.’

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Theme Park // Saturday

Theme Park will be our Saturday night headliners! Really excited to get these guys up to Sheffield, we’ve been asked for them countless times and the stars have aligned for this one. Stream ‘Milk’ below, and click to go to their SoundCloud to hear more.

‘Theme Park are one of the most exciting new songwriting forces in our midst today, managing to attain that rare balance of feeling comfortingly familiar and yet not sounding like anyone else.

The four piece were formed by twin brothers Miles & Marcus Haughton earlier this year and quickly enrolling the service of old friend friend Oscar Manthorpe (guitar) as well as recruiting Ric Hollingbery (bass) and Phil Jordan for the drums. They are currently working on their first full length via Transgressive Records.’

The White Album // Sunday

Remember The White Album? Last November we hosted the Copenhagen-based folk three-piece’s debut show at a packed out Bowery, and we’re really psyched to have them back to headline our Sunday night. Stream their debut release ‘The Album’ below.

‘The White Album are a Danish band from Copenhagen consisting of 3 very good friends with big beards and very big hearts. Rooted in folk and indie-rock they make music that transcends structural boundaries of both practical and musical nature. Everybody is a frontman in this band as each distinct voice and composition finds it’s place in a soulful conglomerate of well-seasoned musical spirits. Just as the original white album, there’s no right or wrong. Just ideas. Mostly wonderful ones.’

Track ‘Guns and Ammunition’ was featured by Record of the Day who described the band as having “a superb sense of melody and effortless craftsmanship” and “the band’s reputation for their live performances is taking on a life of its own”. The band were also featured by NPR naming them as one of their Bandcamp artists of the year in 2011. The band have had strong support from Amazing Radio and were featured as artist of the week on the Breakfast Show.