10 Acts to see at Longitude

Next weekend sees the second staging of Longitude at Marlay Park. The festival enjoyed a fine debut last year and this year’s event promises to be just as good with some great acts set to take to the stages over the weekend. Here are some of the acts that we recommend you see over the weekend.

See also: Longitude 2014 Stage Times

Parquet Courts

Coming from a long line of scuzzy New York rockers, Parquet Courts have taken on the baton passed down from the likes of The New York Dolls, The Ramones and The Strokes while stamping their own personality over their gloriously ramshackle tunes. If you count their cassette only debut American Specialties then the band are now on their third release, Sunbathing Animal which came out earlier this year. Check out the title track from that album.

Haim

Another group of Americans, the sisters Haim have been getting bigger and bigger since the release of their debut album last year. Their sound has been compared to acts as diverse as Fleetwood Mac and Destiny’s Child is quite unique – bound to get the crowds hopping about in Marlay. The band also have an Irish link. Drummer Dash Hutton’s father is Three Dog Night singer Danny Hutton, who was born in Buncrana in County Donegal which means that we can claim Haim under the Granny Rule.

Hozier

Remarkably, young Andrew Hozier-Byrne has yet to release a full length album. That still hasn’t stopped his nascent quest for world domination though. He’s received extensive airplay in the UK, wowed the crowds recently at Glastonbury and appeared on Ellen and David Letterman. That’s pretty good going in anyone’s book. Go and see him now before he’s filling stadiums around the world.

Le Galaxie

You’re guaranteed a good time at a Le Galaxie gig. Their combination of rock elements with dance music and amazing visuals make for a stunning live show. They’re also slowly making inroads in the UK and if there’s any justice in the world these guys will be huge, having spent several years grafting away and honing their sound. Check out their latest single Humanise.

James Vincent McMorrow

There was a time in the early part of the last decade when you couldn’t walk through the streets of Dublin without tripping over several sensitive singer-songwriters. Some of those artists were great but it did reach saturation point and the sensitive singer-songwriter had to evolve to survive. Like Hozier who we mentioned above, James Vincent McMorrow is one such singer-songwriter who is a little further down the career path with two stunning albums, Early In The Morning and Post Tropical, under his belt. Maybe it’s his devotion to hip-hop that helps him out among the crowd or maybe it’s just amazing tunes like Cavalier. Either way, he’s well worth checking out.

First Aid Kit

Their second album The Lion’s Roar rocketed them in to the big time and they’ve just released their third album Stay Gold. These Swedish sisters, Johanna and Klara Söderberg, have received wide critical acclaim and the new album has seen the band expand their sound palette while still retaining the country-tinged folk sound that has won them fans all over the globe.

Conor Oberst

Probably best known for his work as Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst has worn many musical masks since he released his first album at the tender age of 13. He’s discarded those masks for now and is back releasing music under his own name with his latest album Upside Down Mountain. While we can expect to hear much of the excellent new album at Longitude, we hope he also delves in to his extensive back catalogue too. Here’s Zigzagging Toward The Light from the new album.

Massive Attack

We can think of no better way to finish off a weekend than chilling out to the awesome blissed out vibes of trip-hop legends Massive Attack, who close out the festival on Sunday night. The band haven’t released any new material since 2010’s Heligoland but with a back catalogue to mine that includes the superb albums Mezzanine and Blue Lines, this is sure to be an amazing show.

Chvrches

Having placed high in the influential BBC Sounds of 2013 poll, Scottish trio Chvrches released their debut album The Bones of What You Believe to universal acclaim in September last year. A well crafted mix of synthpop, anchored by Lauren Mayberry’s tender vocals, Chvrches are one of the most exciting bands to emerge in recent years. Check out the dangerously catchy The Mother We Share.

Mano Le Tough

Originally from Greystones but now based in Berlin, Niall Mannion is in big demand all over the world under his Mano Le Tough alias. Renowned for his DJ skills and with remixes for Roisin Murphy and Aloe Black among others under his belt, Mano Le Tough released his debut album Changing Days last year. With tracks like Moment of Truth, his is sure to be an exceptional live performance.