Minipop - Chances

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This is a post I've been meaning to finish for weeks, it's been a manic few months for me since I moved house in May and maintaining the frequency of this blog has meant come super late nights and blogging lunches, that's my excuse anyway (and I hope at least a few of your have found something to make my time worthwhile)...

Minipop came to my attention last month (June) with their first release in four years "Chances" (a four track EP of the same name is available to download now via Bandcamp) and I've previously adhered to the band when I posted about drummer Lauren Grubb's other project To The Wedding (make sure you check it out if you are yet to hear it - a stunner), they're going to appeal to lots of us, people lost in rose-tinted romanticism with an ear for luscious, sparking dream pop that makes you feel like you're wrapped in a big fluffy cloud.

"My Love Will Last Forever" is nothing short of beautiful, a blissfully slow and calming journey through softening beats, widescreen guitars and sensual vocals that can do nothing but melts hearts whilst "Chances" is similarly graceful and restrained, where soft blooming melody and majestic vocals combine to yet more happy coos of approval.

Arctic Lake - New Music "Introducing"

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The delicate, shimmering guitar textures and haunting vocals that introduce the debut track from London's Arctic Lake belie what is to follow, transforming "How Long Can You Stare" from widescreen London Grammar-esque ambiance to a level that rivals the more ambitious post-rock soundscapes of Explosions in the Sky.

The whole loud/quiet dynamic fits together perfectly, coming across completely unforced as the track weaves a serenely beautiful melody to a devastating, emotive voice before building to a peak of gut-wrenching instrumentation and crashing percussion that sweep you off your feet with an aural storm of noise.

With a debut track this ambitions (and impressive) Arctic Lake jump straight into the 'ones to watch' category.

Paperwhite #2 - Take Me Back

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Quickly following the effervescent "Magic" Brooklyn's sibling duo Paperwhite return with "Take Me Back", which does indeed to that, another brilliant slice of perfect 80's throwback electro-pop.

The synths are shiny and sparkle throughout bubbling amongst Katie's smooth, sophisticated vocal and the result is nothing short of a joy.

It's my birthday today and there is nothing quite like swimming in a sea of warm, nostalgic bliss. Have a good day!

Rosie June #2 - Listening Post Redux

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I posted about Rosie June almost exactly a year ago now with a brief review of her debut album Listening Post, a beautiful record full of soft, romantic soundscapes, sweetly cooed vocals, jangle guitars and airy synths, the result is sure to make your day better than you thought it was.

The record seems to have disappeared from her Bandcamp but fear not, it has been re-released on iTunes alongside a new video for one of the albums stand-out tracks, "Sound It Out". If you missed it then, now is as good a time as any to catch up.

"Sound It Out" is gorgeous with Rosie's mellow vocals gliding over light, glistening synths and a soft percussive beat and I'm also in love with a live video to another track from the record "Lion on Your Side", where dreamy, chiming guitar patters and heavenly harmonies combine to send hearts a flutter.

Listen to both now:

Eliot Sumner #2- Come Friday

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I wasn't anticipating that one of my tracks of the year thus far would come from Sting's daughter (for no reason other than my own expectations), yet it most certainly has. Eliot Sumner's first single (under her birth name) "Information" is an absolute stunner and now we have a second track, both taken from an EP also entitled Information and due to be released on iTunes August 1st.

"Come Friday" is similar in style and scope, an epically sized beast that's armed with a pulsating melody and surging rhythms, they hide the tracks darker subject matter amongst shiny guitar riffs and a catchy chorus. Eliot's vocal is exemplary throughout but my favourite bit has to be the part around two and a half minutes when it comes to the fore amongst thudding bass before exploding with a euphoric conclusion. Ace.

The Castle Walls - New Music "Introducing"

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I'm noticing more and more sibling bands cropping up (I guess there have always been lots), the obvious, well publicised ones like Haim, First Aid Kit or the cross sibling bands like The National and Arcade Fire, as well as the likes of Broods, Southern. The latest to come to my attention are the brother/sister duo The Castle Walls with the rather lovely "Pushing Daises".

The song is a simple, sweet one that you cannot help but enjoy, a heart-warming melody sweeps along with luscious string arrangements and breezy acoustic riffs as their voices entwine beautifully around. I like the last minute the best, with driving keys and rich harmonies. Make your day that little bit better with a listen below:

Shura #3 - Just Once

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When you've set the bar as high as Shura did with "Touch" you have a lot to live up to, it's fair enough to say that my single of the year so far has created quite an impact, amassing over 600k's worth of plays on soundcloud alone, that's as a self-released track. The London based artist returns with her second track "Just Once", a track which happily lives up to all you could have hoped for.

"Just Once" could be an early sister of "Touch", based years before at the point of a relationship breakdown and sees Shura contemplating a one-night stand where names and identify blur amongst the desire to, as repeated throughout the song, "get lost". Musically the track is similarly restrained and luxurious with smooth, shimmering textures guiding Shura's softly spoken heartache. Another stunner then.

Kid Wave #3 - All I Want

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It's not too often I write about a track I've previously covered but I'm happy to make an exception when the track is great, and in this case, an entirely re-recorded version of a track I posted over a year ago...

"All I Want" was the first track I heard by London quartet Kid Wave - now signed to Heavenly (home of TOY and Stealing Sheep amongst others) - and is being released as their debut single on September 8th.

What was already an irresistible track has been made better still with a slick veneer of production polish and a greater emphasis on Lea's gloriously rich vocals, brilliantly identifying the track as a hazy, progressive surf-pop gem made for summer complete with juggernaut riffs and swirling pysche hooks. It's a must include for your next mix-tape.

Echo Lake #4 - This Year

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As per my last post on 2:54, until this week we'd had a couple of years radio silence from Echo Lake (two bands I can actually remember seeing together at The Lexington probably over three years ago now). The London based band return with a new song "This Year", part of a forthcoming compilation for Marshall Teller Records (whom the band play a showcase for this Saturday at the Shacklewell Arms - details) before hopefully treating us to details of a second album later this year.

An accompanying press release states that the track is actually an older track revisited and you can perhaps tell, a languid, haze of swirling, psychedelic pop that would fit well on their debut EP rather than the greater, more purposeful atmospherics of the full-length Wild Peace, either way, it sounds perfect listening here amongst the blue skies of North London, go bask in its glow below. Welcome back guys. Don't leave it so long next time please.

2:54 #8 - Orion

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Two years have passed since we last heard new music from 2:54, a wait which ended yesterday with the return of the Thurlow sisters and their track "Orion", it comes coupled by the news of a signing to the wonderful Bella Union for their forthcoming second album (as yet unannounced but promised for later this year).

The track is compelling, a strong, bolder continuation of the dark, brooding melodies which initially hooked me almost four years ago now. It instantly gets the pulses racing, huge drums, jagged guitars and a potent combination of menace/alluring vocals sweeping with dramatic, cinematic beauty. I'm sure I'm not the only one excited to hear more.

There's a UK tour penned in for November which kicks off at London's St Pancras Old Church - tickets go on sale tomorrow and I'll be sure to grab one quick.

Doe Eye - Shattered

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To San Francisco again and Maryam Qudus' Doe Eye whom came to my attention a couple of weeks back with the video to her track "Shattered".

An intriguing, experimental sound is introduced as stark synthetic soundscapes complete with abrasive industrial beats and detached vocals swirl around with a cold, nightmarish beauty. It's mysterious and atmospheric throughout as lyrics full of stalkerish intent instantly tell you that this is music of the night.

Another track from her album Television - released back in April and available digitally and on CD via Bandcamp now - "Diamond" is similarly captivating, as rich and shimmering as the title would indicate invading your mind with a metronomic beat hypnotising around Maryam's luscious echoes. I like this.

Indiana - Heart on Fire

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Advertisting. It can work. I'm normally one to shy away from adverts before Youtube videos and quite often don't listen to tracks that expect you to sit through thirty seconds of something beforehand - frankly it sucks, I'd rather the music model were like in the old days but seemingly I'm in the minority and people would rather advertisers pay the way, or part there of, instead of actually buying music they like lots - a model I'm not sure applies to anything else in the world - anyway, that's an entirely different story for another time...

Nottingham's Indiana came on before something I was emailed, I cannot remember what now but I was cooking dinner at the same time so I went into the kitchen after clicking on the link and then quickly came back to see what was playing... that as they say, is that. She is signed to Sony and appears to have been around for a good eighteen months so God knows where I have been but her latest single "Heart on Fire" is my introduction (I've actually just read that she's had a top 20 hit too - bloody hell).

Her voice reminds me of the melt-your-worries-away sweetness of Emily Wood and musically it's similar to much of the music I'm finding myself listening to this year, slick and stylish with glistening synths and lusciously smooth beats combining with a hook that makes you want to press play all over again. I'd say that's the very basis of a great pop song and "Heart on Fire" is most definitely that.

Indiana's debut album No Romeo is released 1st September.

Ruby Fray - Barbara

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Ruby Fray is a new name to me, an Austin, Texas quartet led by the even better named Emily Beanblossom, "Barbara" is the track that introduces me to their music, the first taken from their forthcoming second album and showcases a brooding noir-sound that explores a dark, atmospheric terrain akin a combination of Chelsea Wolfe, Bird and Widowspeak. I'm down with that.

Propelled by a ominous bass groove and shimmering guitar textures "Barbara" bewitches around Emily's hypnotic vocals, the beautiful result threatens to explode but remains understated and haunting. I'm left intrigued for more.

The album Grackle is released September 30th via K.

Robyn Sherwell - Love Somebody

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London based Robyn Sherwell comes to my attention with the swoonsome beauty "Love Somebody", a track which sounds like the music I was brought up listening to in the early 90's (and is now very much enjoying a renaissance), smooth, mellow pop with a soulful vocal and irresistible hook.

"Love Somebody" is sparse beats and glacial guitars which radiate a beautiful atmosphere in which Robyn's repeated call and response questioning of "can you ever love somebody..." breaks hearts. It recalls the soft, smouldering beauty of Lisa Stansfield at her finest and if it were released back then, it'd be hitting the highs of the charts, now of course we know things have changed unless you are on X Factor protege or worse Ed Sheeran...

"Love Somebody is released 7th September via Birdland Records with a release show taking place on the 11th at London's Islington - details.

Beverly #2 - Planet Birthday

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A month back (time flies) when I first posted about Beverly I talked about a super sweet fuzz-pop track "Honey Do", a track perfect for summer nights spent with friends and singing along to after a few too many beers, the second track to come my way "Planet Birthday" is not (the debut album Careers is out now via Kanine Records but hasn't made its way to my ears just yet).

Instead I'm instantly transported to a dark, grim basement, sweating it out amongst menacing rhythms, frenetic drums and buzzsaw bass. It reminds me of the September Girls, echoey and murky with vocals taking their time to reveal themselves, what immediately grabs you is a foot tapper with a typically catchy chorus.

It appears that Frankie Rose has since departed to concentrate on her solo career and Drew Citron has been joined by two strapping looking chaps to make a live show to tour the US. The UK awaits...

Låpsley - Painter (Valentine)

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I've previously spoke about heading off to see Liverpool's Låpsley at Glastonbury without too much prior knowledge of her music but with the awareness that there'd been a bit of 'buzz' around her releases. The performance was an obviously nervous one, she's still a teenager, ridden with technical problems but a set that didn't hinder the obvious potential on evidence, a fact not lost on a sizeable audience in the BBC Introducing tent, highlighting a beguiling voice and an interesting take on minimalist synth-pop with shifting vocals amongst typically haunting, beautiful soundscapes.

If there's more tracks like the one below in the offing, Låpsley will soon have to get used to playing to bigger crowds, "Painter (Valentine)" was released earlier this year but I'm posting it now with a newly release video, a song that floats effortlessly, gorgeously over the repeated line of "come paint these wings and make me fly" and leaves you feeling all soft and gooey. It brings the sort of chills that only music can. The hype, is so far justified...

Jenny Lysander - New Music "Introducing"

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The latest in a long line of Scandinavian discoveries is Swedish singer-songwriter Jenny Lysander who has just released her debut EP Lighthouse via Beating Drum Records, it offers a glimpse into enchanting world delivered by a delicate, poetic voice that beguiles from start to finish.

Opening track "Dancing on the Edge" opens the familiar sound of fragile guitar plucks and soon introduces Jenny's spine-tingling vocals, a natural whisper that transports you to a first-light during a Nordic winter, chilly yet wholly beautiful with closing number "The Thought That I Love" even prettier, fluttering with a soothing, understated tone.

The stand-out for me is "Giving Thanks", where for the first thirty seconds or so I feel like I'm in the Haunted House at Alton Towers, the part where you are walking through and you look into dolls house's of disappearing figures, eerie and other-worldly, Jenny's softly-spoken tones recall Laura Marling and is stark and captivating throughout. Quietly, positively gorgeous.

Jagaara - New Music "Introducing"

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Cheers for this one Robin. Jagaara (seemingly formerly The Edmondsons, which I'm going to assume is their surname) are three sisters living in North London who released two demos onto their soundcloud late last week and now I'm in love with both.

It's probably possible to listen to the opening of "Faultline" and not think of fellow siblings Haim but the harmonies sound like they could be taken from a mellow version of "Falling" so I'm going to annoy everyone with a lame comparison. "Faultline" however doesn't develop with an explosion of soft-rock guitar and instead keeps restrained throughout, bewitching with a soft, brooding atmosphere, shimmering guitars and beautifully smooth vocals. I've listened to the track about ten times over the last few days now and it's not an exaggeration to say it sounds like the start of something 'big'.

The other track "In the Night" is just as good, a marriage of rich vocals, Motown soul and the occasional swelling of rockier guitars, the result seduces with a timeless and effortless sound. Allow yourself to fall head over heels with Jagaara below:

Perfume Genius #5 - Queen

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No blog yesterday, I've been super busy at work and have not been at home until the early hours of the morning. Last night for instance I was at Rough Trade watching a screening of the Pulp film followed by an hour long Q&A with Jarvis and Candida. It was fun and interesting, Jarvis taking the obvious lead throughout with some long, intriguing answers about the film and other tidbits.

Of the most asked question: Is this 'really the end?' The reply was vague and non-committal (it's not a full-stop, nor a question mark, more a comma) but I couldn't help but think we'll hear from Pulp again. At the very least the indication that Jarvis is writing new stuff hints at something on the horizon from him. Don't however expect a big fanfare for Different Class' 20th anniversary next year, Jarvis seemingly said he was uninterested in looking at a calendar, unless the record label push for a release of course.

Anyway, I'm not hear to waffle about one of my favourite ever acts but Pulp have helped to shape the music I listen to today, when I really got into music during year five at school they were 'my band'. Moving forward and to topic, yesterday saw the release of "Queen" (another of 'my bands'!) by the wonderful Perfume Genius. The first track taken from Mike's new, third album Too Bright which will be released Sept 22nd via Turnstile Music.

The track is one you've probably seen feature on just about every blog you read, the reason is simple, it's fucking great. It's great to hear an expansion to the intimate, delicate nature that wholly made up the first two Perfume Genius records, as beautiful and touching as they are artists need to develop and "Queen" is exactly that, expressing outward anger rather than inner pain throughout with a dark, menacing organ and swelling instrumentation bolder and more powerful than ever before. The response perhaps hints towards Mike getting the wider audience he deserves.

A three month US/UK/Euro tour ends with a date on 27th November at London's Islington Assembly Hall.

Wet - Move Me

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I think Wet may have been one of the hyped acts at The Great Escape, they're certainly a name I've heard before yet it is their new track "Move Me" which introduces me to their music and it is instant love too, making me go weak at the knees with a swooning slow-jam from the 1990's.

It's simple, sparse stuff with ambient synths, languid beats and gentle guitar shimmers providing the woozy melody in which Kelly Zutrau’s seductive vocals steal your heart. The track is taken from a forthcoming Kitty Cash compilation Love The Free II due out July 22nd

The trio released an EP last year which I shall most definietly be check out too.

Mina Tindle - I Command

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I'm still swimming in new music after Glastonbury, I doubt I'll catch up before my next mini break in a couple of weeks time, here's a track I've had sitting in my draft folder since early June but I've just listened to it again and as I'm currently half-watching the non-event that is the third place play-off in the World Cup I thought, why not write up the blog right now (excuse the waffle)...

Mina Tindle is a Parisian artist and "I Command" is the first track taken from her second album Parades, due in October, it's a beautiful, rich tapesty of magical, swooning soundscapes and brilliantly uplifting vocals. The soft opening piano twinkles belie the bright, soaring pop anthem the track is become, propelled by Mina's theatrical lead and an ultra-infectious chorus. The string florishes near the end. Brilliant.

Mina plays London's Hoxton Bar & Kitchen in November - details.

Wonderful Humans - New Music "Introducing"

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I've talked about an 80's synth pop renaissance here plenty of times over the past six months or so and coming up I have two more big throwback acts who wear the influences firmly on their sleeve. Let's start with New York's Wonderful Humans, apparently a super-group three-piece (by that I mean their members are in another band, not that it's made up of Prince, David Bowie and Jarvis Cocker) whom are apparently unnamed as yet. I'm here to worry about the music...

"Edge of the Night" is big, like-able crescendos and infections choruses that instantly makes me think of Metric at their most pop, there's purposely overblown synth riffs, driving beats and heavenly vocal melodies amongst polished production and it sounds like could easily be soundtracking your favourite 80's action hero blowing up an awful lot of things to get the girl he just met.

I arguably prefer the other track up on their soundcloud page (both taken from a forthcoming EP), "I Never Knew" takes you to the neon flashing lights that filled the Drive soundtrack, the start is beautiful, shiny synths and smouldering vocals and it only gets better. Swoon.

Little May - New Music "Introducing"

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The Sydney three-piece Little May were recommended to me via Giselle on Twitter, she's learnt the sort of music I generally like pretty well over the last couple of years and again, she is right on the money. A trio of tracks found on their soundcloud highlight quite why Australian blogs have picked them as one of the countries best new bands.

I'll start with the first track I heard "Hide", which I think does a perfect job of summing up their sound, a perfect marriage of heavenly harmonies, sweetly sung verses that offer a beautiful listening experience and which then unveil different layers on subsequent listens, finely crafted and intimate lyrics which touch at the darkness almost as much as the thunderous percussion.

The pure vocals that introduce "Boardwalks" will have you weak at the knees whilst floating guitar patterns rise with similar intimacy and beauty before a runaway conclusion with heightened tempo and adrenaline feels like the shackles have come off. The most recent of the three "Dust" is another slow-fast release of heightened emotions, delicate beginning, smouldering vocals rising to a joyous explosion of galloping beats and carefree spirit. I can see this becoming a staple of my running mix-tape, the rise and falls here perfectly suiting an interval session.

I'm not sure if Little May have touched these shores yet but all three tracks are available on iTunes now.

Faro - New Music "Introducing"

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Here's a band that tick so many of my boxes that I'm left wondering how I'd not heard of them until the other day, Faro (not to be confused with Farao) are a London based quartet without an official release to their name but have followed a string of earlier covers with two tracks of their own, both leave a lasting impression.

The big folky instrumentals, rich crescendos and seductive vocal harmonies that build into the brilliant "Drive On" instantly recall early Fanfarlo or Beirut, with prominent bass and dusty piano twinkles catapulting a catchy, anthemic melody that's rhythmic and rousing in equal measure. The other track "Always Let You Down" is more subtle with guitar strums growing amongst bright percussion and driving keys, you can't escape the melancholic mood of the lyrics but the increasingly buoyant melody has you tapping your feet along in agreement in any case.

Another band are added to the follow list.

Broken Twin #5 - No Darkness

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"No Darkness" is the closing track on my favourite album of the year May by Copenhagen's Broken Twin, a tender and touching moment that lets light and optimism shine through after ten tracks of resigned longing and, at times, outspoken despair.

Where May's opening track "The Aching" finishes on the reflective "Nobody wants to belong somewhere in between what you wanted and what you didn't want" here Majke Voss Romme opens with the more hopeful "Today I’ll cut the flowers, I will walk for hours, I will breathe in all that grows, now that spring is coming and the sun will shine".

Throughout her vocal is pure, full of strength and clarity amongst always restrained instrumentation and sparkling string flourishes, so beautiful is the track, that by the time you reach the repeated ending of "There will be no darkness, I will fill your space with light and it looks like hope" you almost believe it.

May is out now and should be regarded as an essential purchase.

Dream Boat - Escape

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Dream Boat are a Athens, GA duo who are gearing up to release their second album The Rose Explodes (following 2012's debut Eclipsing), their track "Escape" is the first to cross my path and I like it, lots.

It's a grower and sees a hazy, pysche atmosphere continually rising in intensity, slowly unveiling trippy vocal harmonies as pulsating synth beats come to the fore amongst swarming guitar, it threatens to completely explode but remains teetering on the edge, bubbling around the repeated cries of "there is nothing left to take / more to say".

The Rose Explodes is due to follow September 16th.

To The Wedding - Silver Currents

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To The Wedding is the solo project of San Francisco's Lauren Grubb whom I discovered whilst starting to write-up a draft post on the band in which she drums, Minipop (that post will be finished soon, this track is so good it jumped the queue).

There's an EP going back to 2010 on her Bandcamp page but I'm going to focus on her latest track, released a couple of weeks ago, "Silver Currents".

The track is a haunting hymn of heartbreak, a stop you in your tracks and immerse yourself within stunner. It begins with the slow-burning build of a ringing guitar patterns full of hazy, sombre atmosphere that transports you to wide open spaces before Lauren's breathy, evocative vocal, part Chris Isaak, part Hope Sandoval enters and carries you further towards melancholic plains.

Slow, powerful and Devastatingly beautiful. To the Wedding and "Silver Currents" is one of those discoveries you'll want to share with all your friends.

An album of the same name is available to pre-order now via Bandcamp.

Soph Nathan - New Music "Introducing"

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The name Soph Nathan may be familiar to long-term readers of this blog because of her involvement as guitarist / vocalist in Hella Better Dancer, yesterday saw the launch of Soph's side-project, a trio but using her name and a rather excellent debut track, the meaty "Our Girl".

The track glows with a warm, hazy bed of never rushed daydreams, there's a healthy dose of irresistible pop melodies and catchy softening vocals amongst fuzzed up guitars and heavy percussive beats, it combines to be a beautifully raw, sweet mix of noise-pop. A compelling introduction.

"Our Girl" can be yours, free, with a click on the arrow below.

Temilia and the Passions - Where The Rainbows Meet

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Stockholm's Temilia and the Passions formed as long ago as 2008 but it's the lead track to their fourth, self-titled EP that serves as my introduction.

"Where The Rainbows Meet" is a beautiful tapestry of clarity and emotional weight with rich, languid instrumentation and luscious vocals sinking deep into mind and soul, seducing and breaking hearts in equal measure, it offers a near-perfect four minutes.

Temilia and the Passions is available via GreenRoom Records now.

Young Unknowns #5 - Endless Landscape

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Despite the different names I get called via my inbox, this blog is just me and my free-time is not as numerous as I'd like to be (especially during a World Cup summer) so here I am catching up with another post I managed to miss upon release, New York's Young Unknowns and their second EP Endless Landscapes. Released in May and available now via Bandcamp.

I've previously covered two tracks on the release, the introspective "I Want to Lose" and a heart-stopping version of "Drive", so I'll turn my focus to the title track "Endless Landscape". A smouldering, slow-burning beauty that extends on the stark, spacious electro vibe of the aforementioned tracks, it sees Meredith's pure, hushed vocals floating on top a bed of softly driven melody and the result is nothing other than luscious.

Luscious is a word that could also be used to describe "The Flower", with a gently strummed guitar and twinkling keys the sole accompaniment for a voice that could sooth any burden. A soundtrack for those late melancholy nights is found.

She Keeps Bees #7 - Is What It Is

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I've almost two weeks worth of new music to catch up on now, time before, during and after Glasto has flown by and I've been struggling to cope. I'll start with the very, very welcome return to She Keeps Bees.

SKB's are a band I've seen live probably about ten times now and they are always wonderful, Jess has this brilliant personality that shines through, with her amusing anecdotes (usually about her clothes?) bringing chuckles in-between raw and powerful songs full of fiery heart that marriage chunky guitar riffs with understated menace and melody.

New track "Is What It Is" does away with the abrasive soundscapes for full out goosebumps, getting under your skin with a beautifully stark piano led track. There's little else but the plaintive twinkles and gentle percussive skips, it allows Jess' vocals to radiate with pure, haunting emotion. An absolute stunner.

Eight Houses is due via Future Gods (US) / BB*Island (EUR) in late September. With pre-orders starting to appear all we now need are some UK dates

Glastonbury Festival 2014 Review - Sunday

I'm awake early on Sunday and the decision has already been made with the friend that I am travelling with that we'll leave later on Sunday and get home in the early hours on Monday morning (I won't go into the details of what actually happened en-route home here).

I spend time packing up my tent, gear and taking it all back to our vehicle. It's really busy on foot today, especially at the main entrance where streams on Sunday day tickets (given/sold to local residents) are coming into the festival - some chronically under prepared for the mud around the site.

The day starts at midday with a trip to the BBC Introducing stage to see Furs. I'm really impressed. They are a band I've mentioned here a few times before but this is the first time I've caught them live and their set is fun and catchy, full of nostalgic vibes and tight melody throughout with heavier guitars than I perhaps anticipated set off by Elle's glorious vocals.

Next with a couple of hours free (I find Sunday's line-up to be the least inspiring of the three for my tastes) I take a trip around the festivals night-time hive of activity Shangri La, it feels like a really bad hangover in both decoration and the odd punter you see aimlessly walking around lost to the night before. It's not changed too much from the last time I was here in 2011 (I've never been here late, late at night, I don't think I'd want to)... It's a creepy carnival probably best not shown to your young kids!

I find Strummerville in a slightly different position than I remember it being and take the weight off my feet for a good twenty minutes. Sunday was the warmest, nicest day of the weekend so sitting on a comfortable sofa next to an open fire in early afternoon heat is not perhaps the cleverest idea of my life.

A few years back I can remember some late night live music around the campfire, I can see no sign of a repeat this year, if so, I hope I didn't miss anyone good.

After a brief trip to the circus fields it is back to the BBC Introducing tent for Lapsley. Glastonbury is most certainly not a Great Escape, that is new music really does not flourish here so I'm surprised that the audience is actually quite numerous, including fellow bloggers Breaking More Waves and Faded Glamour. I guess that makes Lapsley the equivalent of a buzz band!

Her set is littered with sound problems and I'm not the biggest fan of the pitch-shifted vocal. A (purposely) monstrous mutation of her natural, gorgeous vocals. The set is pretty good though, she is visibly nervous but her charm and smiles make that acceptable. It will be interesting to see if she can follow "Station" and make playing to crowds like this a normal part of her routine.

Next comes the days big event. The one everyone is talking about. The one hundreds of people are dressed in drag for. Dolly Parton. By now you've read hundreds of article about 'was she or wasn't she' miming. As one of the people in the crowd on this occasion I can genuinely say I don't care (although it does seem just a little too crisp). The show (for it was a show) was incredible, fun, amusing and the perfect highlight of the day (and arguably the festival).

Dolly, 68, bouncing around like she'd been on coca-cola all morning (or taken something somewhat harder) entertaining the biggest crowd of the weekend with her sparking personality, stories and songs. Sure most people only know "Jolene", "9-5", "I Will Always Love You" and "Islands in the Stream" but when you chuck in a song about Glastonbury mud, a rather long Bon Jovi cover and witty anecdotes throughout you cannot help but be enthralled. Just brilliant. Whoever booked her for the 'legend' slot deserves a medal.

It takes a while to get away from the Pyramid because of the vast crowds and I head to the more tranquil settings of the Avalon Cafe to see Only Girl. Early 90's R&B melody and modern soft-pop sensibilities combine for a stunning set of sparse electronic beats, keys and pure vocal, the new songs at the end of the set sound as good as the two I knew "Mountain" and "Bittersweet" and confirm Ellen as an artist we'll be hearing considerably more from shortly.

It's a beeline back to the Park next for what turns out to be my final act of the weekend St Vincent (I was originally thinking about seeing Alison Moyet but deciding it was getting late to to hit the road - I had work on Monday) .

I've seen Annie perform the St Vincent album a couple of times already so I knew what to expect, a marriage of the David Byrne horn influence and her own art-rock guitar shredding. It is exhilarating to watch, especially in the second half ("Huey Newton", "Bring Me Your Loves", "Your Lips Are Read" the closing trio of songs) when the rockier influences come out and amongst the theatrical feet movements and coordinated dance-moves, it's as she lets completely loose of the choreograph that you get to realise just how incredible Annie and her band are. The Guardian (five star) review calls her a "electro-funk Cleopatra". I'm happy with that.

We head out via the dystopia of Arcadia. After what we'd just witnessed, it's the perfect summation. Thank you Glastonbury.

Glastonbury Festival 2014 Review - Saturday

Saturday starts with an hour reading in my tent before a trip to the facilities and coffee. As I'm heading towards William's Green to see Dark Bells the heavens open. Really, really open. I take shelter in the nearby Yeo Valley yogurt stand and have one with some muesli, it tastes good and serves as an unexpected but good diversion. A brief rest-bite in the rainfall gives me chance to make the rest of the journey to see the trio mid-set. I see three and a half tracks of throbbing bass lines and intoxicating psyche rhythms which play to a sizable early audience (no doubt partly with thanks to the continuing rain).

Afterward it's not too far to the Acoustic Stage, trying my best to dodge the increasingly sludgy conditions underfoot and Hero Fisher is playing as I arrive, there's not an acoustic in sight however with the quartet louder and rockier than I anticipated, Hero has a superb voice, bluesy, vibrant and the set is a perfect combination of energy and emotion.

It's midday and I've already seen two bands. I read, thanks to Twitter (mobile reception was great throughout the festival site), that Little Dragon are doing a 'secret' show in the BBC introducing tent so I hop-foot it across from one end of the festival to the other. The tent is a new one to me, bigger and in a slightly different location than I remember it.

Introduced by Lauren Laverne the band play a quartet of songs that are simultaneously broadcast on BBC Six Music, there's a large crowd of people who were seemingly in the know too. It's enjoyable with skittering percussion and a dancey electronic heartbeat propelling the attention holding lead vocal. However, it doesn't quite lift me off my feet.

Afterwards there is time to pop out and get a top-up of the water bottle and some lunch (it seems that Mexican is the choice of the weekend, seemingly every other stall has burrito's) before heading back to the same tent for Annie Eve.

This is more my 'thing', dripping with a similar, shimmering folk-noir sound to Daughter both beautiful and desolate, full of emotional weight and stunning vocals. The luscious layers of instrumentation added by her band make for a rich, enchanting half hour and the swelling audience size the perfect indication of how well it was received.

It is clash o'clock next, a toss-up between a band I've seen numerous times before in Warpaint and Kelis, I head outside and to the Pyramid for Kelis whom I'd never seen before, it was the right decision. I'm treated to what was arguably my highlight of the day.

"Milkshake" aside I cannot pretend to have known too much about Kelis or her music before this set but I can remember stepping into a shop in Brighton during the Great Escape and being impressed by a song that turned out to be from the latest Kelis record and this hour is similar to the memories from that.

Oozing with pure Motown vibes with Kelis' truly exquisite voice backed by glorious horns and harmonies. It's "Milkshake" that gets the crowd the most animated of course and there is another track I recall on hearing it live, "Millionaire" but these versions are not their pop originals, they are drenched in soul and the version of "Feeling Good" that book-ends the set is a complete knock out. The sun is out in force which also helps of course.

It's a long wait next at the same stage as a huge crowd descends to see Lana Del Rey, I'm interested to hear her, the first show since the release of album two. Somewhat surprisingly the set leans almost entirely from the debut (and The Paradise Edition) with the title-track "Ultraviolence" and "West Coast" the only tracks I recall from the new album. The screaming kids aside I remember enjoying the theatre of Lana's performance at Hammersmith Apollo last year but I don't think she handles the crowd well this time. The show is unfortunately nothing more than flat.

The allure and the atmosphere of that earlier performance seems lost on such a big stage and it ends up being somebody singing good songs well into a microphone with seemingly half interest in being there (despite Lana's repeated claim to be happy to be here). The crowd feel it too and only become involved with "Born to Die" about a half dozen songs in, they return to their slumber until "Video Games" near the end, thankfully "National Anthem" ends the show on a high point but it is an ultimate disappointment set to visuals that seem completely at odds with the ethos of the festival.

The dark clouds that form towards the end of the set give a better appraisal than I and by the time I am back at William's Green for Smoke Fairies any hope that the mud slurry would be baked in Summer sun is lost, there is torrential rain for a good half hour. Thankfully I'm in a tent and happy again.

Smoke Fairies are an altogether different animal these days, their earlier days of gorgeous harmonies and intricate guitar patterns are still apparent deep down but their sound is darker and more expressive with an electronic heart to tracks taken from their recent self-titled album. The odd sound gremlin aside, this set is as polished as any all weekend, dressed it bright white entirely inappropriate for the conditions it is a rocking version of "Hotel Room" that ends the set on its highest moment. I would have easily lapped up twice the set-length.

Back on the Other Stage next for Manic Street Preachers. I fall into the same criteria as much of the crowd, this is armed with an infinite knowledge of early Manic's material but next to none of their output of the last ten years.

Kicking off with "Motorcycle Emptiness" is the perfect way to vanquish any fears of listening to unknown tracks for an hour, The Holy Bible, 20 this year, forms the backbone of the set and resonates deep. Classics like "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough", "If You Tolerate This..." and the final sing-along of "A Design For Life" are amongst the highlights but the tracks from new album Futurology are received well and are full of promise.

I'm surprised we don't get to see Nina Persson who played the festival earlier in the day but perhaps it is because the band are joined by another Nina, Voss for a rather strange Kraftwerk-esque pro Euro-anthem. It's strangely enjoyable. It certainly raises a few smiles.

Clashes mean I'm late at the Park and Anna Calvi has already played half of her set. It's also strangely quiet (from the four times I went there this year, it seems the Park is the overlooked area).

Looking straight at the stage you wouldn't guess, Anna plays with aplomb and it is enthralling. Her virtuoso guitar playing and powerful vocal acrobatics have been longed talked about but I wasn't expecting so much rhythm and percussion. There's a girl playing all sorts of instruments I couldn't possibly name and I am compelled to stare at what she is doing. I wish I was here sooner.

I'm straight up the hill for Australian singer-songwriter / alt-folk should-soon-be star Courtney Barnett at the Crows Nest. It's a solo set that enraptures those in attendance, amusing anecdotes and repeated conversations with the crowd break up the music but no one cares, the audience is all having too much of a good time.

The songs are lyrically brilliant, if not of your usual subject matters, full of satire about buying houses and poor transport systems and those who arrive on the off chance will be making a note of an artist to check out once they return home.

I wasn't quite decided where to go next, I certainly wasn't heading off to Metallica. I decided (and correctly as it turns out) to give Bryan Ferry a chance, I've a soft spot for a handful of his tracks and some Roxy Music material too.

I begin by propping up the Brothers Bar and watch as Ferry (69 but looking almost twenty years younger than) swoon his way through a brilliantly smooth blues version of "Slave to Love". The set remains suave and sophisticated throughout, "Avalon" sees Ferry on top form crooning around his beautifully polished and tight band, the drums stand-out amongst the paired backing dancers whose moves (aided by the second Brothers cider) I stark to mimic. By the time he's gone through "Virginia Plain", "More Than This" and "Love is the Drug" the audience are putty in his hands.

Afterwards, a short side-step at the bar aside it's an early night and before I know it, the end of the weekend is almost with us.

Glastonbury Festival 2014 Review - Friday

Seemingly festival attendees like to arrive earlier and earlier each year with thousands now battering down the proverbial door to enter the site as soon as 'doors open'. I'm not one of them, I like to arrive the day before and slowly get myself ready for three days worth of standing on my feet all day watching music - I know it's not everything about a festival, but it is the reason I am at Glastonbury Festival after-all. Anyone who tells you festivals are not bloody hard work is doing it wrong, plus I'm too old to handle the alcohol involved and I'm not interested in drugs (that and vast numbers of people tend to piss me off!).

My arrival on-site just after Thursday afternoon is perfectly timed, just as the rain starts. I'm one of the thousands of lucky ones though to be here and one of the slightly less number of luckier people who have a 'hospitality ticket' (in my case thanks to helping to judge to Emerging Talent Contest) so I head to our campsite in good spirits, my tent is of the lazy/easy pop-up variety and I'm soon ready.

The first evening is spent walking around, re-adjusting to the lay-out of the festival and sitting around the Stone Circle. The only act I saw was Gibson Bull at The Rabbit Hole, at around midnight we head to the hospitality bar and end up staying, 'dancing' and drinking for a little longer than planned. Under foot conditions were still fine at this point.

I have a great nights sleep thanks to the beer of the night before and awake past ten am, a mild headache aside I'm set for day one of the festival, the headache is taken care of by a coffee but my desire to head to the Other Stage is dampened when I hear "I Predict A Riot" blaring out from afar. A secret Kaiser Chiefs set is one thing I can do without first thing on a Friday morning. Instead I take safety in the press tent, a surprisingly intimate marquee tent with rows of tables aligned and power points everywhere. I pay a visit here a handful of times throughout the weekend and it is always a hub of feverish activity. Papers' need to write their critical reviews from somewhere!

A short walk later (there is a handy short-cut from the Pyramid to see the first band of the day, Blondie. Like a lot of people I spent some of my teenage years listening to this band but I've not heard them at all for probably ten years and I'm surprised how easy the words come back to me.

Blondie are good and straight from the off I realise that guitar solo's are back. I'm assuming the younger looking chap on lead guitar was not part of the original line-up(!) but he's accomplished in front of the big crowd and takes over numerous time amongst Debbie Harry's arm movements and feet shuffles (armed with a rather terrible looking sandal / white sock combo!). Time has perhaps taken a little bit of a toll her mobility and range but certainly not her presence, oozing infinite cool and charm still armed with a voice that was compelling and strong.

They started with "One Way or Another", a song guaranteed to have the huge crowd singing along from the get-go, new songs were politely received and sounded pretty decent but lets face it, we were all here for the hits and boy did we get them, "Call Me", "Atomic" and finally "Heart of Glass" were all received with huge cheers even with the weather in typically indecisive mood, one minute sunny, the next rain, rinse repeat for an hour, this was the place to kick start the weekend.

After some food and a slow walk (still no mud at this stage) to William's Green I'm early for Summer Camp so head towards the front to get a decent slot - it's weird as a new music fan who normally spends his time seeing bands play tiny, intimate rooms to suddenly be thrust in front of thousands upon thousands of people and hundreds of feet distance between the stage.

Pretty much bang on time (schedules are pretty much kept to throughout) the band arrive and the set is great, slick and fun. Elizabeth and Jeremy have great voices and the musicianship between themselves and their equally accomplished band-mates is perfect, new tracks blend in with old with a sound slightly heavier live than I remember and by the last time comes around, the utterly superb "Two Chords" I'm almost bouncing up and down on the spot. A group behind me have taken that further and dance around with enjoyment written across their faces. It was most definitely worth missing the days sunshine for.

Afterwards it is the long walk back to the Other Stage for Haim, another huge crowd awaits and I'm not quite able to shake of the knowledge that just over two years ago I saw them play at Audio in Brighton with 150 people there and I was on the barrier, here I'm about half a mile way... Credit to the band for pulling it off without losing what they are, a jam band, combining pop hooks, harmony and rocking guitar sections. Haim have come so far in so little time and they deserve a lot credit for it. I might feel slightly disconnected standing at the back but lots of apparent newbies certainly do not.

It's starting to get dark before the end of Haim's set and eyes are averted to a rather ominous raincloud forming behind us, it creeps and creeps closure and bang thunder, rain and one mother of all storms. You've probably read much about it already but it hits the festival hard....

I'm already in the LeftField tent by this stage and thankfully dry and awaiting The Tuts, the tent soon packs out with people eager to avoid the torrential rain outside and on time the girls begin. It has been a while since I've seen them and they seem to have grown in stature and confidence ten times over (I guess a nationwide tour supporting Kate Nash will do that to you).

Their songs play to the perfect setting and then two songs in, in Billy Bragg jumps on stage telling them (and us) that we have to shut down because the festival cannot operate during a lightening storm. It's extremely unfortunate and for a good while people look around with puzzled, bewildered, amused faces (especially the girls) and a good deal of time passes with the tent entertaining themselves by singing along to some good songs (Queen and The Beatles) and some terrible ones (Kaiser Chiefs?!! - really?!) before the rain stops and sun returns. The girls start up again - to a smaller audience - and give it their all, tight, quick-paced, fun/intelligent pop-punk songs that offer a fleeting dose of fun.

Afterwards I head outside to assess the damage of the rain, at the moment it's mainly huge amounts of surface water waiting for people to come and churn it up into mud before taking a trek towards the top of the festival and the Park are to head to the Crows Nest for the first time over the weekend. A matter of minutes after I arrive All We Are start, they were due to play sometime earlier but seemingly the venue had suffered worse than others with electrical failure. The trio deliver an enjoyable set of groovy, dreamy soft-pop with shimmering guitars and smouldering dual vocals carrying a sweet, exotic flavour as their falsetto vocals channel the Bee Gees crossed with early 90's R&B. Lush.

Next I'm quickly back down the hill to get to the Avalon stage for Sophie Ellis-Bextor, they are running perhaps twenty minutes late so I need not have rushed quite so much but I find a good position and await with interest, it would be polite to say the audience here was the most 'mature' I've encountered thus far, perhaps Sophie's time on Strictly was wisely spent. There are multiple references to dancing throughout and the hour set is an absolute joy. Truly. The absolute highlight of the day...

With Ed Harcourt on piano and a full backing band adding rich, warming instrumentation and luscious strings what starts off as a set of sophisticated, timeless pop tracks with sumptuous melody and changing tempo becomes a disco party half-way through (and after a rather shambolic on-stage dress change) with the hits "Groovejet", "Take Me Home" and finally "Murder on the Dancefloor" all getting a show. It was incredible, way and above my pre-gig expectations highlighting Sophie's wonderful voice and charisma. Perhaps what I wasn't expecting was quite how funny/nice she was, coming across as really genuine, appreciative and grateful. It's a rare trait for a musician who has been in the game as long as Sophie to have (she mentioned the last time she was at the festival, 1998 during TheAudience days).

Beaming from ear to ear I head off towards the Pyramid stage (unfortunately timing and location mean seeing Lykke Li proves impossible) and get surprisingly close to the front for Arcade Fire, their set is wonderful, of course it is. This is a truly special band and the chemistry they give off during their performance is extraordinary. making each and every member of the audience feel connected and paying tribute to each of their four, incredible, albums. They must have felt pretty confident they were going to deliver as fireworks, historically saved for the end of a set here come at the beginning setting the sky alight before "Reflektor".

The new material almost treated on par with the old but of course the biggest cheers and sing-along moment of the day is saved for the end and "Wake Up". Every member of the crowd singing along to its refrain and continuing to do so as we walk away into the night.

I've got the long trek back to the Park next and the Crows Nest for my last act of the day TOY. They come on stage at 1am and treat the packed tent to a blistering hot and extremely loud (instantly putting my fears that the make-shift venue wouldn't be able to cope with the bands sound) jam set.

After an elongated instrumental the band crack into set that begins with "Kopter" and includes some of the finest moments from their second album Join The Dots, when I've seen Toy before the one I've never thought is "hmm, think I could with hearing more guitars here" but that is what we get as two more guitars join in on the title track and another jam. A complete triumph and I leave with my ears ringing but completely satisfied. The mud is a little more difficult to navigate as I make my way back to the tent avoiding the noise of Arcadia and the streams and revellers heading down to Shangri-La. I'll too old for that nonsense!

Glastonbury 2014 day one, you were a complete success.