10 shows you don´t want to miss at Sziget festival
Today starts Sziget festival. Seven days to enjoy music and celebrate life. An entire week goes a long way and this year's lineup includes an overwhelming roster of names of -as usual- very different styles. Ed Sheeran, Foo Fighters, Twenty one Pilots, Florence & the Machine, Post Malone, the National, Richard Ashcroft, James Blake, Tove Lo, Years & Years, Franz Ferdinand, Chvrches, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Razorlight and a large etcetera. Simply an impressive number of top-notch artists.
As I've said other times, we all know the big names so I'm not gonna try to sell any of them, but below I have included a list with perhaps 10 not-so-known names of very different styles that you should not miss this week on the island of freedom.
01. The Blaze
Essential. I can't wait to see this French duo consisting of both music producers and film directors. Their story began with in 2016 and they have a very unique way of working: producing the music and visuals at the same time, so they are in tandem when listening and watching. When it comes to music videos, they create this particular link between music and image that gives their work a real singularity, it's the Blaze’s essence. It brings you into people’s lives and into humanity. And when it comes to music, they play with your emotions. Their work is completely open to interpretation, for everybody, equally. As I've said before, a must see the first day of the festival.
02. Yungblud
After picking up a guitar at age two, he began writing his own songs at age 10 and moved to London to kick-start his music career. Influenced by artists like The Clash, Arctic Monkeys, and N.W.A. he made his full-length debut with 2018’s 21st Century Liability. Yungblud has injected an unruly vitality into the musical landscape, setting his sharp-tongued social commentary to a wildly cathartic, guitar-fueled sound. And after a long time on the road now the multi-instrumentalist artist (Yungblud is joined onstage by a full band but he plays guitar, bass, piano, and drums) is bringing to Sziget his joyfully hell raising presence and potent message of anti-conformity to a fast-growing and fired-up audience.
03. Rayland Baxter
Son of Bucky Baxter (guitarist of Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams, Steve Earle, R.E.M., etc…), Rayland Baxter is a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Nashville who plays an alternative country delivering finely-crafted pop songs that gently draws upon styles and genres from decades past. Baxter has an uncanny ability to incorporate subtle references to tried-and-true influences, deftly molding these components into songs that take stock of the human condition and today's society.
04. Tove Styrke
Discovered on famous TV program Swedish Idol back in 2009 at the age of 16, Tove Styrke had her own musical debut at age 18 with the release of a self-titled effort that went platinum in Sweden and earned a nomination at the Swedish Grammy Awards. Described by Stereogum as “talented, sassy, amoral...with a sound between Lykke Li and Santigold”, she has been touring supporting artists like Lorde or Katy Perry. Together with Tove Lo, Styrke will represent Sweden at the festival and I won't miss any of both shows!
05. Polo & Pan
Another electronic French duo. Polo & Pan lives in a colorful world and their music that inspires a child-like wonder and recaptures a sense of fun that is lacking in much of the electronic music scene. With influences like LCD Soundsystem, Maurice Ravel or the movie The Wizard of Oz, their sound is very eclectic but the result is a melding of childhood nostalgia and exotic hedonism that makes for a beautifully immersive listening experience. Bold, bright percussion, superb harmonies and carefully chosen guest vocals conjure up a vivid picture on every song.
06. Leoniden
Leoniden has taken Germany by storm. This young German band plays a wild indie-rock-dance-funk mix that bursts the seams of all musical boundaries and combines punk and grunge influences with elements of soul and funk. The result is catchy pop songs that equate to straight up hits, like their first single Kids. With the promise of killing it, every single night, since they released their second album in 2018 these 5 guys from the city of Kiel in northern Germany have sold out every live show they’ve played. I have never seen them before and I'm very curious to see them explode the floor!
07. Gold Star
Formerly named Johnny Ruby, founding member of Sister Ruby Band, Marlon Rabenreither aka Gold Star is a man of many talents and now he is coming to Sziget with his brilliant solo project. The Austria-born and LA-bred Rabenreither has recorded at LA’s historic Valentine Studios (The Beach Boys, Frank Zappa or Jackson Browne) and he makes soulful music that’s similarly timeless and unable to pin to one context because it sounds a lot like the 60s, ‘70s or '80s.
08. Jain
In the flowery, innocent and somewhat naive folk pop of Jain, a 24-year-old artist from Toulouse (France), we soon discover sounds that travel showing Arab or African musical influences. Jain's sounds are eclectic and her music sounds like her and the places she has lived in, resulting in some sort of optimistic and fresh fusion pop for an impetuous world.
09. Parcels
A unique blend of contemporary electronica and matured funk disco, where wide synth soundscapes and an electronic rhythm section meet spirited guitars and five-part vocal harmony. These five talented Australian guys are pure elegance, they have an exquisite sound and impeccable aesthetics and they have not stopped evolving and growing since they settled down in Berlin in 2015. This will be their first time at Sziget and one of the last opportunities to see them live before they take a deserved break in September.
10. Idles
Passionate, political and darkly comedic, Idles made an impact with their album Brutalism (2017) that no-one, not least the band, could have expected when it arrived, seemingly out of nowhere. Formed in Bristol (UK) in 2009, their sound has been defined as punk rock, post punk or post hardcore, although Idles´singer Joe Talbot has always rejected all of these labels. However, with their intense lyrics, overwhelming sound and powerful concerts, both audience and industry seems to agree on their enormous talent. One of my top 3 to see!
The 27th edition of Sziget festival will take place in Budapest (Hungary) from today until August 13th, 2019. Check out all the information to know more about the lineup, schedule or ticket sales here.
Cover photograph by Kathy Flynn
