Bestival 2012: Ten To See

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Bestival, in all its fancy dress, boutique-to-blockbuster glory, famously marks the end of the summer festival season so as you all dust off your wellies, decant your spirits and get ready to curse the distance from the car to the campsite for the last time this year, we thought we’d give you the low-down on a couple of acts you should at least attempt to see in between the partying.

Sigur Rós

You probably couldn’t get much closer to blissful transcendence at a festival than listening to Sigur Rós’ epically cinematic, sweeping harmonies wrap themselves around thousands of hushed revellers. Not one for drinking beer and chatting through guys, we know it’s hard sometimes, but just this once.

Bat For Lashes

If you’ve managed to watch the above video for ‘Laura’, the first track to be taken from Bat For Lashes’ forthcoming album The Haunted Man, without welling up, you’ve stronger tear ducts than all of us – maybe the festival atmosphere and thousands of people singing along will get to you.

Gold Panda

Undoubtedly one of the best acts we saw at Field Day this year, Gold Panda’s scintillating electronic offerings are guaranteed to pick you up out of any kind of stupor, drag you into your second wind and get you moving – well that is if you can move for all the bodies that, if they know what is good for them, will be crushed around you.

Daughter

Daughter’s Wild Youth EP was genuinely one of the most heart breaking records to have emerged last year, so now Elena Tonra & co have signed with 4AD we’re naturally expecting more of the same. Please help satiate our curiosity by going to see them.

Dirty Beaches

Taiwanese-born Canadian Alex Zhang Hungtai, aka Dirty Beaches, has an affinity for the eerie, dark tones that underlined much of the 50s slick, motocycle aesthetic. A set to lose yourself in if ever there was one.

Jessie Ware

Responsible for possibly the finest pop record this year, Jessie Ware’s delivery of Devotion live is pretty damn flawless.

Stealing Sheep

Heavenly Recording darlings Stealing Sheep have been touring the UK more extensively than anyone else we can think of right now and every time we see them they just get better. So whether you’ve seen them before or have never experienced their gently lilting folk offerings now would be the perfect time.

Alunageorge

Aluna Francis and George Reid offer up a deliciously distorted, electronic take on the slicker half of the 90s so if you like the idea of r’n’b with a modern twist you would be a fool to miss this.

Actress

It’s the mix of two-step and tech with just a hint of UK garage that makes Wolverhampton-born, south London based producer Darren Cunningham’s output so damn irresistible.

Willis Earl Beal

Last time we saw the Chicago native’s sharp cut figure he stepped on stage and cried ““Welcome to the Holy Church of Willis Earl Beal” before proceeding to read from a leather bound collection of poems. Unpredictable and inspiring, his performances come pretty damn close to life affirming.