(Alright. There was going to be a handful of these personal recommendations, but, er, no one else could be bothered. So this is what I want to see, stalkers. I got the info from the Swn website; their Facebook page has slightly different, probably more up to date details. You can find your own venues. In general though: booze)
Thursday – Firstly, I’ll be watching Our Dear Leader play in Science Bastard. My boss he may be, but his band’s fiddly, prog shoutiness will pop the evening’s cork nicely. Heckle the singer. Towards town, and choose from Glass Diamond‘s weirdo electro crowd assault, or the Irascibles‘ rockabilly strut, with ex-Young Marble Giants members. If the latter, Don’t Move are after, where one woman’s ace bedroom found sounds may or may not translate live. Don’t Move do clash with the great kitchen-sink-thrown-down-stairs Three Trapped Tigers, so a drunkenly tossed coin may be needed. Team Brick will bust your face, with throat singing, twisted electronics, live brass and CDRs thrown into the crowd if his last visit is any benchmark, while Devil Man‘s DJ Scotch Egg-plus-pals dub assault straight after will smash what’s left of you. Milk White White Teeth are a potential wild card in the Barfly, if their wonky, team attempt at Arcade Fire swooniness is to be believed (EDIT – looks like they aren’t playing now), while Zun Zun Egui cap a totally solid Shape lineup at Dempseys with esoteric zing.
Friday is Daedelus day. His lecture on sonic boffinry shouldn’t be missed, and nor should his wee hours set. Between these you could split yourself in three and see Wet Dog, Talons or Our Brother The Native, or just decide whether you’d rather fantastic Liliput-style art racket, twiddly post rock or summery crescendos, respectively. Cymdeithas Yr Hobos Unedig sound an intriguing rabble, and you could do a lot worse than Emily Breeze‘s strident, unsettling blues. Go to the Gate, and you’ll be battered by thick Scottish accents and big waves of gloomy guitar. They’re the Twilight Sad and I love them. Then to pop cult Girls, to inspect the hype. Place your bets now.
Saturday – Go to the Roath food market. Do it. Then don’t buy any of the bargains at the Oxjam record stall (because I want them). Loose has an ideal all day platter to dip into, as always, between awesome Chapter beers. Swn = Sound sounds smart: Geraint Ffrancon and Gerallt Ruggeiro, the latter better known as top drawer electrokid Plyci, will sample noise from the whole festival, and present the mashed results here. Nice. Menickie (Gareth Los Campesinos! and friends covering, well you can probably work that one out) could be good or pukeworthy (bear in mind I kinda hate Los Campesinos!) but Y Morgrug are fair unmissable: two 10-year olds spotted at a primary school battle of the bands, covered by Cate Le Bon, playing clattering, cute rockouts. I’m there. After, the Gate hosts rambling, ADD pop from Munch Munch, Minotaur Shock is sure to entertain at the Toucan, or you could be all young and trendy at Dempseys for burning youngsters Teeth and the Drums. Broken Social Scene‘s penultimate show ever will be extra swoonsome, but keep your eyes peeled for Gaggle, a fairly flipping ‘mazing sounding band of 22 women in multicoloured cloaks. “Riot grrl choir” are the buzz words that, frankly, make me excited (EDIT – possibly first on the bill). Blimey.
