Kendal Calling has cemented itself as one of the best festivals for upcoming alternative music and has excelled yet again this year by hosting some of the countries finest new bands. If heading over to this year's festival then we have picked out our top 5 artists that might have slipped under your radar.
The Blinders - Houseparty
A creation of Tim Burgess' Ogenesis Recordings , The Houseparty stage is really the place to be this year. Especially if, like us, you love a high-powered punk intensity in your music. Combining elements of psych and punk/rock The blinders create a swaggeringly primal sound that seems fully designed for such an event as The House Party. The Blinders quickly brought themselves into a music circle including other similarly angst filled acts such as Strange Bones and Blackwaters with their politically challenging single Swine. It demonstrates the main reasons why they have made such a name for themselves. No-nonsense lyrical delivery layered on top of dark atmospheric instrumentals. If anything at this festival will draw out your inner primate it is these guys...well worth the watch.
Cable And The Bay - Houseparty
Talking of primates , Post-punk trio Cable And The Bay seem to have been waiting for the moment to kick of their first festival slot for years. Their usual set opener 'Primates' sets the tone for the next half hour... A concoction of raw revolutionary spirit and youthful optimism, dragging a feel good chorus out of the most aggressive of songs. Yet to appear on Spotify, they have released two new demo's in preparation for Kendal. Listen to the two together and you can get a full sense of their versatility, with Games People Play demonstrating their infectious element and Collar Grabber offering 3 minutes of pure punk. The former also points to their open appreciation of Jamie T, with phonetically driven verses that paint their own image of youth. We were lucky enough to have them down at one of our live events and we can assure you that they are the perfect band for a cramped sweaty festival venue. One of the most lively acts we have ever reviewed!
Take a listen on their Facebook
The assist - Houseparty
Our final Houseparty suggestion lies in the pop-funk sound of The Assist. Their music is possibly the most dance-worthy that you will find on these smaller stages. As the band described to us themselves , "It's that breaking up on a Friday for a long weekend kinda feeling knowing full well that you have a house party to attend with all your best mukkas and endless amounts of alcohol. You will rarely find a band having this much fun while playing, and their upbeat on-stage antics infectious, If you aren't a fan of moshing then you've come to the wrong place. As they said , "We're absolutely buzzing! Even more so to be delivering our tunes to a town we have never played before , the inspiration behind the tunes is to educate , teach people a thing or two about life and that it's okay to be yourself." They're satirical lyrics and indie-dance hooks make them an extremely unique band and well worth the watch.
Freak - Calling Out
Although The Houseparty is owning it his year , there are other stages...Perhaps are favourite current upcoming artist, one man prodigy Freak has blown us away this year! Like ,The Blinders and Cable And The Bay he also features a strong amount of directed criticism towards modern society . However , his socially aware lyrics do not comprimise the music whatsoever. He explained that he mostly just writes "about real shit and my own experiences and i think they connect with people because they are real and other people are going through it. I don't go out of my way to write about politics but when you are/were a uni student with ridiculous amounts of debt it's important to voice it because other people feel it too." Sounds reminiscent of Nirvana provide a clear depiction of the state of the country for a young adult whilst slapping you round the face with some of the best mosh-worthy riffs this decade. One of the best live acts you will see at this years festival!
Neon Waltz - Woodland
If you are fancying a more relaxed few days , Scottish group Neon Waltz will calm you down in the most pleasing way possible. Euphoric instrumental sections compliment their indie-pop hooks brilliantly and create a fully-immersive uplifting experience. Heavy Heartless adds a more psychedelic element and lulls the listener into a care-free trance in a similar way to Tame Impala. They do also hold the ability for a good old fashioned indie sing-a-long anthem, Perfect Frame reveals some of their Scottish heritage and is the perfect remedy for the weather predicted for the weekend. Be sure to check them out on Facebook as well to keep up to date with their new album , arriving on the 18th of August!
Check theses bands and more on our 'Discover Kendal Calling' Playlist!
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