BRIGHTON, England -- Hailed as the UK’s answer to SXSW, Brighton's The Great Escape festival is an annual hub of new music sprawling the city’s cultural core.
It’s the go-to event for anyone on the look out for the latest buzz in the music world and an absolute must for fans hoping to catch their favourites before they make the big time.
Here’s our top 10 picks of the festival from grime and hip-hop to aggressively pink power pop and everything in between.
Frankie Cosmos
Self-aware DIY indie pop is Frankie Cosmos’ game and it’s one she plays without fault. Cramming infectious melodies and sharp lyricism into tracks that never pass the three-minute mark, vocalist and moniker maker Greta Kline leads her band in a joyful jaunt of day-to-day profundities and the odd coordinated dance move, not that accessories are needed here. Whilst album number two, Next Thing, has seen the band continue to grow in following, Kline’s writing remains deftly relatable, unnervingly honest and practically impossible not to like.
<a href="http://ingridsuperstar.bandcamp.com/album/next-thing">Next Thing by Frankie Cosmos</a>Kero Kero Bonito
KKB might sound like a cute gimmick, but their rapidly increasing popularity is testament to their attention blippy, J-pop style tunes. Led by vocalist and visual artist Sarah Midori Perry, Kero Kero Bonito’s image is just as enticing as their high octane, six spoons of sugar pop songs and live performances. Props and glitz galore, KKB are much more than just ones to watch, they’re the ones you won’t be able to miss.
Elf Kid
Lewisham-born Elf Kid might be better known for his part in grime collective The Square with his more high profile contemporary Novelist, but debut single "Golden Boy" has seen the MC storm the scene solo. With a sample of Amerie’s "1 Thing" leading the track in its energetic beats, Elf Kid is a prime example of his genre’s ever-advancing journey into mainstream consciousness. A raucous show at the Prince Albert earns Foday Toby Dumbuya a place on this newcomers list, but it’s only a matter of time before bigger things are sent his way.
The Big Moon
This London-based four-piece might disguise their sad love songs as upbeat indie pop, but that doesn’t take away from the #feels you’ll get listening to their Americana tinged debut EP, The Road. A slot supporting Mystery Jets at The Great Escape proves the crowd is right in their choice of venue for the festival’s closing night as a near flawless live performance unfolds before their eyes, leaving all present wondering just how long it will be before they take on a venue of this size alone.
Girli
Ripping stereotypes to shreds one pink brow pencil at a time, Milly Toomey wants you to know that girls get angry too. She’s a powerhouse of bratty bubblegum pop with a vibe so rousing you’ll be throwing tampons at unsuspecting passers by in no time, and that’s exactly what she intended. Whether the in your face attitude and even more in your face tunes are a façade or reality, Girli is one samurai princess with a message that you’ll quickly be taking note of whether you like it or not.
Black Honey
It may have been a hometown show for Brighton’s Black Honey but the indie rock quartet by no means rested on its laurels, an ethos representative of the band’s musical aesthetic as a whole. Whilst comparisons to Hole and Blondie can seem lazy, vocalist Izzy B Phillips wears her influences on her sleeve, offering a captivating vocal to accompany the band’s whole-hearted embrace of 20th Century American rock 'n' roll. Taking to DIY’s pier-based stage as main support to Eagulls, Black Honey perform as though to thousands and exude a sense of theatricality that even their predecessors could learn from.
Loyle Carner
Giving one of The Great Escape’s most anticipated performances this year was South Londoner Benjamin Coyle-Larner. A struggle with dyslexia may have given him his switched-up stage name, but penning heartfelt and admissive hip-hop is something this musician definitely doesn’t struggle with. Winning a place on the BBC Sound of 2016 long list gave him a well-earned boost and tracks like "BFG" and "Tierney Terrace" are doing more than their fair share in ensuring Coyle-Larner is sticking around for the long haul.
Diet Cig
Providing peppy pop punk and high kicks for days, Alex Luciano and Noah Bowman hold the antidote to your darkest days in the palm of their hands. Luckily, it’s something they’re willing to share and with tracks like "Harvard" leading the way, it seems pretty clear they’re going to be sharing it much more widely in the very near future. Live, Diet Cig’s performances are brimming with energy and magnetism; on record they're equally enthralling, a trait that’s successfully seen them go from strength to strength in a scene stereotypically dominated by whiny white boys from the suburbs. It’s no mean feat, but one that has without doubt been a long time coming.
Mabel
Music is in her blood, but Mabel McVey -- daughter of Neneh Cherry and Massive Attack producer Cameron McVey -- is doing things her own way. Despite having only a couple of tracks online to date, she’s been carving her niche with RnB slow bangers and a live Destiny’s Child cover for good measure. A polished performance and some highly memorable tunes make Mabel one to watch.
Smerz
Copenhagen via Oslo marks the journey Henriette and Catharina took to reach this point after meeting in high school. Producers by nature, the pair studied music theory before turning their hands to the practicalities of their trade, putting smooth electro and hypnotic vocals on their table for all to hear. Opening the Saturday night at Hype Machine sponsored The Arches puts Smerz in good company with the likes of Bibi Bourelly (co-writer of Rihanna’s "Bitch Better Have My Money") and Anna Of The North as they draw a crowd to successfully fill the room and render them bewitched for the duration.
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