Five Acts to Watch at BIGSOUND 2015

BIGSOUND Live has announced 50 acts on its first live line-up announcement for 2015, including High Tension, Jesse Davidson, the Cosmic Psychos and (nearly) everyone’s favourite electro- pop prodigy Muscles.

Also set to appear in front of an audience of music fans and industry heads, including key note speakers Peter Garrett and US hip hop artist Brother Ali, are rising electro talent RaRa, the glam and pop stomp of Pearls, the quirkiness of Melbourne’s Sui Zhen and the one and only Jonny Telfaone.

This years festival/conference/gathering/party will take over Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley from Wednesday, September 9 for three days of panels, discussions and industry seminars and two nights of 140 bands across 14 live music spaces.

With so many acts, picking and choosing who to see may appear daunting but we’ve made it slightly easier by hand picking our faves from the lineup so far.

From his early mix-tapes and commentary on messed up

You Tube videos

to his

18th-birthday celebrations

, it’s been fun watching the ascent of young Melbourne MC Baro. There’s no doubt that the kid has grown into one of Australia’s most promising and unique hip-hop personalities and his engaging live performance is sure to be one of the highlights at BIGSOUND 2015.

New Zealand’s Harding got her start in Lyttelton, a port town on the outskirts of Christchurch. Aldous (real name Hannah), whose mother is a folk singer and whose father plays the blues, creates a music that is characterised by a bleakness and a fragility. Imagine if Vashti Bunyan or Buffy Sainte-Marie grew up in a New Zealand fishing town reading A Brave New World and busking outside the local IGA, and you will have some idea of her musical charm.

When we premiered “Twilight Driving”, Methyl Ethel’s first single from their debut album Oh Inhuman Spectacle we described their warm reverb as like “Ariel Pink in fluro zinc.” Led by guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Jake Webb, the Perth three piece present the kind of stream of conscious pop that feels drenched in the warm glow of a West Australian late afternoon. You are going to dig these guys.

Melbourne duo friendships really stepped things up earlier in the year with the release of their intensely twisted single "When I Feel Like Killing, I Murder", exceeding the promising foundations they were laying during performances in their hometown. The audio-visual project of Misha Grace and Nicholas Brown has already piqued interest overseas, singing to Mom + Pop-affiliated NYC label Mermaid Avenue. Right now, they're primed to take BIGSOUND by storm.

A well-respected figure amongst Melbourne's club scene, Harvey Sutherland constructs heady dancefloor constructions defined by an enticing shun of inhibition. He's not shy of heavy garnishes of disco flavours, with his steady output of quality tracks resonating across the globe with benevolently infectious charm.

BIGSOUND LIVE 2015 FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT

Aldous Huxley
All Our Exes Live in Texas
Ali Barter
Astral Skulls
Ayla
Babaganouji
Baro
Ben Salter
Big White
Born Lion
Caitlin Park
Caulfield
Cosmic Psychos
City Calm Down
Donny Benet
Ella Thompson
Friendships
Gang of Youths
Gordi
Grenadiers
Harvey Sutherland
High Tension
Holy Holy
Jaala
JACK THE STRIPPER
Jesse Davidson
Jonny Telafone
K21
Katy Steele
Koi Child
Luke Howard
Major Leagues
Methyl Ethel
Moonbase Commander
Muscles
Pearls
Rainbow Chan
RaRa
Slum Sociable
Stonefield
Sui Zhen
Sunbeam Sound Machine
Super Best Friends
Tempura Nights
The John Steel Singers
The Snowdroppers
Tiger Choir
Timbawolf
WAAX
Yukon Blonde

BIGSOUND Live. Brisbane September 9-11.

Tickets on sale from June 22.