News

Wild Beasts, Fionn Reagan and Field Music Added To Dot to Dot Line Up

• 30th Mar 2010

Now in its landmark fifth year and touring three of the UK's most music-savvy cities (including Manchester for the first time in 2010), Dot To Dot is thrilled to announce some great additions to their fabulously eclectic line-up, harmonizing the best up-and-coming talent from across the globe.

These newly-announced acts cross numerous musical genres, from Canadian electro-pop to home-grown folk and all are already attracting rave reviews and tip-for-the-top nods from the savviest UK music writers. They join previously announced sensations such as 2010 Critics' Choice Brit Award winner Ellie Goulding, acclaimed Cardiff-based indie collective Los Campesinos!, returning psych-pop heroes Mystery Jets and BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe on what is shaping up as Dot To Dot's finest bill so far.

Festival organiser Anton Lockwood (of DHP Group) said today:

“We're very excited with the latest additions to the Dot To Dot line up! Wild Beasts had one of the most critically acclaimed albums of last year, which has just continued to grow in stature. Field Music might yet top the polls for this year too. Fionn Regan's rousing folk is going from strength to strength, whilst rockers are going to love Eighties Matchbox, Dan Sartain and Dead Confederate. Lights is the hugely popular new-synth sound of young Canada and is sure to be a hit. And if you love to hear a truly stunning singer, don't miss Rox! With these new additions we've brought a great deal more strength and diversity to the bill, we can't wait!”

First out of the traps are Wild Beasts, Domino Records signed teens who originally hail from previously uncharted rock'n'roll mecca The Lake District. Purveyors of ethereal and beautiful pop propelled by frontman Hayden Thorpe's majestic falsetto vocal (reminiscent of the late, great Billy MacKenzie), this is sure to prove one heck of a show.Acoustic folk troubadour (and former Mercury Music Prize nominee) Fionn Regan has been dubbed “A Bob Dylan for the 21st Century”, but even that surefire compliment does not accurately describe the sheer breadth of emotion on offer on his new album 'The Shadow Of An Empire' – judge for yourself at Dot To Dot 2010.

Field Music (aka songwriting brothers Peter & David Brewis, accompanied by keyboard manipulator Andrew Moore) will thrill Dot To Dot's Bristol and Manchester legs with their artfully poised pop rock which draws upon a seemingly encyclopaedic range of classic pop influences. Canadian teen synth-pop sensation Lights describes her sound as “intergalactic electro music” and looks unstoppable in her quest to conquer this and many other planets with her genius electronic earworms – you will be powerless to resist! Already a star in her native Canada, she was recently awarded a prestigious Juno Award for 2009 New Artist of the Year and is set to release her debut album 'The Listening' on this side of the pond in May 2010.

Offering love songs tinged with reggae and wrapped in a ribbon of soul, Rox is blessed with both beauty and an incredible voice and looks set to go stratospheric this year and she is another great addition to Dot To Dot's ever eclectic bill. Birmingham three-piece Johnny Foreigner are also newly-confirmed and plan to inject some of their self-proclaimed “noisy pop” into proceedings.Meanwhile, rockers can look forward to the return of Brighton faves The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, the Alabaman blues-rock growl of Dan Sartain, and US alt-rockers Dead Confederate.

Also added to the fantastic Dot To Dot bill today are Kirsty Almeida, The Cheek, De Staat, Dog Is Dead, Fol-Chen, Fun, Gentleman's Dub Club, Growing, Lawson, Lunar Youth, Morning Parade, The Red Suns, Ruby Suns,Small Black, White Hinterland, Wolf Gang and Jamie Woon.