It seems that not a year goes by when Green Man Festival attracts a superb line up, and this year is no different. Impact Music takes a look at some of the acts worth checking out at this year’s festival.
Father John Misty
Whether you think Josh Tillman’s Father John Misty persona is irresistible or unbearable is probably a matter of personal taste, but there’s little denying his theatrical tendencies. And despite the occasionally bewildering amount of self-mythologising, messy, violent and sexist language employed on this year’s I Love You, Honeybear album, the project has undeniably born some unusually lucid and poignant moments. Though we may eventually remember Honeybear more for its excruciating lines about Russian blow-up dolls than its sometimes brutal cathartic intensity, for now Misty is perhaps the most engaging morally ambiguous performer working in mainstream music. With this in mind, Father John Misty might just be the most intriguing of the big names headed to South Wales later this summer.
Mew
Perhaps until the release of Plus Minus this May, the most concise distillation of Mew’s modus operandi was probably ‘Hawaii,’ a sprawling 5 and a half minute xylophone based epic ballad that was skimped on neither emotion nor scope. But with the release of their latest album and its opening track, ‘Satellite,’ Mew may have finally out-Mewed themselves, with a song that looks to space to articulate its narrator’s sense of loneliness and longing, all backed by harps and a wash of guitar. Were it not for the obvious prowess and talent on show in their songs, it would be easy to write Mew off as a novelty act. But for those of us with any inclination for either twee or prog music, their music is a powerful draw, and theirs a highly anticipated set at this year’s Green Man Festival.
Natalie Prass
Natalie Prass’ self titled debut album was one of the few gems that shone at the beginning of this year, a resplendent wonder of an album that saw her take the hallmarks of jazz band, 60s girl group and 70s singer-songwriter music and make them her own. It’s hard to think of a more wonderful and unexpected surprise from this year’s crop of new(ish) musicians, and if her album is anything to go by, what a treat it will be to finally see her perform live this August.
Waxahatchee
Cerulean Salt was (and remains) one of my favourite releases of the decade so far, so it wall come as no surprise that this is one of my most anticipated sets at this year’s Green Man. Katie Crutchfield’s new album Ivy Tripp is a consolidation of what preceeded it, and in ‘Under a Rock’ I might have found myself a new favourite song. All this considered, there might not be a better time than this to see Waxahatchee live…
Vietcong
Despite the controversy surrounding their name, Vietcong have rightfully attracted plaudits and fans with their frequently astounding self-titled debut album. While the music on their album more often recalls the industrial smog of winter in their native Calgary than the summer vibes you might traditionally associate with a music festival, it’s easy to imagine cuts like ‘Continental Shelf’ and ‘Throw It Away’ going down a storm in the valleys of South Wales this summer.
Green Man is an independent music festival held in the Brecon Beacons, Wales from 20th – 23rd August 2015
Kieran Hallam
Images: The Guardian
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