1 Julianna Barwick
The Brooklyn-based ambient musician makes largely instrumental, loop-heavy compositions inspired by her church choir beginnings, only occasionally venturing into a barely-there vocal. Striking, ethereal and unlikely to send you home with a pounding head.
2 Kiran Leonard
The Manchester multi-instrumentalist’s art rock via prog, folk and psychedelia has earned him comparisons with everyone from Jeff Buckley to Dirty Projectors. He released his second LP in March, but you get the feeling that even the 20-year-old’s cast-offs are special.
3 Reading & Leeds Festivals
Although a rite of passage for teenage crowds, you can’t knock the sheer breadth of acts on offer here, from A$AP Rocky to Rat Boy, Maxïmo Park to Thrice, Fetty Wap to Slaves. This is basically V fest with a personality, or Glasto without the Adeles and Kanyes but with a few more tent fires.
Branham Park, Leeds & Richfield Avenue, Reading, Fri to 28 Aug
4 Morrissey
Love him or loathe him, Moz’s foot-in-mouth moments and dodgy erotica have, if nothing else, bagged him more column inches than other 80s icons. His solo releases haven’t done badly, either: 2014’s World Peace Is None of Your Business found him on fine anti-establishment form, despite recent health issues. Catch him as he makes a homecoming.
5 Kano
Grime may be big business these days, but Kano hasn’t been cosying up to stateside stars. Rather, recent comeback Made In The Manor saw him channel the east London vibes that made older tracks such as P’s And Q’s such essential listening, while delving a bit deeper into the politics fuelling the UK rap scene.
